Thankful

Isn't this just the BEST time of year?! I want to have gratitude; always. In honor of Thanksgiving, I want to reflect on some of what I am grateful for. I would like to think that the list could go on, and on, but I am gonna stick with 100. I challenge you do to this too...

1. A loving Heavenly Father
2. His Son Jesus Christ
3. The gospel
4. My perfect husband
5. Sweet Carson
6. Spunky Drake
7. Innocent Brooks
8. Contacts and glasses
9. My home
10. My mini-van (NEVER thought I would say that...EVER)
11. My Vacuum
12. My bed
13. Hot showers
14. Food & feeding my family healthy things (grateful for the knowledge)
15. Trials
16. Sacrifice - I'm learning this one...thank you, children
17. Chapstick
18. Date night with my hubby
19. A good pair of walking shoes
20. Some wicked-awesome tenacity
21. My height
22. Good friends - I have had a few near and dear friends come into my life. Makes me realize I was really missing out when I didn't put the effort in to be a good friend to those when I was younger.
23. My sewing machine
24. My strollers
25. Food storage
26. Tupperware
27. Blogging - I love to express my feelings
28. Good conversations
29. Everyone who is smarter than I. I love learning from others
30. A good feather pillow
31. My cell phone...aka lifeline to my family
32. A garage to park in
33. Generous people
34. The ability to bear and rear children
35. Hairbands - big time
36. A good book
37. Humor - I LOVE to laugh
38. Beautiful music
39. Music that makes you want to dance
40. My family - all of them
41. My bathrobe. It's pink
42. Make-up. I am not addicted to it, but I really do need mascara.
43. Q-tips
44. New York & Company - FINALLY a store I KNOW I can by pants in that will be long enough and won't break the bank
45. My razor
46. My toothbrush
47. Fun Games - my favorite two being Pinochle and Guesstures. If you EVER want to play PLEEEEASE call me!
48. The YW in my ward - my current calling is with them
49. Visiting Teaching - I know, I am a dork
50. The nice animal control people
51. The shopping carts and wal-mart...you know, the ones made to hold like 6 kids
52. My grandparents (I know this goes along with family, but they deserve an extra big shout-out)
53. Thermal curtains
54. Working air conditioning and heating
55. Those of you who read my blog - again, dorky, I know. It SERIOUSLY makes my day when I find out someone reads it though whom I didn't expect. I also love my "regulars". Writing for myself, but giving others insights into our lives is truly the best combination in my mind.
56. Grass - ours is currently being groomed. We seeded a couple of months ago. Can't wait to lay on it with the kiddos and look at the clouds.
57. Volleyball
58. My piano...one of my best friends
59. A musical husband - we love to "jam"
60. Hand sanitizer
61. Icecream - it's my go-to. Everything else I can pass up.
62. A strong body
63. My education
64. The shows Dave and I watch together (Bones, Mentalist, Leverage) it's really fun to hunker down and decompress with him after a long day.
65. POPCORN!!!!
66. Braces
65. Dove soap
66. Dave's "Astros" sweatshirt. I wear it ALLLLLL the time
67. Refrigerators
68. Rain
69. Holidays
70. Musicals - we are going to see the Lion King tonight!
71. Lilac bushes
72. Daylight/Sunlight - isn't it ironic that my birthday fall on the longest day of the year?? (as far as sunlight is concerned)
73. Clear night skies - on occasion, Dave and I will sneak out our bedroom window and lay on the roof that is over the garage and just gaze up into the sky...
74. periods. I do this....way...too...much...and...I...know...it...but...I...don't...care...
75. Love letters
76. BACK SCRATCHES!!!! - NOT back rubs
77. Toilet paper...and toilets for that matter
78. My scale - strange, I know
79. My teeth
80. Green eyes - not many people have them; it's kinda fun
81. My scriptures
82. All the parks around here
83. Water - clean water at my disposal - wow
84. Dave's job
85. My job - tiny as it is, I am grateful for it (I work for my mom like 3 hours a week)
86. My computer
87. Fingernail clippers
88. Opportunities to serve
89. Good memories - I have SOOOOOOO many stories to share
90. My wedding ring. I love it
91. Deodorant - I have the ability to be one STINKY girl
92. Trampolines
93. Sunglasses
94. Duct tape
95. Plastic wrap and aluminum foil
96. Garlic and onions - hhhhhhi! hhhhhhhhhhhow are yooooooooou?
97. Scrapbooks (my blog is included in this)
98. External hard drives
99. Sleeping babies - they are so beautiful and peaceful
100. The temple

Dogs & Scammer Udpates

DOGS
I want to give a big shout out to those who helped give me ideas on my canine conquests. Here is what I have come up with:
1. I now walk a different route on my walk. I leave my street and cut across a nearby field over to the business area by by neighborhood. I feel substantially safer. There are a lot less cars too.
2. I will be carrying wasp spray. I have received that recommendation a couple of times now. It has the same effect as the mace spray but shoots a lot farther.
3. I am seriously contemplating carrying a "walking stick" aka golf club.

