2008 In Review

For those of you far away (or not so far) here's a rundown of our year. Farewell to 2008!

JANUARY

Lindy turns five.

The girls move in together...bunk beds!

My pregnant waistline reaches unprecedented proportions.

FEBRUARY

Ellie discovers ballet.

Lindy learns about paleontology.

I finish my first quilt!

MARCH

Lindy becomes an "expert bike rider".

Mom and Lindy go to "Disney Princesses On Ice".

I am ready to do almost anything to bring on labor.

APRIL

"Baby Brother Jones" finally joins our family. Welcome Curtis!

Grandpa and Grandma Heninger take us to the Dinosaur Museum.

I lose my debit card for the 3rd time in 2 months.

MAY

Lindy graduates from preschool.

I fall off a "wiggle car" and bruise my tailbone (and my pride).

I electrocute myself while repairing my dryer. Oops.

JUNE

Curtis is blessed by his father. Our families join us for the big day.

Lindy has her ballet recital and she discovers infomercials.

We go to the zoo with Uncle Wade and Steen.

JULY

Great Grandma Radford comes for a visit.

Ian and I celebrate seven years of wedded bliss.

Ian visits Steve in England.

AUGUST

Lindy starts kindergarten.

We drive through Idaho, Montana, and Canada with a screaming baby.

We have an amazing time with the Jones family for a small reunion with Steve.

SEPTEMBER

Ellie turns three!

Lindy starts up a business selling rocks.

Our air-conditioning is finally fixed (much to my delight).

OCTOBER

My kids have a fantastic Halloween.

We celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with Aunt Jody.

I learn to let go. I decide Ellie's clothes don't have to always match.

NOVEMBER

We get our first snow and our first snowman.

Curtis crawls and sleeps through the night (for a while).

I stay up way to late to watch a midnight showing of Twilight.

DECEMBER

Uncle Steve visits for Christmas.

We send in 428 Yoplait yogurt lids.

I vow to simplify my life starting January 1, 2009.

Happy New Year everyone!

What Kind Of Mother Am I?

I was enjoying a lazy morning. The boy was napping, Ellie was watching TV, and my oldest was savory a solitary bubble bath. I sat down to work on my Christmas puzzle and proceeded to lose track of time. 

Several minutes later I remembered my oldest pruning up in the tub and said, out loud, to myself, "Oh...I forgot Lindy was in the bath." Ellie then turned to me and said, "Da**it."

I looked at her, hoping I misunderstood her 3-year old babble, and asked, "What did you say?" She innocently repeated her previous statement. I carefully informed her that we just DON'T say that word...to which she responded, "But mom, that's what we say when we forgot stuff!"

Why is it so difficult to control laughter at those moments you really need to?

(When I asked Ian whether or not I should "blog" this particular family event he agreed that it would be something for future posterity to remember but wanted me to make sure all blog readers, neighbors, and ward members know that he is not the parent responsible for our girls' foul mouth...Do you think it's possible that I can find someone else to blame?)

Christmas Recap

The Christmas season has passed in a blur. I think I had a good time. I'm pretty sure I ate far too many goodies. And I'm positive it will sneak up on me again next year. Here are a few of the highlights from Christmas 2008:

Little Mitchell let me dress him up as a shepherd.

Aaron let us dress him up like a shepherd too. Shocking!

Anson and Lindy playing Joseph and Mary.

Here's our version of the nativity story...short the wisemen (the Babcock's need to have more kids apparently). Baby Jesus didn't like his manger, the donkey/sheep/cow (Ellie) didn't like any of it, one of the shepherds had a watch from the future, but they were all good sports as we flashed picture after picture. I don't know that this will end up as a tradition, but it was fun to try.

Daddy, Grandpa Jones, and Uncle Steve went skiing...perfect time to steal goggles for a photo op.

My three kids hanging out in the mornings. It was lovely to be able to take it easy and not have to rush the five year-old off to school.

Then there was Christmas day...and the presents. Curtis was enthralled by the whole process...but still kept going for the train.

We attempted to distract him with a stunning pair of princess heels. It worked for all of five seconds.

I found this present under the tree. How lucky am I?

