O Christmas Tree!

Haleigh helping with the tree branches (it is one of those piece by piece - ahh!)
The boys were getting impatient while I strung all the lights so they decorated Tyler instead!

Haleigh was shocked! :)

The final product...

So I did it. I got my tree up. Usually I start the day after Thanksgiving, but we had our carpets cleaned on Friday morning instead. I told Roger that if we didn't get it cleaned I would rip it up myself because they were bad. Unfortunately we can't afford to replace it all at the moment, so we opted for the cleaning. The family room looks great! The carpet Sundance homes put in in the front and up the stairs and hallway that we also had cleaned looks unspotted at least.:)(it is already matting back down) I am just grateful to have it done and it is amazing how much cleaner the house feels. So, my point is that my tree is up but it took 3 days instead of just one. We went shopping on Friday and Saturday and so I really didn't get started until Saturday night. Then I didn't really want to do a lot on Sunday and so Monday was the day. The kids wanted to help and I grew up in a home with an immaculate tree and we just always let mom do her thing and then we got to add our traditional ornaments afterwards. I really should do this, but instead I let them decorate the part of the tree that faces the window/wall. So, it doesn't really get seen, and the kids still felt like they got to help with the tree. Everyone is happy. I wish I wasn't such a perfectionist. Honestly, I am kind of getting bored with my tree. I will admit it is pretty, but maybe too maticulously put together. So, I am already planning to shop for new stuff the day after Christmas cause you can get killer deals. (It might not happen though) I hope you all have your trees up. We didn't get lights up this year and it makes me feel all hum bug. This season has come way too fast this year. I finally got my greenery up outside on Wednesday - also odd for me. Roger says he can stil put the lights up but it seems kind of late. I might let him string the bottom half of the house though. We were going for red, green and white this year and we couldn't find the green or clear anywhere. This is part of our failed attempt at lights. If anyone knows where to get strands of clear or green let me know:) Hope you are all feeling the holiday spirit - I'm trying to finish up my shopping this weekend and hoping that will help me to focus on the real reason we celebrate in the first place, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas season everyone!

Y can't we all just get along?!

This is what we came home from church on Sunday to find in our yard. It was in jest, but my boys were horrified! Even angry. They just don't understand why people would do that to us when we are in love with the cougars. It was funny. However, I did help them rip the streamers to shreds!!! Sorry for all the work that was put in, but I still bleed blue. GO COUGARS!!!

Funny...but not

My parents bought Kung Fu Panda and let my kids borrow it until they get sick of it. We watched it as a family a couple of nights ago and I forgot how funny that movie is - we saw it in the theater when it came out. So, there is a line in the movie that my kids just happened to pick up on and it isn't something I neccessarily want my kids to understand - but they did. Let's just say it has something to do with the "unmentionables" and goes a little something like this... "Oh, my tenders!" So, just now we were all sitting in the family room and Haleigh purposely falls down on the couch and - yep, you guessed it - yells out, "Oh, my tenders." I was right ready to sternly tell her not to say/do that anymore and instead I had to cover my mouth and turn my head so she couldn't see me laughing... however, my boys could tell I was so they started in and then she thought she was even funnier! I finally got myself under control enough to make her stop... mostly I just had to ignore her and she got it. So there you have it, funny...but not?

Gobble till you wobble

Just got some cute pics of Max and this time he is actually smiling! His shirt was given to him from my auntie Sara and it says "gobble till you wobble," hence the title of this blog!

Thirty Shmirty

So, I did it. I made it through Thursday without trauma or tears. I turned the big three zero... that is to say I turned 30 years old on the 13th. It is funny how much I was dreading being out of my 20's, but now that it is here I really don't feel any different. (that might be subject to change when I get asked my age and I realize I have to say thirty, but hopefully it won't matter at that point) So, I started off the day with some fabulous friends, you know who you are, at the deli for a yummy bagel sandwhich for breakfast. (Thanks!) Then I came home to my lovely mother redecorating my bedroom for me. I actually requested it, since I never know when I will have the money to do it. So, I have blogged my "new room" for you all. She never ceases to amaze me. I only told her the colors I wanted and she did all the rest, on a budget mind you. She is a bargain hunter and she finds the best deals ALL the time. (wish I had that knack) When she was finished she wisked my kids away to her house for the night so Roger and I could go out to dinner. We ended up at the Olive Garden, and there was only a ten minute wait - score! So we had yummy food and boxed up a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake to eat at home once our stomachs didn't feel so full! (salad and breadsticks baby!!!) Roger bought me some flowers, a cheesy card, and a pretty necklace - all in all I'd say thirty isn't too bad after all. :) (the pics are for you Sue)

Grattitude, LOVE, and Respect

My very own Indiana Jones!

