The Weekend!!

We had a great holiday weekend in SLC. We spent Thanksgiving with Andy's parents. It was weird to have such a small setting for Thanksgiving but it was fun. Grandpa and grandma took us to see Bolt. It was a really cute movie.
On Friday I was crazy enough to volunteer to work at 3 am. My plan was to sleep when I got off at 7 for a few hours. Well I woke up at 8:45. My in-laws had a very nice birthday breakfast for me and then I got to go back to work for a couple of hours. That night we had a birthday party at my family's house. It was a lot of fun but by 6:30 I had hit the wall. Alex stayed and played with his cousins. I ended up in bed at 9. Yeah happy birthday to me!!:)
Saturday we had lunch with my dad. That was fun to see him for a bit. Then that night we went to the Cowie annual family party. My great aunt, who is 93?, comes every year from Hawaii to visit. We set this party up so she could see everyone easily. I have a special bond with her, we share a birthday, and I have always connected with her and my grandma. I wish I lived closer to one of them. They truly are very special people in my life. Alex is actually named after their dad.
Then we came back home and chilled on Sunday while Andy put lights on the Christmas tree. It was a great weekend filled with family, too much food and not enough sleep.
I am so excited for the Christmas season.

Alex wanted the drumstick. He was surprised how big it was.

Dad and Logan enjoying dinner together

My cute boys at the theater

The stairs have a better view

Grandpa, Hayden and Logan watching the kitty

The gift basket I won. It has lots of fun stuff in it. Must get crafty.

Logan ready to open my presents

Logan's masterpiece

Frosting turkey cookies

Do you think Logan liked the cupcake?

Attempting to hit the pinata

Smack!!

Tough Alex got candy flying

Just my emotional day!!

I promise the festivities of the week post will be coming but I am having a thought provoking day and as this is my journal I am posting this.
I love this time of year! I am so grateful for so many things. It is nice to have a time when I can reflect on how truly blessed I am.
Today at church for the rest hymn we sang "Each Life that Touches ours for good." Two things were wrong with this song. 1st why do we sing such slow songs for our rest hymns. 2nd this is a funeral song and should not be sung at church, IMO.
Let me back track just a bit. Last night when we got back from SLC I played our phone messages. The last message was from one of my dear friends who I have not seen for two years. We talk on the phone constantly but have not seen each other. She was on her way home and was passing through Logan and wanted to stop by. I was so sad I had missed her. We were only neighbors for 6 short months but we hit it off and have been best friends since. There are not very many people I can bond with so quickly. I truly do miss her!!
Anyway back to church. As we started singing this song I thought of my sweet mission mom who passed away from cancer right after I came home from my mission. As we sang the second verse I was in tears. "What greater gift dost thou bestow. What greater goodness can we know Than Christlike friends whose gentle ways, Strengthen our faith enrich our days." I had never really listened to those words before and I was in tears. I am a lot like Shrek, "Ogres are like onions we have layers", or something to that effect. Not too many people in my life can get to the innermost part of me. I am a very private person and there are very few people around me who know the true me. I would like to be a more outgoing and social person but that is not who I am. There are maybe 10 people in my life right now that know the true me. Who truly know my heartaches and my struggles. I appreciate all of them and for their willingness to put up with me. I apologize to those who I seem stand offish to who try and get to know me but can't get past my layers. I tell myself quite often that I am going to be better and more friendly but it is truly a struggle for me.
Wow this post got way deep for a bit. To the point now. I am grateful for those friends that I have that I know I can call any time day or night and they will be there for me. Kelsie, we need to do lunch when you come up for Christmas. I already told Andy I did not care what had to be done but I need a Kelsie fix. So lets make it happen. Thanks to all of my friends who have been able to get through the layers. Who have helped me as I struggle to understand and say, "Why me?" This has been a tough 3 years for me and I hope someday I can look back and say wow I made it through. Thank you dear friends for being there as I have opened my heart to you. You know who you are. I thank my Father in Heaven daily for you.

