Stepping into a MOVIE!!

Many of you have probably heard... but I just can't get over it! We found out the other night that my mother-in-law ans sister-in-law had a horrifying experience the other day.

They were in Palm Desert California (my mother-in-law lives there in the winter). They decided to go shopping at toys-r-us. Well, while they were there, two men opened gunfire and ended up killing each other. My family were witnesses. I feel so greatful that they weren't hurt! When Barry first told me about it, I started to tear up a bit. I wouldn't know what to did if either of them would have been shot! It would just kill me. I am so thankful that my sister-in-law left here two little kids at home with Grandpa. That would have made it all the more scary! Here is a video of their eyewitness account.

http://www.kesq.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=3186558&at1=News&h1= Feeling' Hangs Over Toys 'R' Us Day After Shooting (11/29)

True to my roots...

Growing up we always put the tree up on the sunday after Thanksgiving. (at least I remember it that way) Well, I have stayed true to those roots, even though in Canada everyone starts decorating after Halloween. I love my childhood memories of Christmas. My mom might not know this... but those times were so magical for us as kids. My mom and dad never had a lot of money, but they must have always saved through the year so they could make our christmas special!! We did lots of things as a family. Any excuse to have a party I guess. But we always did a mexica christmas party with enchiladas, a pinata and games. We also celebrated German Christmas a few times and put our shoes out to be filled with little treasures. I remember the Dec of my 9th grade year... I stayed up to help :) We always went to Temple Square and then had soup in a bowl at the Mall. We went to the Festival of Trees and every year we would spend on evening driving from springville to salt lake, just to find the best decorated homes. We would be all bundled in our warm car with Christmas music on. It was great times! Every year my mom seemed to know how to make the living room look like a Christmas Explosion.... Maybe it was just the way she would lay the gifts out.

Now it's fun for me to come up with some of my own traditions... if anyone has ideas...LET ME KNOW!!! We do PJ's on Christmas eve, Fondu Pot dinner on Christmas eve (with lots of expensive meats), Go to the Nativity Pageant, and make Chocolates. I would like to add more but am semi-new to Calgary and don't know about Christmas things that go on here!

With a young family and a son that is gone every other Christmas... It can be hard to have a huge Celebration. But we try to make it "Special."

I started putting up some of my decorations, but I will wait till monday night to put the decorations on the tree with Tommy and Barry. I love these little country trees, They were my mother-in-laws... but when I told her I liked them, SHE GAVE THEM TO ME!!! She is so sweet that way. But I have to be careful now and not tell her when I like something of hers. Because she will give it all away!

Oh, KYLA GOT HER FIRST TOOTH!!!! I'LL GET PICTURES WHEN SHE LETS ME!!

And he's off...

Today, tommy flies to Texas for Thanksgiving. I am always on edge the day's he flies. So many things for a mom to worry about, even without sending their child on a plane. He is so good about flying. He is so brave and I always think about how I know the lord prepared him for this. Because there aren't many 6 year olds that could handle flying alone. I always have a big list of "don't" for him... Like, don't let anyone take you to the bathroom except a flight attendent, don't let anyone touch or hurt you (if they do you tell the flight attendent that you want to sit somewhere else.), and don't get lost...stay with the flight attendent! and more... He hates when I go over this list and always says (in a very annoyed tone), "I know mom, I wont. You don't need to tell me all this." Well, moms just love to worry! Actually I don't love it, but it's kind of something I can't get over. :) So... Off he goes today and we will miss him. But, I know he is going to have a great time and I know that he will be safe!

Good ol' Updates...

So I was told by a friend that I NEEDED to post... haha, not like I go very long between them anyway! So here goes.

I am actually trying to get caught up on things... Renewing tommy's travel insurance for the year, getting my license changed to Canada (finally), dealing with immigration (Oh, so fun!), Trying to get my full tax return back (they ripped me off :) ) and other very exciting things!

Kyla is getting better, she was sick all last week, and lost 9 oz. We have an appt in Dec to meet with a nutritionist. My mom also gave be a book (Feeding, the brazleton way). So I will try to open that today... She has actually been eating better, it just wasn't staying in her very long! I am looking forward to this week to see how she does!

Tommy is heading down to Texas this week for Thanksgiving. He's excited. We will miss him though! I went to his basketball game of Friday and I think he is so fun to watch! He is getting good at dribbling and makes quite a few baskets. Although, he is not quite aggresive enough at getting the ball from others. It's kinda sweet really, but not good if you want to win!

