Christmas is coming!!!

OOOHHHHH I am getting so excited. The anticipation of Gingerbread building, Christmas carol singing, egg nog drinking (more egg nog drinking), family parties and visits from Santa.......
I feel like a little kid. It is coming up so fast we haven't even made our annual trip to the South Towne Mall to see 'The Real Santa' yet. I don't know if I am excited about going this week either! I am sure me and all the other slow moms will be waiting and waiting. So my sister sent me a link:

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/bb04878e9815c1b2dcd5d8d2a89291db


please try this out! It is so cute! It is a real message from Santa on the internet. He even knows everything about your kids! Oh how fun!
I just love it when everyone cooperates and puts up with pictures! Have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!

The Good, The Bad and the Cold!!

Our annual 'Turkey Shoot' on thankgiving was fun as usual. We had some that were awesome.
Some that bit the dust.
And some Jett that helped us burry the dusty with TAPS! (oh so fitting)
Yes, this years shoot was fun. We had cousins and friends (and this year we even had an audience!) Papa's rocket didn't fare so well but the kids had a blast chasing them anyway (we even got to dig them up this year! Thanks for making it so fun.

Hawaii 2

So we had a lot of fun in Hawaii. It was really hot. We overheard people saying how it was unusually hot for that time of year. But it was beautiful. I usually like it hotter. Gregg on the other hand, poor guy, walked down the street and was dripping!

Oahu was a different vacation for us. We didn't rent a car and took shuttles etc. We won't do that again! It pretty much stunk! We didn't get to go over to the other side of the island. That is something Gregg is famous for. He get's on tangents and just drives. When he does that, I am usually comatose! I don't know what it is about driving I just can't stay awake! So we missed out on the PCC and the temple, something we wanted to see, but instead we stayed right in Waikiki.

We tried surfing. It was a lot of fun. I emphasize on the word TRIED! We sat there for a few hours the day before and listened in on the instructors. We thought, oh we can do that. They keep saying the same thing over and over. And we agreed that when we went out we would help each other out and give a little push (to help with the momentum). Well I think that worked for maybe 3 tries because after that Gregg didn't want to have anything to do with giving me a push! I think I had a little success, (again emphasize on the word little!). But it was a ton of fun! I was sore the next day from head to toe. Mostly my mid section! Man what a great workout! So much fun. And people make it look so easy. I totally have respect (like I did before) for surfers! What a rush!
I just love the laid back attitude of surfers! It kills me. It is like they just live for the surf and the rest of the world can rush on. I will just sit here and wait. I had to snap a few shots of the surf mecca of Waikiki.
This guy was so cool. He was just sitting there with his harmonica playing away taking a little break from surfing instruction. I thought it was awesome! And I love the beach bikes.
The last day kind of sucked! Like I said we didn't have a car and we had to check out of our hotel by 1pm. Our flight wasn't until 9pm that night. So we initially thought cool we can chill at the beach one more day. Gregg on the other hand was not going to hear of it. 'He didn't want to get his feet sandy'???? HUH?! So we sat with shoes on just waiting the day out! Oh well it gave me some time for some pictures.We ran across this guy. He was great at his weaving. He just sat and chilled. I saw him all week while coming and going to the beach! I loved his hat! He would wait until the end of the day and scoop up all of the palm tree leaves to make stuff for the next day!

So we made it through another vacation. It was a lot of fun. So nice to get away! So needed from the rough year Gregg and I have had! This was the ONLY picture I could get of us
together.So needless to say our plans of finishing our house with all of the upgrades/new furniture/remodeling gets put on hold again! But you know that stuff will always be around. I guess you just need to take the chance to get away when it arises. We feel very blessed to be fortunate enough to have what we have and be able to get away to a fabulous place! We can't wait to go again.....Jaxon has already warned us he better be with us next time!? Umm, we will see about that!

Hawaii

In and among my craziest meltdown Gregg calls me up one day and says, Hey I have to go out of town on the 23rd. Okay good two day's after Jaxon's birthday where are you going? Hawaii??? Oh I am so going with you! What a tough job to get called out of town for work to Hawaii. We have only been there once [Maui] and it was amazing! We had so much fun. This was not the best timing [it was over the Primary program weekend--I am/was the music leader] but how can you pass up the opportunity to go somewhere like that with more than half being paid for. Besides, I justified things by saying I deserve it, it has been a hell of a year!

So among the busy time at work, Jaxon's birthday party, football, soccer, Halloween costumes, etc. etc. I had my work cut out for me to get us ready to go.....I didn't have the energy! I was exhausted and by the time we left it was as ready for us to go as I could have gotten it. Everything was not perfect but we made it. We went to Oahu this time. We were excited to see a new island. And wow did we find out just how different the two islands were!

