Christmas

Our Christmas season has been full of fun and joy. We had a fabulous time enjoying my mom, brother Mack and my dad (the couple of days he could be here to relax) while they came to visit. We shopped (of course), laughed and simply enjoyed ourselves. We even snuck down to New Orleans for a quick visit to taste fluffy beignets and enjoy the scenery. I love my family and if I could have one thing I would alter about our profession is that I would pack my family up and have them move with us. But-I shouldn't complain...we've been very blessed with how often both of our families have been able to come visit.

We tried to focus a lot on the reason for the season with our FHE and family discussions. A favorite was when we covered all the prophets of the Book of Mormon and their prophecies of the pending birth of our Savior. All three of the munchins got into it.

We made sugar cookies and decorated them a couple of times this season. It is so fun for them (and me) to get creative and then to think of who the cookies should go to. I think one of our little boys' favorite memories this Christmas was Christmas Eve when we delivered the goodies to the Watch Standers. They are the men who stay on duty 24-365. They keep our coasts safe and are there in case of emergency. We are thankful for them. We also performed an act of Secret Santa. A simple one, but one full of excitement and glee and "secret ninja moves" (according to Gavin). The gift of giving without the benefit of thanks is a wonderful feeling. I think we'll make an effort to do it more than once next Christmas season.

Christmas Eve gave way to a new family tradition, I think. We had cheese fondue and our boys couldn't get enough of it. It was so fun and is something different than what we normally do. Gunnison was SO angry he wasn't allowed to join in, so I found him a fork and poured some cheese into a little bowl. Unfortunately, he is at the age where he KNOWS and it wasn't good enough. When we moved on into the FHE of our evening, though, he was ready for fun. The boys received a surprise gift on the doorstep before the festivities. Jammies! Hooray!! Josiah was stripping faster than a blink and all the boys were eager to get changed. Gunnision was quite eager. We all got a good laugh at his fashion sense. He loved his new jammies the Elves left for him and kept showing them off to us for our applause. He is such a cute ham.

Kit and I enjoyed the quietness of the Christmas lights and feelings of child-like anticipation in the evening after the beasties were in bed. It is so fun having children and experiencing Christmas through their eyes. I have to say it is SO very FUN now.

I thought we would have to sleep until seven, but lucked out when Josiah woke at six-thirty. We quickly woke up our other two (Gunner peering around like a little mole in the lamp-light). We brushed our teeth (a Liberty tradition) and lined up for the "entering". Gavin kept trying to push Gun out of the way and eventually ended up rushing past him once Gun stepped into the family room. The boys were so excited!! Santa and the reindeer ate their goodies and had left them just what they wanted. Josiah got a brand-new bike and helmet, Gavin received a Batman Batcave and Gunnison got a ride on rocket (although Gun was more interested in the balls left in their stocking). We tore through the wrappings and had a wonderful morning. Later, the boys and I tried out their new wheels and went for a couple of walks around the block.

We were so blessed this year. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We love you all and you do way too much for us. Thank you for all the wonderful gifts. They are greatly appreciated.

We missed our family, but it was still a wonderful day. We enjoyed ourselves so much and the children's spirits were infective. We laughed and played all day.

We hope all is well with our loved ones and look forward to this up-coming year. Wonderful things are bound to happen and make 2009 as meaningful as 2008. Hugs and Kisses from the little southern Applegate clan!!!

Family - Hooray!

Sorry I'm not updating my blog regularly...my family is here for a couple of weeks. Hooray, hooray! I'll update ya'll when they leave (as if I have this enormous following :P )

Thoughts...

I've just been thinking about the season...who hasn't. The air has finally chilled here (a frigid 56 degrees for us southies) and the smells of boiling cinnamon sticks and cloves make me think of tasty things. I didn't attend church today due to some stomach bug, but I still felt the urge to bear my testimony.

