I'm gonna' do it....

I don't normally make new years resolutions.

I can't stand the thought of making a goal and not accomplishing it......so, I just dont try.

This year I have decided that is no way to live.

Life is about making goals and TRYING our darndest to achieve them....

if we are unsuccessful, we simple re-evaluate and move forward.



I haven't decided what my resolutions will be. I just know that they are going to be goo.

I can feel it in my bones.

CHRISTMAS 2008

Christmas Eve

Christmas morning

My little superheroes (my crowning achievement.....yeah, I made those...I know, I am SO SUPER crafty)


Gabe got the Spiderman tent he was hoping for. Although......funny........I haven't gotten a picture of him with it yet (you can see it in the background in the next picture). He was the only one who REALLY knew what was going on. He kept saying, "Where's another one I can open." Obviously there were too many presents for him to handle......next year we will let Santa bring his present and leave it at that. :)

Cael got a castle from Santa. It's perfect for him. He loves little things that he can hoard. He likes to line things up or stick them in his pockets. All of the kids are REALLY enjoying this one. Way to go Santa.

Isaac got a little plastic rocking "horse" in the shape of a dog. I don't have a picture of him on it yet. He wasn't really interested in the presents. He just wanted the food/candy. As you can see..........

He spilled some of his cereal. He is searching for it here. When he found a piece he would bend down and lick it up off of the carpet. It was hilarious!

I even joined in the fun.

Truthfully....it was total and utter chaos.

Cael was sick....although he looks pretty happy in most of the pictures ( because we had not given him ibprophen or eggnog yet.....not a good combo....especially when exiting the body).

The house was a total disaster and I was as cranky as ever.

Once we got over those few bumps in the happy road......things improved.

By the end of the day, Cael was feeling much better, the house had been somewhat restored to order, and I had mellowed out.

The day actually ended quite nicely.

Rob's parents and brother came over for a ham dinner. We got to enjoy their company AND good food.

I love FAMILY. There is nothing more important.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we are on our way to Utah to visit with MORE family. We are so excited. (Thank you! Thank you! for the plane tickets......1 1/2 hours of flying sure beats 14+ hours of driving......through snow storms!).

In awe......

I am in complete and utter awe at the generosity and thoughtfulness of others.

How blessed we are to be the recipients of such love.

In the midst of our Christmas Eve celebration we were visited, once again, by a Secret Santa.

A large garbage bag filled with SEVERAL presents and the makings of a holiday meal were left on our door step.

(Someone even called a few minutes after our discovery claiming to be a FED EX driver checking to see if our packages were delivered. I confirmed that something was left on the porch. I was then asked to go see what it was and the person hung up).

At first I couldn't believe it.

Why would someone do this for us? What makes us so deserving of these gifts? Who are these wonderful people who are filled with the spirit of giving?

I had a million questions and I wanted them answered.



Then.......humility overcame me and I was left with a deep sense of gratitude for these thoughtful people.



Thank you......

who ever you are.

Thank you!

I PASSED.......I PASSED......I PASSED........

I PASSED my Primary Group Exercise Certification Exams!

What does that mean? I am now a CERTIFIED aerobics instructor.

Still.......what does that mean? It means that I will now get paid $20 a class instead of $12.

Good news for us.

I have been waiting for over a month to find out and now I have. YEAY!

It should only take 2 more weeks for my wall and wallet certificates to arrive.

Oh well, at least now I know. FINALLY!

Hooray for me!

"....You'll blow up.....like my aunt Roberta"

Okay, so now that I have deleted my "fitness" blog.....you, the readers of my family blog, may have to suffer through a bit of food/weight/exercise talk every once and a while.

On that note......I must say that this last week has not been a good one for me........NOT AT ALL.

A battle with "self control" was fought and food came out the victor.

It all started last Saturday at our ward Christmas party......

Not only did I eat WAY too much food but I ate EVEN MORE desert.....then I came home and wanted something sweet to top it off.......what the heck!

Sunday night Rob and I made a 9x13 pan of brownies AFTER the kids went to bed. That is ALWAYS a recipe for disaster.........let's just say that there weren't that many left the next morning when the kids woke up.

