Recipe for Christmas Fun

Max out your electrical circuits and your PG&E BillRemember not to turn on the blow dryer while the outside lights are on

Deck the halls...

Hang your stockings with care, Attend Christmas recitals,
Shop for darling little Christmas clothes,Send out the annual card, sorry everyone mine went out really late, they might get to you by New Year's Eve if we're lucky!Bake yummy goodies for friends, who cares about an extra few pounds right now anyway, isn't that what New Year's is all about?
Get together with friends,Laugh,Pray for a white Christmas, in Clovis the closest we got was a hail storm!
Do your best not to fall asleep on the job, wherever you are!
And for goodness sake, remember the reason for the season!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

November...where did you go?

I don't know where the month went but here are all the things we did

Nov. 1-4 Yes on 8 Campaign

Nov. 7 Mother and Son dance...no pics

Nov. 8-10 My mom and I took my 3 youngest and my nephew Austin and headed off to Utah!

We arrived just in time to shower and head out to the last BYU home game of the season!

Go Cougars!

No matter that we really couldn't have had seats any higher up, the boys were totally engrossed in the game!

Aunt Di and Tyler with the California Crew

Sunday Dinner at Aunt Di's house!

After a weekend of football, crafting, Tai Pan Heaven, and more shopping it was back to Fresno, only to leave less than 24 hours later with Wes to 6th grade camp at Sonora!

Nov. 12-14 Mom and Wes at Camp

These were my roomies! We had fun switching the girls rooms around and holding an after hours dance party with glow in the dark bracelets! Still breaking all the rules...

The kids learned a lot.

Here is Wes in a shelter he and 3 friends built

One of the best things we did was a ropes course. Here is Wes on his way up...

Going across the catwalk,

Just hanging around after the zip line

They even let the chaperons have a turn! Here I am on the tight rope.

Starting the Zip line...

Several people asked if I was a gymnast after I finished, I guess the pointed toes were a dead give away. Some habits never go away...

Saturdays in October and November always include a few soccer games.

Nov. 15 this is what ours looked like...

Garrett booting it down the field

Soccer is not just about the game. It is equally about the buddies and the snacks!

Here is Drew in the middle of his crew...

And since this was the 3rd Saturday of the month, that also means Stake Dances. These guys went above and beyond for decorating for this month's theme, Hillbilly Hoe Down. Too cute!

November 19-20

With a few days to recover and do a few loads of laundry we were ready to hit Disneyland!

Jeff couldn't make it but my grandparents, parents, both of my sisters and their families and Billy and his family were able to come. We had such a great time!

All Brynne could focus on was the fact that we would be where all the princesses lived. Almost immediately we left the big guys to the big rides and found Cinderella with Emily and Nate-Frog. Brynne got to listen to Cinderella tell her story and take a picture on the royal throne!

A trip to Disneyland isn't complete without a ride on the teacups! We loved going as fast as we could around and around. Even Brynne tried to help us spin faster!

Okay seriously, isn't Drew the sweetest thing with little Brynne?

Drew, Gar, Ty, Wes and Jess

Monkeying around at Tarzan's Tree House

This was Brynne's reaction to Small World! So fun!

In the end, she was one tired princess!

I have no pictures of Thanksgiving on the 22nd, but here are a few of the things I did to round off the month. Two end of the season soccer parties, family pictures, hours of wrapping lights around every tree and shrub in front of my house, practice 3 times a week for a few hours for the stake musical, and spoke in church the 28th. You'd think I was due for a breather, but no things just keep moving along at a rapid fire pace.

So where did my November go? Everywhere!

I'm Loosing it!

Remember when you would watch Sesame Street and they would sing that little song "One of these things is not like the others..." Lets play that game now:

This is what happens to my brain on too little sleep and too many places to be. It was only there for like 15 minutes before I realized it but seriously!

And as a complete side note, if anyone is running low on French's yellow mustard, let me know! Who knew what was really at the very bottom of that fridge door? Do you know what's in your fridge door at the very bottom? It's kinda hard to see...

Welcome to my world!

In the middle of the night, it is not totally unusual to hear my son Drew start to cry really loudly, like he is having a bad dream. This is my cue to leap out of bed and find him wandering somewhat aimlessly, but usually towards wherever there are lights still on, and direct him to the bathroom as quickly as humanly possible. He will not wake up no matter what you do, luckily he always does the same thing...almost.



