"I dream of bacon." Parker told us yesterday.

After our laughter died down he added,

"I like it a lot."

After a few more chuckles he added this question,

"I wonder how you say bacon in Chinese?"

That brought on a complete hysteria.  

First of all, we rarely make bacon.  Second of all,Chinese?

I don't know where he comes up with this stuff. 

Christmas Secrets

Connor got the opportunity to help Grandma Valerie wrap a few of the Christmas gifts for other family members.  Connor felt so special to be Grandma's helper and see all the surprises waiting for his aunts, uncles and cousins on Christmas day.  Part of the way through the project they wrapped a present for Grandma's dog, Moose.  Connor asked Grandma if she bought a gift for our dog, Mokie.  She told him that she hadn't.  

Connor quickly asked her, "Did you buy presents for all the rest of my family?"  
"Yes."  Grandma replied.

"Well, Mokie is a member of my family.  That means he needs a present too!"

Needless to say, I think we will be visiting the pet store soon to buy gifts for the furry family members in our life.  I thought it was really sweet of him to want to ensure EVERYONE (or thing) had a Merry Christmas.  What a sweet boy!  Merry Christmas to you and all of your furry pals!

My Favorite Parker Quotes for the Week

Parker has had another great week of hilarious comments.  Here are a few of my favorites:

We were talking to the boys about acting our Luke 2 at Grandma Valerie's Christmas Party.  Connor was assigned the role of a shepherd and Parker is going to be a sheep.  Parker announces:

    "I don't want to be a sheep.  I want to be a leopard."

    "Buddy, there weren't leopards there the night Jesus was born."

    "You know, those guys who lead the sheep.  A leopard.  That's what I want to be."  

Parker's comments about our weeping willow tree:  

    "Why did that tree lose all its hair?"

    "Do you mean it's leaves?"  

    "No, it's hair.  See, it still has some, but lost all the rest."

Just in time. . .

We have been so busy with house projects that we have neglected our yard.  That isn't such a smart move when your back yard is home to 10 mature trees.  As December rolled around I started to panic about getting all of the leaves raked and out of the yard.  I kept having nightmares of all the grass dying over the winter because of the 2 inches of leaves that covered every bit of the grass in the backyard.  Jeremy decided to take every Friday in December off of work.  So, we chose friday  to take care of the leaf problem.  After a few hours of raking we had two HUGE piles of leaves, we loaded them onto a tarp and transported them to Grandpa's truck parked in the driveway.  It took two trips to the dump with loads of leaves piled high to get rid of them but we are now leaf free (for the most part.)  We are so lucky that we took care of it Friday because yesterday it snowed.  Winter, here we come!

Gingerbread House Construction

This was our project for this last weekend.  I helped the boys build the gingerbread house on friday, and Jeremy helped them decorate it on saturday.  They had a wonderful time organizing all of the candy and making the house look just right.  I have already been yelled at by both my children for trying to sneak a few gum drops into my mouth.  Boy, did I learn my lesson. 

Jeremy and the boys did a great job making our gingerbread house look just like the one on the box.  (We bought a kit, of course.)

Parker was in charge of lining the foundation of the house with gum drops.  He was very dedicated to his job and did a great job.

Connor was in charge of the tree, gingerbread man, and snowman that sit in front of the house.  He was very creative with his choice of candies.  Way to go!  It looks great!!!

Top 10 Favorite Things About Our New House

Well, I know it has been a good six weeks or so since we moved and I haven't posted any pictures.  (Sorry Brook, I know that doesn't help keep you in the loop.)  So, I decided I would post my favorite top ten things about my new house with a few pictures to go along.  Here they are in no particular order:

1.  The Backyard.  I must admit, my love of this house started with the backyard.  It has 10 large trees that provide ample shade all throughout the summer.  I plan to add a few perennials in the back flower beds and then it will be perfect.  It backs a neighborhood walking trail and creek.  The boys have absolutely loved it!  There is one drawback.  The leaves.  We are still currently raking mounds and mounds of leaves, but it is worth it for the shade they will provide during the summer.

2.  I might have to rake leaves in the backyard, but the front driveway faces perfectly so that the winter sun will be able to melt the snow. We were always continually shoveling and trying to get rid of the ice on our old driveway.  Say good bye to hours of back breaking work.

3.  The jetted tub in the master bathroom.  I have not previously been a bath taker.  But I must admit there is nothing like a good soak in this tub after hours of moving boxes and furniture.  Jeremy had to coax me into it at first, but now it is one of my favorite sanctuaries in the house. 

4.  The master bedroom.  The master bedroom is larger in this house, but I love the even more spacious feeling that is created by the vaulted ceilings.  Jeremy loves the ceiling fan and we both love the slightly detached placement of our bedroom.
5.  Our new house has a nice large porch.  It isn't huge, or a beautiful southern style wrap around porch.  It is, however, wider than our previous porch.  I am very proud to announce that not a single trick-or-treater fell down our front porch this year trying to fight their way back to their parents.

