It is the New Yaarrrgh!

So I always like to put my goals out there. Just so you (the reader) can judge me for not having a plan, or whatever. And then you can judge me again when I fail. Mostly I just do this so that you will feel better about yourself. (I just decided that one of my goals is to help others feel better about themselves) We call that a win-win-win around here. The third win is because I can fail at all of my other goals and still be accomplishing something. Did I just blow your minds?! Let's switch to something easier. Here is a calming picture:

Better yet? Good. Let's get to it.

1-Take a Facebook Hiatus. I have learned that Facebook detracts seriously from the amount of time I would normally spend being awesome. I hereby declare to reserve Facebook checking time for Saturday evenings after the Children are sleeping and Todd is in the bathroom or popping popcorn. Linking Instagram pictures and posting links to the blog don't count as "checking Facbook"

2-Update the Blog. I hereby declare that Blog Updating Time will occur weekly either Wednesday or Thurdsay afternoon during Nap/Preschool Time. By the end of the year I will have 52 blog posts, so get your reading glasses ready, friends.

3-Attend the Temple once each month. I hereby declare to visit the Temple one Saturday morning a month as my Mom has graciously offered her babysitting services.

How about you guys? Any goals or declarations??

Grandma Jean

We lost our sweet Grandma near the end of September and I just wanted to take a little minute to put some of my memories into words. Preserve them for future generations, especially my kids, as they won't have their own memories with her.

I feel so blessed that we lived with my Mom for 6 months this last year. We got to spend a lot of time with my Grandma from weekly visits to her Care Center or long afternoons filled with popsicles and naps when she came over for the day.

Autumn loved to visit with her "GG" and was always making her cards to take home.

My grandma was a beautiful lady inside and out. She cried with me after I miscarried a baby in between Autumn and Max. She laughed with my silly Autumn when she would sing and dance. She kissed my (then) little babe Max. Every time I went to her house to visit she was trying to give me a pair of shoes or a skirt. That lady had style.

I love my sweet Grandma and can't wait to see her again and meet my Grandpa on the other side. I'm sure Kylie is with them, getting her share of Grandma's opinions.

Back in the *figurative* saddle!

'Sup. Ready to get the old bloggity up and rolling now that things have started to settle. To get you caught up, we moved into our house near the end of October. Autumn had her 4th (yes 4th) birthday party here. We trick or treated like crazy hoodlums. We hosted Todd's family for Thanksgiving. We made some awesome new friends in our awesome new hood. We celebrated Christmas. Then it was New Years.

I feel like there were a lot of days in between all of those things, but honestly the last two months went by faster than Jimmy Johnson at Talladega. (How often do you get a Nascar reference while you are reading a blog?? Be honest. You liked it)

Oh Summer, wherefore hast thou gone?

Summer has come to an end. Luckily, we sent it off with the BANG!

We caught and released a toad.

We went to the e-quarium.

We went to the build site and saw all of the awesome happenings. Like walls, and doors, and trim!

We walked up our staircase without the panic inducing fear that one of our kids might fall to their death.

We played creepy house stalker and took pictures out of the car window while the guys were still laboring to put up our siding.

We woke up WAY too early and left for an adventure.

We fell asleep on wave runners and then finished the snooze off in the stroller

We bounced around on tubes.

We played on fun toys!

We ate lunch.

We learned that men driving boats are super attractive.

We tried new things.

We survived boat rides of death.

We got lifejacket wedgies.

And, we went swimming! Farewell dear summer, you shall be missed. Let's bring on the fall, sweaters, cider, and dropping this cute face off at preschool three days a week. Can I get a what what?!

Todd even got to go on a backpacking trip with the bros this weekend. I believe they called it a Man-cation. I will leave the bottom of the post for him to come add some pictures of his trip.

Oh, my abs.

Ahoy Team! Good things always happening 'round this town. Here is a quick update, because I know first hand how satisfying it is to read about others people's lives. Yeah, I Facebook stalk you guys too. Flattered?

House update: Things are moving along! First, electricity. Todd was super manly and wired extra stuff. It was awesome to see him all cool, like a dude that does house things and fixes crap.

This was taken the same night. We have columns on our porch and framing is totally complete!

Second, insulation.

Love my boys, and sassy model Autumn!






Third, drywall.  That is right, folks. As of our visit tonight, we have walls throughout the house and the scaffolding is up so they can start spraying up stucco. Can't wait to see what color my home will me. I picked the color off of a two inch swatch. MY WHOLE HOUSE IS GOING TO BE A GREEN I'VE NEVER SEEN ON A REAL HOME. AAAAGHHGHAHGAHGHAHEGI. Virtual panic attack over. It will be fine.

Future Vanna White? They have to be looking for a replacement soon, right? I mean, Botox can only get you so far... Eventually she will be forced into retirement. (Vanna, not Autumn)

It is amazing to watch the process, but it is also freaking me out realizing I am going to have to decorate all of this space. I would probably be more excited if Todd just gave me that look that means, "Spend whatever it takes, Darling. I want you to be happy."

I've never seen that look. I have however, dreamed about it, and it is beautiful. I think it looks like this:

Oh wait, no that isn't it.

 That is his "I'm tired of hearing you talk about house decorating crap. Maybe if I pretend I'm sleeping, she'll stop talking about it." 

I don't even have a picture that might closely resemble what the "Spend anything" face looks like.

Here are some pictures of an adventure up American Fork Canyon last weekend. It was wonderful. My kids are freaking adorable. PS, Nutella S'mores are da BOMB! dot com

 

 

Cords, ducts, and hoses (oh and WAY too many pictures)

You thought that title was about our house, didn't you.

Don't worry.

I wanted you to think it was.

Actually it kind of is. It is also some stuff Max has stuck his fingers in, pulled on, or tried to eat this week. My baby is a monster. A fun monster. Is that possible? I'm exhausted just typing a small portion of the crap he does.

He just looks like he is thinking up all sorts of trouble. Devious.

 There is a tub in the kid's bathroom. It was so dusty/dirty/messy in there. So, of course, we put our kids right in for a picture. Because we are good parents.

We have house!

***House update: I'm sure most of you saw the picture that went up on The Facebook last week, but if not, you can see it here. Framing is complete! We have house!

I honestly don't know what to expect for the next phase of the process. Electrical cords, plumbing, windows and doors, I guess? They have poured the front porch slab, which is cool, and all of our windows are stacked in the garage. I am just glad it is not me responsible for the building of things. I would be the guy walking around with a hammer and hitting things occasionally to look busy.

*** Us update: Todd and I are on a lifestyle improvement binge. We have been waking up before our kids for the first time ever (it sucks) and working out (which really sucks) and eating healthy (which is literally the worst thing ever). I'm just telling you this so that if we see you around, you will be a peach and remember to tell us how skinny we are and how much you hate us for being so tiny. Mmmmmmmmmmk?

*** Kid update: Autumn is loving the summer and dying to get to Disneyland this September. She has already picked out her room in our new house and almost screamed with excitement when she walked through the entire framed house for the first time. She also asked me if I was pregnant yesterday, because I "looked just a tiny bit fat" She didn't get the memo to say nice things to me. Max is a hilarious, energetic, and totally busy little monster. He loves playing with cords, eating anything left of the floor, and splashing in the special blue toilet water if we forget to leave the seats down. He clapped his hands for the first time today, but he has been really good at slapping people in the face for months, so at least we knew he could do it he just didn't want to.