The best part of Christmas this year was that Uncle Steve was here to celebrate with our family. The kids were thrilled to have someone else to pester. Steve was good-natured and let them crawl all over him, jump around on his bed, wake him up early each morning, etc., etc. About an hour after he left to fly back to England Ellie asked, "When is Uncle Steve coming home?" I guess mom and dad just aren't going to cut it anymore.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Out Of The Mouth of Lindy

Tonight as I was putting the girls to bed I decided that I would try to impart a little bit of Christmas wisdom. I asked Lindy why we give gifts for Christmas. She told me that "giving is more funner than getting". I was fairly impressed with her answer and decided to add my two cents to the matter. I told the girls that even though getting presents is a lot of fun it isn't the reason we celebrate Christmas. I continued by telling them that the birth of the baby Jesus was the best gift we could ever receive and shows us that our Heavenly Father loves us. I then pointed out that we give presents at Christmas time because we want to show the people we love just how much we care about them.

Lindy promptly looked up at me and said, "Mom, you're kinda blabbering."

Sometimes when people talk about the innocence of children I just have to shake my head and wonder.

The Problem With Gingerbread Houses

Thanks to a thoughtful friend who brought us a Gingerbread House kit we were able to more fully celebrate the Christmas season. My girls were ecstatic! They had a blast helping mom and dad add the decorations to the house and trees. 

Their joy was short-lived, however, when I informed them that they were not to be caught continuously bingeing themselves on the candy ornamentation. The humor of their joint looks of shock and dismay were only topped by what I found the next day:

When Ellie found her usual tactic of dimple-display didn't help her access the candy goodness, she consoled herself by keeping a morose vigil for the better part of an hour. Poor child.

Our Little Entrepreneur

As we were driving in the van today Lindy came up with a brilliant plan:

Lindy: "Mom, I have a great idea!"

Mom: "Yeah?"

Lindy: "We could get a big jar, put a table and chairs out in front of a store, dress up really warm, and ring a bell."

Mom: "Why would we do that?"

Lindy: "Cause people would give us money!"

Needless to say we had a chat about our good friends at The Salvation Army and the reason we randomly drop dollar bills into those red buckets. Apparently we hadn't discussed it much before. My bad.

The Bottom Shelf

For years I've kept my small appliances (crock pot, waffle iron, rice maker, etc.) on the bottom shelf of my pantry. It has worked for us quite well...until now.

Junior has quickly learned that if the pantry doors are left open (which happens often around here) he is in prime position to procure any of the above-mentioned appliances for his own personal entertainment. Yesterday was the waffle iron (more than once). Today's appliance of choice? The crock pot. 

And, as you can tell, he's loving it.

O Tannenbaum...Revisited

This year's Christmas tree experience was significantly different from our adventure last year. We chickened out and decided to buy a tree from the tree lot vs. braving the wilds of the Utah landscape like last year. We were able to find a beautiful 7 ft. noble pine for a steal. We simply drove a couple blocks, grabbed a tree, and drove back to our house. No freezing required for this Christmas miracle.

The kids were thrilled to officially usher in the Christmas season. One of the first questions was, "Now where are the presents?" Patience, little ones, patience!

A main component of our Christmas decor is the lego train which surrounds the tree. Ian's son seems to share his love of all things lego...we just wish he would wait a few years before diving in. The poor train has been rebuilt many times already.

The Jones family is officially prepared for Christmas. See you soon, St. Nick!

Yeeouch!

Today my accident-prone second born got in a fight with the coffee table. 

I think, as a rule, one should always expect the furniture to come out on top. Poor little Ellie.

And, of course, I was planning on having their pictures taken with Santa tomorrow...wouldn't you know it!!!

Ward Christmas Party

Saturday night was our annual ward Christmas party. As co-chairs of the activities committee, Ian and I had a front row seat to the behind-the-scenes work that goes into pulling off such a party. It was an eye-opener. Things went really well...mostly due to the amazing committee and ward members that pitched in and helped pull it off.

For me the highlight of the evening was the short video we put together of the primary kids. I had such a fun time talking with all of these sweet children and was absolutely amazed at the faith and spirit behind most of their answers. It made me realize how absolutely innocent these children of our Heavenly Father really are...and how much responsibility I have, as a mother of three of them, to teach them the truths they need to know in this life. 

My only regret is that I didn't have more time to talk with more kids. But I was pretty pleased with what we were able to throw together with such short notice.

A BIG thanks to everyone who contributed and helped make the Christmas party so much fun. The committee rocked, my friends were amazing, and everyone's food was DELICIOUS! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

P.S. For those of you who would like a DVD-quality copy of the video let me know.

Stop, Drop, and Roll!

There are advantages to living in a big city. (Now, before you scoff at my use of the word "big", keep in mind that I came from a town of 3,500--that makes most places seem big. But I digress...)