Monday......FHE.....more brownies, marshmallows (which were for our game) and a sweet friend brought over a WHOLE plate of cookies.....which unfortunately were consumed far too quickly.

Tuesday we celebrated Rob's graduation at home.....and, I made him a cake....because he wanted one. That, as well, was GONE by Wednesday NIGHT!

Wednesday we drank hot chocolate to our hearts content along with the cake.

Thursday we made gingerbread houses with LOTS of candy.......more hot chocolate.

Friday, someone else delivered Christmas goodies which were really yummy. Rob and I went to Outback Steak house with his family....again, to celebrate graduation, they ordered appetizers and by the time our dinners arrived I had already consumed more calories that a person should have in one day. Yet........Rob and I still came home, after stuffing ourselves, and managed to eat a whole bowl of popcorn and MORE candy while we watched a movie

Today......alas, I started Christmas goody baking........that says enough.

I feel like I have completely lost it.

I don't remember the last time I have eaten this badly for such an extended period of time.

It STINKS!

I still have to endure another two weeks of it........

The only thoughts that console me now are that.........
#1 I do this every year and I haven't put on 100 lbs yet
#2 I still work out 1-2 hours a day
#3 I am starting out a few lbs under my "forever goal weight" so I do have a little wiggle room. Although I kind of like having those few extra pounds gone. It's nice.

So....if you plan on bringing treats by my house this year, know this.........my goal is to take a nibble and drowned the rest (after I beat Rob and the kids away).....it may be my only hope for self-preservation. Don't be offended.............it's just the way it is.

I could always try hypnosis. A girl on the TV last night swore by it.

I WAS TOTALLY CONVINCED! (He he he)

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Here are some pics of our first snow fall here in Spokane. It was perfect. It started snowing while I was putting up Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving. What a perfect way to usher in the Christmas season.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Now, this is what we woke up to this morning............

Make a Smilebox slideshow

So far, we have had 25 inches of snow (measured in our driveway before each shoveling session). Snow chains are required to get around on "the hill" where we live and the direct road that leads to our house is closed.

Needless to say, school was canceled (and all the classes at the gym too.....crappy).

Today was supposed to be Daddy day in Gabe's kindergarten class. The dad's were invited to come make gingerbread houses with the kids. In anticipation of the closure, I went to the store last night (only because I was already across the street at the gym) and got graham crackers and candy so we could have our own gingerbread house decorating party at home.



The kids had a great time. Gabe titled his house "gingerbread dance party." It's the one with the flat roof and all the "people dancing." Cael's could be titled....."eat as much candy as I can instead of putting it on the house (two for me....one for the house, etc.)."

All in all it has been a really fun day. The kids spent hours in the snow (at least Gabe and Cael did while Isaac was taking his morning nap) and loved every minute of it.

I am so thankful Rob didn't HAVE to go anywhere today. I would have hated to see him go out in this.

Another 6 inches is expected on Sunday.

We may never get out.......Our neighbor said, "see you next spring." He's probably right!

As long as we get out before next Saturday (when we will be leaving to visit my family in Utah) I will be happy.

It's a good thing I finished Christmas shopping early this year.

An extension of yesterday's.........

Rob graduated with his Masters of Accountancy..........in English that means he is aspiring to be an accountant/CPA and is now eligible to sit for the CPA exam.

For those of you who know about the "Nevada job" that is A NO GO! We are still waiting to hear back from a firm in Montana and, after applying for a job with the IRS, just found out that Rob qualifies and is going to start the whole "testing" process in January.

Don't ask me how I feel about it. Mixed feelings (especially about the 6 month training in Georgia). He's really psyched about the possibility of becoming "SPECIAL AGENT GILLESPIE." Who am I to deny him his dream. Besides, I think the Lord will open the door for us when we have found the right thing. Whatever that may be.

Pray for us.........if you know of any possibilities, PLEASE LET US KNOW!

He'sdonehe'sdonehe'sdonehe'sdone

Rob turned in his last project today.

HE"S DONE.

My Rob done gradiated from Gonzaga U!

Good Job honey.

Now.....all we need is a job!

I AM SO HAPPY I COULD JUST BURST!

For those of you who have been long time followers of my blog,

I have the most exciting news EVER!

