This is an awesome giveaway!!

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme


TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10 ) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.


1. What is your holiday wish for your family?
My holiday wish is that we all make it to next year healthy, happy and we still like each other.

2. What is your Christmas morning tradition?
Our kids get up and come in to our room to "rouse" us from our slumber. Then they have to wait upstairs while dad goes downstairs to see if Santa came. He calls them down, we open presents and then enjoy an awesome breakfast of waffles and bacon.

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?
A trip to Tahiti or Bora Bora

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?
We do service for others, like shoveling walks and helping put up Christmas decorations. Somethimes we babysit while parents shop.

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?
Rummikub, gin rummy, mormon bridge, spoons

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?
We have an advent calendar countdown, a pajama parade, and we make the same food for Christmas Eve the family has been making for 40 years.

7. Where would you go for a Christmas-away-from-home trip?
On a Disney cruise somewhere warm.

8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?

Wii Games, The xbox Kinect and new dsi's for the kids.

Just Thought I would share this awesome giveaway. Check out Today's Mama to get to play!!

House Hunters

Yes, we are house hunting. It sucks. For some people it is easy. For us it is a p.r.o.c.e.s.s.!!! We are difficult. I'm sure our realtor hates us, but we're paying him to hate us, right? Our house is not ready to sell, which makes frustrates the realtor even more. He doesn't understand that we are SLOW. It takes us forever to decide and by the time that we do, our house will be ready. Until then, we continue to look at a plethora of homes that may or may not spark our fancy.

We did look at a home on acreage that was styled like an English Farmhouse. We loved it. Huge problem though...1 finished bedroom. The potential for many, many more, but only one finished. Right. If we have to finish a home anyway, we are starting from the ground up and building what we want. We don't really want to do that, build. Seems like an awful lot of trouble. Todd was excited because of the acreage. He could have a really big dog and told me that I could raise chickens. Wow. Lucky me!! (If you can't tell, that is dripping with sarcasm.)

I'm thinking we should just suck it up and add on to this house. It would be fine. We love the neighborhood and are close to our friends and family. Who knows what will happen. Until it does though, pray for my realtor.

The longest 3 weeks of my life!!!

I know I said I would keep up weekly with my dieting progress, but things have been a little hairy around here. Luckily for me, the first (and hardest) 3 weeks of this diet are over. I am very excited to report that in a mere 3 weeks, I lost 20 lbs and 23 1/2 inches. The difference is amazing. Todd is a maniac!! In the same 3 weeks, he has lost a total of 36 lbs and 34 inches. This "diet" is fabulous and I know we both feel fantastic. What a difference without the caffeine addiction (hehehe) and the sugar highs and lows. I would highly recommend this to anyone. If you would like more info, please let me know. I will rave to you about it!!!

Week 1 is done!!

Week one of our diet is done and here are our results:

Ally lost 8 lbs and 7 inches
Todd lost 15 lbs and 15 inches

The guys always lose faster and better than the girls!! It 's been tough but with results like this, we are so not complaining!! On to Week 2!!

Are you Pregnant?

Now that I have your attention, NO I AM NOT!!! Todd and I just started a new diet called the HCG diet. Basically you take the pregnancy hormone HCG and it helps you lose weight. Amanda lost 40 lbs, Shawna lost 25 lbs. and Andrew lost 136 lbs. With these kind of results we decided it couldn't hurt to try so we jumped in feet first. Things are going well, in the first 2 days Todd lost 6 lbs and I lost 4 lbs.. Onward and downward...we'll keep you posted.

It's about time

Well, life has caught up with me and the posting isn't going so well. So I thought I'd fill everyone in on what's up in our little corner of chaos.

Todd has been working like a maniac. They are short staffed and he is an overtime fiend, so he is always at work. There have been many days of late where he is working 36 hrs straight. It's an awesome paycheck, but sometimes we miss our dad/hubby. He was also recently called to be the Assistant Scoutmaster, which meant he got to take a week off in July to go with Robbie to Scout Camp. They had a blast and cannot wait to go back again next year.

I get to stay at home and play(if you call being the mother of 5 and running a household play). I dove headfirst into my newest passion, quilting, and am in the middle of an ambitious quilt with my quilting group. I work on it when I can- in between school, chauffering, meals, games and church. I was released from being the CTR 7 teacher in the Primary and called to the Relief Society Board. I love RS, but I do miss those kids in Primary.

Robbie is turning 12 this year and is preparing to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. He is the last one his age to move from Primary to YM and is anxiously looking forward to his birthday. He also started middle school at Horizon this year. He LOVES it. I had a panic attack when he started, but he is doing well and has the greatest teachers. I suppose it's just the thought of Jr. High all over again!! He is taking piano and is a phenomenal player. I wish I had half his talent. Now if we could just get him to practice...

Preston turned 8 and was baptized in June with his cousin Sarah. We were so proud of him for choosing to be baptized. He struggles daily with making the correct choices, but somewhere in the end, he chooses correctly. He started 3rd grade at McDonald with Mr. Dahlgren. Mr. D. is a new teacher to McDonald this year, but Preston loves him and he is really cool. I think he is only 12 ( Just kidding, maybe 25) but that's how the young ones seem when you are getting old. Preston has also started playing tackle football for Pop Warner. They are intense but he loves it and is learning so much every day. Go Bengals!!

