My Best Friend

I don't do this blog thing very often so when I do I feel it is for a special reason. Tonight I have one of the best reasons ever...my longest and best friend (besides my wife of course). This is him and his wonderful family:Baby Jack, Elizabeth, Megan, and Adam Johanson. When I was about 10 years old I decided to become friends with this tiny little nerd that lived in my ward. I never could have imagined how his friendship and example would shape and affect my life growing up and even now, when he is hundreds of miles away, in the middle of No Where Ville, and we speak to each other but a few times a year. But with all that my heart is touched today by what this man and his family have gone through and who they are tonight.

If you would like to know what I am talking about please visit their blog at http://aejohanson.wordpress.com/
Start with a block entitled "Baby Jack Alexander Johanson" posted November 19, 2008. This is a story about Baby Jack. But there is so much more spirit and meaning behind the story that gives inspiration to my life from a true leader in this world. I will let you know ahead of time this is not a happy story. Marilene and I have spent our time weaping tonight because of the end of the story. However, if you do read it you will gain much more then sadness for the Johanson Family. You will gain a happiness to have shared this story with them. You will rejoice in the fact that people of God do live on this Earth and they are here to help and guide us in our troubled times.

Adam and Liz and little beautiful Megan we love you so so very much. I am where I am today because you live wonderful lives and influence me still today. You are a choice people and you will be blessed with that little angel by your side forevermore.

New trampoline

My dad got a trampoline to fit over the hole for the swimming pool(12 feet by 30 feet!) and it was finally finished on Friday and Craig has LOVED it! this was Friday and he would just about jump on it all the time, but it was so freezing, that we had to bring him in to unthaw a little.

even once it got dark he still wanted to jump. so we bundled him in 2 sweaters, 2 pairs of socks (because they didn't want any shoes on the new trampoline... hopefully it will last longer) and socks over his hands because i couldn't find any clean gloves. plus his hat and a hood. :D

Luke along with two of his friends(Noble and Charles) enjoyed bouncing on it after all the work was done. look at them bouncing!

pre-approved!

We are pre-approved and can actually go and tour houses!! yay! we are very excited and are gunna go look at a couple this saturday! yay for the wonderful people we are working with. we really are blessed and Heavenly Father is watching over us. thank you everyone who has prayed for us in the past.

my dear little boy

I realized that i still haven't written much about Craig and his second birthday. Craig was born two years ago! and although it was a little bit of a struggle getting him actually here(he didn't seem to want to be born), he has been one of the best little boys for us! Craig, you love playing with your cousins and are still working on sharing. You love to run around, jump on the trampoline and goof around with 'Pa' (or grandpa Pearson).

You really love things that move, cars, planes, trains, trucks, etc. You love music and singing, or reading a book. Backyardigans are one of your favorite shows, but you also like little Einsteins, and other shows, like curious George, sesame street, handy manny. you really liked your pacifier, but have been pretty good about not having it, besides the whole waking up issue. you love riding your bike, and even before we got you your new one, you loved riding others bikes.

Craig, you really were a blessing for your daddy and I since we have been going to school your entire life. We love you so much and are looking forward to seeing you grow older. Never forget how much Heavenly Father loves you!

updates

HOUSE NEWS! no particular house, but after trying to get more progress for two weeks, we are finally making some. we are applying for HUGS and got the loan approval moving, so we can actually look at houses with our realtor! we were starting to feel hopeless about the pace things were moving at, but this lady, Bobi, is very fast at the mortgage company (RMS) and then our realtor, melanie is also very fast. so we have made a lot of progress in just yesterday and this morning!! HUGS is for first time home buyers and/or teachers. which we happen to be both! check it out if you are in the future needing a house.

http://hugsfoundation.com/Home_Page.html



Trevor is done with school, for this semester. he has one more class next semester and then he will be a graduate!! i'm getting excited! He did get his full-time position with clark county public works and they moved him up (pay raise) from an engineer technician I to a tech II! so we were happy!



