More Holiness Give Me

Family Time

A few weeks ago we were able to get out into the mountains and do a little sledding. The boys loved the entire day and so did we...seeing how the boys were absolutely helpless in the snow and stayed right where we wanted! To prove how great our day was, Carson's gloves didn't come off ONE time. Yep...that good. Here are a few pictures taken.

Here's some good news from today. Cade decided today that he was done with diapers. What?!? I mean, this kid has been seriously attached to the soggy pee carriers so this is a big deal! :)
He went all day in undies without an accident. Saawweet! Let's hope he doesn't change his mind.

Our fearless leader!

Yesterday, out of nowhere, the boys started calling me Amy Jo. It lasted all day.
"Hey Amy Jo, c'n I has chichen?" (chicken nuggets)
"Hi Amy Jo, watcha doin'?"
"Umm, Amy Jo, les go to du store."
It felt funny. But it was so super cute. They haven't done it since...just that one day. Weird.

Looking into the fort. Daddy and the boys built a pretty mean snow fort, around an already existing tee-pee structure. It was a huge hit.

Entrance to the fort.

Dress-Up...kind of...

Project I Did Forever Ago

Remember when Shane and I went to McCall to celebrate our Anniversary? I do! That was back in August. While we were there, we hit up a few garage sales...one of our favorite things to do. I found something I couldn't walk away from. Well actually, I did walk away from it and couldn't stop thinking about it. So I made Shane take me back in hopes that my treasure would still be there. I walked away with an awesome wood window pane, not quite sure what I would do with it.

It was a worn white and super dirty. I almost hung it "as-is" in our bedroom, but then I came up with a better idea. I've been needing a way to display our family pictures. There just aren't enough small picture frames to go around for all the pictures I'd like to display...especially current family pictures. So I decided to run with that idea. I cleaned up the window and replaced one piece of glass that was broken ($2). I decided on red. Sanded it, painted, sanded again, and then antiqued it with a mocha colored glaze. Then I put the pictures in. It's been done for months. Once the holidays were over and the holiday decor put away, I was ready to put it in it's place. It's new home is on the wall above our kitchen table. I'm so excited about it.

I'm so pleased with how it turned out, especially since it cost a total of $12. I feel like it looks a little bare on that wall...I need to put some other things with it.

One step at a time.

Winter Bike Riding

Don't you love their "Bronco Pants"?!?! They were adamant about wearing them and I finally gave in.

Today we headed to the church (Bronco pants and all) to their first primary activity. They loved it and did awesome. They went on a treasure hunt and got to take their shot at cracking the pinata...which brought shame to Shane when he saw their sad attempts. Okay, so maybe they aren't exactly super coordinated!!! We don't have balls or bats or hoops or goals...you get the idea...in our house. Shane assured me that this would soon be changing!

The Big Cousins!

Meet Brexon! How cute is he?!?! Can't believe he's already going on 2 months. The boys LOVE him and are always commenting on how "cute" and "nice" he is. They were got giddy when we asked if they wanted to hold him. Brexon, however, wasn't as keen on the idea.

Sunday Brownies

Good-Bye Nursery

Hello PRIMARY!!! Can you believe I have two Sunbeams? Yeah, me neither. It just doesn't seem right. Despite our denial and plan to hold them back, we've taken the plunge. Last week was their first week. Let me mention that on top of being young sunbeams, we are now in church from 1-4pm. These two still nap so you can see how this is a double wamy. I am the chorister in primary so I get to sit and watch these two the entire time! I was worried about it but the last two weeks have gone well and I have thoroughly enjoyed being with them. These two are just so completely different. In fact, both weeks they have chosen to sit on exact opposite ends of their row...Cade on the end near the middle and Carson on the end nearest the door (plotting his escape).

Carson is a ball of energy and can't for the life of him sit on his chair for more than one minute (bless is heart!). He's happy & pleasant...just beyond busy. His latest favorite is jumping. He has pretty much replaced walking with jumping. So, just picture Carson jumping his way around the primary room! He also loves to say "hi" to me...over and over and over again. The teachers are so good with him, his energy is contagious, and he is just handsome as can be.

Cade is doll and makes your heart melt. He sits front and center and is extremely eager to participate. His hand is raised the entire time waiting to be called on, and he tries to have an ongoing conversation with the person who is conducting and teaching. He also looks for me, gives me a goofy grin and a big thumbs-up sign. It's becoming our little thing. Just cute!

Highlights and Lowlights

I can't fully move myself in to the year 2011 without some closure to 2010. And also because I can't seem to come out of the Christmas coma. Really, I've been eating chocolate all day, every day and have multiple projects starring me in the face BEGGING me to give them some attention. Putting one foot in front of the other just makes me tired so I just sit right back down. At this rate, I'll be lucky to get my Christmas tree taken down in time for Easter.

HIGHLIGHTS: Shane and I were looking back at the year and commented to each other about how 2010 was a year full of blessings for our family. Here are just a few of them.