6.  An upstairs laundry room.  Heavenly!!!!  Our new laundry room is right off of all of the bedrooms.  No more caring laundry up and down the stairs.  Wahoo!!!!

 7.  My children actually sleep in their beds in their own rooms.  This is an amazing feat for our family.  Before the move Connor had gotten into the strange habit of sleeping on the bathroom floor with the light on and Parker always fell asleep on our bed.  We would move Parker onto his bed when we went to bed, but he would always come back to bed with us at 4 or 5 a.m.  It is nice that now we have our own room too.

8.  We actually have a living room.  Our last house had a large foyer/room that never was really too big for a foyer and not big enough for an actual living room.  This room is my other favorite sanctuary.  It is so nice to curl up with a good book in our comfy chair and chill out for a bit.
9.  A 3-car garage.  I know this is Jeremy's favorite for sure!  It is nice to be able to park in the garage with all of the bikes, yard stuff, lawn furniture, boxes and tools.  I wish I could say that it was spacious and clutter free.  I am just excited that at this point it can store a bunch of stuff and we can park in there.  It is going to be wonderful in the summer when we aren't trying to cram the usual summer items in there (i.e. bikes, kiddie pool, scooters,) and still be able to get to the things we need, like the lawn mower and yard tools.
10.  The new carpet.  New carpet is a wonderful luxury after the not so lovely forest green carpet that this house had when we bought it.  It is amazing what a neutral color carpet can do for a house.  I liked the house before, but now I love it!  We chose this durable berber carpet for the stairs and main traffic areas.  The bedrooms have a nice plush carpet in them.  

Jeremy and I have totally enjoyed our new house.  We are continually finding things that we enjoy and we have enjoyed getting to know our new neighbors too.  My only regret it  that we couldn't bring every single one of our old neighbors with us.  Although it is a little to far to go for a cup of sugar or sprinkler key, it is definitely close enough we can bug you often enough.  So beware, the Davis' plan to be bugging you soon!

What are your Family Traditions for the Holidays?

Jeremy and I got asked to speak in church on sunday.  (One of the absolutes when moving.  You definitely have to speak in church.)  We were given the topic of "Establishing Righteous Traditions."  I have found  that it has been fun to think about all of the fun things that have happened in holidays past, and why my family chooses to do what they do.  I have also found it interesting to find out why my parents traditions are what they are.

    Simple things like when we were younger, we never decorated the house before December 12th.  For a long time I just figured that my parents got totally overwhelmed with the season with all of the shopping, parties, working, and juggling the daily life of me and my sisters.  The first half of December was agonizing as I waited until we could go buy our tree and decorate.  Little did I know that December 12th marked a family tradition of my mothers growing up.  What is so special about the 12th you ask?  They always put there tree up on the 12th because otherwise the tree would die and make a huge pine needle mess before Christmas day.

    One of my other favorite family traditions is my Parents open house on Christmas Eve. They have had a party on Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember.  They invite any family, friends, and neighbors to come and celebrate with us.  We always seem to have more goodies than real food, and my Mom's rule is that on Christmas Eve you can eat whatever you want.  (To bad the calories still count.)  The evening always ends with all of us standing around the piano singing Christmas carols.  For me, it is what the spirit of Christmas really is.  It wasn't until the last year or so that I found out how this tradition started.  My Grandparents always came to visit on Christmas Eve to drop off the presents for me and my sisters.  This way, we could all have our gifts from our grandparents ready to be opened first thing in the morning.  That simple visit to drop of presents has been transformed into my favorite holiday tradition.  

    So, here is my question for you.  What are your favorite family traditions, and why is that the way you celebrate?  I am curious to see what makes the holidays special for you, so, please take a quick second to let me know.  Thanks!  

Do all mom's have eyes in the back of their heads?

Connor asked me this the other day.  I must have caught him doing something that he shouldn't have been, although I have no recollection of what he was doing.  He now insists that all mothers and teachers have a set of eyes in the back of their heads.  (It makes me wonder what he got caught doing at school too.)  This morning, he asked me ( while standing directly behind me)  "Mom, can you see me now?"  I have persisted in trying to tell him that no one has eyes in the back of their heads, but he doesn't believe me.  I guess it wouldn't be too bad if he continued to believe it, if it keeps him from doing a few creatively naughty things.  Or should I just try to explain a mother's instinct?  I love this picture of him because it is while my children are sleeping that I can finally let the "eyes in the back of my head" rest for awhile.  

Yes, We Really are Alive. . .

I know it has been forever since we have updated our blog. It has felt like forever for me too. But, we are getting internet at our new house tomorrow (finally!) so I will be back in touch with you all again soon! Wahoo for modern technology!!!!