Craig just turned two. On his birthday, we took away all pacifiers! he has missed them, but we are dealing. He has decided to stop taking naps in early December and we are NOT happy about it! he is super super grumpy! yesterday, i made him lay down (hollering for 5 minutes in his crib, throwing everything out of it before settling down) but then silly me, i turned on the light to fold clothes about an hour later and he woke up. so if we are lucky, he gets a 45 minute nap every other day.

Then, at night, he wakes up SO often! he used to wake up a little, look for his pacifier and go back to sleep. but now, he doesn't get his pacifier. so i try giving him water and comforting him. but he is waking up at about 11, 2, 4, and 6 when trevor is getting ready to leave! it is killing us! last night, wonderful trevor, helped me realize again that he just needs to cry a little. so he did when he woke up at 11 and 2. for about 2 minutes each time. but then at 6, he decided it was time to watch cartoons already.

I'm a sucker. i just bring him into bed with us and neither of us get any decent sleep because craig is all over the place. the other night, he decided at 4 to go get into the fridge and look for a drink and some food! it was 4 in the morning!! so every couple of months or so, craig does this, when he gets sick or something. he cries and i get into a habit of just having him sleep with us. then trevor reminds me so nicely that we just need to let him cry and we get him back to sleeping in his crib all night. i don't know why i do this over and over again. i should realize that he jsut can't sleep with us. but this is one reason why i'm looking forward to getting into a house and craig having his own separate room! he will wake up and not see us sleeping in the same room and NOT want to be with us.

As for me, i am happy to be done with school for a little break. i am very relieved to have report cards and parent conferences over with, for the most part and will hopefully be better prepared next time around this year. i am enjoying being able to be at home with craig. well, i better go for today!

Christmas

*sorry this turned out to be really long, but i would like to document my feelings for journal purposes.

Christmas has always been my favorite season! I love the music, and the specialty of the reason that we are actually celebrating. also, my birthday is on Christmas day. so that is always fun to get older.

My family has always gone Christmas caroling and I love it! for my birthday celebration in high school, my dad would take a couple of friends and i and we would just go caroling to people we knew. then my entire family (that could) would go on Christmas eve. I love it! i love singing and especially being able to harmonize with everyone. Christmas songs are my favorite. I could listen to them all year long. They just are so very special to me.

So i am very excited to be done with school for 2 weeks and to really be able to think about this special season. Our ward had a dinner on the 13th and i loved it because at the end, we all sang a couple of the songs and i was able to do parts on some of them and it just really got me excited and anticipating caroling. then, our ward choir (led by a very talented and wonderful woman) sang two precious songs. one i had sung years before (Alleluia) and knew the tricky alto part. but the oh come oh come Emmanuel, i had never heard and enjoyed learning it. one part in it, that repeats, says REJOICE and i just love that message. this really is a time to rejoice and celebrate. Christ was born in such a humble place and I am very grateful to be able to celebrate his life.

growing up, we never really thought about santa and that he existed. we drew names and did a secret santa for one of our siblings. some years, we had to make the gift and other years, we bought. but the gifts have never been a big deal. i love that! birthday presents and celebrating my birthday hasn't been too important for me. I enjoy feeling people's love and having them express that, but i don't feel the need to get lots of 'things'.

So now that i am married to a wonderful man, we are trying to combine our traditions and things that we do. I heard my friend, Marcie say, that santa would give one gift and then the rest were from parents and family. i like that. it still allows us to do santa a little, but not focusing on everything santa and more on Christ.

SNOW!

{i know that i am behind. I am trying to catch up a little on my posts. life has been pretty crazy and just going by too quickly}

I love the song SNOW from the movie White Christmas! i was singing that song ALL day long on Wednesday and loving it!

So we got snow falling on monday, then again on wednesday! this morning, trevor said that it was snowing too. who would think in Las vegas?

On wednesday i had conferences with parents all day, but my fantastic sisters watched Craig, along with my mom, and they took him outside AND got pictures! how wonderful! so here are the pictures from them. They sure got some great pictures! i love that he pushed over the top of the little snowman! i had to include those.

