what we've been up to...

Me....I've been making these while fighting an ugly, epic, holy war with a not-to-be-named neighbor about who has the rights to "pretzel sticks" in our neighborhood gift exchange. Kelly, these are all yours for 2010 and the rest of eternity. I never want to "make" a pretzel stick again and I think yours were prettier anyway. I should never have tried to dethrone the queen (notice the inferred apology tainted with a subtle diss by not capitalizing "the Queen"). It's been fun. But next year, it's that crappy chex mix with powdered sugar. Anyone want to fight me for that?


Dave...wasting time on facebook. Just kidding honey...he has been doing lots of online shopping. Some of it even for other people, apparently. I am under strict orders to not look at e-mails from Amazon.


Jacob...begging for time on Dad's iPod...

and being cute in his Preschool Christmas program.

Edison....being naughty, being ornery, being funny (in that order) and playing with every item in the house that is not a toy, like the kitchen fausett.

Who me?


Saren....teething (she finally broke through one of those mean top front teeth)

...acting like a big kid. This girl is a toy junkie. It kills me to watch her follow the boys around the house and play like them.

And, most imortantly...eating like a human. Saren is nearly one, so I am officially letting her have all that stuff babies can't have and want so desperately. She is finally getting her hands on ....peanut butter, honey, chocolate, eggs, citrus and nuts (not all in the same meal) and she is pretty amped about it.

a fly on my wall

These are things that could have actually been overheard in my house today...

Eddie - "I yike peanut sammich"!
Me - "OK"
Eddie - "With big, big honey on it"
Me - "OK, you want a peanut butter sandwich with honey?"
Eddie - "All the time, Mom....All the time"!

And, during an hour long wrestling/tackle football session between Eddie and Jacob...

Jacob - "You ready to feel the wrath, Eddie?"

my cup runneth over...

No matter how nice of a day it was, Thanksgiving Thursday couldn't help but be outdone by our Saturday, when we went to the Salt Lake Temple and had Saren sealed to our family. It was a wonderful day and Saren was so happy and darling and full of smiles and charm (as she usually is). It was a sweet, sweet experience and I have little snapshots in my head of many beautiful moments that I hope my forgetful brain will never lose. Jacob and Edison were so excited and knew what a special thing it was to be there. I hope their little minds can remember too.

High Five! I got sealed today!

Handsome big brothers!



Eddie kept saying "It's a Castle!" as we started walking up towards the temple grounds.

Our three little miracles...

Aunt Lynette says she has never laughed so hard on the temple grounds...

Wait for it....

And finally, I can't help myself...a little love note to my baby girl.

Baby Saren, this is your family! You are stuck with us now. We love you so much! I don't know if you will ever have a baby as darling and happy and good natured as you, because you really are one in a million...but I hope someday you get a little glimpse of the joy you have brought to me, your Dad and your brothers. You are the little cherry blessing on top of my blessing sundae. We could never have hoped for a more loving, sweet girl who is so full of life and enthusiasm, and we couldn't possibly be more in love with you. You are a beautiful, radiant child of God and I couldn't be more proud and blessed to be your Mommy. We are all so thankful you found your way into our home.

finally final!

Today we finalized Saren's adoption! What we have known to be right and true and perfect for 10 months and 23 days is now right and true and perfect in the Seventh District Court! It is a special thing to hear what it means to be someone's parent and swear an oath in court to fulfill those obligations. Every parent should get this opportunity...to tell the world that you are and will always be responsible for and available to your child, in every way necessary and in every respect is a very sweet thing.

We will always be grateful to Bill Heder, our awesome Attorney, who has led us through many an adoption crag and mire without breaking a sweat and with total reassurance and confidence. He is worth every penny!

And to Judge Douglass B. Thomas, who after pronouncing Saren's adoption as final, pulled a little, stuffed "Wilbur" out from behind his bench and said affectionately..."This is for you baby!". What a sweet public servant.