Tree Cutting

Logan not sure what we were doing

The cute boys in the leaves

Logan was not use to his coat so he tripped a few times

Cutting the tree

Brining it out
We started this family tradition when we moved up here to CV 5 years ago. It has always been so much fun to go as a family and look for the tree. It has always been cold and snowy but it was still fun. This year was a whole different story. We went with one of Andy's friends, thanks Doug. We were able to get all the way back on some back rodas. We did not need to hike far at all until we spotted the perfect tree. There was no snow and it was not cold at all. We had a great time!!
(Not too many pics because I thought I had put the camera in the diaper bag. Oops I didn't. The pictures are off of the phone.)

A bunch of sicklies!!

I am cursed. It does not matter the weather, if I got the flu shot or I am in a bubble I am always sick for Thanksgiving. Last Monday I came down with a sore throat and thought wow maybe I could get sick early enough so I won't be sick for Thanksgiving. Well I am not that lucky. I am just getting over the junk a week later and I wake up this morning with the stomach junk Andy had yesterday. Logan is starting to come down with a runny nose and cough and luckily Alex has nothing. Let's keep it that way. We are going to cut down our Christmas tree tomorrow so we all better be feeling a little bit better. Then on Thursday a weekend in SLC for a variety of festivities so no more sick junk please.


This is what Logan did while I worked.

Edit: Logan woke up at 2:15 yesterday afternoon and after that six hour nap he was bouncing off the walls. I think he is feeling better. I am feeling much better this morning (Wednesday) so hopefully we will be able to have a Happy Thanksgiving.

The Holy War!!!

This is the time of year my hubby and I don't talk. We are in our zone. Me avoiding wearing blue and Andy avoiding anything red for the week. Well tomorrow is the day. All I have to say is bring it Cougars. I hope you went to an extra sacrament meeting and read and prayed everyday this week cuz you are going to need it:)

GO UTES!!!!!

The Video

Here is the video of the segment on Studio 5:

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I am a winner too!!!

It must be a week of winning for our family. I won something today too. Studio 5 had their question of the week and I entered. It was "What is the strangest thing you have found in your fridge?" Well I entered this pic of Logan:

I got an email today saying I had won a gift basket of scrapbook supplies from Paper Craft magazine. I am so excited. If you are in Utah turn on Channel 5 on Monday at 11 am to see the pic. I will video it and post it on our blog as well.
I am half tempted to drive to Idaho and buy a lotto ticket with all of this luck going around.

Winner!!!

Tonight was Alex's Reflection program. When we got there he noticed a big blue first place winner on his picture. (Everyone got one) Then they called the kids up individually to give them a certificate. Alex's picture won and is moving on to district. We are so proud of him!!!

This is the picture he took.

For Kelsie

I no longer have your phone # so I can't call you. Please call me so we can do your PYP tutorial. Plus we need to have a chat about life just cuz I miss you.

Deal of the week

I am always hesitant to blog about my great deals. But every once in a while a sale comes up that i just can't not blog about it. This is what I got this week:
12 boxes of Chex cereal
10 jars of Peanut Butter
10 Knorr sides (like rice a roni with veggies)
10 Ragu pasta sauces
5 Suave Lotions
5 Suave Deodarant
9 bottles of All Laundry Detergent

All of this for only $54.12, a savings of $128.53. Pinching your Pennies has been such a blessing in my life. We have an awesome food storage and have not changed our budget much at all.

Fun Weekend

We had a great weekend down in SLC. The Reggie Grandma and grandpa were nice enough to watch the boys for us while we had a date. Thank you so much!!!
We went to see Fireproof. If you have not seen this movie go see it. It is put out by a Baptist church in Georgia. There is nothing bad in this movie at all and it has an AWESOME message. I will not give any more details then that just go see it. Take some kleenexes, you will need them.
Then on Saturday dad went to the game while mom and the boys went shopping with the Neu Grandma. We had so much fun and the boys have some nice clothes now. We then went to my mom's house for pizza and playing with uncles and aunt. Logan took a liking to his Uncle Tyson that I have never seen before. I put him down for a nap and when he got up the first thing he said was, "Tyson." It was so cute.
Alex helped his Uncle Tim clean up all the leaves at grandma's house. They did a great job.
It was nice to get away from life for a bit and just have fun. Pictures will be coming as soon as I download them.