Do you remember the post I wrote about how Rob and I met and how we fell in love over a football jersey and how (a few years ago in a fit of "de-cluttering" and "non-sentimentality") I gave that jersey away to DI? And.....then made a plea to anyone with pictures of the jersey or the "Shrine De Rob" to PLEASE get them to me? Do you remember?

Well..........someone answered that call!

I LOVE YOU TRESSA (my room mate)! I could freakin' kiss you right now (and I would if you were not in Utah and I, here, in Washington)!

(If you haven't read the other post.....you had better do it first or #1 this post will make no sense and #2 it's a good read......you don't want to miss out)

(Ahem.....you will also notice, from that first post, that Rob and I were both wrong on the # of his Snow College practice jersey.....we both thought it was #45.........but, the pictures here proves it was #40....ooops.)


So without further ado.........................

THE ORIGINAL
"SHRINE DE ROB"

(This picture was taken from my bed. I got to wake up to this wonderful sight every morning. (No, that is NOT me in the picture. It's my roommates Stephanie and Tressa(the legs))
Wasn't my room cool? I love it........ fly strip, Blink 182 poster, cowboy hat, green blow up chair and the "SHRINE")

Up close and personal to the actual "shrine"

This was the shrine in it's beginning stages. Things had just started between Rob and I but items continued to be added as our courtship progressed. Next to the jersey are tickets from something I attended with my roommates the night Rob and I had our first date. He was always amazed that I could remember the date......of course I did, I had DOCUMENTATION!


"SNOW COLLEGE PRESENTS: "SHRINE DE ROB #40"

(So the pictures aren't fabulous but it's taken with a film camera and scanned and copied.....what do you expect?)

IT MUST BE TRUE LOVE

This picture was taken the morning after our first kiss. I must have been on cloud nine (even though the kiss was.....ahem......not spectacular) because I dressed up as a super hero and paraded around for hours. Note: across the street you can see the large expanse of snowy land......that is the practice field for the football players......I told you I had a good view!

TRUE BADGER NIGHT

This T-shirt was added to the shrine a few months later. It's from "True Badger Night." Rob and I got it for standing underneath the bell tower and kissing for a whole minute (which was super hard to do, if you can imagine) while the clock struck 12:00AM, in front of a whole bunch of other people (who were also "busy"). When we got home, we circled the date and signed it. Rob still wears it (to the gym). Isn't that cute?!? (I did block our names out because there are some real crazies on the internet.)

GOTTA LOVE SPRING BALL

Tressa (left), Me (middle) and Stephanie (right) (roommates) watching spring practice. Oh, I loved watching Rob run around in those AWESOME football pants!

SUMO WRESTLING

Just a random picture from that year. We stuffed ourselves inside those blow up chairs and sumo wrestled on the driveway. Man......I miss college!

SEE DAD, I'M NOT THE ONLY UN-LADYLIKE GIRL WHO CAN PUT HER FIST IN HER MOUTH

Tressa can too. My mom thought it was pretty cool. My dad......well, he thought it was pretty un-ladylike. Especially when my mom tried to get me to do it for one of my boyfriends. Let's just say that Rob didn't get to see it until after we were married. It was too late for him to back out then.

(If you are wondering if I always dressed like a tomboy in college......the answer is.......yes, most of the time......I wore a lot of t-shirts and warm-up pants (hhhmmm...kind of like NOW). I tried not to set the standards too high and..........Rob still fell in love with me.

The Current "SHRINE DE ROB"

This "Shrine" is currently hanging on the wall of our bedroom. (It's Rob's high school Jersey in which he actually WAS #45.)

In the 8 years that I have known and loved Rob, there have been too many memories and too many significant happenings to "document" on the wall (unless we could tack our children up there.....TEMPTING).

I put this up on the wall to #1 try to score points with him after getting rid of the "real" jersey, #2 fill up the bare walls and #3 to let my hunk of a husband know just how much he means to me (and to remind myself how awesome his "g-booty" looked in those tight football pants).

I wish he would have kept a pair of those.

Yowsers!

So there you have it! I hope you are just as excited as I am!

THANKS TRESS.......YOU ARE THE BEST!

