Remembering Gordon B. Hinckley

Chris and I were sitting on the couch when we heard the news that President Gordon B. Hinckley had passed away. It saddened us greatly. Even though President Hinckley has mentioned that his time here was coming to a close, it almost seemed that it would never happen. I remember when he was sustained as our new prophet, I was in the fourth grade. President Hinckley has been the only prophet that I really remember. He is such a great man. Chris commented on how wonderful it would be to pass away and no one who has had the privilege to know you could think anything bad of you. He was always so optimistic and uplifting. I will miss his wonderful sense of humor and the power of his presence. I will always remember the amazing opportunity I had to shake hands with the prophet. I was about thirteen years old and the Young Women in my ward took a trip to Salt Lake to see the Legacy movie and to do baptisms for the dead in the Salt Lake Temple. It was a really wonderful trip. On Sunday we attended a ward at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and we were told that President Hinckley might be coming that day. We were so excited at the chance to be able to see the prohpet. Anyway, about ten minutes into the meeting, in walked President Gordon B. Hinckley! At the end of the meeting we were all able to go up and shake his hand. He had such a wonderful spirit about him and a big smiling, positive attitude.
When Chris and I were trying to think of names for Gordon, Chris did not like anything! While we were sitting in sacrament meeting I started writing "churchy" names on the program. Chris fell in love with the name Gordon. He said what a wonderful man to be named after. I hope that our Gordon will take on President Hinckley's optimism for life. He will truly be missed.

Disney Princesses (New Poll)

Out of all the Disney princesses I would have to say that my favorite is Belle. I just love that movie. I was watching it once when I was in high school and I started crying when the beast "died." I just had to laugh at myself because I knew I was being so ridiculous. When I was a little girl my favorite was Aurora but I think that was just because we didn't own that movie and so I hadn't seen it very much and I my imagination tends to make things better than they really are.
My older sister has a two year old daughter who is in love with all the princesses and my sister was telling me how she thinks all the princesses are annoying. The conversation, or should I say sermon, went something like this: "Ariel, she is so spoiled! I hate that song that she sings about wanting more: I want more, I want more; man she is so annoying! And Cinderella, who is that happy all the time? No one can be that chipper! Jasmine has such huge eyes and a tiny waist...I don't think they are very good role models..." I think she was just getting a little sick and tired of watching the same movies all day every day. I couldn't help but laugh it was so funny how serious she was about really loathing those princesses.

New Poll

I put in a new poll at the bottom of the page so please vote! I am going to try to always have a fun new question up so don't forget to check the bottom of the page every week. Thanks! Oh and please feel free to leave comments so I know who is checking in on my blog; and it makes me feel good so please leave comments!

Nesting and Parental Advice

Oh my goodness am I nesting or what? All I did today was organize and reorganize things. First I went through all of Gordon's toys and took out all the toys that were too basic for him, ones he didn't play with, or ones that are too advanced for him. I am hoping it will cut down on the mess I have to clean up everyday. Probably not. Then I went to his closet and sorted through all the boxes of clothes. Instead of one box of 6-9 month clothes I now have two boxes: 6-9 month winter clothes and 6-9 month summer clothes and so on. I am just getting a little worried because baby coming will be born in the opposite time of year as Gordon and so all the clothes will be the wrong seasons. We were lucky enough to have a lot of people give us clothes for Gordon but I have a feeling since this will be my second, people won't be as excited and so won't be as generous as before. Okay, I am not trying to drop a hint or anything so I will just move on to my next topic.

I really don't know what to do with Gordon. Overall he is a great kid but he is in that stage where he is testing the limits constantly and it is driving me nuts! So my question is: when do I ignore it and when do I get after him. I hate feeling like I am always telling him no or always disciplining him but I know he is doing things just so I will get after him and I just don't know what to do. Like he throws and hits and even after I have warned him: "If you throw your toy against the wall again I will take it away" and then he looks at me and does it again. Openly defiant. Am I just being too strict? I don't know... I should probably just ignore most of it but then I feel like I've given in and he will learn that if he doesn't listen to me for long enough I will give up. By the end of the day I pretty much let him run around and do anything because I am so tired or he spends a lot of time in time out. Please tell me this stage passes quickly! I liked it better when he was excited to do what I aksed and please me.