One advantage, in particular, that I sincerely enjoy is the fact that there are stores that stay open past six o'clock in the evening. It was a novelty when I first moved here...and I still revel in it!

Last night I found myself wandering the aisles of Target at 10:15pm. While it was supremely enjoyable (because I didn't have three screaming children with me) it was not a pleasure trip. I actually arrived at Target with a mission: to procure a new hairdryer. Why, you may ask, was it imperative that I find a new hairdryer at ten o'clock at night? Well, because earlier that day my old one CAUGHT ON FIRE!

No...I'm not kidding nor am I exaggerating. In the midst of my usual hairstyling routine I actually witnessed my hairdryer spontaneously bursting into flames. Several pieces of it then fell to the floor and singed my towel. Before you ask...no, my hair did not catch on fire. (Phew!!...Can you imagine what would have happened if this unruly mop would have ignited? Poof!) I was, thankfully, saved from the embarrassment of premature balding. A tender mercy. 

So today I'm grateful for two specific blessings in my life. My hair and holiday shopping hours. My glass is half full, people.

Wahoo!

Who knew that a little pink scrap of foil could make a gal so excited? Not me. 

As of tonight we've gathered 370 pink Yoplait lids. I'll be shipping them off shortly (they have to be in by the end of the month) so if you have any additional lids to add to the pile NOW'S THE TIME! 

Thanks to all of you for humoring me...and helping me. Our little bit will make a difference.

A Project Completed

I've been wanting to make stockings for several years now. I found a cute (and easy) idea the other day and decided to put my new sewing machine to the test. 

I think I'm officially hooked. I have totally enjoyed the sewing projects I've done in the last couple weeks and am looking forward to doing more. All I want for Christmas is some spare time. I know it's not likely, but a girl can dream, can't she?

Fingers

Our little Ellie has always been a great sleeper. I've long since attributed this to two things. First, my Heavenly Father loves me and knew I needed a little help (and possibly a little incentive to bring additional children into the world). Second, Ellie refused a "binky" early on in life and came up with her own solution. One that wouldn't require a parent to help in the soothing process:

At first I didn't worry too much about it because, hey...she's sleeping through the night. Who am I to mess with that sort of miracle?

And, to be honest, it was kind of cute.

By the time we started to try and break her of the habit, the finger-sucking had become so entrenched in her daily routine that she basically foiled every attempt we made. 

Now, here we are, almost three and a half years later and those fingers are still firmly in place. One thing is sure...Heavenly Father may have given me a great sleeper, but He also made sure that she was just as stubborn as her big sister. I believe we have a fight on our hands.

Let the battle begin.

Dear Santa

There are so many wonderful elements of the Christmas season that it's difficult for me to choose my favorite. I do know, however, that sitting down with my two beautiful daughters to compose letters to Santa is somewhere in the top five. They really got into it this year.

Lindy's wish list includes a doll, a case of lipstick, a leapster, a lizard, perfume, sparkles, princess table & chairs, crayons, horse lego, and a Tinkerbell DVD.

Ellie's wish list includes a purple teddy bear, lego, a diamond, a  piano, and a stunning portrait of her mother. (Is it just me or does that purple hair make my eyes just pop?) She also wanted to make sure we knew that she was going to ask Santa for some slippers for mommy. What a sweet girl.

For the little artists, putting a stamp on the letters and putting them in the mailbox might have been the highlight of the whole experience.

      

Eight Months

The last month has been an amazing one. Junior has gained two teeth (and he already knows how to use them...ouch!), has learned how to crawl, and has learned how to throw a tantrum. Unfortunately for him the tantrums aren't really accomplishing much other than making us laugh as he tries to express his 8-month-old frustrations. He also found a love of toys with wheels, and took his first fall down the stairs. And along the way he somehow tricked his mother into getting up with him at all hours of the night again. (I just can't let a sick kid cry.)

Last night as I sat in the rocking chair, holding my sleeping son securely in my arms, I experienced a small moment of panic as I realized how quickly it is all passing me by. Each day he grows bigger, and more independent and I selfishly want to just tell him to STOP! The quiet, peaceful moments sitting in that chair will soon be fading memories...I don't know that I'm ready to give them up yet! Especially knowing that this might be the last time I'll ever have one small enough to cradle in my arms. Sigh.

I am surprised sometimes at how fiercely I love the little ones in our family. Motherhood has shown me, in the truest form, how one can experience the best and the worst that this mortal life can throw at you. But I have realized more fully that I am unable to appreciate, or at times even recognize the joy without having to wade through some of the tough stuff as well.