Merry Christmas

We hope your Christmas is as joyous and happy as ours.

No, she's not sleeping. She's throwing a fit - pretty typical lately so here you go. Actually, we really do wish you a wonderful Christmas and send you all our love.

Mmm...I'm A Little Ticked Off

This is what someone - no clue who - did to our tire yesterday. Nice huh. Merry Christmas to us.

December 13 - Our Fifth Anniversary

Reasons I Love Chad:

1. He puts the hot water bottle on my side of the bed to keep it warm for me when I come home from work.
2. He helps me clean the house.
3. He makes me laugh.
4. He rubs my back and my feet.
5. He takes me on a weekly date.
6. He works hard in school.
7. He works hard to help support our family.
8. He honors his Priesthood.
9. It is as important to him as it is to me that we have FHE, family prayer, and family scriptures.
10. He gives me beautiful gifts (like the pearl necklace for our fifth anniversary yesterday!).
11. He puts up with my major hormonal issues and bad moods that accompany.
12. He understands and loves my family.
13. He helps my Mom.
14. He loves our kids and gives them hugs and kisses.
15. He bathes the kids so I can get the house cleaned up at night.
16. He lets me sleep when I really need it.
17. He makes me laugh.
18. He listens to me vent.
19. I could go on and on with all the reasons I love Chad but the biggest reason I love Chad is...
20. He is my eternal companion and we are committed to each other and our family forever.

I love you sweetheart!

5 Years

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary so you will have to excuse us for not posting.

It has been 5 wonderful years. So many things have happened. So many experiences have impacted and shaped our lives. Some of the most impacting are:


1. Marriage in the Logan Temple.
2. Moved into our first apartment in Aggie Village.
3. Wendi's graduation from USU.
4. Carter was born.
5. Chad's graduation from USU.
6. Chad's acceptance to graduate school.
7. Kate was born.
8. Moved to Providence. (Upgrade from Aggie Village)(Yes upgrades are possible after Aggie Village)

These, and other events and circumstances, have had great impacts on our lives such as jobs, church callings, siblings married, siblings having children, friendships, etc. But none of them can top my association, friendship, and love with my Wendi.

It has been such a blessing to be together for the short time we have been. We look forward to many more years and lifetimes together as an eternal family. Marriages aren't just celebrations of the endurance of a couple but of facing life events together as husband and wife, parents and children. After all, Happiness is.... life & lives growing together.

I love you Wendi. You are a sweetheart. My sweetheart.


(Imagine a picture of our family here. One of us is always behind the camera.)

Family Time

Last Friday we went to Salt Lake to see the lights. The kids were fairly well behaved (amazingly). Fortunately for this blog, you do not have to see me. I (Chad) was the camera man. I think Kate really enjoyed all the lights. Carter was tired but had fun as well.


Overall we had a very enjoyable time. (You can tell by Wendi's smile.)

Family time is always memorable, good times or hard times.

My Cute Kids Vol. XIII

Again, I truly cannot get him to pose for a decent picture. I need a super-fast camera. Ralphie, can I have yours?

I know I'm biased. But seriously, are they not the cutest kids ever?

Weirdest Tag-The Inside of My Fridge

I wish my fridge had a lot of room like Rachel's... Please keep in mind that my fridge is seriously a mini-half-size one. Possible made for people who don't eat at all. Or maybe they only buy little things like yogurt and individually packaged baby carrots. For sure they don't buy 4 gallons of milk at a time like I do.

We Actually Did Not Use Paper Plates...

Kate really did not care too much about Thanksgiving dinner.

Carter just really wanted the turkey leg. (I seriously cannot get the kid to smile for a picture to save my life.)

Check out Kate in the background. She really thinks Carter is a weirdo and I tend to agree.

Give Thanks

Are you familiar with Martha Stewart Living? Well, I think it should be called Martha Stewart Guilt. I was reading the magazine this week and all I felt was guilt. Should I be cooking with artisan unsalted butter and imported hand-ground cocoa? Is my food really tasteless and bland because I buy my ingredients at the local grocery store? Will my loved ones feel sad when the gift I give them has a plastic ribbon on it instead of a starched satin bow? Will my tree fall over if I use the same decorations from the previous five years and I have no gold spray-painted roses? Will Thanksgiving be a flop if I serve Stove Top and we use paper plates?

