On monday, I was at my moms house when I was assigned the birthday cakes for the wednesday birthday party.  I was told that Cohen wanted a thomas the train cake, caitlyn wanted a rainbow cake, and reggie wanted a jake and the neverland pirates cake.  

So that's what i made.  ALong with about 30 cupcakes for everyone else.  

Cohen's Thomas the Train cake

Reggies Jake and the neverland pirates cake (google it if you haven't seen the cartoon)

Caitlyn's rainbow cake...she was disappointed there was no pink or purple on it though. 

We spent the day at my moms house on Wednesday.  We had a birthday party for Cohen, Caitlyn, and REggie.  So after the birthday festivities...

me and piper played with the camera.  She's a doll. 

Macy listened to Caitlyn sing a lot of songs.  She would clap after each song so caitlyn would sing another one. 

The older boys played the Wii.  Mack had no idea what he was doing...i don't think he even knew what guy he was on the tv.  But he had a blast playing with them.

Oh...and Macy ate a lot of food.  Shocker. 

For christmas, I wanted to make a play kitchen for Macy.  So I did...with brad's help of course.  I bought a nightstand from DI for $5.  We used scrap wood at our house to build the top part of it.  I used a picture frame and picture that i already had lying around the house.  We bought discount fabric and second hand fixtures.  We converted one of the drawers into an oven by changing the hinges.  In total, it cost about $25.  

And I LOVE it!!!  But more importantly, so does she. 

This is Mack as he is waking up from the anesthesia after his MRI.  He ate a bright red popsicle to help wake him up.  He was all smiles that day. 

GREAT NEWS!!!! Mack's MRI came back clear.  Nothing wrong with him!  He was probably born with scoliosis.  I'm so grateful for the prayers that have been said on his behalf, for the blessing of the priesthood in our home, for amazing friends and family that were willing to step in and help, and all of you who have expressed concern and love for Mack.  The Lord blesses my life every day through Mack.  I felt him with me every step of the way through this trial.  Now I can sit back, relax, and have a fabulous Christmas!

A couple of things...

This guy...the one with the grey hair...yeah...the old one. It's his birthday today.  the big 5-5.  With every grey hair he gets, he get's wiser and wiser.  I love you dad!  

Also...

This guy is having his MRI tomorrow.  THey said plan on being there between 3-4 hours.  Wish us luck!  

Also...

I found this picture from when mack was 2.  I love it.  I thought I would share.  

That's all.

Christmas eve we got pizza, went and saw Arthur Christmas, read the christmas story, then opened up some new PJ's.  The kids are so cute.  

Macy LOVES our christmas tree. 

In fact, she can't stop looking at it. Doesn't she have the stare of someone who wants to touch?  SO BAD?

The little while ago, i went to Brad's cousins baby shower.  I was trying to find something different to bring as a gift since i only have a walmart out here to shop at.  I got this great frame...

 After a couple of coats of white paint, some ribbon, and a foam poster board cut to the shape of the frame glued to the back, I got this. 

A bow holder.  

And everyone knows...a girl can never have too many hair accessories.  

Mack's aunt made this hat.  Not for macy, but for her own granddaughter.  lucky for macy, her granddaughter never wore it.  so she gave it to macy.  who LOVES it.  Thanks Ida!

Macy says more and more words every day. She is getting better at names too. Here she is saying Annie for grandma annie.  

Mack was "super cleaning" the other day.  not my words...his.  He has a bottle of my cleaner hooked around his belt loop.  He has a superman cape on.  and a magnifying glass so he can look for dirt.  again...his words.  

She is definitely a performer.  

Mack and Meema made a gingerbread house.  It looks amazing.  He was pretty proud, although we were lucky that we had enough candy.  He kept sneaking candy.  

What a beauty!

Macy destroyed one of my christmas ornaments already.  The tree has been up a week.  Inside the ornament was little pieces of styrofoam that was meant to look like snow.  I looked over at her and it was all over her.  I had to vacuum it off of her because static electricity was being stubborn.  She didn't like that too much.   

We were at my moms house and I noticed that Macy kept trying to fit inside the barbie car.  nice.  She also threw the baby doll out of the doll crib and climbed in herself.  also nice. 

The other day, mack had his friend over for a couple hours.  We decided to make sugar cookies, mostly since the kids were getting bored. 

 Of course we had to give macy a taste of the frosting...

 And mack probably ate more frosting than ended up on the cookies. 

But the kids had a blast.  And it kept them entertained for about 30 minutes!

This may be a little late, but I'm pretty proud of this.  It may not be extravagant, but our Thanksgiving table that I put together helped thanksgiving to feel different than every other Sunday dinner.  Thanks to kaylyn for letting me help out with this!  The food was delicious!

The other day, brad must have gotten bored or something.  I was cleaning the kitchen when all of  a sudden, i looked over into the family room to see Mack's plastic dinosaurs lined up on the wall, and mack and brad hiding behind the ottoman with a nerf gun.  