Below, here are some of my pictures that i got while at school. I was so happy to have my camera. when i left school at 7:30, my car was covered! i couldn't leave until i had got a cup and wiped the snow off of the windows. never in my life have i had to do that! most of the cars had gotten home, so it was pretty safe for me to drive. i took it slow and down shifted to stop.

that is what a pine tree should look like! covered in snow!

* side note- my wonderful husband had just fixed my car the saturday before all of the snow madness, so i was lucky that i would actually start. before, if it got too cold, it wouldn't start and some anti-theft would kick in and i'd have to wait 10 minutes before trying to restart it. so i was very happy that i have a great husband.

on my way home that night, the snow was starting to melt a little, so when i got out to get some drinks, it was very mushy. . . but fun! there was snow stuck to the underside of the light posts! it was frozen hanging there! there roads were pretty clear where everyone had been driving, but i went to turn off of blue diamond at mohawk and it was scary my car trying to get into the turn lane! it was frozen and snow thick in it and i thought i might crash! luckily, i didn't and just took it slowly.

The next morning, there was still snow on the ground! some of it had melted, but it was still there! we had problems with our little truck on thursday, so craig got to spend some of that day out playing in the snow too and he loved it all! he didn't mind getting all wet, since we don't really have great snow playing clothes for him.

Shark Reef

My cousin Crystal and I try and get together. we grew up together for quite a while and are almost the same age. Then, in high school, they moved across town. and we are both pretty bad about talking to each other. she's better than me. So she called me up and asked if we wanted to go to shark reef with her and her boyfriend's sweet little girl. So two Mondays ago, we met up and walked through shark reef. it was fun. We had gone in August, but it was still fun to go and see all the animals. and there were differences.

We had fun! and Craig and Karlie got along pretty well. by the end of the night, they were holding hands. Melanie, Abby, Savannah, Crystal, Trevor, Craig and i all went. Thanks Crystal for the fun time and for keeping us in touch! love ya girl!

no school SNOW DAY!!

aah!! i can't believe it! las vegas is having no school tomorrow because of a snow day!! i will post more pics and that means i can catch up on my blogging. yay! this really is amazing.

Craig's birthday

Craig is 2!! his birthday was yesterday and we just had a small family thing. very very small. not that any of us minded. i qill write more later, but here's some fun pictures from everything!

uggh, report cards

so my report cards are due tomorrow and i have been stressing out about them!! AAHH! :O well, i'm still not done. i was at school for 3 hours yesterday, then 4 hours tonight and i still have more to do. i was able to get all the students tested, but i have to write up their comments and input all of the letters (capital and lower), sounds, and numbers they know (writing, recognizing and counting!!). oh well. better go.

Sneaky Craig

Craig loves candy! we usually get him some tic tacs for church to help encourage better behavior. He found a pack we had at home and ate the entire thing!! he was so silly. then, he tried sitting in an infant car seat. Then, we got a little Charlie Brown tree, from my parents ranch. we put it on top of our portable dishwasher. the only decorations this little tree could handle is some candy canes. But Craig has stolen all the bottom ones. Trevor also put up our stockings and Craig thought it was funny to squeeze Santa's nose! we had to use the dishwasher, so our tree moved too. i thought it was funny.

My dad brought back some goats, and we've practiced what animals say. So anytime he sees the goat, he "Maaaa"s. well, we saw a Christmas decorations of a reindeer lit up and Craig "maa"ed. it was so funny! it wasn't even a good one. just the frame of it in white lights.

Rain from last week & park

here are some more pictures and i figured it was about time i wrote a little more (mainly to get it out of my head and maybe help me process things better) about my class.

Trevor is in his last week of classes (for this semester). but there is hope!!! he has one more class next semester and it doesn't even have a scheduled time!!

The first collage above, is some pictures of when it had rained (almost all day long it drizzled!!! and fog in Las vegas!! it was the first i can remember! we were at albertsons and heard a plane flying to land but could not see it at all!! it was crazy!). it was dry for about an hour and craig wanted to play outside... of course. so i bundled him up and let him. later that day, he was in a cute little vest and he would hold it closed. then, almost every time i take him grocery shopping (especially at albertsons) he sees balloons ALL over the place and has to have one! i spoil him. but usually he loves them so much and is so funny with them. yesterday, we were going to get a pinkish red Christmas one, but at the checkout, he saw a blue star one and had to have it. so we switched and now he is learning about all the holidays (it was a happy hanukkah).

