Catching up!

I haven't been the best at blogging this month, but I wanted to remember something from March so here goes. We have been able to spend many days at the park and in our backyard which has been so nice. I can't even begin to say how happy I am that spring is finally here. There is so much to love about spring. I love seeing people outside, I love seeing tulips starting to come up even if they aren't in my yard, I love breaking out the flip flops and I love feeling motivated to spring clean my house. One of the things we did this month was clean our windows. Jeff found a great website with all sorts of tips to make things easier. Apparently, if you clean your window with newspaper, you can get it much cleaner than with paper towels or rags or whatever you use. I was a little skeptical until I saw the results. You still use window cleaner and go in a circular motion with crinkled-up newspaper. Maybe this is how everyone cleans their windows, but it was news to me. Here is the before and after picture from our family room window.

Before: I'll admit that cleaning windows and blinds are something I don't do near as often as I should. It's amazing we could even see out of it.

After: It was so clean I kept thinking the window was open.

We also took a St. George cousin trip with my sister and sister-in-law and all the kids. It was actually the end of February but I'll count it since I've wanted to blog about it. Everyone had a great time. I didn't see Jaxon much because he was so busy playing with his cousins. We did lots of outside activities since it was warm enough. It made me excited for our turn to have nice spring weather.

We tried to trap a leprechaun on St. Patrick's Day, but he got away. He did manage to leave some cute green shirts and treats for the kids. Jaxon and Claire thought it was pretty cool. Jax kept asking me how he knew that Tootsie Rolls were his favorite. It was a pretty smart little leprechaun (really...a little man comes in your house while you're asleep and leaves you candy...how creepy). Just glad Jaxon doesn't see the creepiness of it all. We had green pancakes for breakfast and corned beef and cabbage for dinner.

Jeff had his baseball fantasy draft which is his favorite day of the year. He is happy with the team he got. While he was at his draft, I went to the NCAA Regional Game. My parents bought tickets last year and it was fun to see an Elite Eight game. The underdog won which made it even better.

We went to the Discovery Gateway museum with friends:

Jaxon and Claire making delicious looking turkey sandwiches.

As long as Claire had a doll, she was happy.

Jaxon and Kaleb working on the construction site. This is one of Jaxon's favorite things to do at the museum.

The kids have been healthy, the weather is getting warmer, Jeff's almost done with another semester, and we have fun trips to look forward to in April...life is good!

Your package has arrived!

The other day I found the kids pretending that Toby was a package needing to be delivered. They put him in a box and somehow his head ended up coming through the box. Me being the mature mom that I am, could not stop laughing and took pictures when I should have been helping him out of the box. I think that almost everyone who comes over to our house ends up saying sometime before they leave, "poor Toby". He puts up with a lot, but takes it so well. Another Toby story that made me and Jeff laugh pretty good--Claire was holding Toby and he got a little nippy with her. She grabbed his face and said "no bite Toby." Then she stood up and carried him to the laundry room all red-faced. She was so mad and the whole way to the laundry room she was telling him "timeout, three minutes. " She does it a couple times a day now when she thinks he's being bad.

I am liking Toby more now than the last time I posted about him. He continues to follow me around which doesn't bother me until I trip on him. We are much closer to having him house trained and with the nice weather (mostly nice weather I should say since it is snowing outside as I am typing this), he plays outside most of the day. He really is a sweet dog who loves the kids. Whenever Jaxon or Claire gets sad, Toby will lick their faces/tears and give them kisses to make them happy.

Overwhelmed!

On Sunday, I was called to be the 2nd counselor in our Young Women's Presidency. It came as a huge surprise and I can't help but feel overwhelmed. I've never been in Young Women's before, but I have nothing but great memories of my own experience in YW's. We had our first activity on Tuesday and it eased a lot of my fears. The girls are amazing and have been really open about the change. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of the girls. I have heard from so many people in the ward how amazing our youth are. I am also really excited to be working with the other ladies in the presidency. We are all at similar points in our life and it will be fun to become better friends with each of them. They will be great to work with. I have to say how thankful I am for the interent--sugardoodle has been my best friend this past week.

