Check out that oat..

My most favorite cereal, that I eat every single morning is Honey Bunches Of Oats. About a month ago, Chris and I decided to have some for a late night snack. A huge oat fell into my bowl as I was pouring it. This got me so excited , it was a little scary. Then, the worst thing ever happened. Chris came over, picked it up and ate it. I never expected myself to react the way I did...but sadly, I got angry and said "You ate my oat!!! How could you do that?!?!"

This has been sort of a family joke ever since. I recently spoke with my sister who said she is territorial about food. Our oldest sister is also an admitted food hoarder. In fact, my sisters boyfriend has now nicknamed her "Junkyard dog" because of the growls he gets when he comes near her food. So glad I'm not alone on this.

This morning, as usual I poured myself honey bunches of oats, and miraculously, an oat as big as the one my husband stole, fell into my bowl. And I got so excited I took it out of the bowl and snapped a picture...it slipped from hand, fell on the floor, and guess what I did anyway?? I ate it. I guess my sister isn't the only junkyard dog in the family.

Christmas...

This year was one of my favorite Christmas' ever. We made it very low key...meaning, we didn't buy tons and tons of gifts. The kids each got four or five presents, and that was it. We could have got more than that, but are trying to help the kids fully understand what Christmas really is all about.

My husband and I both came from families that didn't have extravagant Christmas' (not that there's anything wrong with them) it just wasn't possible. In fact, Chris came from a family of nine kids, and one year they had hardly any money at all, and each got one present. All the boys got the same truck. Same color...same everything. Chris remembers it as being one of his most memorable Christmas' ever. Having less made them remember how much they truly had.

Everyone has to have their own style of Christmas. And I don't in any way judge those that have lots of presents. This just worked for us. And next year may be bigger. This year was a teaching moment.

We ate so much food. My favorite part of all. We ate leftovers so many times, my kids were almost in tears. They begged me to make something besides leftovers for dinner last night. I felt sorry for their poor little souls, and gave in.

Merry Christmas, my precious family!!

Christian...

Finally got my little Christian's picture done today. He was the last of the bunch. He's never been one to enjoy having his picture taken, and the ice cold weather didn't help matters. Next time, we'll be smart and do pics in Spring or Summer. Nevertheless, he is adorable, and I love this little guys with all my heart.

A story of charity...

Last night Halee prepared Family home evening. A family night we have every Monday, where we have a little spiritual thought, games, and treats. My kids love helping get involved by preparing the thought themselves. Halee was in charge last night, and she showed a video to us that truly touched my heart. I must have a serious case of Christmas, because I cried as a watched this animated video...and continued to be emotional for quite a while afterward. It's so simplistic yet so very profound. It made me realize how very blessed I am...and also, how important it is to reach out and serve others. The Lord has truly blessed my family over and over again, and my goal is, that even in my weaknesses I can reach and pay it forward when the opportunities arise.

We work in numbers...

There are 45 kids currently in our school. The Principle recently told me that our family makes up 10% of the school. This has worked to our advantage with the latest school year. There are a few kids who have had some bully like characteristics that have tried to gang up on our kids for various reasons. Halee particularly was targeted by this one girl who is very insecure, and went after Halee with a vengeance. Thankfully Halee is a tough cookie and handled things the way she should. She never kept it a secret and communicated with me about everything. What makes me even happier though, is that all our kids stuck together like glue. If Austin saw someone saying something mean to his brothers or sisters he would tell that person to "knock it off!" All of them at least once, has come to the aid of their siblings at one time or another this year. This makes my heart feel hugely grateful.

Do you want to know what I'm even happier about??? Those mean kids are switching schools. Whew. I can breathe easier now.

Cat's need educated too...

Chris found Scarlett outside our back door on a cold 30 degree morning, reading to one of our cats. Not really sure if it did much for the cat, but it sure made me and my husband smile. The part that puzzles me though, is that the cat is actually is leaning in to look....weird.

Oh Christmas Tree...let us not hurt each other...

When we pile into our car it can be a frightening experience. The noise level can make you want to jump out of your car while it's in motion. I haven't been brave enough to try it yet, but if you hear of any car accidents similar to this... involving a family of 8, don't be surprised.

We went Christmas tree hunting on Saturday. We found this cute little farm that sold beautiful Noble tree's...my favorite. It didn't take us long to find the one we wanted. A cute chubby tree, that stole our hearts.

I love Christmas. I have been listening to Pandora Christmas for weeks now, and I swear if I weren't born to be me, I would have been born to be Mrs. Santa.

Dying brain cells, and a bigger heart...

I have turned into an airhead. I didn't used to be this way. I have tried to figure out how it happened, and the only conclusion I can come up with is that over time, my brain cells have begun dying. Maybe from having six kids? This is a possibility. On that note though, my heart has grown and I have gained wisdom that I wouldn't trade for the brain of Einstein. These sweet children are worth it all.

They each gave me special little heartfelt gifts for my birthday. Every gift touched my heart.

My husband treated me like a Queen all day long. The funny part about this, is that he treats me Queen like on a daily basis...he really does. If you know him, you know I'm not exaggerating...but on my birthday, it was times 10.

