I need a break...

Have you ever just needed a break from, well, everything?!? I have such a hankering for just a bunch of nothing. I want to sleep, I want to bum around, I want to have no obligations or expectations. I went out shopping the other day and left Brandt home with the kids. I knew I was gone for awhile, but it has been so so long since I've just wandered and I needed it. How is it that you get to a point in your life that you're always hurrying. I'm hurrying to run to the store and back home. I'm hurrying to get everyone dressed and out the door to church. I'm hurrying to get everything checked off my list. Ugghhhh. It gets old I tell you. I need to lay on the beach and have no place to be, no sense of time.

I have a motto for this year and it's not going to help my predicament. "Procrastination breeds clutter." This is soooo me. That is my one resolution and thing that I'm going to work to improve.

Mia. Cole.

I was putting the twins down for the night and we were reading our new counting book. For the #2 there was a picture of a red car and a green car. I told the boys to count the cars. Charlie proceeded to point to the green car and kept saying "Mia" over and over. I said, "ok, that car is Mia's." After I acknowledged that the green car was her car he promptly pointed to the red car and said "Cole." Guess our cousins have cars....who knew?

Super helpers

A few days ago I was emptying the dishwasher. Charlie came over and pulled out the silverware holder to help Momma. He put all the silverware away. I can't complain. I'll take any help that I can get.

Oh, and Oliver is cute.

Twin-isms

The other day I was changing the boys's diapers. I had just finished Charlie and was holloring to Dylan to come get his bum changed. Charlie hopped up and went around the corner to Dylan and said "Momma...NOW". That's what Brandt will say when I'm trying to change the boys or get them to go somewhere and they aren't listening. It was hilarious.

My babies are starting to morph into little boys. There isn't much "baby" to them any more. The words are finally starting to be said and they're learning new tricks each day. It's nice that they're such great helpers but I will miss my little guys. Guess that's just part of it all. Love 'em.

P.S. Oliver had his first rice cereal today. Not such a big fan. Ended up crying cause he wanted the usual on the menu. Like I said...where are my babies going???

Top 10 of 2010

In a somewhat, but not necessarily, particular order:
10. The twins adjusting and enjoying nursery which in turn allows mommy & daddy to attend all of church! Wa-hoo!
9. Having my mom around for the birth of Oliver. She has been my #1 helper and I would never have survived 3 under 2 without her. She is one of my best friends and I'm so grateful for this chance I've had to grow closer to her.
8. The twins graduating to their big beds in their new room!
7. Home renovations - we were able to check off quite a few items on our list thanks to Brandt's paternity and some updates that we were forced to complete.
6. Brandt's brother graduation from medical school and Brandt being able to attend the ceremony.
5. Mom & kids trip to St. George with Grandma, Grandpa, & Aspen.
4. Curtis family vacation to Yellowstone!
3. Jensen family vacation to Bear Lake!
2. Growing closer as a family of 5, growing closer as a family with our brothers & sisters, and growing closer with our Savior and strengthening our testimony.
1. OLIVER! His birth, his blessing and his wonderful spirit. We love him oh so much!

Bring on 2011 - can't wait to see what adventures are up ahead.

Christmas

Our Christmas was great this year. Kinda mellow with not much expected so it turned out really nice. We managed to get it all together, make it to all our parties, everyone (but mommy) took naps, and visit all 3 sets of parents Christmas day...miracles do happen! We started out by going to my parents house for Christmas Eve. Before we headed out I wanted to get a picture of the family by the tree. I set up the timer and we all posed and the shots kept coming back fuzzy. I finally gave up and we left. We went and had dinner and dessert. While my boys were partaking of ice cream cones (more pics in a minute) I remembered that Dylan had gotten my camara earlier so I wiped off the lens. Wha-la! Clear as can be. Amazing the difference it made. So we gave the boys ice cream cones. I've given them one once before and they loved it and it was no different that night. Charlie was in the zone. We had another Christmas miracle. Dylan enjoyed his cone, too, but was not nearly as messy as Charlie. I think that is a first.

Christmas morning we woke up and had our own little Christmas with the 5 of us. I did the family picture again without Dylan shmeared lens and I'm only posting it because the twins look so cute in it. Brandt and I, not so much. Behold, the holy grail of Christmas gifts...the measuring tape:

After that we ran down to my momma's again and had the BEST breakfast. Seriously, it was soooo good. We opened presents and rushed home and put the boys down for a nap. Oliver wasn't in the mood to sleep so i had to stay up with him. Finally I rocked him to sleep and I only had a half hour left that I was going to let everyone sleep so I didn't put O in his bed. I just held him and rocked with him and had a 'moment'. The twins were in their bed, Brandt was asleep on the couch, Oliver was in my arms. The room was dark except for the lighted Christmas tree and my home was silent. So much gratitude and love was in my soul, in my heart. My boys were peaceful and safe and I was given that short moment of stillness to become aware of it all. It was beautiful and I don't ever want to forget that feeling or take what I have for granted.

I woke them up at 4 so we could run up to Brandt's dad's house and then stopped by his mom's house on the way home. We fit it all in...by the skin of our teeth. We then ran home and put the boys down about 9:30.

I love this time of year. I love the magic that comes with the Christmas holiday. I love that we are able to focus on the baby Jesus and feel such gratitude for our Savior. Truly, we are so very blessed to know what we know and to feel such peace because of it. I don't know what I did so right to be sent to the family I was given and to be so blessed to have the most amazing husband and beautiful children. No matter how bad things sometimes seem, I know I have it very good. I know it is because the generous hand of my Savior and I hope that I can remember that throughout this coming year.

"Pretty Bird"

Owwweeeeeee!!!!

Yesterday I ventured downtown. I needed to grab something at Old Navy and figured I'd take the kiddos out. I drove Brandt's big truck so I couldn't park in the underground parking and I needed to find a spot on the street, near the store so the kids wouldn't have to walk too far. They are quite slow and get easily distracted. I drove around for a while cause I seemed to be missing spot after spot to the car in front of me. Just about as I was going to give up and go home I found a spot, a little further than I'd wanted, but gave it a shot anyway. I parallel parked on the street and Oliver was on the sidewalk side and the boys on the street side. I went to get O out first so that I could have him right there when I got the boys out and keep an eye on them all. I went around the car to get O and because he was on the sidewalk side there were snow-banks. I was climbing over the snow and pulled his carseat out. I was trying to get back over the snow with O in one arm and pulled the car door shut. Opps...didn't move my hand fast enough. I was trying to put O down on the snow without him sliding down the snowpile into the truck all the while not panicing since my finger was stuck. I finally got my one hand free so I could open the door and looked down at my poor finger. The blood immediately pooled into my nailbed and I could even see the blood from the other side of my finger.Can I even tell you how bad it hurt?!? It was one of those moments that takes your breath away. I went around to get the twins out and they just looked at my face like "what happened to you?" Even now, it is super sore. It is all puffed up and warm cause my body is trying to fix it. It's not pretty and I won't be surprised if I lose my nail.

About 13 or 14 years ago I suffered a similar fate. My sister and I went to California and we visited Newport Beach, one of my most favorite places ever. We went down by the pier and were going to go rollerblading along the beach. We opened the trunk to get our rollerblades out and my sister shut the trunk and the keys were in her pocket. My thumb was in the trunk. She had to get out the keys and unlock the trunk before we could open it. I went over to the Hotdog-on-a-Stick and got a little cup with ice in it. I stuck in my thumb and went on rollerblading. That was a doosy, too. Aren't only little kids supposed to smash their fingers in doors?