• Shane turned 30. We had a one night getaway in downtown Boise. We were kept up all night long due to a faulty fire alarm at the hotel. Besides that, it was awesome!
• Year one at The Amalgamated Sugar Factory was completed. They are a great company and are treating us well.
• We were able to take our little family on a plane to spend some time with our Mississippi family. Spending a week with Tom and Annette in the mission home was something we will always remember. I don't feel like I can even begin to tell you how blessed we are because of their service. As a family, we have been stregenthed and our testimonies have grown. They are now at their half-way mark.
• I had a year of risk-taking in the home improvement department. Taking black paint to your kitchen cabinets seems crazy! It was crazy. I learned a lot from that little project. And let me just say...they look awesome!!! So awesome, in fact, that I didn't stop there. All the remaining cabinets in our house also got a face-lift and are equal in awesomeness.
• Most of my spring, summer, and fall were spent garage-saling and craigslisting and boy did it pay off!
• Shane and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. I think it was our best anniversary celebration yet. Shane surprised me with a weekend trip to a cabin in McCall. That trip was just what we needed. I think this weekend will remain a top favorite for a long, long time.
• Carson is potty trained. Not poop trained, but I'm still happy that the potty part is taken care of.
• IN 2010, SHANE PASSED THE FREAKING CPA EXAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You better believe we framed his certificate and proudly hung it in his office. Shane R. Tucker, Certified Public Accountant. Music to my ears.
• Shane and I attended our first Broadway Show together...LION KING.
• My babies turned 3! I'm still feeling awful proud of myself for keeping them both alive for another year. So far, age 3 is treating us well. Just when I think they can't get any cuter, they do.
• This year, more specifically, in the last 3 months, we have been reminded of the power and love of family. The gratitude that we feel towards our loved ones is immense. Our hearts are deeply touched and the blessings we have received through them are many. We know that the Lords often blesses us through other people. That has certainly been the case.

LOWLIGHTS:

• Carson still waits and poops in his diaper, before or after sleep time. He's gone in the potty a number of times but he's just not consistent. Super frustrating. It's like I'm 1/2 way done but not.
• Cade still isn't potty (or poop) trained. When you ask him to wear undies and go on the big boy potty, he politely replies, "Ummm...no fanks." I don't see the end in sight and feel like I'll be potty training for the rest of my life, at least until their future wives can take over! :)
• Getting this year's value assessment on our home was, well, depressing. Sad day for us. I love our home, but thinking about being upside down in it makes the love fade! We'll be fine and it's not like I'm eager to leave. It's just small...tight family quarters. I'm grateful for our home, I just wish it's value would stop plummeting. Is that too much to ask???

Starting fresh is always exciting (even though I have yet to really start...remember...Christmas coma and chocolate). Even still, I am looking forward to the coming year, come what may.

Christmas Purge: Part ThREe!

It's game time! We aren't really game people. As in, when we get together, it isn't our tradition to sit around a table and play games. This year, I thought it would be fun to branch out a little and plan a little game night. So I did just that...but not with board games. Have you watched our heard of Minute To Win It?!?! It's a game full of random, quirky challenges that guarantee laughter. This is the game we played the evening of Christmas. Here's just a peek at a few of the challenges we did.

The first was called Face the Cookie. Put a cookie on your forehead and try to get it into your mouth without using your hands...only your face.

Dillon and Lauren started us off. No success.

Lindsay & Natalie took their turn next. I tell you what, I had no idea Lindsay had such determination! She didn't care what it took...she was going to get that cookie. We were all in tears from laughing by the time she actually did it. Go Lindsay!

They both lost their cookies.
I wish we would have kept the flash on for these pictures...they are a little dark. But look closely, because they are awesome.

Natalie was so funny. She just got the giggles and could hardly keep herself together! Seeing her lose it makes everyone else lose it too.

Lindsay trying to keep her balance to avoid dropping her cookie!

Awesome! She did it.

This was a little engineering challenge for Wynn and Aaron. Wynn won this one fair and square.
This next challenge is called Tortilla Head. Using a flipper, flip a tortilla into the air and catch it on a plate attached to the top of your head. Mom and Aaron did this one. Mom was so funny. First of all, like always, she was wearing a dress. But it didn't stop her. She flipped that tortilla like a crazy person! She's got more muscle than she realized. I think she got the tortilla to hit the top of her giant vaulted ceilings multiple times. She was also overcome with the giggles.

Getting ready.

Aaron, like Lindsay, was determined to complete this task. I'm not sure how many times it took him but was persistent and conquered.

It's hard to keep your eye on the tortilla in these pictures, but Aaron's face in all of them is hilarious.
This last challenge (that you get to see pictures of) is called Magic Carpet. Using a towel or bathmat, make your way on the floor around an optical course. And as you can guess, no hands allowed.
Lauren brought it and made pretty good time. Her arm movement was Olympic-like. Nice work Lauren!

She had to make her way around this rocking bear and back to her original starting point.

She made the corner look easy.
Then Nan took a turn. Again...lots of giggles...not to mention a pregnant belly to work around. And she gave Lauren a run for her money. Yay Nan!!!

I also have a short video of the Elephant Walk. Put a baseball in the bottom of pantyhose or tights. Put the tights on your head and use your "trunk" to knock down specified water bottles. This was one of the best challenges. Almost everyone took a turn. Dad was the first to go...and he's the one we got on video. It doesn't do him justice but you get the idea. Enjoy!

This was so much fun. You should do it with your families too. We did a lot of different challenges and laughed until our bellies couldn't handle it anymore. Thanks to the fam for humoring me and for being willing to branch out for a game night!

We had a great Sunday in Twin before heading back home. I'm sad that Christmas is over. All the anticipation...gone. I've had a hard time picking up the pieces and getting back into real life. But I'm trying to stay positive, even though we are now in a pretty depressing month. I'm feeling motivated about the few resolutions I've set and am looking forward to 2011. I think it's going to be a good year.