Update

Okay - I know it's been forever since I've blogged... I don't really have any major news to post! I can tell you that we have crazy lives, don't we all, but that we are SOOO excited for Christmas this year. We had a small parenting milestone in that our oldest figured out the "truth" about christmas. According to Addie, it's just not realistic that Santa could make it to all of the houses in one night. Now she just wants to help eat the cookies and of course know what EACH present is. She's such a grown-up in a child's body.

Emma is almost walking I swear, and she won't be 8 months till next week. She is the HAPPIEST baby now that she can move around. We love that little crazy.

Jackson is playing basketball - as always. He's playing in the front yard, in the living room, has figured out how to bounce them on the top portion of our vaulted ceiling in the kitchen...he has also asked for a hoop that can go on the door in his bedroom. Go figure.

Grayson is so sick of waiting for Christmas to come. How many times does this 4-year old have to hear that he cannot have that toy today but should WAIT to see if he gets it for christmas. The wait is becoming unbearable. He told me today that christmas is never going to come... poor kid. If only he knew how awesome he's going to feel in 2 days.

Matt is loving having the best time starting his part-time job at UV. He will be at all of the bball games starting in Jan. and cannot wait to get his feet truly wet in marketing with them. Bless him right now because he is out installing fence and having a miserable time. Comes with having a job right? Not always the best time but is worth it in the end. We are so proud of how hard he works for us.

Me? I'm loving my job and have a lot, I mean a lot of work to do. I walked into a big mess. For those of you who know me well, you know that I don't mind it and love fixing it. I am basically a parent to my 4, and now 430 other teenagers... I have plenty of moments where I am torn wondering and worrying if I am doing the right thing and whether my kids will suffer from this and from having someone else watching them during the day. I also have moments of complete peace and answers from Heavenly Father that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing right now. I have moments where I feel supported and moments where I feel judged. You know the moments when someone finds out you work full-time and have someone else watching your kids, when they say "Oh..." like that. Love those moments. Actually I hate them...

We are missing our Grandpa Davis... He was here long enough that we got used to having him here! Lucky Idaho family...

So there's the update... I am so excited for Christmas! I have been walking around singing Jingle Bells for the last two weeks because I am so excited for the presents I know are under the tree! Thanks for the tradition Mom!

Sweet Jackson

For those of you who know my Jackson - you know that he has a tender sensitive heart. A mom from another kindergardener from school shared this story with me this weekend about my sweet young man.

So - there is a bully at school - he is not in Jackson's class but plays at the same recess time. He has been a problem for some time - Jax in fact had some anxiety from this boy at the beginning of the year and we talked to the teacher about it.

Last week this bully came up to a boy from Jackson's soccer team and kicked him, when he fell down, he started throwing wood chips on him, and then kicked him some more. Jackson, saw this happen and ran over and laid down with/in front of his friend to take the brunt of the blow. He laid down on the ground and protected his friend, and in fact, was then kicked instead of Braden. When I asked him about it - he just said that he wanted to take care of Braden and shrugged it off.

I am so completely proud of my little man - I know now that when he is gone from me that he is making good choices - that he is learning the correct way to serve and love others. It just exemplifies what a truly good kid he is - I love love love that little boy.

---He also has figured out that when this bully runs by chasing after someone to torment that he can stick his foot out ever so slightly and trip him, or that he can lay in wait on top of the monkey bars during a similar situation and if he times it just right can drop down and take this kid out to protect whomever he was going after next.... Nice Jax.

Abby

So I know that things are awful for Abby right now... And there aren't many times when she feels joy or happiness... However, at the Maile Thanksgiving dinner I was taking pictures of a game Mona and Junior were playing with the kids and caught a picture of this...

It was a breath fresh air to see true happiness - relaxed laughter from her.. We love you Abby!

Piece of advice

Do not, I repeat, do not give a 4-year old a piggyback ride up the stairs RIGHT after giving him cold and cough medicine. If you do - you might, just might, end up with puke in your hair and down your shirt. I'm just sayin...

The true alphabet

So I know I'm overblogging about Gray - but I just couldn't pass this up...

Tonight I was educated on the true alphabet. It goes like this...

A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K, I know why you pee. . . Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z...

Perfect.

Primary Program 2009

I first want to say that ALL of my kids did a fantastic job with their parts and singing their songs in this year's Primary Program. I was truly a proud mother. Addie's class had a solo and she was fantastic and beautiful. Jax memorized his part all by himself and his class had a solo, which he proudly did. It was the sideshow that Gray provided, however, that I want to highlight this year. First, this year, the primary president placed all of the sunbeams in the front row, a row of little primary chairs in front of the bishop's row. At the practice, when the kids stood up to sing, we quickly realized Gray was too tall.. So, they moved him to the side of the front row so as to not block the view for those behind them. This did place him right beside the wood half-wall. You know? Right by the stairs?

So, in his new seat, during the primary program itself, Gray provided the WHOLE ward with a sideshow that included repeatedly trying to hang himself with his tie, making the noises, faces and everything. When that was done he began having a make-believe transformer war with his hands and the half-wall next to him noices and all again. Explosion sounds, men dying, you get the picture. And THEN, he began making out with the wood half'-wall next to him. What I mean was making fish faces on it, pushing his lips into it and talking loudly... I, being the primary chorister, was in the front row and kept yelling (under my breath) at Gray to stop. When I could not get him to do so - I had to call him down to me. He didn't like that one bit, and on his way back UP to his seat, stomped the whole way making loud mad noises. Then he sat back down in his seat and cried loudly, during the program. Last but not least, when it was his class' turn to get up and say their parts, instead of walking along in front of the small chairs, he decided to stand up on them, jump over them and walk behind them. At least that's how I think it went down in his head. What really happened you ask? He started to jump over the chair and caught his back foot on the back of the chair and bit it. Loudly... a loud thump onto the hollow stand by the podium.

This was definitely a primary program to remember. The show of '09, the year of Gray.

Change of Plans

So just when you think you know which way you're headed - Heavenly Father throws a wrench in your plans. In looking for additional/new/second incomes for Matt, I came across a job posting for an apartment complex manager. So, I submitted my resume to find out more about it - the posting was really vague and stated it the job wouldn't be starting for a while. I knew that my days watching Covelli would be over soon so I thought I should at least look into it... Well, the property owners called and after a few meetings - offered me a position, immediately. After working out some kinks and making sure our kids will be well taken care of, loved and not able to fall through the cracks - I've accepted the job. I start on Wednesday! I am totally excited - I am hesitant and worried - but I am peaceful that Heavenly Father wants our family to do this. I'm going to try and see if it works for us. . Here's to being an adult and making the hard choice.