Christmas Card

Well, it's the 22nd, and I still haven't mailed out my Christmas cards. So, either you'll get them really late (more like New Year's cards), or they won't be mailed out at all. At least we got some actually printed this year. That's a step in the right direction. Right? So, here you go... this may be the only card you get :)

Ward Christmas Party

Kate has been loving this Christmas season. She loves looking at Christmas lights, screaming "Pretty!" at every house when we take our drives. She loves our tree, the presents, the music--every day I get more and more excited for next Saturday to get here. She loves anything Santa and says, "Ho ho HO!" anytime she sees him. So, needless to say it really surprised us when she was actually afraid of him at the party!

I know that a lot of kids are afraid of Santa, but this is just opposite of Kate's personality.  She's always smiling and waving and saying "Hi!" to everyone when we're out running errands.  She always goes to anyone at church, and she's just never been one to be afraid of strangers.  (Something that might not be her best trait!!)  So for her to be afraid of Santa was really surprising for us.

 

While we were waiting in line, Dustin tried really hard to get her excited, and she was...until we sat her on his lap.  So we quickly got our pictures taken, got our candy cane from Mrs. Claus, and went back to where she really wanted to be:  dancing with Daddy.

 Our ward Christmas party was so much fun!  We had a potluck, with some seriously amazing food!  Then some of the members did some skits, and some musical numbers, and we even had Santa dance with a live band!



It was seriously, so fun.  Thanks to everyone who put it on!  I love this ward!

Oh Christmas Tree

I don't remember seeing my first Christmas tree...

 but I wish I did.

Let the countdown begin!!!

Family Pictures

We were needing a picture for a Christmas card this year.  So I got out my camera today and I took these myself. I don't think they are too bad for a tripod and a timer.  (Note:  Blogger always messes up the colors of my pictures.  Just know that the originals are better :) )

 

What I'm thankful for today...

(I hope you're still reading these posts!)

Thankful catch-up

I knew I wouldn't be good at updating this everyday! I've got a whole week of thankful to catch up on. So here we go!

I'm thankful for:

food.  Sometimes it's the simplest things we can take for granted.  I remember when Dustin was in school, there was a time when we had to live on $20 a week for food and we would only eat ramen, totinos pizzas and frozen burritos.  I'm so grateful that we've come a long way since then!

fall.  The beautiful weather this time of year is what I live here for!  It's 70 degrees outside, and I don't have to turn on my air conditioner anymore!

photography.  I love it!  It's the perfect creative outlet for me, and it's SO FUN! 

my scentsy.  Is it weird to be thankful for this?  I love how it makes my house smell so yummy and clean all the time (even when it isn't).

netflix.  More specifically, the neflix wii channel.  Kate's favorite show is Blue's Clues, and she can watch it anytime!

 

build-a-bear.  Isn't this so cute?  They had a whole collection of the Island of Misfit Toys.  I couldn't resist getting this for Kate.

harry potter.  This movie was amazing!  Definitely the best out of all the movies (so far).  Which also reminds me, I'm thankful for dates with my amazing husband who loves me enough to ditch work and take me to see Harry Potter at 8:00 in the morning.

Little chef

Lately Kate has been fascinated by everything I do in the kitchen. So a couple of days ago, I decided to have her help me out. Needless to say, she thought it was awesome.

Gotta concentrate...

Time to clean up!

Delicious! 

So I guess today I'm grateful for Pillsbury Quick Bread Mixes, and the ease with which they are made. 

There's no place like

home! Today I'm so grateful for my home.  It was just over a year ago that this house just fell into our laps.  It was a year ago that we moved in, and we love it here!  We live in such an awesome community, and have an awesome ward.  This house has been the biggest blessing in our married lives (aside from Kate of course).  I've had a lot of fun making frugal decorations, and I think it's really starting to come together.  I'm so grateful that we have a haven and a roof over our heads.  I'm thankful for running water, and beds to sleep in.  I'm grateful for space for Kate to run and play, and room for our family to grow.  I love my home!

Also-- Happy Veterans Day!  I'm thankful to live in such an amazing place as America, and I'm thankful for all the soldiers who fight everyday to maintain our freedom.  Thank you for all you do!

Maddock-isms

Today I'm grateful for this guy:

This is my nephew Maddock. I am, of course, grateful for my two adorable nieces too, but this post is about Maddock. He just cracks me up! He says the funniest things. Here are a few examples.

A couple days ago I was watching him and his sister Jaylee, when I notice that Maddock has been staring and touching my clock for awhile. Curious, I asked, "What are you doing Maddock?". Still stroking my clock he says, "Erin, this is a NICE clock!" Thanks buddy. I'm glad that you think the $3 clock I bought at Goodwill is so NICE.

