merry christmas

Merry Christmas!

P.S.

It would be awful not to mention in my list of things how GRATEFUL I am for John's Christmastache. It's Ugly as sin but it makes me laugh every time I see him..... So, Merry Christmas!

today....

The holidays are a funny thing for me. I think I feel every emotion in the world in these couple of weeks. Happiness, joy, excitement, frustration, stress, anxiety, ugh.. you name it.. I have felt it sometime between Thanksgiving and now. Maybe this is normal, maybe it isn't. In my quest to really simplify the holidays and truly focus on the reason we celebrate Christmas I have also felt a lot of peace. John tells me I have actually been quite bah humbug. ( ie. the absence of the 10th annual neck n' nog... I'm so sorry everyone- next year!). Bah humbug..me?? Oh well. Lucky for me the emotion I feel today is grateful.

Grateful I have a warm house that is full.

Grateful for funny, good kids.

Grateful for generous friends, neighbors and ward members that helped warm and feed some refugee families.

Grateful for full bellies.

Grateful for the presents that are hidden in my closet that I get to wrap up for my kids.

Grateful for our families.

Grateful for friends visiting.

Grateful for moments that remind you just how much you really have.

Grateful for all of you.

I helped my mom a little bit with some service projects for some refugee families from Burma. My ward rallied big time and it was amazing. I dropped all the stuff off to the branch president's house last week. I put it in a big white van with Parker's help and we drove away.

Today one of the service missionaries called my mom and invited us to the Burmese Branch Christmas Party. I took my kids and we got to watch these beautiful kids act out the nativity, sing songs and be so excited over the small gifts they received. The pleasure and the gift of being there was all ours.

It was the perfect way to spend today.

Ruby.

Ruby's birthday came and went. I still can't believe it! It was so fun to celebrate with family and friends. I am always amazed at the network of support we have, and ever so grateful for it. Happy birthday Ruby! We love you oh soooo much!!

a new post...

Ugh. I have serious bloggers block. Is that a thing? I think, hey, I should write a new blog and then nothing comes out. I am uninspired, or maybe just tired. I dunno. Anyway, I figured I should write a post just to get it out of the way. Ya know, then maybe I will feel like blogging again. Well, we will see. It is late-ish...(Depending on which side of my family you tell time with- It is late for the Parkers and maybe dinner time at the Connors?) Anyway, all the kidlets and the hubby are tucked into bed. I am awake. Seems to be that way lately, like I just can't turn my brain off. How can John fall asleep so fast, like mid-prayer? That I will never know. Okay, back to my point. It's quiet here. Super quiet. It feels nice. And that has led to my random random thoughts which follow....

I like Christmas lights. I wish they were on year round, and that it wouldn't be tacky. I just like them.

I also really like gingerbread boys. Adrianne made some today and invited us up to decorate them. The second time around they were delicious and I think I ate ten. Yum.

I am feeling super duper nostalgic about life lately. How on earth does Ruby turn one in less than a week? As crazy and insane as the days feel, I would love to just slow down time, just to soak it all in more.

As a side note to that.. the past year has been a complete blur. Okay, maybe I don't want to slow down time more. The days are long enough. I should just enjoy it more along the way.

We are finally addressing the bathroom remodel downstairs and Sophie's room just got some new spiffy bead board to replace the original bead board in that room. John is a super star and tool belts are kinda sexy.

I got together with my "teacher friends" this past week. I just CANNOT believe the luck that we had teaching together at the same time and at the same school. I love those ladies...

I am sad that Parker's imaginary friends (Marco, Frank and Ronnie Reynolds) don't get discussed much any more. I try to ask Parker about them and their pet deer, but it's like they are just not that cool anymore. It was so awesome when they were part of our everyday lives. RIP Marco, Frank and Ronnie Reynolds... I hope you come back. ( p.s. how awesome are those names?)

Off to get the tree tomorrow. We have a favorite lot. We have a favorite kind of tree. The kids are stoked (mixed with a little bit of anger because they were told by us genius parents that we would get it on Thursday and again tonight.. so if it doesn't happen tomorrow Sophie may never forgive us.)

Happy holidays. Hope they are off to the perfect start.

near and dear to my heart....

these two things:
1. my mother in law- she is amazing. she is kind. she is talented. and she is having a concert tomorrow night at 8pm in salt lake city at the first presbyterian church. 12 C. street. it is thee perfect way to start your holiday. she also has a new christmas cd. it is already in the christmas rotation at our house and playing in my children's rooms at night as they settle down. tickets are $8 in advance/$10 at the door. visit www.coriconnors.com
2. families helping families- the charity that the concert is benefiting. they build houses for families in rocky point, mexico that desperately need houses. my family has done this for the last couple of years over christmas break. john and i will be going this year. it is a good cause.....
http://www.fhfmexico.blogspot.com/

i know the video is long, but it is worth watching. and my dad is just so cute.

see you tomorrow night... after BYU creams Utah. he he.

happy birthday babe!

