Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

I'm sure like most of you, we got a lot of snow overnight with more coming all week. My girls wanted to go out and play so we dressed 'em up and Jason went out to play with them.

Cheese!
Shoveling off the newly accumulated snow

Building a snowman

Snowman with muscles (Jason's idea) and no face

Meanwhile, Mckenzie and I stayed inside and made lunch for the snowman-builders.

The snow is beautiful! It will be fun to have a white Christmas!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

They Just Get Better

Jason decided to take Elena and Becca shopping with him yesterday. Elena insisted that her imaginary animals go with them. As Jason was buckling Elena into the van, she said, "Now, Giraffe, duck your head so my dad can see." Pretty funny!
A few days ago I had some Christmas music going and the girls were dancing. Elena stopped, put her hands over her heart, and said, "Mom, my heart is ticking! Jesus and the Holy Ghost are going to get out!" I couldn't stop laughing. I guess they had a nursery lesson about Jesus being in our hearts and she took that very literally. Not my daughter at all, I know! =)

Meeting Santa

Since Santa did not come to our ward party, I had to figure out another option to have my girls see Santa this year. So, yesterday I took them to Pocatello to see the Santa at the mall. Elena was so excited and talked his ear off for a good 3 minutes. But then, he gave her a little coloring book. She came back to me somewhat disgusted and said, "Mom, he didn't give me a cane! and where is Mrs. Clause?" I told her Mrs. Clause was probably baking cookies and Santa must have run out of candy canes. I thought it was hilarious that she felt ripped because all she got was a dumb ol' coloring book when she wanted some candy!

Christmas Photo Shoot

I did my girls' Christmas photo shoot this year. I tried getting some of them all together, but that didn't work so well. After taking almost 100 pictures, the ones I chose for Christmas cards are on the side bar and these are some of my other favorites! It was hard to choose!

First up: Elena Shyanne

I just adore this one!

Next: Rebecca Camille

I would have chose this one for cards except for the big goober on her shoe

Oh, so innocent!

Last, but not least: Mckenzie Catherine

Almost a smile

I thought this one was so cute!

To the grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc: Feel free to take these pictures and print them up for your own enjoyment!

Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck was in Pocatello yesterday doing a book signing at Deseret Book. We've had it on our calender to drive down and meet him. Monica was so kind as to watch Elena and Becca for us and we got to the mall about 5:20 pm. The signing was supposed to start at 6:00 and we thought we would be plenty early. Well, there were already over 300 people in line when we got there and the line probably doubled in the next half an hour. Jason was so excited! It went fairly fast. We got to shake his hand and have him sign our book at 6:30. He even called Mckenzie a sweety pie. I tried to get a picture of him shaking Jason's hand, but it didn't turn out at all. Here is what I did get:

So, we've met Glenn Beck and that is just cool! Afterward, Jason and I went out to eat at Chili's. It was yummy and it was nice to have a little date (Mckenzie included).

King of Kings (and Queens)

Yesterday, I noticed a slight change to my nativity scene. Apparently, the Little People king and queen came with the wise men to see Christ in his manger too. I thought it was both really funny and cute.

17 Tips

I saw this on Jason's cousin's blog and thought it was cool so I wanted to share. I'm going to try the #17 dryer trick because I don't want my dryer to die! http://cleverhomemaking.blogspot.com/

Happy Thanksgiving!

Usually on Thanksgiving, we're asked to name one thing we're thankful for. I am thankful for many things so picking one is hard. So, I decided to list a small number of the things I'm thankful for but not in any particular order.

I’m Thankful For:
Appliances that make life easier: Washer/Dryer, Dishwasher, Microwave
Two cars that run
Living in a place where I can see the stars at night
Pie – especially strawberry pie
Elena, Rebecca, and Mckenzie
Jason
My education and love of learning
Friends
The Gospel and the infinite number of things that fit under that category
Pictures
A nice apartment
Sunshine
Snow (even though I am a lizard and prefer it warm, I like snow)
My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and especially my brothers and sisters (this includes my side and Jason’s side of the family)
Disney movies and Disney Channel (to entertain my kids while I do something else for an hour)
My health
A warm bed
Clothes
Lake Powell
When the mailman comes because he might be bringing something special
Clean water
Food – need I say more?
The internet to keep me connected to people
The phone so I can talk to my sisters and mom whenever I want
Being raised on a farm a long way from town. It made me appreciate distance and travel.
Disposable diapers
My sit-and-stand stroller (worth every penny I paid for it!)
Sunscreen
Shampoo, Conditioner, and soap
My ability to play the piano and read music
Books
That I get to play Mrs. Clause for my girls. I think it is really fun!
And many more things that would make this go on forever! Everyone have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

The Forgotten Carols

Jason and I went to see The Forgotten Carols last night. We went for the first time last year and loved it so much, we decided to go again. It was AWESOME! I love not only the music, but the message. If any of you have never been to see it, you should try to go if not this year, next year. I know that you will love it! I must tell you though that one of the best parts is Jordan Bluth. We heard him last year and I fell instantly in love with his voice! I was so excited to see that he was in it again this year. That man can sing! If you are a Josh Groban fan, Jordan Bluth almost blows him out of the water. It is SOOO beautiful that I could feel it clear to my bones when he sings. Anyway, enough about that. It was nice to have a date with my hubby and the girls were really good for my aunt and uncle who watched them for us (THANK YOU!). Mckenzie had a blowout diaper on them but at least she didn't scream!

