We Wish You A Merry Christmas....

and a Happy New Year! I like to keep my blog up to date, but have had very little time to do so lately. If you see my comments as being few and far between it's because it's all I can do to post! And I know I'm not the only one! It's hard to keep up with everything and once I get a moment, the last thing I want to do is stare at my SLOWER than molasses computer :)

BUT, we've been having fun. I love not having a school schedule...my kids are home. My favorite gift was a calendar that Kelsi made in Kindergarten. Every month is decorated and some even have pics on it from different events from the year. My dad even made an appearance in it :) Kelsi had to write about both me and Jesse for the Mother's/Father's Day month. She said that I am 20 yrs old and weigh 50 pounds. Jesse is 30 yrs old and weighs 60 pounds! I almost cried at this gift - it was so sweet!

We are fortunate enough to live close to both our parents. By close I mean, a walk away. So it's easy to go back and forth on Christmas. I love this holiday and the togetherness it brings with my family.

The girls were too excited to get Biscuit the dog (the only dog I will ever own). Santa also brought them a mermaid with a fin that moves, and a doll that laughs. Nice and easy still....gotta love it!

The Goodman clan is so good about doing Christmas pictures.

Here they are from 07 to 08!

P.S. I love my hair dark :)

Oh What Fun It Is......

Christmas programs, parties, dinners, temple lights...it's all happening right now! I've been waiting for this time of the month to come! Am I ready for Christmas? Of course not, that's part of the joy right? Getting stressed out beyond belief? It's organized stress I think. I know what needs to be done but it's getting done that takes a while.
Kaitlyn had her Sacred Silent Night preschool program yesterday with Miss Peggy. You never know with Kaitlyn. Sometimes she will talk your ear off, other times she is as shy as can be. Sometimes she will outright refuse to look at the camera! I was overjoyed to hear her belt out all of the Christmas carols - She had so much fun. My favorite song was called "Jingle Bell Variations" They sang Jingle Bells opera style, rap style (Jingle Bells YO! with sunglasses) and with a southern twang (cowboy hats). I had been wondering why she would come home singing Jangle Baayls, Jangle Baayls....ha! At the end of the program they dress up as a nativity scene and sing, "Picture A Christmas". It's too sweet. Kaitlyn was an angel in it.

That night we went and watched Chorale sing at the Temple. Kelsi and Kaitlyn had been dying to see Baby Jesus. We'd seen the big camels and shepherds from Main St. as we've passed the Temple at night - but they really wanted to see Baby Jesus. Last night was their night.

Kaitlyn in an "I'm not looking at the camera" mood.

Today I got to help with Kelsi's Christmas Party. Her teacher, Mrs. Hubbard, is over the top! They made Christmas trees, gingerbread ornaments and decorated gingerbread boys. A dad even dressed as Santa and came to visit the kids. Kelsi is the sweetest little girl. She loves when I come visit, but isn't sad at all when I leave. I love to watch her play and interact with her friends. She makes me so proud.
And the best part of all of this fun? There is lots more to come! I just love this time of year!

Reading Under the Stars

Monday night, my mom and I took the girls to Kelsi's school. We bundled up in the courtyard with our hot chocolate and blankets and listened to 2 fun stories that were read aloud. Afterward, Kelsi and the rest of the kindergartners recited "Twas the Night Before Christmas" by memory! They did a great job!I love the cold weather! It's finally cold enough to turn on the heater and bundle up in blankets. Thank goodness for Arizona winters! I don't think I would survive anywhere else.

{Happy December} Kids Don't Forget!

I'm so glad it's December and officially the season of Christmas! Kelsi made me laugh today (and also feel a little bit guilty) so I thought I would share the story.

Background: We leave the toys from Santa unwrapped on Christmas morning. Last year both girls got what they wanted from Santa and then we threw in this huge castle tent. They didn't ask for it, but we thought it looked fun. Well, it wasn't. The girls loved it but it was huge and a pain to set up so we took it back. I don't remember telling the girls or them even noticing it was gone.