Well, I better get going... Have christmas stuff to pull out, a garage to tidy up, stuff to go recycle, a grocery list to pick up, laundry to fold, more laundry to do, a Great and Terrible book to finish, and I need to open my scriptures... so.... till next time!

Oh, Baby!

Tommy is SOOO funny. The other day he thought it would be fun to give kyla a mohawk. Here is the result! He was quite pleased with it in the end and kyla didn't even mind! Quite talented, that boy :) If you look closely you can tell he used a TON of hair product!!!

A peaceful Home!!

I have always heard others talk about having a home where the spirit can dwell. Many times I have wondered if my home felt that way... or if it was just pure chaos! Well, today I hosted an Usborne book show. Before people arrived, the women doing the show for me mentioned that she thought my home was so calm and peacful! I was SHOCKED!!! Today must have been a good day :) Then after everyone left, she said that my home felt so inviting and she said my children must feel so blessed living here. I am very touched by her remarks! The most important thing in this world to me is my family and The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. If I am premoting a home where the spirit can dwell than I must be doing something right... and that's a relief!!!

<<< HIGHWAY ANIMALS >>>

I was driving on 22x the other day and saw a calgary transit bus that had been in an accident. then I saw a dead deer on the side of the road. I feel bad for these poor animals that wander onto the road. It brought back memories of my own experiences with animals in the road.

I was driving from Dallas to North Carolina a few years back. I was driving at night on a lonely stretch of country road with my then husband in the backseat asleep. I like to drive at night and am actually more focused then. I was going the speed limit minding my own business when OUT OF NOWHERE a large dog appears in the middle of the road! I immediatly swerve to the right so I don't hit him. But... as I swerve to the right my lights shine on another dog just hangin' out on the shoulder of the road. Wow, this is becoming quite the serpentine practice! I swerve back to the left to miss him and yes...another dog, a different dog is again in the middle of the road. At that point I am hystarical! I pull over and just start crying! and shaking! What are these dogs doing having a pow wow in the middle of the night, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD??? I will never know. I finally got a grip and had my then husband continue our journey from there.

A few years later I was heading to work at 6 AM. This time my 3 year old boy was in the backseat... AWAKE! We were driving on a major highway and I was in the right lane with a retainer wall on the right and a large truck on the left. I was coming around a bend when all of a sudden I see a dog running straight at me in my lane! I had about two seconds to think of a plan and that was, "what the...holy, where do I go?" I tryed to get as close to the truck on my left as I could to maybe breeze past the poor dog. But, didn't make it! I hit him with the front right side of my car! I felt horrible and cried the rest of the way to work! I couldn't even stop to see if it was okay. there was nowhere on the highway to do that, it was still dark and I had my 3 yr old with me. To this day tommy still asks me about the doggy that we hit with our car and how sad it was. Maybe this post will be a little memorial to the last minutes of that dogs life!

I hope I never encounter another animal on the road again!!!

Soooo Blessed!

I have been reading about the fires in California. My mom and dad both grew up there and I have relatives (not in the area of the fires) that still live in california! I can't help but feel so blessed and proud of the amount of relief our church does for these people, all people...not just members! I am happy to know that if there is a disaster where I live... I will not have to feel alone! That is a great thing, because I think it is only a matter of time before we have to struggle through something scary and tragic! My goal is to be better prepared myself, so when something happens... I can be "the aid" instead of "the victim."

This is how I feel today!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DycypvmYCaI

Except I'm the baby...

Is anyone on my side??

So the reason why I put the poll up is because I really want to put picture C over my fireplace. I think it's artistic and interesting, plus blown up you can see us better! Although I want to see it in color as well! But... my husband has no artistic vision I guess, because when I told him I wanted to put that one up... He said, " What, its all cockeyed (haha) and you can't even see us!" So I said, I'll put a poll on my blog and you'll see that everyone else will think its a great idea too!

Well, I have to say... "Not one vote for picture c?" I think everyone needs to take a long look at it! :) and thanks to my sister-in-law sheri! Today she said, "hey... I think you should but C up on your fireplace, It would look soooo cool!" Well, sheri... I THINK YOUR COOL!! thanks for the validation. I think I will do just that. Mwah... love ya!

Which one do you like Best???

A.

B.

C.

D. There are a few others that I may consider... If you like one of them better, let me know...THIS IS A HUGE DECISION!!! right? hahaha, Thanks

...An all around update and MISSING Barry...

