tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32803048387850990782024-03-13T13:58:54.969-07:00Peanut M&M'sPeanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-82862922058873289172013-06-29T22:55:00.000-07:002013-06-30T06:19:01.095-07:00Jared's Birthday PartyIt has been a year since my last post, but Kristin inspired me to try blogging again, so here goes! Today was Jared's birthday party. We celebrated on his actual birthday with the family, but it has taken a full month to be able to find a good day to have his friends over for a little celebration. At one point (I think we were eating pizza), Jared leaned over and said to his friend, "This is the best party ever" (or something along those lines!). I'm so glad he had a good time! <br />
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During the third hour of our Wal*Mart shopping trip for the party, Jared started repeating the word "hibernation" over and over and over again. He actually did really well for such a long shopping spree. As soon as we got home, he wanted to fill the piñata with candy. He picked out a really cute dinosaur piñata and named it Tommy. It was actually almost too cute to hit with a stick. <br />
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We invited 2 friends from church, and a friend from the library, plus siblings! It ended up being a really nice party, I thought. Jared opened each present as it arrived... a bit non-traditional, but it was the way it worked out! Emily had prepared a bunch of water balloons and a tic-tac-toe game. <br />
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As soon as the pizza got here, we dug in! Then we did the treasure hunt. Matthew prepared the coolest map, with a puzzle piece at each location. The map and puzzle were both painted with watercolors! The kids had to put together the puzzle to reveal a picture of where the treasure was hidden. The puzzle was a bit harder for the kids to do than we had thought it would be, but they eventually figured it out! The treasure was hidden in the cabinet under the TV. Each of the kids got a brown paper bag with a Hot Wheels car (for the boys), a mini composition book and pencil, bubbles, and Play-Doh. The little girls got a Dora bracelet with lip gloss. It was kind of hard to find cool treasures at Wal*Mart without spending a lot. <br />
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Next up was the piñata ("Tommy")! It didn't take long for the kids to crack it open...Emily and her friends didn't even get a chance to to hit it! But the kids all seemed to get plenty of candy, and no one fought or got upset about it! <br />
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Whenever there was a little break between activities, the kids would go back to Jared's room and play with his toys. They tried out the bow and arrows, and the cash register and McDonald's play set were a big hit! I guess it was a big deal, because Jared hasn't had very many friends over to play since we've moved in here. There aren't many neighbor kids around here at all. We invited one little girl from across the street, but didn't hear back from them. I didn't know Patty's grandkids were here visiting, or we would have invited them. Patty is a really nice neighbor lady. <br />
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After the piñata, we sang Happy Birthday and had cupcakes and ice cream. Some of Jared's friends requested their own candle in their cupcake. His friends were all very sweet and polite. After the cake, we got ready to do water balloons. Em had spent a lot of time getting them ready, so it was a real bummer that all the balloons were broken by the time she and her friends got outside. The little kids were so intrigued by the balloons, they just kept throwing them on the grass and watching them burst! It only took a couple of minutes for all of the balloons to be broken :( We ended up continuing the party for an extra hour, with the sprinkler and then the Slip 'n Slide. The kids all seemed to have fun in the water! <br />
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I'm glad Jared finally got to have his party. He's already talking about his future birthday parties! <br />
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Hopefully, we can post some party pictures tomorrow!<br />
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Now I'm thinking of all the other posts I can write...Emily's birthday, Spring Break... San Diego (in a week!!!) I'm so excited about this trip, I can hardly believe we're really going!!!<br />
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Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-59999297742428741082012-06-14T23:30:00.000-07:002012-06-14T23:30:03.643-07:00Tulsa!Wow! A lot has changed since my last post! The biggest change is that we have left the lone star state, and now live in the panhandle state!! The drive up was rough...felt so sleepy...ate lots and lots of pretzels to help me stay awake! We feel a little bit homeless, and Nellie kind of adds to the effect. The hotel in Sherman, Texas was really nice, and we have really liked our hotel room here in Broken Arrow, so much so that one night has turned into 5 nights...and counting! <br />
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Tonight, we got to have a picnic dinner with Kristin, Bryan, and Nora. They are on their way up to Michigan, and were able to make a pit stop!! The kids had so much fun running around and playing together. It was such a sweet moment in time! *We got a few pics...will try to post!!!<br />
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Nellie really enjoys sleeping under a chair in our hotel room, but as soon as we leave the room with her, she goes nuts, barking wildly at everyone! It's upsetting, especially when she barked like crazy at the nice lady at Camp Bow Wow today, and they had to turn her down as a camper. They did recommend some classes on socializing at PetSmart, and I'm really thinking about trying it out. Our lives are kind of revolving around her this week, because we can't leave her in the hotel room for 5 minutes without our neighbor getting spastic about her barking and waking her from her nap. So she goes everywhere with us and sits in the car with the a/c running, while we do laundry, play at Carl's Jr., etc.<br />
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We are hoping everything will go through with the sale of our house on Pinecroft...we will miss that house, especially the treehouse!!! We are ready to make an offer on a house in Claremore! The setting is my favorite part...open fields, hills, just very serene and peaceful... We love the ward, the schools are supposedly really good...the only negative is lots of driving for Matthew to get to work (about 45 minutes each way!)... I hope it's the right choice. <br />
