What A Weekend!

Can you believe it. Four posts in one day. I am getting back to my old self. YEAH!!!

First of all... I wish that I had documented more of this weekend in pictures but, I can't find my camera! I have a few shots of Thanksgiving and that is where it ends. So, once I find it, watch out. I am going through camera withdraw and I will be snapping pictures of anything that I see once it finds its way home.

Monday:
* Nena's gets flu and spends the rest of the week home from school

Wednesday:
* Bear's last day of school before break.
* Made cookies with the kiddos
* My cute brother flies in from Cali for the weekend.

Thursday:
* Lazy morning with my boys (Nena spent the night at Grandma's)
* Brunch at my family's house
* Football game and playing at the park with my dad, brothers and sisters (Jac from now on you will just be referred to as a sister instead of sister-in-law)
* Games and activities
* Thanksgiving dinner! What great food! It gets better each year!
* PIE!!!
* Kiddos off to visit Grandma and Grandpa Franco with dad
* (The rest of us) Christmas Vacation and Love Actually. Two of the best movies ever made.

Friday:
* 4:00 a.m. shopping Black Friday. Yep. I went. I was even up, dressed, with make-up and my high heeled boots and all. A decision that I later regretted. Leigh, Nikki and I hit Target, Walmart, Bath and Body works (my favorite,) Roberts, ShopKo, Smith's and Seagull Book! Be impressed. I finished every last ounce of my shopping!
* Attempted a nap while kiddos spent the afternoon with dad.
* Birthday party for a dear friend: Happy 50th Rick!
* Movie with the older kiddos and my family. Toad was sick and stayed home with dad. We saw "Fantastic Mr. Fox" Gotta say, the title says it all. Two thumbs up!

Saturday:
* Early morning pediatrician visit for Toad. Whew! No flu for Toad.
* Cleaned the house and got ready for the big game!
* U of U party with my family and the Banks! I have to say, it is fun to have such huge fans of both teams in the same room. It makes the game so much more fun! I loved it.
* Game night! We played "The Great Dalmudi" one of our family's favorite games! Loved every minute of it.
*CRASHED!!!

Sunday:
* Lazy Daisy morning with the kiddos.
* Kiddos off to church with Dad while I stayed home with a feverish Toad.
* Managed to break a table, a lamp, nearly break a mirror and spill an entire 20 oz bottle of red Crystal Light while cleaning and rearranging my room. See, I need to stop trying to organize. It is coming back to haunt me!
* Visit to my parents one last time to say goodbye to Uncle Dusty!

All in all... ONE FABULOUS WEEKEND! Are you jealous yet???

Gotta Love A Time Waster

A must for anyone who is bored, mad, sad, angry or other wise. Call the Nestle Crunch Hotline at 1-800-295-0051. When you are asked if you want to continue in English or Spanish, just wait *quietly* for about 10 seconds and you will smile. Promise!! (if you comment on this after listening, don't give away the surprise.........) keep going and press 4 it gets even better!

Soooo Stylish! NOT!

I came to a very disturbing realization today. I have no style! I have no sense of fashion. I really don't.

I have been looking through blogs over the past few days and seeing all of the amazing ways that people have decorated their homes for the holidays. People either have amazing creativity and style or amazing budgets. I just don't get it. Where did mine go? I wonder what line I was standing in when they were passing out style in the previous world!

One of these years (lifetimes) I want a home that looks like one of these at Christmas time. Now, I know that some of you are thinking that I just have home envy. That isn't the case. I actually love my home and plan on spending many more happy years here and dropping many more $$$$ into making it look nicer. Seriously though. How do people find, collect and arrange all of these beautiful things.

Oh well. At least my kiddos will be able to relate to Charlie Brown at Christmas.

Four Gifts of Christmas

This is not a new idea (surprise surprise) but, I loved it so much that I had to share. With the way of the world right now, I don't know a single person that isn't cutting back a little on Christmas. In my case, we are on a tighter budget than usual but, I have been trying my best to get them everything that I can within that budget. I am still amazed at what I was able to do on my budget. However, I look at it now and still think that I have over done it.

I think that my generation wants so badly to give everything to our children that we miss important lessons that we could be given to our little ones: charity, diligence, appreciation, gratitude and a sense of work. So, I am going to present this idea and say that this will be my goal for next year.

