our house: happenin' place to be

Holy COW! Monday night we got a knock at the door and when we opened it, there stood SANTA CLAUS! It was SO awesome! I was just as excited as the kids. He gave each of us a treat and told the kids to be good and he would see them in a week!

Dax's dad was here so we were all able to get a photo with Santa.

We enjoyed having Dax's Dad stay with us a few days. The kids love their Grandpa! (We missed you Grandma Beaner!)

Preslie had some friends over for a birthday party! She wanted a luau and it felt a bit like summer at our house! The girls made their own fruit kabobs and Dax served some delicious teriyaki chicken and rice. YUM!

Seven girls came to the party. They had fun!

No one got a picture of me in my awesome pink Hawaiian mumu!


It is so nice to have the kids out of school! Dax's work schedule is light right now, too. I love spending time together at home with not much to do. We have been delivering 12 days of Christmas surprises, eating too many treats, playing games and I've been trying to get the kids to still do their jobs around the house. They think they are on vacation or something!

We Didn't Start the Fire: Christmas Update

I used to write fun Christmas letters and send them to everyone I knew. I wrote one this year but I am not sending it out. It's just for me to enjoy. And whoever reads this blog (this goes out to all 6 of you!) Anyway, to appreciate my Christmas letter, you have to be familiar with Billy Idol's song "We Didn't Start the Fire." ...

2011: Year of FIRE!

chubby baby, doorbell ditch, bye-bye dairy, winter itch

Cowboy’s “Fweetheart”, Wiz Khalilfa, Justin Bieber rocks

Vegas Visit, Breaking Dawn, Tristie’s 30, leprechauns

Light sabers, underwear, Dax’s Mohawk

Sewing projects, back bends, slip ‘n slide, good friends

High heels, dishwasher sucks, Preslie saves 100 bucks

Family campouts, we’re so psyched-Hunter learns to ride a bike

Wakeboarding, patting heads, Tristie shot a buck

And our house caught on fire!

But don’t be alarmed

None of us were harmed

Yes our house caught on fire

This year was kinda crazy

My head is feeling hazy

Bounty Baskets, Lego mags, Mack dumps out beanbag

Swimming lessons, Rexburg cousins, U.B. I. C.

Cover stairs, gray hairs, bike trailer, canning pears

Hip hip hooray Dax- Graduate Degree!

Baby scooting, practice shooting, new piano, stinky tooting

Park City Mom time, garage shelves are so sublime

Baptism, turkey dinners, cub scouts, Baby Quinners

Elder’s Quorum, new car, can all these kids be ours?

And our house caught on fire!

But don’t be alarmed

None of us were harmed

Yes our house caught on fire

Though the year is gone

The fun will still go on and on and on!

.........

We love our family and we love our friends! Thank you for your love and support. You make our life better and we wish you a meaningful and Merry Christmas and a happy 2012!

Mack's Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books offer a variety of layouts and cover options to choose from.

I made this photo book for Mack for Christmas. He loves to have books read to him and thought he would like to read a book all about him and his adventures this year!

Mack, Santa & the Mrs.

Mack saw Santa and Mrs. Claus on Saturday. He told them he wanted Santa to bring him a blue candy cane and a video Ipod. Mrs. Claus gave him a "fpicey" (spicey) candy cane right there on the spot.

Winter is here in my town. And I guess Christmas time is here, too. We have a big tree set up in our house! I love the real ones cut right from the mountains. The pine smell and the perfect "imperfections" and the fact that it's like 11 feet tall makes me happy.

I want to do something meaningful this Christmas. Something that would teach my kids the true meaning and help us all give and feel Christ's love this holiday. But I am stumped. Any ideas?

Now that the cold is here, we are doing our best to stay active indoors. I picked up my aunt's mini trampoline over Thanksgiving and put it in my basement for the kids to play on. Jumping off it into a pile of pillows is awesome. Having a Dad that can chuck you and flip you around is crazy fun.