I know my Savior loves me and each of us. I am truly thankful for His sacrifice and the condescension to come to Earth as a babe. I know the gospel of Christ is true and I know we have a prophet on Earth today to lead and guide us. I am thankful for this guidance in our crazy world, full of sin and sadness. I know by following the commandments of God we can find true joy in this life. I know Joseph Smith saw our Heavenly Father and Christ in a grove and translated the Book of Mormon, another testament to us of Christ and his love for us. I am thankful for the opportunity to have eternal families and know we will be together forever through keeping our temple covenants. I love my family-all of them-and I am excited at the thought of forever with them.

This is the season of love, giving and thankfulness...I truly have so many things to be thankful for!

After the "wrappings" have settled...

It is Josiah's birthday. The big 6! I can't believe he is so big...time really flies by. He has been so excited for his birthday...bAreLY (my attempt at being a cute blogger like Coty and Andrea) hanging on since Gavin's has passed. He struggled with going to sleep last night due to the "excitedness in my tummy" and woke up with a HuGe grin. I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast (really, thank Pillsbury) and he gobbled them up and headed off to school. I brought Zebra cakes (his choice) to his class for snack time where his teacher, Mrs. Ryall, lit a candle and we all sang to him. He was so stinkin' cute-he actually blushed! I luuvved it! After we got home he opened his mega-24 pack play dough (thank you Auntie Steph and fam) and played for awhile until Daddy came home and we were off to Moe's - yUmmO- for chips and salsa. We came home and Josiah finally got to tear into the wrapping paper. Let me tell you, the tissue paper was flying! Thank you family, for all of your thoughtful gifts. Josiah was in present heaven. He got everything he wanted and loved it all (no underwear or other boring things, lol). We then devoured the cheesecake Kit made (Jos's request) and rainbow sherbet ice cream. Life was good and Josiah enjoyed it all! He went to sleep with a gi-normous smile on his face.

Now comes for the sentimentality. I almost didn't, but Kit reminded me I had for my other boys, so here it is...

Josiah was a surprise. Kit and I were married just less than a year when we found out we were expecting. We were excited when we found out we were having a boy (remember Kit's aversion to daughters) and awaited his birth. I gained quite a bit of weight (uggh) and in my last trimester began swelling. I am an anti-hypochondriac, so I didn't really ask about it. I should have realized something was wrong when fingerprints remained in my legs after putting my socks on, but you know...anyway, I went in for my 37 wk. check-up on my way for a girls'-night-out with my mom and sisters. Yep, I was told I wouldn't be going anywhere. They decided they needed to induce me due to toxemia. No girls' night! We called Kit, who packed my bags and came to the hospital. After a full day and not too much happening...well...other than the few hours I simply can't remember (you'll have to ask Kit, my mom or sisters) I finally reached a point far enough a long to receive my epidural. Within a few minutes I was on my pushing way and out came this tiny, skinny, red-fuzzed (on his head, shoulders and tips of his ears) little boy. I still smile thinking about his red fuzz-I had a dream I gave birth to an orangutan just a few days prior...and out came our own version. He only weighed 6 lbs 6 oz and was 21 inches long. I promptly fell asleep following my 36 hour labor.

Josiah has been a blessing in our lives from the beginning. He was such a sweet baby and has grown into a kind, friendly little boy. He is so clever and curious about eVErYthIng. We love him and thank the Lord for our oldest rough-and-tumble little one.

The Stack

A Couple of Favorites

The Carnage

YuMmO!

I just had to throw in a picture of Gunner tackling Gavin

'Tis the Season

I'm sure there are plenty of sighs out there...Kit calls me misguided...I know! BUT-I can't help it. I L.O.V.E. the Holiday Season. It begins with Halloween and then...Thanksgiving...then- CHRISTMAS! I'm not the only one in love with Christmas out there, I know. But, here it comes, my admission of complete guilt. Are you ready for it? I enjoy Christmas music immediately after Halloween...You didn't catch that? Okay, Okay...I L.O.V.E. Christmas music. Today is a pseudo Christmas season for me. Gav and I whipped up a batch of molasses crackles...yummo! And the best part of the day is...drumroll...as in Little Drummer Boy! Yes, as of today Sirius plays Christmas Music AND I am listening to it right now online. Ahhhh! I love this season and Frosty the Snowman, the Grinch, Silver Bells...