It is the Want. Need. Wear. Read plan. Four presents, one in (you guessed it) each of those categories. What a brilliant idea. Next year I am going to present those categories to my kiddos and let them think about what they would like in each of those four categories and call it good.

They get so many things from their grandparents, aunts and uncles that they barely notice what Santa leaves. I think by getting four things that they would really like would deepen their appreciation and gratitude which is something that is severely lacking at the Franco household this year.

The images are "clickable" and you can use them to download and label the packages that you give to your children.

Again, I think that it is a brilliant idea and I wish that I had thought or heard of it a month ago before I bought the things that I had.

Gratitude

Fairies * Bears * Toads * Greatest Parents of all Time * Amazing Brothers * Fabulous Sisters (and sister in law) * Best Friends in the World * Hot Water * Dish Washers * Tylenol * American Eagle Jeans * High Heeled Boots * Wedge Sandals * Candles * Scented Oils * Lavender Anything * Hope * Dyson Vacuums * Disneyland * Water Fountains * Diet Coke * Digital Cameras * Love Actually * Central Air and Heat * Minivans * Amazing Stylist * Treadmills * Bernina * Vacations * Inspiration * Down Comforters * Blogs * Motivation * Color * Nail Polish * Lip Gloss * Laptops * Facebook * Emails * Christmas Cards * Unexpected Packages * Toothpaste * Salad * Cheese Fries * Silky Pajamas * Fluffy Socks * Venus Embrace Razors * Scented Lotions * Bobby Pins * Pretty Inexpensive Jewelry * Orchids and Lilies * Beautiful Photographs * Cute Hats * Target * Avocados * Crystal Light * Reverse Osmosis * Flat Irons * Higher Education * Talents * Hobby Lobby * Twilight * Sudafed * Rain * Romance * Cell Phones * Texting * Perfect Black Dress * Random Compliments * Horoscopes * Chocolate * Bleach * Dreams * Trials * Sparkles * Charm Squares * Coffee Commercials * Wit * Clever Ideas * Afternoons Out * Wishing * Project Runway * Vitamins * Wipes * Personalized CD's * Chic Sunglasses * Mozzarella Cheese * Traditions * Brand New Socks * Good Deals * Thrift Shops * Thunder Storms * Boats * Handmade Gifts * Innocence * Humility * Music * Water Scenes * Bridges * Mist * Mystery * Fantasy * Clean Homes * Organization * Spontaneity * Quirky Decor * My Blessings

Two Free Patterns

If you are a crafter or would like to be Squiggly Twigs is offering two of her patterns for free for the next couple of days. They are her tiered skirt pattern and her peasant top pattern. The rest of her patterns are 50% off. Thought that you might like to take a look.

Thank You

“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”

Dr. Albert Schweitzer

Thank you for rekindling my inner spirit, accepting me for who I am and making me want to be a better person. You know that I love you for it.

I WISH!!!!!

Thanksgiving Quotes

Thanksgiving

An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day —Irv Kupcinet

What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving? —Erma Bombeck

Gobble 'til you wobble!

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action —W.J. Cameron

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. —Edward Sandford Martin

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them —John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year it way too often. —Johnny Carson

On Thanksgiving Day, all over America, families sit down to dinner at the same moment—halftime

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures —Thornton Wilder

Forever on Thanksgiving Day / The heart will find the pathway home —Wilber D. Nesbit

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day —Robert Caspar Lintner

Thanksgiving is America's national chow-down feast, the one occasion each year when gluttony becomes a patriotic duty —Michael Dresser

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues —Cicero

Coexistence: what the farmer does with the turkey—until Thanksgiving. —Mike Connolly
Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants. —Kevin James

Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart —Seneca

O Lord that lends me life / Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness —William Shakespeare

Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel.

The thing I'm most thankful for right now is elastic waistbands.

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" —William A. Ward

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving —W.T. Purkiser

F*R*E*E*Z*I*N*G

The reason I hate winter... No, it isn't the snow. I can handle the snow as long as I don't have to be out in it. It isn't the dreary skies. I can handle that with an extra touch of Vitamin D. It isn't the stupid drivers out on the road. I take back roads if I think that it is going to be dangerous.

No, the reason I hate winter is the dang COLD! I don't know if other people outside of my family get this way but, once I get cold it is nearly impossible for me to warm up. I can layer until I am as wide as I am tall and it won't make any difference. Sometimes, on rare occasions, I am able to get it to go away with hot cocoa. In reality though, just about the only way that I can warm up is to stop what I am doing and take a hot shower.

