From our family, to yours.....

Super size me

Maycie with her Tinkerbell dress up clothes on: "Mommy, do want to play Tinkerbell dress up with me?"

Mommy: "I don't have a Tinkerbell dress Maycie."

Mayice: "Maybe when we go to the store we can get you a very really big, big, biggest, bigger one....."

Okay, TIME OUT, she could have stopped at just plain "big"! Why all the adjectives!

Attack of the Christmas Oreo

Dude, the middle is the BEST part! Don't be wasting it like that!!!!

Smurf Turf

As we are nearing the date for Con's graduation, we have received multiple fliers in the mail of different "graduate" items to purchase. One of those being...graduation announcements! I don't think the announcements they try and sell (you know with the class motto, school logo, etc.) are lame, I just can't bring myself to pay the price they are charging. PLUS: I pride myself in being different. I didn't want to send out the regular, boring, announcements...so I had an idea. What about getting pictures on the blue turf and designing an invite using that. FAB! Now....how to we get on the famous and "coveted" blue turf. We sneak in!!!!

We called our friends, Neal and Suzie, and they were going to help us snap a family picture or two. We pull up in front of where we were told we could "just sneak in". The door was locked! Of course!

Conrad's reply to that: "Maybe we should try and talk to somebody who has authority and they will let us in."

My reply to that, "Hhmm, yeah right!"

Well, it turns out, Conrad did just that. A gentleman came and opened the door for us (this was on a different day...or our second...legal try) and I was able to snap the family pictures I was wanting. And not to mention, Jaxon was in blue heaven. He loves any sort of ball and sports. It was so cute to watch his little legs run across the turf.

He thinks this picture makes him look silly. I think it makes him look successful!

It was great...only bad part was that it was so super sunny and cold and so our eyes were watering.

Curious??

I AM still here. I haven't forgotten about my fellow bloggers. I have just been engulfed in the sea of never ending "to do" lists. Can someone send me a life raft?

Sadly, I can already relate....

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

I pulled out a shirt in Maycie's closet that she has never worn. It is pink with white polka dots on it. I got her dressed....rather...helped her get dressed and went on my mommy way. A few minutes later she comes to me all excited and doing her happy dance. If you have never seen the happy dance...I am so sorry. Maybe I'll video it and post it sometime.

After the finale of the happy dance, she exclaims, "Mommy, my shirt has Dippin' Dots on it!"

My secret plan....

Gobble, Gobble

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.....

I have been tagged. Name the top 10 reasons you love your child. I will say children...I would hate for one of them to think I have a favorite. This tag has come at a perfect time. A week after my 4 days away from them...and a new appreciation of being a mother and realizing that my "what I thought was a boring monotonous life" was actually a quite rewarding one. Here it goes:

1- I LOVE making chocolate milk! "Mom, I need chocolate milk!" ,"Mom, I need chocolate milk!", "Mom, I need chocolate milk!", "Mom, I need chocolate milk!", "Mom, I need chocolate milk!"...you get the idea right...but now...we have a change of pace...."Mom, I need STRAWBERRY milk!"

2- I LOVE picking up toys. I think kids do it on purpose. They wait until you put them away, thinking that it is a game, just to start over again.

3- I LOVE the comforting, reaffirming words of my 3 1/2 year old princess. "Oh, mommy, you are a beautiful princess!" Who could have low self esteem after that!

4-I LOVE the giggles of Maycie and Jaxon playing together...5...4...3...2...1...SCREAM....CRYING!!!! It always ends up that way; Jaxon is usually the winner!

5- I LOVE the anticipation each of them get knowing it is getting closer for daddy to come home and then having them run up to him and give him hugs and kisses. Hey, hello, it's me over here, your mom...you know the one who makes you breakfast, lunch, dinner, and CHOCOLATE MILK, cleans your clothes, plays play dough, builds "towers" and forts...but who cares about her, right....DADDYS HOME!!!!

6- I LOVE that Jaxon is learning to talk and hearing the funny cute words he tries to say...and having Miss Priss and Proper correct him...I was talking about Maycie people! =)

7- I LOVE 8:30 pm. BEDTIME! Not because I am excited it is time for them to go to bed...well, actually, yeah I am! I love hearing Maycie say her prayers and reiterate EVERY night how much she loves her Nanny and Papa...forget MOM and DAD! (am I starting to sound bitter).

8- I LOVE 8:30 am; having two little whispers and giggles, and then the snuggles I get during Dora the Explorer and Little Einsteins.

