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Pictures coming soon to help.
Fill in the blank
It’s a baby __________________?
Hint, it’s not animal, it’s not mineral, it’s not cannibal, it’s not cereal.
We will get a double check ultrasound on the Nov 1st hopefully until then let’s get votes.
So for Zach’s 1st birthday we will reveal any information we have on baby 4! Keep checking back!
Surprise
Here are Zach and I.
I think we WON the Elementary School Costume contest(or were somewhere near the top of the winners list). I will find out on Tuesday when I go in, to be room mother for the Halloween party after the parade. We went to the YMCA Halloween party the next day with Aunt Chris and her family. Some Moms from the the girls elemenarty school saw me dressed up with Zach and said they think I won the contest and the winner got a prize. I wonder if it really was us. On the way our of the parking lot a lady tried to stop us from leaving. We left anyways it was already 9PM and the party was supposed to end at 9.
The girls did well in their Primary Program presentation at the church today. Even though they missed the past few weeks because one or the other kid in the family was out super sick prior to the program. We are very proud of both girls!
Tonight we are going to 2 Halloween parties one for school and one for Church.
I shopped around yesterday while Nathan’s car was in the shop. When I came home I went to work on my costume. I am not posting pictures right now because noone is here to take the picture. So that will have to be a Surprise.
However, I had Hailey and Sierra try on their costumes.
Sierra was going to be a ladybug, until the idea came to her yesterday when she saw Haileys costume.
Hailey is Darth Vader. Yep, she’s VERY into Starwars now and she wanted to be something Scary because Halloween is a Scary Day. I found a costume at Target, and got the Voice for her yesterday. I also found a light up sword that makes some great noises ath the C-mas Tree Shops. We should have just borrowed her cousin Hunters from last year but we forgot to ask while we were there the other night. This one works well, and we didn’t have to sew a thing for her this year! (mine is another story though!)
Sierra saw Haiely’s costume and decided she was going to be Princess Leah. I just got Hailey a pretty Holiday Dress the other day and we figured it would be just perfect. So we have a multi-use dress now. More worth the money that way 
I got them all dressed up for tryouts and snapped some photos.
Zach’s will be a surprise for later too!
Suggestion to ANYONE reading HOW to Get a family gift exchange to be successful!
My suggestion once again. Save yourself a ton of hassle get 1 gift and exchange each year with a whole family spend about $50 or make something. That’s just worked wonderfully for my family for YEARS! I make up the exchange list and keep records so we don’t get too many repeats too close together. Gift cards have been good to receive. $40 to Home Depot was a highlight with a house to work on! A $30 check to get a Christmas tree was good too! And a super cute Mickey pop corn popper has become our main air popped popcorn popper!
1 gift simple yet memorable!
I really want to be an advocate for this program. It’s worked well for my family and sometimes people just don’t have the money to buy anything right then so a letter or a gift later in the year has become a highlight to look forward to.
I don’t buy gifts for my friends. I focus on my kids and husband and the ONE family gift. Trying to do single gifts for each cousin was a bit overwhelming at that time of year.
So I put this Draft together.
I hate to break with tradition but it sounds like the rest of the family has already done it. I’m still in favor of each family buying for another. I have not heard a peep about the Exchange and I’d like to start shopping before things get too hectic. I’m sure I’m not the only one – maybe I am since I’m the only one that wants to be part of a family exchange. Sorry if I sound abrupt. I blame the hormones.
I think we should do Family exchanges like we do in my family. I know EVERYONE hates the idea. But Financially it’s really the better option and with all the grandkids as young as they are they will never know there was any OTHER tradition. It can just be simple! One family for another.
Like this:
Mom & Dad for Chris & Cliff
Chris & Cliff for Mike & Denise
Mike & Denise for Nathan & Devanie
Nathan & Devanie for Shana & Mark
Mark & Shana for Joe & Suzie
Joe & Suzie for Melanie & Jorge
Melanie & Jorge for Aaron & Alice
Aaron & Alice for Kathy
It makes it simple to rotate names. I always take the names to the right and rotate down once each year. When same names match up they rotate again.
You could also suggest this since it’s a Family for Family exchange. We have always had a limit of about $40-$50 or whatever you can do – homemake if need be. And it could be as simple as a gift card to someplace they would like to give that’s easily mailed.
What makes this list better is there is no “Choice” involved. You don’t choose to or not to do something for your exchange family for Christmas (if you cannot afford it that’s another story-ask my sister Molly but she still trys to be involved – and sometimes gifts come later), it’s family and this is a great way to communicate about life this time of year and makes for great memories for the families and kids – as they get older. Any Suggestions on why this won’t work????????????????? Kristina? Amy? Birgid? My other faithful readers??