So, all in all, turning 34 could have been a whole heck of a lot worse. I feel blessed.

School...

So, I guess I was wrong about Grace loving preschool. She has had so many back and forths since starting Prekindergarten. One minute she loves, it...the next she's in tears, begging to stay home with me. I have been struggling with what to do. Chris and I talked (I'm so thankful for his approach sometimes) and he said "She's only 4 years old. Who really cares if she's in preschool? She'll be grown before you know it. Just let her stay home." That was all I needed. My mom gave me the same advice. Ever since I made up my mind, I have been so happy with my decision.

I bought some work books to keep Grace entertained and so we are doing a little bit of "home" preschool. We do this while Scarlett naps and it's giving me the chance to just be with my Grace. I'm going to enjoy this time, because Chris is right...she'll be grown before I know it.

So many things to be thankful for...

We had such a great time with family over Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite Holiday's because it feels like Christmas too! We listened to Christmas music on our long drive down, as it rained like crazy.

The weather actually warmed up to 60 degree's the rest of the time. We took the kids to Wildlife safari....a little tradition. The festival of light's...Christmas lights galore. The big mall....okay...tiniest mall ever. But it was still so much fun.

I love my family. They really do remind me how blessed I am to have them in my life. I am so grateful to my parents for all they have taught us. My kids love and adore them. This warms my spirit like no other. And I am thankful for my siblings for just being wonderful. I wish my youngest and oldest sisters could have been with us!

I'm so thankful for my husband. He and my children bring me so much joy it's almost too much to take in.

I'm thankful for my Savior. I couldn't do this life thing, without him by my side.

When we got home last night, and I was putting Scarlett to bed, the last thing she said was "Can we go back to sleep at Grandma's?" I'm so thankful for family.

Running alone...

So, I have now been running solo for the past 7 to 8 weeks, and I must say...it is getting rather lonely. I ran across this picture and it made me miss running with my BFF more than ever. My friend has worked her little tail off these last several weeks to build her little muscles in or around her IT band, so she can be strong enough to run again. We are hoping maybe another couple of weeks?? Until then, it's just me and my trusty garmin. Get better Tammy...I am desperate! :)

P.S I am the slower runner in the photo.

They make it worth it...

My two sweet girls. They take care of our kittens like I take care of a newborn baby. It makes my heart smile. They want to be in their footsie jammies 24/7. There's even holes in the bottoms of the feet. They don't care, so neither do I.

Handy toes...

I know you must be wondering why you are looking at a photo of my toes holding a small toy, right? You are looking at what a mother of 6 has to do in order to accomplish big things, like keeping her house clean.

Chris found me limping through the kitchen. Arms completely full with coats, trash, toys, etc. He said "Can you help me too?" I replied "I don't have a hand to spare...heck, I don't even have a toe to spare." That's when he saw my toe holding onto a small truck. He said that it was the funniest thing he'd seen in a long time, and that it really summed up what being a parent entails at times. And people wonder why I went to Mexico for a week???

Halee and Connor...

I finished Halee and Connor's pictures today on a whim. It was getting dark around 4:30 when I did them, so we had to hurry our little tails off.

As I went to edit them, I couldn't believe how much they have grown. Halee is now getting close to 14. I remember the day I turned 14. All I can remember thinking is "Yay! church dances!" Seeing her, is often times like reliving my own teenage years. So stinking weird. Luckily my Connor is still a young boy. I am not ready for any of them to grow up, just yet.

Too pretty...

I tried this today and it didn't work. Guess I better try to be prettier tomorrow.

Little acts...

As a mom I have noticed that I love my kids so much, that it's almost too much to handle. As a result I want to tell them all the time that I love them (okay maybe not all the time) but pretty close. Saying it doesn't seem to be enough, and so as moms, I think we find little ways to say it, without actually saying it. Today I said it to Christian, by removing his shoes and dirty socks after being at school for eight hours. I didn't even realize I was saying it, until he looked at me removing them and I could swear his eyes were saying "I love you too." It meant so much to me, and really hit home to me of how awesome love really is. It doesn't have to be said all the time. It can be demonstrated, illustrated, spoken, and most of all given. I need to remember to show it as often as possible and in as many ways as possible.

Gosh, I think Mothers everywhere are such awesome creatures. I think of my own mom and all the little things she did to say I love you. She wasn't ever late to pick me up from an event. I knew no matter what, that I could count on her. She always laid our church clothes out the night before church...once again reminded us with out saying it, that she loved us. She did little things like this all the time. And I believe Mothers everywhere do it all the time too...every single day...without even knowing it.

Being a mom is the greatest gift...

When my kids grow up I think one thing I will the most, is giving them a bath. Getting them in their jammies (or jam jams, as we like to call it) and reading to them. I absolutely love being a mother. Of all things I do in my life, nothing will ever mean as much to me as having the opportunity to raise six children. What a blessing they are to my heart. I cherish every bit, of every one of them.

Austin...

When Austin was four months old, I took him to Sears to get a professional photo done. It took like two shots, and he was grinning from ear to ear. He was the easiest baby ever to photograph. He hasn't changed much. I got this shot of my growing up boy, in just a few short minutes. I love this kid.

