Christmas Happenings So Far

Last week we had an Ugly Sweater Party. It was pretty much the funnest thing ever!!  We had to keep it fairly small because of the lack of space in our home but it was awesome.  We voted anonymously for the best/ugliest sweater.  Bishop Niles was the winner of that great honor.(far right, top)  We also exchanged white elephant gifts.  Hil.Ar.Ious.  I got an Adam Lambert cd(puke!) and Tyler got a beautiful plate with the Lords Prayer on it, along with a solid chocolate 'praying hands'.

Tyler's shirt really wasn't that ugly.  We ran out of time and got desperate so I got this at JC Penneys.  He actually wore it again to our Ward Christmas party.  I didn't wear mine again :)

Bishop showing how awesome his turtleneck is.  He'd kill me if he saw this.

This is my attempt at pictures of the kids in their cute Christmas outfits.  Fail.  I thought it was hard getting a decent pic of an infant.  Now I have a toddler and it's pretty much impossible.  He sure is sweet to his sister though!

Kayden loves giving kisses.  He's started handing them out to everyone, including inanimate objects

This is what he does when you tell him to smile, kinda scary.  But it's better than his usual scowl.

Morgan just can't get enough of that thumb.  She actually puts it in so far that she's sucking on the pad of the thumb too.

The Power of the Scriptures

The other day I made the mistake of watching the late night news. 
Top stories:

• the trial of a man who ran over and killed 2 little girls while fleeing police
• the sentancing of a woman who allegedly had sex with 2 of her 12 year old students
• the condition of the security guard who was shot during a robbery at the Family Dollar
• several other similar stories that I have tried to forget

Needless to say, I went to bed quite depressed.  What is this world coming to?  What have I done bringing these sweet spirits of my children into this horrible scary mess?

A couple of weeks ago I had made a goal to read my scriptures nightly.  That night I happened to be in 2 Nephi 2.  Verses 11-13 jumped out to me as if they were written specifically for me that very night

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

I love the scriptures.  I know that this world is just going to get worse but that is part of the plan.  It has to happen to ready the world for the second coming.  The only thing we can do is prepare ourselves and our children for the onslaught of it all by teaching them to live the gospel.  As my cousin Natalie put it when I posted about the yuckiness on facebook

"you're thinking you're giving them a safe haven from all the mess...you're blessing your children by allowing them to be raised in your home!! (and I agree about the scariness of the world!!)"

Thanks Natalie! I needed that.

Bad Habits, Grins and a Christmas Tree

Tyler has this wonderful habit of drinking milk straight from the carton.  It drives me crazy.  He says he only does it when no one's around.  Apparently someone is a little more observant than we thought.

My mom sent this cute little hat for Kayden.  If you know Kayden, he loves hats!!!

Here's our happy girl!  She is so sweet.  We love that she was sent to us.  I love my kids so much.

She loves her thumb.  We've tried and tried to get her to take the binky instead but she just spits it out and sticks in the thumb!

'Mom! Stop taking pictures and pick me up!!'

Our Christmas Tree.  I love this season!

Something Wonderful Has Happened

A Krispy Kreme has opened not very far from our house.  I can already feel myself getting fatter....

Happy Halloween!!!

Boo!!!

Ella aka Rosetta (from the Tinkerbell movie) playing with Morgan.  My kids love Ella!

Kayden the Cowboy was the cutest trick-or-treater ever.  He walked the whole time, several blocks, and would not let us help him or carry his bucket.  He loved it!!

This is what Morgan did the whole time we were out with Kayden.  You can't really tell, but she's sucking her thumb.  She won't take a binky, but she loves her thumb!!

All tuckered out from a non-stop, fun-filled weekend.  He loves his doggie. (notice the beautiful slobber spot on his pillow, looks just like his dad's pillow)

Kayden's Big Boy Bed

Last night was Kayden's first night in his own real bed.  Ever since Morgan was born she's been sleeping in the pack-n-play, first in our room, then we moved her into the guest room temporarily.  I felt bad that she didn't have her own space, even though she's just a baby.  So I finally switched some rooms around and Kayden is now in the old guest room and Morgan is in Kayden's old room.  I still have some decorating to do and...hopefully some painting in Morgan's room. 

Here's Kayden at 3 months

And here he is now

When I put him to bed he was pretty excited.  He loves big beds.  It took about 5 minutes before he wandered out of his room, blanket in one hand, doggie in the other, looking so proud of himself.  I took him back to his bed.  2 minutes later, again. And again. And again.  Seriously about 10 times.  Finally he learned not to come out of his room and I would find him on his floor, playing.  Eventually, he fell asleep in his bed.  He was up wandering around at 2, I took him back to bed again and he cried and cried.  It was sad. I think he was really confused.  Again, he eventually fell asleep.  At 5, I found him sleeping on his floor.  (He can get down from the bed but not up.)  Then, he woke up at his normal time, around 8.

Today, at naptime, I took him in there with his blanket and doggie and he just sat in his bed and cried for about 20 minutes...but he didn't get down.  He fell asleep and took a normal nap!  Aw, my little boy is growing up!  I'm excited for this new phase.  And Morgan finally has her own room and is sleeping in a normal crib.  Yay!

Fall Happenings

To be honest, fall has never been my favorite season(I'm a summer girl).  Fall in Utah just isn't anything spectacular. It's wet and muddy and windy and can't decide whether to change to winter or not.  But, since we've moved to Indiana, I have learned to appreciate fall so much more.  It's beautiful!!  And the weather is wonderful.

This is our backyard.  I love where we live.  The camera doesn't do it justice.  The colors are amazing.

Airplane!

This is what he does when his hands get dirty.  He is such a clean freak.  We've taught him to wipe them quickly on his pants and get on with life. So funny.

Isn't she just so cute!?

Yep, look at that muffin top.  These pants were worn once.  She growing so fast!

This is what Tyler gets for leaving his wallet laying around.