Thanksgiving

(click image to view larger)

Tons of family, tons of fun, and tons of driving. The actual Thanksgiving meal was delicious! We spent most the time in St. George with Dax's parents. The weather was gorgeous, great for a carousel ride, fun friday shopping with Preslie, and a walk in beautiful Snow Canyon. We saw parents, sisters, brothers, new baby, aunt and cousins!

date night

Last Sunday was stake conference, but we didn't realize that until we showed up to our 9 o'clock church (at 9:05, of course), and our ward wasn't there.

We made it to our 10am Stake Conference on time! And although it is always a physically/mentally exhausting experience to keep 4 kids sitting down and quiet for 2 hours, it was worth it; The talks were so good. One in particular stood out to me. Tad R. Callister of the Seventy spoke about marriage and how husbands and wives should commit to each other and work together and love each other. It seems like common sense, but I think so many go into marriage thinking "what can this marriage do for me" instead of "what can I do for this marriage". Elder Callister related a story about Winston Churchill and Nancy Astor. Lady Astor, who was unimpressed losing patience with Churchill said, "Winston, if you were my husband, I'd put poison in your soup." To which Winston replied, "If I were your husband, I'd drink it."

I don't remember many of the exact words from the talk, but I remember the feeling and the main message, which was that a good marriage takes commitment and hard work and humility and is the most wonderful and rewarding of life's relationships. I came away from the meeting feeling good about my marriage and my relationship with my husband. There is always room for improvement, though and one thing that was touched on in that talk was that couples should continue to date and have regular date nights. We do go on regular dates twice a year: on my birthday and on our anniversary. I am thinking we can/should improve on that!

Since it was our anniversary this past week, Dax and I went on a date and it was so nice to talk and enjoy uninterrupted conversation! Wow. It was a simple but perfect date.

I wish I could have had a video camera when we left the restaurant and Dax got into the car parked next to ours by mistake. There was an almost identical red Durango parked right next to our red Durango in the parking lot and Dax opened the door to get in until I started yelling, "That's not our car!"

I am hoping to have more frequent date nights with my husband; I really like hanging out with him!

superweek: baptism, baby, conversations,

It has been an extaordinary week. Hunter was baptized and confirmed a member of the LDS church! He had a very neat day. All 4 of his grandparents were here to celebrate with him/us. Preslie sang a solo at his baptism. I am proud of her guts to do that. I am proud of Hunter for his good decisions and his desire to do right. He is a delightful boy and a blessing in my life.

Two days later, Dax's brother and his wife gave us a new nephew! I can't wait to kiss his cheeks and snuggle his 10 pound little body!

Mack and I put up a Christmas tree in the girls' room. The boys got it in their room last year. I know it is early but I knew Mack would have fun putting it up/decorating it and it would keep him busy and happy for a while.

We have been doing a few school projects: Preslie's forest diorama and Hunter's robot garbage can.

And I am still smiling over some of the conversations...

Mack: Who makes eggs?
Me: Chickens do.
Mack: How do they make them?
Me: Their bodies make them and then the egg comes out.
Mack: What part does it come out of?
Me: *pause*
Dax: Their cloaca [pronounced clo-AY-kuh]
Mack: I don't know what part that is.
Dax: Most people don't.

That particular conversation aided nicely in our "big talk" with Hunter. I promised him when he was eight, we'd let him in on a big awesome and really important secret. You know, where babies come from. He took it great, like I knew he would.

Mack: Jesus never makes things how I want him to.
Me: How do you want things to be?
Mack: I want to pull a lever and have candy shoot out.
Me: Pull a lever on what?
Mack: EVERYTHING.

That child loves sugar with every fiber of his being. Whenever he's hungry, he never says, "I'm hungry." He just goes in the pantry and starts eating brown sugar. Or marshmallows. Or he asks me, "Can I have a cup of molasses?" The other day I asked him what he felt like eating for lunch and he said "a gingerbread house".

Quinn has started saying a bunch more words this week. She can say Mack, juice, hat, dog, light, doll, bear, Hunter, hot, and door. She is so much fun and such a darling little sweet baby. She cruises around the house with a necklace on and one finger in her belly button and writes on walls and doors with any pencil, pen or marker she finds. She loves phones, makeup, the doorbell, animals, and reading books.

