Take My Picture Mommy

A while ago Grant was in the tub and asked if I could take his picture.  He likes to go fishing in the bath and he is showing me all the fish he caught.  I love having such a cute little boy in my life.

Beep-Bo-Bober (a.k.a. Sleepover)

Beep bo bobers are the best with a large doses of silliness and no sleeping.  They got the crazy idea to sleep together in the same bed.  After about 45 minutes they were both so tired but they kept trying to keep each other awake.  I finally put them in different beds and they were both asleep in seconds.  I love it when these two get together.

The Things My Child Says

My child never ceases to amaze me.  The older he gets the harder I laugh.  The last few days some particularly great things have come out of his mouth.  Here we go:

Scene 1: Walking down the steps to the car.
Mom: Grant do you want me to hold your hand?
Grant: No, I am tough.
Mom: I know you are tough but I don't want you to fall.
Grant: Mom I ate all my chicken last night.  I have strong muscles.  I don't need help.
Mom: Well, OK then.

Scene 2: We have just woken up and are sitting on the potty.
Mom: Grant are you getting excited about your birthday?
Grant: No, I don't want my birthday.
Mom: You don't want your birthday?
Grant: I want to be 1 on my birthday.  Then I will be a baby and I can wear diapers.  I don't like sitting on the potty.

Scene 3:  Previous day was nice weather and we went outside to play.  Today it is windy and cold.
Grant: I want to go outside and play basketball.
Mom: It is windy and cold outside.
Grant: Oh.  I don't like it windy I will just go downstairs and play.

Scene 4:  We are at a restaurant looking at the menu.  The waiter comes to our table.
Waiter: Hi, my name is John.  I will be taking care of you guys tonight.  Can I get you something to drink?
Kyle: I would like a diet Coke.
Waiter: Alright, and you?
Mom: I would just like water.
Waiter (to me): Anything for the little guy?
Grant (leaning over me): I want orange drink, chocolate milk, chicken, ketchup and french fries.
(Obviously we go out to eat too much.)

Circus

I have been terrible about posting on my blog.  I have a pretty good stack of pictures that need to be posted.  I will try and get caught up.

A few months ago we went to the circus with my family.  The kids loved it.  I haven't been to a circus in years and I have to say it was a lot of fun.  Grant's favorite part was the motorcycles that ran drove around the big metal ball.  It was loud, but pretty cool.  I don't think anyone could pay me enough to ride a motorcycle in a ball with 5 other motorcycles.

The kids walked down to the floor before the show started.  They were able to see some of the animals up close.  The elephants were pretty cool!

We were sitting in the back and so the kids could see better if they stood up.  Kyle was the favorite lap to stand on.  

2010: A Fair Performance

I know it is almost the end of January and while everyone else's New Year Resolutions are almost forgotten I am just getting started.  (I don't know which is better.)

My first goal for 2010 were to start some family history work.  I did get an account on the family history website.  I did index a few names, actually a couple hundred names.  And that is where it stops.  I really tried to get some of my own history done, but my family members weren't very helpful.  I will continue to index for now.

Holding FHE every night has been a joke.  I have read the Book of Mormon with Grant a few times.  I do try to talk about the principles of the gospel when ever I get a chance.  The FHE thing is hard right now because I can't even get Kyle to come to church more than once every three months.  It is super hard to implement spiritual things at home with no support.  I will keep trying.

I have tried to share my testimony more often.  I have a neighbor I have become pretty good friends with.  I  finally mustered the courage to ask her to church.  She hasn't come yet, but I have invited her a lot.

I ran a 10K this year!  The Peach Days 10K was a beast.  I did pretty good.  I ran it in exactly 60 minutes.  I was super excited.  The whole last 2 miles are up hill.  I was pretty proud of myself for accomplishing such a big goal.

The last goal I had was to get a website up and running.  Well, there is a website.  It is up and running.  It just sucks.  I don't like how it turned out.  I don't find it very functional.  I don't know what to do with it now except quit.  I hate to quit because I put a lot of time and effort into the thing.  I just think it is awful.

Now,  I haven't been sure what I want to do this year, which is why I haven't posted my goals up for the year.  Our lives are up in the air right now.   The future at ATK is still uncertain.  Kyle has looked for jobs in Colorado, Idaho, and Utah.  It is still possible we could move to Idaho, but nothing is for sure yet.   I have thought about changing my job, but I am not exactly sure what I want to do if I did change.  I would like to do a little traveling this year, but again Kyle's job is really uncertain right now and so we are not sure if we should spend a lot of money traveling.


I can make a few personal goals that will be attainable no matter what happens.

My goals for 2011
1. I would like to read the Book of Mormon again.  Cover to cover.
2. Continue to work out 3 times a week.
3. Clean out my Slumber Party stock.  I hope to make money off of at least some of it.

A Couple of Keepers

Kyle's uncle passed away right after Thanksgiving.  I really don't like people passing away between the holidays.  It can really put a damper on things.   It is so hard to be happy for the holidays when the people you love are missing.  I think it just isn't right.  This next statement is going to sound a little hypocritical, but I really enjoy funeral services.  Now I don't like the reason we are there or the heartbreak and sorrow that is felt.  I am not the morbid.  I do like the spirit of peace that is often at funerals.  It reminds me how small and insignificant this life is compared to eternity.  I am reminded at how lucky we are to believe in heaven.  I know we will get to see our lost friends and family again.  I like that reminder.  It really shoots my life back into perspective. (Maybe that is why it is ok for people to pass away during the holiday season.)

On a lighter note...
I took some pictures at the funeral services.  As I was editing them I found some real keepers.  I thought I would share.  ENJOY!

Great Grandpa Al.  (I always seem to get really good pictures of him at funerals.)

Kyle, Grant, and Lee (Grant is "cheesing" for the camera)

This really doesn't need any type of caption.  It is just cute.  I took this at the graveside service.

This is a question for anyone who has ever taken pictures for a funeral before.  I sort of feel like taking pictures at a funeral is a little irreverent.  I feel it would be like clapping during sacrament meeting. Does anyone else feel the same way?

Christmas

I absolutely have to get these pictures up before January 25!  It will not take me a month to get these pictures up.  At our house Christmas is a 3 day extravaganza!  It starts on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve we spend the day with Art and Irene, Grant's great grandma and grandpa.  We eat dinner and open a few gifts.  Art and Irene haven't been able to go shopping the last few years so the adults get money, not complaining, except Kyle usually spends mine.  Oh well.  Grant spent most of the time on the floor playing with his cars.

Irene got him a really nice suit for church (better pictures are below).  You can tell how excited he was about it.

Grant helping Art open a present.  Grant is a very good helper.  If you aren't fast enough he will take the initiative to help you out.

Christmas Day starts at our house.  I didn't take any pictures because we had the video camera out.  We then head down to Cindy's in the afternoon.  This year was very nice because we got to talk to Chris.  He is on his mission in Bolivia.  

Opening presents at lightening speed.

It was so relaxing to just spend the rest of the day at Cindy's.  Grant's favorite gifts were two puzzles.  He really didn't want to open anything else.  He just wanted to go to his puzzles.  

The day after Christmas or "Boxing Day", whichever you prefer, is spent at my parents.  Since it fell on a Sunday we joined my family at church.  This is Grant in his nice suit.  Evy was wearing a beautiful snowflake dress.  We thought they looked so cute together.  Such silly cousins.

Evy with all of her new toys and completely crashed after the excitement died down.

Grant playing with his cars mat and cars.  I love the bum in the air.  So cute.

There you have it.  Our Christmas in a nutshell.  We hope you holiday was as fun as ours.