Tagged. . .

I got "tagged" weeks ago, but have been too busy with moving to have given you 7 Random Facts about myself. So, here it is, the long awaited, 7 Random Facts about me.

1) In high school I had my picture taken with the Govenor for winning an award in the biggest High School Art Contest in the state.

2) I am not a quiet person. I have always been noisy. When I am not talking people's ears off, I am usually the one druming on the table, flicking stuff, or singing whatever annoying tune is in my head. Just ask anyone who has ever done a project with me. I think I sang "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" very audibly the entire time I was at the canery a couple of months ago.

3) I played the flute and piccolo all through Jr. High and High School. During High School I was in the marching band too. I still find myself walking to the beat of whatever music I hear. I think it is just one of those geeky bi-products of marching band. (Go band! Geeky or not, I loved it!)

4) I am an extremely anxious person, and always have been. One time, I helped my parents get a good deal on a new mini van because I threw such a huge fit about selling our station wagon. I still remember driving home screaming that I wanted our stationg wagon back. I get so anxious that instead of my husband asking for my Dad's permission to marry me, my Dad took Jeremy aside and told him I am a big wimp, and that he should just buy me a ring and make me decide. (I am not even kidding.)

5) I am a bit of a color freak. It's not that I don't like white walls, you just won't find one in my house. Our last house we called our "rainbow house" because each room was painted a different color. We had a yellow room, a green striped room, a blue room, a room we originally painted purple that we painted over to be a lovely shade of taupe, a olive green room, a red wall in the kitchen, two light blue rooms, and various shades tan and brown to tie it all together. My favorite color of all is yellow. It is a color that just makes me happy. (The living room and possibly the family bathroom in our new house will be sporting lovely shades of yellow.)

6) I love gardening. In fact I would go so far as to call myself a garden geek. I love planting flowers and watching them grow. I spend my winters reading about perennials, bushes, bulbs, garden styles, and dreaming about spring. I start getting my flower beds ready for planting in mid to late February and early March. I usually have my annuals planted before the customary Mother's Day mark. I love botanical gardens, and try to absorb everything I can when I go to visit them.

7)I am a project-a-holic. I live for projects. I am not so great at keeping a calm everyday routine. I love doing things like painting rooms, drawing lifesize pirates, sewing curtains or baby dresses, rearranging furniture, making halloween costumes, designing scrapbook cards and digital scrapbooks, re-finishing furniture, cleaning out the garage. . . the list goes on and on. I am just one of those people who needs to be doing something. I go a little bit crazy if I get bored. Now, that being said. I am not great at any of those things. I usually get done and wish I had just bought whatever I just made, or hired someone to do the job, but it does keep me busy and gives me a little bit of sanity.

Now that you have read 7 Random Facts about me, it is your turn. I know I am supposed to tag 5 people and link their site to mine, but that is all a little bit over my head. So, Chrissy, Heidi, Amanda, Lara, Mara, and anyone else who would like to share, I will be waiting to read 7 Random Facts about you! Get thinking!!!

Tomorrow's the BIG day. . .

Well folks, tomorrow is the big day! It's MOVING DAY!!!! I know, we already moved, but now we actually get to move our stuff into our new house. I stopped by today to drop off our treasures from the pumpkin patch and the previous owners gave me the key and the garage door opener. They are still cleaning today, but tomorrow it is all OURS! We still aren't moving everything in right away because we are getting new carpet in a few weeks, but I can come and go as freely as I want because it's OURS. Yipee! Wa-hoo!!!!
We have had a really good time with Grandma and Grandpa over the last two weeks. The kids have enjoyed eating their endless supply of popsicles and watching old Night Rider episodes on Grandma and Grandpa's bed. (Isn't it every kids dream to live with his grandparents.) Parker has just grown accustomed to life here. (Moving has effected him the most so far.) I think he will be saying, "Let's go back to Grandpa Steve's," for a very long time.

A Heavy Heart

Well, it is midnight and I am sitting at the computer in my parents house with a bit of a heavy heart. Today was moving day. I can honestly say that there is no way we could have done it without all of you. I am not sad to be leaving behind our home, and yet, I cannot get myself fully excited for our new house just yet. As Jeremy and I walked through the house one last time and talked of all of the projects we'd done, the new counters, the painted cabinets and all of the choices we made when finishing the basement and putting in the yard, the plants and bushes we planted and took care of. None of that really mattered. All of those things are just that. Things. However, as we sat and remembered building the swing set for our boys, or all of the good friends and neighbors who helped us lay sod, or all of Jeremy's brothers that painstakingly carried all of the paving bricks to the backyard to help us lay them, and especially all of the wonderful people who worked beside us all day today, and all of your children who are Connor and Parker's dearest friends. This, my friends, we will dearly miss. Jeremy and I are so greatful for all of the time and muscle spent in our behalf. For the love and concern that each one of you have showed to us today, and many days in the past, we thank you. I can honestly say we couldn't have done it without you. As we have been going through the process of buying our new house we often found ourselves taking a detour that leads us past the new house. I belive that detour has just changed. I think that now our detour has become driving through the old neighborhood with the hopes of seeing one of you outside. Know that we greatly love and appreciate you. You have impacted our lives for the better. I know that life goes on. I'm sure our new neighbors will be wonderful. We'll paint, and plant, and decorate, and we will make this new house our home, but you guys are one of a kind! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

