Happy Valentines Day!!!

Can't you feel the love? :) I'm not huge on these kinds of holidays... but figure I'd pass along a friendly greeting to you all. Anyone doing anything fun? I'm getting a massage tonight, but it has nothing to do with Valentines Day. It has more to do with the insane tension in my neck and back that has caused me to take prescription strength drugs for a week just so that I can function. Hopefully we can get some of it resolved.
Eli woke up at the crack of dawn this morning, so while he was watching his show, we made a Happy Valentines Day picture for Julie (his daycare lady). We didn't do any cards or anything for his friends.. Mommy is too lazy - and he has too many friends at daycare. I would hate to forget someone. We did make one however for Grandpa Gillie who is having his (gasp!) 70th birthday on Monday. Love you Dad. ;) I'll send it out today - I apologize if it doesn't make it by Monday... Miss you lots! I should send one to Grandma Gillie as well since we missed her birthday in December. :( Talk about an ungrateful child.
Well, I guess I better get back to work. I have to write a CatEx Environmental Document to help an elderly couple move out of their house before our project goes through. We would have bought their house anyway, but their health won't last until the project goes through... so I'm supposed to do theirs in advance. Unfortunately I hate Environmental Documents, and I've been putting it off for 2 days.. oops. Alright, alright, I'm going to work now. Hope you all have a fun day

Happy Valentines Day!

New Years Resolutions

Hmmm... I've been thinking if there is anything that I really want to do better this year. There's a bunch of things, but I don't know if its anything I really want to 'resolute' to do better. You know? I know I would like to keep my house cleaner, but lets be honest... what is the likelihood of that. ;) So here is what I've come up with for now and I might edit/add to it later. Meredith put some things on her blog and it got me thinking that with this being so 'black and white' I can come back at the end of next year (or throughout the year) and see how I did.

1. Food storage. An ongoing goal, but I would like to be better at maintaining my 3 months of canned food and start using the flour and sugar from the cannery instead of buying it from the store. I also want to learn about sprouting which is something my ward learned about the day that I had Nathan.

2. Go to the temple more often. I may defer this goal until Nathan gets a little older and I am more comfortable leaving him the hands of teenagers. Once I do I need to go at least once a month, but my goal is twice a month. (And with Chris too)

3. Budget. I'm good at putting money away for savings and for certain purposes, but the leftover money (ie going out to eat, walmart and target trips, and other random stuff) I don't keep track of as well.

4. Alright, I'll put it on here... I would like to clean the house more often. Even through the exhausted days (and nights) to keep up on something. Vacuuming, picking up toys, filing the bills, bleaching the shower, whatever. I know that spending 20 minutes a day will probably help out more than a couple hours on a Saturday. Ugh. I don't like that one. You think I could convince Chris to take this one on too and help? probably not
Thats all for now. I may come back and add more later. Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all enjoy 2008!! Its 9:30 and I think I might go to bed. LOL!

Christmas Day was such a fun day! Unfortunately Eli woke up at 2am because our hall nightlight burned out. How he became addicted to nightlights I'll never know... but it woke him up enough that he wanted to open presents. Luckily we got him back to sleep until 8am. His first present was the Superman bag from Grandma. He was so excited to get his Superman pajamas! He put them on and you coudl just see in his eyes that he was done. He got the perfect present. But #2 was the Transformer which he loved. And the rest he was just having a blast unwrapping. He didn't care what it was, he just wanted to unwrap. Poor Nathan slept through the whole thing. But we had Round #2 when he woke up. Chris got a Craftsman toolbox from Santa, but it was dented on the hinges, so we'll be taking it back and he is going to buy the rest of the set. Other than that, I don't think we have to take anything back!

After presents, Eli and Daddy went sledding at the park while I let Nathan sleep some more. The rest of the day I spent cooking rolls, sweet potatoes, pie and who knows what else. I swear I was in the kitchen almost all day... but I don't feel like there was a lot to show for it. We ended up snacking all day that we weren't even that hungry for dinner. Oh well. And then we went over to our neighbors house to visit and eat pie while Eli played with their 2 yr old.