Today: We were talking about Santa and Kelsi says, "MOM! Remember when Santa brought that huge castle for us?
Me : Uhhh.....
Kelsi: And then you had to send it back.....to Target. Why????
Me: wracking my brain to think of something: "Well, Santa thought we had a bigger house. So we gave it to someone else that would be able to use it better".
Kelsi: Oh, OK!

Reed Rocket Fest

Reed Rocket Fest

We got to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Reed side this year. A trip to Safford, turkey dinner, Grandma Jesse's famous pies, and rocket launching are all part of the fun. I am definitely thankful for such a wonderful family. I have been in absolute heaven with this 4day weekend! We had a great Thanksgiving yesterday, and the best, most relaxing day today. No pressure to clean for Sunday, no cooking - just putting up Christmas and enjoying the wonderfully cool weather. And the best part is???...tomorrow is Saturday! I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving as much as I did! Visiting family and eating yummy food all day....life doesn't get much better :)

No Shocked Faces

I finally did it...not a big deal to me really; I don't have a huge attachment to my hair and I love to change things up a bit. Plus it's my natural color anyway! I've been startling myself in the mirror more from the fact that it's all one color! I've weaved blonde&brown in my hair for more than 10 years! I would just use more or less each time.

My fab sister in law (Melinda...works at Tantrum...amazing {like the plug?}) gave me this awesome new color!

So....no shocked faces when you see me. That's the worst part :0) I hate attention!

I love it...sorry to Jess (he doesn't so much) but I love him anyway!!!!!

TwiLighT @ MidNighT

Friday night my friend Kristen and I braved the crowds and headed down to SanTan to see Twilight. We walked right in at around 11pm and got a nice and close 3rd row seat :) The movie was disappointing to say the least but it was fun and we had some killer awesome shirts. The teenagers were jealous and that's what it's all about isn't it? haha Seriously, it felt like I was back at a high school assembly again. But the 2 1/2 hours of sleep I got that night proved to me that I am old because it took me 2 days to recover. I felt a little dangerous driving on the road the next day! Thanks for going with me Kristen!

accidental tradition

From the time Kelsi was 1 1/2 years old I've taken my girls to Target to get Christmas pics. It's not always the best photography but the memories are captured and it costs less than 20 bucks total! Can't beat that deal! I finally had them all smiling this time {last year Kaitlyn got mad at the photographer and would not smile! I'm not kidding} Kennedy had a hard time standing still but we got it done and here they are! Individually all of them look great...the group pic of the three of them cracks me up! I bought it for memories sake! They will laugh at themselves :0)

OK! I just noticed this at this very moment! Do you see that big fat chunky orange ring on Kaitlyn's finger??? I took it off while she was getting the pics taken. I guess this one snuck past me! This girl is always wearing jewelry without me knowing! I pick her up from preschool and she'll have on 3 bracelets and a necklace and my moms watch that she gave her. I'm like, "how did I not notice this before you went to school?" SERIOUSLY! 3 girls is a whole heckofalotta work! Last year, I noticed chipped sparkley blue nail polish on their fingernails in the picture. I guess it makes for fun memories right?

Hahaha...I really can't not laugh when I see this picture. I was laughing when it was taken....It was the last pic of the sitting and I think Kels&Kate were a little tired of smiling! And of course it was the only one where Kennedy was standing still!

3goodgirlz

Glitter Graphics Maker & MySpace Layouts

I gave Kelsi and Kaitlyn our "I Voted" stickers. Kaitlyn lost hers and Kelsi tells me "MOM! Kaitlyn lost her ROCK OBAMA sticker!"

Say what girlfriend?

HaLLoWeeN cRaZe

So fun....and the best part??? The holidays are right around the corner! I love this time of year...it just needs to get cold already!!! Kelsi was dying to be a mermaid this year.

Kaitlyn wanted to be SleepingBeauty (but the costume was too scratchy) so she went with SnowWhite.