48 Hours to the BIG move

The count down has begun! We will be moving in about 48 hours. I think I am just about ready. Most of the boxes are packed and ready to go. Moving always sounds fun until you actually have to move all of your stuff. But things have been going fairly smoothly. The boys are getting excited but I think that excitement mainly comes from the fact that we get to stay at Grandma Karen's and Grandpa Steve's house for a few weeks until our new house will be ready for us. Parker has decided that we need to move to our new house because this house is now broken since I started to take down our pictures and decorations. I must admit it doesn't feel quite like home without our pictures up on the walls. It will be fun to put them up in our new house in a few weeks. The picture I chose for this post is one I took while I was packing on Saturday. I was upstairs organizing a few things when Connor started to call for me. When I came running, this is what I found. Parker was stuck on a shelf in the food storage closet. He wasn't distressed, he was just watching TV. He is so clever it's scary sometimes.

Things You Shouldn't Do To Your Children

You definitely should not get a puppy and then leave on vacation 48 hours later. Although we did have a great time in St. George, my boys were super excited to get back home. Here are a few of my favorite comments about the puppy while we were on our trip.

Before we left: Connor told me, "I think our puppy wants to stay with his real family. Can't Mokie come? I promise I won't go swimming. Everyone else can go, and I'll just take care of him."

Just after we got there: Parker said, "Can we go home yet? Say yes. Pleeeeeeease say yes."

A few days later: I asked, "Parker, do you want to watch Lightning McQueen?" Parker replied, "My puppy's name is Mokie." (I just found this funny because he was obviously thinking about the puppy although we hadn't even been discussing it recently.)

Since we've been home: Anytime we happen to see our neighbors (who were kind enough to take card of our puppy while we were away) Parker marches up to them and says, "This is my puppy. You can never take it away from me again!"

The puppy has been so much fun. (A bunch of work too.) However, Mokie is definitely part of the family now. It is so fun to watch him chase after the boys, tackle his chew toys, and wag his little stubby tail. It has been fun to watch as Mokie has learned to tackle the stairs and wear himself out until he collapses on the grass and falls asleep. I cannot remember so many days in a row that my children have awake in fits of joy and gone to bed so happy. Parker loves it when I let the dog wake him up by jumping all over him and licking his face, and Connor has risen everyday excited to play with Mokie in the backyard while still in his pajamas. Jeremy and I have agreed that watching our children enjoy this dog kind of makes us feel like the Parents of the Year. Who knew what joy a dog could bring. Don't get me wrong, it is time consuming, tiring, and frustrating to clean up its little messes, buy over all the joy of having a puppy is worth it.

Sunny St. George

We have just arrived home from our annual St. George trip. Jeremy especially enjoyed the trip this year because he was able to play this year instead of getting ready to run a marathon. Jeremy was able to play three rounds of golf with his brothers, we went swimming everyday, the boys played continuously with their cousins, we played hours of cards, watched movies, visited the Dinosaur Tracks at Johnson's Farm, did a little shopping, and had an all around good time. Here are a few photos from the trip:
Here is a picture of Connor "saving" Shaylee in the pool. I thought this picture was so cute, they had such a good time playing together.
Parker loved the swimming pool. He is a little water bug! He looks a little unsure on his Dad's shoulders in this picture, but that didn't stop him from endlessly diving into the pool. We taught him to move around the pool by sitting on a water noodle like a horse. He rode his "pink horse" all over the pool.
Grandma Valerie had little activities for the kids to do each day. On this day they were finger painting outside on the patio. They really enjoyed all of the fun activities they got to do.

Here are a few pictures from the Dinosaur Tracks at Johnson's Farm. I really found Johnson's Farm fascinating. There were all sorts of impressions of dinosaur tracks, wave patterns, bug footprints, fossils, dinosaur teeth and a few dinosaur bones. Connor really enjoyed "dinosaur tracking" by following the painted dinosaur foot prints all over the building. (I think we have 50 pictures of painted dinosaur tracks on the floor, but it kept him happy and busy.) We even got to measure our hand next to a dinosaur track.
We spent a lot of time just hanging out in the condo. In this picture Uncle Terry was keeping all of the kids entertained by playing video games. We had a very enjoyable and relaxing week!

