Thankful day 12

My little Gage has been sick. We are going on a week. He had the H1N1 testing done and it came back negative. THANK GOODNESS!!! So today I am grateful that there are doctors who study and learn and are able to treat illness! Gage is borderline pneumonia and is now on drugs. I am grateful that there are drugs to treat and make my little guy feel better!

Thankful day 11

Since it is Veterans day today I think it only fitting that my gratitude be geared toward those who have fought for my freedom! I truly appreciate those brave men and women who gave up their lives and sacrificed time with their families to serve our country. THANK YOU!!!

Thankful day 10

I had a really nice chat with one of my neighbors yesterday. It was one of those talks that you both need. so today I am REALLY thankful for my neighbors! I love them all. They are great people and I am so thankful that I have such wonderful people to raise my kids around!

Thankful day 9

today I am thankful for...

The seasons. I love each season although I have to put spring and fall on the top 2. I am grateful that I live somewhere where I can enjoy the change that each one brings.

Thankful for # 8

Todays attitude of gratitude is...

The mountains. I love living by the mountains and seeing them change with each season. They are awesome to look at!

Thankful for...

Today my attitude of gratitude is...

#7 I am thankful that I have a chance to raise 3 boys!

Month of Thanksgiving

November is the month we focus on being thankful. I am going to try everyday to think of something I am thankful for. Since today is the 6th day I will post 6 things and then try to do a post everyday for the rest of the month.

#1 I am thankful for the air that I breathe.

#2 I am thankful that my mom taught me how to cook.

#3 I am thankful for my job.

#4 I am thankful for the house that I live in.

#5 I am thankful for the food that I eat (especially chocolate).

#6 I am thankful that I married someone who is a hard worker and does everything he can to provide for our family and the things that we need.

Look for more gratitude's tomorrow!

Halloween

Here are my little & big Monsters! They had so much fun and ryan was a good sport to go out and take them trick or treating!

A close up of my fisherman and punk zombie

My little lion such a cutie!

The Zombie leader! He only frightened a few little kids :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

I hope you all have a very safe and very fun Halloween. We have big plans. A family party tonight and then trick or treating tomorrow. Remington had a school party yesterday so we going to have 3 days of Halloween. I will try to get some pictures of our family dressed up. That's right our ENTIRE family Ryan too! So what are your plans? Anything fun?

Happy Birthay Coleton!

COLETON IS 3

To celebrate Coleton's birthday we went to McDonald's for lunch. We are having a family party for him next week so I got him a cupcake he blew out the candles. He got an action figure and the movie Monsters vs Aliens. I think he had a pretty good day. Any time someone would tell him happy birthday he would tell them happy birthday back.

This kid cracks me up! I just love him to death! He says the funniest things and just has a way of melting my heart. I now hope to break him of the ba-ba {aka bottle}. He has been attached for far to long. I have been telling him that once he is 3 he is a big boy and big boys don't use ba-ba's. So tonight as I was getting him to bed he says...

"mom i a baby not a big boy"

"No you are a big boy"

"No me a baby me want my ba-ba"

So needless to say he got a ba-ba.

Coleton woke up with a croupy cough last night. So I took him into the instacare this evening. There were lots of sick people with masks on. Coleton keep looking at them. I told him it was because they were sick and had bad coughs. He looked at me and said...

"I a little sick."

Then faked a cough. He just wanted a mask to play with. I should have given him one since we waited for over an hour in the waiting room. Heck I should have put one on to keep the germs away.

He is such a handful but I would be lost without him!

I LOVE YOU BUG! I hope you had a good birthday!

Cabin

We had lots of fun helping Grandma LaRae close up the cabin. The cabin is up Ogden canyon. It is so pretty up there. These are a few pictures that Remington took. He is a funny boy. coleton caught a couple of fish. We are sad that it is closed for the winter but are looking forward to the spring when we can go again.

Gardner Village

I love this time of year! The fall colors are beautiful! I love the reds, oranges, yellows, they make me happy. The air smells different in the fall. The pumpkins everywhere! Kids getting excited for Halloween. The last 3 months of the year are my favorite! So as we start with Halloween I have to say that I am not into the gory, scary decorations. I like the cute stuff. That is one reason I love Gardner Village. This little shopping spot has such a fun atmosphere! Here are a few pictures from our visit to Gardner Village. The boys and I went with my mom and sister Rachel. We go every year and I love to do it. I didn't take nearly enough pictures.

