Resolution #2

I have had these empty water barrels sitting in my garage for QUITE some time (coming up on a year I think). Everytime I see them, I would feel guilty. I would hear a talk on emergency preparedness, or hear about a natural disaster somewhere, and think how foolish I would feel if something happened where we needed water and I had a bunch of EMPTY barrels sitting around. So, I finally got my bootie in gear. I went online and ordered my bung wrench (thanks Melissa for telling me what that was!) and my water preserver. We (meaning my sweet husband) sterilized the barrels and filled them up. One more thing checked off my list! Of course, the only natural disaster we have heard talk of around here lately is flooding, which seems a little ironic, but we are prepared :>)

I Don't Like it When....

I wake up at 5 am to discover that I am all wet, and then realize the source of that wetness is my 3 year old who wet his bed and then decided to come snuggle up with me. When I asked him why he would do that, he responded, "Mommy, my bed was all wet so I came to your bed!" Nice. The last time he wet the bed (a couple months ago) he had already climbed into my bed and it was a direct hit on my back. Not sure which was worse...at least that only involved stripping down ONE bed in the middle of the night! I do love my kids, and I know moments like this will make me laugh one day, but that day is not today :>)

Girl's Night

Saturday night I was able to go out with some of my very favorite gal pals. We started off by hitting up the new Cafe Rio in town (all right, it's not in OUR town, but it is within an hour's drive which is close enough!)

Traci, Erin, and Heather

Kyra, me, Carly, and Sarah

After stuffing ourselves silly, we headed off to the Orange County Great Park. I did not even know this place existed, but they offer free hot air balloon rides (it is tethered to the ground, but goes 500 feet in the air). The also have free ice skating this month, which if I had more coordination would be really cool :>)This was the balloon up in the air right before we went.

Here we were waiting to get on board, trying not to get too nervous!

Carly, Kyra Sarah, Erin, Mitch, Heather, Traci, me

Once we were up in the air it was a lot of fun. The views were incredible! Sarah was really...ummm....EXCITED to get in the balloon. Well, maybe not, but she went anyways and had a good time!

Maybe one day I will figure out how to take a picture of myself without looking like I have multiple chins?

Here we are after the fact (all in one piece). After taking our picture, the balloon operator said that we should come back again and he was looking for a girlfriend. Heather (who had her 10 month old son with us) quickly replied that she was looking for a baby daddy. That shut him up pretty quick :>)

They must have just recently taken down their Christmas decorations, which were sitting in a tent nearby. We made some new friends!

I love these girls, and truly feel blessed to have so many wonderful friends nearby! Thanks Traci for organizing a fun night!

Just One More!

I know I post a lot of pictures of my kids sleeping, but they always end up in the strangest positions. I found Carson like this the other day and had to laugh. Apparently the "Wheels on the Bus" book is not all that exciting :>)

What's in a Name?

We have been working with Brendan on his middle name lately. Sometimes he remembers it, sometimes not. The other day we had a little conversation which went like this:

Me: hey bud, what's your name?
Brendan: Brendan
Me: Brendan what?
Brendan: Brendan Shark Gray

Ok....not sure where that came from, but it did make me laugh :>) Shark....David....very similar, right?

Resolution #1

I have had my passport since 2002. I got it with the intent of using it, but 8 years later it was still blank. I told Rich that I really wanted to get a stamp in it before it expired, and that was a goal of mine for 2010. We just celebrated out 8th anniversary a couple weeks ago, and thought now would be a good time to take a trip. My mother-in-law came down from Utah to watch the boys for a few days (THANK YOU MARY!!!), and we left our almost-flooded-from-all-the-crazy-rain house for beautiful 80 degree Puerto Vallarta! Thanks to our friends Barry and Tiffany at Tropical Sands vacations who found us a great deal!

Our hotel was BEAUTIFUL!!! We had an ocean view junior suite, and when we stepped out onto our balcony this was the view we found. One of my favorite things to do was sit on the balcony and read a book (uninterrupted, with no kids asking for a million different things. HEAVEN!)

We spent a lot of time lounging by the pool...

and walking along the beach. Rich did get to have a "Baywatch" moment our last day there. We were sitting on the beach, when he noticed a family of four struggling a bit out in the ocean. The lifeguard went out to help them, but he was really outnumbered. Next thing I knew Rich was sprinting into the water and pulling out the mom and dad. The water really wasn't that deep where they were (I think they may have been able to touch the ground if they moved a couple feet over), but the waves were strong and they panicked. When they got to shore they were crying and hugging Rich. What an awesome guy I have :>)

Our favorite thing we did was the Canopy Tour. We woke up bright and early (7 am their time translated to 5 am for us, but SO worth it!), and headed over to the set from the movie "Predator." I have never seen it, but it did star the Governator so it must be cool, right?
There was a series of 12 zip lines that we hiked around the wilderness to, and it was SO MUCH FUN!!! The longest one was 1650 feet long and 360 feet in the air. That felt really high when you were hanging from a cable with just a little harness on :>) I wasn't able to bring my camera on the zip line part...they had one of the staff taking pictures, and the CD was available to buy for "only" $40, so we passed. I did get this picture of one of the cables afterwards though. It was so pretty there!