9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

9 Lasts:
Last place you were on vacation: Twin Falls, Idaho
Last cigarette: Never
Last beverage: Water
Last movie: Saturday’s Warrior (by myself…embarrassing I know!)
Last phone call: From Venesha about winter gear we left in their car
Last store you shopped in: Lee’s Market Place
Last CD played: I honestly don’t know
Last bubble bath: Monday night
Last time you cried: While watching The Biggest Loser on Tuesday when a couple called home to talk to their kids (just a little teary-eyed)

8 Have-you-Evers:
Have you ever dated someone twice: No
Have you ever been cheated on: If I have, I wasn’t aware of it!
Have you ever kissed somebody and regretted it: Yes, I walked up to my apartment and started crying to my roommate!
Have you ever fallen in love: Have I ever!
Have you ever lost someone: Yes
Have you ever been depressed: Yes
Have you ever been drunk and thrown up: Never been drunk, but I have thrown up
Have you ever lost your keys: All the time!

7 States you have been to:
1. Hawaii
2. California
3. New York
4. Massachusetts
5. Arizona
6. Montana
7. Oregon

6 Things you've done today:
1. Dishes
2. Caught Gordon with a knife, poking holes in a bag of rice
3. Showered and did my hair
4. Blogged (i.e. messed around on the computer) for way too long
5. Read stories to Gordon
6. Wished I lived somewhere where it wasn’t so cold

5 Favorite things:
1. Family
2. Chocolate
3. Laughing
4. Food
5. Spring! (I am really ready for winter to be over)

4 People you can tell pretty much anything to:
1. Chris
2. Katie
3. My Heavenly Father
4. Myself, most of the time

3 Favorite color coordinations to wear:
1. Lately, sweat pants with no elastic band and any shirt
2. Usually, blue jeans and a green shirt
3. Or khakis and a blue shirt

2 Things you want to do before you die:
1. Go to Europe
2. See all of my children raised to normal adulthood without too many traumatic experiences to look back on

1 Reason to Live?
Family

I'm FREE!

For the past two weeks I have been a prisoner to Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series


I read the first one while at my parents house for Christmas, the second one in two days and the third one in three days. I tried not to neglect my other responsibilities and take it slow but even if I wasn't reading I was thinking about it. I was no good to anyone. Poor Gordon, yesterday came to me with his coat on and needed help putting his shoes on and then told me, "Papa, GramGram...bye bye." He then walked out on our back porch. He was giving me an ultimatum- either you pay more attention to me or I will go where I know I can get it.
Needless to say, I woke up this morning way behind on my laundry, the house is a mess, and my son is glad to see me again! If you have a chance to read these books, do it. Don't be turned off by the fact that it is about a seventeen year old falling in love with a vampire. Okay, I just lost all of my credibility...

Crazy Christmas

This year our little family spent Christmas (and a whole week and a half) at my parents house in Idaho. Twenty-five people in one house, that includes four toddlers and four babies! Christmas Eve we all get new PJs and I think this is the only picture with all of us in it. It is always fun to be together with everyone but I will say it was very loud and very crazy. Gordon had a blast with his cousins, aunts, uncles, and of course his Papa and GramGram. Here is a picture of Ellie, Ashlynn, Gordon and Spencer in their new pajamas.

My parents have always had a real tree but last year they got a fake one and my mom swore they would never do a real tree again (we are talking about a 12 - 15 foot tree here that almost fell through the window a few years ago.) Well, Chris gave my mom a hard time about it and threatened he would not come for Christmas unless there was a real tree. So when we showed up and saw this......we were quite surprised. My mom told us she cursed Chris's name everytime she watered the thing. =) We had a lot of fun activities planned: caroling, talent show, candy making contest, cross-country skiing, snowboarding (the last two I did not participate in on account that I am seven months pregnant), playing lots and lots of board games, and making gingerbread houses. Here is a picture of the houses we made. Mine and Katie's is the one in the front; Chris's is the second from the left. It was really fun and we all got into it.

Christmas morning was very chaotic; each individual little family was opening presents at the same time so there was a lot going on at once. I thought having Gordon open his "Cars" bedspread first was a good idea since he couldn't really play with it and wouldn't get distracted. I was wrong--he loved it and wanted to open it and sit and snuggle with it. He was eating some candy (I know, nice breakfast) while we were taking this picture and he was trying to smile. We saved his favorite gift for the end, his prized vacuum. He was so excited it was so funny. I was going to post a video clip of him opening his "ban-yoo" but it won't work. I am not very computer literate.

Gordon really liked to play with all the babies and he was so cute with them; it gives me hope for when our little one arrives. Gordon was reading a book to Fisher and I thought it was so precious.We also spent some time with Chris's family, who live in the same town as my parents. We went sledding, played games, and had a gift exchange. It was all very fun but we were glad to come home in the end. I speak for Chris and I; Gordon has been asking for "Menin (Maren), Bett (Brett), Fishis (Fisher), Ashin (Ashlynn), Papa, GramGram, and Eh-ie (Ellie)" since we left.