Halloween at Cornbelly's!

We had a way fun trip to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point Last week! Aunt Katie got to come and the kids and Ben and I loved having her along! She is such a sweet Aunt to the Kids and they just love her! Here are some pics:

When we went to Cornbelly's last year with Laine, I was still pregnant with Gabe. I was so jealous of everyone who got to jump on this big trampoline thing! I waited an ENTIRE YEAR for my turn. It did not disappoint.

Katie Giving Gabe a ride on the "whorsey" as Laine would say. I love your face Kate, you look like you should be saying something like, "Hey there Dollface, come on up here and have a ride with your Auntie Kate. It'll be the bees knees, the cats pajamas, really Doll!" (Said in a very low smoker-voice with a cackle-laugh at the end)

Laine wondering what she has gotten herself into

Gabe loved the wagon ride

Ben looking like he is having the time of his life!

Gabe is with me for every picture because Laine HAD to do everything with Daddy. Motherboy doesn't look to sure about the ride, but I guess since Mom was with him he could try to brave the BIG, LONG slide...Good times

Witches Festival at Gardner Village

Yesterday I loaded up the kids to show up 40 minutes late to playgroup. Sounds about like normal. It was one of those mornings. Gabe woke up with a unreal blowout and I won't go into much detail about the cleanup of that horrendous mess. Laine was being sassy, but she was very excited to go "to a Halloween place, to see Halloween stuff" so she did try to cooperate somewhat.

I got the kids loaded up and then I couldn't get the stroller to fold down. I tried everything! I even tried force so strong I thought I would break it, which by that point I didn't care one lick about actually doing so. The thought of schlepping my heavy boy all around Gardner Village sans the stroller was enough to balk at the money it would cost to replace it! I tried to load it in without folding it, and that was a no-go as well. I am sure my neighbors had quite an enjoyable time watching my frustration and hearing me ordering my kids to hurry, be nice, and just plain quit talking as I tried in vain to get us out the door.

Once we got there we had a great time. It was fun to spoil the kids for a day. We went to the candy store and bakery for some goodies, and had a great time with our friends. We got to go see Daddy at work after, and bring him a treat. It was a really fun day!

I asked Laine if she thought the witches were scary and she said, "no, they are very pretty!"

(Thanks again Tammy for letting us borrow your stroller!)

Lunch was the best part as the kids decided to entertain themselves. Laine and Caden quite enjoyed circling around and around and around.

Hey topgun! I couldn't find my shades and had to borrow Ben's. I look ridiculous!

My friend Tammy playing with Gabe

I guess this witch wasn't scary either. When we got to Ben's office, our friend Jason Norton asked Laine who was prettier, the witches, or Mommy. Everyone had a good laugh when she chose the witches. I suppose I will try to grow some warts for her and make my face green if that's what she wants to wake up and see every morning.

Couples Golf!

A couple of weeks ago, Ben and I enjoyed a lovely round of golf with Kristine and Jordan (my sister and her boyfriend). The air was brisk and the sun was shining, a perfect day for golf! I got to use my new pink clubs that Ben bought me, an awfully nice "just because" gift, don't you think? Should I be worried?...

Actually, I know how his scheming mind works. He knew if he could get me into the sport, by way of the color pink, I would go golfing with him, ensuring him more golf time. It worked! How is it that we women are so easily bought-off?! I can hardly imagine Ben being excited about cooking, cleaning, jewelry making, or crafting if I bought him stylish accoutrements, even if they were Aggie blue...

So here we are setting out. I did consider playing in those heels, but thought better of it and changed into my tenny runners

The course was gorgeous with all of the beautiful fall colors, and there were deer everywhere. Though they didn't want to be my friend, no matter how hard I tried

That's me, the expert driver

The expert driver once again

Okay, not really! But it was better than this!! It is a good thing that Tiene is so smart and talented, I fear she won't be able to rely on golf, sorry Tiene!

Kristine and Jordan, awww.... Thanks again to Grams for watching this kids so we could go!

Happy Birthday Gabe!

I can't believe my little baby is ONE! Happy Birthday Gabe, I love you so much. Being your Mother is a gift so that is so precious and dear to me, you are my treasure. Since the moment you were born, I have loved you and have felt so special and proud to call you my Son. You have such a sweet and special spirit! You have been the BEST baby, always happy and cheerful. You have a love for life and a happiness about you that is so contagious, I hope you never lose it! I love having my little boy, it was so fun (and strangely novel) to go shopping for toy tools and Tonka trucks, I LOVED it!