But, of course, the day of Halloween comes and the neck on SnowWhite is bothering my little Kaitlyn so what do we have to do? Yeah, cut it off! Bad mom moment confession: No way was I going to ruin and cut a brand new costume - but the crying continued, we were late for our neighborhood halloween party, couldn't find my camera to top it off. I gave Kater 2 choices. Stay home and cry or go to the party (the neck is staying on the dress). Finally, this girl would not give up. I relented and cut it off - 2 choices out the window - ha! a bad mom moment - I'm sure there are lots more to come! Shouldn't Halloween be an easygoing happy day? You can't even tell it's cut off, but is was way cuter how it was {sigh}

Kennedy is easy and will wear whatever I put on her. She wore a cute PINK MinnieMouse costume. I love to dress up and had this great, last minute idea to go as Donald Trump and his new wife Melania. Jesse wouldn't humor me though and wear a suit so he just looks homeless :)

This is my only pic of Kennedy. Sad! But my camera was gone. I am going to dress her up again and recreate it - she'll be in a better mood anyway. All of the Goodman cousins (except one) aren't they cute?
The day started with a fun little halloween parade & program for Kelsi's Kindergarten class. Darling, Darling! They sang the funnest songs and were all so fun to watch! The grandpa's were invited to come and carve pumpkins and watch the show as well. Mrs. Hubbard has been doing this for a long time and goes all out! Her room was decked out SPOOKY!
Walking in the parade...it looks like she is doing a Miss America wave Kelsi thought the pumpkin smelled so gross!
The finished product - it's hard to tell, but my dad carved glasses on the pumpkin just like Kelsi asked him to.

Here is Kaitlyn's preschool class. Her teacher always wears the funnest costumes. This is where my camera COMPLETELY dissapears! I was holding Kendi in one arm, taking a pic with the other. When I went back to the car, Kendi was crying and didn't want to get into her carseat. I needed both hands to help her (must have absentmindedly put the camera down).

Later we went to our neighborhood party and enjoyed hotdogs, popcorn and snowcones. TrickorTreating was fun too, but we have way too much candy on our hands.

Whattya think? Should I get extensions and dye my hair dark? :)

****CAMERA UPDATE****First, let me tell you I SEARCHED everywhere all weekend for this thing! I just knew it had to be in the car. I got a flashlight and looked in EVERY hard to reach corner. Then I thought someone pickpocketed me at the costume store.

Ahem...Jesse gets in the car today and finds in under the gas pedal. Thanks Babe - your wife needs some help

Slimey Witches Brew

Kelsi is singing a song in school called "Witches Brew". We decided to make some on Sunday .{with 3 o'clock church we have to get creative to pass the time} It was so fun - we basically just layered jello in a clear glass and added gummy worms and fruit snacks (bugs). They didn't end up eating much of it...the fun was in watching it set up, adding the second layer of jello and putting the bugs in.

Fun Tag but....

I'm changing the rules! So I'm supposed to go to my 4th album and pic the 4th picture and post it. I've already posted that picture so I'm just picking a random pic from my library of pics. Who doesn't love looking at a brand new baby! I didn't blog when Kennedy was born so I thought I would post this one.

Why is it that I don't totally cherish and appreciate the peacefullness that a baby brings into a home? I am always waiting for the next new/big thing while trying to keep up with the cooking/cleaning/the older sisters. Someone told me that is why it's so great to be a grandma. You get to love your grandbaby's and then give them back at the end of the day. Plus you're not recovering from just having given birth!!! So is that what my next big thing is to look forward to? Ha!

Thanks for the tag LT!

Check Her Out!

I usually fast forward the musical guest on SNL (most of them are a little too scary for me :) This girl, however, was AWESOME!!!!!

.....I Can't Make You Love Me and ChasingPavement are my faves.....Cold Shoulder's good too!

I've also listened to Beyonce's new song, If I Were A Boy, about twenty times tonight. Definitely a worthwhile download. There is nothing better than some good tunes on the IPOD as you clean while everyone sleeps!

There is such power in music! It can make you happy, sad, energetic (spiritual on Sundays :)

I absolutely love it!!!

I hearby....

PROMISE to use this candy jar for decorational purposes ONLY and at no time will I indulge in this delicious snack of candy corn, reeses pieces and pumpkin spice hershey kisses!!!