Boys will be boys.  

This may be a little late,  but Brad had his birthday.  The big 2-7.  

I had to get a little creative with the candles...we didn't have a #7, so I just did 25 + 2 . It's like math.  

As per his families tradition, he had to bite the cake.  

Look at that smoldering look!!  Happy birthday to the best husband I've ever had!

I have always wanted a christmas advent calendar that looks like the wooden house one on Christmas Vacation.  I've looked into it....those are over $100.  So I decided to make one.  No everyone, i didn't look on Pinterest. Believe it or not, crafts can be thought of without Pinterest inspiration...or what I like to call PINSPIRATION.  I just bought some wooden drawers from Hobby Lobby, painted them, modge podged some christmas inspired scrapbook paper, and called it good.  It took me all of maybe 2 hrs total and less than $30.  And of course they are filled with christmas candy for the kids!!!1

P.S  Mack was VERY annoyed that the numbers did not go in order.  

Check this out:

It's a great christmas gift Idea for your dad, brother, boyfriend, husband, and missionary.

As some of you know, Franklin has grown.  A lot.  He is not even 6 months old.  And I'm guessing he weighs about 85 lbs now.  So he needs his food to be higher off the ground.  All of the raised feeders that i've seen online that go as high as he needs them are like $175.  So i bought these 2 stools at DI for $5 each and painted them, brad cut holes in the top, and i laid the bowls in them.  

See?  He loves them.  

First thing in the morning, she is a lover...

 and a smiler...

But don't let that face fool you.  At about the stroke of 6 PM she turns into a fighter and a yeller.  basically she acts like a dozen teenager girls all PMSing at the same time.  Can't wait til she's a teen.

Mack didn't have a golf magazine in the dr.'s office this time.  He only had Old Country.  Tell me...who goes to these PEDIATRIC orthopedic doctors?  Old men?  

Macy came downstairs wearing one of mack's hats yesterday.  naturally, she played peek a boo with it...I thought it was pretty cute. 

This is macy.  She is ALWAYS hungry.  And every time you ask her what she wants to eat, it is always the same..."cheese".  

Today mack had his first appointment at Primary Childrens to see if we can figure out why he has back pain.  After being there for like 45 minutes, and talking to a couple of different people, they decided that they needed to take full back X-rays.  After waiting another hour in a tiny little room with 2 bored kids, the dr finally came in and told me the findings.  

She found a pretty substantial curve in his spine.  She doesn't know exactly what is causing it, so she had me schedule a full spinal MRI for him so we can find some answers.  Unfortunately, the soonest they could fit me in was December 16th.  So now we wait over a month, again, to see if we can get some answers.  

Until then, here is a video of the kids playing under the exam table.  There was not one toy in the exam room.  Not one children's book.  So they got pretty bored...

We are trying to take advantage of the last of the sunny days before the weather turns crappy. 

Oh..and the cows are back. 

Macy, on Halloween, was twirling around until she would get so dizzy and fall down.  She's such a funny girl. 

This is what I listen to.  All. Day. Long.  She sure loves to yell.  

Mack LOVES to vacuum.  Up until about 6 months ago, he would run into a different room if I turned the vacuum on. he hates loud noises.  now, he is all about the vacuuming!  Who am I to stand in his way?

What's this you might ask?  It's a bobbin.  Why is it significant?  Let me tell you.  i don't really know of to sew.  I've always been terrified of threading a sewing machine.  So i've always made my mom or kay do it for me.  A few years ago, i got a sewing machine for christmas.  I just got around to setting it up last night.  I read every step of the instruction manual.  And i was so proud that i wound my bobbin all by myself, that when brad got home I ran out to meet him waving it around in my hand.  he thought i was crazy.  Maybe i was...crazy good!!!  Now that I have it set up, maybe I'll use it someday. 

Mack and Macy got their pictures taken through Mack's preschool in september.  

Here is Mack's preschool pic from last year:

Here is his from this year.  He looks so much older now!  After just a year!  His cheeks aren't as chubby and he has a few more freckles on his nose.  

His teacher also let me get Macy's taken.  So here she is at 1:

I sure do have love my kids. 

Ok I took a little blogging break.  I didn't really think that I had anything to blog about.  Then i was going through my phone tonight and found quite a few pics and a couple videos.  So here we go!

Halloween was so much fun this year.  I loved getting my kids all dressed up and taking them around.  

I carved all 7 pumpkins.  brad hates carving pumpkins, but I sure do like doing them.  

Mack was a fireman.  It took a lot of convincing for me to put "soot" on his face.  He doesn't like to get dirty. 

Miss Macy Lou was a lady bug.  She wouldn't sit still for a picture.  

Brad was...well who knows.  He shaved a hideous handlebar mustache.  He still has it.  he won't get rid of it.  And I was a "witch" (I just had the hat on.)  Franklin was super dog.  He wore one of mack's capes.    We took him trick or treating with us.  

It was a blast!!