I'm going to miss teaching with Jeff--that has been my favorite calling so far. We had such a great class and it was fun to be together during class and sharing time. I will miss hearing the cute things the kids say and laughing at the funny things the kids do. (ok so maybe I laughed a little too much sometimes and I'm sure the primary will not miss me being irreverent!) The one bright side about leaving primary is that I will get all the girls who were in my class in beehives this year.

I will keep you posted on how it's going. Please share any great ideas you have...I'll need them!!

Book Blog

I am grateful to my dad for instilling in me a love for reading. He always encouraged me to read and made sure that I had the next book in whatever series I was reading. I love being taken away into a different world created by the author. It is also something that Jeff and I share. A vacation is not a vacation for us without a good book to read.

I've always wanted to keep track of the books I've read, but have never found a good system. I'm going to see how it works with doing a post after I have finished a book. I'm always looking for new books to read so let me know if you have any recommendations.

The last books that I read were Freakonomics and The Giver.

Freakonomics is the first non-fiction book I've read in a long time. I'm trying to add more non-fiction to my reading and this was a good one to start with. It talks about different studies and stats and correlations they can make with those stats. The most important thing that I took away from the book is to be a less stressed parent. I worry about things that really are not worth worrying about. There was a whole section on how names affect our kids which was really interesting. I enjoyed the book and felt like it gave me a new perspective on life.

The Giver is a book I've always wanted to read. It's a young adult fiction which tend to be some of my favorites. It talks about a town with no diversity, no choices, and no real feelings. Everyone in the town has a specific role. They only know life one way. One boy is given an assignment that changes his life and the way he sees everything. This book is a great read especially if you are looking for something quick. It made me grateful that we are able to experience happiness and freedom. I really enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it.

Jaxon's 4th Birthday!

We celebrated Jaxon's birthday on February 12th. How I love love my little boy who I probably shouldn't be calling little anymore. He might be one of the few kids who was a little apprehensive about his birthday. He wanted to stay 3 because he always wants to be a kid. He is always asking me if he has to grow up and I don't have the heart to tell him that he will because I know the day will come too soon when he will be grown up. It makes me happy that he enjoys being a kid as much as he does. That's what childhood is all about. He keeps me company in the day and I love that we can have real conversations. He is a huge help, mainly in the kitchen. I'm hoping he will be a good cook with all the things he already knows about cooking.

This last year was a big year for him. He started preschool and has done so well. He loves his teachers and has made some good friends. He also started sunbeams. He knew his teacher before which made it that much easier. He really enjoys her as well and is always telling me stories and things that he has learned. I think Jaxon would say the highlight of the year would be getting a dog for Christmas. Toby has made one happy boy even happier.

We had a few different parties and celebrations throughout the week. My mom was able to come up the week of his birthday. They have always had a special relationship and it made Jaxon's week to have her here. We had a party for both of the kids at Jungle Jim's Playland. Both of our families and some of our close friends were invited.

Jaxon talked me into going on the ride below, but all the dizziness was worth hearing him laugh and think it was the coolest thing that we were all on the ride together.

The kids loved hitting the pinata:
At first, Jaxon really wanted the carrot cake again, but he changed his mind when he saw the football cake. His cake choices make me laugh, but at least it's always what he wants.

Here are the boys waiting in line for the bumper cars:

We are so grateful to all of our families and friends who came and supported the kids. They have so many people who love and care for them.

Jaxon kept asking me if he could have a sleepover with his Grandma and his cousins. So, Jeff and I took Claire and stayed at his parent's house for the night. His other cousins all had school so it was just him and McKay. They went to the Training Table, played hide-n-go seek, and watched a show. He had so much fun and has asked if he can do it when my mom comes up again. We may just have to make it a tradition.

