Gingerbread house

Guess which snow man is mine?

Last week the girls and I attempted a gingerbread house while baby Ray was sleeping. We got a kit from Costco which actually I think I would do it that way again. I iced the roof and the snowmen, but the girls decorated and iced the rest of it. It was actually more fun for me to watch them be creative than to do it myself. They had a blast and baby Ray has enjoyed sneeking the candies off the house :)

dresses from China

Raym brought back lots of fun gifts for the kids and I from China. I forgot that Hello Kitty is so big over there. It is definitely big in our house as well. He brought these dresses back for the girls. We had them wear them to church last Sunday. baby Ray's lovely outfit is from Kuwait. I am sure it has a name but I don't recall what it is. Alora especially loved wearing the dress. She wanted me to fix her hair "Chinese". Which reminds me of a funny story about Aspen. Last spring I had the kids enrolled in swim lessons at the YMCA. I had left Aspen in the parents waiting area with baby Ray while I went to get Alora. While I was gone a woman was speaking to her daughter. Aspen asked what language she was speaking and the woman replied that it was Chinese. Aspen then proceeded to proclaim "Oh I used to be Chinese." If you know her well you know that probably at one point in her life she really did think she was Chinese. She used to tell people we lived on a farm with goats, and chickens and horses. One time she told someone she was a ninja. Last week when someone from our churched stopped by she answered the door and told them they might not want to come in because she was a hungry wolf. I love this about her. Her imagination is alive in her.

Little Chefs

My kids have been heavily influenced by the oh-so-cute Disney movie Ratatouille (I spelled it right on the first try by myself! but I did check to make sure). They are determined that they can cook. If you have seen the movie you know that anyone can cook. I found these aprons on sale and just had to get them. Having them help gets a little tricky but they love it and I actually don't have to beg them to eat or to finish the dinner. They always name the meals too. (I wish right now I could remember some of the names.) Happy Cooking!

Santa saves the day

Last Saturday Santa visited us via a fire truck. He was driven through all the neighborhoods tossing candy. It was really cute to see how many kids and adults :) came out to greet him.

Snow day

So it snowed...I think actually it has snowed several times. It is interesting to me that the snow storms here seem different. I can't really put my finger on it, I just know they are different. One of my favorite things about snow and kids is that you spend half an hour looking for the gear and then getting it on them only for them to spend less than five minutes actually playing. Aspen is old enough now that she stays out much longer.

Alexa

So Alexa fell asleep on my bed, and I took the covers off to pick her up and she stayed in this position, and continued to stay long enough for me to take a couple of pictures :)

A wreath making party

Out in Boston in my old ward there is this really cool tradition that is referred to as the Wreath Making Party. The are so many wonderful words one could use to describe it. I missed it of course this year b/c I am 2400 miles away. But I read about it on some of my friends blogs. You can too if you check Ellen's site or the Menzie site in my favorite site thing on the side. I am so sad I missed it. I have been wondering if there was a way to start something like that out this way. We have enough people from the ward living out here now. Who knows maybe next year :)

China

My husband has been in China for the past seven days. I am used to him traveling. He has been for these past three years. But this time has been different b/c I only got to talk to him for a few minutes each day. The longest time I talked to him was 10 min and about 16 seconds, and the total time for that day was about 15 minutes. I didn't realize until this week just how much I relied on him emotionally. He is my everything. When I talk to him I feel rejuvenated and reenergized. I have missed him so much. Thanks to my mom and my sister for helping out this past week. And hooray he comes home tonight!!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

I get the lovely opportunity of having a birthday so very close to Thanksgiving. My birthday was the Monday following turkey day, but Saturday morning my mom and I went and ate at Cracker Barrel. We had a good ol' southern style breakfast with grits and all. That Saturday I started coming down with something. Sunday morning I was the worst, including finding out the hard way that living in the desert isn't so great with asthma. Monday the big day, well I spent most the day on the couch :) My RS president came and took my three older ones for most the day. That night Ray and I had some Cafe Rio and watched old episodes of the Office. And then I went to around 9pm. I felt very much loved and thought of though b/c I had friends email me from all over the place. If felt good to be remembered, especially when I was feeling so awful. So are you wondering what wonderful gift I bought myself??????

I have been wanting a Dyson vacuum forever. I have had the same vacuum the whole time we have been married. It really wasn't that great, ok it was awful, but I made it work. But let me just tell you...I LOVE THIS THING!!! A friend of mine bought a Dyson many moons ago, I remember using it and loving it and I have been hooked since. Now I have my own and yeah I just love it!

Thanksgiving

This year was the first time in about 11 years that I have spent Thanksgiving and my birthday with my mom. I made my first turkey and it turned out great. I didn't take any pictures b/c I was just enjoying everything so much...I did manage the above pic of baby Ray and Alexa...My mom and I cooked. My brother and his wife and their little one Ty stopped by for a bit. My sister and Ray's sister had dinner with us. Friday Ray's other sister and her fam and his brother Jake and his little family all came and had another Thanksgiving with us. That Friday morning I embarked on my first ever Black Friday shopping extravaganza. It was interesting. I did get a steal of deal on my birthday present :) I don't usually buy my own gifts but I knew I would be getting it and it was way marked down. So I decided really the only reason to go out on that crazy morning is if you have something that you are getting or need and it is worth the money you would save to stand in a line for hour or more.