Then, we had lots of pictures from Thanksgiving. and yes, jenna is giving herself bunny ears! silly willy!

friday we went to very AWESOME park! its out be 215 and horizon rigde ? i'm not sure. but it's on the way to boulder city, still in henderson. I loved it! everyone was always wanting to be or sit with craig. Craig is so lucky to have so many great cousins. i love the pictures of jenna getting a drink, with help from craig. and silly caitlyn doesn't really like to smile anymore, but she is so pretty. emma had some great side profile pics too.

House News

Marilene is always bugging me to blog something, and since we have really good news I decided to do it today. Plus Marilene just never has time any more to blog much so this is for her too.

Last night we had an appointment with a mortgage person. Earlier in the summer he (Randy Lovstuen 812-7406) gave us the good news that we were really close to getting our first house. Last night he told us we are ready, and we are going to start all the paper work. He told us about this awesome down payment program called HUGS that gives first time home owners who don't have a huge annual income a 2-2.5% down payment gift. So if we get approved, which we should, for HUGS then we only need a couple thousand to complete the down payment. and that won't be hard since we have been saving for a little while now. Plus Marilene should be receiving a nice signing bonus from the school district soon.

As soon as we are approved for that then we can start looking at houses. Granted I have been looking at houses on-line for a good year now, but we can actually go tour homes now. Big BIG difference. We won't be able to close on a house until the 20th of Jan or around that time because Randy has to have two full time pay check stubs from me and I won't have that until mid January. However, we can start the process and get everything rolling in the mean time so we are exstatic. In fact last night we were laying in bed and we just couldn't fall asleep because we were thinking about it sooooooo much.

We love Marilene's parents and they have been so kind and gracious to us. There is no way will be able to repay them for the kindness and all the things they have given us these last three plus years. But with that said we want out!, and they know that. It is hard living in a tiny little space with a single room being shared by me, Marilene, Craig, and.... SO it is definetily time to move up and onward.

lots of pictures!

I love to take pictures!! especially since they are digital and can simply be deleted, i love it! at one time, i worked for a wedding photographer, just as an assistant. but i think i learned to love taking pictures more because i did work with her.


To see all the pictures, check out our Picasa web albums! October and November.



we have had lots of things happening and I wasn't always able to take my camera, so here are some pictures and catch up pictures (thanks Anita and Cyndi for having your camera!).




We were able to go to Aviation Nation, early in November and here are the fun pics from Anita. I'll have to upload a video or two that we took. Craig loved it!!! it was a little loud at first, but he was never crying or scared from the loud airplanes. he loved them so much! there was lots of room to run around and i just followed him around pretty much.
There were so many cool airplanes! Trevor and I went 2 years ago, but we didn't really watch the shows. the things these planes can do are amazing!

Then, Trevor played Turkey bowl with a couple of church guys. it was fun. Craig and i went and played around at the park the same day. it was such a beautiful day and i was able to get some great pictures of Craig and the bushes, etc. he just makes me laugh so much. he makes some silly faces and loves climbing on anything and everything.

photo tag

Marcie is doing a fun tag! This is the pic from the 4th folder in my picture file and the 4th picture in that file. I have my folder organized by months, so this pic was taken in April of this year. we were on our way to the ASCE conference in LA and we were driving. Craig was SO tired, but he wouldn't go to sleep. that cute little blue puppy(with musical box in it), we lost him on that trip :( but Craig survived. we got him a brown bear to replace it.

I can't believe how much he's grown since then! i love that little boy.

