Our kids woke us up at 6:30am yesterday morning and we were all pretty fired up about the seven inches of snow we had gotten. We all bundled up and decided to go to a school that is across from our neighborhood that has some good hills to sled down. We live in Memphis. We don't have a sled. But we do have the top of our turtle sandbox, so we decided to try that out instead. After rolling down a few snowy hills and figuring out that the top of a turtle sandbox did not make the most effective sled, we loaded back up into the truck and Bobby flailed us around for a few minutes doing doughnuts on ice, which we were all encouraging.

There was one last hope for sledding. At the front of the school there is a grassy drainage ditch that is pretty much a straight shot down. Brayden decided he wanted to try it out, so Bobby and Kailey Grace stayed in the car, I guess to go for help if we needed it, and Brayden and I trecked through the snow which ended up being up to my knees in more than one place. I looked at Brayden and said, "You sure you want to do this?" He said, "Why?! Is it gonna be scary?!" I said, "Nope." as I grabbed him around the waist and threw him onto the turtle. I had been trying to balance on top of the snow by sitting down with my legs around the turtle shell, because if I moved at all and broke the little ledge I was sitting on I would be chest high in snow. He held on tight and we both looked down the ten foot drop one last time before I pushed him over the edge.

For a minute all of the sledding excitement that had been building up hit an all time high. He was flying down the hill for a split second, but about four feet down, when the incline started to curve, he stopped. Here we were, me, the non-coordinated pregnant lady perched on top of a giant ditch hoping not to bury myself in the snow with any sudden movements, and him, a daring five year old who had just had the tiny (I mean split second) thrill of his life, and was now stuck half way down the ditch on the back of a sandbox turtle.

I, in a vision of grace, lept into action and as I had feared, was buried by the sudden movement on the snow. I managed an awkward forward kick into the back of Brayden's sled in an attempt to get him all the way down to the bottom of the hill. Instead of moving him closer to the bottom of the hill, I buried his entire upper torso in snow. Thinking he would freak out any minute I jumped head first down the hill to uncover him, looking like some kind of snow creature from the beyond leaping out of the snow. (Keep in mind, my sweet husband and three year old were watching all of this safely from the car.)

I did a series of moves that must have looked something like an 80's dance propelling myself to the bottom of the hill. I walked the forty feet to the other side of the ditch holding a turtle shell, a dirty snow covered blanket that had been our cushioning and very little of my dignity:)

Brayden had fun though;)

Watch the sarcasm.

So yesterday Brayden asked where we were going multiple times before I had a chance to answer so I said, I'm going to drop you off at a strangers house...

Kailey who had been silent for a while started crying hysterically all of the sudden and I said shocked, "what's wrong?!" Through hysterical tears she explained that she didn't want me to drop her brother off at a strangers house and she was very upset with me, she didn't let it go.

Brayden was even a little shocked at her saying, "Kailey, she was just joking. I'm not going to a strangers house..."

Bobby said lots of kind words of comfort.

I tried explaining myself and thought I gave a pretty convincing argument of reassurance.

This morning one of the first things she said was, "Mom, I don't want you dropping my brother off at a strangers house." In a very authoratative, scolding tone:)

Moral of the story? Don't be sarcastic with your kids. Their little hearts can't handle it.

Okay, so no update on the house progress yet because honestly, I haven't taken any pictures and I'm too lazy at this early hour of the morning to do so, but I will tell you that although LOTS of progress has been made, our house still leaves a little something to be desired;) We're getting there though.

Instead, I thought you might enjoy seeing how talented my little musical prodigy is. I was sitting at the computer and Guns and Roses came on (don't ask:) and I looked up to see this. It went on for several minutes, but I won't inflict that kind of torture on any of our loved ones who might feel obligated to actually sit and watch the whole five minute clip.

Our little leak

Before we tore it all up to let it dry.

So- there's been a water spot in our hallway intermittently for a while. It didn't smell like a toilet:) and I couldn't figure out where it was coming from after trying several times, so when it disappeared for a while I thought it was miraculously fixed. Not so...Friday I noticed a small patch of water by our TV shelf. After investigating further we found out that we had water, not just in the hallway, but also under our TV shelf (which is probably 8 feet long) and also along Brayden entire wall behind his toy box and some furniture. The insurance guy came and gave us money to clean the carpet and replace some things, so we have been up to our ears in tile and concrete board this weekend. We're still not done, but I thought I'd post some pictures of the destruction so you can appreciate how pretty it is after we're done:)

I had a kick butt Thanksgiving and Birthday that I will write about another time , but I just had to share some funny things I have been remembering lately and I am afraid I'll loose them if I don't make some sort of record of them now....:)

#1 So the other day we were all in the car and I told Bobby that we could just grab some fast food and Brayden kept saying Nooooo! I don't want fast food I want Wendy's!!! Finally Bobby said, "Bradyen, Wendy's is fast food." and Bradyen said, "No it's not." We were confused trying to piece together what form of logic he was getting at (b/c usually he has some) so kind of frustrated I asked, "Why are you saying Wendy's is not fast food?" and he said in a rather frustrated tone right back at me, "b/c it's better than fast food! It says so on the tv!!!" hahahahahahaha- listen to the commerical next time. NEVER noticed their tagline before.