Riley turned 7 this year, while we were at the lake, and the only thing she wanted for her birthday was a pinata. AAACCCKK!! Hopefully, she will grow out of this soon. Riley started 2nd grade this year with Mrs. Godfrey. She loves her and is looking forward to the day she starts getting homework.(WHATEVER!!!) She learned to ride a two wheeler this summer and spends many days and nights riding around the neighborhood with Malia.

Cassie is 3 going on 20...she is quite the little miss. She started preschool with Teacher Barbara this year and she even agrees with us!! She is large and in charge and says the most random things. I need to start writing them down. One day, on the way to the lake, she was having a conversation with Todd about nonsense that went something like this:

Cass: Can you say PPPHHHTTTT?
Todd: PPPHHHTTTT.
Cass: Can you say LLOOOLLOOO?
Todd: LLOOOLLOOO.
Cass: Fine! Subway Eat Fresh.

See? It's totally random. She loves watching Sprout, looking forward to her next day of school, playing with her cousin Piper and torturing her brother Will.

Will is getting so old so quick. He turned 1 in July and started walking shortly after. I forgot how busy they are once they are mobile. He is in to everything, and enjoys torturing the dog, annoying his sister and wrestling with Dad. Lucky for Mom, he finally decided that there are other people in the family that can hold and cuddle him!! Grandma is still not his favorite though...

Well, that is the long of it. Maybe I will try to post more later.. or maybe not!!

Happy Father's Day

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DADDY!!!

Alice Cooper has nothing on us!!

School's out for Summer!

School's out ForEver!!

No More Homework.

No More Books.

No More Teachers

Dirty Looks!!!

This is what I heard from a chorus of 3 voices

when I picked them up in the car this morning

after the last 2hrs of schoool.

Yep, they're mine :).

Does this mean I'm grounded?

OK. I'm a slacker. I can't help it. I have so much going onn, that blogging is really one of the last things that comes up. Do I enjoy it when I do it? Yes, and it's very theraputic for me to write all this stuff down. Does that mean I will be better about it? Probably not. I am going to post some fun things that have been going down at our house for about the last oh 6 months. But most of that will take quite a long time so you'll just get a snippet today. I am thinking about going private on this blog...it involves my kids you know...but I do have another one for just me and you can check it out here athomebeingme.blogspot.com. Let me know what you think about the private on this blog.

Just to keep your interest, this is what I do to my kids when they don't mind...

Yep, I put them in jail. It's not so bad..they can kind of get out!!!

She said what???

The other day I left to run some errands and Todd was hanging out with the kids. Cassie perceived that Robbie had done some terrible injustice to her and was more than indignant with him. Todd was teasing her and told her she should call him a jerk....what did she say instead? "Robbie you a pervert!!" I do not think she heard that from me, but would guess that it has come up once or twice in conversations with my siblings. The things they repeat. I always forget that they repeat things that they hear, and really this was one of those pretty random things. Oh well, let's just hope she doesn't call "Coleman" (our home teacher Brother Coleman) a pervert sometime when he is here (although I'm pretty sure he would think it was hilarious). Aaahhh, the joys of motherhood. She makes me so proud!!!

Resolutions....

I really should be better at keeping up with this blog. I can blame it on the fact that I have 5 kids and 2 under the age of 2, but I know plenty of others who can seemingly "do it all." I'm not complaining, it's just that blogging is not on the top of my list. What is on the top of my list right now you ask?! Working out. Yep. I said it. I go to the gym with my mom every day and we work out for at least an hour. Then, sometimes I come home and do another hour on the Wii fit. I'm actually feeling a little selfish, but it feels great and I deserve it. I am committed to getting rid of all this extra weight and taking better care of myself and being a little selfish in the workout time is the beginning.
Todd's family is taking us to Disneyland for a family vacation in April. Can you only imagine how happy (almost giddy) that makes me? I haven't been for 2 years and I was starting to go through withdrawl. What's that you say? It's impossible to go through Disney withdrawl? Clearly you are not a true Disney Lover. It is possible and very difficult!!! I hear rides calling my name in the night!!! When I found out we were going in April I read one of the guidebooks for 2010 all the way through. That's right. I went out and bought a guidebook and read the whole thing...even though I already know most of the information. From cover to cover. It just makes me feel good!!! What can I say?
The kids are just as excited as I am. How could they not be? Their mother is quoting some Disney fact and talking about it non-stop. The last time the kids went, Riley was only 2. I can't wait to see how much fun she has this time. Yes, we are going with a 2 year old and a 9 month old, but grandparents are there and it won't be too bad. We've got a week in the park so we don't have to rush to see everything. Trust me, I'll be posting more about it as time gets closer.
Valentines' Day is sneaking up on us too. Yes, it is a commercialized holiday, but what a great excuse to show your family and friends you love them. I can't wait.

I Love the Muppets

Disney's promotion at their theme parks this year is give a day, get a day. It's all about volunteering and doing something good in your community. Since the Devenish family is having their family reunion at Disneyland this year, we are very excited to go and use our tickets we get for completing our volunteering. The whole family is going to participate and we are looking forward to it. Here is some fun little video from the Muppets. We, along with them, encourage you to give a day...even if you don't get the chance to go to Disney this year.