Frankly, I think all us joe-schmoe-ettes should just boycott Martha and embrace our normalacy. Thank you cream-of-anything soup and frozen popcorn chicken. You are my friends and I am happy that way. Thank you.

Baby Tag

Nothing makes me happier than talking about my kids...except maybe shopping for clothes for them. So this tag is all about my babies. However, I do realize that a lot of you, probably most of you, may start to drool and maybe even drift off while reading this. So...I'm not offended if you skip this post. There - I gave you my permission to go somewhere more interesting. Perhaps gymboree.com

1. Where were you when you first found out you when you found out you were pregnant? Carter - my bathroom. Kate - my bathroom. With a pee stick in my hand. Awesome.

2. Who was with you? Hopefully no one was watching me pee. Yep, pretty sure I was alone.

3. What was your first reaction? Relief and happy with both of them.

4. What was your husband's reaction? It was the middle of the night when I took the test with Carter. I woke him up and told him but in the morning he thought it had been a dream and had to go look at the test in the garbage can in the bathroom. He was excited about both of them.

5. Who was the first person you told? After Chad, my Mom both times and then Ralphie of course.

6. Were the pregnancies planned? They happened a little easier than we thought they would but we definitely wanted them.

7. Was everyone happy for you? Of course.

8. What was the sex? Boy then girl.

9. Did anyone throw a shower for you? With Carter I had a shower from work and my ward and my Mom's family.

10. Did you get any outfits you wouldn't use? Yes.

11. How much weight did you gain? 30 lbs with both :(

12. Did you get stretch marks? Um, yes. Before conception.

13. Did you crave anything crazy? Corn dogs, oreos, and O.J. with Carter and salt and vinegar chips with Kate. Now do you wonder why I gained 35 lbs.

14. Who or what got on your nerves the most? All I have to say is poor Chad. Pretty much everyone and everything got on my nerves.

15. Where were you when you went into labor? I got induced with Carter and I went into labor with Kate at home.

16. Did you have any complications? Preterm labor and kidney stones with Carter. Nothing to exciting with Kate.

17. Did your water break? Not by itself.

18. Who drove you to the hospital? Chad both times.

19. Did you go early or late? 37 weeks with both of them

20. Who was in the room? Chad

21. Did you video tape it? Ummm. No. I'm not that comfortable with my feminine self.

22. Did you have any pain medication? Epidurals please.

23. Did you have a c-section or natural? Vaginal

24. What was your reaction to the birth? I cried a lot with Carter because it was a scary delivery. But with Kate I was just really happy.

25. How big was the baby? Carter was 6lbs 1 oz. Kate was 6lbs 13 oz. Yeah, for a big girl I don't have very big babies.

26. Did your husband cry? He was touched but I don't think he cried.

27. When is the next one coming? Maybe Spring 2010 we hope.

28. If you could would you do it all over again? Yes.

Birthday Boy

Can you believe how much he's grown? This is our little Carter on his first birthday.

And here he is on his fourth birthday!

I love the look of excitement on his face while he's looking at this present. It was a Star Wars action figure and he was pretty excited. Good job on the birthday shopping, Mommy.

He wanted a Batman cake (that's what the brown blob in the middle is if you couldn't tell). Little sister was pretty interested in helping with the cake and presents. Luckily she will get her turn here pretty shortly.

30

Do I look old? I feel old. Today is officially the first anniversary of my 29th birthday. I have to admit I had a little breakdown. I'm kind of ashamed because I know LOTS of people who turned 30 and didn't feel sad about it. I just had this little moment of "AHHHH! I'm 30 and what do I have to show for it?" Don't worry, I think I'll be ok and I have 10 more years before the next age-related meltdown.

Seeds and Guts

It took a few minutes to get him to dig in but he finally did it with Daddy's help.


"Smile like the pumpkin!"

It Can't Be True

I think that perhaps Kate is not my daughter. *GASP* I know, I know. You are all thinking, "But Wendi, did you not actually see her come out of you?" Ok, ok. Yes you're right. But still, I think there has been a mistake.

Exhibit A: The child does not like to eat. Enough said there.

Exhibit B: She does eat bananas. Sick.

Exhibit C: She does not like to sleep. What is WRONG with her?