OcToBer BreaK

Now that I'm a slave to the Mesa Public School schedule, I have to make the most of my time with Kelsi&Kaitlyn while they are home. We have been busy and are sometimes a bit "over scheduled"....I miss the days bundled under a blanket watching HigleyTown Heroes with them on the couch in the mornings.Kelsi got sick on Tues (missed picture day!!! ugghh) so we had almost a whole week with her at home. Kaitlyn had the week off as well so it was back to the good ol' days for a while. I took a little break from the gym and just kicked back and enjoyed being at home with my kids. We had some "cheap" fun and took them to the Bass Pro Shop at Riverview on Thursday. They got bored fast, but loved seeing the aquarium from the elevator.

On Friday, I joined Chucky Cheese online and got a large pizza, 4 drinks and 40 tokens for 18 bucks! Pretty sweet deal! And Saturday, we topped it off with a TacoBell dinner at Fountain Hills. Fun times...but if you ask them what their favorite part was about their weekend...they would say when Aunt Meagen and Uncle Chad came to babysit. We just can't compete with that.

Have you learned the Pledge of Allegiance or something??

Every time Kelsi says the family prayer now she goes off and starts saying the Pledge! It's so funny! For some reason she's always said, "please bless the United States of America". But now she adds, "please bless the United States of America...and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all". From there she will continue as normal until she says AMEN!

What is in this stuff?

MMMmmmm....I am so in love with PBLOCO right now.

Love+Peanut Butter makes a great combination....

I'm showin' off some good ol' white bread filled with nutella (which I didn't know is just melted chocolate!) bananas and dark choc peanut butter. It doesn't beat the razzledazzle which is rasberry peanut butter/marshmallow cream and bananas...of course you gotta go white with the bread! Why do they give you an option?

While the guys went to the priesthood session on Saturday, I had a little girl fun! It doesn't get much better than a trip to Scottsdale and some pbloco for a snack!

Here we are: Sunni (almost 8mos. preggo...can you even tell? NO); Bre (who's fiancee is severely allergic to PB! YIKES!); and me...thanks guys for letting me have my fix of this yummy creation! We'll be back soon....hopefully with more of y'all!

I LOVE

HALLOWEEN! Every holiday is fun; but for some reason this year is so exciting! Maybe it has something to do with not being pregnant and having my kids under control. I can breathe! So I went and got some pumpkins (ready to carve)! There is a great cover on Woman's Day Magazine with the cutest pumpkins. We are listening non-stop to a hilariously spooky halloween CD that Kelsi got from preschool last year. If you want a copy let me know...it has put us in the mood! Kelsi wants to be a mermaid and kaitlyn wants to be Belle. I am going to try and convince Jesse to dress up with me this year. Last year we half attempted...I'm off to GoodWill to find me a killer 80's prom dress and hopefully a tux for Jesse (with ruffles).........Here are some pics of Halloween's past....Care to share what you're doing for Halloween this year? Is it a secret?

Holy {8}Eight{8} Years!

I would love to share my beautiful, non-digital, pre-photoshop wedding pics, but I really don't have the time or desire to scan them. We aren't doing much to celebrate romantic style...but I know we'll have fun anyway - Kelsi knows it's a special day for us and Kaitlyn is wondering where the party is going to be....So here's to 8 years and counting on ETERNITY :)

Today, Monday, is our anniversary....So to celebrate I thought I would share the funniest anniversary post that I've ever read. If you've never seen seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com then check it out. This was the first post I read and it cracked me up. I honestly didn't even know if it was real or not. Sad huh! It's basically a satirical "made-up" blog, that pokes fun at the too perfect mormon blogs that you know are out there! I've read about the girl that writes it...supposedly she's a returned missionary and even some of her friends don't know that she is the writer of this blog. She uses her fake husband's initials and not his actual name. I'm probably not supposed to copy/paste these posts, but whatever...don't tell K?