Our very own "Secret Santa"

Rob and I are so blessed!

We have been blessed with beautiful children and family and friends who love us and are tremendously supportive.

We also seem to have a "Secret Santa" looking out for us.

These last two Christmas's we have been the recipients of some very mysterious post. Each year a letter containing a Christmas card and very generous gift certificate has been found in our mailbox.

Neither time has there been any way to identify the sender....except a return address (which is not listed in the phone book.......we tried). We do respect their desire to remain anonymous but wish we could thank them personally.

So........if you read this blog I want to say thank you. A million times over, Thank you. We are very grateful for these gifts and feel very blessed to be the recipients of your kind heart. Your example of generosity is one we will never forget and hope to pay forward some day. May the Lord bless you for your kindness.


Merry Christmas!

An update on our crazy lives!

Rob has started his final projects this week. He will be DONE with school COMPLETAMENTE (completely.....for those of you who don't speak Spanish) in less that two weeks and we couldn't be more excited.............

......If we had a job, that is.

Still no news on the job front. It's really hard for us not to get discouraged. We do have faith that things will work out according to the Lord's will. It's just really hard to patiently wait and see what the Lord intends for us to have to go through BEFORE we receive the blessings. It's scary. But.......whatever it may be....I'm sure we will survive it.

We couldn't be prouder of Rob, though. He has worked LONG and hard to get here and are excited to have him home ALL DAY (there are some perks to unemployment).

I'm still doing the aerobics thing. I haven't found out whether or not I have passed my certification test but at this point, I'm just glad it's over with.

The lady I took over for has decided that she has had enough of a break from her classes and wants them back.......so we are going to rotate weeks. Although it means I will be able to hold onto my routines for A LOT longer, and not have to buy new music as often, it also means I will be bringing in less money (not that $120 a month made all that much difference in our economical void but it was something). Hopefully after I get my certificate (supposing that I do), I will be able to pick up more classes. Anything helps.

The kids continue to make us laugh and drive us crazy (depending on the moment). They are either getting into trouble together or fighting.......oh yeah, occasionally they sit still without making any noise but it's rare before 8:00 PM (as in, when they are asleep in their beds). They have been practicing a lot of Kung Fu on each other lately after watching Jack Black's latest Panda movie several times. Don't ask me how I feel about it. It depends on the moment.

That's our life. Crazy, Stressful, Busy.

Wish us luck!

So many Christmas projects.....

unfortunately it doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging.

So......because we are economically challenged this year I am doing a lot of Christmas "projects" rather than buying gifts.

It sounded great in the beginning.

Now I am feeling a little overwhelmed by it all.

I just got done with one very time consuming thing (my group exercise certification) and now I have about a million LITTLE things to do (I guess I can forget about "nap time" for a while....dang it).

So.....you may notice a slow down in my blogging.

I guess you lives will just have to go on without me.

Unless, of course, there is some good news to report........as in Rob FINALLY being offered a job. I will be sure and blog about that!

Thankful to be Thankful

Last year was a really hard one for me. I was in the depths of post-postpartum depression and was not very thankful for anything. I has just been moved away from my family and all I had ever know.

As we went around the table naming something we were thankful for I had to reach pretty deep. Think pretty hard.....and in the end, I felt like I lied. That's how bad it was.

This year.......I am THANKFUL to be THANKFUL!

I have a WONDERFUL husband. He handles me SO well and allows me to be free to pursue my interests and dreams. Did I mention that he is a completely hands-on dad. What more could I ask for?

I have three HANDSOME boys who will, undoubtedly, send me to an early grave. But I love them anyway. The are energetic, funny, smart, and sassy. There is NEVER a dull moment at our house.

I am so lucky to have the extended family I do. We are given so much support through our parents/siblings/nieces/nephews and I LOVE THEM and am SO GRATEFUL to have them.

Most of all, I am THANKFUL to have a knowledge of my Heavenly Father and his love for me. I know that he wants what is best for me and will lead me down the paths I must go in order to fulfill the destiny he has laid out for me.

I am THANKFUL for Jesus Christ, my brother, who loves me so much he sacrificed his very life for me. I am grateful for my faith in the atonement and the blessing that is in my life EVERY day as I continuously struggle to become perfect like him.