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Jared and Emily have been so sweet together, playing all these little games that they come up with...one where Jared acts like a baby, and Emily has to cover him up with all the pillows...Emily spinning J around super fast in the chair...one day, it was so cute hearing them talking...they were just laying on the bed and having the most serious conversation about what kind of gummy bears and ice cream they like...Emily has been so great with him. It makes me so happy, because this hasn't always been the case! I was hoping this move would help us grow closer as a family, especially Em and J, and so far, it seems to be working!<br />
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Well, I will sign off for now, but I'm feeling really good about the direction things are headed...I would really like to start exercising soon and working on some personal goals like that, so I can feel more comfortable in my own body! Good night for now!Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-20171065628147897142012-05-14T19:53:00.001-07:002012-05-14T19:53:18.767-07:00<span style="font-size: large;">Birthday party fun!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wNzLiO7X3O2GCNiXzMlKTLUsw3R7Nk4tpL_v-tNJoXGzy5CeB-ZEBkUlSyGa7VE8acdiuWKHxTX_FdznXlddo5Z3HVjockMXUPMiGcUHaebJcVzyyyySu5zaNfaHoJ7QhhmPkcYgw985/s1600/Em's+11th+bday+paintingbirdhouses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wNzLiO7X3O2GCNiXzMlKTLUsw3R7Nk4tpL_v-tNJoXGzy5CeB-ZEBkUlSyGa7VE8acdiuWKHxTX_FdznXlddo5Z3HVjockMXUPMiGcUHaebJcVzyyyySu5zaNfaHoJ7QhhmPkcYgw985/s320/Em's+11th+bday+paintingbirdhouses.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-90230398454118460092012-03-27T23:10:00.003-07:002012-03-27T23:27:43.581-07:00J-Bo (that's Matthew's nickname for Jared)some of Jared's recent sayings:<br /><br />Me already did throw up.<br /><br />No me like it.<br /><br />No please eat it. (if he hands me something he wants me to save for him to finish eating later)<br /><br />Somebody's sleeping (if he wants me to be quiet or stop singing)<br /><br />also, on a recent trip to the mall, Jared was extremely uncomfortable around the female Easter bunny, and wants to make sure she won't be wherever we're going now. He wanted gummy bear earrings at claire's <strong>really</strong> badly, so to console him, I decided to get him a Build a Bear. (It was Emily's birthday present to J. He got some earrings for her as a birthday gift.) He was a bit overwhelmed by the whole Build a Bear experience, but Em helped him choose a nice, less expensive puppy. He named him Chocolate Chip. It was awesome how much fun the doctor had today, doing an exam on Chocolate Chip! too bad it didn't work as well at home, when Chocolate Chip took his medicine. We're having a rough time getting Jared to take this antibiotic. It actually does taste really bitter, even with the bubble gum flavoring! :(Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-57847754396313627572012-02-12T19:03:00.001-08:002012-05-14T20:02:56.690-07:00Soon to come...a photo of Jared's mud bath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBV5vy4k4_ktIaoKe_5rPN33XfDq_XCCj20QeBvjwKHqrmMWQBMU-TZADhdKK3oZuh6QihCrLAzVWbW20bK44xTBbJS4lEj4HWoxV8rP5tZEXHN8l1SMwMD05QellUqkz_E7ALKxVXvIfq/s1600/Jared+mud+bath.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBV5vy4k4_ktIaoKe_5rPN33XfDq_XCCj20QeBvjwKHqrmMWQBMU-TZADhdKK3oZuh6QihCrLAzVWbW20bK44xTBbJS4lEj4HWoxV8rP5tZEXHN8l1SMwMD05QellUqkz_E7ALKxVXvIfq/s320/Jared+mud+bath.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-47510250792621278522012-02-12T18:47:00.001-08:002012-02-12T19:02:26.121-08:00A not-so-spiritual nursery momentI really felt the Spirit in sacrament meeting today, but in nursery... not so much!<br /><br />Things were coasting along pretty well at first...Our nursery leader was out today, so by default, I was "in charge" (I use this term very loosely).<br /><br />We were at our usual 1:1 ratio, with 4 kids vs. me, 2 subs, and a dad. The dad kept trying to sneak out, but his son wouldn't stand for it. The problem is, when this little guy gets upset, he doesn't just cry, he throws up. So, as soon as the dad finally snuck out to teach his Primary lesson, I took the big lid off of the trash can, and had it ready to go, with the little boy on my lap, and sure enough, within about a minute, he was barfing into the trash can! I was pretty pleased that not too much got on the carpet this time, and none (that I know of) landed on my new dress, but one of the subs was having a really hard time. I guess she can't stand the smell of throw-up, and if she even hears someone doing it, it could make her throw up. <br /><br />Of course, the other 3 kids were trying to eat their snacks while all of this was happening. Luckily, there was not a chain reaction with the kiddos.<br /><br />Someone asked where the dad was, and I said he was teaching Primary, and I tell you, I have never seen 2 ladies jump out of their chairs so fast, racing for the door! They both declared, "I'll teach his lesson!" at the same time, but the one who declared it more firmly and reached the door first was the winner.<br /><br />So...the dad ended up back in the nursery, we opened one of the doors for some fresh air, had a few good laughs, and we even found a bubble machine and ended the day on a high note. <br /><br />Sadly, the lady with the really weak stomach did not win the 2 yard dash for the door.Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-79429799394538181922012-01-30T20:33:00.000-08:002012-01-30T20:49:14.753-08:00Flower Girl<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhY3T9rdhymaW0FvW6M5f5MqiLdVMt-7e6Dee2b8khMsNFVfrCLNZdAyr4Ue6LYmCtcwd0YuVrOvrWbxNAaZVMWnDIddOCHMvxpZ_sleT-EP510H_PeFXy2ZDCVduJqGYjtO0Ed0qJwis/s1600/Emily+with+flower+lamp.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703653413497018882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhY3T9rdhymaW0FvW6M5f5MqiLdVMt-7e6Dee2b8khMsNFVfrCLNZdAyr4Ue6LYmCtcwd0YuVrOvrWbxNAaZVMWnDIddOCHMvxpZ_sleT-EP510H_PeFXy2ZDCVduJqGYjtO0Ed0qJwis/s320/Emily+with+flower+lamp.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>My first attempt at posting a pic! Emily with her new flower lamp from Grandma Joannie!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-69687011685498850882012-01-30T19:52:00.000-08:002012-01-30T20:01:54.271-08:00Gag me with a spoon!I have finally set up an appointment to have my barium swallow procedure done!