It's long, but it's worth reading...promise~

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME! This day brings back a literal flood of pure, wholesome, unsullied joyful love magic memories. Marriage is COMPLETE BLISS and we have had non-stop fun since we married! No, since we met! No, since we were BORN! No, since the PRE-MORTAL EXISTENCE! Couldn’t get any funner. Memory lane, here we come!!
It was basically a kick-A fairy tale day I swear. Planning my wedding (JJWT always calls it “ours” but whatever) was the third hardest thing I’ve EVER done, after that semester of hair school/college when I took 12 hours…ugh!...and also after I read THREE HUGE BOOKS in one day when I became obsessed with and hardcore addicted to this GORGEOUS fake vampire! Anyways, despite the stress, everything worked out PERFECT and most important, I did good at looking smokin’ hot (in an uplifting way) and way drop dead sexy gorgeous and literally every single person that saw me told me I belonged in a magazine for sure and let’s be honest, they were right!!! My BFF from hair school and 10 other bridesmaids helped me make sure my tiara and vale and face sparkles were SO stinkin’ perfect, while my OTHER 10 bridesmaids ironed my clothes for the honeymoon, and my OTHER 10 bridesmaids prepared the photofetti (teensy pics of us to throw at me when I left that night!! HEAVEN ON EARTH), while my little sisters and younger girl cousins rubbed my feet and fed me grapes…seriously, so cool.
So, blahblahblah, ceremony, blahblahblah, time for PITCHERS! I came out for pics and there was TONS of brides out there, which not to be rude but I was TICKED cuz I’d reserved all the rooms under fake names so we could be the ONLY ones, but some brats snuck through, which was a huge trial for me so I prayed for patience. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I HATE to be mean, but I had to tell them to move it or lose it since after all, it was MY WEDDING DAY. Plus, my ring (my dad gave JJWT the diamond and then he spent tons of his pest control/security systems money on the setting I had designed in 8th grade and been sleeping with it under my pillow since girls camp 2002) AND tiara (which my mom brought home from Italy way before I got engaged and then told JJWT to get crackin' because she didn't see what the hold up was now that I had my tiara) AND my rhinestone flip-flops were glittering in the incredibly perfect sunny sunshine and couldn’t be more beautiful (at least, that’s what everyone said).
Then, my RECEPTION = AWESOME. We invited 2500 people and every single one of them came!!! My cake was GINORMOUS and it had a Mickey and Minnie bride and groom on it because two weeks after JJWT and I started dating, he came to DISNEYLAND with my fam on the best vay-cay EVER and we got mouse ears with our names on them and inside of mine JJWT had them write, "To my favorite Mousketeer" and then we took TONS of pics of us kissing wearing them! So basically my ginormous cake was unique and romantic and exspecially special. After the reception and the photo-fetti, it was time for our H-moon, so we hopped on a plane (first class--thanx again dad!!!) and we went to Hawaii were we stayed in a family condo we have there and took thirty thousand pics (all appropriate!!! :)). JJWT learned to surf, I learned to hula, we ate special fish and went snorkeling and bought pineapples and got way tan. Oh, and Pearl Harbor…total downer! But then we went to a luau and I totally forgot about it.

HappyBirthdayJohnnyAppleseed!

Today I had the fun privilege of helping Kelsi's kindergarten class with Johnny Appleseed Day. My hugest thanks to my cuzinlaw Brandis for watching Kaitlyn&Kennedy for me. She braved 4 kids under the age of 3! Not an easy (or very fun) task :) Both Brandis and I have a unique commonality....all 3 of our kids are just days apart. It's always nice to find someone that you can trade the babysitting with!

What a huge class that Kelsi has! It was fun matching the faces to the names of the kids she talks about.

Apples, apples and more apples! The whole room was filled with them. There were about 6 different centers of apple activities. I don't think Kelsi will be hungry for lunch after all the food that was shared....apples, crackers with peanut butter, apple juice, cobbler - it was fun to watch her interact with her friends. I am so impressed by the parent involvement.

Mrs. Hubbard, her teacher, is an absolute riot! Kelsi has come home with all sorts of new terms and phrases that I can just imagine her teacher telling the class. Just today when a boy wasn't paying attention she says "If you don't stop, you're sitting in the bathroom and That's It!!" I guess there is a bathroom in their classroom. Her motto is "she is tough on them but she loves them to pieces." She definitely keeps all 28 of them in line. They know who is boss for sure!

Here is Mrs Hubbard, with "Johnny Appleseed". All of the kids got to shake his hand before he left. Love the pot on his head :)

Here are a couple of the girls in the neighborhood that Kelsi loves - it's gonna be so fun (and sad) to watch them grow up. It's all happening way too fast.