Here is Jaxon on his actual birthday opening his presents:

We try to let the kids pick where they want to eat for their birthday and like last year, Jaxon picked the Mayan. Jeff's parent's came with us and we had a great time. We love Jaxon and are so lucky he's a part of our family!!

Craft Day

Back in October, my sister-in-law asked if I wanted to be in a craft group. There are 13 people in the group and everyone makes a 3-5 dollar craft. You meet together and exchange the crafts. I wasn't going to do it since I don't consider myself to be very crafty. I figured I would be trying to come up with something the week before and would be stressed out about it. But on a whim I decided to do it-I figured I would at least get another 12 crafts that would make it worth it. The date for the exchange was February so I had a good 4 months to come up with an idea and complete it. I started searching the internet for inexpensive craft ideas and realized how many great ideas there are. I tried two different crafts before finding the one I wanted to make. There were many other ideas that I want to go back and make some time soon. I finally decided on making some XO frames for Valentine's Day. The hardest part about my craft was finding frames. I had to get them at the dollar store, but each dollar store only had one or two frames. This meant a lot of trips around town, but once I had the frames they went fairly quickly. The only other things I needed were marble beads, scrap paper, and E6000 glue. Here are some pictures of the complete project. In true Amy fashion, I was finishing up the night before the exchange, but I got them done and I was happy with the result. I found the idea at tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com.

It was so much fun exchanging them and I was so glad I decided to be a part of it. One of the ladies said it's like Christmas morning. I came away with homemade vanilla, JOY letters, a cake plate, an America and a Love banner, four different V-day decorations, a pancake bowl w/kitchen towel, cookie holders, and hair accessories. The best part was coming home and decorating my house with new V-day decorations! I am looking forward to doing it again next year!

Claire's 2nd Birthday

Last week we celebrated Claire's second birthday. It brings back so many wonderful memories. I remember holding her for the first time and thinking how perfect she was. I remember the name Kennedy we had picked out and how it didn't fit her at all. I remember Jeff coming up with the name Claire and me not being completely sure about it, but going with it just before we left the hospital. I remember how quickly Claire and her name won me over. She has brought us so much joy and we all love our little Clairebear! She has such a special relationship with her daddy, her brother, and her mommy. I started looking at pictures of her over the past two years and thought it would be fun to post some of my favorites.

When I look at the first picture of her the day we brought her home from the hospital and the picture below, I can't believe how much she has grown up and become a little girl. I love the age she is at, but it's always sad to realize how fast the time has gone and that you can't have those years back. Claire fills our house with excitement, laughter, and love. She looks up to her big brother and copies much of what he does. She has really started talking and will say just about everything. I am so grateful to have such an amazing, beautiful daughter and I look forward to many more memories and birthdays!

We took the kids to Carl's Jr. and the mall for her birthday. She loves to ride the train and says, "All aboard" whenever she sees it. She loves playing with her new dollhouse. She also got a big girl bed which she is still learning to like.

The Tobester

So I thought I would do an update on Toby. If any of you are thinking about buying a dog, I'm not sure yet if this will convince you to get one or not. I'll let you know at the end when I've put all my thoughts down. I have to start out by saying that I expected it to be much worse. I really thought I would hate having a dog. But he has grown on me and it would be weird now without him here all the time. He can be a lot of fun!

Now for the part where I will probably sound like a crazy person. Just go back and read the first paragraph if you start feeling sorry for Toby and remember that I really do like him! He gets the brunt of my frustrations not only with things he does that drive my crazy but my kids as well. The other day I totally lost it with him--I had had enough of cleaning up his pee. I grabbed him and put his face in his pee the whole time yelling "outside, outside, outside". He looked up at me with pee dripping off his face. When he looked at me with his sad puppy dog eyes I thought what is wrong with me? Oh my gosh---he's a dog--what do I expect from him? Well I expect him to not pee all over our floor, but I need to be realistic about it. I think I expect him to be able to learn things as fast as the kids. It took Jax a week to get potty trained--we've had Toby over a month and I feel like we are not getting any closer. Other things that drive me crazy-he's in a really nippy stage right now and his favorite thing to nip on is bare feet. He chews on everything. The only thing he's ruined so far is one of Jeff's PS3 controllers. There are mornings where he has woken up before the kids. I am fine losing sleep for my kids, but for a dog? Lastly, I can't sweep or fold laundry now without him latching on to the clothes or broom and holding on for dear life.