<br /><br />In preparation, I looked online to see what people have said about the taste of the "barium meal" that I am about to enjoy!<br /><br />this is a sampling of what I found:<br /><br />"Sort of a combination of chalk and Elmer's glue."<br /><br />"It literally feels like you are swallowing pulverized metal in a thick, gooey artificially fruity flavored matrix.It's not so disgusting that I wanted or needed to throw up. On a nasty scale I'd say around a 6, which is a tolerable nastiness."<br /><br />Apparently, the taste is not the only concern. After drinking it, here is what you get to experience:<br /><br />"In my opinion, the next couple of days were worse than the barium swallow. You're ingesting that stuff, and it does have to come out the other end. You may have thick sticky whitish bowel movements and some slowdown of your bowels."Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-90734877060946207982012-01-30T19:40:00.000-08:002012-01-30T19:48:36.756-08:00Wal*Mart find of the WeekThe Great Value brand orange sherbet push-ups were really good: soft, creamy sherbet... even better than they looked on the package! And... they held their shape & didn't melt for a long time! (long enough for Jared and I to pick out all the fruits & veggies, and go through the check-out line, and ride the 50 cent safari ride at the exit of the store, and go to customer service when we lost 50 cents on the ride, and ride again...) Jared opened up a push-up in the car, and I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't completely melted!!Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-37110675458563032502012-01-30T19:22:00.000-08:002012-01-30T19:40:31.131-08:00"Yes, sir."It was kind of odd at the donut shop today...<br /><br />I went in and ordered a dozen donut holes, and the lady said, "Yes, sir."<br /><br />Then I ordered a sausage and cheese kolache, and she said, "Yes, sir" again.<br /><br />Now, in my defense, I <em>was</em> wearing a dress (the same one I am usually wearing when I am asked if I am pregnant, or when the next one is due).<br /><br />However, in her defense, I don't know how much English she knows.<br /><br />Also, it <em>was </em>almost noon, which is basically midnight in the bakery world, so she could have been a little bleary-eyed.Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-54380202416700378062012-01-27T11:17:00.001-08:002012-01-27T11:20:34.070-08:00plans for the weekend?To my wonderful followers (and best friends!)...<br /><br />Any fun plans for the weekend?<br /><br />(none here yet)<br /><br />Matthew has a Scout training from 8 to 5 tomorrow (Saturday).<br /><br />I just learned this week that I am a "Scout widow"!<br />(anyone married to a Scout leader...because you never see them! They are always at Scouts!!!)<br />Yikes!!!<br /><br />We can't really complain, though...<br />Matthew REALLY wanted a calling!!!Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-14670425544797981942012-01-27T10:47:00.000-08:002012-01-27T11:15:15.698-08:00Overheard this week...Jared:<br />No me happy. No me big.<br />(We had taken some pain medicine and Orajel to Emily at the school clinic after she got her new braces put on, and Jared wanted to go back to her classroom with her. I told him he could go to school when he got bigger.)<br /><br />Me fight monsters. (while splashing and thrashing around in the tub)<br /><br />Emily:<br />{Mortified silence while ducking her head} (meaning, "WHAT are you doing in my classroom?")<br />(I was tutoring today & I showed a little girl a picture of Emily from 1st grade, and she said how pretty Emily was, and how she loved her outfit [a zebra print top and leggings...super cute in 1st grade, but not really Em's style anymore.] I mistakenly thought Emily would enjoy having me share this comment with her, but that look said it all. They were working in groups on the floor when I entered the classroom, so I didn't feel like I was making THAT much of a scene, but after that not-so-warm welcome, I kind of left with my tail between my legs!)<br /><br />about 20 minutes later...<br />Emily's teacher to me in the hallway (totally serious):<br />A perfect angel. You have a perfect angel.<br /><br />Me: Thank you!<br />(She really is a perfect angel at school.)<br /><br />Teacher:<br />No, thank YOU. There aren't many moms like you.<br /><br />Me: *beaming inside*<br /><br />(I think I could live off of a compliment like that for at least a week, maybe longer.)Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-21693156906952158892012-01-23T00:06:00.000-08:002012-01-23T01:27:29.427-08:00I shaved both my legs 2 days ago!OK, since my last post was 6 months ago, I figure it's time for a little update! My most loyal follower (Krissy!) has been requesting a new post, and while in the shower Saturday night, I thought it would be kind of funny to write a post about how I had shaved my legs, because ...it's just something that nobody really needs or cares to know about, and is one of the most un-interesting things to write about in a blog. <br /><br />I had gotten Jared to sleep at 8:30 (we had made him skip a nap so he wouldn't be up til 2 a.m.) and was wondering what I was going to do with all of my free time that evening! I decided to start with a shower, which I had been planning on all day! Then, after shaving one leg and thinking how funny it would be to blog about it, I heard crying from the next room. I think Jared had a scary dream...Matthew thought he was in a milk coma...but either way, he started crying hysterically for me... still, I was determined to shave my second leg before getting out of the shower! So, I shaved both legs, and it was quite an accomplishment! After comforting him back to sleep, I sat looking at his little ears which had turned bright red when he was upset, and just thinking of what a sweet boy I have.<br /><br />His favorite phrases lately are: Happy, Mommy? Happy, Daddy? Happy, 'mily? (He's not content until everyone in the house is happy!) <br /><br />The other one that I think is so cute is: Me love Nellie. Me love Mommy. Me love Daddy. Me love 'mily. Me love Grandma. Me love Grandpa. Me love Sally. Me love chocolate chips. <br /><br />I just think it is so cute, and I know he'll grow out of it and say it correctly soon enough. I just don't have the heart to correct him. Somehow, it seems more sincere when he says it his own way.<br /><br />I just love, love, love this little boy.<br /><br />My co-leader in the nursery, who kindly reminded me that her friend nursed her son til he was 7 years old, taught Jared a new word today...or yesterday (it's 2:22 a.m. on Monday, so what day was it on Sunday? yesterday, I guess!)