Sometimes I Wish I Knew What They Were Thinking

This shot is good for a laugh. I have no idea why Parker thought it would be cool to get into the garbage can. Thank heavens I had just dumped it.

I must admit it. I am smitten!

How can anyone resist those puppy dog eyes. Jeremy and I have been talking about getting a dog for a few years now. We have spent quite a while investigating types of dogs and how to tell if a certain puppy has a good temperment. We have finally taken the HUGE step of getting a dog.

Our neighbors across the street got a cocker spaniel from the same litter about a week ago. We would go visit their puppy at least once every day. Last night the lady who had all the puppies brought this one over and we couldn't resist the temptation. Connor and Parker are ecstatic! Parker named the dog Mokie, but Connor likes the name Yoda better. So, we made a comprimise to name the dog Mokie-Yoda, but really it's just Mokie. So far he is playful and loveable. We are all very happy about the new addition to our family.

Keep Your Fingers Crossed. . .

because we are moving again!!! (And hopefully for real this time.) We got two offers this weekend so, if everything goes as planned (unlike last time,) we will be moving on the 13th of October. I think I will finally be ready by the 13th. I think Jeremy and I have both feel better about it this time around. So, packing boxes here we come!!!

Yeah!!!! My Title Box is Back!!!

Now I really can be excited about my new header. I have been online all morning trying to figure it out and ta-da it has returned. I don't know what exactly solved the problem, but hopefully it will stay forever now.

Check out my blog now!!! It has taken me days of frustrating research, but I finally got a personal picture up as my blog header. My excitement has been a little short lived though. Somehow, in the process, I have messed up my ability to put titles on my new posts. Any ideas?

"Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo. . ."

". . .Catch a buyer by the toe. " This is the song Connor has been singing at breakfast. Although I know he really means to say "tiger" instead of "buyer," his version seemed very fitting. Intrest rates dropped again yesterday, and Jeremy and I are dying to get our rate locked, but someone needs to put an offer on our house! If we could lock our rate to day our house payment would stay the same as it is here. I know I am being totally ridiculous, but I do not do well with the in-between stages of life. Jeremy and I are action people. This waiting around for someone else just stinks! However, let me take a minute to praise our lovely real estate agent. Rachel is wonderful!!! She is working so hard to get it sold, (not to mention dealing with our crazy impatient rantings.) Thanks Rachel!

This Week's Quotes from My Two Crazy Kids

Connor: "Mom, how much time do we have before I go to school?"
Me: "Connor, it is Saturday. You don't go to school on Saturday's."
Connor: "Awe Shucks! Does that mean that the first graders go to school today?"
(Connor really misses all of his good buddies that are in first grade this year. It seems like it takes them forever to finish their school day.)

Me: "When we move to our new house you and Connor will get your own rooms. I thought we could decorate your room with race cars, and Connor's room with airplanes."
Parker: "No. We both need race car rooms. Connor can sleep in the loser room. The winner room can be mine."

I'm Stuck. . .on purpose

I took this picture the other day at Grandma Valerie's house. She is doing some major remodeling which includes her whole backyard. The chain link fence that separates Grandma Valerie's house from the neighbors was taken down in preparation for a new vinyl fence that gets installed this next week. The removal of the old fence left these small, deep holes where the old fence posts were cemented into the ground. Despite my constant nagging about keeping their shoes on, and watching out for the holes, I found this. Parker, totally enjoying climbing down into each deep post hole. Totally boy!

House For Sale. . .AGAIN!

Well, it really was too good to be true. The sale of our house fell through. Late Saturday evening our Buyer's buyer's backed out. Since the sale of our house was contingent upon their house selling and since that isn't going to happen, we aren't moving yet either. The people buying our house are heartsick (as are we) and still really want to move to our new house. Now we have two options: 1. We still have a valid contract with them whenever they sell their house. 2. Someone else could come buy my house. Any takers?

The Bionicle Craze

Connor was so excited to get a birthday invitation this week from one of his little buddies. He was even more excited when he realized he had saved up enough money to buy himself something at the toy store when we went to pick out the birthday gift. Connor settled on a Bionicle (thank you Caden and Broden for introducing him to the joy of Bionicle's) and decided that Branson would enjoy one too. Connor tried his best to keep what he got Branson a secret, but he really wanted Branson to see his Bionicle after it was all built. Branson was very impressed, and even suggested that Connor could get him one for his birthday. Connor turned to him and said "Just one minute, I need to talk to my Mom. Privately." Connor dragged me upstairs in an excited fit of hystarics and was ecstatic that Branson really would like what we got him. It was such a cute moment. We spent the rest of the afternoon trying to throw Branson off track by telling him we got him an Elmo toy, or a motorcycle. Everytime we would try to trick him Connor would glance over at me with a big smile and a huge thumbs up. It was one of those moments as a parent that is so funny and touching all at the same time. I am so lucky to have Connor. I love you buddy!