9- I LOVE Maycie's imagination and how our living room becomes a swamp with alligators and we can only step on the pillows or else the alligators will bite our toes off. Or, how the laundry basket becomes the babies bed and our end table becomes Maycie's desk...like daddy's...where she does her homework.

10- I LOVE Maycie and Jaxon for making me a mother and although I fall short in MANY areas, they still claim me as there "mommy!"

I tag: Audrie, Chelsie, Angie F., Nicole Smart, and Victoria

Play date

As I am going about my day, doing my daily chores I am not listening, but overhearing Maycie chatting on her princess cell phone. All of sudden I hear her right next to me.

Maycie: "Hold on, I will ask her....Mom, can I go to Wilber's house?"
Mom: "Wilber? Who's Wilber?"
Maycie: "Wilber Meet the Robinson." (she thinks his middle name is "meet the")
Mom: "I don't think so, not today" as I laugh under my breath.
Maycie: in all seriousness, "Mom, his mommy said I can."

I decided to play along:

Mom: "Sure, how are you going to get there."
Maycie: "He will come get me in his magic ship."
Mom: " Okay, make sure you put your seat belt on for safety."
Maycie leaves, laughing, smiling and doing her happy dance..."Yes, Wilber, she said yes. Do you want to play................"

And she left.........I wonder how her play date went!

Worth it!

Grandma wanted to take the kids for the weekend so we could celebrate our anniversary:

Dinner at Texas Roadhouse without asking for booster seats: Worth it!

Going to a movie and being able to watch the WHOLE movie: Worth it!

Not having to be home by 8:30 for bedtime: Worth it!

Not having to carry sippy cups of chocolate milk: Worth it!

Being able to get ready in 20 minutes: Worth it!

No fruit snacks, goldfish, raisins, mini mallows, or string cheese in purse: Worth it!

No, "Mommy, I need...........!" Worth it!

Sleeping in: Worth it!

Attending ALL of church: Worth it!

Cleaning the house and having it REMAIN clean: Worth it!

.......SIGH!!!

Not seeing them for four days and having them run up to you with arms open wide and giant smiles across there faces as they leap into your arms and embrace your neck: WORTH IT!!!!!

I wouldn't change a thing!

With tiny tears that glistened,
my eyes were fixed on you,
and thinking of the life we'd share,
we softly said, "I do."
Our hearts were knit together,
from the time that we first met,
and memories were gathered,
that we will never forget.
While daily living life with you,
you saw the real me,
and still chose acceptance,
a lifelong mystery.
With many happy days gone by,
and others when we cried.
Some days we'd share so endlessly,
while other days we'd hide.
With all the ups and downs we've had,
in learning to be friends,
I know in this heart of mine,
I'd marry you again!
Author unknown

HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY BABE! I LOVE YOU!

Soda Springs' Homecoming Junior year (we went to different high schools)...and...YES....we were high school sweet hearts!

In front of my family's cabin on Bear Lake.

Soda Springs' Senior Prom

Skiing at Beaver Mountain up Logan, UT canyon.

The night he proposed...July 18, 2003

Married in the Logan Temple on Nov. 7, 2003

Reception!

Con surprised me with a cruise for our honeymoon.

Snorkeling off of Catalina Island Coast on one of our shore excursions!

Raise your glasses for a toast: to more great and wonderful years to come!!

Child, are you deaf?

If you were a fly on our wall the other day:

"Jaxon, don't tease Maycie."
"Jaxon, put those down, those are mommy's."
"Jaxon, NO!"
"Jaxon, stop it!"
"Jaxon, let go of Maycie's hair."
"Jaxon get out of toilet."
"Jaxon quit playing in the garbage."
...."quit jumping on the couch...sit down...off...stop...be nice...put that back...EAT...EAT some more...you made a mess...don't put that in your mouth...spit that out......"


AARRGGHHH!!!

Child, are you deaf?

Fast forward a couple hours....

...Conrad: "Mandie, what's in Jaxon's ear?"

Um, yeah, he had broke off a q-tip in his ear. No worries, tweezers worked the magic.

Well, that explains THAT day.......

Help! Attack of the washing machine

I am horrible at checking pockets before I put them in the wash. And, I have done it again (but, for the sake of this post, we are going to blame it on the washing machine). One of Con's favorite pair of slacks he wears to work came OUT of the wash with a stain...notice how I didn't say went IN TO the wash with a stain! I have tried using "shout". Nope!

HELP! For the sake of my marriage!!!! =) Any suggestions or magic potions I might try???!!!

Pookie Bear

I was doing a photo session the other night and ended up having to take my kids. I was shooting a small family. They had a little girl a little bit older than Maycie. Maycie thought it was pretty cool to get her pictures taken like the little girl. Cool beans dude...I got some way cute pictures of her!