I am THANKFUL for the healthy body that was given to me and a "spouting" knowledge that it is perfect in the sight of the Lord.

I hope this year we can all take a minute to remember what we have been blessed with.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Back to the real world......

Well, in a few hours I will be headed home..

What an interesting weekend it's been.

Rob dropped my sister and I off at the airport on Friday and I felt like something was missing. Could it be the three kids, the husband, the five pieces of luggage to check in, the three carry-on's, the three car seats and the stoller. Yep, I think that was it.

When we arrived in Utah, my dad came to pick us up. I felt like a little girl again......the "baby," (I am the youngest of 7 children) without my "babies." There I was in my dad's car, my sister in the back seat and I had no one to take care of but myself. It was really strange.

On Saturday, after a 9 1/2 hour certification workshop, and getting lost in the dark on my way home (you see, I am night blind and I was in a very unfamiliar place), I found myself, again, with no one to take care of. I chatted my parents ears off (just like old times), my sister and I went out for ice cream, and came home and watched a movie. No diapers, no screaming, no kids to put to bed...........nice.....but again, strange.

Today I got up and had only myself to get ready for church. There, I got to listen to the speakers, enjoy my nieces and nephews, and actually feel the spirit. It was awesome. My sister hosted a family get together and without even thinking, I got up to get the kids food. Then I realized they weren't there. It was bizarre. Nice, but bizarre.

I only wish I could say Rob was enjoying this time away as much as I am.

When I taked to him on the phone yesturday, he said, "Mel, I don't know how you do this. It's hard!"

VALIDATION!

I think every father should get to have an adventure in motherhood, even if only for a few days. Just to get a feel for what our lives are like, day in and day out.

I LOVE YOU, ROB!

Thank you for giving me wings to fly and being the wind that keeps me soaring high above the clouds.

I owe this all to you. You allow me the freedom to follow my dreams and I love you for it. I feel extremely blessed to have you.

I am so grateful for my adventure in freedom. But alas, it's time to go back to the real world. Back to REAL LIFE. To my wonderfully supportive husband, and my hillariously funny kids (that is that I would think they were hillariously funny if they weren't MY responsibility). This time away has taught me that my husband and my kids ARE REAL LIFE...............MY LIFE and I think it's about time I start enjoying them a little more. Don't you?

Thanks again, Robbie. You're the best!

Freedom..........what will it feel like?

I leave for the airport in less than 20 minutes.

I have the weekend all to myself.....no kids, no husband, no household responsibilities, NO POOPY DIAPERS!

What will I do with myself?

ANYTHING I WANT! (besides the 9 hour certification workshop on Saturday).

I'm actually a little nervous.

Wish me luck!

So much to say....I just cant spit it out......enjoy the pics!

Random.....Random......Random.

I have a lot going on in "the head" right now.....but I don't have time to really analyze it and jot it down so......I just thought I would post some Random pictures.

Rob and leaf pile #2 (luckily there are only about 50 leaves left on the trees).......the thing was huge......almost as tall as Gabe....it was awesome. Of course the boys dove in head first and destroyed it but they had the BEST time doing it. Good Times...........

Isaac LOVES his food. This picture was taken AFTER Isaac had finished his snack. He is always checking to see whether or not anyone has left any scraps behind. He was in luck this time. Cael left an unfinished yogurt on the table. Isaac took to it and finished it off. Then he drank Cael's water and dumped Gabe's all over the place. Oh, and did I mention he does it from ON TOP of the table and the splashes in the puddles. Typical BOY! Naughty that is............

I made this meal with food from our garden (except the peaches). Doesn't the pizza look yummy even without meat and cheese? It was actually REALLY good. Pizza can be healthy. Who would have thought. It has now become somewhat of a habit. Rob gets totally embarrassed calling Papa Murphy's and asking them to leave cheese off part of the pizza. I don't get it. It must be a man thing.

I hope you enjoyed Random Wednesday. No.....it is not my new Wednesday thing. It was just.............um...........well, RANDOM!

Today the fate of our great country will be decided

Warning......political opinion (as in MY OPINION.....not anyone else's) ahead......if you tend to be liberal, you will probably not like what you are about to read.......consider yourself warned.......If you do decide to forge ahead, do so at your own risk.