<br /><br />The word was "rambunctious." He learned it pretty quickly, saying "buncus" once, and then "rambuncus" over and over as he ran around the table, while his 2 fellow classmates sat in their chairs and quietly munched on their goldfish crackers and pretzels.<br /><br />I still love my Jared boy, rambuncus and all.<br /><br />By the way, my goal for yesterday was to sit down with Matthew, and try to post a picture, and ask him whenever I needed help, and write down the steps so that I'll know how to do it next time. It is really hard for me to learn new skills, for some reason (like sewing...it's torture!) He has tried explaining the steps when we're not at the computer, but that just goes in one ear and out the other for me. He has also written down all of the steps very clearly, which I have carefully filed away...somewhere. I am determined to get the hang of posting pics, so I can add the ones of the kids' lamps (so Mom can see what she got them for Christmas!) and the caricatures (also for Mom), but...I don't know if you're going to see a pic of my hair anytime soon. When we were in the sunlight today, Emily commented about how red my hair was. And the white sideburns are already coming back. I didn't really have that many white hairs on top, where it's all red now. I might just try an at-home coloring kit next time. I didn't enjoy the scraping and scabs when the beautician man scrubbed the dye off my face. I'm still glad I tried it, though! Also, I don't think I'll purposely post any pics of myself til I lose at least 52 pounds, which could be never, or...maybe in 52 weeks??? I thought I looked so nice in my new dress one week, so I had Matthew take some pics of me, and I couldn't believe how large I looked in the pictures! Needless to say, those will probably never be posted. By the way, I went to the gym 2 x last week, and went jogging with Nellie one night! So, it's coming along, more slowly than surely!!! <br /><br />But at least it would be good to post some pics of the kids. <br /><br />Like yesterday, Em looked so pretty in her new "bumble bee" outfit. We went shopping, and she picked out this really pretty yellow top and black lacy skirt. (Later, we bought some really cute dressy black sandals.) She looked so pretty at church (and so grown up!) What else can I say about Em? She's getting really into Super Mario Bros. on the wii that she got for Christmas. She still loves jumping and doing flips on the trampoline. She and Gg did a really cool Science Fair project about popcorn. Lately, I have gotten to see her silly side, and we have cried together, and I've felt such joy seeing her and Jared play happily together. She even replaced the battery in his Thomas the Train today. Her Primary lesson was on the Tree of Life yesterday, which is her favorite scripture story. We had a fun morning selling Girl Scout cookies together. We sold 62 (or 64?) boxes! She looks so cute wearing her sash...I still need to add her troop #s and Journey patch. <br /><br />Friday at school, her teacher gave me a big hug and told me how much she loves Emily. (Her teacher grew up LDS, too, so there's a special bond there.) Emily is so responsible, setting her alarm, getting up and riding her bike to school and home each day. She loves school, and really excels there. She still loves art, drawing in her doodle journal, painting in the garage, making little people and animals out of clay... Matthew and I are planning a pottery day with Emily...making a pot on a real potter's wheel...we had fun on our last day out, painting a ceramic milk carton! I think my greatest wish for Emily is for her to know how very much we love her, and her Heavenly Father and Savior love her. Emily love, love, loves her dog!!! She wants another bunny for her birthday, a ukelele, and for us to finish and paint her tree house. We also looked up a cool tree house that you can sleep in and go zip lining through the woods! (It's in Austin. $300 a night, though...) She still wants to be a marine biologist. I love Emily's sense of adventure. <br /><br />Emily still lets me read to her at night, though it's not as much of a requirement as it used to be! We just finished <em>Desperaux </em>tonight. We have fun watching The Middle together. We really get each other's sense of humor...I feel like we're really close and get along really well, except for times when she feels jealous of the time and attention we give to Jared, and times when she doesn't want to do what we ask/tell her to do...like stop tidying up the house and go to bed! It's a real struggle for her to stop cleaning up before everything is just the way she likes it...but she'd be up til midnight every night if we'd let her. <br /><br />I'm actually really glad that we're seeking help, through a parenting class, and a specialist to share some tools with us...it's better than not knowing what to do when we feel like we've tried everything we know, and it's not working...We had an amazing class on Friday night, and I can't wait til the next one! The teacher challenged us to read the Book of Mormon, looking for parenting tips! I have been horrible about studying the Book of Mormon, and I'm looking forward to taking on this challenge!<br /><br />I've been feeling like all of these things that we worry and struggle with (mainly people...)...we just need to pray about them. The answers will come, but we need to ask!<br /><br />I love Emily so much, and while our relationship with her is more complex than with Jared, I really love the sweet, funny, kooky, intelligent/cynical, thoughtful, helpful, wonderful girl that is my daughter!<br /><br />I'd probably better stop myself there for tonight, so I can get a little sleep before the day and week start all over again!! Next time I write, I hope to add a picture...wouldn't that be groovy?!<br /><br />Good night for now!<br /><br />Love,<br />MegsPeanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-82812365226788385802011-06-23T05:59:00.000-07:002011-06-23T06:59:26.627-07:0038 Toe nailsHa! I beat Emily to the computer! Most mornings when I wake up, she's already on Webkinz, doing her daily KinzCare. I realize my last several posts have been really dreary, but this morning, I thought of a few upbeat things to write about!<br /><br />I've been thinking of a few new names for my blog. While I still love peanut M&M's, I think my ultimate favorite now is dark chocolate Kit Kats, followed closely by dark chocolate Reese's cups. My chocolate obsession (along with the pounds) has grown steadily over the past few years.