"A Redneck Christmas"

One of my all time favorite traditions is taking the kids to see the "redneck" Christmas lights. Don't get me wrong...I mean no offense. I LOVE the redneck Christmas lights. Seriously, it is one of the highlights of the season for me! These pictures do it no justice. It is absolutely amazing. They probably have several acres all decked out. It is not something you just drive by, you MUST get out and walk it. There is a fenced and lighted trail all the way through it, with different hand painted wooden scenes all along the way. I cannot imagine all the time, effort, and love that is put into this display every year. This family has been putting on this magnificent show for the last 18 years. I'm sure it started out small and grew from year to year. There is no charge. They do it out of the kindness of their hearts, because they love doing it. I love that! They are the nicest little old couple you've ever met.

Emma was in heaven. She loved every single minute of it! She is a little obsessed with Christmas this year. In fact, she cried when we left.

This is my favorite part. There is a hand painted ornament with every family member's name on it hanging from this tree.

It' s the little details like this that make it so special. Do you see all those cute elves that are living in that tree? PRECIOUS!

Oh my...this picture just isn't enough. In person all these lights are spectacular!

My little prankster just couldn't resist jumping in this shot at the last minute.

What is up with that gansta peace sign???

I can't remember the last picture we took where someone wasn't goofing off.

And that's the look you get when reprimand a prankster. Oh well, that's us...memories.

From our family to yours ~

MeRrY ChRiStMaS yA'Ll!

Ava Bava Schmava Turns 1

Is that for me?

Oops! She breathed heavy and accidentally blew out her candle.

I finally realized my flash wasn't on...sorry.

She can't believe I'm actually letting her get down and dirty with this cupcake.

I think she's getting the hang of it, though!

She might be a little caked out .

oH mY GoOdNeSs!!!

I could just eat her up!

Look at those cheeks.

That look on her face is priceless.

Ava is so easy to please. Some new jammies and a fun new toy...she's good to go!

I think she was a little hopped up on sugar. She was shaking her head back and forth and cracking herself up.

Coming down off the sugar high.

This was birthday morning doing her favorite thing...dumping the entire toy basket and surrounding herself with stuff!

hAPpY BiRtHdAY!!!

I love you Ava.

You are the sweetest girl in the whole wide world!

Love ~ Mommy

Emma's Wisdom

I had an amusing conversation with Emma this morning while she was taking a bath. I had to share the funny!

Emma : What's a baby?
Me : A little person that hasn't grown up yet.
Emma : Oh.
Me : I have 5 babies...Matthew, John, Noah, Emma, and Ava.
Emma : Don't forget Daddy.
Me : No, he's not my baby. He's my husband.
Emma : No, he's your baby Daddy.
Me(laughing) : Yep, you're right. He sure is.

From Our Family to Yours...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Enjoy...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Overheard In The Ward

Ok, seriously...this has got to be the funniest thing I've EVER read!!! Tonight I stumbled upon this site called overheardintheward.com . I have been glued to it for the last hour. I could not stop. I kept reading page after page after page, and laughed like I haven't laughed in a very long time. My eyes burn, my throat hurts, and I'll be honest...I think I peed a little. I could totally relate. Have any of you ever heard crazy off the wall things in F&T meeting? Have you ever taught a primary class full of very honest, very funny 4 year olds? Can you recall the last time someone made a comment in R.S. or priesthood that made you feel awkward and uncomfortable? If you answered yes to any of these questions...then this site is for you. I hope I don't offend anyone. It's all in fun. And p.s.....my Mom called while I was in hysterics. I read a few to her and we were laughing so hard we could hardly get a breathe, couldn't talk...absolutely hysterical! Hey...if it's good enough for Sister Pack, then it's tops in my book!

Here's a little sample :

Do As I'm Doing goes horribly wrong!

Sunbeam Teacher: What else can we sing about? Billy, what do YOU do with your hands?Sunbeam: Play with my winkie!Sunbeam Teacher: Oh… my… well, we can’t sing about how fun that is to do… how about we sing about washing our hands?

Fun Times With the Jeff Packs!

I miss you guys already! We had such a great week with Jeff, Laura, Ethan, and baby Austin. I think it's so sweet that they would choose to spend their hard earned vacation time with us. I love spending time with my family, especially those who we don't get to see very often.

Baby Austin is the sweetest thing! He smiles and laughs all the time. You just want to cuddle and snuggle him, and kiss that cute face. Mom and Matthew had fun playing with him on their last night with us.

Love that double breast pump in the background! Gotta make that miracle milk for baby Ella!

Before we left for Mom's house, John asked me to fix his hair like Jeff's. As it turned out this was the only day Jeff had flat hair...funny. I thought it was so cute that John wanted to be like Jeff

Here we are at the Pumpkin Patch. Jeff hopped up on top of the hay bale maze to snap a few pics.

Emma and Ethan in the field of sunflowers...they were gorgeous.