One of out guides, Beto, dressed up like one of the monsters from the movie, and would jump out from the underbrush periodically to scare us. Four times he jumped out at me, and four times I screamed like a little girl!

Afterwards we stopped to eat lunch at this pretty waterfall. We brought our suits planning to slide down it, but it was a LITTLE too cold for me!

It never occurred to me that the jungle is full of BUGS, but by the time we were done I realized I was covered in bites. I tried to count them, and lost track at 32. I spent the rest of our vacation trying not to itch and hoping I didn't come home with some strange disease :>)

Our other favorite part was the FOOD!!! I love the concept of all-inclusive. It was great to be able to go to any of the restaurants and eat whatever we wanted, and know that the food and tips were already taken care of. Of course, when it is all-you-can-eat you HAVE to feel like you are getting your money's worth, and I think we both came home a few pounds heavier! We really liked the lunch buffet. The food was great, and the dining area was right on the ocean.

One thing I was really looking forward to was going shopping at the Flea Market downtown, but it was a bit of a disappointment for me. It was a really crowded building, and the vendors were really aggressive. I'm not claustrophobic, but I almost felt like it in there. We ditched it pretty fast, which made for very few souvenirs of our trip (mainly just a few cheap toys for the kids which are already broken).

Here we are in front of our hotel. It was so pretty!

All in all we had a fantastic time. It was nice to spend some time together with just us, although after 3 nights we were missing our little guys a whole lot! So much so that we didn't kick them out when they both ended up in our bed the following morning :>)

My Little Superman

Where is he flying off to? Maybe he is in search of a bigger shirt. He does love these pjs though :>)

Fun with Family

Rich's parents came down to visit the week after Christmas with a couple of my nieces in tow. Sunday we had dinner with the whole family, then Monday they were able to come to our house. They had six of my nieces and nephews with them. My sister was still staying with us, and in addition nine of my aunts/uncles/cousins came over so the boys could go shooting, so we had a full house (22 total I think)! It was a lot of fun though.

On Thursday we went to the Santa Ana zoo. I had never been there before, but it was really cute (thanks to my sister-in-law Judy who has a pass there and was able to get us all in for free!). The kids had a blast.

Carson kept asking for a zebra...there may not have been a real one there, but he got to ride one on the carousel and thought it was even better! My kids thought the train ride was so much fun, and had a great time hanging out with all their cousins.

Now everyone is back home in Utah, and we miss them. Until next time!

Universal Studios

The day after Christmas, my parents took the whole family to Universal Studios. Brendan was really excited to meet Shrek, until we actually got up close and he started to freak out :>)

We had a scary encounter with Jaws...

and lots of fun with family! The only bad part of the day was when we came out of an attraction to find our stroller missing...there wasn't really anything too valuable in it, but I was REALLY mad that someone had stolen it! After about 20 minutes of searching, we realized someone had moved it to a stroller area a ways away (that was hidden behind an escalator). Glad we asked around about that one instead of just assuming it was stolen :>) Thanks Mom and Dad for a fun day!

Christmas

Christmas morning was nice and relaxing. Rich was able to get out of work a few hours early, so he was able to be there when the boys woke up. My parents and sisters were also at our house. Christmas morning is always fun with kids, but this is the first year that Brendan really got the whole concept of Santa coming. It was so great to see their reactions!

Brendan asked for "Star Wars," and Santa delivered! He also got all the stuff he needs to start T-ball in a couple months, which made him happy. Almost as happy as it made his dad :>)

Kristi and Janine enjoying their gifts

Grandma and Grandpa

Carson's favorite gift of the day...Mac from Cars. He carries that thing around constantly!

He was so worn out from the excitement that after breakfast he sat down in the chair and went to sleep :>) What a good morning!

Christmas afternoon we went to my aunt and uncle's house with the WHOLE family. Our numbers keep growing, and it is always lot of fun!

My cousin Stefenie announced her engagement to her boyfriend Brandon. They are going to get married on my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary, in the same temple they did. So sweet!

Rich was running on less than an hour of sleep, and enjoyed a much needed nap :>)

We hope everyone had a merry Christmas!!!