Today is the day. I have cast my vote and there is nothing more I can do. I must watch and wait along with everyone else.

I cant help but feel a little gloom and doom. For starters, it is raining outside and the cloudy sky has been casting a dark shadow on my soul all day. Secondly, there are MANY important MORAL issues being decided upon, by the American people, today and frankly, as a whole, they do not have my confidence.

I fear we may be headed into the destruction of our country, as we know it . I mean, as a Latter-Day Saint, I have always known it would happen, I just hate to see it come so soon.

Senator Barack Obama is a man of little/no integrity and mixed up morals. He cares nothing for the well being of our country, only to have himself in the spotlight. It is hard enough to follow/support a leader who knows what they want and is willing to work hard to get it, let alone a leader who has no idea what he believes in/stands for. He really is a Superstar...........a man who looks good for the camera but has nothing but fluff in his head.

It could, in fact, be worse.........Hillary Clinton could still be in the race (fluff in the head is far better than steel in the heart and a "lightless" countenance, dont you think?)

SENATOR McCain......you are, by far, the better choice for this country......too bad the majority is too stupid to know that.

(This piece is not intended to personally offend anyone. We all have our own beliefs, thank goodness, and have a right to voice them).

Leaves, Leaves, and MORE Leaves

For many months we have enjoyed the shade of these two beautiful trees in our back yard. We knew, once fall came, we would have quite the task of raking leaves but dreamed of the fun the boys would have jumping in them.

Saturday dawned bright and chilly. What a perfect day for leaf jumping. Rob raked and raked until there was a pile big enough to enjoy. He left for a football game so the kids and I put on our shoes and set out for an adventure.

We had such an fun time. Even Mommy got into the game (such a rarity.....I don't think the kids quite knew what to think of it). Here are some pics:

Just having fun......

"Whoa Cael, NOT ON ISAAC'S HEAD!"

Good throw Gabe!

"Guys.....I SAID, 'NOT ON ISAAC'S HEAD!'"

Burying the mommy. I buried Gabe and Cael as well but they would not hold still long enough to take a picture.

When Rob got home he raked them back into a big pile and we all took turns taking a running leap into it. Except Rob himself. He barely touched it. He said he doesn't like getting leaves in his underwear. No one can blame him right? (CHICKEN!) He hadn't even showered yet (again, CHICKEN). Don't worry....Gabe and I made sure he got his fair share of leaves dumped on his head.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience (even though I found a slug in the hood of my hoodie. YUCK!). What a good time.

This morning when we looked out the window......you couldn't even tell the leaves had been raked the day before. The yard was COVERED (and the trees are not even half bare). Gabe was so anxious to go out and play again, until we reminded him it was Sunday. But......by the look of things, we will have plenty more "Adventures in Leaves" ahead of us.

Good Times........Good Memories..........On the road to becoming a "GOOD" (as in a more playful....not so mean all of the time) mother.

Halloween Bandwagon

We am jumping on the Halloween picture bandwagon.

Festivities started Tuesday night when we went to our old ward's trunk-or-treat. Sorry, no pics.....I forgot the camera.

The fun continued Thursday afternoon. We decorated and ate cookies (my mom's tasty pumpkin cookies) and carved our pumpkins (the two medium sized ones we grew all by ourselves......yeay!). We had a really good time doing that as a family.

Gabe didn't like cleaning his out but I made him anyway (gotta' make a man out of him).


Isaac thought it might be a good idea to EAT the raw pumpkin
(he seemed to enjoy it...no harm done).

All a-glow! Thank for the gourds and corn stalks Grandpa and Grandma G.

On Friday I made pumpkin tortillas for lunch (thanks for the idea Sheena).

I got to go school with Gabe and participate in his classroom Halloween party. It was a lot of fun. I don't get a lot of one-on-one time with Gabe. (Again, I forgot the camera but hopefully one of the other parents will send me a picture).

Gabe said to one of his friends, "That's my mom. She's a lot of fun."

Truthfully, I don't know where he came up with that. I am not-so-much fun but it was nice to hear him say it. Maybe I'm not a complete failure after all.