And lastly: She squishes spiders with her bare feet. That's it. She's not mine and I think you'll all agree.

Silly little stinker pot.

Look at this POO!

Carter feels the need to show you all this piece of poo...
"Dinosaur Poo" he calls it.

Where do kids come up with this stuff?

Ok, I just saw that Chad posted this and I just have to say...I know exactly where he comes up with this stuff.

My favorite person

I saw a picture of an old sign on the internet. When I saw it, I instantly thought of Wendi. Don't ask me why. You ask a ridiculous question, you get even more ridiculous answers. I get lots of random remindings when I see certain things that make me think of her. In this instance I know she likes things that are old and beat up. I constantly tease her about her obsession over beat-up-ed-ness-ess-es... things.

As I continued to contemplate her preferences in distressed furniture and things made of old barn wood, I thought what if I took a piece of some of these and arranged it in her name? Granted it is nothing new or original but it was fun to do. I'd seen it done before but didn't know how long it would take. I am grateful she has a short name.

Sure you can find the letters to your loved ones name any old place, but any old place sometimes doesn't cut it. The lighting might be off. The letters might be squished. The letter may not even look like it is supposed to. Plus, you don't want to use letters that may be used on a liquor store or some kind of adult book store. What kind of message does that send?

So with that I present the name of one of my favorite people...

Yeah, it's lame but when you are always thinking about her sometimes things begin to remind you of her. Love you Wendi-lady.

P.S. Wendi makes a killer apple pie. Yet I am still alive to tell you about it. YUMMM!

Autumn

Even though it has been quite hot here and the kids are still in shorts, there is a hint of fall in the air. The light is golden and the smell of fallen leaves is all around. It makes me excited for Halloween and all the other fun fall festivities. We had a lot of fun today playing in the leaves and enjoying the nice weather. We'll take it while it lasts!

Tag. I'm It.

Ok, here goes the tag answers for my cute friend, Tonya.

What is his name: Chad
What is her name: Wendi
How long have you been together: Our fifth anniversary is this December!
How long did you date: Depends on how you look at it. It was either the longest courtship ever (4+ years) or the shortest (6 wks after we really got serious).
How old is he: 30 (gulp)
How old is she: 29
Who eats more: Depends on the moment - sadly
Who said I love you first: It was a mutual agreement
Who is taller: Chad
Who sings better: I think we're pretty even on that one although I do a mean fake opera
Who is smarter: I decline to answer that
Who does the laundry: Both of us
Who pays the bills: Both of us
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed: Me
Who mows the lawn: No one. We live in the wilderness remember? What would the deer eat if someone mowed?
Who cooks the dinner: Usually me unless I'm at work. Then Chad cooks popcorn chicken.
Who drives: Someone with a driver's license
Who is more stubborn: Hmmm...
Who kissed who first: Haven't I answered this before? He kissed me first and it was really lame. My fault - I admit it.
Who proposed:Chad
Who has more friends: Me
Who is more sensitive: We both have our moments.

Ode To Ralphie

Oh Ralphie, how is it that you don't live closer to me?
I need you, I want you, oh baby, oh baby.
To take more pictures of my cute little ones.
That the world may receive their Christmas cards and rejoice in their cuteness?

Seriously, dude. You're the best and I wish on every evening star that you will move back!!!!!

Danny Boy

Can't get enough of it....

Preschool Boy

Isn't he precious? Here's our little Carter boy on his first day of preschool. He was a little nervous and I had to bribe him to go but now he's super excited to go back. I was proud of him that when I dropped him off he just wanted a kiss and hug and then he was fine. Kate was the one that had a hard time leaving him. She cried and pointed at him like, "Why are you leaving him here?"
His teachers said he did great and that he was very talkative (big surprise). He was so excited and wound up when he got home - seriously a crazy man. I had to put him in time out for 10 minutes just to calm him down. What a kid.

