Can't Keep Up

It's already the first week in December and already I am behind.  Behind on my blog, behind with Christmas presents, behind with traditions I wanted to start, behind on my Christmas cards...behind in general.

And this week is dedicated to the Holiday Bazaar.  Lots of vinyl projects to finish.  Will post pictures later.  Gotta jet.

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was really special. Our little family flew all the way to Maryland to surprise my mom and dad for Thanksgiving. They had no clue. Arrangments were made months in advance and I give kudos to my sisters and brothers for keeping such a big secret.

The Surprise. My mom works for 2 dentists in Washington, D.C. So we, Amanda and her twin boys, Becky and her 2 boys, Kristen, Grandma Gore, Dad, Brandon and our kids, get to my mom's office and Kennidy walks in the door. She walks up to the counter and was suppose to say, 'Grandma, I need a dentist' but was too shy and the look on Grandma's face made her nervous. I opened the door and looked at my mom and she was...well shocked. SURPRIZE! She couldn't believe that this young girl that looked like her grand-daughter was in fact her grand-daughter. It was fun. Then Adam, Ford, and Makinley came in and Grandma Sanchez cried and cried.

The kids were excited to fly to Maryland and Ford reminded us over and over that this was not his first time on a plane...even though he doesn't remember the first time. Makinley was a bit nervous but soon after take off she'd forgotten all about being nervous and was enjoying snacks and drinks. I took the opportunity to crochet beanies. Lots of beanies and I am sick of the color pink! Okay not really.

Favorite Memories:

Kennidy
Playing with Scott and Anderson
Spending time with Sanchez family

Adam
Plane ride
Movies with Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Grandma Gore
Lehi's house for Thanksgiving

Makinley
Playing Hungry, Hungry Hippos with Matthew
Reading to the twins
Taking care of the twins

Ford
Playing Guess Who with Grandpa
Playing with the twins
Nerf Guns with Kiel
Riding on the plane
Playing video games on the plane

Staci and Brandon
Surprising my parents for Thanksgiving
Watching my kids play with their grandparents
Having all my meals prepared for me
Staying with Amanda and Drew
Getting crusty looks from Anderson
Watching Makinley and Kennidy read to Anderson and Scott
Ford and Makinley playing with their cousins
Eating lots of yummy food
Watching a lot of TV
Never wanting to watch football on the TV again
The metro
Washington, D.C.
Museum
Bad weather and thick fog
Too many people to get on one train so our party had to take 2 trains
Gallery Place Metro stop...CRAZY
Getting up at 8 or 9 in the morning
Going to bed late
Shopping with Brandon...jean shopping
Thinking 'My kids are at such an independent stage'

Goodbye, Kendra!

Today we had a farewell BBQ for the Johnson family. They are moving to Michigan! I am really going to miss these guys. Kendra has been my VTing companion, running partner, and all around great friend. She has such a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and more importantly lives that testimony. I feel like an elementary school girl writing an essay all about her best friend.

I remember Kendra telling me of an incident with her oldest daughter, Adah (6). 'Adah, why did you cut your hair?'(Adah had cut bangs) To which Adah replied, 'I wanted bangs like Sis. Creswell.' Kendra blames me for Adah's vainess...well not her vainess but for her bangs. I love you, Adah. And I love your bangs! Madelyn's, too!

Well I won't blubber on. I wish you the best of luck in Michigan and love you guys!

Birthdays

November brings 2 birthdays for our family.  I have been so busy with Adam's Birthday, RS Holiday party, RS Christmas presents, Birthday/Going Away Dinner (my friends took Kendra and I out to Olive Garden for dinner. Kendra is moving to Michigan and I was having a birthday so we combine the festivities/depression. We really had a good time eating lots of salad and bread and just chatting until 10pm), and a Holiday Bazaar to get ready for that it was nice not to have to think about my birthday. My sweet husband does that! And what a great job he did.

This was my day....
I woke up and got the kids ready for school. Hair, teeth, shoes and socks, lunches, scriptures, and family prayer. Once they were out the door, I got Ford ready. He was going to need his back pack today. I asked him to get some toys and some snacks. Then I got dressed and we headed for Tru Hair Studio. Ford was so good while he waited for me to be done. I got a cut and a glaze...I was assured that the glaze would be see through but when she washed it out it was brown. The color of my roots but I wasn't expecting it to go dark. Oh well. I have come to the conclusion that I can't get my hair done without the color changing. I miss you, Ang! I don't hate it but my hair color has changed more this year than it has in my entire life.

