OUR FAMILY

THINGS ARE GOING GREAT FOR US. WE HAVE DECIDED TO START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT BY GETTING INTO BETTER SHAPE. WE GOT MEMBERSHIPS TO THE GYM. PLEASE SHOW US ALL YOUR SUPPORT. WE NEED IT. OUR KIDS ARE STILL OUR WHOLE WORLD, OF COURSE. WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH AND COULDN'T IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT THEM. MARLOWE IS STILL THE LITTLE FIRECRACKER, CAUSING ME A HUGE INCREASE IN GRAY HAIRS. SHE LOVES TO SAY " I DO IT." SHE IS VERY INDEPENDENT AND WANTS TO DO EVERY THING HERSELF. HER OTHER FAVORITE PHRASE IS; "NO, I DON'T WANT" SHE IS A GIRL WHO ALREADY KNOWS VERY WELL WHAT SHE DOES AND DOES NOT WANT IN LIFE. WE LOVE THE SPICE SHE BRINGS TO OUR LIFE. MASON IS STILL A SWEET HEART. HE MELTS MY HEART WITH EVERY SMILE. HE IS A DADDY'S BOY, THOUGH. AS SOON AS HE WALKS IN THE DOOR MASON IS SPEED CRAWLING OVER TO HIM TO GET A BIG HUG. HE CLAPS HIS HANDS AND LOVES TO HAVE BOOKS READ TO HIM. WE LOVE HIM SO MUCH.

THE YEAR OF THE BANGS

YES, I CUT MY HAIR. I THINK I HATE IT. I WAS LOOKING ONLINE FOR CELEBRITY HAIRSTYLES THAT I LIKED AND MESE DISCOVERED THIS PROGRAM THAT YOU CAN PUT YOUR PICTURE IN AND TRY ALL KINDS OF HAIR STYLES ON YOURSELF. SO THE ONE THAT LOOKED THE BEST ON THAT PARTICULAR PICTURE WAS ONE OF ASHLEY SIMPSON'S HAIRSTYLES WITH BANGS. SO, I WENT FOR IT. FOR ABOUT THE FIRST WEEK, I LOVED IT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A LITTLE HARD TO GET USED TO. NOW I JUST HATE IT BECAUSE IT'S GOING THROUGH THE UGLY STAGE. I JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT, THOUGH UNTIL IT GROWS OUT MORE. AND WHY DOES IT SEEM LIKE EVERY ONE ELSE I KNOW IS CUTTING BANGS TOO?

CRUISIN'

FOR CHRISTMAS MY PARENTS BOUGHT ALL THEIR KIDS A CRUISE. IT WAS SO AWESOME. WE ALL WENT FROM JAN.14TH TO THE 18TH. IT WAS LIKE A LITTLE FAMILY REUNION OUT AT SEA. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN. WE WERE SPOILED WITH DELICIOUS FOOD. TOO MUCH FOOD AND ALL KINDS OF FUN AND LAUGHS. WE DANCED THE NIGHT AWAY AND ROCKED THE KARAOKE BAR. WE JUST WISH WE WOULD HAVE HAD ALL OUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES THERE TO SHARE IT WITH. WE ARE GONNA TRY AND MAKE IT A YEARLY TRADITION AND GO EVERY JANUARY. THATS THE OFF SEASON AND YOU CAN REALLY CHEAP TICKETS. SO IF ANYONE WANTS TO JOIN US, LET US KNOW.
IT WAS SO NICE TO HAVE A BREAK FROM THE KIDS. LUCKILY WE KNEW THEY WERE IN GOOD HANDS. A HUGE THANKS TO MASON AND MELINA PATTERSON AND DAN AND GABBY HULL. YOU GUYS ARE SO WONDERFUL. WE LOVE YOU.

WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY

SO, THIS PAST WEEK I PUT UP THE TREE AND WE HUNG LIGHTS AROUND THE CEILING AND I PUT UP THE NATIVITY AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. IN THE BOX THERE WAS A PICTURE OF LITTLE MESE ON SANTA CLAUS' LAP. SO I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREP MARLOWE FOR THE WARD PARTY THIS PAST WEEKEND TO EXPLAIN WHO SANTA IS AND HELP HER TO NOT BE SCARED. LAST YEAR SHE WAS VERY SCARED. EACH DAY WE WOULD GO OVER AND OVER WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE DOES, BUT I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO SIT ON HIS LAP IN ORDER TO GET THE CANDY AND TOYS. WHEN IT CAME TIME TO SIT ON HIS LAP SHE DUG HER FINGERNAILS INTO MY ARM AND SCREAMED LIKE I HAVE NEVER HEARD HER DO BEFORE. HER BROTHER, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS COMPLETELY FINE WITH IT. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SUCH AN EASY GOING BABY. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE PICTURES ONTO THE COMPUTER, BUT HERE ARE SOME FROM THAT NIGHT. I LOVE CHRISTMAS.