Happy Birthday John! We love you so much!!

go steelers.

I am simply tired of looking at myself as an old lady, I needed a new post. So, in honor of the annual Silverado work trip to a NFL football game.... (John, Big Dave, My dad and my brother in laws are in Denver for the big game tonight)....

Go Steelers! Have fun boys!

growing old....

My super hip and hot friend Sunny turns thirty this very day. In her honor her new hubby threw her a surprise "old person" party. In my younger years I would do anything and find any reason to dress up. I had a hot pink pair of spandex that were quite often in the rotation. Call me lazy, or old, or busy or just too tired... but I haven't dressed up in forever. I think this weekend with Halloween and this party is putting me back in my groove. Watch out folks...

Kerstin borrowed us some hot outfits...complete with fat suits to wear to the party. They were rockin'. Thanks Kerst!

Kerstin, Shannon, Sunny and I as old ladies.

Kerstin and I.

Meanwhile... it just happened that the time of the party and the time of a concert we had tickets to happened to be the same. It may be that John finds a lot of cool music and keeps us in the know with what is new and good. It may also be that I bring a lot of good music to the table too... Jesse McCartney, MJ, The Outfield, Enrique... the list could go on forever. That being said there is always one album a year that John introduces me to that I just can't get enough of. This year it is Say Hi. (The band formerly known as Say Hi to Your Mom). Anyway, it was this certain band that was in concert last night, so I sent John along by himself and I went to party with some of my favorite girls.

Needless to say I was giddy (still am) when John brought me home a signed Say Hi LP that says, "I love Ashley". John swears he didn't tell him to write that. Either way, I'll take it.

I'm sure that one day John and I really will get old, and our fat suits won't be fake and we will still be sitting around listening to records, sipping diet cokes out of goblets. Not a bad way to grow old. In fact, I think it sounds heavenly.

happy halloween...

Happy Halloween!!

Halloween was lovely. It was full of candy, fun, some crazy roller skating, trick or treating and happy costumed children. Now, what bribe am I going to hold over my children's head? I suppose the Christmas bribery can begin.

fresh air

We needed a little fresh air and out of this sick house so we drove to see some sites on Sunday. With the troops recovering, it felt sooo good to be out in the glorious fall air. We drove up to the Bountiful Temple and then up Mueller Park Canyon in Bountiful. ( I think that is what it is called, remember I am not from around here... he he)

Sophie, my budding "vatographer" took the next three photos. She wanted something to turn in to the Reflections contest at school. The theme is " Beauty is..." She chose the third one as her entry. I am so proud of her. She has quite the little eye for things.


What a great start to a week of recovery, cleaning, disinfecting, laundering, and feelin' good.

don't mess with the pig

John is down and out. Since Saturday.... it's swine flu. He waited too long (mostly because I kept telling him he didn't have the swine flu) to go to the doctor and get on the beloved Tamiflu. Soph and Ruby also have it. Sophie is recovering nicely. She had one really rough night of throwing up, but since then has been pretty good. Ruby is probably the most happy child in the world. Even running a 103 temperature last night she was smiling and laughing. She melts my heart! All of us but John have some good Tamiflu in our systems. Parker and I have stayed healthy and are praying it stays that way. It's been a really long week, but we have made it so far and I'm sure we will pull out of this just fine. John just headed back to the doctor today because he is not really getting better and it feels like it has gone to his chest. We will see what they say.

In the mean time you will find us coping/not coping in these ways:

John: laying in bed, laying on the couch, laying his head on the kitchen table, showering 3-4 times a day, watching all the movies we have missed.

Me: eating (i ate a lot of cheesecake at the beginning of the week... it may or may not have been an entire half of a cheesecake), drinking diet coke and cleaning every door knob, counter, and surface.. also doing a lot of laundry.

Sophie: a lot of Disney Channel, a lot of coloring, a lot of lounging.

Parker: He may not be coping. He isn't sick and is tired of everyone laying around. This was a conversation we had as we went to pick up his prescription.

P: Mom, when did Sophie get sick?

M: Last night bud.

P: It's boring. It's boring when Sophie is sick.

M: I know. I'm sorry.

P: Can I hold my "per..scripture" when we get it?

M: Sure dude.