I am not alone in this predicament. I have so generously passed this gene onto my little fairy princess. She understandably has a much better reason to be constantly freezing see as how her BMI must be around 0.002. So, we trade off... during the winter we have a huge water bill, lots of dry skin, use up gallons of lotion but, we stay warm!

The Flu or Being Hit By A Semi Truck

It has hit the Franco home. Yep, we have the flu. Now, before you all start shrieking in terror and wondering if you should douse our house with Lysol, let me tell you, it isn't the swine flu. It is just the normal, every day, average (I think that I am about ready to die) flu.

Holy Cow!!!! I can't remember the last time I have been this sick! It started off with just a normal cough which I didn't think much of. I am a HUGE supporter of Airbourne and (should really consider buying up a ton of stock in that company) that stuff usually knocks everything out of the ballpark. However, by Friday afternoon, this thing had knocked me not only out of the ballpark but, out of the world.

I am however, grateful that it happened on a weekend so that I could call in for reinforcements. Harvey was very nice and kept the kids out of my hair for the weekend. I survived on Diet Coke, liquid Lortab, Tamiflu and Crystal Light. Although, I am really grateful that I didn't get all of the "yucky" symptoms that typically are associated with the flu, I have to say, I feel like I have been hit by a semi only to have the semi back up and hit me again!

This morning, I woke up to having my head only mostly filled with yuck to find that Kyra as sick as sick could be lying in her bed with a fever. So, off we went to the doctor's office to get her a dose of Tamiflu and to get her on the road to recovery. There is nothing that adds insult to injury more than taking care of an extremely sick child when you are only working on 25% mental and physical capacity. So much for those darn flu shots that they keep raving about.



So, I am keeping Nena baby and I in solitary confinement until after we are up and going again. I am hoping that 1. My boys don't get it. I don't want any more miserable little ones! and 2. We are better by Thanksgiving. If not, we will be eating frozen Turkey dinners!

Gotta Tell You! Not a Spoiler, Just an Opinion

Today, a friend invited me to a pre-screening of New Moon. She even arranged for me to have a sitter since the movie screening was at 4:00 this afternoon. Isn't that sweet. I was thrilled at the afternoon out especially with such an amazing friend. Thank you!I will tell you, I loved it. I wanted to see the movie but, wasn't anticipating anything extraordinary. I liked the first movie but, didn't LOVE it. This one, I have to say, tops this the first movie hands and fists.

Although I like both Edward and Jacob, I have always thought that Jacob got the short end of the stick and have kind of drifted off to Team Jacob a little more than Team Edward. Well, I this one really shot me across the board to Team Jacob.I had a great time at the premier. We got great seats, popcorn, drinks and a souvenir bag. We were checked at the door for any electronics. To boot.... there were security guards everywhere. They were there to protect the integrity of the movie and were ready to escort out and call the police on anyone caught using a camera or a cell phone. We had to laugh that half way through the movie, the security guards were also watching the movie but, who could blame them.

In short, my opinion is two big thumbs up!

A Disney Christmas

Yesterday, I asked Kaeson what he would like for Christmas. I was expecting something along the lines of a watch or a game or even a robot of sorts but, no. He said, "Hang on Mom" and quickly ran upstairs. I was curious at to what he was up to and what he ran to retrieve. Apparently, he was looking through one of my Family Fun magazine issues and cut out this 5 page ad for a Disney Cruise. He then went on to explain the following: "Mom, I want to go on a big boat for Christmas. See this one. It has all sorts of fun stuff on it. Lightening McQueen is on this boat. So is Tarzan....."

Kaeson went on to explain every single page to me and why is was necessary that this be his Christmas gift.


On this page, he was thrilled that there was actually a waterslide on the boat. He was a bit concerned that the slide went off the side of the boat like on the houseboats at Lake Powell. However, after a moment of explanation, he understood. The cool part is that Tarzan swings onto the "patio"( upper left corner) and that was "awesome."


Sorry, this picture is sideways. He wants to go to the beach in the worst way and this picture didn't help. He was mesmerized by the gigantic sand castle. The boat in the background was just too tantalizing and he sat for five minutes explaining to me the basics of a cruise ship.