Dax ended his hunting season this week with a nice buck he got in Colorado. While he was butchering and packaging the meat this evening, I had him hold up the testicles from the deer and show Preslie and Hunter (I thought it would be interesting to them since they both know about reproduction now). Preslie of course freaked out. Dax told her to calm down; that it was just apart of science. She said, "I like science but I hate private parts." Then Hunter (unintentionally) said "I hate science but I love private parts." We had a good laugh.

Saturday we all worked on outdoor projects. Preslie and I stained the posts that hold up the roof over the back stairs. When she came out in a cute little outfit to help me, I told her that her clothes would probably get ruined so she needed to put on crappy clothes. She said, "I don't have anything crappy. All my stuff is awesome."

We cleaned and detailed the Durango and also cleaned out the garage; we can actually park both cars in it. It was a great day's work.

It is so unfair that housework that takes many hours to complete can be undone by kids in a matter of minutes. Like this afternoon when Mack comes running in my room covered in Eucerin cream. The carpet and chair in his room also got a nice dose. That stuff is like Crisco. I did the best to clean it up all the while asking Heavenly Father, "How am I supposed to teach and raise this child?" This is the same afternoon that he sneaked the scotch tape and matches out of the kitchen. Quinn's crib got taped up really good. Luckily I caught him as he was running away with the matches. Seriously, I think he would challenge someone with the most advanced parenting skills. But lucky for him his darling face is now even more soft and kissable than ever..

Jedi-ween

Another fun and successful Halloween. The whole season, really. Planning the costumes, decorating the house, and buying candy is just as fun (if not more) than the actual day. We didn't get quite as many trick-or-treaters, probably that Halloween was on a Monday.

This is the last year I am encouraging us to dress as a theme. My kids are getting old enough to want to go with their friends and my husband has been a great sport. It is time to set them free. I knew I could get away with it this year because of how into Star Wars my family is right now. Dax made a fine Obi-Wan. He was wishing for Princess Leia in the gold bra but I had to save that costume for after the kids were in bed.

I added a few new yard decorations this year. One was a sign post the hubs put in for me. It is just a pine log from the mountains with some dollar store signs screwed onto it.

I made a "severed finger" box for my kids this year. I remember having one exactly like this when I was a kid; I loved tricking my friends with it. It is just a jewelry gift box with a hole cut in the bottom and fake blood/red food coloring added around the hole in the fluff.

The worst thing about today was Hunter, Mack, and Quinn being sick. Hunter missed his class party again- second year in a row. October is a hard month for being healthy.

The best thing about today was baby Yoda. She stole the show in those darling green ears. AND she can sing the Star Wars theme. How adorable can you get?

Another couple funnies: When Dax told me that he's never going to trick-or-treat at the park again. The line was SO long; we waited forEVER. He said, "I hated that. I would have rather sat on the toilet for 2 hours reading an entire hunting magazine."

I also had to laugh when I was fixing Preslie's hair for her Padme Amidala costume and she said, "You know, I am actually your Mom."

you might be a redneck if...

you have your buck tied to the top of your family car-

I got my deer!

Dax and I woke up at 4am yesterday to head out to the Book Cliffs. We had arranged for Preslie and Hunter to go to school and then to friends' houses after school. We loaded Mack and Quinn and our gear and drove out in a snow storm. It snowed all morning as we drove around. Visibility was limited and the deer weren't really out because of the storm. We saw a few does, fawns and maybe 2 bucks. One of the bucks was a huge 2 point that I was tempted to shoot but it ran away when we got closer. Mack was in the back seat being himself and making it difficult to hunt. I couldn't blame him though. We drove around all day long. I questioned myself many times as to why I was doing this. It was freezing cold, so muddy, and not an activity I would choose to do with little kids. But, Dax has put me in the drawing for this Book Cliffs hunt for 9 years. I tried to make the most of it.

We met Dad, Matt, and Trent out there and had lunch with them then they piled in our Durango and we hunted together. Dax drove us around for hours in the mud. Our SUV is covered.