Loads and loads of Love.
A little reminder to my family
2006 Christmas Exchange
Mom & Dad -Buy For- Devanie & Nathan
LeeJoe & Kim -Buy For – Thomas
Janika & Mike -Buy For- Molly & Girls
Leonard & Kelli -Buy For- Mom & Dad
Thomas -Buys For- Janika & Mike
Devanie & amp;Nathan -Buy For- LeeJoe & Kim
MaryAnne & Dee -Buy For- Leonard & Kelli
Molly & Girls -Buy For- MaryAnne & Dee
She got a book that her classmates made for her. Each of them made a page, drew a picture of her and why they think she is the Star.
She wrote, I am a Star Nobody can swim underwater like me.
Kayla and Sean wrote Sierra is my Friend.
Kevin Said I like her smile.
Erin Said I like to go over to her house.
Chad Said Sierra used to sit at my table.
Emma wrote Sierra is beautiful!
Scott Said I like to run with Sierra.
Brian Said I think her smile is pretty.
Katiah wrote Sierra is pretty.
Tyler said Sierra is my friend.
Vienna said I like her hair
Lauren Said I like her blue eyes.
Brian H and Grace said I like Sierra’s smile
Michelle and Maddie wrote I’m happy she’s the star of the day.
Isaac and Kruttika Said Sierra is nice.
All the pictures had her in her pink shitr with a purple flower on it some also got the butterfly and the colored in blue jeans for her.
She was so excited and came home wearing a Crown that said she was a STAR. I had to take the picture the next day becasue things were hectic at home but she’s still proud anyways.
We are proud too Sierra. We think all your classmates are right. We all like many things about you. Love you lots! Hug Kiss Mom.
48 kids to love!
Now that Mel has told everyone (except 1 friend in Columbia) her news about being pregnant I want to share how I found out the Super Top Secret(for a week) information. It was too funny not to share.
As I left the office to make my next appointment I saw Aunt Melanie’s name on a card and the receptionist was on the phone with her. I stood there and wondered why Mel would be calling the OBGYN it hasn’t been 1 year yet, she must be pregnant I thought.
So I walked out to the car and called her. I said Mel, “Is there something you need to tell me” She said yes. And we talked a bit, and again I said, “Is there something you need to tell me?? Why are you calling the Dr’s office?” She had no idea I was at the Dr. Office when she was making her first appointment. She thought I was psychic or someone else told me her news, She said, “How did you know” I said I was in the right place at the right time.
It was because I needed to know that she was pregnant with me!! I needed the support. Here we are Shana, Mel and I pregnant together again. There’s something in the water in in this state and they haven’t filtered it out yet because the whole ward at church is pregnant again too! And all with baby #4 like me!
Heavens Army is being forcefully crammed onto the earth right now. Guys, that gives us about 18-20 years to prepare for a BIG War. So in about 15 make sure your families year supply of food, water, chocolate and emergency essentials is complete. Fair Warning.
This was Last Summer. This Summer we look a little different at the same time, but . . .Here we go again!!! =)
It’s the last day I can say it because Shana’s twins are coming tomorrow! However, Aunt Alice is pregnant with Mel and I now
That brings me to my next point.
By May 2007, Nathan and I will have 48 nieces, and Nephews,(including our kids)
Now I’m thinking that is a LOT for these days since people around me seem to have maybe 4-12, but I ran into a lady Saturday that had 76(she was much older than I). At the rate my families are going. . .It’s a possibility. The lady with 76 nieces and nephews was from 6 kids and her husband came from 14. There aren’t that many on both sides and some do not want kids, but I think it’s pretty grand especially at my age of 28 to have all those kids to love.
Pretty AmAzInG!!
Hailey an Zach home sick with the “Fever” today.
Having the Doctors ALWAYS say, “Oh it’s a virus, there’s nothing we can do.”, makes me think about the Pioneers and handcart companies trudging along the US and the sickensses they encountered. How a Fever could kill a child, or a few members of a family, or the smallest virus did the same. Hailey has coughed NON-Stop for 2 days today is a little better. Makes me think about how coughs probably even killed people. And the doctors cannot do ANYTHING after 100s of years?
Now I do not want to take the whole family to the Dr. since I had one that survived the illness, still congested, but living, and the other 2 have to suffer through it as well. I don’t want to spend $30 for the Dr. to tell me the same thing OVER AND OVER, I also think that ANYTIME a child have a virus and they go to the Dr. just to find out there is NOTHING they can do that, the patient should NOT have to PAY for the visit that got them Nowhere, and wasted a lot of time, and made that sick child go out of the house and expose more people to the terrible sickness. Can’t they tell you over the phone according to the symptoms that – that’s what the whole town has you don’t have to come in, just get some tylenol down them.
