House Full of Fun

Today is Preston's Third birthday. I can't believe that my little baby boy is three. This has been a HUGE year for Preston, here are a few of the highlights of his year:

He became a big brother in February

He finally really grew some hair and it is white and CURLY

He learned all about scooters, skateboards, bikes, and all things with wheels

He learned how to use the big potty

He learned that he likes boxers instead of briefs (I have no idea where this one came from, I don't even buy boxers but he kept trying to put on his jammie shorts underneath everything he wore and would tell us that they were his boxers, so Grandma Wynia got him some for christmas and he asks to wear them EVERY day)

He loves to sing and dance and finally learned some primary songs in nursury

He discovered TV and the wonderful world of disney channel and caillou

He learned how to talk and actually be understood. He says the funniest things, but the way that he says them makes them that much funnier

He spent a lot of time with mommy this year, just hanging out mostly :)

He learned how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

He also learned that the library is not fun for a two-year-old AT ALL!

I think that I could go on and on but Preston has really had a year full of learning and growth. Yesterday I watched the video of last Christmas and it just amazes me how much he has changed. He is a big boy now and loves to play with his big brother and sister, but still looks out for Aubrey. He is sweet and loveable, but only when he wants to be. His nickname is Einstein, because of the hair if you couldn't already guess. Kendra and Ethan only call him Pres and are really good about including him and keeping an eye out for him. He is full of energy and loves to play with just about anything! He is a drooler, which I find to be stange that he still drools so much and it seems that his nose in constantly running and his cheecks are always pink or red. I don't know what our family would be like without little Preston around, but it would definitely be much quieter! We love you Preston!!!

Today is Kendra's birthday. I am a little stunned, where have the last nine years gone and why can't I remember every day of them. It frustrates me that I can't remember all of the details that I wanted to remember. I look back and wish that I had been better about keeping my journal updated, I am sure that it would have been very insightful. Especially now that we are raising another Kendra (Aubrey.) The other day I was giving Aubrey some animal crackers and she got so excited after I put one in her hand. Then she just waited and looked at me. So I grabbed another animal cracker and put it in her other hand. She practically squeeled in delight and then walked off to enjoy her treat. Kendra did the exact same thing. She was an eater (and still is) and when you gave her food she wanted it in both of her adorable little hands and wouldn't leave you alone until those fists were full.

Preston has been having a blast in this box lately. He gets himself in it and then tries to put his blanket over the top. As a sidenote here, our TV isn't working. There is something wrong with the power something or other, who knows. But I have loved not having a TV. If I could convince Josh we wouldn't even get it fixed. But he isn't buying it. In the meantime my kids have been enjoying one another and playing a lot of games. My house is even messier than normal if you can believe that one though.

Last weekend we had christmas at my mother's house since my dad and her flew off to cali for christmas. We had some very yummy soup and opened lots of preseants, I felt completely spoiled this year, and Josh got a new winter coat!!! Everyone then played a new game that Devin brought over called quelf, I was busy attending to a not so happy baby, but it sounded like they had a blast.

Kendra is a great big sister and she amazes me at what a good helper she is. She rarely complains and does a great job at keeping Preston and Aubrey entertained.

Aubrey got this new hat and gloves from my mom for Christmas, they are so stinkin cute. She is always taking her hat off and I have to just keep putting it back on her, over and over and over again. But I know that she will eventually learn that it is a battle that she won't win. I remember it taking Kendra at least a month to learn, but after that I didn't have to worry about hats anymore.

We stopped and got some yummy frozen yogurt at Costco the other night and Aubrey LOVED it! That girl can eat!

A little guilty feeling

Ok, well I am not completely into the Christmas spirit yet, but I am getting there. I did a bunch of christmas shopping on the internet today which means that over the next few days I get to have my own Christmas, (I love the UPS guy!) and I love opening packages. The kids have been great. I am really enjoying Preston and Aubrey and the time that we get to spend with one another during the day. I remember being able to do that with Kendra and Ethan and it is so special. I am going back to school next semester, as I mentioned before, and I know that this time with them won't last forever. I don't really have a whole lot of updating going on around here, just a lot of the same. Josh is right in the middle of finals so we will all be glad when that is over and we can have a few weeks of calm. Well, I hope that you all have a wonderful week and are feeling the Christmas spirit.

Can't find the right word

Don't you hate it when you only have that one lonely binky (or whatever your term is for it) and you do your best to keep track of it for weeks. Then you finally break down and go buy more and suddenly you end up with tons of them. I HATE THAT! Just a thought :)

Is There Something Wrong With Me?

I have yet to really feel the Christmas spirit this season. Yes, I have started my christmas shopping, I have been to the mall and I have even put up my tree. All of these things usually work for me but something just isn't there yet. Is there something wrong with me? We are going to try and go up to the heights and visit their "Night in Bethleham" and I am praying that it will give me a quick swift in the bum to help me get with the program.

Josh and I watched the movie, "Four Christmases" last week and really enjoyed it. It kinda reminded us of our holidays, three christmases with family and then the fourth one being the one at home that we are always trying to squeeze in somehow. Then we also throw in two birthdays so you get the picture. This year my family is all going down to California for Christmas. I am bummed that we will not be there and be able to see everyone, things just won't be the same. But I have no desire to travel at Christmas!!!!! I just can't imagine packing up all the presents and driving for a full day and the drive home would be the worst when you have nothing to look forward to. When I was little we did it all of the time at Christmas, Easter, and during the summer too sometimes. Sometimes my dad wouldn't even come with us at Christmas. I just can't imagine Josh not being with the kids at Christmas, what fun would that be? So this year we are having Josh's dad over to our house on Christmas Eve and I am so excited! I can't imagine not even having to leave my own house on Christmas Eve, that has never happened before for my children. I am going to cook this ginormous turkey that Josh got from his company and the kids are going to act out the nativity YEA!!!