This has been a CRAZY week to say the least! There have been highs and lows ( which I will get to) but for the most part this post is to say, "I am ready for my husband to be home!!!" We'll do the los first, then the highs...so we end on a happy note :)

Lows-

- Tommy coloring on the Granite Countertops with Crayon...

- Tommy coloring a rock with a blue marker, which kyla later got ahold of and became COVERED in Blue...

- The turkish delight that got rubbed into my couch early this morning!

- Missing my husband in the evening...

- Sunday feeding the missionaries without barry here :( (they were sister missionaries)

- Barry getting sick and me not being there to take care of him!

- Family Home Evening without Barry... :(

- The weather turned Cold!

Highs-

- The crayon came off the countertop easily... but seriously is he two years old?

- After sucking on the rock... Kyla looked kinda like a smurf... and I like Smurfs!

- The turkish delight is mostly gone, due to Oxy and vigorous scrubbing on my part! I can't really blame this one on the kids...I left it upstairs...oops.

- Those evening while I miss barry, I have stayed up and gotten a lot of scrapbooking done!

- While the sister missionaries were here we played a game together which included singing primary songs, telling our favorite scripture and pictionary( look in this months friend)... It was fun!

- Barry being sick and me not being there to take care of him! :) I don't like seeing him sick!

- Family home evening was still fun (though we missed dad!) We went to southland leisure center with the Palmers. Tommy had so much fun going down the slides on Justins back!

- Despite the weather, Kira and I went to a Christmas Farmers Market and had lots of hot chocolate and sampled Yummy dips... Is there anything better than sour cream and Mayo mixed??? I don't think so!

Saw my friend Barb at the market... She just got remarried and looks SO HAPPY!!! I just love her!

Doing things with my kids is the highlight of my life!

Good Friends are ALWAYS a blessing!

Kira's baby evan looking Oh So Adorable!

Also Updates on KYLA

I have gotten her on a sleeping program and she has slept through the night four nights in a row now! She is napping better and eating better. She is so much happier! Oh, and this week she discovered the stair and what they're for...Talk about SCARY!!!

HAPPY REMEMBERENCE DAY EVERYONE!!!

Two brains = NOT always enough!!!

I pulled up to my friends house the other day to pick her up and found her sitting in her driveway with a look of utter frustration! She was surrounded by car seat parts and looked close to tears :) She informed me that her husband took her son's car seat to work and that she was trying to assemble another one that can be used as forward or backward facing. She was so confused with how to assemble it. To make a long story short...I jumped in to help build it. Meanwhile, tommy grabbed my camera and started snapping pictures. Here is where the story begins...
The dreaded car seat... I actually had a great plan for getting the straps in...

Plan failed... Go to plan B ( read the Manuel)

Plan failed...Manuel sucks! Go back to plan A

and time goes by...

What is going on with this dang strap??? How could any kid be safe in this?

Kathy reads the manuel AGAIN...

Kira reads the manuel AGAIN...

More time goes by...

We promise we are not SUPER FRUSTRATED!! *Cheese*

Kyla's getting quite bored...

Finally think we got... Wait, nope not quite. Gotta get it in the car...This took us a while too!

Oh, yeah... FINALLY... Thanks to my super efficient careseat building skills!!!

It only took like 45 min :)

New car seat $100.00

Wasted time $1,000,000

Gloves for my now FROZEN hands $10.00

The look on kira's face when I drove up... PRICELESS!!!!

Scrapbookers Heaven!!!

I apologize in advance, this is going to be a long post...not in words(thats not my thing), but in pictures. And if will probably be enjoyed mostly by my family! I have recently jumped on the Digital Scrapbooking bandwagon! It's about time. I haven't done ANY scrapbooking since 2000. Thats really sad!!! Here is a page I did today... Not the traditional look, but it was fun and different. My sister Pam took this picture of Kyla and I. This is a really great shot! with the waves, water and bridge in the background...but kyla and I as the main focus! Good job pam!!Here is some of the more traditional stuff I have done recently, let me know if you have any pointers or ideas? Those you just tooked at were pictures that I took. I am really proud of how they turned out and just want to get that much better at taking photos. These next ones are picture my neice madison took. maddibrookephotography.comHere are some of tommy's pages. I haven't done as many because I am still scanning all his pictures onto the computer.

My mom will love to see these pictures from FOREVER ago!!!

Here are some of the pages I did of our wedding. I am going to have them made into a Hardbound book to go on my coffee table

Thanks for viewing...