We had a yummy dinner of chili (again, my mom's super tasty recipe) and cornbread (I forgot the baking powder. It was as flat as a pancake but still tasted good). We got the kids dressed and went trick-or-treating.

The kids looked so cute.

Gabe's Spiderman costume had HUGE muscles (reminded me of the way Rob looked in college) and he enjoyed flexing them for everyone. We had a few "polite" issues (with Gabe) while trick-or-treating (he would say, "What did you give me?" "Wow, I don't like those" "I LOVE THOSE" "Cael can't have those"....the list goes on. We finally gave him a script. It consisted of three phrases...."Trick-or-treat" "Thank you" and "Happy Halloween." He did much better after that.

Cael dressed up as a ghost (although with his coat on he looked more like a hunchback). He had the CRAZIEST hair. It was awesome. People couldn't take their eyes off of it (as if he doesn't get enough attention for it everyday).

Isaac was a frog. We did get him to "ribbit" a few times. SOOOO cute. That boy is just adorable. Trick-or-treating did not hold the same magic for him as it did for the other two. He just kept reaching into his basket and whinning for candy. I finally gave in and gave him a few pieces to quiet his whimpering.

(Yes.....the ghost and frog are repeats from years past).

When we got home, we put Isaac to bed. The other two got to watch Scooby Doo and drink hot chocolate. They LOVED it.

Once all the kids were fast asleep, Rob and I settled in to watch a scary movie together. We haven't done anything like this since before we were married. We watched "The Others." And.....it was scary and truthfully, anything but settling.

All-in-all it was a really fun week.

Next thing to look forward to.......AUNT CHRISTY'S COMING in two weeks.......YEAY!

Phantom was a blast!

Rob and I went to Phantom of the Opera last night. We have been anticipating this for a long time. We bought our tickets clear back in May (when we had a job) and have been anxiously awaiting this night. We have seen it, together, once before (Rob has now seen it 3 times) and, I must admit, it was FAR better here than in Salt Lake. We had AMAZING seats (first balcony, first row, almost center..........did I mention we bought tickets the day they went on sale?), the acting/singing far surpassed that in Salt Lake, and the Spokane Opera house did a $1,000,000 remodel, a few years ago, just so it could host Phantom properly. IT WAS AWESOME!

The Phantom (Richard Todd Adams) was spectacular. He did a PHENOMENAL job. Talented actor/singer, avid sports fan (he watches ESPN in his dressing room when he is not on stage), family man (has a wife and newborn baby who are joining him on tour next week.....that should make sleeping interesting), and..... he's quite a looker, don't you think (although not so much in the grotesque make-up)?

We were lucky enough to get to share the night with our good friends, J & J. Grandma and Grandpa G watched the kids (thank you), and we went out for some FABULOUS Mexican food before the show. What a flippen' good time we had.

Funny story.......I wanted to get a picture of the four of us.......of course, and figured we could do it once we got there. We knew we would not be able to take pictures inside the actual theater so we stopped to take one just outside the doors to our seats. An usher came up to us and said, "You cant have that in here. There are no cameras inside the opera house." At this point I'm thinking two things......1. "How gay is that!" and 2. "We have seen other people taking pictures.....how come no one stopped them?"

So I say......."Ummmm......not inside the entire building."

"Nope"

So I look at my comrades and say....."Well, I guess we will have to take one later.....outside.....after the show"

She says (rolling her eyes), "I guess you could take one really quickly but you have to hurry."

So I say, "Thanks..........ummmmm.........Will you take it for us?"

The usher, "HUMPH.....I guess so.....but we have to hurry."

So....she took the picture...(didn't follow my instructions for focusing the camera......which is why the picture is blurry) but at least we got the picture.

I guess persistence pays off ( and a few nasty looks.....just kidding, I didn't give her any nasty looks....at least I dont think so).

As we walked away she says......."You better put that away before someone takes it away from you."

And I'm thinking, "Yeah, I'd like to see them try."

Needless to say, we had a really good time.

When Rob and I got home and were walking inside, I said, "Man.....I wish we had that kind of passion in our relationship." and he say to me, "What do you mean, we do," and I'm thinking to myself, "Ummmmm..........OKAY......whatever you say dear." (Okay....maybe a little too much information but, come on girls, you get it, don't you?)