Ava was not too sure about all this nature. Did you know that my kids are sometimes allergic to nature? We lovingly refer to it as N.D....Nature Defficient.

Ok, I guess this stuff isn't too bad...tastes pretty good. She'll eat anything!

All the kiddos lined up on their very own pumpkin. Sophie doesn't look uncomfortable at all. What a bunch of hams...look at those cheesy grins!

We all had a fun filled busy week, and were sad to see it come to an end. We're already looking forward to the next visit. We love ya'll!

B.A....Bloggers Anonymous

Hi. My name is Amanda and I am a blogaholic. The first step is admitting you have a problem, right? Well, I'm admitting it...I have a problem. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE blogland. I cannot stop. It is an addiction. I used to make fun of people who blogged. Now I am one of those people. And you know what? I am darn proud of it! I love that I can keep in touch with my many family members who live far away. I love that I'm getting to know people, who I thought I knew pretty well, even better. And I love that I am documenting those sweet, simple moments in life that are so easily forgotten. I used to scrapbook. I have not scrapbooked in over three years. Emma and Ava are not even born yet in my scrapbook. And at this stage I'm at in my life, I have no desire to play catch up. So I'm grateful for this journal of sorts that I have right here on my computer. Now let me say it again, this time with pride...my name is Amanda and I am a blogaholic.

Beauty Shop

Ok, I know I'm being a little braggy. But is she not the cutest thing? This child is precious. Not only is she a cutie patootie, she has got to be the sweetest baby on the planet. I cannot get enough of her. Anyhoo.....back to the beauty shop portion of our program. This little bow is about as fancy as we can get with Ava's limited hair. Teeny tiny and cute!

This is usually how she looks though. Not really into bows, bibs, socks, hats, shoes...she pulls them right off.
Yes, I'm well aware that these french braids are uneven, wonky, and the part is way crooked. I still think she looks so dang cute. This is the first time Emma has actually sat still long enough for me to do this. Let's remember people, she is two...she sits still for all of about 3.5 seconds...and lastly, she is two. I'm pretty pleased with myself. But you know what I don't get? Those "people" who walk into church with their 2 year old done up with perfectly straight even parted perfect french braids. I wonder about them. And worry. It's not normal. Do they sedate their kid before starting on their hair? Do they bribe them? Because it's just not right. Whatever. I'll take these wonky little braids any day of the week...becaue that's what typical 2 year olds look like. I'm just keepin it real!
This is my favorite picture of all time! Her little pose is just too cute! She looks so serious and thoughtful. I wonder what's going on in that little head of hers???

Reflections of Christ

I don't know if any of you have had the opportuniy to go to this exhibit or see parts of it online, but it is definitely worth your time. It is a collection of photography by Mark Mabry, an extremely talented and inspired man. His photos make you feel as though you might have been there in that moment. As I was watching the slide show set to the most angelic music, I was overcome by the spirit. The music is awe inspiring and full of the spirit. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is so powerful and so moving. It brought tears of joy to my eyes. My cup felt so full. Reflections of Christ is truly an inspired work of art. It is a powerful testament to our Savior...that He lives and that He knows and loves each one of us!

Please go check it out at ReflectionsofChrist.org.

Remembering Noah

The month of October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Today, October 15th is Pregnancy and infant Loss Remembrance Day. I never knew such a thing existed. I was so thrilled to hear about it recently. I knew I wanted to do something to honor and remember my Noah, and all the other countless babies who are greatly missed by their friends and families. This morning I hosted a small group of women at my house who have lost babies. I was a little nervous about how things would go. Would it be awkward? Would it be too much to bear? Would we know what to say? My worries were unfounded. It was so comforting to talk to women who have been where you've been, felt what you've felt, and cried the same tears. There was no fear, no awkwardness...just love and compassion and hope. It has been 4 1/2 years since our sweet little Noah was born. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed. Sometimes I'll forget just how long it's been. Then I'll see my sweet nephew who is the same age as Noah would be now, and I can picture him as a 4 year old...wrestling with his big brothers or chasing his baby sisters around the house. Those pictures in my mind make me long for those moments with him, but they don't make me sad. I'll always, for as long as I live, miss him every single day. But it is such a comfort and a blessing to know that one day we will have those moments with him. I am so blessed to have children who truly understand the circle of life and death, and know that Heavenly Father's plan provides us a way to all be together as a family again! My boys lived through this sad time right along with me. And they were never scared. They were so strong. They are such an example to me and I am so very grateful for them. In the months following Noah's death, they were my strength. I can remember sitting on the side of my bed sobbing, and my 3 year old just walked up to me and held me...no words, just a big bear hug. Those are the little things that made me want to get out of bed everyday...I had a life to live and little people who depended on me. Even now, four years later, my boys still think about their little brother on a daily basis. Many times while driving home from a big event or fun activity, they'll say..."Mom I wish Noah was here, this would have been so much more fun with him". That sort of thing does this mother's heart good. So, on this day I want to remember Noah...the short time we had with him in this life and all the special times we'll have with him in the next.