Now for the things that make me glad we have a dog. He is great with the kids and keeps them entertained. The kids will take him in their room and play with him for over an hour. Jaxon will now go outside by himself if Toby is out there. They aren't afraid of dogs anymore which I am happy for. Despite him waking me up once in a while he has been a great sleeper. We put him in his crate at 11:00 and he doesn't make a peep till 7-8. He has a fun personality and is really smart. It's fun to watch him chase his tail and do all the funny cute things that dogs do. He makes me feel a little safer when Jeff is working late. I can ignore him whenever I want--he seems to enjoy the laundry room and a little time away from us as well.

Even though I vented a lot more about the annoying things, I am glad we have Toby. I'm glad that he has made our kids so happy. We definitely can improve on some things, but once he is house-trained, not a puppy, and can go outside more in the summer, I may really enjoy having a dog. I'll give you an update when all that happens (cross your fingers for the house-training)!

Holidays 2009

We had a wonderful week celebrating the holidays this year . Jeff's parent's rented a house in Midway for the week and my parents came up from Arizona. When we weren't in Midway, we were spending time with my family.

On Christmas Eve, everyone opened a gift and we read Christmas stories and shared a favorite Christmas memory.

Claire looks excited for those p.j.'s! She was a little under the weather and ended up with double ear infections the day after Christmas.

Jeff took this picture from above before we started opening gifts. We were with Jeff's parents and his sister's family:

Even though Santa brought Toby early this year, he still found them Christmas morning. Claire got a new doll stroller, but she was more interested in opening every present. It didn't matter what was in it, she just liked the unwrapping.

Every time Jaxon opened a gift he would say, "that's just what I wanted."

The rest of Christmas Day we spent at my sister's house. The kids exchanged gifts and we had a great time being together with my parents and my family.

I loved the time we spent in Midway--the town has such a great Christmas feel to it. Some of the highlights at Midway were swimming at the Homestead,

Going out to eat with the adults at an authentic Mexican restaurant, eating a delicious Italian dinner on New Year's Eve, and playing games at the house. The kids had a great time being with their cousins. I don't think Toby went more than 10 minutes without being held up there. I was so glad that my parents came up this year for Christmas. We miss them being here, but it makes it all the more fun to see them. We had many chances to see them between family parties and get togethers. It's always hard to see them go back. We made some wonderful memories!

Jeff's Birthday!

Every year for Jeff's birthday, we stay at a hotel in Salt Lake. We stayed at the Hyatt this year which is right next to the Gateway. The highlight was seeing the movie Avatar in 3D. We went to the 11:59 Thursday night showing and both thoroughly enjoyed it. We also enjoyed shopping and eating at Tucanos. It is one of the weekends that I look forward to the most and this year did not disappoint. We had a great time! Thanks to our families for watching our kids!
The actual day of his birthday we took the kids to the Training Table--a favorite of Jeff's and Jaxon's. Jeff had to work so we did the cake and singing before lunch. Jaxon and Claire helped me decorate his cake and the house. Jax wanted to buy party hats. I'm grateful for the kids and how much fun they make everything! We love you Honey and hope you had a great Birthday!!

Christmas Sunday!

I couldn't believe how grown up the kids looked in their Christmas outfits. Since we were in Midway for our last Sunday, it ended up being Jaxon's last week in Nursery. He will miss his teachers and seeing his sister, but he is excited to be a Sunbeam. Claire does great in Nursery, but will miss seeing Jax as well. Jeff and I are looking forward to 9:00 church and to team teaching the 10-11 year olds.