Doesn't she melt your heart!

NOTE: Pookie bear is a nickname Con gave her when she was just a few days old. Jaxon calls her Pookie sometimes too. To him, he is "buddy" and Maycie is "pookie".


FYI - You can view the family photo session I did the other night at: www.capturedmomentsbymandie.blogspot.com
(check tomorrow though...I don't have them all edited yet!)

Elvis Lives!!!

"I HATE dressing up", says Conrad. "I don't care, you are anyways!" says Mandie.

This was at a couples only Halloween party. We played American Idol on the Wii...so basically we learned that no one knew how to sing in our group. The worse you were, the more entertaining it was. Conrad is doing a duet with our friend Clint. (video to follow...had a hard time loading tonight)

Sorry, turn your head taco style for this one. Clint was supposed to be Anna Nicole Smith, but he just turned out to be a hoochy mama 'cause no one got it!

I wasn't in the mood to go too far out of character...WITCH! Doesn't Con look like he is having a blast! haha No really, it was fun. And we pulled a first....HIRED a babysitter...NICE...I think we might try that more often!

We also had a family Halloween party with some other friends. It too, was a blast. This is Jaxon trying to hit the witch pinata.

You can't tell, but Maycie is Nemo and Jaxon is Squirt!

Thanks for the parties!

Stay tuned for an American Idol debut featuring Elvis himself!

Sinfully delicious!

These are at least a "once-a-weeker" at our house during the Fall season!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 and 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I have just used cinnamon before)
1 teaspoon salt
1 and 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Libby 100% pure pumpkin
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Makes approx. 12 pancakes. Serve with butter, syrup and WHIP CREAM (cool whip)! The whip cream is a must. NOTE: if you are watching calories...replace the oil with applesauce and omit the butter and syrup and use fat free sugar free cool whip! YUMMY!

Con's busy just got busier....

With the economy struggling, we are constantly worrying about our financial security. How and where can we save money? is the constant question I ask myself daily. It hit me the other week that I need to concentrate just as much or more on my family's spiritual security. Well, I prayed about it, and didn't exactly get the answer in the way I thought. Conrad was called, sustained, and set apart today as the 2nd counselor in our bishopric. I am so proud of him and grateful for the priesthood in our home. Now, on top of working full time, school full time, he will now have church full time. We used to look forward to the weekends so we can spend some time with our daddy. I guess Saturday will have to do. I hope we can live up to the blessings that we are capable of receiving through this calling.

**NOTE: Wish me luck because I will have my kids...aka JAXON...all by myself in sacrament meeting. YIKES!!!!!

Raisins!

I wouldn't normally share something like this. But, hey 95% of you that read this are probably mothers and can relate in some small measure to this experience I had with Maycie last night.

Potty training Maycie was...well...EASY! Really! She caught on super quick, even through the night. Since being in "princess panties" she has had 3 accidents, all of which she was super embarrassed about. (I would be too if I pooped my pants!) We are now at the stage where I don't have to tell her or remind her to use the bathroom, she does it on her own. If she tells me in a store that she has to go potty, I can now tell her to hold it till we get home. Life is getting GREAT!

WRONG!

She comes to me last night and shows me her princess panties. "Mommy, they're dirty." "Maycie, they are dirty because you didn't wipe good. We need to wipe our bums really good." "No, Mommy, they are dirty because of poopy in them!"

EXCUSE ME!

As she is explaining the "skid marks", I notice a trail of RAISINS coming from the bathroom, down the hall, and into the living room. Goodness Child...did you really have to show me that you pooped your pants! She was a little stunned that when she actually made it to me that there were no more poopies in her panties. I pointed to the trail she had left and explained to her how disgusted I was. It wasn't exactly a trail to paradise.

"It's okay, Mommy. You can just pick them up. Let me see your happy face!"

Oh child, I WILL show you my happy face......LATER!!!!!

NOT! I repeat, NOT!

We had a few family things going on this last weekend, so we decided to head home. We enjoyed a nice, smooth, easy going ride.....

NOT! I repeat, NOT!

First we get up at 5 am. We have a baptism in Pockie and have to be there by 10 am. It takes 3 hours to get there. We leave just before 6:30. PLENTY of time. NOT! I repeat, NOT! We drove through a snow storm...hhmm...let me check my calendar...October 11....trapped in a snow storm...interesting. Our fault though, the weather man said it was going to snow this weekend. But, I pushed that little thought in the very back of my head along with the thought, "it will rain in the valleys, snow in the mountains." NOT! I repeat, NOT! We drove through one of the worst storms ever. Did we make it to the baptism? Barely! Showed up at 10:30 am. Good thing it was a Stake baptism and there were 11 kids being baptized. But, we were really glad that we made it and re-learned about our baptismal covenants and the Holy Ghost.