SNORKELING
We had so much fun snorkeling in Maui we knew we would have fun in Oahu. Wow were we surprised at just how much better we had it at Oahu. We went to Hanama Bay. It was absolutely amazing how many fish we saw. They were so close we could touch them [but we didn't] and they didn't swim away. We got so carried away we ended up floating so close to the coral and rocks we were skimming the surface with our bellies! They were beautiful!


PEARL HARBOR
Gregg was so excited to see Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona the most. It was so humbling to me. I didn't know what to expect at first anyway. I didn't know what I would see [I am not the best at history] but what I did see made me so proud and sad at the same time. Proud that we have such an amazing history of men and women that are willing to fight for our freedoms and willing to put themselves in harms way for us to have what freedoms we have. Yet sad in a huge way because that could be my boys that are so willing to die for me and everyone's freedoms. It made me think of all of the GI Joe toys we have at home and how my boys look up to any 'GI Joe' they see in uniform around town. Jaxon had an army birthday party when he was 5. I went and got some fun 'swag' for the party and spoke with a recruiter when I did it. One thing he said to me will always stick in my mind that "I am really glad you are so supportive of his interests now and I hope when he is older you will still be so supportive". Wow does that have more meaning and impact to me now seeing what I have. I am torn and I am glad that decision does not have to be made anytime in the near future for me! Oh ya, he is already 9! It is right around the corner!
This is one of the torpedo's recovered from the attack.
You can actually still see the USS Arizona. I can't believe how shallow the waters are. How frustrating for them/us that it is that shallow and yet so many men and boys died inside!
The black tears that drip from the hull of the Arizona.

9 years old!

Here goes....the great mom that I am! It has been almost 2 months and my oldest is 9 (and I am just blogging about it now!)! Oh where does the time go?

So here are my 9 things I love about Jaxon......

1. You are so thoughtful and really listen[when you want to]to peoples laments. You always find a way to make them feel better.

2. You are all boy! You are the boyest boy I know. Everything about you is rough and tumble. While this is one of my favorite things about you it can also be the most frustrating.

3. Because you are all boy, when you give me kisses and hugs [far and few between], I know you really mean it, and I love it!

4. You know how to win everyone over with your amazingly wonderful sense of humor!

5. You can be the best big brother in the world. You love to show your younger brothers the ropes [when they let you].

6. Willingness to try tough things and see them through....football......need I say more?

7. Your willingness to listen to the scriptures and soak up the lessons taught [and remind me of what we should be doing all the time].

8. I love how you love to read.....I just wish I could keep enough good books in the house!

9. I love your honesty. Even though you try to slip in a little white lie here and there, I know when you are telling me the truth.

We had a great birthday party this year with friends.....

Wild things! It was so much fun. They brought 9 wild creatures of Jaxon's choice. They brought: Sugar gliders, Sable Hooded European Ferret, Rex Rabbit, Colombian Red tail Boa Constrictor, Pueblan Milk Snake, Ball Python, Crested Gecko, Blue Tongued Skink, & Green Iguana.

The boys that attended were having so much fun. Why wouldn't they? Creepy crawlers and stuff like that. They were all over it. The educator told them all about the animals so they learned while they got to handle and play with the creatures too! I really loved that of all the gross reptiles and mammals he chose a cute cuddly Rex Rabbit too! [See he does have a bit of a soft side too!].

We sent the boys home with a picture of them holding the Boa Constrictor too! I think they liked it! I figured with all the candy coming around the corner they really didn't need much more! [I am sure they didn't appreciate me making that decision either! :)].

What a big boy he is getting to be! I am so proud of him!

Dinner Talk

So tonight, as always, was another battle at the dinner table. Whether my boys like what is prepared for them or not it seems they know where my buttons are and LOVE to push them, this typically revolves around dinner. Why? you say. Well at my house we did not have choices. We were given dinner and had to eat at least a taste of whatever it was that was prepared (including boiled spinach...eeewww!). This was NOT what happened at the Petersen house. No, their mom was much sweeter and would fix 5 different meals just so everyone would eat something. Anyway, so this was super funny tonight. We were eating leftovers from Sunday dinner with the Petersen family at our house. Zeke mind you is only 2 and this was the dinner conversation with him:

Zeke: waah, waah waah, Zeke don't like dinner.

Carrie : Yes, you do Zeke it is Roast and rice you like it.

Zeke: waah, waah, waah, Zeke don't like dinner......waah, waah, waah, (to himself) Zeke don't like roast on Sunday Zeke don't like roast on Thursday [Tuesday].....

Well now how do you argue with that?... Especially when Gregg pipes up and says:
Gregg: You know now if he eats it then he knows he is expected to....