My "Sister" Peggy and I

AmyJo (the recipient) and Peggy (the donor) I love these girls!

My husband, striking his usual "Hurry and get this over with" picture pose!

I have been trying to get my kids into the "Thanksgiving spirit" with everyone else telling them to skip ahead to Christmas. I will totally admit to the fact that it has been difficult not to fall into the same trap! I LOVE Christmas. However, I want my kids to learn grattitude just as much as I want them to enjoy the Christmas holiday season - it is MAGICAL. With that said I want to express my GRATTITUDE to my husband who singlehandedly (if that is a word) took care of our family for two days while we were sick. (which is a lot of work - I know! - and more difficult when we all have the flu so we can't help at all) He did all the grocery shopping, and put all the groceries away, and made himself dinner - he actually doesn't mind doing that stuff normally anyways, but he was also taking care of us in the mean time. He even sacraficed leaving the last BYU home game at half time because I was starting to feel crummy. What a good husband! :) I am grateful for his hard work ethic and his willingness to go to work when he isn't feeling 100% himself. Here is where the "LOVE" portion of this blogging comes in: He loves me for me and lets me know it. He love our family. I love him for all he is and for making me laugh when he does goofy things. I love that we can have fun together. I love how he tries hard to be a better person and do his best at all he does. I love that he has passions like football and blue ray DVD's - even though they can get expensive. I LOVE YOU BABE. Now on to another type of love. Today my sisters - in - law are in surgery. One, Peggy, to give a kidney... The other, Amy Jo (the original Amy Deming), to get a new kidney that should last her the rest of her life. A perfect example of love and selflessness. My prayers are with them both for a successful transplant. I have TONS of LOVE and RESPECT for these girls. They are my sisters, while mine is in Heaven. I am so blessed with FIVE lovely sisters in law! I know this truly is a blessing from above. Heavenly Father knew that I would need them. Last night we got together for an early "Deming Thanksgiving", since we aren't sure if the girls will be up to turkey this year after the surgery. I love family. Heavenly Father sure knew what he was doing when he sent us loved ones to be with us in this mortality. I will take it, quirks and all!!! This season is truly a time to be grateful!

Blessed

The Proud Grandmothers

Are we done yet? (YAWN!)
Sleeping peacefully - belly full!

The proud parents

On Sunday, November 2nd, Maxwell James Deming was blessed by Roger - his daddy of course! It was so wonderful to be surrounded by family and friends on this occasion. I also got the biggest smiles and coos from Max so far! He is getting to be funner every day. I can see him sitting up and playing, my older kids will just have a blast with him. I can't believe he is almost 2 months. Time flies. I just wish we could pause it occasionally - especially when things are going fabulously! :)

My Halloween Sweethearts

So, we took our usual Halloween route, just up and down Apache since we go to Grandma and Grandpa's for pizza and MORE trick or treating after we are done here. My kids got totally hooked up and they kept complaining that they're buckets were getting too heavy! The only complaint that I have is that I am trying to eat "right" and so I have to endure them pounding down candy around me for the next 2 weeks! Oh well. I got some darling pics of them in their costumes. Even Max got dressed up. Enjoy.

No GUTS No Glory!

So, for our family night activity we "gutted" our pumpkins to carve them. The kids were super excited, especially Haleigh. THEN I actually cut off the tops to do the gutting and Haleigh did NOT think it was very cool anymore. In fact she wouldn't go near her pumpkin after that. She went around the house the whole night saying "gross" and "disgusting!" So, I got to do the honors. Even the boys weren't too hip on it - and they are my boys who love to get all gross and dirty/muddy in the summer! Unfortunately, it took us so long just to clean them out that we didn't have time to carve them and the boys were super disappointed! So here are some pictures of the gutting - the finished products are to come...