Remington asked me if this was a real witches brew. Of course I told him. Yeah right he responded.

This witch is coming in for a landing. There is another witch guiding traffic. You can see it and more on my facebook page.

You can't tell from the picture but the shutters open and close and the witch pops her head out.

Coleton really didn't want anything to do with this witch. We got Gage & Remington to sit but this is as close as he would get and refused to get out of the stroller.


Thanks Mom and Rachel for going and helping me to control my wild bunch. Although wouldn't you say it is easier outside than in?

15 month stats!

I am a little late getting this posted seeing how my baby is almost 16 months but as of 9/21/09

GAGERS is...

Age: 15 months

Weight: 25 lbs 8 oz (63%)

Height: 32 in (74%)

He is growing like a weed! He loves music and bops around when we have it on! He loves to play with his brothers and play outside. He loves balloons and balls. He is a happy little guy and we sure do love having this mama's boy in our home!

Money Tree

Oh how I wish I could grow a money tree. Just one little one that didn't produce much. Just one to help get us on our toes and not have the stress of living from paycheck to paycheck. (I HATE HATE HATE that feeling.) Oh the dreams we have. However a money tree is not a reality and so I will keep plugging along and do what I need to do.
I am greatful for the home we have to live in and that Ryan and I both have jobs. I am greatful that my boys are healthy and happy. I am greatful that we have heat and that we have each other!
So I will still dream of a money tree and maybe someday it won't be paycheck to paycheck.

Decisions

Oh the things we have to do in life. The decisions we have to make. The consequences of those choices.
Ryan has been offered a job opportunity that has many good possibilities. It would require our family to move. Not that this is a bad thing and it isn't a far move but far enough that commuting isn't possible. I think that it would be good for our little family. I think that it will help us get back to depending on each other more and appreciating each other more. However the idea of selling our house and buying a new one is not one that I am looking forward to. Especially since our neighbors have been trying to sell for a year with NO prospects. However I do have faith in the Lord and if this is the right thing then I am sure that whatever is supposed to happen will happen on the Lord's time NOT mine.
So this Job as some of you are wondering is in Huntington, UT. They are the nicest most down to earth people. They called Ryan and want him to come and do what he has been doing at Maceys. He will also have a chance to help expand the store to become a chain. They have offered us a home that they rent out for us to use until we can get settled into a home of our own. It is a tiny town and I have always said that I DO NOT want to live in a tiny town. That might be one of my misgivings. However we drove there today and had a BBQ with the family that owns a grocery store. I really liked them and Huntington isn't so bad. So now we are weighing the pros and cons. Although the pros seem to be outweighing the cons. I am sure over the next few weeks we will make a few more scouting trips and be making a possible LIFE CHANGING decision.

Coleton + Target = TROUBLE!!!!

So I went shopping at Target yesterday to get a birthday present for a party that Remington is going to today and to get a few other things. I love shopping at Target but don't go often becasue it is kind of far. However I had Target coupons for all the things that I needed so that is where I decided to go.
We started off at the toys Coleton and Remington like all kids LOVE looking. I dread it because I know I will be asked a million times for toys and when I say NO I get whines and crying and fit throwing. They were actually pretty good. Anyway Remington chose a toy for his friend and then we went to gather the few other things that I needed.
While in the baby aisle Coleton started running and he just runs faster if I chase him. Well I tried to follow but... he is FAST!!
So I couldn't find him. Target is a BIG store and I went to look back by the toys he wasn't there. After searching for a few minutes I headed up to the front hoping to gather reinforcements to help me look for him. While walking I was thinking

"What did he wear today?"

I know I should probably take his picture before walking into a store. Well to my relief he was at customer service sitting on the counter playing with a Halloween toy and talking to the security officer and 1 employee. HAPPY AS CAN BE!!! When he saw me he had a big smile on his face and said

"HI Mom I WAS LOST!"

I thanked them for hanging on to him. Fortunately another mom had found him. That child is going to be the death of me.

Jam Recipe

OK here it is super easy and very versatile!

