The FLU...

So, about an hour after my last piano lesson on Tuesday my week came to a screeching halt. I haven't been this sick in YEARS. I thought maybe I had food poisoning, but then Chase came down with it a day later and Greg a day after that. Doesn't food poisoning hit everyone at the same time if you eat the same foods? Anyway, I literally didn't leave the house for two days, put my new front-load washer to good use, and have watched about 13+ hours of Australian Open tennis. I think I'm almost recovered now, I'm just not sure how long it will last in the boys. I'm still waiting for Greg to say "I told you so" because he wanted to get flu shots in November/December and I just never found the right time or place to do it. Maybe he's right, but PLEASE don't tell HIM that!

Spring in January

We are loving this spring-like weather in January! Did Santa include warm weather for Christmas so that Chase could try out his new trampoline? We are having so much fun on it as well as THREE hours at the park today. Who knew that they made 12' bouncy playpens for three-year olds, wink-wink?!

Holiday Gratitude

The holiday season is over and it's already a new year! As much as I look forward to it, I always dread it getting here because then it's quickly over and gone. This year, however, I have decided to look at the end of the holiday season with a sense of gratitude instead of grief! I am overwhelmingly grateful for the many blessings my sweet little family has enjoyed in the past year and continues to enjoy. We have a cozy, warm home, Greg has a steady job, good health, loving friends, fabulous families, fun,and happiness.

Christmas always gives me a chance to focus on the spiritual gifts that we have as well. Our family is a gift, to begin with. We wouldn't have our "Crazy Chase" if it wasn't for years of prayers, fasting, and faith on many people's parts! And we're grateful to also know that we can be a family forever through the blessings of the temple. Chase kept reminding us as we wrapped presents, decorated, etc. that we were getting ready for "Jesus' birthday". What a great reminder that was! He was so excited to celebrate the real meaning of the season. We're grateful to know of not only Christ's birth but his life, death, atonement, and love for us.

Wow, I could go on and on. Just a couple more things I'm grateful for: the quality time we get to spend with our families during the holidays, and the notes from friends we don't get to see or hear from near enough. We love you all. Here's to a fabulous 2009!

Two Tag

I think I'm a little behind! I got tagged a couple of days ago, but it's such fun that I will still pass it on.

Two names you go by:
Besides Patti
1. mommy
2. "muffin"

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. black capris
2. jewelry (love it!)

Two things you want right now:
1. to be done potty training
2. new video-making software (suggestions anyone?)

Two things you did last night:
1. went to LAST/dress rehearsal for youth musical
2. ate half a bag of kettle corn (from Apple Hill) for dinner

Two things you ate today:
1. french bread, out of the bag, on the way home from the store!
2. homemade mac'n'cheese

Two favorite drinks:
1. Mountain Dew (worst habit!)
2. Peppermint Hot Chocolate

I am tagging Tiffany, Miranda, Caitlin, Tif, Jen, & Jamie! You're all it!

Our "Almost Perfect" Saturday

We took all day today to spend together as a family just having simple fun. It seems like it's been a long time since we've done that! We headed out about 9am for Apple Hill. What a gorgeous fall day. The colors are beautiful right now and yet it felt like summer. Chase went on his first pony ride of the day at High Hill. This cute little pony is "Bubbles".
Here is the outrageously priced fishing pond. We enjoyed yummy apple fritters by it while we watched people, dogs, and soaked in the sun. Of course, before we left, one of our "not quite so perfect moments" happened with Chase wetting everything from his waist down. HELP with the potty training already!... Wardrobe change #1.
Chase and daddy went on a little nature walk to Eeyore's house (not sure where that came from, but that's what Chase told me) while I checked out some of the jewelry booths at Abel's Acres. Chase also rode another pony, "Blacky" (original!) and LOVED the hay maze here. Little did we know why he was hiding behind that hay bale....it made for the perfect restroom...again, only worse. This time no more clothes for a wardrobe change and it took all the wet wipes in my purse to clean it up! UGH!