I TAG YOU! it's so fun. this one is an easy one.

baby shower, dinner and drawing

About a week ago, we went to lunch at sammy's woodfired pizza. we got this salad to share and it was SO delicious! it had pomegranate vinaigrette and pita bread pieces, sesame seeds, cucumbers and MINT! it was so refreshing. Craig even loved it! he never eats lettuce very well. he usually picks off the veggies and that's all. but he was chowing down on the delicious lettuce.

Then, the next Saturday, we had a baby shower to go to for one of Trevor's friends from high school (oh my goodness she is such a cutie!) and after, we stopped off at Roberto's tacos! we love that place! i was dressed up nicely, so i wanted to get some pics. Craig looked so cute drinking his drink, so i guess Trevor wanted a pic like him too. they are both SO cute! ha ha ha :D i love my silly husband!


Then, Craig decided to draw a little and accidentally drew on himself. Trevor decided to add more to Craig's drawing on his body, but Craig was not happy at all about it (and he was getting tired too). he was SO mad daddy drew on him. but it was pretty funny! below, he's trying to rub it off a little. we took a bath and he was much happier.
updates, Trevor will start his job (the same thing he's doing now) December 15th. he's so wonderful! he's getting closer to the end of this semester.

my class came back from track break and OH MY GOODNESS!! aaahh! it has been really difficult. several days after school, i just break down and cry. my principal has came in and observed us twice and it went horribly both days. of course, almost every day goes pretty bad. yesterday, at the end of the day, i had the office manager in my room, then the assistant principal came in too. we went outside to dismiss the students and when i came back in, the principal was also in there, trying to help a student calm down and get ready to go home.

but, i am grateful that i am only teaching half day. the full day job i would've taken, would have been pretty difficult too and it would've been ALL day. and way across town.

i'm still not sleeping

i was determined i should get to bed early tonight and then i just couldn't fall asleep. after lying in bed for 45 minutes, i finally just got up. normally, i fall right to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. however, i've been sleeping in since with school we had a 4 day weekend, and i keep thinking about tomorrow and i just get a little anxious about all i need to do for school and craig tomorrow. and of course trevor. o-well. i'm gunna try again.

So much fun!!

We have had a lot of fun pictures recently and I love them all! First, Craig loves playing with hats and so he had fun having him and I try on hats so I had to get pics.

Then, he is so cute when he sleeps!! tonight, he was cuddling with books again.

It is alternating between hot and cold still. Saturday it was shorts and flip flop weather in the middle of the day, but Sunday was a nice coat weather! Here are some fun bundling up weather. He loves playing outside so much, and sometimes during the day he just doesn't get enough of it. Especially when Grandpa or someone has to do something outside, he likes to be out there with them.

Luke had a competition and we went and saw the half-time show review. Craig loved it, of course! he was singing and clapping along. but beforehand, he drank his chocolate milk.

Then, on Sunday, my mom had a lot of us over for dinner and after dinner, we all went outside and were jumping and swinging! I had to grab my camera and get pics of the fun cousin times! i LOVE taking pictures and went a little overboard, but o-well. :D

At one point, Craig and Matthew were both on a two person seesaw type of swing and Trevor was pushing them. Matthew told Trevor to slow down, so he did. As soon as Trevor slowed them down, Craig says "GO, GO!" they are so funny! i love that they play together really well. Matthew, Craig and Sara were jumping a lot. Craig did pretty good with them, but if both Sara and Matthew were jumping, he had a hard time staying up. but they were so patient and helpful!

jobs

guess what!!

TREVOR got his job!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!

that means we can look at houses and figure out how to grow up!! Thank you everyone who has prayed for us. we appreciate all of your love!

addictions and tags

My friend listed her addictions and it was fun reading through hers, so even though this has taken me a while to do this, I am admitting a few of mine.

1. watching CHUCK; I LOVE love this show! it is so funny.

2. changing my blog background and header; actually doing just about anything with blogs, reading and writing.

3. buying books- this one, i cannot indulge in, but with my classes' book orders, sometimes i can get a free book and I love it

4. saying "I love you" i think that a person cannot say this too often to people they love; Trevor gives me a hard time sometimes, but i always want him to know how important he is to me.