JELLO JAM

8 cups prepared fruit
8 cups sugar
2 small boxes jello - flavors that compliment the fruit

Prepare fruit as needed to chop.

Chop as fine as you like.

Stir together fruit and sugar in a large pot. Boil for 15 minutes or longer, stirring often enough to prevent sticking on the bottom.
Take off the heat and add the jello.
Put in hot jars and seal. Process in a water bath for 20 minutes.

*Be creative with your choices.
*Jam does not have to be processed, but turns out thicker and has a better seal if you do.
*Recipe makes 5-6 pints of jam.
*Recipe can be doubled or tripled just make sure you use a big enough pot to prevent boiling over.

I am excited to try more flavors and see what my creative side can come up with!

Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!

Remington told me today it was the best jam he has ever had!

JAM!

I DID IT!! I made jam!
Peach raspberry jam actually! It tastes really good if I do say so myself! Thanks a ton to my friend Holly for sharing her jello jam recipe in an enrichment meeting. Making it was super easy even with crying boys hanging on my legs. Also a big THANKS to my neighbors the Heyns for supplying the peaches and my Mom for the raspberries. I am going to go pick more raspberries and make another batch of jam this weekend. I wanted to post a picture but my camera has gone missing and is on the verge of death anyhow.
I am really liking canning this year and funny thing, Ryan and I bicker over who is going to do it :) I know so funny. He only wants to do salsa and I want to do some cans that are tomatoes only. So far he has won that battle. I guess I will be buying cans of tomatoes when caselot rolls aroung next week!

First day of School!

the cute triplet girls from next door come and pick Remington up. Here he is running across the street SO excited to go to school.


Coleton had to get in on the picture!


Well it is official school has started. Remington was VERY excited to start school 2 nd grade this year! I had to work the night before school started but Ryan was really good to make sure he got clothes set out and backpack ready and the little homework assignment all done and ready to go. The homework wasn't bad he just needed to collect a few things that showed who he is. He took a picture of him and his dad fishing, a transformer toy, a sticker that looks like his hamster & a package of Yogos.
Let me just say that I have refused to buy new clothes for the start of school. He is going to need clothes for the coming cold weather and so I will buy new clothes then (I should be grateful that he is a boy and doesn't care about new clothes.), however the clothes he chose on the other hand {BIG SIGH} were a old pair of cut off jeans and a t-shirt. The shirt was not so bad but the shorts well I tried to talk him out of them but couldn't so I settled for at least cutting off all the strings dangling from the legs. He is a very independent boy!

Oh where Oh where has my little son gone?

You know the song...

"OH where Oh where has my little son gone Oh where oh where can he be? He's in none of church rooms or on the church grounds OH where oh where can he be?"

OK so I wasn't quite singing this earlier today when I couldn't find Coleton. I know you are all surprised that He was missing. He is after all VERY stubborn and willful and mischievous and one track minded.
I have to sigh big and remember that these attributes are a good thing. Or will be someday.
So now I am sure you are all saying TELL THE STORY!!!!! well here it is....
I go to kickboxing every Tuesday and Thursday at the church. I love it!!! It is a good work out and my boys love to play with the other kids especially Coleton.
Remington goes to a reading group at the school every Tuesday and Thursday they happen to be at the same time. The school is close enough that Remington walks. Today was no different. Except that Coleton followed him and I didn't know.
So there I am at kickboxing I send Remington when it is time for him to go. A few minutes later I wonder
"Where is Coleton?"
I start to look and don't see him.
I look in every room and don't see him.
I start to panic because I don't see him.
I ask around to the other kids NO ONE has seen him.
I start to cry.
Then I pack Gage up.
Some sweet ladies offer to watch him while I look.THANK YOU!!!!!!!
I decide to head for the school hopeing and praying that he went with Remington after all he could be anywhere. I got to the school and every flipping door I tried was locked.
"He better be here or I am going to kill him when I find him" I am thinking to myself.
I finally get in to the school and head to the room where reading is held and Low and behold there he is HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF!!
I picked him up squeezed him asked him what on earth he was doing. Turns out he was entertaining the group.
Remington says we knew you'd figure it out. Coleton told me you knew he was coming with me.
AHHHHHHHHHH at least he is alive.