Elenaism

During dinner, the topic of where milk came from came up.

Elena: Milk comes from cows but not from giraffes.  

Jason: Well, baby giraffes get milk from their moms. 

Elena: yeah, from their boobs.

Camille asked Elena why she opened up the closet.

Elena: So I could get some air.

Camille: Why do you need air.

Elena: Because my room is freaking cold.

Start 'em Young

Last weekend I went to my mom's house for a couple days. On Friday morning, I went to see what Elena was up to since I hadn't seen her for about half and hour. She was down in the basement watching TV and she also had a bunch of toys neatly lined up in front of her on a table. I asked her what she was doing. She replied, "I'm watching Tigger and Pooh and doing my taxes." I knew she was smart but I didn't expect her to be doing her taxes at 3 years old. She must have been itemizing. =)

Sweetheart Tag

Each person answers questions about their sweethearts. At the end of the post, the person then tags 6 people and posts their names; then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged.

What is your husbands name? Jason Samuel Winward

How long have you guys been married? 5 years 2.5 months

How long did you date? We started dating in September 2002, got engaged in March 2003, and married August 2003.

How old is he? Jason is 27 years young even though I tease him about being an "old" man.

Who is taller? Me, actually

Who can sing best? Jason has a very nice voice when he doesn't try to sing funny. I can carry a tune so I think we're almost even there.

Who is smarter? I want to say me but Jason is a very smart and witty person. Even though I'm the one with the math degree, he can do math in his head faster than me. He is able to remember all kinds of trivia, stats, and facts (especially when is comes to sports and politics). It is nice to be married to an intelligent person who is just as weird as I am! Love ya babe!

Who does laundry? Yeah, that is a HUGE me. Every Monday is laundry day.

Who pays the bills? Again that is me but I don't mind at all.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Actually, I do now that I think about it.

Who mows the lawn? The great thing about renting: NEITHER. Our landlord does it for us but when we lived on Sherman in Pocatello, it was Daniel who did it.

Who cooks dinner? Usually me but Jason does sometimes, especially when he wants pizza!

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Neither of us is very good at that.

Who kissed who first? Jason kissed me but I kissed him back.

Who wears the pants? I try to let him wear them but I think for the most part, we both have a leg in.

I tag Janelle, Erin, Jackie, Carrie, Amelia, and Rachel.

Happy Halloween

We had a fun Halloween. But the story started on Wednesday. Elena had been begging me to let her be a purple fairy so I finally gave in and told her she could put on her costume. I also put the rabbit costume on Becca because that's what I was planning on her being. She ripped those rabbit ears off, threw them to the ground, and said, "NO! I want to be a princess!" Uh oh! So I call up Monica (my sister) and say, "Quick, do you have a princess dress I can borrow?" She had one that would work. There are no more crowns in the stores here so I pulled out my Miss MHS tiara and let her wear that. Well, she lost it and I could never find it. Hopefully it will turn up sometime. So, thanks to Grandma who could get a crown in Montpelier and Monica's dress, Becca was a princess.

Where did my crown go? We used a pretty bow with long ribbons in case Grandma didn't have a crown when we got to her house.
Elena's purple fairy. Thanks for the wings too, Monica!

Mckenzie in her kitty (I think) costume. She was rather calm about the whole thing.

The girls after getting back from trick-or-treating. They were tickled pink because they made quite the haul. Jason and his mom took them trick-or-treating in Montpelier since we were there for Jason to go hunting the next day. For the first few houses, Becca would say, "Pease" instead of "Trick-or-treat." Hey, whatever works, right? Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

Priceless

No words needed to describe this picture.

Pumpkins

I am not one who really loves Halloween. It's a holiday that I sort of grew out of. But now I have kids and so I need to do Halloween for them. We did pumpkins today. I didn't want to carve them so we decided to take markers to them. The girls thought it was great and dubbed Elena's the "Daddy pumpkin" and Becca's the "Mommy pumpkin." They can hardly wait to dress up and be a purple fairy and a bunny rabbit. More pictures forthcoming...

Back to Blogging

I've been meaning to get on and update a little bit. However, it has taken a backseat to more important things like, you know, eating, sleeping, and taking care of my kiddos. Here are some pictures from the last couple weeks.

The girls with their "Niners" shirts and Mckenzie borrowing Elena's hat to match.
A picture where Mckenzie actually has her eyes open (though they are a little cross-eyed).

Look at all that pink!

Last weekend we went to ISU's Homecoming football game. They lost but we had a good time hanging out together and with friends.