That same day I was changing Kate and Maddock says,
"Erin, are you changing Kate?"
"Yes"
"Is she stinky?"
"Yes"
Then he comes over and looks at Kates "mess" and says, "NICE ONE KATE!"

Last Saturday night, my father-in-law was in town, so we had everyone over for pizza. Maddock was kind of grumpy because he had skinned his knee really bad earlier than day. After a while he cheered up and was playing upstairs with Kate's kitchen. He was making all of us "macaroni", and was bringing bowls of it up and down the stairs. On one occasion he was heading up the stairs to fetch his dad another bowl of macaroni when he fell and hit his skinned knee. All the adults downstairs were silent, as we waited to see what his reaction would be. What we didn't expect was for Maddock to exclaim, "Oh no! I spilled the macaroni!!" hahaha. This kid is awesome.

Oh man, I love this kid.  I'm thankful for him, and I'm especially grateful that he makes me laugh every time he comes to play.

Bug Ninja

Today I'm grateful for my sister-in-law Bethany. Not only is she beautiful, patient, kind, so creative, and the best sister-in-law a girl could ask for-- she's also a lot braver than I am.

Today Beth and her kids came over. The kids were playing in the living room, and Beth and I were doing some crafts at the kitchen table. I noticed Kate was smelly, so I grabbed a diaper and wipes and laid her down in the living room. After I had cleaned her up- and before I had put a clean diaper on- I looked up and noticed something on her Kangaroo Climber (a small jungle gym with a slide).

Tan, six legs, two claws, long tail and a stinger.

Yep. A friggin scorpion was on the kids' favorite toy (which they had been playing on all day)! Well, I completely freaked out. I told the kids to get away, and I grabbed my sunday shoe (good thing I hadn't put it away yet!). Beth took the shoe away from me, took a deep breath and hit the scorpion with all her might. She hit the scorpion so hard it literally flew about five feet and landed on the carpet by the windowsill. It still wasn't dead so she kept hitting it with a shoe, and I went and grabbed a hammer. Then she pounded it with a hammer until is was most positively dead.

I grabbed a grocery bag and a napkin and she gracefully picked it up, while I realized that Kate still didn't have a diaper on.

She was awesome, and I'm so glad she was here today. I am no good when it comes to bugs, and scorpions are the WORST. So today I dedicate my thankful post to Beth. You are so amazing, and I'm so glad to have you in my family. I don't know what I would do with out you!

And thanks for saving our lives today.

Sleep

Today I'm grateful for sleep.

Last night was not a good night for me. Dustin was snoring, Kate woke up crying a couple times and I had a headache that kept me up until 4:00. But, by some miracle, Kate and I both slept in until...

9:45!

I needed that SO much! I don't think Kate has ever slept in that long. Ever. And she picked a perfect day to to do it! So, sleep is what I'm grateful for today!

Charity never faileth

(I meant to post this yesterday)

November 7th 2010

Today my heart is so full. As I've started this project to write posts about what I'm thankful for, I've struggled to know what to write about. I'm thankful for many many things, but the words just don't come to me like they used to. But not today.

I just got home from church. Today the spirit was so strong, and I was an emotional mess. The thought just kept coming and coming to me today about how grateful I am for my ward.  And more specifically, the people in it. I've never EVER been in such an amazing ward before Period. The sisters are just so awesome here. I felt welcomed as soon as I moved in (a year ago now, can you believe it?) and these sisters are some of my closest friends. I have never felt such a unity and friendship in a relief society before. It's hard to describe, but I'm sure every other sister reading this knows what I'm talking about because they feel it too. I'm just so thankful for them. You know how people say that everything happens for a reason? Well, I believe that the reason we were blessed with this house is becuase I needed this ward.

In other wards Dustin and I have been in, there were times when were were borderline inactive. We would ditch regularly or just go to sacrament meeting. (Unless we were called to primary, which is probably why we always were called there!) I just didn't feel the drive to go to church like I do now. Now it's something we always do, and that I love to do.

I just want to add a special shout out to Brianne Ralston, Cami Dean and Stephanie McGuire. I wasn't really having a good day, just kind of feeling down on myself, and the things they said about me today totally made my day. You girls are awesome!

I just want to bear my testimony (becuase it's easier here than in front of everyone at church) that I know that this church is true. I know that Jesus is there for us and that he will help bear our burdens. I'm thankful for my ward and the inspired Relief Society organization, and especially for the RS presidency in my ward. You sisters are amazing and I'm so thankful for all that you do.