One of those Moments

Sometimes being a mom is super hard. There's chores to be done, meals to be made, and a list of other things that consume our time (of course blogging is necessary :)). But yesterday was different. I was so productive and felt like my children were getting enough attention, too. It was so great when I asked Benson to put his coat away and it disappeared. Mind you, I couldn't find it when we needed it, he had REALLY put it away in the closet and who thinks to look where things really go? But they were being such good helpers. When Adam got home from school (post on that soon), we decided to see how much we could get done. it was a fun game. We made cookies, made dinner, cleaned up toys, worked on the laundry, and this picture barely does justice as to what happened. I had two loads of darks, one big, and one small so I was trying to find things to wash with the small one. I found a few things, but the brown towel would have put me just over the edge so I asked Adam to put it back in the bathroom and we would do a load of towels later. About 2 hours later I need to relieve myself, so I lift up the toilet seat and find this..

Yep! The towel that I had asked him to put away, he definitely stuffed into the toilet. And he politely closed the lid when he was done :)

It was one of those moments that I'm sure I could have freaked out and screamed and yelled, but instead I couldn't stop laughing. In fact, just typing this I'm laughing so hard because I think it's so funny. Yes, being a mom is hard. Staying home all day is hard. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. I still have a lot to learn, but that's why I keep trying. I keep looking for things I can do to be a better mom, and laughing at this, well that's just a baby step, but a step is a step, and someday I might jusy\t make it to the top!

Since then

Well, we left 2011 in the dust! We've had an interesting year, and just know that 2012 is going to be just as interesting! Here are some pictures of our holidays.

We made gingerbread houses with cousins (well, ate candy and hoped the houses would build themselves...), got new jammies and pillowcases for Christmas,

I just have to say. My boys are pillowcase kids. As long as they have their pillow they will sleep anywhere. Adam has had the same pillowcase since he was basically born. My mom made them new ones and they both went nuts! Adam's is Lightning McQueen to match his bed and Benson's has balls on it. Now they always ask for their pillows.

We went to Salt Lake to see Helaman's mission friends.

Tomaz was here from Brazil, and we met up with the Kimballs who have a little girl who is the boys' age. They were so cute at the fountains at Gateway, and the boys really loved Tomaz by the end of the day. It was great to see him again and catch up with everyone!

Of course there were birthdays, and Christmas, and many other things that happened, but I don't have pictures on my camera, and let's be honest. I don't want to post anything that I don't have pictures for!

In other good news, Adam has NO hearing loss, we took him in for a big test, so now we're good to start him in preschool in the district when he turns 3...next week...I can't believe it. Also next week, we find out if we're having a little boy or a little girl! Benson is convinced it's a girl and he tells me all the time. He'll give me a hug and say baby girl..So cute. So we'll of course have a post dedicated to that next Friday!

Halloween

I'll admit. Halloween is my LEAST favorite holiday of the year. Well, Valentine's day is right up there too. Anyway, you can imagine my excitement when my boys didn't care to dress up, didn't care about the candy, they just plain didn't care. So we just had a normal day (after I spent all day Saturday making a costume that was worn just long enough to get these pictures). We did a trunk or treat Saturday night, but neither boy wanted to wear the costumes then either...ya, I'm a little bitter, but luckily I didn't pay a penny for either of them, and we put them on, took pictures, took them off and went about our business. They are really cute tho!

Benson re-used Adam's elephant from last year. This may have been the problem. Adam thought it was HIS costume, and he wanted to be an elephant. Well, Benson also wanted to be an elephant and NOT Mr. Potato Head. Enter brotherly-love! Benson LOVED having the hat on his head. He would walk around making his elephant sound until Adam tried to rip it off....

Adam was a Mr. Potato Head created from a brown pillowcase and some felt. Would have been super cute if I didn't have to cut such a massive hole for his head to fit through...Just love his pose. What a cutie.

Until next year when the boys will understand and want to dress up, I'm going to be really grateful that I didn't have to worry about it this year!

withdrawals

This week I've started noticing a few things the boys seem to be missing. Just last night Benson walked around in his swimming floatees for a good twenty minutes. Every time we talk about animals at the zoo they want to go outside to go to the zoo. I guess they liked the things we did this summer. So last night while Benson was walking around in his floatees, Aunt Saryn called. Helaman told her what was going on and she said, "well, you should just put a pool in your kitchen." If you know Helaman, you know that when an idea is suggested, he runs with it...This comment sparked something in his head, and he went to all of our neighbors asking if they had a pool. Luckily one of them did, and this is what happened next...