NE W VAN

WELL, HERE IS THE LATEST PICTURE OF OUR KIDS. THEY LOOK A LITTLE LIKE ORPHANS IN THIS PICTURE, BUT WE LOVE THEM. IT IS SUCH A JOY TO BE A PARENT. THEY JUST GROW TOO FAST. ANY WAYS, I JUST LOVE THE HOLIDAYS. MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IS THE EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT I RECEIVED A FEW WEEKS AGO. MY HUSBAND BOUGHT ME A MINI VAN. I LOVE IT. IT IS SO NICE AND ROOMY AND I CAN DRIVE SO MUCH BETTER IN IT. WE ARE ALL ENJOYING IT VERY MUCH. THE BEST THING, THOUGH, IS THAT I AM NOT STUCK WITHOUT A CAR ANY MORE. IT'S WONDERFUL. ESPECIALLY SINCE MESE IS GONNA BE WORKING AND GOING TO SCHOOL. I FEEL LIKE AN OFFICIAL MORMON MOM NOW.

DIETING

WELL, NOT MUCH IS NEW. NOW THAT MESE IS BACK TO WORK AND WE HAVE A DAILY SCHEDULE LIFE IS KINDA DULL, BUT TRUST ME I AM READY FOR THAT. MESE LOVES HIS NEW JOB AND I AM ENJOYING THE ROUTINE. I GET TO WORK OUT EVERY DAY, NOT THAT I ACTUALLY DO, I SHOULD, BUT IT'S MORE LIKE FOUR TIMES A WEEK. I WENT TO HAVE A CHECK UP ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND AFTER ALL MY BLOOD TESTS AND EVERYTHING I FOUND OUT THAT I'M IN GOOD SHAPE. "VERY HEALTHY" ACCORDING TO THE DOCTOR WHICH IS GREAT NEWS. I JUST WISH IT WAS THE SAME FOR MY HUSBAND. HE HAS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, WHICH I HAD HOPED, COMING FROM A DOCTOR WOULD SCARE HIM ENOUGH TO CHANGE ENOUGH TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. ONE OF THE REASONS I MARRIED MY HUSBAND WAS BECAUSE OF HIS SIZE. I ALWAYS FEEL SO SAFE AND PROTECTED AND PETITE WHEN HE WRAPS HIS BIG ARMS AROUND ME. BUT, I WANT HIM TO BE HEALTHY ABOVE ALL. SO, AS A RESULT, WE ARE ONCE AGAIN TRYING A NEW "PLAN" TO EAT HEALTHY. I HATE TO CALL IT A DIET BECAUSE IT REALLY IS SUPPOSE TO JUST BE A COMPLETE LIFE CHANGE. IF ONLY IT WERE AS EASY AS HIS PHOTO-EDITING DIET(CHECK OUT MESE'S LATEST BLOG ENTRY). SO, I KNOW HE'S KINDA GETTING OLD NOW, BUT I HAVE BEEN WATCHING DR. OZ ON OPRAH A LOT LATELY AND REMEMBERED THAT TUI HAD BOUGHT HIS BOOK A WHILE BACK. IT WAS SITTING ON THE SHELF COLLECTING DUST SO I PICKED IT UP AND STARTED READING. IT'S VERY INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE, BUT MY FAVORITE PART IS ALL THE RECIPES IN THE BACK. THEY ARE PRETTY EASY AND VERY GOOD. SO FAR IT'S GOING WELL. WE ARE STARTING OUT SLOW. I GOT SO EXCITED WHEN DR. OZ SAID YOU COULD EAT DESSERT EVERY OTHER DAY. AT THE TIME I DIDN'T KNOW HE MEANT HIS RECIPES. I AM A HUGE CHOCOLATE FAN AND I HAVE A VERY BIG SWEET TOOTH. LIKE I SAID WE ARE CUTTING STUFF OUT SLOWLY. NOW, IF I COULD JUST GET MESE TO EXERCISE A LITTLE. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

ANSWERED PRAYERS

I HAVE SO MUCH TO BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERY DAY, BUT ESPECIALLY TODAY. WE HAVE HAD SO MANY ANSWERS TO PRAYERS THIS LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. I JUST HAD TO PUT DOWN IN WORDS HOW THANKFUL I AM THAT HEAVENLY FATHER IS THERE FOR US. HE MAY NOT DO EVERYTHING IN THE TIMING THAT WE DESIRE, BUT IT IS SO TRUE THAT ONCE THINGS DO WORK OUT, YOU LOOK BACK AND YOU CAN REALLY SEE WHY HEAVENLY FATHER REALLY DOES SEE THE BIG PICTURE AND HIS TIMING IS BETTER. HE KNOWS ALL AND HE DEFINITELY ANSWERS PRAYERS. WE'RE DOING GREAT.