<br /><br />The other name I've been considering for the blog is <span style="color:#33cc00;">"38 Toe nails"</span><span style="color:#000000;">! There's a blog I really like called 71 Toes, about a family whose little girl was born with an extra toe. Well, I've recently had my 2 big toe nails permanently removed, so our family now officially has 38 Toe nails!</span><br /><br />I love seeing how confident Jared is! The other night, he strode over to the dog's water bowl, picked it up and took a big sip, then set it down and walked away, like it was the most natural thing in the world!<br /><br />I thought it was interesting that the 2 <span style="color:#ff6666;">"kid's cereals" </span><span style="color:#000000;">that we bought last night were Bran Flakes and Rice Krispies. We've been having a lot of cereal & toast for breakfast, and I asked Em if there was a cereal she'd like me to get for her. She chose Rice Krispies! And Jared has really been enjoying Raisin Bran lately, but I have to pick out every single raisin before he'll eat it. I'll carefully sift the bran flakes through my fingers, and he'll freak out if a raisin falls in the bowl! I just figured Bran Flakes might make things a little easier.</span><br /><br />I just set a new goal: (following the missionary commitment pattern) "<span style="color:#3333ff;">Will you</span> learn to post pictures on your blog this summer...without any help from Matthew?" Yes, I will! I'd like to post some Before & After shots of the house. Last week, with lots of help (and butting heads) from Emily, we got the whole house semi-clean & semi-organized (with the exception of <span style="color:#009900;">my room</span><span style="color:#000000;">)! Kimberly (and her daughter Leslie) came over to watch the kids so Matthew & I could go to the temple (1st time in forever!) So, knowing they were coming gave us a big push to clean up!!</span><br /><br />Our dining room table is currently covered with brown lunch bags. Each one contains 2 crayons, 4 coloring pages, and 2 mini fruit roll-ups. I'm planning to tie them with a cute ribbon, and glue a piece of cardstock on the front with the words "<span style="color:#ff0000;">I Will Share</span>." I have the Nursery lesson this Sunday, and many times, I'll tweak the hand-out to make it a little more cute & fun.<br /><br />One last note... I'm really looking forward to our trip to Brenham tomorrow! We are going to tour the Blue Bell ice cream factory! But the best part is, we're going to meet Jen, her daughter Kadessa, mom Judy, and maybe Victoria? (good friends from Ohio...haven't seen Jen since my wedding reception!!) Judy & Herb live in Round Rock now, so we're going to meet in the middle (sort of...it's a bit longer drive for them...)<br /><br />I'll write (and hopefully add pictures) soon!<br /><br />Love,<br />MeganPeanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-33423315778352383842011-06-14T10:40:00.000-07:002011-06-14T10:58:22.754-07:00not OATy enoughI thought of an acronym for what went wrong when I was teaching (among many other issues):<br />I wasn't OATy enough!<br /><br />I wasn't O-organized (couldn't keep up with all of the lesson planning, grading, etc.).<br />(I still have a really hard time keeping up with paperwork at home!!!)<br /><br />I didn't<br />spend<br />lots of<br />time<br />on my A-appearance (you have to look a certain way to be accepted at the school).<br />(This hasn't changed...I'm still a fun bun gal with no makeup!)<br />And I<br />didn't<br />have<br />a T-thick skin (wanted everyone to like me, tried too hard to please the wrong people,<br />couldn't handle mean, scary people, etc.)<br />( still don't enjoy criticism or dirty looks...)<br /><br />I did put everything I had into that job, and did everything that was expected, tried to follow all the rules...On top of everything else, I was completely exhausted...and then there were mean people that were impossible to please, & no matter what happened, their kids were perfect & it was "my fault"...Ridiculous!!! I was not mean to those kids, and did not pick on anyone. I was being picked on by the parents, and could not give their kids any consequences-it was a no win situation... (most of the parents were really good, just a couple of raunchy ones...)<br /><br />Besides all of that, I still feel that I am a good teacher, and still love to teach! I would love to one day teach a few art classes, but first, would like to take some classes & develop my skills (writing & illustrating books would be AMAZING!!!)<br /><br />maybe one day... :)Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-10308111574171431052011-06-14T10:32:00.000-07:002011-06-14T10:40:03.219-07:00to-do listTo Do:<br />add pictures of Jared's choo choo train cake & Em's Oprah costume,<br />add "Before" (and "after") pics of the messy house<br /><br />wonder if I may have a case of adult-onset ADD...you may understand when you see the "before" pics!! need to look into that...<br /><br />things to work on:<br />Money (paying off debt, controlling spending)<br />House (cleaning & organizing)<br />Jared's sleep<br />My weight<br /><br />(this weight loss effort is going to be a long, s l o w process! I hope to lose 30 pounds by Feb. 2012 (about 1 pound a week)<br />actually, I have lost a total of 3 pounds, and have 31 to go!<br />trying to be realistic, cuz I'd really like to keep it off once I lose it :)Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-18937703694241041892011-06-14T00:33:00.000-07:002011-06-14T10:31:24.667-07:00Swim Meet & lots of random thoughtsWell, tonight was Emily's 1st swim meet of the season. Technically, the 1st one was last Monday, but it got rained out. It's been rescheduled for this Saturday, so...not sure if we will go to the temple in the morning or attend a swim meet...Kimberly was soooooo gracious to offer to do a make-up babysitting day on Sat. since Jared got sick last time we were supposed to go.<br /><br />I loved seeing what a good friend Emily was to Zoe tonight. Em and Jared probably ate about 1/4 of the huge watermelon that Zoe's dad brought to share with everyone. Jared kept giving the cutest smiles with watermelon juice dripping down his chin. Too bad I didn't get a pic! It's kind of fun not being super competitive about the swim team... Em's 1st ribbon of the night was purple (my favorite color), for participation, meaning someone"DQ'd" (disqualified). Then she got a yellow, and we were thinking of what color would look nice with those, and I suggested green. Before the night was over, Em had a green ribbon, as well as a red (second place)!