Thanksgiving

I don't have any pictures of actual Thanksgiving dinner, although it was great food and great company (Tom was hilarious with the whipped cream).  But, here are some pictures of our time in Hurricane for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Ashley and her carrots!  She planted them in PaPa's garden last July when we visited.  She was so excited to see that they grew, and tasted good, too!

Everyone hanging out at PaPa and Sweetheart's house.

And thank-you to Papa and Sweetheart for putting up with us for a couple of extra days while we waited for our car window to be replaced.  Man, our van doesn't like to leave Northern Utah!

Belt Promotion

Ashley had her first belt promotion in Karate the week before Thanksgiving.  We didn't get to sit too close, so the pictures aren't the best, but hopefully you can see Ashley.  She is the blonde one with ponytails.

Ashley getting her new white/yellow belt!

Walking back with her new belt

Great Quote

I read this quote today, and I really need to remember it...

"everywhere in nature we are taught the lessons of patience and waiting. we want things a long time before we get them, and the fact that we wanted them a long time makes them all the more precious when they come." joseph f. smith

I've been having a bit of a hard time with waiting for a placement, and I know that everything is in the Lord's time, and that when our placement comes, that will be the placement that we were supposed to get, but sometimes that doesn't make it easier.  Until I get reminded of it again in a slightly different way, like I was today with the above quote.  It will happen, and yes, I am learning patience, the hard way.  Maybe the only way, but it is hard.  I just have to hold on and keep praying, and we will get a baby in our home.

Gorgeous!!!!

Ashley Pugh - November 2008 (Almost 7 Years Old)

Just had to share...

A funny story from being Gavin's mom (and yes, I promise to get all of our Christmas pics up soon).  Gavin has been doing rhyming words a lot lately when describing things.  Such as the "crasher-basher" for a construction-type truck.  So, today the twins are playing with some of the baby dolls that we have around, and Gavin brings me a plastic container that is supposed to be play baby wipes, and announces that it is the "cleaner-weiner".  He didn't even know that it was supposed to be wipes.  And, hey, I guess it's appropriate!

White Out!

And not the stuff that you use when you make a mistake. It is really snowing here right now. We've gotten at least 2-3 inches in the past hour, and it's really bad. Ashley's bus got stuck by Cabella's, and a friend of mine from the ward with a Pathfinder took me and the twins to go get her. That was so awesome of her. As we were leaving a patrol car (lights on) pulled up to be with the bus while they figured out what to do. That's good. Ashley said she wasn't scared, but the bus driver seemed a bit freaked out. Bryan is trying to get home right now, we're not sure if he is going to make it. Part of the freeway that he usually travels is closed, so he exited and is on highway 92 to try to get home. We'll see. I really hope so. Man! This is being compared to that huge snowstorm last February that got the kids stuck at the school here. I guess it wasn't such an anomaly after all!

Edited to add: Bryan got home a-okay. Woo Hoo! But, the main entrance into Traverse Mountain was closed, as was Hwy 92 into Highland!!!

Chance of Snow????

That is what the forecast was for Lehi today - A Chance of Snow.  Well, that chance has turned into about 5 inches, and still going.  Plus, a new storm is supposed to move in tomorrow with more snow.  WOW!!  For us, we haven't ever been in this much snow.  The kids are loving it.  Cierra could play in it all day if we would let her.

The forecast says that the snow is supposed to "taper off" this afternoon.  We'll see if they get it right.  I really need to get to the store for some green salad that I signed up to bring to the Ward Christmas Party tomorrow night, and I'm a big chicken driving in snow (read: I won't do it unless I absolutely have no choice).  So, the ward party may have one less green salad and an extra side dish if I can't get to the store before tomorrow night.  Oh well.  I hope they will understand.

Seven Years Ago.....

Seven years ago today at 10:22 pm, a gorgeous 6 lb. 9 oz. baby girl was born.  She was 19 inches long and completely beautiful.  We had waited so long for her, and she had finally made her arrival.  Since then, we have been so blessed to have Ashley Faith in our lives.  She is a complete joy.  As we have watched her grow and progress, we know that she is a very special little girl.  She is so smart and attentive.  She never forgets ANYTHING!  She can still remember the day she got into her Easter candy while I was in the shower - She was 2 years old.  At 2 1/2 she became a big sister to two little babies, and no one could as for a better big sister.  At 4 she started pre-school and learned to write her name within the first month, and to read by the time she turned 5.  When she went to Kindergarten, she already knew all of the sight words on her first day.  At 6 she showed how resilient she is by adapting to a whole new town and school quickly and easily.  She has made so many good friends here and really come out of her shell.  She is a white/yellow belt in Karate and can really wail on someone with Wild Crushing Hammer.  I can't believe that my baby is seven years old today.  Time goes by way too fast.  But, Ashley, I want you to know that I love you so much, and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father allowed me to be your mother.  You are a very special girl.  I love you.

Crunch

That was the sound I heard as I walked out of my bedroom today after taking my shower.  It was one of those moments that as soon as you heard the sound and felt the object under your foot, you cringe and don't want to look down, because you know exactly what it was that you stepped on, and it's not good, or cheap.

It was Cierra's glasses.  /Cringe/  Yup.

I yelled downstairs for her and she replied "Did you clean them, Mommy?"  She had placed them in front of my bedroom door while I was in the shower for me to clean.  I don't know if she yelled through the door about them or not, I didn't hear her if she did.  I was able to un-mangle them pretty well, and they are okay, but they definitely won't live through another situation like that. And I am NOT willing to wait out 2-5 days to get replacement glasses when these do get broken (not if, when, with a 4 year old and metal glasses).  Her behavior has been 10000000% better since getting her glasses, and I'm not going back to the screaming fits for ANY length of time.  So, I loaded the kids up in the car and got Cierra a new pair of glasses - the flexible kind!  These are the kind that you can wrap the ear pieces around your finger and twist the nose bridge into a spiral and they bounce right back.  Plus, we got 25% off!  Not bad for peace of mind and peace for the family!  Now we have a back up pair, and my blood pressure has returned to normal.

My Kids Are Awesome Because....

On my adoption forum a member started a thread about how her daughter was awesome and why, then invited us to tell about our kids.  I posted there, but I wanted to share with all of you why I have awesome kids.

My kids are awesome, because...

My oldest daughter is such a great person. She tries to do the right thing and is so nice to others. One of her little friends told me that when a kid gets hurt or sad at school, she walks them to the office and stays with them until they are okay. Melted my heart!

My youngest daughter is so confident and strong. She knows what she wants and will not be bullied into something she doesn't want to do. Plus, she is doing so much better with her glasses, and I can't believe how it must have been for her before she could see!

My little boy is the sweetest kid ever. Friendly, too. He is always saying hi to everyone, waving and talking about his day all the while batting his 10 foot long eyelashes at them. I'm really going to have to keep an eye on him!

These are definitely not all the reasons why my kids are awesome, there are too many to write, but maybe now you know a little bit about why I think they are pretty cool kids.