Amongst Turkeys and Trees

What is it about the holidays that makes you get all excited to be alive? For me it is the family, the pure joy of knowing that I get to spend all of this time with the ones I love the most. It is the joy I see on my children's faces when they eat the turkey at Thanksgiving or open the first present on Christmas. They get so excited to set up the tree and to put the train on the track.

It is such a consumer market it is really easy to get focused on the buying and the giving and it is so easy to forget what these holidays are truly about. For instance, my favourite part of Thanksgiving is the great deals you get on Black Friday. I have been searching for the toys I want to get for my children and plotting which stores might have them on sale. I buy a newspaper once a year just to see the deals.

The worst part of it all is that it doesn't bother me. I love it. I love the Holidays. The part of the holidays I miss this year is the enjoyment of good food. Which leads me to I have officially lost 86 pounds since surgery on April 16th. Essentially, I have lost Calista Flockhart.

Anyway after Matthew's "sermon" on Thanksgiving I have allowed him to guilt me into making a list of the things I am thankful for this year. I will spend more time thanking God for the things he has provided me with and not complain for the things I don't have. So I made a list of the top 10 things I am thankful for this year.

1. Freedom to worship God
2. My nutjob mother who is praying for the end times soon
3. My nutty friend Kristin and all her forwards
4. Disposable Diapers
5. My dad and his cheerfulness and joy he brings to my kids
6. My sister because she is the awesomest Auntie EVER!!!
7. My kiddos because they keep me employed (I think I am one of few that isn't worried about
getting laid off)
8. My Blackberry :0)
9. My dorky brother and all of his dorky family
10. Dane because of course without him I would just have dusty eggs and I couldn't buy the disposable diapers. Okay, Okay and because he puts up with me and has a really cute bootie.


Oh and I will post Thanksgiving Pictures relatively soon.

The Pumpkin Farm

Today we went to the Pumpkin Farm out off of Old Auburn Road. Our friends Ashley and Andrew, Rachel and Isaac, Katie and Parker, and our surprise friends Danielle, Abigail, and Andrew came with us. Danielle and her two were there to meet their MOPS group so it was a nice surprise. Emmaleigh was so excited to see her best friend Abi. Koen melted down about 30 minutes into the farm because it is his nap time at 10 am. I got a few good pictures. Watch the slideshow for them.

Make a Smilebox photobook

Maidu Park

We went to Maidu Park for the first time and it was so great. I had never been there. Well needless to say the kids had a blast. They are growing so much and so fast I can't keep up anymore. Here are the pictures of the kids and their friends. Enjoy!

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Emmaleigh at Taco Bell

Me: Emmaleigh would you like to pray for lunch?

E: No let Koen pray

Me: Why should Koen pray

E: Because he can't talk so it will be quick and my taco will still be hot!

Me: Amen, Lets Eat!

Emmaleigh's Musings

So I have decided to begin posting all the wonderful things my children say. This was Emmaleigh today. She was screaming this up the stairs at me while I quickly went potty.

Emmaleigh: Muh--Mahh--Muh--Mahh

Me: What Emmaleigh?

Emmaleigh: Did your brain blow apart?

Me: What did you say?

Emmaleigh: I said (imagine all the attitude in the world here) Did your brain blow apart?

Me: No, I had to go potty, Why???

Emmaleigh: Hellllloooo I said I needed chocolate milk.

Elizabeth Anne Brooks

Elizabeth Anne arrived on July 28th, 2008 at 1:21 A.M. and weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. and 18" long. In other words she was the most beautiful short and fat baby you have ever seen. Birthmom Sarah was in labor for about 18 hours. It made me cherish having the ziploc procedure all the more. I will take a C-Section any day over giving birth the hard and painful way. Elizabeth is the sweetest baby I could have ever hoped for she sleeps all through the night and wakes up just 1 time to feed. Koen and Emmaleigh love her to death. Koen comes and pats her head and says "YAY" and claps afterward. Emmaleigh always wants to hold her. Enjoy the slideshow.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Museums and Crabs

So while my parents were here from Missouri we went to downtown Sacramento. It was fun considering I hadn't been there in a while. The kids had a blast exploring the Discovery Museum. Their favourite part was Raley's center. They also got to dress up and play in this room that looked like a wheel house. There was a little spot where they got to set the table and play with the toy food and of course Koen stuck everything in his mouth. It is a shocker he hasn't developed some sort of horrible disease by now. Koen and Emmaleigh had a blast weighing all the different fruits and veggies. After the Museum we went to lunch at Joe's Crab Shack. Koen loved the coleslaw and Emmaleigh had the macaroni and cheese. Shocking. Then we went to the old school house and the kids really enjoyed it. My mom wanted a picture of Koen with no binky and of course as soon as she took it out he put in the chalk for his slate he was writing on he is such a boy. Enjoy the pictures.

Make a Smilebox slideshow