The boys helping dad get it ready,

This is how we filled it with water...From the pan to the tote, to the pool

LOVING IT!!

They were even more crazy after we filmed this, but we used the other camera. This is what we do when we're going through Phoenix withdrawals. We bring it to Provo!!

The Moments that Matter Most

Before you read my post, I want you to watch this video here

Now, if you can read through your tears, I want to share an experience with you. I attended my first Relief Society mid week activity in our new ward tonight, and it was called RSU (relief society university) Orientation. We each received a binder with papers in it and it was all organized like a college class would be. there was a syllabus, course requirements, and a graduation application. It was so much fun. The courses were the 8 items listed in the relief society handbook- homemaking, family history and temple work, compassionate service, health, etc. In each of the 'courses', you are invited to complete some of the tasks, and then you can apply for graduation based on how many you complete in each course. In one of them, it talks about coming up with a motto. it invites you to not watch tv for 4 weeks, there is one that talks about finding things in your life that are in excess, and cutting back so you can enjoy the finer things in life.

Well, I was contemplating how I could cut back, and I saw this video Helaman had sent me. And it made me really stop and think. Do I miss some of the moments that matter because I'm telling my kids no because I'm FB stalking someone I don't even know? Or am I trying so hard to get something done that I miss Adam saying his first word?

So I'm here saying right now. I am NOT going to miss a moment that matters because of things that can wait. Nothing is more important to me than my family, and I'm going to make all of the moments we have together matter!

"We prepare each day for eternal life. If we are not preparing for eternal life, we are preparing for something else, perhaps something far less."

Elder M Russell Ballard

the rocking horse

Can I just say how excited I am for our new house?! The boys bedroom is right off of the kitchen, and they play SO well with their toys while I'm hard at work doing the boring stuff.. I'm always looking in and finding them doing silly things. Like today, Adam had the harmonica and he was humming into it, while they were both jumping on his bed... And they found hats and put them on then started dancing.

I posted pictures of this cute horse when Adam got it for his birthday, but he was kind of timid on it. He hadn't figured out how to ride it but now, now he knows. And he rides the horse til I get scared the horse will buck him off. Here's a cute video of him riding it...and Benson playing the harmonica in the background...

Thanks Grandpa for the awesome rocking horse. it's providing hours of entertainment!

10 things I'll miss

The countdown to UT is now officially 4 days! We move back Friday, and I'm starting to wonder what it's going to be like! We don't know where we're moving for school, but we're getting excited to be close to family and friends. It's been a great summer. But there are AT LEAST 10 things I know I'll miss (in no particular order).

10- The furniture we've borrowed. This may seem odd, but I love it because everything matches!! The couches are comfy, we actually have a bed frame, and I love the artwork on our walls.

9-My maid service. Some ladies have been pretty crummy, but I LOVE the smell of Pine Sol and 409 when I walk into the house!

8- Our ward! It's been a fantastic ward, the spirit there is amazing. I loved the Enrichment activities I went to and I'm so excited to complete the Book of Mormon project they just introduced.

7- The zoo. I'm really going to miss being 3 minutes away from the zoo. I think the boys will miss it too. They light up when I ask them if they want to go.

6- Helaman's job. I don't know how Helaman feels, but I know that I'll miss the crazy parties they throw, and we're hoping we'll be able to party with them next year.

5- My industrial sized washer and dryer. It's just so great to only have to do two loads of laundry a week! I was doing 7 a week in Provo. I guess it could be that my boys don't wear clothes 65% of the time, but still. 2 loads a week? I'll miss that for sure!

4- The heat. Is this weird? Maybe... But I enjoy the sun, and I don't think it bothers me as much as it may other people.

3- Our gym. I've only been like 8 times, but still. Just knowing that it's there if I wanted to go is something I'll miss.

2- The friends I've made. We swim at least once a week, and try to rotate babysitting for dates. Such a great group of ladies.

1- the POOL!!! I LOVE that we can go swimming whenever we want to and that the boys will go with me. I'm definitely going to have a hard time not swimming a couple of times a week. Especially when there are 8 inches of snow on the ground in UT...Sure not looking forward to that right now!