This is what happened after dinner and why I put my foot down with dinner. After dinner this is what happened.....
I was making cookies and on the package of flour were two delicious looking cupcakes.

Zeke: MMMMMmmm Mom look at those cupcakes.

Carrie: Yup, those are for good boys who eat their dinners.

Pause.

Zeke: Zeke like dinner Mom.

And wouldn't you know it, he ate the whole thing even the green beans!

What a funny boy.

I forgot to mention

I forgot to mention in the mix of all of my early October mayhem we were trying to paint and get that stuff [long overdue and have been trying to get it going forever--still not complete]

Oh and I also forgot....my Super Saturday projects that still needed to be completed!

How in the world do people get it all done?!

What I loved about Halloween

This year was a blur! I mean it. I love Halloween every year! This was not one of my favs! In fact for the first two weeks of October I think I was on autopilot! I was a zombie! This was my first tax season at a CPA firm and I was asked [and went willingly] to work full-time [for only 2 weeks mind you!]. I can't tell you I am not made to work full-time! 'It is not April? you say' well October 15th is the corporate deadline for extended returns. While I have done my fare share of tax returns at home for friends and family I have never worked as hard as I did for those 2 weeks. Learning new things, working full-time, football, soccer, being a mom, being a wife, being a cook, being a maid, taking a photography class, etc, etc.....I think I was the closest I have ever been to having a nervous breakdown! I swear I don't mean to complain. I have a wonderful family, I have a great opportunity at work, I have a camera I have wanted for years, I have so much! I just had too much at one time! OH MY GOSH! I let my favorite time of year totally fly by. Why? I don't know, I am having (still) the hardest time adjusting to my job and trying to keep all of the family stuff and other favorites of mine going something has to give! I don't know what my problem is!
I tried so hard to get myself ready. I tried to be organized. I tried to keep school work going (which totally flopped! My kids had the lowest grades they have ever had the first term of the year) and I tried to balance a small amount of me time in the middle! TO NO AVAIL! I stunk it up!
Someone please help me! What am I doing wrong? I feel like I am going 900 miles an hour and spinning in circles getting nowhere.

Okay I just realized I titled this post about Halloween and went on about me! [Seriously I think I have ADHD right now!]
I love Gardner Village! This year for witches weekend we got to share it with our newest cousin Eddy! What fun. I love the witches! So did the kids. They hay ride was great, it was chilly (like it was supposed to be) and the kids had a blast!
We did this on October 1st.....before the 'Mommy meltdown started!' I am glad we got to share at least one of my favorite traditions this time of year!

Boys and Boats

The boats Papa made for the boys to go fishing really do work.

If you notice papa even put hooks on the back of the boats so if they get lost out in the seas, the captain can throw out the fishing hook and reel them back....that papa he sure is a thinker......
one thing he didn't think of what boys and their hyperactivity when it comes to letting them just float.

So we went out to Daybreak and went to float them on the awesome Daybreak lake near our house! It was an exceptional windy day. The darn sails were paper and when the boats tipped over the sails ripped off! DUH!
Well that didn't stop them from having a great time running them down the creek that leads to the lake!
Oh I just love where we live! Such fun things right around the corner!

Prina Established 2009

Gregg's niece is so beautiful! She got married September 25th. The wedding was beautiful. Jaxon was the ring bearer!
He looked so cute with the sunglasses on! I told him to walk down the aisle with them on. Gregg was a party pooper and said no! He was so funny. He was so nervous about it at first. 'What am I supposed to do?' He didn't quite get what was going on at first. But he pulled through like the champ he is! He even survived the tux!
Darren, Gregg's brother was not even sad or emotional [even though she-- Lyndsie -- is the ONLY femal Granddaughter IN THE FAMILY]. Darren and Connie were just so happy! Lyndsie and Donovan will be so happy! What a cute couple!
Even though I was not invited I just had to go into the brides room and take pictures! What fun! She was pampered as a bride should be!
Just had to throw a couple of my other gorgeous boys!
Would someone please tell him he is gorgeous enough he doesn't need to make goofy faces?

Sports, sports, sports

Ah, part of my absence is due to my awesome family! I am so sad to realize it has been a month and a half since I last blogged....but I will get caught up! I will just say October left much to be desired in my life and November will bring more to be desired! I will make sure of it!