December Fun

December is definitely one of my favorite months of the year. I love that we spend more time with family and friends. Some of our activities were:

Lunch at the Lion House (tradition with Jeff's family):
The kids wanted to go to the JSMB after to see the waterfalls and the temple:


We hosted our annual party for my friends from high school. Some of the Trimble games this year were leading your team through a maze blindfolded and seeing who could hold weights out in front of your body the longest. It went really well and I am so glad we still keep in touch with my friends.

Other activities that we don't have pictures of were a Christmas Party with Jeff's friends from high school, driving through the lights at Thanksgiving Point, and many visits to the mall to ride the train and see Santa. Even though it was a little crazy at times, I am sad it's almost over.

Ward Christmas Party

We went to our ward Christmas Party on Friday night. They had a really nice dinner and lots of yummy desserts. (Of course that's what I was drawn too). Dinner was followed by a talent show and a story for the kids. After singing Christmas songs, Santa came in and we got in line to see him. Jaxon was excited to thank him for Toby. Claire was so tired by that time, she couldn't even stay awake to see him. We still had to get a picture with her on Santa's lap. At least she wasn't screaming which I'm fairly certain she would have been were she awake. Santa told Jaxon what a big responsibility a dog is and to take good care of him. He thought it was so neat that he got a candy cane from Santa. I love Christmas and watching the kids get more into it each year!!

Our Family is Growing

Our kids, mainly Jaxon, have been asking us for a dog for a really long time. Jeff and I finally decided that we were ready and that it would be really good for the kids. We both did a lot of research trying to find the perfect breed for our little family. We came across a Havanese and had heard nothing but good about them. There aren't a lot of breeders in Utah, but Jeff found a lady in Santaquin who found us one for a great price. We wanted to see the dog early just to make sure he was what we wanted. How crazy looking back that we didn't think what a bad idea it would be to take the kids with us. It was supposed to be an innocent trip just to look at a dog to possibly tell Santa that we wanted one. Ten minutes in, we knew we weren't leaving without the dog. Yes, we are suckers. So we headed home from Santaquin with dog in tow and made a stop at the pet store. I wasn't ready for it at all, but maybe it was better that way. We came up with the name Toby (after Tobias from Arrested Development). Jaxon loved him from the second he held him. Claire wanted nothing to do with him for the first part of the drive. But by the end, she couldn't get enough of him. They took turns holding him and playing with him. I can't remember what, if anything has made them that happy before. As Jeff put it, they were so excited they didn't know what to do. It was so fun to watch them with their new buddy. Since then (this happened a week and a half ago), he has become a part of our family. He has been an incredibly easy dog. He sleeps well and he is so good with the kids. Claire carries him everywhere and holds him between her legs to read him stories. It is the sweetest thing.

Jaxon runs and plays with him. Toby goes to Jax's room every morning and starts barking. They are fast becoming good little buddies. Toby learned quick which one is the more gentle one.

Best Books of 2009

To continue on with our Best Ofs for 2009, my favorite book was the Book Thief. It is a WWII book told from the perspective of death. It made me cry at the end more than I remember a book doing for a long time. It was an incredible story.

Jeff's favorite book this year was Shutter Island. It was a great psychological thriller that kept you guessing throughout the entire book.

Best Movie of the Year

Best Movie of the Year

Jeff - My favorite movie of the year was a tough one to decide. With great movies like Inglourious Basterds, Sunshine, and even Slumdog Millionaire, I had a hard time making up my mind. In the end, I have never had a movie evoke as much emotion as Dear Zachary. By the end of the movie you feel that you have truely been let into the lives of the subjects of the documentary.

Amy - A wonderful tale told how movies should be. It incorporates great music, dialogue, acting, and a plot that keeps you fully engaged in the tale of three street urchins.

"Best Ofs" For 2009

I've decided to start early
I want us to document our "Best ofs" for 2009

So we'll start with something easy

Best Video Game of the Year

This game was short and action packed. This is one of those games that you play and realize its going to change how games will be made. I even caught Amy getting wrapped up watching cut scenes.