Things That Annoy Me

Just need to vent folks. The following are things/people/events that bug me:
1. Carter not going to bed
2. Kate waking up in the night
3. Being hungry while trying to lose weight
4. My alarm going off in the morning to get me up to lose weight
5. Not losing weight in spite of the hunger and the getting up to run
6. Having produce go bad in my fridge because I didn't use it fast enough
7. The cost of food
8. The cost of gas
9. The cost of houses
10. My neighbors
11. Having to smile and be nice to the neighbors because Chad is their Home Teacher
12. Bra straps that don't stay up
13. Bottoms that fall down
14. Dirty feet from wearing sandals
15. Having to go to work
16. Having to clean the house
17. Folding whites
18. The sheets coming untucked at the bottom of the bed (because the bed is not long enough for a certain someone whose name starts with a "ch" and ends with an "ad"
19. People who put fake flowers in their flower beds. I mean really people, come on.
And the top thing that annoys me is...
20. People who are negative all the time. Oh wait, did I just spend this whole post complaining. Sorry. Basically I just have been feeling guilty that it has been so long since I've written so this is what we get.

Just So Ya Know...

I do allow pictures to be taken of me. Sometimes. If I have makeup on. And if the light is just right. And if the stars are aligned.
Just kidding.


So, my dear friend, Jana, got married this month. She is such a gem and we really love her new hubbie, Mark, too. We are actually trying to bribe them into coming to visit us sometime and maybe just maybe they will go on a trip to Yellowstone with us. Hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
The day was beautiful and Jana looked lovely in spite of the fact that their sealing was at 7:30 am. Yep, that's right. Which means everyone had to be to the temple at 7:00 am. Yikes!

Ohhhhhh. How sweet.

Chad and I look like giants. Well, we are kind of big. But we have small feet. Just so you know.

Don't they look so happy?


Highlights of the day: 1. Going to the temple with my sweetie and enjoying the sealing. 2. Seeing one of my best friends (Jana) glowingly happy. 3. Eating a McGriddle for breakfast. Ok, if you have not had one, you have GOT to try one. I do not endorse McDonalds and pride myself on not eating there. But really, people, McGriddles are to die for. Seriously craveable. 4. Going to Park City and marathon shopping for Carter with Chad and Tanner - hold on boys and keep up. Good sales on big kid clothes. Seriously I got his whole wardrobe for the next year for a steal of a deal. I really think it's the first time I have exited a Gymboree store without buying anything for Kate. 5. Seeing some of my other dear friends namely Amber, Emily, and Kirsti. Amber came all the way from Seattle so it was a real treat to see her.

Amber, me, Jana, and Kirsti. Can you see how tired I was? Well, I was tired from a very long 24 hours. Anyway, good times guys.

Zoo's watching who?

Last weekend we had the opportunity to see one of Wendi's closest friends get married in the Salt Lake Temple. It was a beautiful ceremony, which Wendi will tell you about in a future post. Meanwhile, we took advantage of the time in Salt Lake and went to Hogle Zoo.


We got there after the ticket booths closed. Wendi worked her feminine charm and they gave us tickets to the park. We paid full price for only being able to be in the park for an hour and a half but it is worth it to not here Carter whine about how he wanted to see the animals. This didn't stop the whining even after we got in the park (see evidence below).

It was hot that day. Over a 100 degrees hot. Most of the animals were rather lathargic and no where to be seen but at least we got to see the most active of all the animals in the park that day... the momma giraffe and her baby.

Ta-da!!!


So where is the picture of Wendi? She refuses to have her picture taken. She thinks all and any pictures of her are horrendous. Till she rejects this mentality I will be forced to post other photos of her on this blog. Thus....

Even when she is mad at me for taking her picture she is beautiful. It really is quite difficult to take a non-flattering picture of her. Wendi you are part of this family too! No one wants to see only the kids. Granted some pictures lack that certain aesthetic quality thanks to my mug but you add a quality to the family photos that without you seems rather bland. Gotta love that pretty Wendi lady!

Deer Friends

I am not sure if Wendi has told you or not but we live in a unique location. In our backyard is a small grove of trees. Among these trees are a herd of deer. Mostly doe. Well one morning Carter and Wendi looked out the window and saw a buck standing just outside the window. Unfortunately she didn't take a picture. Well this morning Carter and I got up and found two small buck munching on the grass outside our window. I took some pictures. My uncles (avid deer hunters) would be salivating. In addition to these deer we also have a couple of really fat pheasants, a skunk (which we can only smell), and a cat which Wendi thought was a skunk and swore I was going to get sprayed by.

The velvet hasn't been rubbed off their antlers yet. You all probably think, "What a lame post Chad!" Well, you don't live where I live now do you?