And, today, I can't help but love, even a little more, our birth parents, who made this all possible. I know, in my heart, that God will most certainly reward them richly someday as I could never adequately express what it is they have meant to our family.

And, of course, I thank my Heavenly Father, who brought everyone together...and made a family where there was once just David and myself and a lot of hope. We are so grateful!

visions of sugarplums

Last night, I had so many laughs while the boys carefully searched through a Walmart Christmas toy ad. When Jacob turned a page to reveal a load of Star Wars paraphernalia, Eddie was so excited...all he could come up with was "Oh....Come on! Come on guys!". Other things Eddie repeated over and over were "Hmmmm...yet's see", "You gotta see dis!" and "What you yike Mom?". Jacob was torn between a hot wheel race track and a dinosaur tower....but he woke me up this morning for help writing a note to Santa, so he must have made his decision.

The biggest crack up was when Eddie pointed to this picture.

Eddie -"What that?"

Me - "It's a gorilla!"

Eddie - "No, that's a boy-rilla"

So funny. He went to bed with his little book and Jacob asked me for it first thing this morning.

This Christmas is going to be so much fun! I remember wanting to be a mom so much and how this time of year just doesn't have the same magic without kids. I'm so thankful for these little sweeties.

can you guess?

the windowsill
my couch
Saren's hands
Saren's left foot
a wicker basket
four bathroom towels
shower curtain
tile floor
The toilet seat
Eddie's feet
Eddie's hands
Under the computer desk
The flush lever
the bathrug
Down the hallway
the shower curtain
A box of wet wipes

These are the places Eddie managed cover in poo while I was making my bed this morning, 10 minutes before the neighborhood preschool arrived..."I keen it myseff!" was his only defense.

halloween wrap up

Halloween is over! Yeah! It is one of my favorite times of year...but seriously...how many parties are possible to squeeze into three days? Seven....yep. That was difficult what with all the peeing going on in Eddie's costume. But we survived. The kids had lots of fun and that is all that really matters. Dave and I had a great time at a party with friends. We dressed up as a "Biggest Loser" contestant and Jillan. Really, I just wanted an excuse to dress like a hoochie. No muscles...I know. It was a little bit of a stretch. My eyebrows were clearly lacking as well.

Why the wig? Well wigs are just funny. You can't help but laugh to see someone you love in a ridiculous wig. It's humor on the basest of levels...like seeing someone get hit in the yoo-hoo's or trip violently down the stairs. Good memories.

And speaking of violence...my boys dressed up as "Army Guys" this year. They were very cute in uniforms made by Grandma B. Jacob was especially proud, and for the week leading up to Halloween night, he would do anything I asked it I pretended to be his commanding officer. "Do not dishcarge that firarm in the vicinity of the sleeping baby cadet! Move it upstairs doubletime soldier and pick up your blocks in an orderly fashion!" and "Keep your sandwich in the mess hall or I will send you to the General for latrine duty so fast it will make your head spin!". You get the idea. He would salute me and do his best not to smile. Even with the perks, I'm glad it's over...I had used all my good stuff up by Thursday.

It was an unfortunate serious of bad timing and bad moods that led me to not really get a good picture of Eddie this year...but these paint an accurate picture of the holiday. The highlight was teaching Edison to say "trick or treat" which Eddie translated into "freakin' treat!" I loved that.

Here he is eating a 1 pound can of cashews....a choice I would come to regret at least 6 times the next day.
And Saren was an adorable little flower/fairy/elf/Anne Geddes model (I'm not sure exactly which), but thanks to Lori for the cute costume. She said her first word on Friday night... "Candy" as clear as day and I think Halloween should get the credit.

And who can forget these guys...they're back!!! Some genius on the city council decided not to wrap their legs around the trees on main street this year (no doubt thanks to my hard hitting, expose on the "downtown humpers" from last year)... http://tookiecramer.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

I think this use was much less creepy.
Happy Halloween everybody...bring on Thanksgiving!