We saw a few deer but nothing too exciting. Around 3 or 4 pm I was holding Quinn on my lap in the front seat and my eyes started to close a bit. Dax asked if I was ok and if I was getting bored. I said yes but mostly just tired. I layed my head back and 1 minute later, Dax yells, "There's a huge buck! Paul, Tristie, someone shoot it!" My Dad didn't seem to be getting out very quickly and I knew I could get it so I handed Quinn to Dax and jumped out. The buck was headed up the hill behind some trees. I feel like I made a good shot and knew I hit it. It ran up the hill and all the guys were chasing after it. I wasn't in a hurry because I thought I hit it good and that it would lay down. It did lay down but crazy Dax was running up the mountain after it holding Quinn and was telling us to follow the tracks.

It is a nice mature 4 point buck. I'm happy! The guys were proud of me. Dax, Dad and my brothers totally did all the work after I shot it. Dax gutted and caped and quartered it and my bros hauled it all up the hill. We tied it to the top of our Durango and we drove home. I had done what I came to do. Dax loves to hunt so much and I am glad I could make him happy by being apart of what he loves to do.

I am relieved that I got a deer. There is a lot of pressure associated with this! Four of us had deer tags: me, 2 of my brothers and my Dad. All of us shot nice bucks and had a great time. Stressful and complicated with little children, but fun.

more seasons than we can handle

I mentioned earlier that this was Birthday Season at our house. It is also Halloween season, canning season, and yes, DEER SEASON! We mustn't forget that. So much to do...

Yesterday I

• worked ($)
• planned the next 2 months of cub scouts with my assistant
• baked cookies
• made dinner and took it to a friend who just had a baby
• secretly delivered "Halloween Phantom" treats to 2 neighbors
• started an incentive program with my kids to get them to speak nicer to our family members. Their reward is a turkey dinner (they are pumped, but also had to loose points for fighting over who got the drumsticks).
• folded 5 batches of laundry with Dax after he got home from work at 8:30pm.

Today I

• canned 21 quarts of applesauce while babysitting 3 neighbor girls
• attended pack meeting with my very own Cub Scout. Hunter earned his Bobcat Rank!
• divied up my kids to various neighbors so Dax and I can go deer hunting tomorrow
• mopped my sticky applesauce floor
• packed up stuff for our hunting trip
• missed my husband who worked until 9:45pm.

Tomorrow I

• would really like to shoot a nice buck! WISH ME LUCK.

Hunter is Eight.

Hunter had a hard time falling asleep last night for all the excitement and anticipation of his big day. Quinn woke up in the night crying so I got up to comfort her and saw that the stair light was on. I investigated further and found Hunter downstairs watching a movie. I wished him a happy birthday (it was 4am-his birthday technically). He said he had been up since 2am and couldn't fall back asleep so he decided to put on a movie and wait for everyone else to get up. Great idea but that was in like 3 more hours so I put him back to bed.

He opened a couple gifts when he got up (new DS game and new scriptures with his name on them). Then I drove him to school since he missed the bus from sleeping in.

It was a busy day for Dax and me. When Hunter got home from school, his friends arrived for a birthday party. I hope they had fun. I like this pic of Hunter and his friends doing Jedi force moves on me..

I asked Hunter what his favorite part of his party was and he said "the cake pops". That is good, since those took the most time. I followed instructions to make them here.

I personally liked the obstacle course Dax set up in the back yard. Also the t-shirts we gave each boy turned out cool. I learned to spray paint t-shirts at an activity I took my kids to in the summer. I made a Lego man stencil using instructions from this blog. I taped the stencil on, spray painted, then removed it. I so enjoyed making them.

Hunter is a great boy and I'm blessed to have him for a son. He is by far the most mellow kid I know. He just chills out and is a home body most the time. He is my snuggler and gives good, long hugs (just how I like them). He is super smart and catches on to new ideas and concepts very quickly. He absorbs information like a sponge and consequently is a wiz at school. He is very methodical when he does anything, always trying to get it right and concentrates very hard on tasks that interest him. I wonder what he will choose for a job when he grows up. His natural abilities in reading and math will be a blessing to him. He doesn't really enjoy sports and does not like competition. Some might think that is a shame because of how big he is. He is a head taller than most of his classmates and stronger too. The best part about Hunter is that he is very kind to all people. I have never heard him say a mean thing to or about another child. I hope he always stays that way. He is my sweet heart and I appreciate how he always wants to do the right thing.