Miracles Happen

After a couple of not-so-successful trips to see Santa, we finally got a smile!

Santa must have been happy about Carson's change of heart, because he was awfully good to him Christmas morning!

Bowling with Janine

My sister Janine was here for a week over Christmas. One night, we went bowling. Brendan is a crack-up (ok, bad joke...I know his pants are a little saggy here). He really is funny though...he likes to do it by himself, and the ball consistently went about 1.3-1.7 mph. There were several occasions where I didn't think it would make it to the pins, but it always did. He even managed to pull out a spare at one point, which impressed me!

Brendan, Janine, and Carson (who looks a little stoned here...it WAS kind of a late night for them!)

Jones/Gray Christmas Party

Every year, we have a Christmas party with Rich's side of the family. A lot of the family has moved away over the years, but everyone else keeps having more kids so the numbers seem pretty steady :>) We have yummy food, a fun gift exchange, sing the 12 Days of Christmas (not MY favorite part, but hey it's tradition!), and wear Uncle Dave's old ties while we exchange memories of those who could not be there. The kids had a lot of fun horsing around.

Zane discovered the Snuggies also double very well as Jedi robes

I really liked this picture of Abby, Brendan, and Skylar (would have been better if Abby wasn't cut off!)

we TRIED to get a picture of all the kids (easier said than done! They are a wiggly bunch!)

Zane, Carson, Eliza, Abby, Brendan, Wyatt, Stryder, Charlotte, Aly, Noah, Bridgette, and Skylar

Christmas Program

Brendan had his preschool Christmas program a couple weeks ago. The kids were really cute. It's hard to make out, but Brendan says he wants to ask Santa for a new dress for his mom (good boy!). He had a not-so-graceful finish, which made me laugh a little :>) He gets his coordination from his mom!

Christmas Outfits

I bought these sweaters and pants after Christmas last year at the Children's Place for super cheap. I always get nervous when I am guessing sizes a year out, but they fit great! Even more amazing was the fact that they are both looking AND smiling at the camera at the same time. My Christmas miracle!

Knott's Merry Farm

We took our annual trip to Knott's Berry Farm the week before Christmas (thanks Rich for being a hero and getting us in for free!). The kids were excited by the giant Christmas tree (which you can tell by looking at this picture ha!)

Carson is still too short, but Brendan and I rode the ferris wheel

Brendan thought he was cool stuff to be able to ride the race cars by himself

Carson and I had fun too :>) Rich really hates this ride so he snapped some pictures instead!

On our way out we were fortunate to run into this furry fellow!

I always love to see this...my boys were happy and WORN OUT!!!

I Hope They Call Me on a Mission...someday

The other day, Brendan and I were looking at a world map. I was trying to show him where we lived, then asked him where he wanted to go on a mission. He immediately pointed to Bolivia (which was purple on the map). I asked him why he wanted to go there, and he said, "They have purple light swords there, mommy!" Alrighty then!

I realize this picture is over a year old, and his tie is ridiculously short, but it is one of my favorites!

Another funny thing he said recently...we were in the car delivering Christmas cookies yesterday, when he busted out with this song (to the tune of "We are a happy family").

I love cookies, I love cookies
I love cookies, I love cookies
I love crackers, I love fishies
We are a happy family!

My Little Hoover

Brendan really will eat just about anything. He shoves food into his mouth so fast that I really don't think he even tastes it half the time. The exception to this is most vegetables. He will eat salad, and tomatoes (even those straight from the can), but most others he will just turn his nose up at. Whenever I am making anything in the kitchen, he is always climbing on the chairs and cabinets trying to get at whatever edible objects there may be. The other day I was chopping some red onion for a salad, and he came up to me asking for a bite. With a bit of a laugh in my heart, I gave him a chunk. I fully expected him to spit it out, but to my surprise he wolfed it down and said, "Mommy, I LIKE that!" Every time I turned around, he was grabbing another handful off the cutting board and sneaking off to eat it. Crazy boy!

Christmas Breakfast

Saturday was the annual ward Christmas party. We headed over there bright and early in the morning, and Brendan could not stop talking about how he wanted to see Santa. He was so excited that I couldn't get him to focus enough to look at the camera! He had to wait in line a second time because the first go around he forgot to tell Santa what he wanted. The answer: Star Wars. It doesn't matter what apparently, he just wants Star Wars for Christmas! Carson however was a different story :>) He did not like to sit on the fat man's lap! Is it bad that I think the screaming pictures are hilarious??? What a mean mommy!

Our little family...I know, my boys look so thrilled :>) They really were happy for the most part!

Woo hoo!

