Drum Roll Please...

Chelsie took a few family pictures for us this weekend. I had all ready picked out places and we had a very short window before the girls were done. The official family picture will stay hidden until Christmas cards!!!!!!!! I couldn't resist putting up a few though.

I photo shopped together this picture to get one with both of the girls looking towards the camera!

Over all we were doing pretty well with picture taking. Eryn was even smiling and being pretty good. Then, while we were trying to go to our second location Brooke fell on the ground while trying to step up a curb and the tears were Oscar worthy! Needless to say, we didn't get as many pictures as I wanted, but all you really need is 1 for the Christmas card, right?

Practice Run

I have often heard it said that, "You shouldn't run with scissors!" Yet, I find myself with the urge to do it over and over. The same is true for family pictures. I have the urge to have them taken over and over and they always stress me out. This time around, I am taking a few precautions to help avoid the frustrations and meltdowns. The girls aren't going to be in them! Ha ha, just kidding!

1.) PRACTICE- The girls and I have been practicing in the mirror and with the camera to attempt to get a few good pictures that will look great on the wall. They have proved to me that for about 1 minute they can stand near each other and even be touching without crying or screaming.

2.) POSING- I'm not a poser, but kids need practice with how to behave around cameras. This however can lead to some very diva like results... She came up with this one on her own.

3.) LAUGHING- I always get all stressed out when it comes to my pictures being taken. I think that this is mostly because I'm certain that the person behind the camera and my vision of the end result are never the same. (Yes, I over think the picture too much when I'm the model!) Eryn helped me to see that even being funny and weird can have beautiful results!

Family Pictures Coming!

A quick reminder on what our family pictures look like last year...

This year Eryn is excited to take pictures! She's been picking out her clothes and even got a necklace to wear. Plus, she saw a little girl beauty pageant commercial and started posing randomly like they did. It was so funny (yet it made me cringe at the same time)! I only hope that it goes smoothly and that we are able to get a few really good ones.

Enjoy suffering in suspense for awhile longer... Muhahahahaha... : )

Random Eryn Quote of the Day

"Mom, is Harry Potter a Book of Mormon story?"

"No, it's pretend. The Book of Mormon is a real story."

"Not it's not! (Hands me the first book) See, it's a real story!!!!!!!!!"

Yet another fun thing to work on tyring to distinguish that just because you see something doesn't make it real. With Halloween fast approaching we've had many discussions about what's pretend and what's real. A mother's work is never done!

Dude, Where's Your Posts?

I know that some of you might be asking that very question, well perhaps in a more eloquent manner, but basically the same idea. I've been busy living life making it hard to sit in my computer chair and enjoy surfing the world wide web.

Mike started his new job and really likes it! He's able to spend less time at work and while he's there he's able to be much more relaxed. Overall, he seems really pleased with his choice to leave Enterprise and for his new company's choice to pick him!

Eryn's into throwing massive tantrums, thinks she can run away in the store (which leads to having to ride in the big part of the cart), and just generally thinking that the world revolves around her and only her. I was certain that I had a few more years before she was a teenager. Such is life, right?

Brooke is in the middle of cutting 4 big teeth and fighting allergies. She's basically miserable, but still as loving and sweet as always. In the middle of Eryn's huge fit at the grocery store the other day Brooke knew that I was getting angry and she leaned over and put her little head on my arm and patted me with her hand. It was like she was saying, "Mom, it's ok." Add that tender moment to my frustrations and it was a very close call for tears in the isles of Wal-Mart. Thankfully, I was able to hold back and focus on saving money instead!

I have discovered using coupons recently. We signed up for a local paper and had our first delivery last Sunday. The savings alone on my first run with the coupons paid for the subscription to the paper for the whole month. I was able to get 6 cans of vegetables for FREEEEEEEEE! They were 3 for $1 at Maceys on sale and I had 2 coupons for buy 3 save a $1. The perfect storm was brewing for me to really get excited about saving money and the glimmer of hope that things will continue to work out for the better was enhanced to a flame.

Random word choices? My mind has started working again! I also was able to start back to college this last week! I'm very close to officially finishing my General Education Associates Degree (minus the stinking health class that I was unable to get into for the 6th time of trying!). I have a social work class and a history class both at Utah Valley University (the former UVSC). I am really excited to be back in the classroom and to expand my knowledge and open up to who I really am as a person. I'm such a nerd, I really LOVE going to school!

College football season officially opens today and with BYU claiming their Independence from the oppressive Mountain West, Utah on the cusp of their Big 12 join next year, and the sheer energy and excitement that's so thick you can cut it with a knife around here it's shaping up to be an interesting year! Not to even mention all of the movement in the Big 10 and Big 12 everywhere else.

With ALL of that in mind, I apologize to my blog stalking parents and grandparents in advance this season. College, college football, children, and taking pictures are going to keep me very busy and I will probably tend to neglect my blogging duties from time to time. Know that we're ok and just working like crazy to enjoy everything as it's thrown our way.