<br /><br />Is it possible to feel completely alone in a crowd of hundreds of noisy people? That's kind of how I felt tonight. I arrived at the meet 3 hours after Em, who rode with Zoe. I was there for 4 hours, which was plenty for me. Makes for a long Monday night if you don't have a BFF to talk & laugh with for hours. (Matthew had to work late, and Lisa had to study. I know I have Jared, but it would be nice to talk with someone my own age!) Maybe next time I will be on the look-out for another mom who looks as alone as I feel!<br /><br />Lately, I've been thinking that I try too hard to impress the wrong people. I care so much about what certain people think of me... I tend to overlook a lot of other people who would probably be happy to talk with me or be a friend. I will try to work on this!!<br /><br />So happy to get a call from one of my BFFs, Dabber Doo, at the end of the swim meet. I didn't get to find out if she's coming to visit next month, because my phone kept dropping the calls. I didn't get a chance to wish Krissy a happy bday, but she was in my thoughts!!Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-26058999061486865822011-06-07T01:13:00.000-07:002011-06-07T01:21:28.447-07:00Cleaning & Organizing Tip #1 from the Old Gray MareQuick & Easy (& Fun!) Mopping<br /><br />With bare feet, stand on wet Swiffer pads (one under each foot) and slide around the floor until it is cleaned to your liking! It's amazing how much dirt you can pick up without having to use your hands or any upper body strength at all! :)<br /><br />Coming Soon... Tip #2: Organizing Piles of Paperwork by Categories! (especially useful for compulsive list-makers and/or hoarders of paper)Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-67851531541163764082011-06-05T21:15:00.000-07:002011-06-05T22:17:37.731-07:00On Time for Church & scattered thoughts from this weekI haven't posted anything for a really long time, mainly because I don't know how to add pictures without Matthew's help! I've also been a bit down lately, for various reasons...my life feels out of control in a lot of ways (messy house, being overweight, the list could go on!!). I have also felt a huge lack of confidence in social situations. Saw a lady at the pool the other night who I'd like to be friends with, but she was chatting with a good friend of hers, and I could not bring myself to go over & talk to them. In addition to my family, I have had a few friends in my lifetime who have been able to see & bring out the good qualities I possess. I guess the trick is to gain some confidence in myself (without getting too prideful), so I'm not so dependent on others' opinions of me.<br /><br />So for now, I will just write, but would like to add pics of Emily dressed as Oprah, and maybe Jared's "train" BDay... Emily wants to write an email to Oprah. She can be reached personally at <a href="mailto:oprah@oprah.com">oprah@oprah.com</a>. I gained a lot of respect for Oprah as we researched her life for Emily's school project. <br /><br />Em completed 4th grade on Thursday! She was so good about getting up & ready every morning, and riding to school on her bike! She was only tardy one day the whole school year, and it really was my fault! She missed out on the Perfectly Punctual award, so we are going to reward her somehow, because she really did earn it!<br /><br />Just having Emily home for 1 day on Friday helped me so much. She's getting really good at helping with Jared. He loves for her to read him his favorite book, Roadwork. She loves to play with his toy cars on his new rug!!! I'm looking forward to this summer...hope it will be fun, relaxing, and productive! Swim team promises to be a big part of Emily's summer, especially the meets on Mondays (approx. 3:45-10 p.m. -- ugh!)<br /><br />Today, we hit a major milestone for our family! We pulled into the Church parking lot at 12:58, and Church didn't start til 1:00!! It was the best feeling! We really try to get there on time every Sunday, but never quite make it. This morning, instead of everyone going out to the backyard like usual and hanging out til 10 or so, I hid the key to the backyard! I decided to try to do everything we needed to do to get ready for Church FIRST, and then leave by noon if we were all ready. I started getting ready at 8:30, and we all got baths/showers, found/washed the clothes that everyone needed for Church, got breakfast, listened to some Primary songs, got Jared down for a nap, we all got dressed & ready, and then did the last-minute stuff like preparing tithing, Emily's allowance & tooth fairy money; finishing the paper bag puppets for Nursery; wiping out the shoes that the dog slobbered on; getting a small birthday gift together for a lady I visit teach; packing up diapers, snacks, etc. for Church... After all that, we were actually pulling out of our driveway by about 5 til 1. Usually, I would have allowed myself just a few minutes to do all those last-minute things, but they took a full hour! I really tend to under-estimate how long things will take to accomplish.<br /><br />So...my long-term goals include time management, money management, cleaning & organizing our home, eating healthier, etc... but this was one step in the right direction!!!<br /><br />Got pretty emotional (lots of tears) at the Weight Watchers meeting Sat. morning. Tried to wipe them away before I made too much of a scene. Losing weight is going to be such a long road... I really hope I can do it! I know it won't solve all of my problems, but it will help me to become a healthier Megan & mom!!<br /><br />Also, we went on a date last night, which is kind of rare these days! We went to Lomonte's-they have the best lasagna! I brought along 2 pair of scissors and a bunch of papers to cut out for my Nursery lesson. While we were waiting for our meal, Matthew & I were cutting out these figures for puppets, and our waiter asked us what we were working on, and what Church we went to. He was excited to find out that we go to the same Church as the hostess at the restaurant (she goes to a Single's Ward). That was really fun!<br /><br />Another bonus of being on time for Church: we got to sit by Lisa & her daughter Zoe, some of our friends who recently got baptized! Lisa's husband John has to work on Sundays, but he goes to a ward by U of H during his lunch break! We have loved getting to know their family as we've participated in some of the lessons with the missionaries--2 wonderful Elders. <br /><br />I love my calling in Nursery, but sometimes, I feel pretty isolated from the other ladies in Relief Society. It was nice to talk with Cecelia for a few minutes today.<br /><br />I really need to start brushing my teeth at night...I had 3 cavities filled this week (1 was a doozy!) (and it cost us over $200-yikes!)