Growing up Christmas Eve was always the big thing in our house because my older brother and sister would go to their dad's on Christmas day. Santa would often come early on christmas eve, knocking on the door and leaving the presents on the doorstep or magically coming while we were out looking at Christmas lights. So my best memories are of Christmas Eve and I can't wait to be able to spend it at my house!!! Hopefully soon I will be humming Christmas carols and enjoying the snow outside and lighting my christmas tree scented candle and maybe even make some sugar cookies and build a gingerbread house. Somehow I just don't see it happening this year.

Great Finds

The other day when I was at Target, (I try not to go there too often.) I found a rack of children's clothes marked down 75%. They were super cute too! I found cute yoga-type pants for Aubrey in bright colors for $1 and jeans for preston for $3 and all kinds of cute stuff and nothing was over $4. This is why I stay out of target :) I had to get this dress for Aubrey. It was $2.50 and super cute. But then I got the boots and they weren't on sale, darn it! So here she is in her cute dress all ready to go to Thanksgiving dinner at grandma's house.
I say this all of the time, but she is such a little walker! It amazes me how each and every day there is such improvement. Today she bent over and picked up toys and carried them to Preston, she also changed directions without stopping. They just learn so fast! I guess what gets me is her excitement in the whole thing. She always tries to walk, it doesn't matter that she just keeps falling down. She has a certain look of determination and then when she really gets going she gets the biggest smile!

I love this toothy grin. She just has the two bottom teeth but she acts like she is teething most of the time, so who knows. Someday she will have a full head of hair and a mouth full of teeth.

Going..............

GOING.............

GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! She takes her headbands off all of the time now. I have to put it on her and then hold her hands until she forgets that it is there. She eventually forgets and leaves it alone for about an hour or so.

Back to School

Do you ever get so far behind blogging that you just keep putting it off because it seems like an insurmountable obstacle? Well that is me.... But here it goes, I am sure that I will miss tons of what I wanted to post but oh well.

Yesterday Josh left for a sales trip down to Utah, he got to each lunch at Wingers in Idaho and then he got Cheesecake Factory in Salt Lake and all paid for by his company too. He also has Cafe Rio on the menu multiple times over the next four days. I am totally jealous I think that I love to travel just so that I can hit up all of my favorite restaurants. I LOVE eating out and that love has been known to bust our budget once or twice, but I have been much better about it over the last few years, probably has something to do with the FOUR children I have to wrestle. It just doesn't seem quite so enjoyable when mom and dad are tag teaming trips to the bathroom or taking unruly children to the car. Anyways, he is gone until Thursday afternoon and I get to play single mom. I have been able to get quite a bit done and hopefully can get everything checked off of my list before he gets home. We miss him tons and can't wait for him to get home. I just love this picture of him and Aubrey!

I went to visit with an advisor at the college yesterday and looks like I will be enrolling for spring semester. One of these days I will get my degree finished. I will have one class and one lab on campus and then the rest I will be able to do online so that is perfect. My second semster should be easy like that too. If everything goes right I will be getting TAA benefits that will pay for my tuition over the next two years. I won't be getting the particular degree that I want but it is a huge stepping stone in the right direction and I can't argue with free schooling. Kendra was concerned when I told her how my meeting went. She asked who would watch her, Ethan answered right away, "we will be in school." He is a sharp boy and Kendra is always quite concerned with her well-being, like I am going to leave her to fend for herself and siblings.

We had a great Thanksgiving with some AMAZING food! It was definitely one of the yummiest Thanksgivings in my book. Friday I hit up the stores at the break of dawn to get some doorbusters that were on my list. I was able to get almost everything that I had on my list and I survived. It was my first time going out so early with the intent of snagging something that is hard to come by, but I managed to get my cricut and didn't have to throw any elbows in wal-mart to get it. I love it so much! I am not really supposed to be using it until Christmas but I have a few Christmas gifts to complete with it so I just HAD to get it out. What an awesome machine! My project list just grows with each passing day, I probably won't leave my craft room after Christmas comes.

My little sister Julie and her husband traveled to Montana for Christmas and on Saturday when we were saying our goodbyes Kendra goes, "Dang it! Next time I am going to have to Bust Out my camera and take a bunch of pictures." I was cracking up on the inside. She is so big sometimes, I have to remind myself that she is only 8 years old. You think that they quit saying funny things after they are in school, but I don't think it ever ends.

Aubrey is walking like a pro and always tries to walk first and then when she falls she just crawls to where she was trying to go. Preston and Ethan went with their dad on Saturday and got haircuts. I just had them trim Preston's curls so that they weren't so long and we could see his eyes. I was really nervous but when Josh brought them home they all looked very handsome. Preston and I are sick right now with a yucky chest cold, but we are surviving and hoping that it starts to get better sometime soon.

This is Aubrey's friend Isabelle. She turned one in the middle of November and we went over to her house to help her celebrate. She got these cute little twin dolls for her birthday and Aubrey was quite intrigued with them. I forget about the whole doll and pink thing, it has just been too long, but at least now I know what to get Aubrey for her first birthday. I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving too!