5. taking pictures- i love to take pictures. i had so much fun getting creative with taking pics on Sunday. I got some fun ones of Sara. I really think i would love to do that again, working with a photographer

6. editing pictures- i love messing around and adding features to them

7. DREYERS rocky road ice cream- this is the best kind EVER! i love this stuff. the slow churned is even better. other rocky roads are ok, but this has actual marshmellows, almond slices and delicious chocolate ice cream; yummy

8. cuddling in blankets- it is so fun snuggling in a blanket; it is just so comforting

9. tea- I love making a delicious cup of mint tea; it helps me relax and i love teas (except fruity ones; not such a fan)

10. speeding- i am working on it, but i love driving fast down the road, especially when the road is clear and a good song is on the radio




8 Favorite TV Shows
CHUCK- I live for this!!! Last week, they didn’t show it and I was depressed;
Gilmore Girls
House
NCIS
The nanny when I catch it
What I like About you
the Backyardigans ( I love all the singing and Craig loves it)
Signing Time (another kid one, but this one is wonderful!)

8 Favorite Restaurants
Macayos
Outback… mainly because it’s Trevor’s
Pei Wei
Applebees
Port of Subs

8 Things I did today
slept in WAY too late
Did some dishes and laundry
Found out Trevor got his JOB!!!
Went shopping
Made soup with Trevor
Went to the library and got Craig more books
Watched CHUCK
Cuddled with Craig and Trevor


8 Things I look forward to:
getting into a house!!
Craig communicating even more
Getting a Christmas tree


8 Things that happened yesterday:
I went to church
Got a new bishop
I subbed in nursery
ate lunch with family
Took tons of pics!
Cuddled with Trevor

8 Things I love about fall
Getting closer to Christmas
Cooling off
Change
All the holidays and breaks
Changing my blog background

8 Things on my wish list
a house
Another child, some day
Being more organized
A clean house
Craig gaining weight :) o-well
Me losing weight
More time to read
Getting a bike for Craig

I Tag
Everyone who has things to admit :)

Christmas

I found some great Christmas gift advice on someone's blog and i like it! she even got her advice from someone else, so I'm glad they are passing it on! I always have a very hard time thinking of good gifts for Trevor. It goes like this:



Something to wear,

something to read,

something you want,

something you need.


Christmas was never very big about the presents in my family. WE usually drew names and got a present for a sibling under a certain amount of $. I hope over the years i will get better at remembering hints from Trevor and making note of it.

I know some people will think this is horrible, but I LOVE Christmas music! i love listening to it. the other day, i was very grumpy and I came home and asked Trevor to please put on some Christmas music. He asked why and i told him that i was grumpy and needed to be in a better mood. I've been listening to the music in the car and at home and i love it.

our boring lives

Trevor always complains that I am always writing about Craig but never about him. I figure he can write it for himself :D. So here is a little about the grown ups!

Trevor has an interview with clark county tomorrow first thing in the morning. He is currently an intern and we are hoping he will get hired on as a full time, doing basically the same thing he is doing now, with a higher pay! He will be done with school in May, so would only be hired on as a technician for now, but this will really help ensure a smoother transition into an engineering position. especially with the economy and so many civil engineers looking for jobs right now. So hopefully, we will know by Wednesday and if not, then that means he didn't get the position.

Trevor has been pretty busy recently. Luckily, he isn't helping out with ASCE (unlv's civil engineering group), but he just took his huge test (FE, that really qualifies him to be a civil engineer). It was two 4 hour tests in one day with a 1 hour break between. uughh! my test i had to take was only 4 hours total i think. so, i know he had it difficult.

He is taking two classes, one in preparation for his last "class". Next semester, he is basically putting together a project with a group and so instead of scheduled class, they meet on their schedules and with the advisor. so he has his class of designing it now and then another one.

As for me, my pm kinder class has been on track break and they come back on Wednesday. PRAY for me please :) j/k... kinda. they are quite the handful of little kids. i know now that i had the am class. the afternoon group is a very difficult group. but i am excited that i have a first class and i think it will help a little. maybe make it worse, knowing i have them ALL year long. ha ha ha. i really was joking there.

but as the psychologist at the school mentioned, we have 3 days this week, then only 3 days next week, then a full week, then thanksgiving, and then only about 3 more weeks before a 2 week break! so looking at the positive, we have several short weeks coming up. it made me laugh.