<br /><br />Doreen made the yummiest homemade french fries and hamburgers for dinner tonight. <br />Hope I can make it to Zumba tomorrow night!<br /><br />Sorry my thoughts are so scattered!<br /><br />So long for now,<br />MegsPeanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-13919682888145861092011-01-26T20:25:00.000-08:002011-01-26T20:59:40.873-08:00<div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Christmas 2010 in UTAH</strong></span><br /><p></p><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAJ50Y4sEs2kOrwWRQ-L1CC_7kLAFEaILBUfkdrwkMjiqQVeKo79WeElXSHX5vDqLqG3qzph92LOCFf_4TLzu5kH66kNCrpSwZSgtVqgrLFpzopLW6N7pLYcq9X550OQZvMWFiDmlkw5s/s1600/Snow+Sitting.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566722655996776258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAJ50Y4sEs2kOrwWRQ-L1CC_7kLAFEaILBUfkdrwkMjiqQVeKo79WeElXSHX5vDqLqG3qzph92LOCFf_4TLzu5kH66kNCrpSwZSgtVqgrLFpzopLW6N7pLYcq9X550OQZvMWFiDmlkw5s/s320/Snow+Sitting.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkKoE88xzIN8OI6gZx5rBS8Khe0XMNyeog8PjaMRAWE4-9VnVND0cRbbXZ2Vv6vgi0HsNJgCppL25XULT-YMchQ7tYK1IrI-GFK3pnn9voM7lDCyRKPveAQK_jtWUhB4vhHhRAydgGW3N/s1600/Jared_Snow.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566725357695019682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkKoE88xzIN8OI6gZx5rBS8Khe0XMNyeog8PjaMRAWE4-9VnVND0cRbbXZ2Vv6vgi0HsNJgCppL25XULT-YMchQ7tYK1IrI-GFK3pnn9voM7lDCyRKPveAQK_jtWUhB4vhHhRAydgGW3N/s320/Jared_Snow.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRPhVH2cnjRL2xB6WEO_9LvdcXmm81kb0mtFKckXjbulOLyAT6ufXovpenZKRIvdn5e4D_L8VQdjNESm5a3RepCcrBTOtGxRL2vpuDNBFr0FLZS0S6DCL8QKYUar8r506jabblpSxsNvW/s1600/Jared_Snow.JPG"></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Jared experienced Houston snow (very light sprinkle) But this was the first Time to Explore Heavy duty Snow!<br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEvSgsQfoMoqILkEQvawxYWINCV9BK2X-Iqivo_5oQ4XVI-h8wlBvA4Z47Vo0ydW7y_ig5zAnoftg5KQSaBCBemEJ4d47nVsVJHjOp-OF9vHqf7BHAn0bQmdho4TRsme4Im2wbbRV4Fkv/s1600/Jared+Walking.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566721151312646130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEvSgsQfoMoqILkEQvawxYWINCV9BK2X-Iqivo_5oQ4XVI-h8wlBvA4Z47Vo0ydW7y_ig5zAnoftg5KQSaBCBemEJ4d47nVsVJHjOp-OF9vHqf7BHAn0bQmdho4TRsme4Im2wbbRV4Fkv/s320/Jared+Walking.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Emily Loves spending time with her Incredible cousin Nyah<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrFOkQPgZCaz_PPt5C6O9i9EJU0JZ1uardRJ8ycqHsmMbMD0ZYBY51qa7F8-qeF1Q0FNJHzosuVJcrA1M1TI5N9HNFl6j6UhYIMwaW9chpb59xeVlRIqTwyYFT0xGo07VIH8yzomGHezF/s1600/EmilyANDNyahSnow.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566719993796383858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrFOkQPgZCaz_PPt5C6O9i9EJU0JZ1uardRJ8ycqHsmMbMD0ZYBY51qa7F8-qeF1Q0FNJHzosuVJcrA1M1TI5N9HNFl6j6UhYIMwaW9chpb59xeVlRIqTwyYFT0xGo07VIH8yzomGHezF/s320/EmilyANDNyahSnow.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Enjoying blizzard conditions </div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-83558970673575786792009-10-25T19:03:00.000-07:002009-10-25T19:47:46.480-07:00Afternoon at the Pumpkin Patch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgJ88vrhBpcI8athlCkZk3DtDyMdxAqGWhJA6Ztn69mR5nobo2ysdwtw043Oa3ICa4Fghpzjug3IirPnDg1yS_fZZdUW9queSFiCIIdntJsuPWA6dDup9-dZEmccOafY_2T8lljzWfHLi/s1600-h/IMG_2996.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLgJ88vrhBpcI8athlCkZk3DtDyMdxAqGWhJA6Ztn69mR5nobo2ysdwtw043Oa3ICa4Fghpzjug3IirPnDg1yS_fZZdUW9queSFiCIIdntJsuPWA6dDup9-dZEmccOafY_2T8lljzWfHLi/s320/IMG_2996.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396731406816570354" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHt2jt0WtDszwqgkQRAqGT9regTaIqmponJkPURxUbjRoJY7s0mKwVVLUd23sV0OaXz-qpdIjQTI_ExD7iXx9vc2kksQFrL0x6Jty5OvuMP6SZQzPXT7UGXCp-8ZU4SJz-xZhR0TXj9Cb/s1600-h/IMG_3017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHt2jt0WtDszwqgkQRAqGT9regTaIqmponJkPURxUbjRoJY7s0mKwVVLUd23sV0OaXz-qpdIjQTI_ExD7iXx9vc2kksQFrL0x6Jty5OvuMP6SZQzPXT7UGXCp-8ZU4SJz-xZhR0TXj9Cb/s320/IMG_3017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396730501132445362" border="0" /></a>We spent a lovely afternoon at the pumpkin patch. The weather has been gorgeous the past week or so...cool breezes, sunny but not too hot! This is my favorite time of year in Houston. The next night, we went to the Trunk or Treat at church. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures, but I'll try to get some next weekend!Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-30932714539146859122009-10-06T20:04:00.001-07:002009-10-06T20:29:09.570-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tKZK5-ZGE_Y9L3bN_bfb8PUL5pnCLp13GdB7Gp_4Sdg22zIzTKl4G6OyLvaFaL-4cF1n6AnO2lOFgw4nwjA4heMVG_nGsVBQ5-29d8tv1ANUrA4NkHX9vAsxhMzAdeaj0l6F30zqX1tH/s1600-h/IMG_2785.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tKZK5-ZGE_Y9L3bN_bfb8PUL5pnCLp13GdB7Gp_4Sdg22zIzTKl4G6OyLvaFaL-4cF1n6AnO2lOFgw4nwjA4heMVG_nGsVBQ5-29d8tv1ANUrA4NkHX9vAsxhMzAdeaj0l6F30zqX1tH/s320/IMG_2785.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389691124283244386" border="0" /></a><br />RV trip - East TEXAS!! Emily and Jared hanging out in the top bunk of the RV-this was Emily's room! The RV was quite bouncy, especially on some of the country roads! It was fun making BLTs in the tiny kitchen, staying up late playing cards and talking, and making french toast and icy Tang for breakfast. We had some good bonding time.<br /><br /><br />Salmon Lake<br /><br />This was where we stayed during our mini vacation! It was a beautiful place, especially in the early morning, before sunrise. The people were very friendly, especially Floyd and Fanny Salmon (the owners), and the lady who made the snow cones! There was a nice little park to play in, and a lake for Emily to swim and practice diving! You could park RVs there, or rent a cabin. The cabins were designed to look like an old western town, with a jail and saloon and all sorts of neat buildings. There was a tree house, a water wheel going from the lake to a stream, and a place where they make maple syrup. They have a big Bluegrass Festival there every year on Labor Day. <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzicXh5c3H9ciVNl-FgL6UIkhOKyO6are473-I1tnTgALSpbkeyfhqu_NekdByAHiPiT3gH0jfa0s22EoLegA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-50710937138747198582009-10-06T19:46:00.000-07:002009-10-06T20:01:04.414-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3P0vNd6zqFCqZRcxe48GmmtfWQieccMu8Iu7SOZhB6TKTCCyvUb7cp6FRa6MmwaQdlDHeX3aD24rWYpPvUFD0Os-i0qUkV7q53o259xrqLfYhPn0zuL64wmH2kgCD5peNMpXcX8BxbXAF/s1600-h/IMG_2386.