Conditions Upon Going to Bed

Before I had kids I don't think I realized what a war bedtime can be. I remember my pre-children days where I just assumed that children get tired and put themselves to bed without a fight. Is that how it works at your house? It is definitely not the case at ours. For years now, we have battled bedtime. I am pleased to say that the last month or so, our bedtime routine has gone quite smoothly. Here is what it entails. Around 7:45 - 8:00 p.m. we give our kids a five minute warning. After the five minutes (that sometimes stretches to 10 while I build up enough stamina for the ensuing war) we herd the kids upstairs to put on p.j.'s and brush teeth. Then we pick out a few books to read, (insert another fight over what to read here) and then it is off to tuck them in. At this point, Connor gathers all of his bedding and makes a bed for himself on the floor in the bathroom. (I am hoping this is just a phase.) While Parker gathers up all of his trucks and heads straight for our room. After carefully placing every truck he owns on our bed, we tuck Parker (and all of the trucks) in for the night. After winding my music box we can kiss him goodnight with confidence that they are down for the night. We couldn't resist this picture of the trucks all tucked in for bed.

Moving Update - 14 Days to Go

As of today, we will be moving in 14 days. I don't think the reality of this has totally sunk in yet, but Jeremy and I are beginning to realize this is really going to happen! (Everything has happened so fast that we have kind of been holding our breath.) Since it is still a bit too early to start packing, I have started planning out what color I am going to paint the walls, and where (and how) the furniture will get set up in the new house. I know I am kind of a color freak, and my unwritten "No wall left behind" rule is kind of silly, but it is fun to plan and dream anyway. I think my love of color, and my Color Theory class at Weber State (one of my best classes ever!) has left me a little bit of a color snob, and a little overly analytical about choosing colors. So, my husband will probably claim that this blog entry is a whole bunch of artist b-s, but here are the color palates I have chosen and a short reasoning on how I came to these colors. (I did run all of the colors in this blog past my husband and I am under the impression that we are in agreement that these colors would be suitable options for us.)

For the Main Living Areas I have chosen a cream, gold, dark reddish-brown, and an grey based olive green color. Each different space will have one of the colors as the main color and then will be accented in the remaining colors. I tried to pick colors that I thought all looked good together so that there is a nice flow from one space to another. The floor plan is fairly open and I wanted the colors to be complementary enough to create a good sense of continuity throughout the space. This should create a warm, peaceful atmosphere. (I admit, that was a little artist b-s.) The bedrooms each have their own individual color palates because they are not open to the rest of the living areas of the house. I found new bedding for each of the boys rooms in these colors and loved them instantly. So, the color choices for thier rooms was relatively easy. The color choices for the Master Bedroom are the same as in our current house because we just barely finished decorating our current bedroom and really love the color palate in there. (Jeremy actually picked out the colors for our room. He did a great job, I absolutely love the cool calming effect that these colors have.) Anyway, that is my moving update. I am excited to get past the moving in part, and on to the "making the house my own part." Thanks for indulging a somewhat psycotic color freak! I'll keep you updated.

Albertsons Box Tops for Education Sale

It's that time again! The Albertsons Box Tops for Education sale started today. Not only is it a great way to earn a little extra money for our local elementary school, it also means there are great deals on lots on stuff! Here is a little run-down on my purchases at the "big sale:" 2 Cans Enchillada Sauce, 6 cans Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, 8 boxes of Betty Crocker Cake mix, 1 tub of Betty Crocker Frosting, 12 boxes of Betty Crocker muffin mixes, 3 Betty Crocker Cookie mixes, 7 boxes of Batman Fruit Roll Ups, 1 box of Reese's Puff Cereal, 3 boxes Curves Granola bars, 8 boxes Scooby Doo Fruit Snacks, 4 boxes of Gogurt (we love to eat these frozen like popsicles), and 6 chubs of Pillsbury Ready to Bake Cookie Dough. That is a total of 61 items for $74.80. (after the box top sales price and a few coupons I found on pinchingyourpennies.com) Each item averages out to be around $1.23. Not to shabby considering that many of the items are regularly prices between $3-3.50. Isn't it fun to find a deal?

First Day of Kindergarten

We've made it! Connor started Kindergarten yesterday. I know it has only been two days, but I am loving it! Running errands with one child goes a little smoother than running errands with two. I think Connor prefers this arrangement too. He has plenty of friends in his class from the ward and from Miss Tami's Preschool. Connor is excited about his teacher, Mrs. Standord. When she introduced herself to the class she told them that she has 10 grandkids. Connor was so excited he told me "Mom, she is a grandma! I like Grandma's!!!" He sits at the "blue" table, absolutely loves recess, and would be totally excited if we walked to school an hour early so that he could play on the "big toy" for longer before the morning school bell rang. It is so fun to see him excited about school and all of the experiences he will have this year. He is getting so grown up!