This evening Hunter enjoyed playing with new toys he received from his birthday. My favorite thing he opened was his cub scout uniform. He put it on and looked so cute and grown up. I am pumped to be in cub scouts with him as his den leader! He will be a great scout.

Another exciting thing that happened today is Preslie lost 4 (yes four) teeth! She pulled out 2 early this morning and I about died (laughing) when she pulled another one out tonight before bed. She went into her room to round up all her lost teeth and then came out and held up another bloody tooth and said, "Here's the fourth!". So crazy. The tooth fairy is going broke tonight.

What a day. Hunter had NO problem falling asleep tonight.

Mack's happy day

• presents in the morning
• friends came to play in the day
• waffles for dinner
• pumpkin pie birthday cake
• FOUR candles to blow out!

We love you like crazy, Mack!

2 Halloween decor projects

We are in full-fledged decorating mode at our house. Here are 2 projects I completed this week. And you know how I do 'em: CHEAP.

1. Creepy Curtain.
I purchased horrid seafoam green lace curtains at a yard sale for 25 cents a couple years ago. I had this very purpose in mind but it took me til now to finally do it. I tried dying it black but I should have heeded the instructions on the dye box: 100% polyester won't dye. It can be spray painted, though. After paint, I cut and ripped until I was satisfied with the results. I hung it in the front window with a tension rod I borrowed from my bathroom curtain.


2. Pumpkin Post.
Starting out, this project was going to be 2 posts flanking the entrance of our Halloween graveyard. After I made one post from scraps in my garage, I got lazy my idea evolved and the post became a Jack o' lantern stand. (click on image to enlarge)

I may still make another one but for now I think it looks good holding my Jack. What do you think so far? I have a few more projects up my sleeve. I love Halloween.

busy season kick-off

My husband's birthday always kicks off the busy season at our house. This year, his birthday was a season all its own. (Everyone should have a birthday season, not just a day. Seriously, it is awesome.) I made him his cake 2 days early. We let him open his present 1 day early. Then on his actual birthday, we went out and Dax shot his new black powder rifle. That afternoon, we drove to Salt Lake and had dinner with my parents, who also had a cake waiting. The next day, Dax and I took a day trip to Logan to absorb the beauty, walk the campus, drive by all the places we called home there, eat at El Toro Viejo, drive up the canyon to see the changing leaves, and meet some friends for some Aggie Ice Cream. I still love beautiful Logan.


But wait, Dax's birthday still wasn't done. My awesome Mom threw a big Sunday dinner for Dax; 3 of my brothers plus Dax's brother and family came.

Now onto :

• Halloween prep/decorating
  
• Muzzle loader deer hunt
• Mack's birthday
  
• the elk hunt
• Hunter's birthday
• my deer hunt Dax signed me up for
  
• Halloween (big deal around here)
  
• Hunter's baptism
  
• Dax's Colorado deer hunt
• our wedding anniversary
• Thankgiving
• Christmas season
• Preslie's Birthday
• Christmas!

shake that

Mack has been really into turning on CDs (we're old school like that) and dancing. His faves are Beach Boys, Abba, oh and that one Bieber kid. After he dances for a few songs, he asks, "Mom can I invite Hannah (or Lily or Kinzie) over to listen to music with me?" And he never minds if I take a video; I love that he is not shy about his skills. Quinn is also a cute little dancer. I just know that rhythm and music are apart of our makeup, otherwise how does a little baby get down so well?

Quinn is starting to take off walking a little. She will only do it if there is something to grab onto a short distance away. If we're lucky, she will stop to dance a bit, then continue her walk...

they are good kids

The other morning Preslie got up and looked at the school lunch menu and saw that the school would be serving tacos that day. That is one of her favorite meals, but Hunter hates tacos. So that girl made a PBJ, scrounged in the pantry for some kind of snacks, filled a bottle with water and packed it all in a lunchbox for Hunter! It was one of those Mom moments where I was like "yes! this is how I want my family to function!" I was so happy with her thoughtfulness. When Hunter got home, I emptied his backpack and found these sweet notes in his lunchbox...


I started teaching my kids piano lessons last month and they are doing well.