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3P0vNd6zqFCqZRcxe48GmmtfWQieccMu8Iu7SOZhB6TKTCCyvUb7cp6FRa6MmwaQdlDHeX3aD24rWYpPvUFD0Os-i0qUkV7q53o259xrqLfYhPn0zuL64wmH2kgCD5peNMpXcX8BxbXAF/s320/IMG_2386.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389687285709922546" border="0" /></a>Prayers are answered!!Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-88064134408525420292009-10-06T19:28:00.001-07:002009-10-06T19:38:41.732-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLphbuNKid_HCmT0Ew4NHSLw0IBQSfaGO6RnEhsh-TAqqr_g0lnu4kY_VI03jWeCQzoOJDcYO2G261vo5oKxSR7OJFlT9_2SGKEwxDtyqeLNju0315Zt0jmGAKVfIL4WcJ7n7rKsorAhN_/s1600-h/IMG_2289.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLphbuNKid_HCmT0Ew4NHSLw0IBQSfaGO6RnEhsh-TAqqr_g0lnu4kY_VI03jWeCQzoOJDcYO2G261vo5oKxSR7OJFlT9_2SGKEwxDtyqeLNju0315Zt0jmGAKVfIL4WcJ7n7rKsorAhN_/s320/IMG_2289.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389681649797655346" border="0" /></a><br />HOuston Childrens Museum - And the Nobel Peace Price is Awarded to . . . .Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3280304838785099078.post-54938304496623787002009-05-22T15:24:00.000-07:002009-05-26T10:09:00.460-07:00Baby Shower<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcQP0scLSF3Bckd_WpjW1ra7drzz7IcbZQ44a5uimL1dbenzHEqxXBSU97_IRdHBiSGAJalOq6AbV5wpoijxQ2CeWDG52UZ2ZhyF75c9FwF4KZLO_zgUHyEVICZwSyvF9udWv_51LpyE1/s1600-h/Me+Emily.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcQP0scLSF3Bckd_WpjW1ra7drzz7IcbZQ44a5uimL1dbenzHEqxXBSU97_IRdHBiSGAJalOq6AbV5wpoijxQ2CeWDG52UZ2ZhyF75c9FwF4KZLO_zgUHyEVICZwSyvF9udWv_51LpyE1/s200/Me+Emily.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340180808651294498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCCZaNGtH2aXfQKT78yB5wmS_4nklUYqv83hCP30e9nSek2WQz43a8PEH26ni702kF8n6HiLHbcDS6SOrP5k_rjld9n7s6ajb0NemvhtajUZfUi89dCsuwQ9Qp5rDR5sf-3co2DL3MR35/s1600-h/Back_to_Back.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCCZaNGtH2aXfQKT78yB5wmS_4nklUYqv83hCP30e9nSek2WQz43a8PEH26ni702kF8n6HiLHbcDS6SOrP5k_rjld9n7s6ajb0NemvhtajUZfUi89dCsuwQ9Qp5rDR5sf-3co2DL3MR35/s200/Back_to_Back.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340180242450566866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4viYHVjgwNeo2nskCdSrC0znHvT1umNwIzOrBoOqeQqqTg6i4S_W0kesJfGEPGiQdXrQg_h89d0h7Yd3NBnG5og-oV159SZl1J1WrCkm71oQ9mBZzYOKb3BPSFoH2xOT0AQsQQEwGErL9/s1600-h/Opening_Gifts2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4viYHVjgwNeo2nskCdSrC0znHvT1umNwIzOrBoOqeQqqTg6i4S_W0kesJfGEPGiQdXrQg_h89d0h7Yd3NBnG5og-oV159SZl1J1WrCkm71oQ9mBZzYOKb3BPSFoH2xOT0AQsQQEwGErL9/s200/Opening_Gifts2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340179486121774226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXIbDibL5IiLk0SLcSgmf5qnj1Vo8AbeSOSoHck5F2x8w2I3afF5m6mbFHpUDaYo6kGdOz79sIJoZciWPUzYyBEFokmcQh51aT148OhHUc7I2a5pJEJKmgd45JU9El91RkxJJlCaepRnM/s1600-h/TP_Game+Emily.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXIbDibL5IiLk0SLcSgmf5qnj1Vo8AbeSOSoHck5F2x8w2I3afF5m6mbFHpUDaYo6kGdOz79sIJoZciWPUzYyBEFokmcQh51aT148OhHUc7I2a5pJEJKmgd45JU9El91RkxJJlCaepRnM/s200/TP_Game+Emily.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340178746619337218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKpMfEKnJaQNqWeXy1alZE4_R7vHqAmHvpm44CI4lwLSEvgfDsip5r9yeOFwdakI1CQCBIZmkgEbe1ERpMF95PhtqEndFhvRw5neGX_wumeHs3f8tsEc9Y_wg0BeUq8Ljcim7cPVqLuqq/s1600-h/TP_Game2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPKpMfEKnJaQNqWeXy1alZE4_R7vHqAmHvpm44CI4lwLSEvgfDsip5r9yeOFwdakI1CQCBIZmkgEbe1ERpMF95PhtqEndFhvRw5neGX_wumeHs3f8tsEc9Y_wg0BeUq8Ljcim7cPVqLuqq/s200/TP_Game2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340177391253336466" border="0" /></a><br />Doreen (Matthew's mom) hosted a wonderful baby shower for me! It was such a fun, happy day. I couldn't stop smiling! We have received such an outpouring of love from so many friends and family members. I was amazed at the support shown by the sisters in our ward. I had given out lots of invitations, but they RSVP'd to Candy since she was catering all of the food. I had no idea who was coming.<br /><br /><br />Doreen and Joe put in a new deck, and the backyard was beautiful with all of the flowers and the lake. It was too hot to spend much time out there, unfortunately. The house was so festive, with all of the cute train-themed decorations. Doreen even made 2 bowls of punch, one green with sherbet and one blue with vanilla ice cream. The punch matched the decorations! The sister missionaries served the punch.<br /><br />Kylie made an adorable chocolate cake decorated like a baby quilt. Candy and Kylie made a ton of yummy food-fresh fruit and veggies, crescent roll-ups, mini fruit pizzas, etc. Candy served as the Master of Ceremonies. She instructed the guests on what to do as far as the clothespin game, lining up for food, the toilet paper game, addressing the envelopes for the thank you notes, etc. She really kept things rolling, and is not afraid to give directions to adults. This allowed me to just relax and enjoy the party and do lots of smiling and giggling.<br /><br />I was kind of relieved that during the gift opening, people stopped paying attention to me and just started having their own conversations. I could barely interrupt some of the ladies to thank them for their gifts. Emily and Leah started out by walking around and showing the gifts to the crowd, but they got tired of that about half way through, and went outside to play. One really cute gift was from Natalie, who had her baby 2 weeks ago. She decorated a little treasure chest and filled it with Rolos, and made 2 pirate onesies: one of them said Kiss my Booty, the other said Wipe my Booty! Her card was like a treasure map. Very cute and creative! All of the gifts were wonderful. Everyone was very generous! I got some really cute little outfits for the baby, diapers and wipes, gift cards, etc.<br /><br /><br />Matthew's co-workers gave us a gift card which we used for a glider chair! Matthew set that up and finished fixing the changing table, so we are pretty much set. Doreen came over and hung the curtain. We are just waiting for this little guy to arrive! I am due Tuesday-in 4 days! It's hard to believe! The baby doesn't seem to be in any hurry, though. I wonder if he is trying to finish a project, such as creating an instrument, before he arrives? Or maybe he is busy making lists of what he needs to do when he gets here? Maybe he's just waiting for us to figure out the right name for him! Everyone is having weird dreams about him-I am just hoping that he is healthy!<br /><br />We'll keep you posted =)Peanut M&Mshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16066784971111180560noreply@blogger.com1