Bats in my bellfry

So the other day Gabe got out the Batman cape and mask. Haleigh, being the "tag-a-long" that she is with her brother, now that baby occupies my time, wanted to be Batman too. (but she is still very girly which I love) She really is getting to be quite the little shadow to "the brothers" which she lovingly calls them. She mimics almost everything they say and do - good AND bad. I mostly have to laugh, she is growing up too fast!!! Such a personality! In fact, as you will notice in the pictures she wouldn"t let me adjust the mask and it was totally smashing into her eye! She is the funnest thing about my day a lot of times because she is such a whip. She is always going to be my little girl and she is such a crack up - she reminds me to laugh cause I don't do it often enough these days... I am sure when Max is her age it will be the same, I'm just enjoying her while it lasts. Before we know it she'll be an emotional teenager - then I'll be grateful for 3 boys, so I've heard. :) P.S. I just typed this whole thing one - handed while holding Max! I feel pretty proud I got it done without typos, I think!

A smile

So, Max is finally starting to smile for us. He is so close to cooing and making those cute little baby noises too - instead of just crying or fussing when wet or hungry. It is amazing how much that makes the newborn stage worth all the struggles. I swear I have been through it with this postpartum nonsense. I started with a rash from the tape they used for my epidural. Unfortunately I got an anethesiologist with a notion for A LOT of tape, so it was all over my back. I then proceeded into some sort of allergic reaction to it. It lasted at least 3 weeks. Finally after days of lotions, benedryl and 2 rounds of steriods my back cleared, then I got hives. Not just a few. A LOT! All over my body. When those cleared it spread to my hands. It was sooo itchy that I would wake in the night and want to cry because they would be on fire. So, again I got some cortizone with a kick called in from the doc. It finally has gone away and let an aweful dryness all over my hands. I don't know quite what to do now except A LOT of lotion. It seems to help, but not enough. In the middle of this somewhere I also got a bladder infection - NOT fun. Now, I have strep throat! Yep, it doesn't end. I went into the instacare last night with a sore throat and a fever and I just knew since I felt so crummy yesterday. I am sure I got it due to my immune system going crazy and just DONE popping pills, since no one else in my family got it (and I hope they don't). The point of my complaint is that I don't think of it much now that it has mostly subsided, especially when Max smiles at me. Or when he is just laying in his bouncy chair being content. Amazing what a smile can do... We have yet to catch the cute little smile on camera, but here is a darling picture I took of him anyways.

Family Night Sleepover

So, I digress. I didn't prepare a "real" family night. So, I let the kids pull out their sleeping bags that Grandma Martell made for them and just chill and snuggle in them while I read a story from the children's friend. I have to say it was one of the better lessons I could've given, so all in all a success. Just thought I'd share some pictures of my FOUR rugrats! Happy family night to all and to all a good night.

MAXWELL JAMES

Can you say Cheeks!
Our sleeping "Cougar cub" on game day
Bath time!
Almost a smile :)

Since I blogged/bragged about my princess I decided I better take turns and do a little blogging about Max, since he is the newest addition to our family. He is getting into a pretty good routine these days. Nights are still tough for me, but I am someone who needs my sleep and I hate to get up in the morning - a bad combination I admit. But he only wakes up a couple of times a night and I have the feeding routine down to the hour, so we are getting there. He is a pretty content little guy, but I think he is starting to want to be held and have a little more attention these days - which is normal. He is getting bigger, which is kind of sad in a way. I love to hold little babies against me with their little feet tucked up under them and just snuggle. That is my favorite part of the newborn stage. He is one month old (yesterday)! Time truly flies. I am so looking forward to him starting to coo and respond and smile at us. It makes baby time so much fun! So, here are just a few of my most recent pics of Max to make you smile. I have been so out of it for a month that my blogging is very sparatic and I have tons of different pics to share, so I will try to catch up this month. Note that I said TRY. :)

Our Princess

So, I love girly stuff! Haleigh has totally gotten into princesses and such over the past couple of months and I love to listen to her sing her princess songs all over the house ALL the time. She is such a girly girl and I love it. Today my mom and I took her to Costco to pick out a Christmas dress before they are all picked over. We tried a couple of them on her and she would twirl and twirl with a huge grin on her face, therefore winning over all the people watching(especially Grandma and mom!) I thought I would post just a few fun pictures of our Haleigh Ann, our Princess forever!