Picture Overload

Once again I tried to do a photo session with the kids and since it is so cold outside I had to make a really lame photo set in the house. I always get so stressed out when I do sessions with the kids because I try so hard to do a good job and it seems everything always goes crazy. My kids hate it and are difficult. After spending about an hour trying to get everything set up and do Lily's hair she was in a bad mood and Jake was ready for a nap. Here's what I got.

Lily started out expressionless
then switched to this. At least she is expressing some emotion.
Finally she snapped out of it and was great the rest of the time.







Jake was NOT a happy camper

Jacob was trying to make him laugh. He was thinking about it in this one.
Almost got him.......
but then we lost him.

Kat's Birthday

Kat turned 27 this week. I failed to put a post up about it, but we did capture some of the action on video. Rather than posting them here in our tiny little window, I'll just provide a link. There are three videos, one of the kids chasing each other around, one of Kat trying to blow out her candles, and a very long one (15 min) of us decorating the tree. Don't feel the need to watch these, they're for us, but if you want to watch, feel free.

I love you, Kat. You're still as beautiful as the day I met you. <3

Boards

Jacob has been studying for boards like mad the past couple months. Whenever he was home (which was rare) he was cooped up in the bedroom with his laptop studying studying studying. The kids always wanted to go play with him and I would tell them they needed to leave him alone so he could study. A few days ago Lily told me she had a big test coming up that she needed to study for so she needed to be left alone. Then she shut herself in her room for quite a while so I finally went in to check on her and found her actually studying.
This was the test she had to take. Looks pretty complicated if you ask me.
I am happy to say that Jacob completed his boards today (well actually yesterday since I am noticing now that it is after midnight) and he feels pretty good about it. We will find out in a couple weeks how he did. Congratulations Jacob. Thanks for all your hard work.

Merry Christmas!

Watch it on youtube to see the whole screen.

Psion Beta!

Well friends and family, I've finally done it. I published Psion Beta. I'm very very very excited about it. It represents years of hard work. When all was said and done, I decided to stop looking for an agent/publisher for this particular book and do a Print-on-demand service. This doesn't mean I won't continue to look for an agent, but not for Psion Beta. If you're interested in purchasing it either in paperback or for your Kindle, you can do so HERE.

I appreciate everyone's support and encouragement. If you purchase the book before Christmas, you get $5.00 off. Just a bit of an incentive.

J's first time playing in the snow

Tonight I had to go out and shovel the driveway because our plow guy never comes and I was worried Jacob wouldn't be able to get in when he got home. It was Jakes first time playing in the snow and he pretty much thought it was the coolest thing ever. Lily helped me shovel. I don't know why she chose to dump the snow in a big pile right behind the car but it was nice of her to help. Lily has been so excited for it to snow so she could make a snow angel and a snowman. Today It finally snowed enough to do that. Although we didn't get to the snowman because it was late, she still had fun rolling around in all the fluffiness.
Jake does not have proper gloves. He just has little knitted mittens and when they get wet he takes them off. I had to take him inside three times to put socks on his hands and he screamed each time thinking it was time to go in. His poor little hands were bright red ice cubes and he looked absolutely miserable but he still did not want to go inside. I practically had to drag him in after about 45 minutes of play and he kicked and screamed and cried and hung on the door for about 20 minutes till I forced him in a warm bath.
After his bath he put Jacob's boots on and was ready to go out again. He was not happy when I told him it was bedtime.
I wish I would have gotten a video of him first stepping outside. He just giggled and giggled as he tried to walk through the snow that came almost to his waist. I didn't think to grab the camera till we had been out there for a while.

ps. After we went inside the plow guy came. I was so mad but at least the kids had a good time.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

New Camera

Kat got her big Christmas present early. An HD video camera. We've taken a couple of fun videos with it, which we will now share with you. I would actually go to youtube to watch them rather than trying to watch them on the blog.

Smartest Decision Ever

Sorry no pictures. I just wanted to write down something I've been thinking about lately so I don't forget it. When Jacob and I were car shopping for our mini van, one of the big questions we had to ask ourselves was "Do we want a DVD player in the car or not?"

Jacob convinced me the answer was absolutely not because cars without it were obviously cheaper and our kids get enough movies at home but then we started to find some that had a DVD system that looked awfully nice and tempting. I started to really think how nice and fun it would be to have one and eventually our answer turned from absolutely not to whatever it doesn't matter as long as we get a good deal. We then narrowed it down to two cars.

One was just a basic car with nothing special and the other had a DVD system, leather seats, sun roof, automatic power sliding doors and you get the idea. The problem was they were the same price. The latter just had more miles on it. Then my husband did something horrible to me and said "I don't care. You choose. Just let me know when you make a decision."

I battled that decision in my head all day. I called my parents and tried to get them to make the decision for me but they just encouraged me to be smart about it. So I took off my worldly prideful thinking cap and put on my wiser intelligent one. I decided (with the help of my mom/Jacob) that with the economy headed the way it is it might be better to get a car with less miles in case we can't afford another one for many many years. I also realized that a DVD player would be a bad idea because no matter how much I told myself it would only be used on longer drives that eventually I would get used to it being an easy solution to a stressful situation and my kids don't need TV at home and on the go. I remembered family road trips as a kid and how we talked to each other and sang songs and laughed and played; and I wanted it to be that way with my own kids. So I chose the boring car (and I think Jacob was hoping I would pick that car because he was against a DVD player from the start).

A few days after we got the car I was driving to the store when Lily started to sing Families Can Be Together Forever in the back seat. After she said "Mom I want to be a family forever. Do you want to be a family forever?" I told her yes and she said, "Do you think Dad wants to be a family forever?" I said that I knew he did and she decided that Jake probably did, too. It then hit me that so many of the precious conversations that I have with my kids happens in the car and that if they were too busy watching a movie that those precious moments would come to an end. I know this is already so long but I wanted to record another quick conversation I had with Lily tonight as we were driving to pick up Jacob.

Lily: Mom what is Christmas really all about?

Me: (shocked at her question and trying to think of a simple way of explaining it) It's about Jesus and remembering all the wonderful gifts he has given us.

Lily: Oh because Jesus died for me and then he came awake, and that's why we have the bread and water at church.

Me: That's right because he loves you.

Lily: Yep, he is my brother and I gave my tithing to him at church.

Me: Yes you did and why did you choose to do that?

Lily: So that he can build Temples and churches and help people. Can I talk to him?

Me: Yes. When we say our prayers we talk to Heavenly father and Jesus and we can feel them talk to us through the Holy Ghost. Do you remember the Holy Ghost from your nursery class lesson?

Lily: Yes.

Me: That was a great question you asked Lily.

Lily: Thanks mom.

Now back to the car story. I'm not trying to say that people who have DVD systems in their car are dumb and ruined for life I'm just saying that for me and my family not having one was the smartest decision ever.