Last night would have been a breakthrough night (which I guess it was) Nathan slept for 8 1/2 hours!!!!!!!!!! And then he went back down for another 5. I seriously had to keep checking on him that he was alive. Unfortunately Eli woke up throwing up in the middle of the night, so it was still a long night for all of us. We think it was just something he ate because he is doing better today. His tummy doesn't hurt and he is keeping everything down that he has eaten so far. I hope he is fine. I know the stomach bug has been going around like crazy and I really don't want the baby to be sick. I don't want either of my babies to be sick, but it could be dangerous if Nathan were to get it. Anyway, here are some pictures.... their Christmas outfits, and lots of wrapping paper. :) Hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas. I know I sure did!!!

Nathans Sunday Christmas outfit


Another cute one


Elis Christmas outfit


Brothers


Its a White Christmas (backyard shot)


Christmas Day


Superman opening his Transformer


Superman in the wrapping paper


Nathans *round* of presents


Nathans presents


Eli and Nathan in the wrapping paper

Mommys Christmas Present

All wrapped up and good to go. I was talking about this with another lady who had a baby about the same time I did (but 12 years ago) and what it is like to have a new baby at this time of year. What a blessing it is and you get a real sense of what Mary was going through and how special it was to bring a new baby into the world. Obviously her child was the Savior of the world, but the love of a child and especially a new child is something that any mother can share. We are so blessed to have our kids and I feel especially blessed to be a mother. These pictures are kind of silly, but he is my special gift for this year. :)

Bless the crack cookie

And bless Meredith for giving them to me. Man those things are good. I just finished off the last one and I'm so sad! Although its definitely a good thing that they're gone. I could eat them by the truckload. Hence the name I guess. ;)

So I think we're officially ready for Christmas. I still have presents to wrap, but shopping is done. I went to the honey baked ham store this morning. Merry Christmas to Mary! I absolutely love honey baked hams. They're huge, but we'll freeze the rest and the best part about them is there is no cooking involved. They "prefer" you to serve them at room temperature. Ham, sweet potatoes, green beans, homemade bread... yum. I'm making shortbread cookies right now. We've had so many nice neighbors bring us treats I'm starting to feel bad. So I'll make a couple batches of cookies and deliver them tonight. That is if I don't eat them all. Now that the crack cookies are gone, I need to eat something. ;)

So how do I stain something that is painted? It doesn't seem to stick. I was told to paint it first and then stain it... but it looks awful. Maybe I'll sand it a little to get some of the paint off or something. or maybe it just takes 10 coats??? who knows. any thoughts you might have I'd appreciate it.

Christmas shopping

Why is it that I have been looking for the 2 hardest to find toys of the Christmas season????? Hungry Hungry Hippos which you wouldn't think (since its been out for 30 years) but its out of stock everywhere and Transformers which is obvious. I have checked Toys R Us, 3 Walmarts, 2 Targets and I finally tried the Toys R Us by my office and got one of the last Transformers!!!! I'm so excited. Chris tried ordering one online which was great, but a day later they sent him a note saying it was backordered. Couldn't they have mentioned that when he bought it in the first place? I know Eli doesn't need more toys, but I really wanted to get him something that was on *his* Christmas list. He wants a bike, transformer and a soccer game? Not sure what that one is, but he isn't getting it.
The good news is that his birthday is pretty much done too. He'll get all the leftover toys that he didn't get for Christmas! Oh, and I found this Ninja Turtle when I got the Transformer. Its a 6" action figure that kicks. It didn't have a price, but its about the same size as the Transformer which was $9.99, so I figured it would be in the ballpark of $10-$15. Nope. $2.20. Can't beat that!!! :) Probably save that one for his birthday too.
Now I just have the babysitter and if I can just finish up these things I'm making for my family - that will be it. Sorry Mom and Matt... it'll come in a couple weeks. I hope they turn out. Any ideas for my daycare lady? In the past, I've done lotions, and gift certificates to Barnes and Kohls. I was thinking maybe a restaurant this year, but don't really know... I guess I'll come up with something.

I love Thanksgiving

Well, another year has come and gone. And not to disappoint. The food was great, Sandis house was great, the kids had fun and I didn't stop eating for 6 straight hours. :) We ate, played bingo (I made $6 and a ring pop) Plus there is more food in our fridge than we can ever eat... well maybe... Anyone want turkey dinner #2? Come to my house. We have a fresh turkey in our fridge that probably needs to be cooked tomorrow. Not that I mind. I hope everyones went well. Time to start decorating for Christmas!!!!