Worlds Greatest Mom

I just wanted to share a quick email my mom sent me...I hope you don't mind mom. I have such a great mom who has always told me I was beautiful. She has never once told me I should change anything about myself. Even when I went through periods of my life where the worlds definition of beauty did not fit me, I was always told how beautiful I was by my mom. I love her tons.


J:It's already Wednesday and you've probably already gone for your hair appointment, but thought I'd share my thought. You do have beautiful hair, always have from the day you were born...even the "bald is beautiful" to fuzz to cute little blonde curls all over. I think your idea of sharing some of your hair with others is GREAT. And your right!It will grow back faster than you think. When you were here in August you showed me a picture of Natalie before and after she got her longer hair cut into a cute, shorter new style. I thought it was very flattering and cute on her. BELIEVE ME! "Short" is definitely"wash 'n wear" as far as time goes....dries faster and with your curls should be easy to fix.ANYWAY, you are beautiful to me with long, in-between, or short hair.Post a picture for us. I love reading your BLOG. And as Dad would say, "Be glad, joyful, happy, exultant, excited that you have hair!"But I sure love "bald", too.LOVE YOU ALL........MOM

(Just for clarity my dad is half bald...he says he doesn't waste brain cells on growing hair, so he is that much smarter!)
I have such a great mom and just wanted to share a piece of how beautiful she is. I love you mom and hope to be as loving, supportive, and encouraging to my own beautiful girls.

Drum Roll PLEASE!!!

I CUT MY HAIR AND I LOVE IT!!!!!! Okay, I decided in the end that it is only hair and I should cut it and give some little kid a chance to enjoy my hair! I cut ten inches off and had quite a dramatic change! At the end of my cut a lot of the people at the salon were telling me they liked my hair, which is always an ego boost! My ponytail was so thick...I'll post pictures a bit later!
I guess there is nothing quite like getting a hair cut and feeling pampered to make you feel good.


In the end I realized that I have had the same
for three years now and it was time for a change! Hears to change for the better!!

By the way...thanks for all the comments and thanks to Amylynne for inspiring my cute cut!

To cut, or not to cut...that is the question. I have grown my hair out quite long and it is getting pretty crazy! My hair is extremely thick and is curly/wavy. I have a hair cut appointment tomorrow and I am thinking of cutting it all off and donating it to Locks of Love. I figure it's just hair and will grow back. I might as well give some little girl the chance to enjoy my hair as well...right?! I guess it is still a bit scary though. I do like my hair long but I NEVER do it. I think it is in a pony tail all but three or four days a month! (Yes, I do attempt to do it on some Sundays!) I think maybe a short haircut would help me actually do my hair.

Here are a few pros and cons:

Pros: *Take less time to fix *Make someone else a beautiful wig *get a cute haircut *Do something to serve someone else.

Cons: *I might not like it and will have to deal with it for a year *It might make me look chubbier (but I guess having pulled back in a tight pony tail doesn't help either!)

Well, you have until tomorrow (Wed) at 1 pm eastern to let me know your thoughts! Let me know what you think...if I take the cut I'll post pictures later!

Happy Thanksgiving! This year I am so grateful for my family. I love and depend on my husband more than ever and am grateful for the same love and dependency in return. I love both of my beautiful girls with all my heart. M is growing up and becoming such a smart, articulate little girl. She cares about others feelings and helps me to do the same. My sweet little B has such a fun bubbly personality. She is full of Sugar and Spice! I love that she has a soft heart and loves all the little babies in the world. I am also grateful for myself this year. Yes, myself. I know that might be awkward but I am grateful for the growing and maturing that has taken place within myself. I still have years of learning ahead of me but am grateful for those years to look forward to.

Not only am I grateful for my own little family but I am also grateful for my extended family. I love all my siblings with every ounce of my being. I miss them so much that it sometimes makes me physically ache, but I guess that is what love does sometimes! I look up to them in so many ways and wish I could be physically closer to them...but I am grateful for the emotional closeness we share. I am also grateful for cousins, in-laws, aunts and uncles...YES, this means you R. Dean! We love sharing this holiday with R's cousin and his beautiful wife and daughters. We look forward to it each year.

I am also grateful for friends. I think you know who you are. People that keep me going when there doesn't seem to be much to keep me going! Friends who can inspire when needed and empathize when needed. Some are near and some are far, but all are equally loved!

