What have you been up to?

What have I been up to lately?

Well, Friend, I'm so glad you asked.

I've been taking Grapes to soccer. She loves it. She's a natural, and it is so fun to watch her play.





















I've been playing FlingSmash with my kids. (Wii game- kid friendly and a bit addictive)





















I've been chasing Pencil monkey. He broke the already chewed mouse, so now the battery 'lid' doesn't close. Do you see the chewing hole on the side, there??
He also got hold of my sewing scissors and cut his new shirt from Aunt Kelsey. Thankfully he did not cut himself.
































I've been using my new Christmas gift(s). I am giddy with anticipation. Obviously, there will be more pictures to come.

















Do you see those sweet pocket holes?? How great is that!?!
















I have also been enjoying The Doctor's clinic schedule this month. He has been home at dinnertime and on weekends, and I have just relished it.
The Doctor and I have also been making the most of Netflix (my pseudo gift to him).
X-Files, Veronica Mars, Heroes, the movie "2012" and AstroBoy at least 50 times(that was the kids, though, not us) And it has only been one week!!
Ah-luv-it!

Las Vegas Construction

I know it is old news, but I have to share our pictures from our trip home from the Utah/Wedding/Christmas adventure.

Cute Grapes was such a helper. She tied her back pack to Sockie's and then clung to Pencil's stroller. We were a train of fun. She also found a flight departing to Milwaukee while we waited to return to Arizona. She begged to get on that plane instead so we could go visit some of the people we love and miss. I had a difficult time convincing her that it wouldn't actually work.





















Sockie was ever attentive.... to everything going on around him but not his momma. He inhaled a whole BK hamburger on our layover though, so I won't complain.





















Pencil and his new stroller. (Thanks Nan and Papa!!) It was a life saver (for him and me)





















Thank goodness the Las Vegas Airport was under construction that day. Watching it kept my busy kids quiet and still for most of our layover. AH ... sigh of relief. :)



This is them, glued to the window.



































This is what they were watching.

Baby Tornado

Have you met Pencil? He is the most busy baby I've ever had! He has:

*broken my blender --shattered glass on my tile floor

*ripped too many books to count

*eaten the cotton off at least 6 Q-tips

*chewed and spit out multiple crayons (purple, green and blue today)

*stirred with his hand the toilet water in any toilet he can find (if there is something cool in there it is even better) (thanks Grapes for flushing....)

*learned to disrobe (he's only done pants twice, and shirt once. and never together....)

*'helped' change his dirty diaper

*tasted The Doctor's deodorant (his breath all day today has smelled like my husband's armpit)

*whacked his brother with the plunger

*'mopped' and 'swept' the house

*learned how to turn the TV on and off at convenient times

*climbed onto anything and everything that he can get his little body onto (he then raises both hands and yells, TA-DA!)

*chewed a hole in the plastic casing of our computer mouse

*emptied the reachable shelves in my pantry

*and the list will only continue...

This commercial made me laugh because it seemed like they had met my little boy.
Enjoy! YouTube Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfmaRJ8ej2w

We Wittnessed a Wonderful Wedding

The Doctor's younger sister got married on Dec. 30th.
We were able to fly to Utah and participate in a whirlwind of wedding and family activities. It was breath-taking. (in the imaginative and beautiful way as well as the literal, I-NEED-A-REST way. Traveling with three kids seems to do that to me.)

The heart break for me was when we returned home I realized that I had not taken any pictures. I HAD remembered my camera- but I had NOT used it. Brilliant, I know!


We flew in on Tuesday night, arriving at 10:30 pm. Pencil did not sleep on either flight, so he was FRIED. So was I.