My Sweet Kitty

My poor cat. It was my baby up until the time I had Connor. Now, I fear it is emotionally neglected. By the time I am ready to relax after the kids have gone to bed the last thing I want is something else demanding my attention and affection. I woke up the other day and found it asleep in the basket on my dresser. It looked so sweet and fluffly! It was a good reminder to what a great cat Stormy really is. Who wouldn't love this ball of fur?!

End of Summer Swimming Party

I know I am playing catch up with my blog today, but we have had a lot going on this week. Here is a picture I took at an end of summer swimming party last Thursday. (I would have posted it earlier, but I left my camera at the swimming pool and just barely figured out where it was.)

The boys and I got invited to go swimming with a bunch of our buddies at a private pool last Thursday. Grace (the owner of the pool and most gorgeous backyard I have ever seen) opens up her backyard and swimming pool every thursday during the summer for all to enjoy. We had a wondrful time. The kids had a great time in the pool, and I had a great time admiring the piece of heaven that is Grace's backyard. (Envision a secluded yard with a pool, diving board, mature trees, and paths that lead to a play house, trampolie, fire pit, koy pond, and hammocks all scattered throughout a beautifully lush perenial garden and you just might have a glimpse of this absolutely stunning yard.) I think we played in Grace's backyard for 3 or 4 hours. It was heavenly, not to mention the company was GREAT! It was fun to spend the day with good friends enjoying one last day in the sun before everyone goes back to school. What a perfect day!

House For Sale!

About two weeks ago Jeremy and I found a house for sale in the neighborhood just up the street from ours. On a whim, we decided to go check it out. We really liked it so, we decided to put our house on the market. To make a long story short, here is the time line of our move.

Saturday, August 16th (14 days ago) - We found a beautiful house with a gorgeous backyard, third car garage, and a 2nd floor laundary room. (for a very reasonable price)

Monday, August 18th (12 days ago) - We called our neighbor (and real estate agent) Rachel, and had her take us through the house.

Tuesday, August 19th (11 days ago) - We went to see the house again. Loved it even more the second time. (it has great bones, Jeremy and I can take care of all the decorating/making it cute stuff) Jeremy and I decided to put our house up for sale, in hopes we could sell ours before the other house sold.

Tuesday-Saturday - Cleaning, weeding, staging, and organizing to get ready to list the house.

Saturday, August 23rd (7 days ago) Rachel came and took pictures of our house. By Saturday evening, the house was listed, and there were pictures up on the MLS (multipul listing service.)

Monday Morning, August 25th (5 days ago) - Connor's kindergarten orientation. When we got home, Rachel called to say that she had schedualed our very first showing.

Tuesday Morning, August 26th (4 days ago) - We recieved an offer on our house!

Wednesday, August 27th (3 days ago) - We accepted the offer, and put an offer on the other house.

Friday, August 29th (yesterday) - Our offer got accepted.

Pending everything goes as planned we are moving September 18th. Things are happening so fast! Who sells their house to the first viewers on the first possible day you could show it. Some thing is telling me this might be meant to be. I realize that everything could fall apart, which would be sad, but I don't know that I would be suprized. Everything is happening so fast, I don't think the whole situation has totally sunk in yet.

MOVING IN 19 DAYS!!!!!!!!!

The Things Kids Say

Here are a few of my favorite phrases from boys during our 10 minute drive home the other day. I have home with the giggles. Kids are so funny.

1. Connor and Parker had brought their toy truck in the car with them. It says things like "Heavy Chevy coming through!", "Let's go find some mud." and their favorite "Seein' the USA in your Chevrolet!" They thought it was pretty cool, so they were trying to repeat everything that the truck would say. They did pretty well until they got to the last quote. Chevrolet is a pretty tough word. Here are a few of their attempts: Chev-lo-la, Chev-kung-fu, Chevy-way, Chev-ho-hay, Chev-ro-way. . .Nice attempts, but they never did quite get it.

2. Connor asked me, "Mom, if Dad buys a truck can we have Uncle Terry come teach it magic?" (I think Terry is the only one who will really understand this, but I just want you to know Terry, that Connor had a really good time that day you guys went to the mall and then to McDonalds.)

3. My favorite quote for the day. Connor asked me as we passed a cemetary where the groundskeepers were watering the grass, "Mom, why are they watering the dead humans?" I just about bust a gut with that one!

Distracted At Breakfast

This morning at breakfast Connor was a little distracted from eating his toast. He got out his alphabet flash cards, rolled around all over the kitchen floor, and tried to get Parker involved in a game of open seasame (the pass word was race car.) When Connor finally decided to eat his toast he returned to the table to find his toast was more than half eaten. In a moment of obvious frustration Connor said very loudly, "Who ate my toast?!" Parkers questioning reply still has me giggling. He looked at Connor with a huge smile on his face and asked, "Was it me?"
After my laughing subsided Parker looked at me with earnest eyes and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eat the crust." Three year-old honesty is the greatest!