The first time this happened, Drew walked straight out to the middle of the hall, turned to face the wall, dropped his drawers and proceeded to "water" my baseboards and floor. Once he wandered into the bathroom on his own, opened up the cupboard under the sink and then took care of business. Another time I caught him just as he got to the couch in my living room. That night I had a bit of a Superman moment as I swept him into my arms and pretty much flew to the bathroom and just barely made it.



Tonight I got no warning. There was no crying, and the only light left on was strategically the bathroom light. I was just sitting down at the computer after cleaning up the house when I thought I heard the kitchen sink turn on. My first thought was that Jeff had woken up from the couch and maybe he was washing out his bowl that was laying at his feet, but I thought I'd just double check. As I began walking to the kitchen I saw Drew standing in the middle of the hall, exactly where he was the first time a few years ago. I tried to wake him and then I thought what the heck, I'm grabbing the camera! I called out to him as I was doing so,"Drew stop, you're peeing on my floor!" He just kept at it and then I snapped the following picture.


He didn't move one step. He is just stood there stretching for a bit and then, walked back into bed and continued to sleep. While my shout to Drew didn't wake him up it did successfully wake Jeff. He started walking toward the hall and I warned him of Drew's watering job so he wouldn't slip. I was off to grab an already dirty towel from the laundry room to clean the mess. When I got back to it, this is what I saw.

Jeff had taken one of my towels off the rack in the kids bathroom, tossed it over the top of the mess, and climbed into bed. Sometimes, I want to throw a towel over everything, and go to bed knowing that someone else will take care of it all. Tonight I was not so lucky. My floors are now clean and I am thinking now sounds like a pretty good time to finally get to bed.

I'm Baaaack...sort of!

Oh where, oh where has crazy Jen been?

Gone.

Literally.

Everywhere, but not at once.

Now I am home, and paying the price for it.


Big Time!


I am sick with a yucky cold, was out until 9:30 Monday night finishing the lights for our crazy neighborhood traditions, and all I really want to do is take a nap!


Well, maybe take a nap and then sneak into a daytime showing of Twilight and just escape reality for a bit, and then maybe another nap...do you see where I am coming from friends?


I have hit the proverbial wall and now I just want to hibernate!


So here is what I did last month...




Posts to follow shortly...like a few days shortly. I haven't completely forgotten about the blogging world!

I've missed you all!

Yes on Families,Yes On 8!

Proposition 8 is not a same-sex issue, it truly is a definitional issue. Defining the term marriage as between “a man and a woman”. Same-sex couples in California can enter into domestic partnerships. Ironically, heterosexual couples cannot enter into domestic partnerships. California Family Code 297 (b) 1.B states “persons of opposite sexes may not constitute a domestic partnership”So what is the difference between marriage and domestic partnership? There is NO difference in rights, benefits, responsibilities, etc. The only difference is marriage is between a man and a woman, and a domestic partnership is between individuals of the same gender.Nothing about Prop 8 is discriminatory or intolerant. It is about protecting a definition, and the institution the word represents.

Attributed to Andy Hiatt

Four years ago these rights were granted to same sex couples, now they say that is not enough. Now they want to change the definition of marriage, taking away my right to decide if and when my children are exposed to different lifestyles. What will they ask for next?

A yes on 8 vote, is a vote to protect our families, and to protect our rights as parents to decide what our children will be exposed to. Our family has spent several hours working to help this proposition pass. Jeff has dedicated his radio show discussion to this topic, and the boys have helped pass out door hangers. Sunday we spent several hours putting fliers on cars in parking lots, and then standing with friends and members of the community at a busy intersection in town holding our signs in show of our support on this issue. We were back last night in full force. It was a great learning experience for our kids and helped us all to recognise just how critical this is for the future of our communities and families. When we got home Sunday night Wes said, "Mom I feel so patriotic" I was proud of my boys as they stood tall with their Yes on 8 signs next to grown men, who were boldly holding their No on 8 signs.

Logan was our Mascot Super Yes on 8!

After an hour and a half in the drizzling rain, we met for dinner with friends.

Yes on the women sitting together so we could chat about girl stuff.

Yes on the husbands sitting on the other end to help keep the kids in their seats.

Yes on us being aware this crew is too young for a double date

Yes we were a bit irresponsible for putting this crew together in a public place!

Yes there were a few trips of pairs to the restroom from this group!

Get out there today and vote YES ON 8!!!