Wednesday morning was a whole family extra-Christmas. My kids were SO very excited to see Grandma's tree still up (and not crusty brown with death) and the stockings and presents. Sock looked out the window to see the newly fallen snow and shouted "It's REAL Christmas!"
I wish we had taken pictures. Pencil figured out how to open gifts. Grapes was SO antsy and impatient to open every one for her (in a cute, 'I love Christmas' kind of way.) Sock got a Super-Hero-Squad movie so he was thrilled. And all the siblings and spouses (and soon to be spouses) were there and I loved it.
Wednesday night was the 'groom's dinner' (I don't know if it was really called that, but that's how my brain thought of it) and we met the new brother-in-law's family and ate and enjoyed watching those two cute people be in love.
Thursday was SO cold. I enjoyed the temple ceremony SO much. It was sweet and thoughtful and so special for me to remember my own marriage commitments. (More on Celestial Temple Marriage here)
We took pictures afterward, but I was so cold, and worried about my frozen monkies that I did not take ANY of my own. Shame.
(As a side note, I think our brief time as Arizona residents has completely weakened my years of carefully honed cold weather resistance. It is tragic and a bit embarrassing.)
(As a second side note, this was my first visit to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, because it is fairly new. I fell in LOVE with the beautiful architecture and wonderful way light was invited into the rooms through carefully placed windows. There was also an abundance of circles in the decor- symbolizing eternity and unity to me. I did not want to leave!)

The reception was beautiful. I loved the white flowers and green accents. My sister-in-law looked ravishing (did I mention that I was present when she found "the dress"? it was SO perfect for her) and her cute groom was all smiles.

My favorite part (again, weeping inside that I didn't take pictures or bring my flip-camera) was the dancing. My kids were anxiously awaiting the last half hour of the evening, and when the music began they went WILD. Seriously, I know I'm the mommy, but My Sockie is one RIDICULOUSLY good dancer. He had an audience, and he ate the attention up. It was so fun to dance and enjoy my kids. (oh- and the married people were good too)
Sockie wept when the music ended. He was red in the face and had swallowed nearly a gallon of water, but he wanted nothing more that to keep dancing the night away.
Grapes was also looking a bit windswept by the end of things. She had been dancing her heart out.


Thankfully, my sister (who came with my Mom and brother to the reception to help us manage three roudy monkies) took a few pics at the reception. (and Sock used her camera to take one too!) So I can share those with you now.

Christmas, Finally

A new post? Do I even remember how to DO a new post?? It has been too long, my friends.
So, Whit, where ya been all my life?
Why, Friend, I've been in the not-so-sunny state of Utah. But more on that later...

First, let us think on that loving season to be jolly and joyous. The season when the saints can employ us to spread the news about peace and to keep love alive. (name that beloved Christmas movie!)

Yes- we are finally getting to Christmas. At our house there was some debate about WHEN Christmas would happen. The Doctor had to work overnight from the 24th to the 25th, and was scheduled to work until 8:00 that morning. (which means he wouldn't be home until around 9:00) But he didn't want to miss that Christmas moment when the kids see Santa's gifts. (*Side note* At our house, Santa leaves the big gift out and unwrapped for instant Christmas gratification. All other gifts are wrapped, but Santa's obviously can't wait)
We asked Grapes and Sock if we should invite Santa to come a day early to our house so Dad could be there. We were met with blank stares from Sock and an immediate and very assertive "NO" from Grapes. She did not want to mess up the advent calendars that she had already diligently begun. Plus- then it wouldn't be real Christmas.

Any other kid would have had a party at this possibly once-in-a-lifetime chance. I'm just sayin'.


So, we waited. Mercifully, the doctor was able to come home early Christmas morning, and we actually had to wake Pencil up in order to open gifts at a respectable 7:00.

Good morning.














The big kids got Bikes for Christmas. Yay Arizona!






























Pencil's stocking did not have any treats in it. He found a way to take care of that discrepancy. He took one of Sock's treats out of his stocking, and chewed it through the wrapper until a sufficient amount got into (and all over) his mouth. Funny baby.





















All in all, Christmas was wonderful. We lounged in PJ's and did a whole lot of toy playing and the like (while the doctor slept in the other room)
The next day began a whole new batch of mommy-crazies, because we had a wedding in Utah to go to. I had not even thought about packing, preparing or ANYTHING because Christmas was a bit all-encompassing. So the 26th was a slap in my unprepared-for-air-travel-with-three-children face.


When I got out the suitcases, this is how I felt: