When It comes t o mom's.....

Todd's mom will probably never read this but I just wanted to do a little bragging!!

I have the BEST Mother-in-law in the world.

Todd's mom has put up with me for the last 13 years! 7 years ago we moved in with her and I can tell you that she did most of the cooking for the first year or so! I'm sure she was starting to wonder if I even knew how to cook. I learned that all food can use a little onion! She makes the best spaghetti sauce! I learned that not so white clothes CAN be white again! I have watched her grow amazing gardens! Now I know that this is going to sound crazy but I had 2 favorite times of the day...1st- Dish washing time, she cooked and I did the washing of the dishes but it was the time we had together talking about this and that all while sticking my hands in the HOTTEST water! 2nd- We would stay up for hours past our bedtime mostly during the summer time talking and crying and talking somemore! Todd worked out of state most of the time and was only home on the weekends and Robert work midnights at Flags West Truck stop and so we had many nights to ourselves! I watched her with complete amazement make baby aphgan after baby aphgan! I watched her LOVE her grandchildren even if they weren't be very helpful. The kids would help her during the summer with the garden and there were days when I thought they were making a bigger mess than being helpful. I learned how to can tomatoes! I learned how to make jam! And don't forget those obnoxious little onions that I love to eat and so we would pickle extra ones just for me! I learned how to make syrup! We would go pick these tiny little berries called choke cherries! I used to think it was the biggest pain, but now I look forward to going with her and hunting down these bushes and picking buckets and buckets of them so we could make Choke Cherry Syrup! She is the best babysitter, she takes our kids every friday! I was the camp director in our ward for 5 years and she would take the whole week off just so that I could go to girls camp! She even keeps them overnight on occasion! When ever I need her to help me with the kids

she drops everything and comes to my rescue!

When I need a break she steps in!

When my mom died Louise hugged me and told me how much she loved and me and that she wasn't going to try to replace my mom but she would do everything she could to help me and to be there for me whenever I needed her.

She has cried with me and let me get angry!

She has shown me more love than I sometimes deserved!

She is my Friend, my Family, my Teacher,

and the BEST MOTHER-in-law!

I love her with all my heart and I am so greatful that I have her in my life and for all that she does for me and my family! She is always asking us this simple little question...

"Who LOVES you the most?"

We never have to guess how much she loves us!

We LOVE you the MOST!

W A!

You might ask what is W A? Let me tell you!

Wii Anonymous!

Santa made a serious mistake by bringing us

a Wii! We are going to have to join a W A group!

We have stayed up WAY past our bedtime,

we have moved furniture out of the way, we have

created a boxing monster out of Samantha, we have

two boys who can't seem to put the light sabers down,

Todd can't stop playing baseball and Jennie bowled a

strike with 91 pins! AND we have friends who CREAMED

us at Horse shoes! All I can say now is...

where do we sign up for W A?

One good thing has come out of all of this

It Brings a FAMILY together!

We have had soo much fun!

Dear Santa.....

O where to begin!

Our Busy Week!

Tis the season for Parties! We had a busy week!
It all started wednesday night with the ward party.
Austin got to play a shepard in he Christmas Story.
Then on Thursday night the kids had their school
program. As you can see Sam and her friends in the
1st grade did Suzie Snowflake. Jeff and his friend Cord
were Rudolph, Fully equiped with flashing antlers and
a nose. Austin was in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade Choir.
And now we are off to Grandpa Curtis's house for a party
and then off to Aunt Junes on Sunday.
We will be EXHAUSTED! Not to mention the
SNOW storm Heading our WAY!

Twilight Twilight Twilight

I finally got to go see Twilight this last weekend.

My nieces would be sooo proud of me!

I must say I loved it but the book is much better.

I went with my sister in law Janet

and she hasn't read the books yet but she will now!

It definately made me think I need to

read the books again! Either I read them too fast or

I didn't pay close enough attention to

remember things!

So I will definately be doing that!

GoBbLE gObBle GObbLE!

We spent Thanksgiving this year with Todd's Family,

we were fortunate to have all but one of his family there.

Todd's sister DeAnna and her family live in South Dakota

and won't be able to come til Christmas!

WE can't wait to see them!

Dinner was wonderful and extremely OVER filling!