Ruby: sleeping, smiling, showing signs of mild discomfort. She might be the golden child. It is sad though, because even though she isn't super grumpy her little eyes look sick. They are usually so sparkly and happy, and they are just look sad right now. Breaks my heart.

Hoping the rest of you are well, and if not.... good luck, and I'm sorry. Drink lots of fluid.

side note: I was Ms. Piggy in first grade for Halloween. And Jon Cracroft was Kermit the Frog. What exactly were our mother's thinking? I should find a picture of that costume, it was amazing, despite the limited view I had out of the enormous head piece. I love Ms. Piggy.

Some days are just good days

We went to the Pumpkin Patch with Mushie yesterday and it was just plain good. I love moments like that. Where life seems simple, and calm, and good. We love you Mushie! We love you Fall!

Things I know...

Things I know lately:

Deep down these two adore each other.

Baby powder and hand scraped floors do not mix. Even cleaning it with a toothbrush didn't really work.

The new baby elephant at the zoo is adorable. So worth seeing. Oh man, she is so cute! Parker pretended to be a baby elephant for the entire night after. ( The baby giraffe is cute too!)

Bike rides with Sophie are super fun.

motownphilly back again....

Sweet Steve Barth (cousin in law) hooked us up with 8th row Boyz II Men tickets at the fair last night. It also included a little meet and greet with the "more men than boyz" afterwards. It was so fun! The concert was rockin'... and meeting them filled my inner 7th grade self with utter joy. Til' the end of the road baby....

* forgive the super fuzzy pic, it was taken on my phone!

ruby ruby ruby

Yesterday while out and about I heard FOUR different Mom's talking to "their daughter Ruby". Crazy, I thought. Well, there just might be a gazillion Ruby's (and really... can you blame us all? Love the name!) but I sure think my Ruby is one in a million!

Ruby's 9 month stats: 18 lbs. (50%) and 29 inches long (75%). Pulling up to stand, crawling ALL over, getting into everything, eating everything on the floor, and being a super star third child. Love you little Ruby!

growing pains

Parker started preschool. I know I am like every other mother, being amazed at how fast our little ones grow up. It felt totally natural for me to send Sophie to Kindergarten. She is so ready, so excited, so thrives in that environment. Parks for me is a different story. He was excited, but super nervous. I will be the first to say that five hours a week without Parker seems heavenly and cheaper ( ie. every trip to the store will no longer result in a bribe. ) but as I dropped him off and watched him hesitantly sit at the table playing with play dough I had to will myself to leave. And yes, I cried all the way to the car. I think it even surprised him how much he loved it though!

Ruby had her 9 month check up today. Lots of shots, and lots of sad tears. She is healthy and cute and so fun. She is crawling everywhere, getting into everything, pulling herself to stand and loving the freedom that comes with age. I am cleaning my floors more, lots more. Today after the doctor was rough for her. She missed her morning nap due to the appt. and hasn't really wanted to eat because she is getting some teeth and it was like the perfect storm. She just barely decided that I probably wasn't coming back to get her out of bed. Now she's snoozin'. Poor little thing. *

I picked up Sophie from school today, and so far the trend has been that she is so excited and happy and wants to tell me all about school. Today she saw me, and as soon as she ran to me I saw the bravery leave her big eyes and they just filled with tears. " I asked my new friend to play at recess, and she told me no. It was a hard day, Mom." It just about broke my heart. After a short pep talk, a few ideas for recess tomorrow, waffles with whipped cream and berries for lunch all is well again.

My neighbor gave me a quote printed on this tile thing for my birthday a few years ago. I love what it says.

" It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." -e.e. Cummings

Unfortunately it also takes some bumps and bruises, some time to grow alone without Mom right there and some hard days to become the people we want to be. I suppose this applies directly to me as well. I love you three little peanuts, keep your heads up!

*official Ruby stats and cute 9 month picture to come !

the mysterious missing camera

My camera has been missing. Last time I saw it was when I uploaded Sophie's first day of Kindergarten pics. I thought I had left my camera sitting right here by the computer. Well, yesterday it stressed me out. I just could not find my camera. I had been looking for two days and nothing! I had a pit in my stomach. We had just bought the new camera not too long ago... etc. etc.

Well upon looking in the junk drawer for what I believed to be the umpteenth time... I spied the camera! Yippee. Turned it on and this is what I found.

... and about twenty others just like this. Funny Soph. She keeps telling me she wants to be a "vatographer" when she grows up. More power to her I say. I just need to get her a camera of her own!

Kindergarten Open House

Could it really be? Do I really have a Kindergartener? I love you little Soph. I'm so proud of the kid you are and are becoming. Have fun this year! ( i know i will.. he he)