Someday, when Gabe's a little older, we will take him to go see it too. He loves it and can hit those high notes right along side his mama (now, I did say I could hit them. I didn't say it sounded good.....but I have fun doing it anyway.....my kids look at me like I'm crazy.......they're probably right!)

Until the next time, I guess we will just have to be satisfied with our cd's, movie, and fond memories of the theater.

I want to see Les Miserables too.

7 RANDOM/WEIRD THINGS ABOUT ME!

1. Growing up my nickname was Tigger (as in....the most wonderful things about tiggers are tiggers are wonderful things........etc). I don't know if it had to do more with the fact that both he (as in Winnie the Pooh's Tigger) and I both have flourescent orange hair or because I bounced off the walls constantly. Probably both.

2. Until I was well into my high school years, I rarely EVER walked down the hallway in my parents house, I summersaulted instead (I think I was rightly nicknamed....Don't you?).

3. I have a broken (bent and crooked) tailbone. In first grade I was spinning around on the jungle gym (again.....Tigger) before school one day and came crashing down (mid spin) onto my tailbone. It REALLY HURT. I remember sitting sideways on my chair for days.
It makes for uncomfortable lap sitting ( for Rob mind you....not me) and makes it very difficult to perform any sort of pilates moved that requires balancing on the sitz bones. I also worried that it might get in the way during child birth but have, somehow, come out of two V-births without any re-breakage.

4. Out of 7 children in my family, I am the only that did not work at Storehouse Market. I am very proud of that fact.

5. In a bizarre twist of events, when the above mentioned Storehouse Market closed, it became a Gold's Gym. I worked out at that gym for YEARS and am now working for Gold's Gym here in Spokane. Coincidence......I think NOT. Maybe it is fate's way of getting me in the end.

6. I have been sent to the principal's office three times. Once, in grade school, when my friend S***** and I were chasing after two sisters, growling at them (They were African-American and the principal thought we may, in some bizarre way, be acting out racistly........nope, not kidding.......In our defence, they were doing it to each other and we just thought it would be fun to join in. No racism involved). The second time was in 11th grade. I had a teacher who had it out for me because I, and another girl, laughed at some very disrespectful remarks a boy in my class made to/about her (she did have every right to be mad). She tried to kick the three of us out of her class (for the rest of the year). After a meeting with the principal, the teacher, and my mother, I was given the choice whether or not to stay (the other two bailed) and my mother thought it would be a good idea to show that teacher up (my mother thought the teacher handled the situation horribly and wanted me to show her that I could act maturly even if she couldn't). So....I stayed. The third time was, again, in 11th grade (man, I had a rough year). It was actually in Seminary. I was quite the disruptive child. I was going through a rough period and didn't really want to be there so I made my teachers life miserable. Unfortunately, my teacher was a personal friend of my fathers and in turn, my dad was mortified when I was asked to leave his class. I, then, tried to drop out of seminary all together but after talking with the principal, decided to continue in a different class. Really, I just stopped going to seminary, for the most part, anyway. I was a complete piece of poo poo back then.

7. I LOVE BANANA PEPPERS! I eat them on ANYTHING I can possibly think to put them on. Oh, and I love green peppers and yellow pepper, and orange peppers, and red pepper. I guess I love all peppers, excluding the ones that make my mouth burn.


Now....for my victims.......so many to choose from......I think, in the spirit of randomness, I will close my eyes and choose.......you guessed it, AT RANDOM. Here goes.......
JULIE G., CELESTE, JAYNE, NATALIE, AMANDA, CARRIE, AUDRA

My baby's not a baby anymore!

What happened to my baby?

I cut Isaac's hair on Saturday and he looks like such a big boy. I don't have a baby anymore and the amazing thing is, I have no immediate desire to fill that "place" in the family.

(Although Cael would GLADLY revert if we let him.)

I know that Rob and I will have more children and they will be a welcome addition to our home.

Who knows, things could change for us in the next few months, and we hope they do (yeah, a job would be nice), but as for now, we are just trying to keep our heads afloat.........I mean...........for now, we are just trying to ENJOY our little family and life as it is.