Shadows...

I absolutely am in love with my "SWEET" little boy. He has been so perfect lately. I love the way he comes up to me when he's been in trouble and says,

"Sorry Mom, I'll be good."
(sometimes telling Dad before hand... "I was bad, I'm gonna go tell Mom sorry.")

or

"I love you Mom... I love you SO MUCH!"

Little things like that make my day.

I love when he is in a cuddling mood and tells me...

"Mom, Hold me like a baby, ok?"

Of course I'll never say no to that.

or when he gets excited...

"I'll take a nap and then we can go play with friends, Woohoo!"

or when he compromises with me and says,

"How about this one..."


Zenock has never been a good sleeper. He wakes up at least once every night... (It's been about six months or more since I remember not waking up). He runs into our room and tells me, "Mom, I so scared."

Monday night we had our FHE lesson on prayer. One of the things we said was that we could ask Heavenly Father to help us not be scared. That night when we said prayers with Zenock it went something like this...

Mom: "Help me to not be scared..."
Zenock: " Help me to not be scared... of shadows and Peter Pan and Captain Hook."

IT was so dang sweet and cute and heart wrenching! So much was meant in that sweet prayer. What have we done!!! It was an eye opening moment, knowing that as much as he loves Peter Pan... He is also terrified. At least we know what he is scared of now. It looks as though our trip to Disneyworld in the spring might have to be delayed awhile... (sorry Kami.) Can you imagine if he were to meet Captain Hook and Peter Pan in person!?!

My poor sweet innocent little boy.
Oh how I just want to hold him and protect him from ever being scared.

Snow!

Saturday morning after persistent calls from Zenock I got out of my warm bed and headed into the kitchen to get him his "shake." As I was walking I noticed out my front window it had SNOWED!
In Alabama??!!??

Zenock and I were SO excited. You see... we have been dreaming of a white Christmas!

And it doesn't snow in Alabama... usually.

We got bundled up and headed outside to play in the snow. Knowing all too well it would be gone by lunch time.

It was freezing cold! We loved it!

I have missed Utah Snow... It's been a long time... too long since I have seen it. It made me incredibly homesick for Christmas at "home" and to think that my sweet little boy doesn't know what REAL snow is.

(It is scary to think that all of these little things are up to me to show, provide for, and teach him...)

Because it never snows in Alabama... I swear half the neighborhood was outside taking pictures of their homes and kids... We just thought we would join in. Who knows if it will happen again!

It has literally been raining "buckets" for the last 10 hours straight. You haven't seen rain until you live in the South. The quote: "When it rains, it pours!" takes on a whole new meaning. I'm not sure how things haven't flooded yet. Here's hoping that at some point it turns to snow tonight... I'm sick of the rain! :)

***

Do you ever just sit and think and have ten different conversations with yourself or have ten thousand thoughts running through your head at once... This would be me. right now.
Can't sleep.

So much is going on, so much to think about, to share, to consider, to do, to accomplish!

I am reading Sarah Palin's book "Going Rogue" right now. Love it. She seriously is one tough lady. I recommend it... inspiring... and I agree with her on most everything! I wish I had her determination, focus, and energy!


One of these days maybe I will get it all done. :)

thanksgiving week.

A couple of days before Thanksgiving, JC and I took Zenock to the Botanical Gardens Galaxy of Lights display. It was a fun family outing...

(Yes... my eyes are closed... ignore it. :)


Except for the whole Santa visit... Apparently, we aren't ready for him just yet. :)
He's got plenty more chances to meet Santa this year.

Also, while JC and I were getting things ready and putting things in the car, Zenock was sitting in the front seat "driving" as usual. After we got in we realized what he had been doing... putting pennies in the cd player. Let me just say copper and electronics don't work together... AT ALL.
It shut down all the electronics in our car. (Not good when everything in our car is electric - even the odometer.) SO... lesson learned. Zenock isn't allowed in the front seat ever again.

Tickets to galaxy of lights = FREE (Their card machine broke as we drove up.)
Penny in the cd player = $1300 (You read that right.)
Family night Fun. :)

***

Thanksgiving 2009

JC and I decided to host Thanksgiving for a few friends at our house this year. We had a great time planning and preparing and enjoyed being in our own home. :)

JC had this great idea to "deep fry" a turkey. My thought was absolutely no way. I knew something would happen. In my mind all I kept thinking about was the news reports on Thanksgiving about all the people who start fires by deep frying their turkey...

He enlisted the help of his friend Mike...

They used a camping stove, a canning pot, a large stick to stir, and chicken wire to strain...

I have to give them credit for not burning my house down.

JC and I turned it into a competition... I cooked a turkey to, just "in case" we needed a back-up.

He won.

I liked mine better.

Zenock and his cute friends patiently waiting for food...

They played so cute together all night.

Later we found Zenock sitting in one of the babies car seats... surfing the internet on a blackberry.

We had a great Thanksgiving with good friends!

We feel so blessed to be where we are and to be a family.

***


Friday (Black Friday!) I got up at 3:30 to hit the sales. Oh... how I love a good sale! I live for Black Friday.

A friend and I shopped all morning... Kohls, Target, Old Navy, Sams Club, The Mall, and back to Kohls. No fights were witnessed this year, but we had a great time and got some awesome deals.


After coming home and catching up on some missed sleep, we decorated for Christmas.

We shopped for a Christmas tree... (JC insisted on a REAL one this year.)

I love having a fireplace to decorate and a place to hang our stockings.

I also love having a real Christmas tree and am thankful to JC for insisting on it. The smell brings back so many memories of when I was little.

Christmas isn't Christmas with out peppermints and red and green m&m's.

Cute, right? Super Saturday craft idea from a few years ago. :) I love it.

I love having the outside of a house to decorate as well. A house at all for that matter. There is nothing better than being able to sit cuddled up on the couch with all the lights turned on, good holiday scents in the house, and Christmas music on as loud as you want it.

Zenock makes us turn the lights on ALL day. I am totally ok with that. :)

I can't believe it is December! The busiest most wonderful time of the year! Our calendar is already full with fun activities and every day there is something new to add to it. We are excited to spend time with friends, as a family, and enjoying and making new traditions.

the sink.

Zenock was helping me make cookies for an event we were going to the next day... After driving me absolutely crazy, I finally stripped him down and told him to play in the sink.

For the first 10 minutes he played like this...

Then there were a couple of minutes like this...

When I looked over again... he was giving himself a bath.

Two year olds have all the fun. :)

More pan...

The other night as I was laying in bed with Zenock trying to get him to go to sleep. The wind was blowing really hard outside... I turned to Zenock and said,
"Zennie, Can you hear the wind? It's windy outside."
Zenock replied, "WENDY!? And Peter Pan and Captain Hook?"

Yes... He's obsessed.

(Zenock - Peter Pan and Mom - Captain Hook)


I apologize this picture is extremely blurry... Maybe you should complain about it to JC and then he will buy me a new camera. :)