Isaac's Hallelujah Chorus

Just Isaac

Isaac has mastered his "s"...he just has to say "squiggle, squiggle, squiggle" to get it right!

Maylee had bit Isaac earlier today and I thought she was going to attack again...so I told her no biting...she put an arm around Isaac and he looked at me and said, "She just loves me, Mom."

Our Terrible Three's are FAR WORSE than Terrible Two's EVER WERE! He throws crying, screaming fits...and tries to talk while he's crying...we've even had fits in public. This is all new to me and I don't know if I'm dealing with it very well at all!

While I was working on my Christmas decorations (seen here), Isaac and Kevin were busy themselves making paper snowflakes!



The other day Isaac surprised us and wrote his whole name...in the correct order! I'm pretty proud of my boy! He can write his name and he's not even 4 years old. I guess now it's time to start on the last name!!

Just Maylee

Maylee got a black eye this month. We were all wrestling around...I tickled Kevin, his foot jerked and hit Isaac, and Isaac's head hit Maylee's face...resulting in a goose egg that we put ice on immediately which turned into a black eye.

Maylee has also really gotten into make believe. The other day she was washing daddy's hair...


He doesn't have much to wash, but what he does have was really dirty! :)

Isaac and Maylee were in the back seat of the car having a "conversation"
Maylee: "Nasty"
Isaac: **squeal** "stop"
Maylee: **laugh** "fu--yee" (funny)
Maylee: "Nasty"
Isaac: **squeal** "stop"
Maylee: **laugh** "fu--yee" (funny)
rinse and repeat for a full five minutes...it was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud it was so cute!

Maylee went to school with Isaac today at the Burbridges house. They have a beautiful dog named Mocha. We've been hearing about Mocha for days!!

Maylee has discovered that she loves to dance! Now, I just need to capture it on video!



Maylee refuses to wear anything but a dress...we have to convince her to put pants on under them to help keep her little legs warm! She's such a princess!

What am I Thankful for?

As I sit here, I am listening to Christmas music...that's right...I've been listening to it for a week now. For some reason, I have been wanting to feel the "spirit" of the season for a long time!

But I have also been thinking about all of the things I am thankful for...I have lots to be thankful for this year!

I am thankful for my husband...a hard working man who does everything in his power to let me stay home and take care of our kids. What a huge blessing that is in my life to be home with my kids.

I am also thankful that he is so willing to help around the house. He folds laundry, washes dishes, makes dinner, and mops the floor without a second thought.

I am also thankful he holds the Priesthood worthily and blesses my home with it each and every day.

I am thankful for my sweet children. I love when they play together. You can just feel the love in our house.



I am thankful for Isaac being such a good big brother and Maylee being a great sister.

And of course, I love when my kids are helping me work around the house! That's a total bonus in my book!

I am thankful for goodly parents who taught (and still teach) me very important things. I love them more than I can express and I grow more appreciative of them each day.

(missing one brother, Josh. Sorry I don't have a pic of you!) LtoR Austin, Mark, Grandmother, and Samuel.)


I am thankful for brothers who protected me and teased me--it made me stronger!! I am thankful for a sister, who I prayed would come to our family, who is now one of my best friends!

I am thankful for in-laws who are kind and generous. I love them and I wouldn't change them for the world!

I am also thankful for sisters-in-law (Suzanne, Jenilee, Hanaga and Heather) who are some of my best friends...women whom I would call sisters. I am thankful for wonderful brothers-in-law who love these ladies (and my sister) with all their hearts!

I am thankful for Grandmothers and Grandfathers, Aunts and Uncles and cousins.

I am thankful for WIS international for hiring my husband during the greatest economic turmoil our country has seen in YEARS!

I am thankful for friends, both mine and my kids.

I am thankful for our Soldiers, past and present. I am thankful for the pioneers who walked across the plains. I am thankful for Joseph Smith. I am thankful for The Book of Mormon.

But most of all, I am thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, for the atoning sacrifice he made for me and for all of us. For his selfless act in the Garden of Gethsemane. For his undying love for each of us. And that because of him my family can be together forever.

I hope each and every one of you have a Thankful Thanksgiving. Remember all of the people who have made sacrifices so we could enjoy the freedoms we have.

Happy Thanksgiving!
-Jennie

Jenga

Ever played Jenga with a 2 year old and an almost 4 year old?



Well, it results in a lot of this...

The kind of mom I want to be...

I hope that 30 years from now, my kids remember me being a fun, happy, playful mom. I hope they have fond memories from their childhood. I do.
I remember my mom jumping on our trampoline.
I remember helping my mom cook.
I remember playing tether ball in the backyard with my mom.
I remember gardening with my mom.
I remember swimming with my mom.
I remember my mom eating ice like it was chocolate when she was pregnant with my youngest brother.
I remember lots of fun things I did as a child with my mom.
There are 6 kids in my family...my mom had to devote time to them all, yet I don't think any of us ever felt slighted in her love or attention.
I want to be this kind of mom.
I want to be the mom who's kids talk about her with love, admiration, and fondness.
I want to be the mom who gets dirty with her kids in the muddy back yard.
I want to be the mom who sits on the sidewalk and draws Mickey Mouse--and Minnie--for hours on end.
I hope I am always this mom...


(we're playing Donald Duck Space Ship...putting on our seat belts)


(we can't forget to talk to Professor Vondrake, so we know where to go!)


(Here we are blasting off to find Pluto's bouncy ball)

I read in a Nicholas Sparks book one time about how (when you become a parent) and it's time to get to church on time, you're always late. When you're trying to get dinner on the table, you never have enough time. But when it comes to playing with your kids, time ticks by so slowly. You can play dolls, dress-up, space ships, trucks, blocks, anything...and it only takes 10 minutes off the clock. So true, but those few minutes are priceless--and I love them!

We like to party!

I have that song stuck in my head...

we like...we like to party...don't know who sings it...but I do know it was probably from the mid to late 90's when it hit the airwaves...

Anyway, you're probably wondering why I'm even talking about this song...but my kids and I like to party.
On Wednesday's, Kevin is gone to work all day and then gone all evening at Scouts. We don't mind that he's gone because we like to party!


I pop popcorn and the kids and I watch a movie...my kids love to snuggle me while we watch! It's so much fun.


Too bad Kevin was home for this party and the kids wanted nothing to do with him...just wanted to snuggle mom! Love it!