My Husband Rocks!!!

My hubby has had quite the busy week this week but he pulled through with flying colors. He has been doing real estate school for the last couple of months and planned his test for Wednesday. Yes, that is the day after he ended his reign as campaign manager.
We will start with Tuesday. It was so cold and rainy but I wanted the boys to go with us voting so we went out before school. Alex helped me, actually I should say I helped Alex, vote. He would not let me push anything. I told him who to vote for and he did. He even cast my ballot. Logan went with his daddy and helped him vote. I hope that someday these memories will give them a strong desire to be a part of the process.

Funny story kind of off topic. We are big fans of Jon and Kate at our house. There is a van around town that looks just like their van. As we were driving around Tuesday night I saw the van and pointed it out to Alex. He said who's van. I again repeated my self and he said, "Oh I thought you said John McCain and Sara Palin's van." I was such a proud mom at that moment.
Tuesday night we went to an elections results party for Andy's candidate. The boys were really good considering it was past their bedtime. We only stayed for a bit and then I took the boys home. Andy headed down to SLC to get ready for his test. His candidate won 75% to 25%. Andy told me later that his strategy going in was 75-25. He wanted opponents to think about it before they decide to run against this representative. Well he put into place all of his strategies, which in my opinion were brilliant, and his plan worked to perfection. Way to go Andy!!!
The next day he took his real estate test. HE PASSED!!! If you need to sell your house he is the man for the job. A crazy week but it all ends with success. Awesome job Andy, you rock.

New Phone

I have a new phone. Since my other phones is lost in the nether world I can't transfer contacts so I need your help. If you would like to stay connected with me either call my # (it is the same) or email it to me. If you want to post it in contacts you can do it there as well.

Halloween 2008

Well Halloween has come and gone. We had a lot of fun yesterday. We started out the day by going to the local grocery store trick-or-treating. Logan did not want anything to with his costume but I made him wear it. He eventually figured out that wearing it meant candy. This child is a sugar monkey. Then we went to visit dad at work. Our last stop was Papa Murphy's for the jack-o-lantern pizza and free cookie dough.
We then went home and lounged for a bit before dinner. At dinner we served witch's fingers (carrot sticks and olives) and witch's brew. Logan loved the brew and it is one of Alex's all time favorites. I let them play with that a bit and then we ate. After that Logan became a peanut and Alex Obi-Wan Kenobi. Dad came home shortly after that and put his costume on. He came downstairs and Logan was so scared out of his mind. Daddy was Darth Vader. He ran to me and was clinging to me, Andy could not even pull him off of me. I had Andy take off the mask and he then went to him. He was still a little scared of him all night. Whenever Andy would do the Darth breathing Logan would say, "Daddy, no, no."
Logan loved trick-or-treating and at the last house of the night said bye trick treat. I have yet to have him repeat it on video but it will be coming. We had such a fun night with lots of fun memories. My favorite though was my sweet Alex. He knew I had to get up early for work this am but I went back to bed at 7. I woke up at 9:15to a quiet house. I noticed their door slightly open when I came out of our room. Alex was downstairs eating pizza for breakfast and watching cartoons. He was hungry but knew I was tired so he used the microwave and had pizza for breakfast. He is a great kid. Logan slept until 9:30. It was a great post Halloween morning.

Our little peanut

My cute biys. Logan is hiding from his daddy in this pic.

The Jedi and the enemy (I will say my hubby makes a great Darth Vader)

Logan running away from Darth

Logan and the witch. (A rare pic of mama.)

The Haul

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