I think the best part of the day was

listening to Todds brothers and sisters

reminiss about thier YOUNGER days! I am finding

out the Todd did things and says he NEVER did!

Janet and I go shopping on Black Friday so after dinner

we mapped out our plan of attack!

Let's just say that we did get Todd's mom her

Christmas present and Janet did come out alive!

She only got a bruise or two!

We usually go with out the intent of HAVING to

have something but this year we found ONE Deal

we had to have to Mom Wilding!
We hope that Everyone had a

wonderful Thanksgiving!

Isn't she BeAuTiFul!

I finaly remembered to take Samanthas Picture today!

Doesn't she look beautifull in her new dress?!

Thanks Aunt June, We love you!

P.S.

Aunt June made Sam a new dress but we forgot to take a picture last sunday and today! So this week we will take a picture to post of her NEW dress! (I really should learn to sew as good as her, mom and Aunt Lori) THANKS Aunt June! We love you!

Time for a change....

When I decide to do something I tend to have to do it right now, especially when it's something out of my comfort zone. when we built our house Samantha wanted her room purple so we did! But Saturday I decided that purple just wasn't right! So we made a change and boy did we change! Its not completely done yet but here are some previews! We still need to add some pink stuff and change her curtains!

Being Thankful!

Sometimes it is soo hard to be thankful! I know you all understand this! Somedays you have a child who tests you to you just simply blow up, or you have a child who just can't seem to listen at all that day! Sometimes you have a husband who doesn't seem to be on the same page as you (ok most of the time), sometimes you, your husband or your children just simply wake up on the wrong side of the bed for no reason at all! Sometimes you have a child who just needs you, and can't leave your side especially when you have ton of house work to do! Sometimes you have a child who is whiney but there doesn't seem to be any real reason to be and it's driving you CrAZy! Sometimes you feel like your kids are raised in a BARN but you live in a house! Sometimes ( ok 90% of the time) you feel like you are the only one who know how to do the dishes or sweep the floor or clean a bathroom!! But at the end of the day it just doesn't seem to matter! When you sit down and you hold your children or kiss your husband you realize that those things aren't important and that you are so greatfull to have a family and friends! I am sooo THANKFUL for ALL of my Family, they have been a great support through all the good and the bad for the last 6 months! Where would we be without each other? Where would we be if we didn't know that Families Are Forever?!

Bows Bows Bows!

Ok so I am PROUD to admit that I am just like my mom!

She was always looking for new Ideas and things to sell!!

I have a new project I am working on and I need a business name!

The one I wanted was "It's a Girl Thing" and it has been taken!

So if anyone has any ideas I would be excited to hear them!

Plus if you have any suggestions on bows that I should make that would be great!

Here are a few of what I have already made!
So bring on the suggestions!

She's a mean ol' witch!

Ok just to show you that I LOVE Halloween,

I dressed up for ya!

(P.S. They need to make Halloween nylons for us tall witches)

(These things just don't stay up!)

Happy HaLloWeEn!

Trick or Treat, smell my feet,

give me something good to eat!

We were lucky enough to have some of each of our families

come to Downey to got trunk or treating! Grandpa Curtis,

Cheryl and her kids,

Trisha, Darwin and thier kids, Janet and her kids!

Who brought the Zoo?
Miriam aka "the littlest Giraffe"
Kolbie aka "the verocious LION "
Kyrsten aka "the Battered Cheerleader" Curtis aka "Batman"

Kayden aka the toughest rodeo clown aroundCody aka Batman in training

What was today? Did you Say HALLOWEEN?

Samanth aka "the bravest Cheerleader"
Jeffery aka "Anikan"

Austin aka "Indiana Jones"

I LOVE Halloween, but this year was a little crazy! Usually you dressup only the one day right...well our kids have a 4 day school week which means they have fridays off! Sooo we had to dress up on thursday for school and then again on friday for Halloween! That is just too much work!

Families Are Forever!

Ok so when you can't afford to go have your family picture taken and your brother the photographer lives in another state and who knows when he'll have time to take your picture, you just have to improvise! This was my attempt at taking my family picture! Thank heavens for a tripod and a sister-in-law to push the button! Not perfect but hey I think it was a good attempt!

Pumkins, Pumpkins, Pumkins!