I have so much to be grateful for this year. Thanks to all who touch my life in so many ways.

Sunday Snap Shots

Here's a few snap shots of our Sunday:

After church one of our cute Young Women came up to M and gave her a candy necklace. She has never liked candy necklaces but insisted she would like this one since it was Hello Kitty! When she got in the car her and B shared the necklace. M only ate about two pieces of the candy before she decided she didn't like it and handed it over to B. The whole way home I heard M telling B to just eat one at a time. When we got home I turned around to see B trying to eat about ten pieces at a time. She has never had a candy necklace so I think she was just trying to figure the whole thing out! I thought she looked cute with a mouthful of candy!

Tonight while I made diner M and B were playing together...which I always love. The girls each got a stroller and put a baby in it. They then got my dish towels and covered their babies up. Before I knew it they were standing faces each other and would run full speed towards each other saying "charge!" They would then proceed to crash the strollers into each other as hard as they could, and that was followed by tons of laughter! What funny girls. They are usually so girly in their play so it was funny watching them be a bit crazy!

Today B went to church with no tights on...yes, even in the cold 40 degree air. I have decided that if the girls fight me on wearing tights they will go to church without! M figured out pretty quickly to believe me but B tested me today and I won. I think if B were typing this she would say she won, since she didn't have to wear her tights! They must get their hatred of tights from me. But even I wear tights when it gets really cold!

It was a tough Sunday for me with R being gone for meetings before church, which is normal, but I also was supposed to be early for meetings today. O well, at least I was on time for Sacrament meeting!

Sunday Shoes

Okay...I know these aren't some crazy color or print but I really like them. A woman at church has them and they look so good on. They totally remind me of something that would've been worn in the 1940's era. Super cute with skirts or pants!

Picture of Me!

Okay...the people have spoken and I have listened! Here is the long awaited picture of me. If you haven't noticed I don't often post pictures of myself because I don't often get photographed...I am usually the one behind the lens. I also have some issues with my body right now (no, I'm not saying this for sympathy, just for clarity on why I don't post pictures of me!). Sometimes life is easier when you aren't staring reality in the face...if I don't see myself I can still imagine I'm a size six skipping through life! I guess sometimes it is good to face our fears so here is a picture of me! (Thanks to my good friend for taking it and encouraging me to post it!)

Treasures!

About once a week M gets off the school bus with a new "treasure!" So far the collection includes a horse, a pencil, a button, some sort of seed and a few sparkly items! She gets so excited over her finds. They come from the floor of the bus, the classroom or from outside recess! To me they don't mean too much and I would throw them away but they are such a find to her. We keep them in a little sandwich bag so she can keep them together until there are more treasures to add! I guess in so many ways it is so easy to please a five year old!

Wordless Wednesday!

Pearly Whites!!

Yesterday M went to the dentist to get her teeth cleaned. She has never had any fears of the dentist, like her mom did growing up! Then again, she has yet to have a cavity! Look at those beautiful teeth! She was so excited to get a new Cinderella tooth brush (ironic I just bought her a new Sleeping Beauty tooth brush!) and a new pencil from the prize box! (Lately she has loved pencils and writing in journals. She has always been a little artist but with the new found letters she is learning in Kindergarten she loves "writing!") Here's to five more years of healthy teeth and no cavities!

Sunday Shoes

M helped me pick these shoes out this week. She loves anything cheetah print...she calls these cheetah girl shoes! I think they would be fun and I love that the underneath of the shoe is red...spicy! So cute with a black dress or for going out on a fun date!

I just have to share a sweet experience I just had. I was saying prayers with the girls before going to bed and M told the Lord how she was excited for her primary program tomorrow and went on to recite the part she will have in the program. I thought of stopping her but decided against it. I think the Lord wants us to share our whole life with him and that is a huge part of her life right now! We have been practicing her part a lot around here so she will have it memorized when she says it in front of 150 people or so on Sunday! Her part is..."Jesus taught us to serve others. I can serve my friends by sharing my Barbie dolls with them." (She came up with the sharing her Barbie's on her own!)