Dinner before the game: Wendy's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. Becca seems to like it.

Elena savoring HER hamburger.

My cute husband

Mckenzie's first football game at 2 1/2 weeks. This picture may not suggest it, but she was TOTALLY into the game! Good thing it was indoors!

Your Prayers Were Heard!

Thanks everybody for your sympathy and prayers! They were heard last night as we actually had a decent night and I didn't wake up completely exhausted. I gave Mckenzie a bath before bed and I think that might have helped. She is a little fussy right now, but I'd rather she be fussy during the day than at night when I want to sleep. =)

Sleep Deprivation

I am having a hard time liking my children right now. Mckenzie has not quit crying since 11:00 last night. I sat up with her and when I'd FINALLY get her to sleep, one of my other darling children would wake up wanting their mommy. Then I'd move and the baby would wake up and we were back to square one. Needless to say, I have not gotten any sleep for two days. And it is SO much harder to be a patient loving mother when all you want is a nap! I thought I was going to get one this afternoon as Elena and Becca were watching Robin Hood and Mckenzie fell asleep. HOWEVER, as soon as I laid down in my nice soft bed, Mckenzie, bound and determined that I NOT sleep, woke up and started screaming. *sigh* I just have to keep telling myself that this too shall pass and I will survive.

I am Alive!

Hello. Well, here I am 11 days postpartum and I am doing well. We had a few sleepless nights this week. Thank goodness my mom was here to help me cope with that. After driving to Pocatello to get Gripe Water, Mckenzie is doing much better with her gas issues. Becca was having a hard time adjusting those first few days but she's doing a lot better. And (I know you're all going to hate me for this) I am fitting into my old clothes (mostly)! That always makes a woman feel good! =) My routine is all thrown off and I'm trying to develop another one that involves copious amounts of time nursing the baby. I do realize that I am supposed to take it easy for a couple more weeks, but that is hard to do with two other little girls who believe you should do everything for them. Hope you are all well!

Name Change and Pictures

Okay, so its really not so much of a name change as a change in spelling. We are dropping the capital "K" to a lower case "k." We plan on bringing Camille and Mckenzie home sometime on Friday. Thanks to all of the well wishers. So without any further ado, here are some pictures of Mckenzie Catherine Winward.

This is Camille right after she recovered a fumble on our own 5 yard line and ran it back 95 yards for the score; she was so out of breath, we had to give her some oxygen on the sidelines.

This is right after the little critter got cleaned up.

A very proud Dad with his new little girl.

The four girls who I am going to have to share a house with. Can you imagine the estrogen levels?

Elena holding her new little sister

A rare picture where Becca is not mauling the new baby. Can you tell I did Elena and Becca's hair this morning?

The Latest Addition to our Family

McKenzie Catherine Winward was born today at 4:41pm.  She is 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and she is 21 inches long.  Both McKenzie and Camille are doing great.  Me, on the other hand, I am exhausted.  Camille kept waking up last night and I kept thinking it was go time.  This morning, during my 3rd period class, Camille called and told me it was time.  So we went down to Poky and dropped the girls off at Camille's sister's house.  4 hours later, McKenzie came shooting out.  We had a hard time picking out a name but after looking at her (for about 2 hours) we could tell she was a McKenzie.  We'll post some picutues soon.

Exciting Day

Today I had my doctor's appointment. That went well. Then I went over to Ridley's because they are having their case lot sale and I needed to get stuff for me and my sister and she was watching my kids while I did it. While I'm amongst all the crazy shoppers, Monica calls me and tells me that Becca has fallen down the stairs and probably needs a stitch or two in her lip. All right, so I go get her and take her to the doctor and, sure enough, they put a stitch in her lip. She was fine and hasn't acted like it's bothered her at all. Sorry I don't have a picture. Life is full of little surprises, especially when it comes to kiddos.

Our New Addition

Before you get too excited, our new addition is not a baby. Nope, she is still cooking in the oven. No, our new addition is a new van! As most of you know, we've had a minivan for our whole married life, but we traded her in for a newer model. I must admit, though, it felt like leaving a member of the family behind. *sniff* BUT take a look at our new ride! I am super duper excited about it. We've been looking on and off for a van for a couple years and we finally found an awesome deal after a couple not-so-pleasant shopping experiences (i.e. someone beating us by 5 minutes to another van that would have been nice and a dealership who was, should we just say, somewhat dishonest jerks). This beauty is a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country with 85,000 miles. Now if you are at all minivan-savvy, Town & Countrys are like the luxury van (at least in my book) and this one is SO nice! And we got it for WAY below blue book. We even asked the guy why he was selling it so low and he offered to raise the price if it would make us feel more comfortable. We declined. Now we have matching vehicles since our other car is almost the same color. Not quite as pretty as a red van, but I'll live. =)

Can't wait to show it off to you all in person! In the meantime, we are waiting patiently for the arrival of our REAL new addition to take her spot in our new minivan.