We love to see the temple

We had time on the way home to stop by the temple and take a stroll around it. Here's me loving my son and my husband and trying to be a photographer. I want my pictures to look like I didn't take them, but like a good photographer did.
I just love this little man! Just ask him who mommy's favorite little boy in the whole wide world is...he'll tell you... CHASE! He loves to be told that every day.
I was trying to set the camera up and use the timer to get a family shot here. Chase couldn't resist and crawled right up to it. Just look at those gorgeous brown eyes! How can I resist? I think I have a picture that looks just exactly like this one, but he was about 6 months old.
I wonder if the temple gardeners would come help me with my new planters? I wish...

I hope he'll go inside someday

Our family is forever. Thank goodness for temples and the blessing of being sealed together in it. I can't imagine life without my boys. I literally hit the timer on the camera, ran to grab Chase before he headed around another planter, and sat down just in time! Not bad...
Everyone knows I like my trademark kissing pose in front of temples. Lucky for me, Chase likes to kiss at the temple too.
My absolute favorite photo of the day...
Splish, splash! See how Chase's feet are off the ground? He's lucky he didn't take a header right into the fountain. He loves them. At this point, we realized that accident #3 had happened...thus the "almost perfect" day. He is just getting worse and worse at the potty thing. We really HAD to head home and get him in the shower. After that we went over to the aquatic center to watch a good friend's daughter play in the High School sectional water polo championship. WOW! It was exciting. 10-9 in overtime. Too bad Rachel's team didn't win. She scored a couple goals (is that what they're called in water polo?) and played awesome. We're glad we got to see it and love her and her family to death!

School, play, & cute things we say

Chase went to his first day of preschool on Tuesday, October 21st. He was a little bit of a late starter because of the potty-training thing, but he's FINALLY ready. (Not that he's perfect with the potty thing yet, but good enough for an hour and fifteen minute preschool!) I'm trying to make certain pictures a tradition, like the first day of school, birthdays, etc. I read somewhere that if you take your child's picture at the same place (leaving the front door) you'll be able to look back through each year and see how they've grown. Also, for birthdays I try to get one of blowing out the candles and one back-t0-back with daddy to see how much bigger he is. He already seems bigger to me because he thinks he's such an independent preschooler...

This is how we work & play at our house! It starts out with a rake and ends an hour later with happy smiles and a bigger leaf mess than what we started out with! You should have seen the pile we had in the backyard...

Two little monkeys jumping on the bed...Chase knows it's his chance for a little trampoline action when I change the sheets on our bed. A couple Fridays ago one of his favorite little friends, Ava, got to join in the fun. Ring around the rosies...

I almost forgot! The normal things we say just come out of a three-year old's mouth cute! Some of my recent faves:

"Dora song is stuck in my head...(while pulling at his ear)...I can't pull it out!"

"Thanks, dinner, Mommy."

After wiping applesauce on his arm, "mustache on my arm!" (Like a milk mustache...)

Trick or Treat

For the first time in 12 years, Greg and I dressed up for Halloween too. It was a lot of fun, although it takes two engineers WAY too long to make costumes! Maybe we're a little TOO "square" to get creative. Anyway, I was "Mrs. Rodeo Queen", Greg was my bullrider boyfriend, and Chase was the rodeo clown. Chase got loads of candy and still expects more "prizes" to come in the mail! (He loved the packages he got in the mail. Thanks Auntie Vicky and Auntie Lisa!) Guess I'm done, another three-year old melt-down in the works...

"BOO!"

Sunday night we heard a loud, not necessarily friendly, knock on the door. Since there had been an "altercation" between two of our neighbors right across the street earlier that morning, as well as a visit from the responding police officer, we were a little nervous about who was at the door! It turns out that we had been "boo"ed! What a nice surprise considering what we had expected. Chase was thrilled and ate his treats as well as Mommy's Twix. (Don't turn your back for one second...his latest thing is teasing Mommy and Daddy about "eat Daddy's", etc. and he really did!) Thanks for the fun halloween stuff....

Something I believe in

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Chase and I went to the Pumpkin Patch with some friends yesterday. While the kids were climbing the hay tower, the other moms were telling me how easy it is to blog and that I needed to get started...so here I am. I have no idea how this works, but we had a great time and took cute pictures that I would love to share. How do I attach them?....