I have been able to move a couple of my school things into my classroom now, since i know what school i will be at and that i will be there for probably two years. I am subbing in the morning too this week still. but i think that next week their teacher comes back.

Lots happening

well, i am a little ashamed at how little i have been blogging and documenting recently! i am not taking note of my blessings either, and that is almost a sin! Well, here are lots of pictures! and these are just a few from my camera. sorry! this is like 2 weeks make up.

First, one of these days, Craig was playing outside (he does that very often!!) and it was a beautiful sunset. I just had to get pictures.

Then, Curtis and Heather were able to get a fun enclosed little thing to light a wood fire. It's over at Trevor's parent's house, so we went and sat outside around a fire. BEFORE they lit the fire that night, we were just sitting out there and Craig put his lips and hands on the little screen to help protect from touching the burning wood. So i had to get a pic of his criss cross black marks over his lips! the silly boy. but he made me laugh. then, they also lit some tiki torches and Craig loved pointing up at them. He's such a joy! and he was pretty good around the fire. no burns, but it was quite nerve racking. and we came home smelling a LOT!!

Next, we all went over to Anita's and were able to have a fun gathering to carve pumpkins and decorate cupcakes! i think this is second favorite part of Halloween time! i love carving pumpkins! we have done so every year since I've been married/known :) Trevor and his family. Last year, we didn't so much carve the pumpkin as stick Craig in it, but it is always fun! plus you have time to sit around and talk. For that night, we got many many cute pics of the kids. We had Trevor, marilene, Craig, Anita, Dave (her boyfriend), Heather, Bailey, Caitlin, Jenna, Bailey's brother (mark?? it just slipped my mind) and then some fun family friends. Curtis had to work and Mom and Dad were out of town (Mom in Texas awaiting baby Taylor's birth and Dad in Reno). it was so much fun! Craig enjoyed having two little boys there along with his many female cousins (which he loves dearly!!). He even played pool with the one little boy.

Then, for our ward's and Mom and dad's ward trunk or treats, Trevor, Craig and I dressed up. well, actually, not for our wards. We even saw Enoch and his cute family at our ward's! Trevor was Darth Vader after the death star blew up and was a Death star engineer. Craig was superman and I was a construction worker.

Wow! this is long!

Fun times

We have been having fun. My kinder class is on track break still, so I have afternoon's off, but am subbing for a maternity leave in the morning. it's been nice to be done at 12.

Craig has found a fun place he likes to play! in my parent's backyard, he likes to play in an old garden box next to these bricks. there's some dirt there and he just loves it! My dad and Luke have been working on emptying the pool and cleaning it (his annual tradition). Craig has been watching them. the other night, he was helping Aunt Heidi sweep the dirt out. He's so much fun!

Trevor is getting an interview set up and hopefully, we will hear about a full time job for him soon. I was able to go in and sign papers and was officially hired!! i am staying at the school i am at and am so happy!!

Bundle up weather

We have had lots of fun, I just haven't gotten around to writing it down. I had some things in a box from school that I was going to recycle. well, Craig wanted to play with them, so I cleaned them out a little and replaced it with water. he had lots of fun squirting the water out, and i didn't care as long as he was outside.

Craig has been so cute! i love cute pictures of bundled up kids! i just had to get a pic.

The other night, was a little warmer but I was still worried about him getting cold at night. however, he got too warm and decided to unzip it a little. It cracked me up! i zipped it up as soon as he was out.

We were driving and Craig was grumpy. I thought maybe i could distract him, but it didn't work. He loves to hear a cop car's siren or an ambulance and starts copying them!

Today though, it is back up to 85 and I'm wearing shorts! i wish it would make up it's mind about the weather! two days ago, it was freezing and I was wearing a big jacket!

update

Some good news and some ok news! the short result is: . . . . . . I am staying at the school I am at, with the half day kindergarten. i will still be subbing for maternity leave until about the end of November. the long story is below.