Davis County Fair

Last night we took the boys to explore the Davis County Fair. It was really windy so we had to cut our evening short, but we did get to do a few things before we got tired of the wind. First of all, we went to go see the chickens and the bunnies. Connor thought it was so cool that some of the animals won ribbons and trophies.

Parker was especially entertained by the bunnies. Go figure he likes the things that jump.
We waited in line for a pony ride. The boys thought it was pretty cool to be able to ride the ponies all by themselves.
Parker rode a horse named C.J. (I don't know if he named it, or it that really is the name of the pony he rode.)
We spent a small fortune on tickets and let the boys ride these cars at the amusement park side of the fair. ($3.00 a ride seemed like a major rip-off, but the boys loved it and person working the ride let them ride for a long time.) To finish things off we bought a few snow cones and headed for home. It was a fun night at the fair.

Work Party

Thursday night was Jeremy's summer work party. We met at a local park for a delicious dutch oven dinner, good company, and fun and games. Basic Grey rented a huge bounce house and asked a balloon artist to come entertain the kids (and the adults for that matter.) Connor said his favorite part of the party was playing tag in the bounce house, while Parker enjoyed the endless bouncing, and he especially enjoyed the balloon artist. The balloon guy could make anything. Connor asked for a black panther, but we also saw him make beautiful dragonflies, penguins, flowers, butterflies, crazy hats, balloon portraits, frogs, birds, and combined things like a butterfly on a flower with a frog attatched to the flower base. He was really cool. The balloon guy made Parker a beautiful blue bird. Parker was instantly attatched. He named his bird Gary (I don't know where he came up with that one.) He was instantly attatched to his new friend. He was a little disappointed the next morning when he woke up to find that Gary's wings were loosing air. He quickly put Gary to bed and told me that Gary wasn't feeling very well. Parker was even more disappointed (dare I say devistated) when he checked on the bird later and found that his beak had lost all of its' air too. After a few tears, we had to explain that Gary was made out of balloons, and that balloons don't last very long. He was crushed. (Can you imagine being three again?) All in all, it was a very fun and memorable work party.

The Box in the Bathwater

Yes, my boys really will try anything. This was my clean up project saturday night. The boys decided a shoe box would be a fun bath toy. Little did they know it would turn into a fun pile of mushy mess in seconds. By the time I figured out what was going on the water was black and brown (the box was black,) and they had disgusting brown things stuck all over them. (For a split second I thought it was poop. Super disgusting, I know.) When I started to rant and rave, Connor said, "but Mom! We are going to keep the shoes, so I don't see what the problem is." He obviously had no idea what the clean up would entail. It included fishing for soggy and disgusting floaties(very similar to wet toilet paper,) plunging the bathtub (three times,) and scrubbing the tub. Oh the joys of being a mother to boys!

The Box Car - Renewed

Well, Parker's box/car has seen better days. It was near total destruction when Jeremy decided to "take it to the mechanic" a.k.a. reinforce it with extra cardboard and a bunch of tape. After a whole roll of tape (and half an hour later,) Parker's "car" was as good as new. He was so excited!

Connor's Fashion Statement

Need I say more. . . This is the outfit that Connor decided to wear the other day. He was so proud of it. I told him that he had to take the tie off if we left the house. He promptly explained that taking the tie off would ruin the look he was going for. I must admit that this out fit is pretty cool in a seasonal cross-dressing, t-ball/swimming, church kind of way.

"Parker-isms" for Today, July 31st

Here are a few things that Parker has said today that made me smile:

1. I said, "You're so cute, I'm gonna eat you up!" Parker replied, "I am not a healthy snack, I'm a little boy!"

2. I started to tickle him while he was totally "zoned in" on a TV show. He says, "Mom! I am not a TOY!!!"

3. I was so excited about figuring out a new computer program I gave him a big hug and a kiss. Parkers says, "I am not a piece of cheesecake!" (I don't even know if he knows what cheesecake is.)

Silly boy! He makes me laugh.

Lego Mania

Now that Connor is 5 we have started into the Lego phaze of life. He loves to build them. His favorite is a ship that turns into a car from the Mars Mission set. The one problem with the Lego Mania, is all of the little pieces. Connor and his friends have had such a good time playing, but have gotten a little behind on the rebuilding side of things. So, Connor and I spent yesterday afternoon rebuilding all of his lego vehicles. I would hold the instructions and show him what pieces he needed to look for next and where the picture said it would go, and he would find the pieces and rebuild them. It took us the whole afternoon, but now all of his ships, helicopters, land rovers, sand speeders, etc. are rebuilt. IPhew!