Sinister baby...

Why is it that for every child, a sinister, evil baby will not cease to exist? I remember my sister Aprils evil doll, named Yellowdee. She had yellow hair made of yarn, and we convinced ourselves that she was indeed a killer doll. We would lock her away in our closet at night and pray she wouldn't sneak out and follow through with her evil plan to kill all of us in our beds.

Then there was red headed Becky doll. She had red freckles all over her face. The weird part about Becky is that she was once a beloved doll in our lives. But then one day, we came to the conclusion (not sure why) that she was just as evil, if not more evil, then Yellowdee. I think this may have had something to do with her being put into the bath and coming out with a rats nest for hair.

These evil doll memories flooded back yesterday when Scarlett, at the tender age of two, ran into my room with the above doll, and exclaimed in a very worried voice "Mom! This is a mean baby!" And when I looked really deeply into this babies eyes...I had to agree.

Halloween is fun with kids...

I have always loved Halloween but for some reason I looked forward to it this year more than usual. Maybe it's because I don't have a teeny baby. Scarlett is almost 2 1/2 and she seemed to understand and be excited about what was going on. Plus, I love chocolate, so robbing their candy bags is always a plus. I probably only burned a quarter of the calories off on my run this morning

After trick or treating we put the sugar loaded kids to bed and let the oldest two stay up and watch the creepy movie The Others. I made Chris sit right beside me so I didn't jump out of the chair. It was a blast!!

Two down, four to go...

I finished Grace's pictures, and am relieved to have the youngest ones done. I am sure the older four will be super easy and fun.

Grace was a paratrooper while I took her photo's because she was super cold and made sure I knew it. But we got one and I am happy with it. It reminds me of Grace and her upbeat, cute personality.

My Scarlett...

Who needs a photographer when you've got a good camera and a little photo shop? I am no where near a photographer but I enjoy doing my own children's photo's. Once a year we like to do new ones...special ones of just them, to look back on one day. Scarlett was the one I was most afraid of doing. She rarely even looks at the camera, and is the opposite of a ham. She is very reserved when she knows she's putting on a show. I finally got this one after about 15 minutes of picture taking, and this is one of the only ones that turned out. Woohoo! We got lucky...and she is as cute as bug. I love this little lady.

I haven't got to the other kids photo's yet, but I will post them as soon as I do.

I run like a girl...

At my last half Marathon in Tacoma, after picking up our shirts from the Expo, we (like always) decided to browse and see what cool running products were being sold. I rarely buy anything, but once in a while I can't resist the temptation. I saw a shirt that had the above quote on it. I looked at my friend and said "wouldn't it be fun to run in a shirt like that?" She quickly put me in my place and reminded me how unfun it would be to be wearing that, and to be passed. I had a quick mental picture of people passing me and snickering, and looking over their shoulder at me after leaving me in the dust. I didn't buy the shirt.

Running for the soul...

I stole this picture from an online running group that I belong to. I couldn't resist.

My best friend has had some big time issues with her IT band (part of her leg) and she was finally instructed that she needed to lay off running for at least 6
weeks. This leaves me running with none other than....(drum roll)....myself. It's been interesting times being alone, I have to say. The negatives are obvious. I can't visit with my bff about daily happenings, which I love being able to do. No more talking about what happened last week on Survivor or Grey's Anatomy. (We always have very intelligent conversations you know.)

On the other hand, it's also been good for me, in a very temporary kind of way. I have realized that I can do it alone, even if I don't want to, and that I do have the motivation to get my rear out of bed and venture out in 30 degree weather. Which I must say, is a lot harder to do when you're running solo.

During my run this morning I went to turn my music on and my ipod was totally dead. This too, was good for me. I just thought about anything and everything in that 4 miles, that I don't have time to think about at any other time of day.

I believe that running isn't just good for the body, it's an awesome pick me up for the soul as well. I am grateful to be a runner, even if I do look like the goofy little girl in the photo. :)

Try to find me...

I gotta tell ya, that Halloween game night always stresses me out a little. Coming up with a costume can make me a nervous wreck. I'm not that creative and so it causes odd amounts of anxiety. This year my kids made it easy for me when they said "How about Where's Waldo??" In light of their obsession with these books, we went with it. It was actually a lot of fun dressing up us a nerd. I loved wearing glasses, ha!

We went with our good friends, the Three...uh, make that Two Amigo's. It was a blast as always and I came away asking "why were you stressed about that??" It was great and the hostesses happen to be obsessed with scary freaky things, which made it all the more fun. I love Halloween. This is one of my most favorite times of the year. Now time to bring on the real deal.

P.S Try to ignore my dirty mirror in the background.

Wonderful mockery...

This picture might clue you in as to who I don't want to see as our President, next term.

So, this is love...

I love bedtime pictures when the kids are asleep. This is a time when they can get all snugly and not even know it. I like to creep up on them unaware, and sneakily shoot a picture. The flash usually goes off and they rustle a little, and then resume there adorable cuddling. I love these sweet kids.