Spoiler Alert!

These will be on my Christmas cards (that's the spoiler).

But I couldn't be more pleased with how these turned out!

We had them taken a couple Friday's ago.

I was literally trying to figure out what to have everyone wear at 11pm the night before.

But I think they turned out wonderful.

I wish that we could have had Jeramie's boys in them.

But it's been a bad year as far as they go.

Unfortunately their mother has been incredibly difficult this year.

We never know when Jeramie might be allowed to pick them up for the day.

It's a long story.

But I feel bad they miss out on these kinds of things just because their mother likes to exercise her control.

But with just the four kiddos we have at home these turned out better than I could

have ever dreamed.

Just look at Oliver's adorable shoes!!

 

Thanksgiving Already?

I truly can't believe in three days it's Thanksgiving!  Where has this month gone?  I feel like I'm back to another post of catch up stuff.  We've been steadily busy.  But not any one big thing in particular.  I'm trying hard to wrap up my Christmas shopping and I'm really close.  Then I actually have to move on to the task of physically wrapping each and every one.  I'm still optimistic that I can get a lot of that done this coming weekend.

The biggest thing going on for me personally right now is my last week and a half of Half Marathon training.  I go to Las Vegas a week from this Saturday.  I've been spending my lunch time three days a week running on the Jordan River Parkway.  It's still working out really well.  In the middle of the day it's not even that cold.  Yesterday I ran 9 miles.  Even to me that sounds like a LOT.  That's right friends, in a couple weeks I shall be leaving Jeramie and all the kids at home while I fly to Las Vegas with my best friend Rebecca.  Just the two of us.  She's leaving her two kids with her hubby too.  It's going to be a great girls trip.  Jeramie likes to remind me constantly of how "lucky" I am to get to get away for a couple days.  Which I quickly remind him that he went for TWICE as long just barely last year to Chicago for the Notre Dame game.  While I was a solid 7 months pregnant on top of it!  I can't wait. I've been very dedicated to my training plan and I have no doubt that I will run every single one of those 13.1 miles.  It's crazy to me that I began this running adventure just barely 9 months ago.  And here I am running a half marathon in a couple weeks.  I do have my sights on running a full marathon before my 40th birthday.  Not in 2012 though. I will probably run a few half's this coming year to continue to build my base. But maybe 2013??  We shall see. 

Rebecca and I and the SoJo 5K

Rebecca has been challenged with an injury and I feel so bad for her. We've been training together for months now and she's really struggling to get some runs in.  This weekend though she rode her bike next to me for nine miles while I ran.  She's a GOOD friend.  I can't imagine how hard that must have been for her knowing that she wanted to be running.  She's awesome!

I'm obsessed with cute running clothes too.  There is this one website that I LUST after things but they're really pricey. However, I finally made my first purchase this weekend.  The red and black adorableness was too much to pass up knowing that it would be the PERFECT running skirt to go with my Ute's gear when I'm running races in Utah County.  Thanks to Jeramie for picking up some extra hours at work to share with me!  I cannot wait for it to arrive!

On to non-running related things.  Wyland had a funny moment the other week.  He was telling Grandma how he loved his long hair and he was going to have long hair like Rupunzel (I've let him watch Tangled).  Then two days later he and Baylee were upstairs unattended (which home with Jeramie) and he apparently asked Baylee to cut his hair short.  Which resulted in this:

I cannot believe Baylee did that. But then I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  She chopped her own bangs off multiple times as a child.  At least it wasn't Wyland's bangs.  And at least it was AFTER we had done our family pictures.  It now sits down when I dry his hair so it's not the end of the world.

Then later that weekend while we were eating lunch at Costco on a Sunday the poor kid fell off the table and wacked his head on the cement floor.  He got a nice bruiser.  I was expecting a full black eye but as it turned out it just went a touch purple and then went away. He's such a tough kid!

We've been to a couple movies with the kids, I took Wyland and Baylee to see Puss in Boots (I totally recommend this, it was really cute).  And I don't love going to kids movies so that says a lot coming from me.  Then Jeramie took Jackson and Wyland to see Happy Feet 2 yesterday while I shopped.  They seemed to enjoy that one too.  I'm SO glad that they are both to the age that we can go to the theater and they're actually good and watch the movie. 

Next up .. Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and my birthday! And that's JUST THIS WEEK!

Happy Halloween 2011

This year I took the day off of work for Halloween.

Since we didn't go on any big vacations this year I had a little time off to spare.

It's been nice to be able to take an occasional day off just for little things.

This year since Halloween fell on a Monday I wanted to be able to go and help with Jackson's class party.

So that is how our day began.  Jackson didn't know I was coming.

He was pleased as punch to see me when I arrived and couldn't understand why I was at school.

I got to work the Bingo table.

The parent that put on the party did such a great job!

Here she was making some "witches brew".  (aka rootbeer)

Here they were heading off to parade the other Kindergarten classrooms before leaving.

Since Jackson is in morning Kindergarten they didn't get to participate in the big school parade.

 Rachel was a Peep, Grandma was a Pirate, then my kiddos.  There's Baylee in the background waiting for trick or treaters to arrive.  She LOVES handing out candy.

Oliver the Bat

Wyland .. Bubblebee

Jackson .. Optimus Prime

Yeah .. that's Jeramie in there.  Embarrassing.

They both LOVED trick or treating this year.  We never go far.  Just up the street and back.

Here was Wyland at the end of the night sharing some time with Polly.



Pre Halloween Festivities

I'm so behind on my Halloween posts.

I'm sure people are all Halloween-ed out.  But alas, I must share.

We began our festivities on Friday.

Heading over to the Harmon Halloween Extravaganza.

This is put on by my mum's work every year.  Crazy spook allies and fun stuff.

The kids were scared and just wanted to get to the "dancing party".

They finish in the cafeteria where they have snacks and a DJ spinning lots of fun kid songs.

My little Transformers.

 The kids were most impressed with Grandma's Dr. Seuss costume.

After the Harmon party we headed up to my parents to carve pumpkins.

My brother picked up some GIANT pumpkins too.

Jeramie was indeed a little intimidated.

Wyland thought it was really cool.

Jackson helped Dad with the big one.

Baylee didn't dress up this year for the first time.

These patterns are HARD.

There may or may not be a bird missing from my finished product.

Our masterpieces.

Clockwise from the top:  Jeramie, Amber, Mike, Amber, Me, Baylee.