Giving Thanks

I absolutely love thanksgiving. How can you not have a good day when you sit down and actually think about all that you have to be thankful for!
The kids and I have had a fun week making turkeys, not real turkeys, but the kind that you make by sticking your hand in paint and then pressing it to the paper. Braxton loved this activity this year and was very independent about doing it, "all by myself, mom." Adelle wasn't such a fan but she was a good sport, as usual. It was tricky with her because her fist is usually in her mouth so I had to make sure to have a wash rag with me at all times because as soon as I let go of her fist it goes straight for her mouth. Anyway, we made little thanksgiving notes and sent them/gave them to family members. During this process Braxton and I had some beautiful conversations about everything he was thankful for. It was really sweet.

So then last night, after a wonderful dinner and a busy day, Braxton, Jeff and I were cuddling on the couch while Adelle was asleep.
Braxton (completely out of the blue) says to me, "mom, where is your turkey card?"
Me: "we didn't make one for mommy, huh, that's ok mommy knows that you are thankful for her."
Braxton (now he's distraut and sad for me that I didn't get a card) says, "oh."
Me: "why don't you just tell me why you are so thankful for me."
Braxton: "it's because you really love me."

This of course was better than any card and completely melted my heart. All week when we had made cards he had said he was thankful for treats, and playing ball, and going fishing, and playing crazy (with Jeff) and for his sissy.

I am so thankful for moments like this that remind me of my blessings in such an innocent way. My children are so sweet and straight from heaven. Braxton could have easily said, I actually expected him to say, that he was thankful that I read him books or that I made him yummy dinners or that I sang songs with him....but he didn't. He is truly thankful that I "really love him" and I soooooo do!

Comfort

I had some friends from high school over the other night for dinner and we were "girl talking" and one of my good friends noticed some buckets in the corner labeled "wheat" and she was like, "what is this." "Wheat," I said. Then she started cracking up laughing, like really laughing. After I explained to her the method to my madness she decreased her laughing but never completely stopped. A few weeks later when the stock market was suddenly dropping and banks were in turmoil she called me and was like, "wow, maybe the whole food thing you have going on isn't such a crazy idea." "It gives me a lot of comfort," was what I told her.


It's true, I find comfort knowing that I have a house/garage full of food, should I ever need it and not be able to get out to get it. This past year Jeff and I made a resolution to increase our food storage supply. I really, really want to go to Hawaii with my husband and kids but I must be getting old and more mature because I have really enjoyed saving extra money and using it for food storage. Jeff has been building me shelves in any spare room we can find for storage, here is the garage.
Braxton is totally into helping. He got to wheel the sealed mylar bags from the kitchen to the back bedroom. He didn't get to help in the packaging process, that could have been really fun? The "food grade" buckets are filled with beans, wheat, and oatmeal. They fit really well in Adelle's closet and aparently they are also really fun to sit on (and really high to fall from).
I'm dorky, but here I am demonstating how easy this process is that we have been doing. You buy the bulk of whatever (I found split peas and lentils at cash and carry and brown rice at Costco) pour it into mylar bags, throw in an oxygen absorber and iron the bag at the open end to seal it. It's amazing and quick and easy and the bags are perfect for storing smaller portions....
This was actually our date night last week and what an efficient and productive date it was! Also the mylar bags are really nice because you can fit them in a small space, under the bed, in the closet....wherever.
More shelves in the garage! Here I have a variety of dried foods right outside the door into the house so I can stand on the ledge in my socks and reach whatever I need. So handy! So here's the formula folks: More food= more comfort =more sitting at home in your pajamas when it's snowing hard and you don't want to venture out for hot cocoa (or milk or sugar or rice....)

Braxton turned 3

Jeff's words, "How do WE have a three year old?"

His birthday was a huge hit. I honestly have never met anyone more excited for a birthday party then Brax was. It was so much fun. We are so blessed to have such great family who all love him so much and helped him have such a wonderful day, actually such a wonderful whole weekend!

A few of my favorite things...

Braxton can make Adelle laugh so easily. It's so sweet to watch, that and the random kisses.

Rolling Over! Sitting! Scooting?

Why is it that with your first, at least for our first, we were always anxious for him to do something new for the first time? I remember thinking, "when will he sit up, when will he roll over, when will he crawl?"
Now with the second it's like, "slow down, you are growing up too fast!
Adelle has been sitting for a while and rolling over and last night she was scooting off her blanket. It's going too fast!

This made me really nervous! Adelle has lost her swing privledges because she won't just sit back and relax. She wants so bad to be up and running around with Braxton.



I love, love, love that Adelle and Carson are so close in age and that we live so close to them. They are so fun together. Usually Carson is trying to get his hands on Adelle but she can definetly hold her own, thanks to Brax, and if not she has her big brother to stick up for her. Every little girls dream! She is quickly catching up in size to Carson.






Many of you who know Braxton well know that he is a huge "mimic"er! This is him mimicing dad at work, digging in the dirt. He reminds me of my brother Brent who's tongue is always out when he is really concentrating on something. This picture doesnt' capture the smile but Adelle is loving watching her brother work. It is so fun to watch them interact with each other.

Yesterday Braxton and Adelle were both on my bed and they were playing hide and seek. Braxton's idea. So Braxton would put the covers over Adelle, hop to the end of the bed, count to 7, then go pull the covers off of her and "find her." It was so funny to watch and they were both giggling.

Hairdresser goes on Strike!

Funny, Jeff is totally posing for this picture. There were some other poses too but you all don't get to see those...sorry!

So I am the hairdresser and no I didn't really go on strike. Jeff's hair is always the same, since I all I know how to do is use the buzzer thing.

We've been so busy lately that his haircut kept getting put off and put off and put off. Eventually we got passed the "stick straight up stage" and I started to really like his hair longer. I told him I just wasn't going to cut it.

This too is funny and worth noting. He would rather just grow it forever then spend the money to go have someone else cut it (I secretly love that I get to be his hair dresser). So I knew last weekend he wasn't going to be at church because he was driving home from a fishing trip so I decided one more week couldn't hurt. I really think the long hair is hot but he felt like it was rebelious or something so last night I gave in and cut it so that he could go to church today and not feel like a rebelious teenager. That and aparently some of his buddies at work were getting grossed out by his fuzzy neck.

But, needless to say it was fun while it lasted. Good thing we go to church because the rest of the week no one really sees his hair but me (he wears a hard hat at work) and I would have let it keep growing.

No after pictures but you all know what the standard Jeff haircut is, right. He's handsome no matter what!

Happy Halloween

Hope everyone had a great Halloween. Special thanks to Braxton who sang, "Rain, rain, go away..." all morning. The night ended up clearing up and being Beautiful. Kids are so optimistic!

We hit up the Trunk or Treat at my parents ward....quick easy candy!

Braxton evaluating his treats!

Adelle pouting that she didn't get any candy, just a big pumpkin.

Yes this is me, the one in the blue sweatshirt. I totally dominated the pie eating contest at the church carnival. That's right!

Our festive family. My Alice dress special thanks to Jeff's aunt Tina who made it. Jeff's costume special thanks to my mom and dad's closet, he made a great Mad Hatter.

Here's Braxton and his friend Ellie at the church carnival. Braxton was appauled at the event and spent most of his time watching Ellie in horror. She kicked his cowboy bootie at this one for sure.