Here are some things that are noteworthy for you and your life up to this point:



* You love to laugh, dance, and be innocently mischievous



* You are a GREAT eater! You have loved bananas but are now starting to love carrots or broccoli the best.



* You are still crawling, but love to tease us with a few steps now and again!



* You love to make other people happy, you love to get into a laughter fit with people



* You sing every once in a while, it is so cute!



* You throw the cutest little tantrums and kick and throw yourself. For now it is just really funny when you do it



* You are cautiously friendly



* You are a MAJOR scaredy cat!



* You are so sweet, but not cuddly



* You are sooooo cheerful! You usually wake up happy and then eat, play, and stay good until it is time for a nap. You are only every cranky if you are tired.

I love you so much Gabe, you are my sweet little boy, Happy First Birthday!

Here are some pics of the day, start to finish. Surprising we didn't get a pic of Gabe in his new favorite toy, his cozy coupe. He also got a Tonka truck, tools, blocks, and a baby laptop. I hope you enjoy your new toys as much as Laine will!

Of course, as is normal for this age, he enjoyed the packaging more than the actual toy

Mom helping him out with the gifts

Look at that sweet face!


Pure Carnage!

He seriously looks like his cousing Aniston here

Laine quite enjoyed the cake as well

Friends

The other day I took the kids to the park. EVERY time we go to the park, sweetest Laine finds a little friend, sometimes older, sometimes younger or sometimes really close to the same age. Within 5 minutes, her and her little friend are running around holding hands. The last time the little girl as a 2 year old Mexican girl who barely spoke English! They were just darling. They were having the time of their lives together running around, playing, despite the fact that they had just met and won't continue to see each other again on a regular basis.

It got me thinking about adults, and women in particular. It seems many women grow up to be so insecure about themselves. I have many friends who have wonderful talents, attributes and abilities; I totally agree that it is hard to not be envious when you see someone who's life seems to be perfect. However, I wish that we as women could put those feelings aside. I wish that when someone had a talent or attribute that we don't feel we posses, we could be HAPPY regardless, and be grateful for the way those talent and attributes go on to enrich OUR lives.

We really should appreciate what each other brings, and what each other teaches us, rather than having it make us feel so insecure about ourselves! Others talents and abilities don't say anything about our lack of that talent or ability, so why to we often let ourselves feel that way? If we all felt a little better about ourselves and our talents and what we bring to the table, we wouldn't have to always feel so bad about what WE FEEL we are lacking!

Okay, sorry for the rant, I promise I will go back to having it be lighthearted, just give me this once to be serious!

Our little doggy

Ben will be relieved to know that he won't need to make good on the promise of getting a pet when we finally "settle" somewhere. He has been promising me a dog for years, but I guess we already have one, and his name is Gabe. This little puppydog crawls around at my feet all day, following me around like a little shadow. He has also started to ALWAYS have something he is dragging around in his mouth, it is such a crack-up.

All of the being on all-fours combined with the various "bones" he finds and carries around in his mouth (usually a hackey-sack ball, but he does find all sorts of things) really make me feel like I've got a Son and a Pet all in one. Come to think of it, he even buries his toys...

Doggie eating lip gloss

Doggie in the tub

Crying doggie

Doggie eating lunch

Doggie playing with toys

Splashin' doggie

Doggie playing a board game... ya, that's a huge dice from a boardgame being played

House Update

I am writing a new book called, "Adventures in Selling Your Home" here is what I have so far:

"This sucks."

So this week we got the bait and switch twice. One person called midweek and said they wanted to drive by. I said if they gave me 10 minutes I could whip it together for them to come inside. They didn't sound like they were interested, but also didn't say they would not come. So, despite the fact that I was in the middle of dinner for Laine and a bath for Gabe and Ben was playing softball, I scurried around the house for 45 minutes to get it in pristine condition.

I wiped, polished, mopped, scrubbed, picked up clutter, shoved miscelanious objects in nightstands, armoires, and even the fridge (kind of reminded me of last week and the open house when I was so frantic I put a piant can in the fridge to get it out of the way). I once again lit ALL of the candles, the fireplace. The table is of course still set, so we are eating on a small patio set that I bought and haul in and out of the house. Anyway, they were a no show.