A revelation

So I have been struggling with something these past few months. As I have prayed about it though I have realized that it has actually been a struggle for years. I googled overcoming overeating one day. I don't remember why, maybe because I felt like I overate. I read the first page of the first chapter on Amazon. It was totaly me. I bought it and now I am reading it. I love this book. For years I have been on this diet/binge cycle, as they refer to in this book. Long before I started having kids I had been struggling with gaining weight losing weight. I can lose weight. I have always gotten to where I wanted to be. But this time has been different. I haven't been able to be disciplined enough, or exercise two hours a day. And really deep down I have been feeling angry that I even needed to "diet". This book has been such a revelation. I just started reading it last night, 100 pages :) but just enough that today I feel free. No more diets, no more scales. No more exercising more to make up for my cheats. I am not going to try to lose weight anymore. I will still exercise b/c I love exercising. The book poses a wonderful question. What if I never lost or gained another pound? How would I live my life? I love that!!! I am who I am. I am going to definitely continue to try to eat healthy b/c I want to set a good example to my kids. But no more guilt no more obsession. I am recognizing there is no happiness in the perfect weight, nor is there happiness in controlling everything you put in your mouth or obsessing about how much I have worked out. I love the idea of embracing myself just as I am.

So excited!!!

I can't even begin to tell y'all how excited I am!!! A very very very dear friend of mine is moving to Utah. We met in PA. Actually we first met over the phone.I was told by someone to call her b/c she had baby clothes she was giving away. The first time we talked it was I think for about an hour and half, probably more. It was as if we had always been friends. I was prego with Aspen at that time. I am still using some of those baby clothes for Alexa :) This friend has always been an inspiration for me. She is so creative, so kind, and very compassionate. She is a wonderful mother. And was there with me at one of the not so greatest moments of my life. So I am posting this today b/c I want her to know just how grateful I am for her, and just how EXCITED I am for her to move here. I love you my dear friend!!!!

Gratitude

Fall is my favorite time of year. There is something about the colors, the smells, and the festivities that makes my heart flutter. This morning I am overcome with gratitude. With this week being Thanksgiving I have been reflecting on my life and just what the Lord has blessed me with. I don't even know where to begin. I have a wonderful husband. I have four amazing spirited kids. I have the gospel. I literally would not be here without the gospel. I am grateful for priesthood blessings that have sustained me through some of my darkest hours. I am grateful for the atonement and that because of it our Savior can heal any and all aspects of our lives. I am grateful for prayer, for temples, for sacrament meetings and the opportunity to fast. I am who I am because of the blessings bestowed upon me by my Heavenly Father. I have in my mind a long list of the things on this earth I am grateful for but that list would not be if I did not have the gospel in my life.

Boston

So I decided to show y'all some pictures from Boston that my dad took last summer. I have more, so I had to pick my "favorites". I have a friend there, Ellen. "Hi! Ellen". She has taken some really great photos around the area, so I think I might have to hit her up for some.

This is part of Boston Commons, which is in the center of Boston.

My million dollar home :) This house was for sale at one point. I admired it, but it was a bit out of our price range :)

This library is next to Harvard Square, which by the by I wish I had picutres of. I loved taking my kids down there to walk around and hang out and eat.

U.S.S. Constitution - You have to click the picture to enlarge it to see it better.

Boston sky-line, and bit of the ocean

This isn't how all the homes looked in the area. This is what it looks like downtown and in a few a the surrounding areas.

Alexa Nicole

Alexa Nicole was born June 18 2007

Life was quite busy once she arrived. She weighed 6lbs 4oz when she was born, but decided to loose a bit more than the docs really cared for, so we went to the docs office everyday for the first week. And then she had an apneic episode which put her in the hospital for four days. She was fine after that. And then family came to visit and then we went to visit family, and then we came home and got ready to move and then we moved. So to those of you who are just now "meeting" her b/c of my not getting an email out I am so very sorry.

Happy Birthday


With Grandma

Just cute

To infinity and beyond!!!

Baby Ray's hero is Buzzlightyear. So it was only fitting that he be Buzz for Halloween. While going from house to house he kept saying "To infinity and beyond". The best was his reaction when he saw himself in the mirror, he was Buzzlightyear.

Feeling good about being Buzz

I AM BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!

We moved!

We are now in Utah! We moved about three weeks ago. I still sometimes feel like I am visiting. It has been great being closer to family. I love living in a house. We are just renting, but it is wonderful!!!! Sometimes when I come home I forget to open the garage door. I am not used to that. Often I worry that Ray or I have the music up too loud and that it might be shaking the neighbors pictures. Or maybe the neighbors just heard me lose my patience. We have a backyard. For those of you who never saw our home in Boston our front yard was about the size of a door mat and our backyard was about the size of two door mats but just consisted of dirt. Aspen can ride her bike for longer than 5 seconds before having to move for a car. I have to "walk" to my neighbors. And last but not least I pay significantly less here to live than out in Boston. Fuji apples are affordable. Broccoli is $1.50/lb. Our electric bill was 1/3 of that in Boston. I have to say though right now I missing the fall foliage of the East Coast. They do good falls out there. It has been interesting to me b/c it really has been bitter sweet moving. There are so many amazing things out east. But there are some really great advantages to living here. So it is that we will move forward making memories and enjoying our time here.