#2 I stopped to get gas and was stepping out of the car and I locked eyes with my sweet innocent little son in the back seat just as Toby Keith sang...."We'll put a boot in your ass..."
I kind of froze thinking "Oh no- he's gonna ask questions about where he was gonna stick the boot and how it would fit there... or curse or... something bad will come of this..." He looked kind of embarrassed like he had heard something he wasn't supposed to hear and then very tenatively smiled and said..."Did he just say he'd POOT in their EYE? Ewwwwwww!!!!!" I laughed so hard which made him laugh really hard all the while thinking we were giggling over Toby pooting in someone's eye.

#3 Brayden's Pre-K teacher asked the class if they knew what the previous day had been after a holiday last year. Brayden very excitedly raised his hand, the ONLY one to raise his hand (which he was very proud of) and when he was called on he shouted out his answer.... AUTHOR LUPIN KING DAY!! He was very proud at the end of the day telling me he was the only one who knew the name of the holiday, (still calling it Author Lupin King Day). and had to say it a few times before I realized he was referring to Martin Luthor King Day:)

#4 Okay, so Brayden is not the only funny one, but his are more stories where as Kailey Grace's are phrases and words she comes up with that just sound funny coming out of her cute little mouth, but last week we were going shopping at the mall and she kept shouting out..."I WANT TO GO TO THE MULCH! I WANT TO GO TO THE MULCH! No matter how many times I corrected her she still called it the mulch. I was very amused by this until I looked in the backseat after laughing at it and she had a scowl on her face directed straight at me:)

That's all for now:)
Sweet Dreams!

Happy Thanksgiving

Ahhhhh! I am turning 27 this week. I am a little worried that my birthday this year falls on a day called "Black Friday". It's ominous sounding. People who have never experienced black Fiday don't know that it is actually a good day, one that takes me to my happy place where acting like a mad woman is acceptable, all in the name of "shopping for the kids"... who end up needing new bags, shoes, earrings, jeans or all of the forementioned all in my size.

My sister has had a friend since she was maybe 12 named Buffy (used to be) Larson. I get warm and fuzzy feelings just by hearing her name because she is such a cool girl and is someone I have always adored. She had a birthday this week and named some things on her blog that she was thankful for and I thought it very fitting with a birthday so close to the Holiday....so I am going to run with her idea. Hopefully she won't mind:)

So....

I am thankful for...
1.)A Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ who find new ways to make my life better everyday...and who also help me find my keys, phone and glasses atleast five times a week, keep my cooking from killing my family every day, gave me life, will give me death (someday!! not today hopefully) and surrounded me with people in my life that make it all worth it.
2.) The LDS Church. It's hard to not feel like it's kept me from making even bigger mistakes in my life (and giving me some sort of hope when I do) than I would have otherwise
3.) My parents, for being my best friends.....and for not killing me as a teenager.
4.) My sister, who is my best friend and who understands me unlike anyone else and always shows me which way is up when I"m toppling over.
5.)My brothers,(they're my best friends too!!:) who taught me what good guys are like and that they do exists... and who put forth the extra effort of calling me to make sure I'm doing okay, which means the world to me.
6.) My extended family, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, who all help mold me into the lovely person I am today:)
7.)Bobby....I feel like I need to say that one again...BOBBY. Who I am positive was made to be a perfect fit for my missing pieces.
8.)Brayden, who is daily a remider that miracles happen and who makes me smile more than any one person should be allowed.
9.)Kailey Grace, who reminds me to just be happy when she bounces into our room very early every morning, sometimes covered in pee, sometimes not, but 9 times out of 10 with her excited face on.
10.)My dogs, who all should be named individually, but then you would know exactly what kind of crazy dog freak I am. They are fun.
11.) My house, because I don't hear gun shots on holidays, random nights of the week....or weekends anymore. Yay!!
12.) Food, especially the kind I don't have to make:)
13.) Grocery stores, because it makes me happy to be able to buy anything I want at all hours.
14.) The movie robots, and scoobie doo. They allow me to get things done around the house. (or post a blog while I should be cleaning out a toilet.)
15.)My 4Runner. Yes, because it takes me places and I don't have to ride bareback on a horse with two children to go see family and friends, but also just because I really like my 4Runner. It's old and silver and is missing a radio knob, but it also has a back window that rolls down and leather seats that you can wipe down after someones drink goes flailing through the vehicle and it fits three carseats in the backrow when I need it too. It is my passport out of crazy land somedays and I love it:)
16.)Friends...who are also sometimes my passport out of crazy land:)
17.) Money, jobs that pay money.
18.) "Alone time" with Bobby.
19.) Heartache.
20.) Books, movies and other forms of entertainment that make me laugh at the end of a crappy day.

There is a bunch more that I could say, but this would turn into a 12 page blog and I really do have a toillet to clean, even if that's the only thing I finish today:)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
I love you all a bunch!:)
Sara

Happy Halloween

So things have been crazy!! W are all kind of sick right now, but I attribute that to all the hard partying we did on Halloween weekend. The madness is finally catching up:) So the kids got to have two Halloween nights going to church for Trunk or Treat and then going to my sister-in-law and brothers house for the actual event. We had a blast hanging out with family, having yummy treats and, of course, scoring lots of candy.