We then decided to venture to Logan to see my sister who just had a baby. No big deal, only an extra hour. NOT! I repeat, NOT! Crazy kids! The picture above portrays that things were smooth sailing for us....NOT! I repeat, NOT! He cried himself to sleep. Keep in mind, Jaxon doesn't have a monotone soft cry. He has a piercing, loud scream. I wouldn't be surprised if he had a soar throat today. I know I have an ear ache!!!!! But, it was really good to see our other family and baby Zack.

Hhmm...let's see...when is our next road trip...can't wait. NOT! I repeat, NOT!

Lose, Lose

We were at the park the other day and Maycie comes running over with her hands holding her...well...you know. "I have to go potty." She started the potty dance. We looked around and NO bathroom. What does a parent do...you let them pee outside and it teaches the wrong thing...you try and get her home and she pees all over her clothes and car seat. Thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking...let her pee outside. So we found a little corner and dropped her pants.

Now, only 2 days have gone by. Maycie and Jaxon are playing on the back patio. I look out to check on them and Maycie has her pants around her ankles. YIKES! Yup...you guessed it, she peed outside again! Sad thing is, we live in an UPSTAIRS apartment. Yup...you guessed it again, it drizzled down and left a HUGE puddle on the gentleman's porch below us.

We officially just became "THOSE" neighbors.........

Conference Craft

One of my favorite things to do during the Saturday conference sessions is a craft. For some reason, I listen better. I kept thinking all last week what I wanted to do. I have PLENTY of things I could have worked on or rather....projects that needed finished. But, none of those sounded appetizing. I didn't want to go purchase a project because I am in a thrifty, frugal, anti-spending money state. I finally remembered that I had this project cut out. A friend and I seen this particular craft in a magazine, only it was an Easter version. I thought to myself, I can do that for the other holidays as well. So, we came up with a pattern and I cut them out. Well, I thought it turned out pretty ugly after I cut it out...so I stashed it in the closet. I decided to get it out this weekend, wipe the 2 years dust it had collected, and I started to paint. Not bad huh!!!! I am super proud of myself because I had nothing to look at/copy....I am REALLY good at copying!!!

Now...where to put it...?

Halloween moon

My sister sent this to me in an email. Funny!

A tag "4" you!

This was on my sisters' blogs. So, here is how this tag works. Go to your pictures folder, look in the 4th folder and find the 4th picture. Cake walk!

This was really the 4th picture...not just a page I made to post with the 4th picture. haha. I remember how Maycie was such a big "new" sister. She absolutely adored Jaxon (until she went on her beating rampages). She always wanted to hold him. Tender!

I tag EVERYONE who hasn't done this yet. And, I will be hunting you down...aka...blog stalking...to check for those who have participated! =)

Don't read unless you want to leave a comment!

I have had so much fun learning new things about photography. I have shot many sessions at Kathryn Albertson's Park and the Boise Depot. I am feeling the urge to branch out, but am stumped on other places to shoot. So, to all my Boise'ns, PLEASE enlighten me on a fun place to shoot. If you aren't from the Boise area, still shoot me with some ideas.

Oh yeah, you read the title. If you are reading this, than you read the whole post....so, you better leave a comment or I will hunt you down. =)

Little Stinker

Maycie has been wanting to go to Chuck-e-Cheese with her friend Tayson for weeks. We finally set up a date to go and she was ecstatic! She could hardly wait and asked me every morning "how many na nights left?" Friday evening she complained that her ear hurt. Then she asked for a band-aid so I figured she just scratched it. Yes, we put a Care Bears band-aid on...the cure all at our home. Well, she still kind of fussed about it that night. I mentioned that if her ear did hurt, that we wouldn't be able to go to Chuck-e-Cheese's with Tayson the next night. Zip.....not another word or complaint. So, we go to Chuck-e-Cheese's...aka...germ fest...and played, sweat, and of course had fun...where a kid can be a kid, right!? We get home and she starts crying and complaining A LOT that her ear hurts. Little Stinker. She hid her pain just so she could go play. Miss Smarty Pants...with stupid parents! She definitely fooled us. It was a rough night but we survived thanks to mommy's heating pad that she is now addicted to laying on.
Smart Parent: I thought I better mention that we did take her to urgent care this morning and she does have an ear infection. Antibiotics baby! We caught if before she needed drops.

Back in the groove