Then today, a whole carload of people show up for the Open House! Yay! Not really, because today we decided to take the day off, completely. When they showed up and noon, neither of us were dressed, appropriately and the house was a wreck. We ran to throw on shirts and hats and I finally ran to the door as they were backing out. They wanted to see the house, and I asked if they could give us 10 minutes to whip it into shape. They said they would go to another open house in the neighborhood and be back after that. So once again the routine of frantically cleaning and lighting began, as the lunch I had just finished making sat on the stove getting cold. Once again, all for nothing. They, of course, never came back. They probably really wanted to buy and ended up signing on the other house, I am sure that is what happened.

PS: I answered many of the questions in a comment on the last post about the house, but in case you missed it, the house is in in Herriman (that is in SLC for those of you who aren't familiar, really far south and really far west. About 5500 West 14200 South). It is listed for $379,900 and that includes our car, Mercedes-Benz ML320 for free. If you want more info I have a blog for the house too. www.homeinherriman.blogspot.com.

Baby's first corn on the cob

This Boy really puts the food down, at this rate I think he will be a linebacker. But I had no idea he was capable of handling his first corn on the cob! I will post some post-feeding belly pics. He always looks about 8 months pregnant after eating (or as Uncle Noah says, he looks like the starving children of Africa with a swollen belly)

Grrrrr... stay away from my corn!

Got it just about clean!

Would anyone like to buy a house?

Okay, although this is the 3rd home we have purchased, the last home we sold had tenants in when we sold it, so it was their job to keep it in pristine order. We still own the 2nd house, so this is really the first home we have had to do ALL of the work to sell. Trying to keep it clean, trying to get people here and see it, doing fliers and the whole bit. It is not just that you have to keep it clean, you have to keep every inch of it immaculately clean, including your closets, drawers, pantry, and refrigerator. I'm so over it already and it has only been a week and a half!

We had an open house this weekend, I had bottled water, homemade chocolate zucchini bread, banana bread, chocolate chip cookies (it was actually all dough so I could have it ready to bake up fresh). We had candles burning in every room, fresh flowers, balloons, even the car parked outside since it comes free with the house. Yes, you heard that right, FREE 2001 Mercedes-Benz ML320 with the purchase of your new home!

The table was set with brand new silverware and goblets so as not to have any water marks from the dishwasher on them. Ben and I had stayed up until 4 in the morning cleaning, organizing, finishing every last ever-lovin detail on the basement. We were here from 9-4 Saturday and NOT ONE person showed! Can you believe it, it was pathetic. I know that the home is priced right, the place across the street is only 350 square feet bigger and listed for almost 70K more, and no free car! Here are some pics of our beautiful home, please come and buy it!

Kitchen

Living Room Upstairs

Master Suite

Gabe's room

Laine's room

Upstairs Bathroom

Downstairs Guest Bedroom

Downstairs office

Downstairs Bathroom

Downstairs Family Room

Gabe's Wild Night

For those of you who know my Dad, you know he gets the biggest kick out of himself, which makes all of his antics that much more hilarious. Last week my family was in town for a visit. Sunday morning was, of course, crazy with everyone scurrying to get ready for church. In all of the chaos, I didn't happen to notice that my Dad was assinged to dress Gabe. Since we had to take 2 cars, I also didn't even see Gabe before we got to church.

Ben and I got there and sat down, and I look at my Dad is giving me that face from Dumb and Dumber, the one that says "eat up and I'll tell ya". I am wondering what the heck is going on. Then I look over at Gabe and realize that my Dad has dressed him with his shirt unbuttoned to his chest and his collar folded outside of his blazer. If there were goldchains to be found in the house, my Dad would have found them and put them on too. Alas, there were none, so he was missing that crucial aspect of the outfit.

By the time church was over, Gabe looked like a complete mess. He was so tired and he had crumbs from all of the food we shoved at him all over himself. The red tired eyes, the crumbs, and the outfit got us making up stories about how Gabe had had a hard night of drinking the night before. We made up story after story about him and we laughed our heads off. We almost got out a paper bag to put over his bottle to snap some pics of that, maybe it's not too late...