That’s what I think! You?
Pretty Bummed.
We spent Yesterday home from church because Hailey was coughing up a storm and she and ZACH ended up with the SUPER HIGH FEVER that Sierra had and couldn’t get rid of.
So same as last week I am already stuck at home with sick babies. And Last week I blew up with Sierra and even called Nathan home from work on Friday because I had had enough of Sierras tantrums. I being 4 1/2 mo pregnant carried her 5 year 45 pound, kicking, screaming body up the staircase to her bedroom 2 times in a row and she kicked and banged on her door. That gave me an awful headache that actually isn’t there today. I had the headache all day Saturday and Sunday. I did get an evening off and went to a friends Pampered Chef party. We tried to take the kids out to have fun, it ended up in tears. So staying home with sickies isn’t a good way to start the week (being a stay at home mom I never really tell when a week starts and ends anyways it’s all the same) And I hope the kids will be more manageable this week than last. Today was Sierra’s first Day heading off to school alone. Kind of bitter sweet it reminded me of the 1st day I sent Hailey off to kindergarten alone.
I’m feeling OK now. But I don’t know if in an hour or a day my Mood is going to change dramatically. Emotions are always at the surface when I’m pregnant and it’s hard to control them. Many times I say things I regret later and not just to my kids it’s to all people, grown friends, and family. So please bear with me. Only 12 months left to go before I return to a more normal state. =) That is of course unless I get pregnant AGAIN!
Homemade Vanilla Egg Nog and Pumpkin Roll.
We went out to a Harvest Festival this morning at an elementary school in our town. It was quaint, vendors, boy scouts, bouncy castle, carnival games, baked goods, hot dogs etc. We moseyed around for a bit all 5 1/2 of us. The girls had some fun.
The girls played in the bouncy castle and went down it’s huge slide, they saw a man on stilts and Clifford the dog, we let them make caramel apples and dip them into M&Ms and sprinkles. We picked out our lunches, hot dogs, chips popcorn and later we let the girls play a wiffle ball toss and the one thing Hailey really wanted to do was ride on the 4 wheeled scooter boards – Plastic colored slabs with handles that all the kids would race through cones on. She went scooting along, Sierra shortly after with her chest on the board pushing with her legs. Hailey Spilled over smashing her fingers into the blacktop while moving along. She cried and cried I pulled out a baby wipe and one of the nearby “planning committee” ladies went to get ice. It was very hard to calm her down. Daddy was getting Hailey taken care of while I took a look at the scrape on Sierra’s knee(where all of her old pants have a hole in them due to wear and tear anyways.) She had scraped her knee on the asphalt. Not in terrible shape though. The Lady trying to help Hailey Offered her ANY treat or whole cake from the Bake table she wanted. Hailey turned the lady down, The lady offered her A prize a Fur Real pet that she had pulled off the Raffle table in any attempt to make Hailey Happy, Hailey kindly turned down the tiger toy, there were a few other soothers the lady tried.
We just thanked her for her kindness and headed out of the yard. Both Nathan and I shocked that Hailey didn’t want anything the lady offered and it was all very nice. Daddy took her to the “Candy table” and she picked out 10 candies. And we left the scene.
Both girls are still trying to get well. We went to a local Party City and Daddy picked up some accessories for Halloween. And we headed home. All that by 12:30. We got home I napped while Zach Napped, Hailey watched as Nathan played a few computer games and Sierra wrote a book. Yep, Sierra wrote a book! It was all pictures and stickers but she told me the story about having a black blanket and birds in her bedroom and all.
After my Nap I went to work on some Pumpkin Roll See Hey! Mikey! Likey.com for the recipe. Each of the girls pitched in when they could.
Zach got up we played a while and while Hailey Played Gamecube Star Wars Lego, Nathan and I worked with Zach on his Walking. YES ZACH TOOK his First FREE STANDING STEPS TODAY and Nathan was there to SEE THEM!!!.
We ordered Domino’s Pizza, and watched Star Wars Episode 6 with the girls. Toward the end I made up a recipe for Vanilla egg nog, must be a craving that goes so well with the fresh pumpkin roll.
Vanilla Egg Nog
3 C 2% Milk or thicker
1 Cup Cool Whip
½ C Sugar
3 Eggs + 1 White
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Vanilla
Whip up in blender and serve. Can be chilled in blender pitcher and ready to go for a day or 2. Just blend well before serving.
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