I had an interview with an elementary school across town at Charleston and I-95. It went wonderful, i loved the principal and assistant principal. it would be a full time job, one kindergarten class all day. However, I didn't feel good about it. i would be gone practically all day everyday, except on track breaks, which that class already went on.

Craig has been having a hard time when we leave. I've mentioned it before, but it is not getting much better. he's ok usually when he stays with Grandma Kady, because it is still the same house and she cuddles him a lot. and we haven't been over to Aunt Nene's recently, but i think he cries a little there too. but the hardest thing for me, is when I pull up to a good friend's house, Jade, he starts crying and does not want to get out of the car even! Then he hollers and cries very loudly when i leave. eventually he does get settled down and play, but when i come pick him up, he wants to cuddle and leave right away.

Because of that, I took the half-day job with the school I am at. I feel really good about it and i think it will help me be better at home and at work.

I have been leaving him his entire life. I had school classes, i had my practicum and then my student teaching and he was always fine. Every once in a while, he would cry, but he would be fine in a little while. now, he is always very sad when we leave. I now I need to work on attachment because that is the issue. but i really feel that this will help. I prayed really hard about this and i feel that for our entire family, it will be better if i take the job that I am at already.

On to the ok news! I already have a substitute license and I had to add an endorsement that would allow me to teach. well, i did it in August, but i called them and they said it would take 16 weeks to get it back to me!!!! AAHHH! are you kidding me! so i was supposed to keep my receipt, but all it was was my cashier's check receipt and no one told me to keep it in order to get hired. hopefully, the principal can call and make sure that things are going on and they will hire me anyway. if not, I can't get hired until DECEMBER, but would just be subbing until then. so, we will see what happens, but at least I know what school i will be at and I know my class, the handful of kids, but they are mine!

Iron Man

We rented Iron Man and was watching it, Craig was being cuddly and a little sad, but then he decided to lay down on the floor and watch it. He saw the strong iron man and picked up the chair, look how strong he is!!

Then, iron man flew, so Craig and Grandpa were trying it too. luckily, no actual jumping and injuries.

special words for us

I was able to go to the RS broadcast, listen to conference all day yesterday and today and WOW! i realized last week that I needed to decide to be happy and proceed to do so. I did all last week and I think it really helped. I still had some hard times, but it helped. I know how much I am loved, both here on Earth and from those above and listening to His words for me at the RS broadcast was wonderful.

I love President Uchtdorf!! (might have spelled wrong) both last Saturday and yesterday, he spoke words that truly touched me! if you missed the women's broadcast, please read his words. I think it uplifted and helped all women feel better and more appreciated. Heavenly Father really does love us and wants us to know that.

My blessing

Since the sun is rising later and later, Trevor has been getting up and to work before the sun is all the way up. now, we are not really morning people. But Saturday morning, Trevor woke me up at 6:00 and asked me to get myself and Craig dressed, silly Craig was already awake and doesn't understand weekends.

So we get in the car and i don't know exactly what's going on. we end up driving up to red rock to try and see the sunrise, however mountains were in the way, so we opted for the mountain west of fort apache over by warm springs and rhodes ranch. of course, i left my camera at the ross's, but Trevor was great enough to bring our video camera.

He brought our jean quilt (Cyndi we still love them!!), some cut up fruit, donuts, hot chocolate, cups and juice!! also, it has been hot up until Saturday! but he did tell us to get tennis shoes on and brought us our sweaters.

the clouds got in our way, but it was still wonderful! i enjoyed driving around and being surprised by my magnificent husband. Craig and him even got to go for a walk.

We came home and Craig was able to jump on the trampoline before conference (and a little during too :D ). he still had his sweater on for a while, but the day did warm up a little.

the weather has been beautiful today and yesterday. we opened our window and door and let all the air in.

It reminded me to enjoy our time together and to cherish my wonderful little family. The world was so quiet early in the morning and we were just enjoying our time. We also saw many airplanes and Craig LOVED that.