I do love a good bargain. I clip coupons, shop the sales, and most of my family's clothes come from either the clearance rack or garage sales. Going to the grocery store is always a bit of a game. I try to see how much I can save, and always try to beat my previous record. Usually, a good day is when I am somewhere in the 40% saved range. Last week however I did really good! 59% savings is my all time record. In my head I have already come up with numerous ways to spend the money saved :>)

Kings Game

Last weekend we were able to go to the Kings game with our friends Melissa and Greg. I have only been to one hockey game before (many many years ago), so it was a new experience for me! Melissa and Greg are huge Kings fans, and were very nice to explain all the things I didn't get! The game was actually really good. The score was tied, then overtime was tied, and I got to see my first shootout. Exciting! Best of all, we had a nice night out with great friends while our collective 5 boys were at home :>)

Putting up the Tree

Growing up, we always had a real Christmas tree. They always smelled so good, and it was so fun to go pick out our tree every year! I even worked at a Christmas tree farm for a couple of years. I didn't really like all the mess though, and I was always really sad at how quickly we had to take them down (can't blame my mom for not wanting to catch out house on fire!). We have subsequently converted to a "fake tree" family. I love that I can put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving, and leave it up until after New years! If I light a Christmas scented candle, I can almost pretend it is real :>) I took the kids to pick out their ornament for the year. Brendan was dead set on a really cool Star Wars ornament, but I had to gently persuade him to choose otherwise when I saw the $32 price tag (ouch!). He settled for Han Solo, which cost a lot less (good thing, because he managed to break it after it had been out of the box for approximately two minutes)

He didn't seem to mind (and a little bit of gorilla glue fixed it right up!)

Carson really loved his ornament of Lightning McQueen and Mater (so much so that he cried and screamed for quite awhile when we put it up on the tree out of his reach!)

We put on some Christmas music and put that fake tree together

Brendan helped Rich put the star up (which after being dropped a couple times by my children no longer works)

The kids had a little too much fun "helping" me unpack the ornaments. Total ornament casualties for the day: 7 (and counting) **sigh**

We did have a lot of fun though! I love this time of year!

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving, we went to Rich's brother Frank's house. It was a great day filled with good food! The boys spent a good portion of the day watching football.

The kids made some fun aprons

All week, Brendan kept talking about how he was going to "go eat turkey at Wyatt's house." He loves all his cousins, but Wyatt is the oldest and I think there is a little bit of hero worship going on :>) He is really great about playing with the little kids!

For almost 30 years, the girls on Rich's side get together Thanksgiving weekend for the annual cookie party, where you exchange 1/2 dozen cookies and the recipe with everyone who goes. After that many years, we have had some very INTERESTING cookie choices provided (really, how many different kids of cookies can you make? You run out of ideas after awhile!). Rich's sister and mom were in Utah this year (as with a lot of other extended family), and the cookie party was there. Since we couldn't make it, we had our own mini-version (I am always up for anything which involves cookies!)

Mary, this picture is for you :>)

Pumpkin Cookies

After this I think I will finally be caught up on October (which is good since Thanksgiving is in 2 days!!!). One of my favorite Halloween traditions is to make pumpkin cookies. Aside from those few years when I lived in the dorms (and had no kitchen!) I have made them almost every year of my life. It is a lot more fun now that the kids are old enough to get into it a bit! Brendan had a lot of fun cramming as much candy as he possibly could onto the cookies.

He would shove large bites into his mouth every time he thought I wasn't looking :>)

Carson really enjoyed the candy part (as evidenced by the large amount of chocolate drool that was covering his entire body by the time we were done!)

I love to watch them have fun, and I REALLY love to eat the finished product :>)

At the Farm

A month or so ago (wow I am a little behind on the blogging!) the playgroup from our ward went to a local farm. I was working that morning, but Rich took the boys. When I got home, he proudly informed me that he had taken 92 pictures. Wow! I was looking through them, and saw about 50 pictures of the boys standing in front of cows, and about 40 pictures of the boys eating cookies and drinking chocolate milk. Love you babe :>) He didn't get a picture of Brendan when he tried to hook his stomach up to the milking machine...while I didn't see it, the thought of it does make me laugh! Brendan thought the cows were really cool.

They were able to see the baby cow drink from a bottle...

and feed hay to the bigger cows.

Carson had a lot of fun...

for the most part :>)

I think their favorite part was the milk and cookies at the end.

This place has the most AMAZING chocolate milk ever!!! I was sad to miss it but luckily for me Rich brought some home :>) Brendan and Carson took turns chugging it down.

Don't they all look so happy to be there? They did have a great time! Thanks Heather for always organizing such fun playgroup excursions!