July, August, September, October and November have been some of the busiest months I have ever known since I have been a mom. Yes, busier than when I had our first bouncing bundle of joy! We were running from 'son up to son down' as one of my favorite sayings says. Jaxon played tackle football. And I can honestly say he loves that sport more than any other sport he has played! I just don't get it. He is/was 8 and has worked his tail off! Yet it is the funnest for him! He has learned so much this year and his coaches have been so instrumental in his desire to learn and play the game. He and Gregg talk frequently about plays and techniques he should know!
Jaxon my '97'! He was so funny when he got to pick his number! He was so excited yet, he wanted to please us and make sure he got a 'good number'. He is such a thinker and I can just hear what was going on in his mind when he went to pick his number "gotta get a good number, lets see who has this cool number, where have I seen this one?" After he finally picked number 97 he wanted to make sure it was a good one. Me being totally unaware a number made a difference said, "yeah, Jax that number is awesome!"
Talk about a manly 'tude' he was sporting for those 4 months! I swear I know the reason why he liked football so much. He admitted it to me. Yes, because it is the only place where he can beat the crap out of someone and get patted on the back/butt and told 'good job!'. Yes, he is truly a boy!
His team was the Bingham black team. They did really well. They took 3rd place in their division and went to the playoffs. They then lost the first game and was out of the playoffs. We were so proud of him for his tough effort this year and how much he learned.....now next year he has also been put on notice by the way! He needs to figure out the balance between school and football or football will definately take a back burner!

Kaden.....oh sweet Kaden! He just is happy to be part of a team and get out there and play! He is not super competitive (at least outwardly like others). He is just as happy as a clam to be playing and running (or maybe sometimes not running!)
Mister non aggressive likes to keep with the pack. Then when the ball is available (when no one is aggressively pursuing the ball that is) will run up and kick it. I love this picture. Gregg laughed when he saw it. Kaden is very much unagressive totally opposite of Gregg yet he has a trait of Gregg's that he always got harrassed about when he was younger. Kaden constantly runs with his tongue out! I am really hoping he doesn't fall to hard and bite his tonge! OUCH!
When he did kick the ball he did awesome! Somedays were better than others! And this day was an exceptionally warm day so he was into it! Others on the colder days he would definately just 'run with the pack'!
He did a great job learning his footwork this season too! Way to go Kaden. He even got a couple of goals too! We are so happy for him!

And just because I promised one of the only people who read my blog....here you go! :)
More to come! gotta catch up on everyone else first!

Fishing with Papa

Kaden loves to go fishing! Gregg will NOT take him! Do you want to know why? Well let's see, it is a toss up between touching the slimy fish, touching the slimy worms (not to mention actually putting worms on a hook) or even wasting time! I don't know which one weighs more heavily. So I have enlisted my awesome Dad! Yes, TK the one who never had a chance to take boys fishing! This is probably the third or fourth time he has taken them. Is it about the fish? No! Is it about the worms or the wasted time? No! It is about spending some good ol'fashion time being boys! At least in my little girl opinion! I could very well take them fishing but it most likely wouldn't be as fun ya know!
Notice one of THE MOST important items of gear! COOKIES! Who can lay back and pass the time without a handful of cookies?

So my sweet Dad has decided the fishing interest only lasts roughly (he says) 5 minutes. Then they want to throw rocks into the water (what boy doesn't), scream loudly (again what boy doesn't), and wiggle and dance around (alright!)! So he had a plan this time. He took them up to a little fishing pond in Bountiful. He made them these awesome sailboats! Complete with a hook on the back incase they need to be fished back to the shore! He is so awesome! He and Kaden (Jaxon didn't want to sail his--he was afraid he would loose it!) took Kaden's sailboat to the otherside of the pond. And wouldn't you know it, it came back to right about the same spot they were fishing. TK said it was a great way to pass the time and keep them interested! How fun! We are already planning the sailboats next expedition on Daybreak! It will happen before they go back on track!

Plan B...Wheeler Farm

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We were going to go to the zoo....it was closed! Is the Zoo ever closed? Well it was on this day. Terri had a plan. We went over to Wheeler farm. It was great! It was free! It was a great way to spend the afternoon with cousins, play with my new camera and relax. What a great afternoon! Thanks Terri.

What a good boy!

I have a really hard time finding any shots with Jaxon and Kaden and a somewhat serious face. They are usually goofy!
Zeke was having a ball feeding the ducks! He was laughing so hard!
Alasia, what a cutie!
Addilee what a sweetheart! I swear you never hear this little girl cry! What is that about?
My beautiful sister and her baby girl!!

I don't know why, but I really like to take out the color sometimes. I have to be careful or all of my pictures end up like that. Then I have to remind myself bright colors are fun too......

How funny is this? Okay so who can resist these funny boys. We came around the corner to a place Kaden was dying to see, this cute little playhouse. These two boys were so funny. I had to take a few shots of them.
This little boy just stopped LICKING the window sill with his tongue! He was so dirty I could have died! He was all boy, it didn't bother him at all, he was in his element.
Isn't this little boys red hair to die for? So so cute!

What a fun afternoon!