When B said her prayers I started to help her but like a lot of things these days, she wanted to say them by herself. She said some basic things and then asked Heavenly Father for help sharing her Barbie dolls. I know she probably didn't quite get what she said but I realized how important big sisters are. B has always looked up to M and wants to do everything she does. I am so grateful I have two wonderful girls! What an extra blessing that M is such a good example to her little B! Thank goodness for my girls who remind me always that the Lord cares about EVERYTHING happening in our lives.

Flu Shot with No Tears!

B had a doctors appointment yesterday. Just some routine stuff, I guess. Since we were there we decided to get her a flu shot. I was so proud of my little girl...she didn't even shed a single tear. She let the doctor poke and prod her the whole visit and just sat there and smiled at him. I was telling her the whole time that she was such a big girl. She was excited to get all the stickers from the doctor and even loved her sticker band aid. She has always ripped band-aids off but has allowed this one to stay on for a whole day! I can't believe my baby is growing up! I love you BB!

Chocolate Hands!

The other morning I was going for a run in the basement. I left B upstairs watching her shows because she didn't want to go downstairs with me. About half way through my run I heard her coming down the stairs. She came right over to the treadmill holding her hands up saying "sticky mom" I stopped running to take a closer look. She had chocolate all over her hands and mouth. I went upstairs and helped her clean up and found three dove chocolate wrappers on the couch. Lucky for me the only chocolate on anything was B's body. She didn't even get any on her clothes! I guess she found the pumpkin candy dish and selected the best chocolate out of it. I thought it was too high for her to reach! Since then when she asks for candy she asks for the blue candy (Dove chocolate) and doesn't want the kisses anymore! I guess she has an appreciation of good chocolate at a young age! The candy dish is now out of reach of little, sticky hands!

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Shoes

Tis the season to have fun shoes! Who doesn't like a little discrete bow. It's grown up fashion in a fun way! And to dispel any rumors...I don't own all these shoes! I would take any pair of them if you are willing to donate to my cause!

Halloween Part 2

After school M was so excited for trick-or-treating! She was like a kid on Christmas Eve...so excited!










M was a little worried that kids wouldn't come to our house because of the yellow police tape. I told her not to worry...it was just a decoration!









Our flying bat R hung up was a big success!














M was the cutest little witch in the neighborhood! At least that is what people said while she trick or treated. She was such a trooper and made it for almost two hours trick or treating!














M was Arial, the Little Mermaid! She looked beautiful as always but was getting sick of taking pictures. She kept saying..."when can we go mom?!" Halloween is probably her favorite holiday!
















B was so cute with her hat and broom. She was also a bit dangerous and daddy took the broom away when she wasn't paying attention!
















The girls went out with our next door neighbors to trick or treat. The dad's went with the kids and the mom's manned the houses! I love passing out candy. It is so much fun seeing all the cute kids. I could do without the teenagers who are not even dressed up though!






M, H, and B. H is our little neighbor and she was the cutest little cow around. Her parents dressed up as cowboys and they all looked great. B and H get along very well. B is a bit possessive at times but she tends to play pretty well with H. She is always talking about going to H's house!








B enjoyed getting home and eating the fruit of her labors! She worked hard for the candy and I let her enjoy it!










She was cold and tired when she got inside but she still ran to the door every time someone was there to help hand out candy. She actually gave one little girl about twenty pixie stix and three or four candy bars! I think the little girl was pretty excited! Mommy helped B pick out the candy after that!

Halloween was fun and the girls are already excited for next year! (Mom doesn't mind the year long break though!)

Good Day

Today has been a great day. It started with a 4.3 mile run and will finish with a date with my boyfriend...otherwise known as my husband! I have been a bit emotional lately...with no real reason. (And no Dad...I'm not pregnant!) R called a babysitter and planned the date, which was nice. I love going out with my husband, I just have a hard time asking people to watch my kids. It would be nice to be closer to family so we could swap babysitting. I guess we could do that with friends here, life is just busy for everyone! Hope your Saturday went well too. I will get to the rest of the Halloween pictures...hopefully before Christmas!

At the Car Wash!

The other day I walked in the "toy room" to find B on top of her toy car wiping it with a wet wipe. (She is our little climber!) She looked at me so sweetly and said, "Wipe car, mama?!" It was kind of a question but more of a proud statement! When she wants to clean something she grabs a wet wipe and starts cleaning. I guess she felt her car was in need of a car wash!

