Breakfast with Santa

This Saturday was our Primary's breakfast with Santa. The boys had a great time visiting Santa, getting treats from him, eating breakfast, and doing the activities. We had a really good turn out from the church members. I wrangled Steve into the kitchen to help us out with serving food so he and I were stuck back there most of the time (my mom had the honors of bringing Ethan and Luke). It went well though and we were home sooner than we thought we would be.

Ethan and Luke approach Santa
I was surprised Luke was this comfortable on
Santa's lap! Way to go Santa!

Smile for the camera!

Ellie wasn't so sure about this Santa

dude. She was all about the treats and

get out of there!

My cute nieces

Last week my sister Evelyn came over with her girls and she had done Ellie's hair in two pigtails. I thought it was so adorable that I had to take some pictures. My camera was giving me attitude so they didn't come out as good as I wanted but here they are. Of course, other kids crept into the photos too.

Ellie and Luke

Ellie and Amerie are both looking somewhere else but
can you believe Ethan is holding Amerie? These kids are adorable
(I know I'm biased but what can I say?).



Ellie got sick of my camera too so it was hard

to get her to stay still for a picture. Sorry for the blurriness.

This is the best one of her adorable hair do.

On my mind right now....

1. Ethan is doing really well with potty training. He only wears a diaper for bed time. He wakes up pretty wet in his diaper so I don't think we'll be pushing that one quite yet. But he's come a long way. I'm so happy for him and I am one happy momma! 2. Ethan and Luke actually let me leave them with someone other than family today. I had to go out with the Primary pres. to get all our food for tomorrow's breakfast with Santa. She has three older children and one that is in the boys' ballpark so I left them there. I was really nervous but they didn't even whine when I left! It was great to know that I can branch out....whenever we can afford it. 3. I think I'll abandon the idea of running the half in January. (sigh) Its crunch time and I'm still in injuryland. I can't be nursing injuries this far into training. I think its time to put it on hold. Next year's training has GOT to start in September. 4. I love the rain we are having. It feels like winter. 5. Finally got the Christmas decorations up and I've seen our Christmas cards in people's houses, its so fun! I haven't gotten any cards yet....bummer. 6. Clay starts finals today....Good Luck Clay! We're all praying for you. 7. Sharing time lesson? Hello? I haven't found you yet!!! I need inspiration already. 8. A Thousand Splendid Suns, book I'm reading right now, I wonder how it will end. 9. Ethan is in love....sort of. Yesterday at Joy School Ethan was playing the part of Joseph in the practice for their Christmas presentation. Amelia Sheldon was Mary. Ethan was calling Amelia "my Mary." Cheryl, Amelia's mom, told me that they were playing together the rest of the day. At one point Ethan called Amelia -oops, Mary-for help with something and she told her mom...I have to go help my husband!! Hahaha...this cracks me up! What's even better is that he's been saying, "where's my Mary mamae?" "I miss my Mary." I keep telling him that he'll see her on Sunday at church or next week at Joy School but he just sighs....puppy love, what can I say? Its so cute.

Run, Forrest, Run!!

7 miles in 1:13....I'm dead but its done.

These, Our Little Ones

That is the title of the article you have got to go read right now. I mean it. Come back later after you've read it. The computer will still be here.

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=e77141dc0d186110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=true

I know this is going to sound trite but the prophet's words in this article have reached out and shaken me. To be painfully honest, I was on my knees last night asking to be reminded of what I'm doing here....as a mother. To be reminded of what I should/could be doing. To be reminded of the importance of my title. Then I read the Ensign. I LOVE it when things like this happen. I LOVE it when I see heavenly Father's hand so blatantly because usually I feel like...hello?

My favorite quote from the article comes from E.T. Sullivan: "When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn’t stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother’s heart, and she puts it into the baby’s mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces in the world are babies."

Wow.

No one can tell me that there isn't a God in heaven and that He doesn't care about us, collectively, and me, individually. No one can tell me that there are no prophets on the Earth today, I know who they are.

Good Find

I just found a great new site! I'm really excited about it. Its called "Sugardoodle.net" I was looking for ideas to use for Sharing time this month and I found so many great ideas for all kinds of activities for all ages and a cooking blog. I just wanted to pass along the info. Check it out! http://www.sugardoodle.net/index.shtml

We're painting....

the living room again. Steve finished drywalling the kitchen window and drywalling the hall so we've moved on to painting. I'm sooooooooo glad we are done with the dust (until Steve works on the other five windows, ugh). Thank you Mae and Clay for all your help yesterday! Here are some pictures of the progress.

It actually looks like a window now, instead of a construction site. Now just imagine the backsplash beneath the cabinets and paint around the window. Anyone have any suggestions of what color we could paint in the kitchen?



Steve prepping the wall behind the entertainment center for paint.

One wall done! It looks really blue. I'm feeling the beach vibe here. We had to get the wall behind the t.v. done before the BYU basketball game started so we could plug the DVR back in. Priorities people!

I am also going to be re-painting those chocolate and green canvases hanging over the couch. Stay tuned for pictures of the completed project.

Corteo

Steve and I went to see Cirque du Soleil's Corteo show last Wednesday night. It was a great show! We are always amazed by their acrobatics and that they come up with something new every time. My favorite acts were the Helium Dance with the Clowness and the dead Clown and Paradise.

She was adorable flying around the tent by the balloons. It must be so fun to do that!

All of the acrobats are incredible and I can only imagine their physical strength but this Paradise act really blew my mind. Underneath them was a trampoline stretching the entire length of the stage! We highly recommend the show.

Thanksgiving Bliss

It came and went too quickly. I was regretting my decision to run in the Turkey trot when my alarm went off at 5:40am.....ouch. But I did it! It was a great run along the shoreline with the cool ocean breeze. I got a new personal record (aka PR) yesterday of 1:03:39 for my 10k time (average 10:04 mile). I am really excited about my time! I was really glad to see Steve, Ethan and Luke and my mom at the finish line. Thanks for cheering me on!

This isn't the most attractive picture but, hey, I was running and its off of Steve's Blackberry.

What's even more fun is that I burned close to 800 calories....show me the food!!! Hahahaha.....The rest of Thanksgiving went by too quickly. We got together and had dinner with my family and even my Grandparents came! It was so good to see them again. The food was all delicious and I ate my little heart out, I think we all did. It was a great Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for.

And today we're back to life as usual. Steve is making a huge mess of my kitchen as he finishes our window by casing it out. It already looks so great I just wish we could avoid the mess....



And I am enjoying some leftover cranberry jello salad after putting Ethan and Luke down for naps. Mmmmmm.....

T minus five days until Turkey Trot 10k

I'm registered! I pick up my bib and timer chip on Wednesday. I'm getting excited to run the Turkey Trot. I'm kind of bummed that no one is doing it with me though. I got some new shoes this weekend and I'm looking forward to breaking them in tomorrow. This will probably count for my long run this week and then next week I bump up to seven miles.....13.1 here I come!

Anyone want to join me for either of these? It would be lots of fun :)