SCAMMER
Shortly after returning back from Trick-or-Treating on Halloween we got a call from Geico. Thinking it was yet another sales call (we get like 5 a day), I didn't answer. They proceeded to leave a message, "Hello this is ??? from Geico. I am calling regarding such and such claim involving an unoccupied vehicle..."
"Hello! Hello!" I quickly picked up the phone. The nice lady and I had a long conversation about the "incident". Turns out the accuser did in fact write down my license plate number. I explained to her what had (or had not) happened. She gave her two cents saying it was odd the claim hadn't been called in until that day. And after much deliberation the claim was flagged and to be further investigated.
That night and the next day I made a gazillion phone calls to various insurance workers both with Geico and my own. Some people were helpful, some were not. I learned that Geico has filed a claim, and my own insurance has to file a separate one. I have kept my agent abreast of the situation and hope he is taking care of it (he already has the note left and a document I typed up immediately after the occurrence with every single objective thing I can remember). Regardless, I now sit and wait.

Halloween

This is not a preview for the new Avengers movie coming out. Carson enjoyed dressing up the most, and was very energetic about trick or treating. Drake was tired and could barely lift his pumpkin. Everybody had a lot of fun.

Sweet, Baby Brooks

We all adore him...sometimes too much :)

I Want You!

If this picture doesn't capture Drake's current personality, I don't know what does...

Carson's First Primary Program

I am little sad that Carson's first primary program was today. It means my sweet little boy is growing up. I guess it was just a gut check knowing he is no longer the tiny babe I was holding in my arms...and neither was Drake. Time is slipping away. At moments it was hard to keep my composure as I lovingly admired the handsome, little blonde boy sitting on the stand who would occasionally look my way and send me a dazzling smile - fully loaded, dimples and all. His big blue eyes watched the chorister so closely as he sang so boisterously. He delivered his line perfectly. "We have the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price."
I'd better go and make the very most of the precious time I have left with these little boys living under my roof...

Family Pictures

Thanks to Rachel Smith for taking these great pictures.

If you need a good laugh...

This picture cracks me up EVERY time I see it!

Time Flies

Things have gotten uber busy around here. I feel like he have advanced through stages; busy, really busy, and crazy busy already. Last I checked it was August?! Here are a few quick updates until I can actually sit down at a computer to write about life.

Carson:
-is really enjoying preschool. He is one smart, handsome little guy. The teacher stopped me on my way out the door this last week to ask me what I wanted him to work on in school since he is quite a bit more advanced than the current curriculum. We decided to do pre-reading with him.
-he is a wonderful helper and brother. I can really count on Carson.
-loved, loved, loved his swim lesson course. By the end he was jumping off the side repeatedly, without help. The water was up to his neck so he would go careening off the edge of the pool, figure out where he was in the world, plant his feet firmly on the bottom of the pool, and stand up.
- is starting to eat A LOT; must be going through a growth spurt
-is an all around fabulous little boy. I adore my little Carson.

Drake:
-is affectionately known as "Mr. Personality". He has it oozing out of that little body that isn't quite big enough to hold all of it.
- he still adores the baby and can't seem to show enough affection which, can be a bit overwhelming.
- will mimic EVERYTHING Carson does. He idolizes his big brother.
- Still has a swearing problem. (The whole "tr" sound substituted with an "f")
- Is one social little dude. He will play with anyone and everyone. (and yet, sometimes is perfectly content to play on his own).
- Has an obsession with trains; or should I say "fains"
- Is very affectionate.
- LOVES to sing.
- Drake is also a wonderful little boy who tries with all his might to do lots of good things. He melts my heart. He keeps us on our toes and even more keeps us smiling.

Brooks:
- Has two teeth. Yes, you read that right; 2!! He is only 4 1/2 months and seems to want to grow up.
- Is a little chatter box. He is VERY expressive with his sounds.
- Has big, beautiful, blue eyes just like his brothers.
- Has the greatest smile. He grins ear to ear and kind of ducks his little head like he is bashful. It's like the smile consumes his whole body and it is SO cute.
- Things certain noises are hilarious. i.e. zippers, snorting, raspberries etc.
- Likes mommy. A lot. Wants to be held by mommy...all the time.
- Is a good little eater. After a few biting and screaming episodes (remember the whole two teeth thing), he seems to understand that biting mommy isn't a good idea.
- Brooks is such a ray of sunshine in our little home. He is the epitome of a sweet, wonderful, heart-warming baby.

Tall N' Skinny

Brooks 4 months stats:
Height: 27 inches (off the charts)
Head : 17 11/4 inches (96th?? percentile)
Weight: 15 lbs 6 oz (78th percentile)

*Handsome as ever :)