Yes...this is B falling off her car. Of course I took pictures instead of running to catch her. It actually happened while I was snapping a shot and I just caught the tail end of it. She didn't cry but wanted to get right back on the car. She's such a silly monkey!

Halloween Activities Part 1

Our pre-Halloween activities were carving pumpkins the day before and delivering cookies to the people on our street. M and B were both excited to carve pumpkins...until we started!



Once B touched the slime on the inside of the pumpkin she was pretty insulted. I can just imagine her thinking..."now why did they make me stick my hand in there?!"



M was more adventurous this year and stuck her hand in the pumpkin a few times...

until she decided she didn't like having "pumpkin juice" on her hands. She still wanted to get the pumpkin guts out but didn't want her hands to be dirty.

This is were those silly gloves that came with our pumpkin carving kit came in handy! I thought they were pretty dumb until M used them and continued getting of the innards of the pumpkin out, happily!

M and B with their final Jack-o-Lanterns. M wanted a scary one and she designed the face. Mommy did the actually drawing and carving. Of course I like happy pumpkin faces so B's was smiling and she even got a heart nose...a first for me!

I spent two days making these pumpkin and ghost cookies and we delivered them to the neighbors!

We loaded the wagon with plates of cookies and delivered them to the neighbors. Each girl took a turn handing the cookies to neighbors. Every time the door would open B would say, "Happy Hallween" (Not a typo...she left out the O!) M and B are both so cute and had such a fun time giving cookies to all their friends.

B enjoyed "helping" with the cookies. Her type of helping is cleaning the beater with frosting on it for me. Once it is clean she wants to do it over so I smear more frosting on the beater for her!


I know there is a lot here so I will post our actual Halloween pictures in our Part 2...hopefully tomorrow!

Super Glue...Super Sticky!

Me and krazy glue have not gotten along well in the past 24 hours! I have gotten it stuck on my fingers twice in that time period. I eventually won the battle and got the glue off, as well as a few layers of my skin, I am sure! (It wasn't my fault...the tube must have been pressurized because both times I opened it, it shot at my fingers...I promise.)

Wordless Wednesday

Burdens

A few weeks ago we went apple picking. Looking around at all the trees I noticed that the branches were so loaded with apples that they were literally dragging on the ground. The branches were mangled and twisted yet full of beautiful red fruit. It made me wonder how the tree could thrive with the burden of its load. How could one tree nourish so much fruit? It made me start thinking of my own life. I often feel burdened, not only in the negative sense. Burden's are things we carry. It can connote being overloaded with what is on our plates, which does happen, but the apple trees made me realize how much beauty can come from burdens. Yes, I am often overwhelmed with life and yet so much beauty comes from doing so much. Yes, I'm tired, sometimes lonely, and some days just want to give up on so many things. Some days I relax and don't do much throughout the day, but I think that's how life works. I guess I just have to realize that as my "branches" are getting twisted and mangled there is a reason for it...in the end beauty will come, as long as I am will to accept it.

Ward Halloween Party

M and M(our neighbor) both beautiful princesses! The carnival was a lot of fun and M loves any chance to dress up. Halloween is her favorite Holiday! (She takes after her dad!) It makes me happy seeing how excited she gets. We took our neighbors to the Halloween activity this year and it seemed like all the kids had fun.






B was pretty overwhelmed at the ward party. She just stared at people not quite recognizing them but knowing she knew them somehow! She wouldn't even look at her good friend H until her hood came off and she figured out who the little "cow" really was!















Getting B into her costume was quite the drama...she did not want to wear it. R kept calling it a princess witch costume so she would be more likely to wear it. Once it was on and she got some attention she was okay. She actually got pretty upset whenever her hat fell off!















N, M, M, and B enjoying a quick break to eat a hot dog before heading out for trunk or treating. I think Mormons must be the only ones who trunk or treat? Anyone know for sure? One man made his trunk look like a whales mouth and the candy bowl was a pirate ship in the mouth! He even had fins on his car...pretty creative! Better than my two ghost that glowed and a flying bat!

When Lindsay came over as Miss Piggy M loved it and B couldn't figure it out. Usually B loves Lindsay but she didn't crack a smile until the pig nose came off!

M and K...sweet little girls! Everyone had a good time celebrating and now the countdown is on for Halloween! (Although the countdown has been happening in this house since the beginning of October!)