Snow days...

"What did you do?"

So I went and got my hair done today and these are the reactions of my family:

Jeff... "Woow, What did you do?"
Ammon... "Mommy, did you get your hair cut?"
Nathan... just kept tilting his head looking at me.
Carter... "How did you get your hair like that?"
Carson... giggles a little, I ask him if he likes it, his reply "NO!"

Men...

Happy Birthday to you....

Birthdays are happy events,

Times when dreams come true.

So dream a good dream (and let someone know!),

It just might work for you!
Have a happy celebration

One you’ll always recall,

And be aware on this day of days,

You’re the most special person of all!

Happy Birthday Heather we miss you and can't wait to see you again. Love always, Jeff. Wendy & Boys!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

We set out to go visit Santa today and get gifts for each other and on our way to see Santa at the mall (because he is only at the mall on Saturdays and his helpers are there the other days) we saw Santa on the firetruck. The kids were so excited and confused. We told them that he was on the way to see them at the mall. Ammon kept saying, "I want to see the "Red Santa" after we saw the one at the mall. It was because the one at the mall didn't have the traditional red Santa suit on. I finally got that! After seeing Santa we took the kids to Target to get their gifts for each other, always fun and a challenge. Ammon was so upset that he did not get to see his gift because it's a surprise. He said, "I don't want Christmas, take the Christmas tree downstairs!" By the time we got done shopping and out the the car he forgot about it. Then we went to Chick-fil-A to eat and stopped for JCW's shakes on the way home, mmmmmm..... It was such a fun day with the kids. I always love this time that we spend together and I love how excited they are.

I just love, love my life right now...

No really, I am having a hard time. Seriously!!! So we got home from church and after dinner I was cleaning up. Then Ammon comes out of the office and I thought, "great, what was he doing in there?" I said "What were you doing in the office?" Ammon says "Nothing, I was in the office." I just let him go, not noticing his pretty fingers and toes. Then I smelled something. Hmmmm smells like fingernail polish. Sure enough I opened the door and found red fingernail polish on the carpet.... UGHHHH! AMMON!!! He had painted his fingers and toes, not to mention his legs and arms and carpet. I am so.... ***!# We have got most of it out of the carpet for now. Fingernail polish remover, water, hairspray and rubbing alcohol. Jeff was soooooo maddddddd.... "NO more painting your nails and toes Ammon that is for GIRLS!" He says to me, "See what you have done, he thinks its ok, NO MORE!!!!" I have been known to paint Ammon's toes. He loves it and when I am doing mine he wants his done. I make them cool boy colors and neat things on them like spiders and such, but I guess no more.

We also had to buy a new vacuum this weekend! Dang it. I am tired of everything breaking. Oh and my washing machine is not draining all the way. Jeff says he can probably fix it. I hope! Enough is enough...

Merry Christmas To All

This is an early christmas gift to all of you whom we love! Yes , that means all of you!!! I love this video, I tried to upload to blogger, but it was too big so I had to use youtube, I hope it works for all of you.

***REMEMBER TO PAUSE THE MUSIC AT THE BOTTOM BEFORE PLAYING VIDEO!***

It's the gingerbread man... no it's a gingerbread house!

The kids had so much fun decorating the gingerbread house. It smelled so delicous we all wanted to eat it! I think they all ate more candy and icing than they put on the house... Good luck trying to get them to bed tonight!

Nathan Nap Time

I just have to post this I know I shouldn't laugh but what else are you going to do...

Nathan has been a little pill trying to get him to take his naps now that he can climb right out of his crib no matter what. So in the process of trying to put him down for a nap, going on about 45 minutes now, he gets out again and comes down stairs.

I say, "Nathan go to BED!"

He in turn says(screaming), "NO, DAMN IT!"

what the... and who taught him that! (ok I think I did.) What you don't realize until your 2 year old says it.

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,

Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,

But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.

Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,

Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,

Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

'What are you doing?' I asked without fear,

'Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!

Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,

You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!'

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light

Then he sighed and he said 'Its really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.'

'It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,

That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,'

Then he sighed, 'That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.'

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',

And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,

But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

I can live through the cold and the being alone,

Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,

Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,

To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.'

' So go back inside,' he said, 'harbor no fright,

Your family is waiting and I'll be all right.'

'But isn't there something I can do, at the least,

'Give you money,' I asked, 'or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you've done,

For being away from your wife and your son.'

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

'Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,

To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.'

PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN 30th Naval Construction Regiment OIC, Logistics Cell One Al Taqqadum, Iraq

What more....

Energetic boy that loves soccer +
a ball=
broken window

I knew I should have stopped for that Dr. Pepper after picking Carter up from Taekwondo. I was trying to be good, seeing how I have gained all the weight back that I lost, dang it... This has been a challenging couple of weeks. When one thing goes wrong... well it is bound to pile it on and pull you down! So to start... Jeff has decided to spend more time at home with his family and he wants to start school in January for a possible career change... so what does this mean less income, Holidays, Birthdays and paying tuition. The night before Thanksgiving Jeff walked out to his van to go get a turkey pan that I forgot to purchase for the turkey. What did he find... his van windshield broke and the truck windshield broke. This happened with in 45 min. of him getting home from work. We called the police and it definitely looks like vandalism. So I still need to check into that. Then this whole weekend, yep... sick, sick, sick Nate, Ammon, Jeff and I. Today I was finally trying to do laundry and clean the house ad mist Ammon throwing up every 30 minutes. Then I hear something on the front porch. Well the wind blew over my tree outside and blew my hanging star off and part of my Christmas lights just decided not to work. I am so tired at this point and have had it, but I think only a few more hours I can do it. Then we get home from Taekwondo and we just cleaned the basement. Well I hear crash.... yep Carter kicked the soccer ball through the window. Just got to love it. It is our turn for the challenges... What do I need to learn to be done!
I do have to say Carter was so nervous. He said "I feel bad." I said "That is why we say NO kicking the ball in the house!" Carter said "You already said that 3 times!" I said "I keep saying it so you know not to kick balls in the house, now do you know?" Carter "Yes."
ughhh.....