Moving on...after my hair we headed home. As I pulled into our driveway I saw 2 gifts at my front door. One from my friend, Heather. And one from my friend, Jenni. Thanks, girls! Heather sells Scentzy Candles and so guess what I got? A Scentzy Candle. But not just any candle. She gave me the most pleasant berry smelling candle! I love it so much. Thank you, thank you! Jenni is one of my tennis partners and for months now we have been talking about getting all new tennis balls. So her present to me was 6 canisters of new tennis balls! I really do have great friends.

I was home for about an hour when my door bell rang. It was my neighbor and friend from across the street, Emily! And what did she bring me? A pumpkin cheesecake! Oh yum! I made her stay for a while and eat some with me while her boys played the Wii with Ford...or watched him play? Emily makes the best pumpkin cheesecakes! After she left, my friend, Paula stopped by with a gift. And a homemade card. Which we don't talk about. Paula got me a Lake Tahoe Hiking Trails book. I am so excited to use it. It lists all kinds of hikes to do around Lake Tahoe. I think this book might fall apart next summer from all the use it will get. And I better use it. Thanks, Paula and Emily!

Then it was time to pick up Kennidy and take her to her Ortho. appointment. Come home get some craft fair projects done and 2 phone calls from my mom and mil. Thanks for thinking of me on my birthday. My sil, Leah, even called me to wish me Happy Birthday. Then I got a call from Brandon. He wanted to make sure that I hadn't made anything for dinner because he was bringing dinner home! Kentucky Fried Chicken! Oh how I love Kentucky Fried Chicken!

After a yummy fat filled dinner...I got to open my presents. The kids got me a new Bernina sewing machine (Brandon said it was from them) and the 4th Season of Bones. My Kenmore doesn't work and that's not good this time of year because I tend to use my machine more for homemade Christmas gifts. Brandon also got me a Red Velvet Strawberry Passion cake from ColdStone. I love you, hon. It was huge and very tasty. I had to pawn some off on Paula, Jenni, and Bridgette after preschool on Thursday it was so big. We'll be eating it for a long time. After dinner and presents we headed to the church for Pack Mtg.

This was bitter sweet. And all about me and my feelings, of course. So my friend, Kendra, is the Cub Master. And as I said earlier, she's moving to Michigan. Well part of Pack Mtg. was presenting her with a gift. But when the words, 'Sis. Johnson will be moving...', I felt the sting of tears come quickly to my eyes. And I had to fight so hard not to lose it completely. Then when Pack Mtg was over I received another gift. This time from my friend, Katy. She made me the most beautiful cake I have ever had. It was a Chocolate Fudge Cake that looked like a flower garden.

Beautiful, right? I loved it. I loved it so much I ate it for breakfast with my kids. Thanks so much, Katy! You are so talented!

Well...I really did have a great day. I joked that I did more mom stuff than fun birthday stuff...but really...I loved doing that mom stuff because that's who I am and my family are the ones who love me the most. So I am okay with not going out and partying. I partied with the people I love. And aren't we always hearing that we should always be giving to others in service? Well I think I did that today. And it felt wonderful. I love that I have a family and friends. I love that I can serve them. I love that I am so blessed and have been for the past 34 years. Yes, I told every one on God's green earth my age. But I find comfort that many of my friends are older than me so when I say I'm 34...they can wish they were that young again. LOL.

And last but not least...my good friend, Jenn, and I share the same birthday. And I was a bad friend and forgot to call her. She called me Thursday morning telling me that she forgot to wish me Happy Birthday and that really made me feel bad. I love you, Jenn! Happy Birthday, too!

Birthday Fun

Adam's Party was so fun.  I helped him set up the backyard like an obstacle course.  His friends brought their Nerf Guns and we hung Cad Bain on the shepherd's hook!  Each boy was timed as he raced through the course.  The time to beat was 12 sec.  We weren't going for accuracy but if we were...Ben would have beaten all.  He got Cad Bain right in the head. They didn't want to stop but I was too cold to time them anymore. I went in and they came up with their own Nerf games. They really had a good time. Then it was time to eat that awesome cake! The boys loved it and everyone's teeth turned blue! Again, awesome! Thanks everyone for coming to Adam's party.

Nerf Boy's Birthday

Today Adam turned 10.  And he wanted a Nerf party!  So I called my good friend, Katy...who is an amazing artist/cake decorator extrordinaire...and asked her if she could make me a Nerf Gun Cake.  And this is what we got!  

Oh I love you, Katy!  I think I was more excited than Adam.  Don't get me wrong...he was excited but the anticipation has been building for me.  Happy Birthday, Adam!  We love you!

Sugar Cookies

We made sugar cookies during preschool on Thursday. They knew just what to do.  They rolled out their dough and started cutting.  We used leaf and acorn cookie cutters.  I love preschoolers.  They love everything about the kitchen.  And they made the best sugar cookies.  I couldn't stop eating them.  They were soft and moist.  So yummy!

Traditional Family Photo Shoot