We have a great tomato crop this year! We've canned many jars of salsa, spaghetti sauce, and just plain tomatoes. I was always scared of canning but it is way cool and not hard now that I've done it a few times. Dax is a great canning buddy.


And I have to share my latest Mack funny:

Today Mack asked me, "Mom, what's frostbite?"
Me: It's when you are out in the snow and your fingers or toes get so cold that they hurt really bad.
Mack: I know what another kind of frostbite is. It is when there is a vampire with a frosting mouth and he bites you.


Yay. I am excited for the Halloween season that is almost upon us! I just read in the National Geographic Kids magazine that Americans spend nearly 7 billion dollars on Halloween making it the 2nd most expensive holiday in the US after Christmas. I don't usually spend a lot; we like to make up our own costumes. BUT, my neighborhood gets SLAMMED with trick-or-treaters (like 300-500 kids) so I need to start buying a bag of candy per week so I will be ready to go when the little spooks come knockin'.

vacay with the ladies

I met these two gorgeous ladies in Park City for a relaxing weekend getaway! It's been 4 years since I've left my kids overnight and done something for me. IT WAS SO NICE!

My Mother-in-law is awesome. And isn't she a babe? She took a day off teaching school and drove many miles for this fun weekend. And my sis-in-law Abbey is as sweet as she is beautiful. She is going to have a baby soon so it was a good time for her to get away before she starts taking orders from her new baby boss.


We met in the hotel lobby and and went to eat at Loco Lizard Mexican Cantina. Yum! Then we went and saw the movie "The Help" at which I both laughed and cried. After swinging by Wal-Mart for a toothbrush and pajamas (i always forget my pjs), we vegged at the hotel and relaaaaaxed. No kiddos to put to bed. No one cried in the night. Abbey was a perfect bed partner keeping her 8 pillows in check so as not to disturb me.

My body probably wondered why it had a full night's sleep and was shocked awake at 7am. I decided to get up because I knew it would be a full day. And it was. We hit the breakfast buffet and then headed up the road to Midway for the famous Swiss Days. So much to see. Lots of wonderful talent and creativity on display. Yummy food, too.

After we saw everything, we made our way back to Park City and had a lovely nap to regain our strength for more shopping at the outlets. A relaxing dip in the pool took a load off our tired feet that evening. Then we had fun discussing the questionaire my MIL had prepared for us. It is fun to get to know people in your own family. And fun to get re-acquainted with myself.

I was sad the next morning when the fun had to end. But I was excited to see my family back in my real life.

Dax and the kids fared well without me. Quinn didn't cry for me at all. Dax took good care of our children and even had 6 of their friends over at one point on Saturday WHILE he was canning salsa on the back porch. He even made it on time to church with all four children dressed and a well-stocked diaper bag. I commented that he was super Dad and asked if he thought it was pretty easy since he did so well.

"NO. I'm beat. Now I understand why you never want to stay up late with me. I get it now."

I love and appreciate my dear husband! And I am so thankful for my time with his wonderful Mom and Abbey!

1st week of school

Today we were out in our garden (which is getting quite bounteous) picking tomatoes when someone started enjoying the harvest very much!




















Preslie loves her new backpack, especially that it has a letter 'P' on it which is kind of uncommon.























Here are the kids just before they got on the bus to start a new school year! P: 4th grade H: 2nd grade

Is it just me or is Preslie looking way grown up? She is such a babe. So not little girly anymore!

And look how tall Hunter is. What a stud muffin!

Mack cried when the kids got on the bus (as expected) so we reminded him of his special work day with Dad that Dax had scheduled. He cheered up and had a fun time riding in Dax's work truck, cooking hot dogs and marshmallows, and playing in the woods.

It was a wonderful first day of school for everyone! Especially me!







And here is a top I remade for Preslie last night from a thrift store Women's size Large tee shirt. I was told (and I realize) my sewing projects are getting obnoxious so Preslie and I are thinking of starting a blog that just logs the projects we do, leaving this more of a family blog. That may be fun to have a collection of things we've made so when I feel like I never have time for fun hobbies, I can look at things I've already made and feel happy.





But anyway I thought the top turned out cute. And, I might add, it was 3 bucks.