Ok, I thought that this part was kind of cool. He couldn't stop talking about the fairy experience and how Kyra would love it. He has also watched the Tinkerbell movies and knows all of their names. He has now developed a sincere desire to see a real fairy.
He wasn't quite sure why this lady was sleeping in the tub but, told me that he was sure that I would enjoy it. He is right! However, I don't know how I feel about Jasmine and Aladdin acting as the Disney Peeping Toms.

Well, I have to say that finally, Kaeson and I agree on the perfect Christmas gift. Too bad it is WAAAAAAAY beyond our budget. Someday though, it is on my bucket list to be able to take my kids on one. However, with the way of my budget, they will be the ones taking me on one... when I am 70!

Be Thankful

I often times get caught up in what I would like to someday have that I miss the blessings that I have already been given. I am really trying to look at my life in a positive light right now and make the most of what I have. I love how Elder Oaks tells us to be grateful for the trials in our lives because of what we may receive on the other end. Even though there are a lot of things in my life that I wish were different, I am certainly grateful for the many blessings that I have been given. I know that even through tough times that I have been blessed with strength and optimism (most days) that things will be ok. There are no coincidences and I know that in the end, everything happens for a reason.

An Experiment

It seems like getting the kids ready for school, church, playgroups, outings, whatever is getting harder and harder. I have noticed recently that my children absolutely LOVE to ignore me and my requests to do anything. Not knowing what the problem was, I didn't know what to fix. However, I did find a piece of the puzzle on Sunday and surprisingly, it was one that I knew all along.

On Sunday, I started wondering how we were going to whittle away the day before church started (Yep, the dreaded 1:00 time block.) I will usually pop in a Disney video or one of our two "Living Scripture" things and let the kids enjoy it while I get ready and get things accomplished. However, this past Sunday, I decided to keep the TV off.

I know.. I am a terrible parent. I let me kids watch TV on Sundays. Oh, yeah, that is said in an extremely sarcastic tone if you didn't already guess.

But, I digress. Sunday, I decided to keep the TV off and just let the chips fall where they may. You know what, they fell in a pretty decent order. Nena spent the morning quietly playing in her room and reading books. Bear put together about a dozen puzzles and Toad just sat by my side and chattered away. We pulled out the Christmas decorations and discussed where we wanted to put them. We played several rounds of crazy eights and listened to a Kurt Bestor Christmas. It was SO calm and SO peaceful. I couldn't believe it.

Moving on to getting ready for church, it went so smoothly. The kiddos dressed themselves without me getting cross and we were even about 5 minutes early to church. I am sure that the entire ward was knocked into complete shock with our early arrival to our usual place on the very back row.

After church went the same. We took a short drive, ate dinner at my parents and made it home without incident. The kids got into their pajamas and brushed their teeth without being asked and went to bed without complaints.

NOW.... I know that TV is not the only culprit. I am sure that there are a lot of things that went into play to make our day go better but, I will tell you, it made an enormous difference. Since then (ok the past 4 days) the tv has stayed off. We have only had it on for a moment to watch a 1/2 hour Christmas special last night but, that is it. I have loved the feeling in my home. I have loved that my children are calm and happy. I love that it is peaceful and so many arguments are avoided (well, in theory Toad kept kicking Bear today but.....)

Most of all I love that my children haven't seemed to even notice that we have turned the TV off. They don't even ask about it. I think that I may just make this a permanent change!

FINISHED!!

Here is the finished product of the ruffle skirt and the matching T's and berets. Hopefully I will be able to get out this weekend and photograph them in better light. I am actually kind of thrilled with the way that they came out. I think tomorrow I am going to try to finish the matching jeans and baseball caps.

Ruffle Skirt

I am working on some projects for some friends for Christmas. Most of the are for little girls and their American Girl dolls. I LOVE doing that sort of thing and always jump at the chance. This year I am doing the matching jeans, T-shirts and newsboy caps like I did last year as well as some ruffle skirts and berets. I LOVE the way that the skirt came out. The beret still needs a bit of work but, I think that I have worked out the kinks! Finally! I would love feedback on these.

The Aquarium

We finally broke down and bought a yearly pass to The Living Planet Aquarium. It is not very big but kind of cute. The benefits of it are that it is close, the season pass is inexpensive and my kids LOVE it. I am sure that we will be using it a lot over the winter when we won't want to be outside frolicking in the snow. The kiddos were able to go on Veterans Day since Harvey had the day off of work. I got to take that day and get lunch and see a movie with my sister. Here are their pictures.

Wheeler Farm