Down to 2

Josiah has been wanting to practice riding a two-wheeler for...well...a long time. My mom and I picked up a cheapie from the thrift store for 5 bucks when she was here a while ago. Finally, I took the time to try with him last night. He was catching on pretty well, but the seat kept slipping down and hindering his balance. When Kit, the conquering hero daddy, arrived home, he tightened the seat effectively. Despite my half-hour attempt, I DID NOT succeed in doing it-maybe I got it mostly there...yeah, I'll tell myself that to boost my self-esteem. With Daddy now helping, Jos figured it out and by dinnertime was riding up and down the street. We still need to hold on at the beginning to help him catch his balance, but he's a riding man!

Sorry, no pictures last night. By the time Kit was helping, it was dark. If the rain lets up and Jos can ride this evening, I'll post some pics.

My cutie actually posing!

Gavin running around behind..."practicing his running"
Daddy working with Jos on his take-off

The concentrating-Applegate-tongue poking out

H-A-DOUBLE L-O-W-DOUBLE E-N spells Halloween!

Our little family had a wonderful Halloween. We carved pumpkins for FHE. Gavin and I loved gutting the pumpkins. Josiah shuddered with every gooey spoonful (and ran to wash his hands every few minutes). He soon handed it over to me to de-gunk. It truly is my favorite part. After numerous attempts (and truly unfruitful--my side of the family, quit laughing) in my youth to carve the PERFECT pumpkin from the wondrous ideas in my head (again, my family quit chortling...poky eyelashes seemed so fabulous at the time!!), my pumpkins never reached great potential. Parts looked all wrong, I accidently chopped important parts off and inevitably my pumpkin was the worst of the family's. Ok, I'll stop waxing on about my sorrowful and disappointing childhood...This year, my boys voted mine the best. Yeah for the mama (mine is the ghostie)!! We had a blast! Gotta love jack-o-lanterns!We attended our ward's chili cook-off and trunk-or-treat. It is a tradition Kit and I really get into. Poor Kit was so sure he was going to win this year, but no such luck. It was rigged, I tell you! ;) We invited our neighbor and her son, Dillan, and Josh (a guy Kit works with) and his family to come along. We had a lot of fun devouring steaming chili and enjoying the great company.

Josiah was dressed as a mosquito (this was his idea, and one that made me go hmmmm to figure out how to make it work), Gavin went as a fireman, Gunnison as a blue beetle and Kit went as Arthur Dent. After the kids made a haul on candy, we called it a night.Halloween day arrived and my kiddies were so excited. Gavin and Jos have been counting down since the beginning of October. Once I filled out my calendar and they saw the drawn on bats, they were counting the days. We went trick-or-treating to the Becks, a family who used to be in our ward. They are so kind and we love them! Their neighborhood was full of children and so friendly, we stayed there for the rest of the time. Josiah ended the night wishing he could be driving his cousins' Gator- a little electric vehicle-for trick-or-treating. His feet were killing him! Boohoo! ;) Despite my assurances Cooper and Greyson weren't driving it around door to door, he was green with envy. Be sure, Humphrey boys, if Josiah owned your Gator, that was exactly what he would have been doing with it!!Kit and I love Halloween. We enjoyed the costumes, pumpkins and fall air. It is even more fun to share it with kiddies who get into the spirit. Happy Halloween to you all!!

Luuuv

My boys are speaking often about love (always spoken as luuuv) lately. I'm not quite sure what spurred this on, but it has come up a few times the last couple of weeks. Josiah has had a little girl in his PE class try to kiss him a couple of times (much to his chagrin). She's his friend, he told us, but she's too interested in...you guessed it...luuuv. Girl luuv, as he calls it, is loviness. Holding hands, kissing, acting gushy. Girl luuuv. He told Kit last night he would never like girl luuv (after Kit stole a kiss from me in the kitchen). Kit laughingly corrected him that he would like it in a few years' time. Josiah exclaimed-NEVER! and told us if any girls wanting girl luuv got near him he would run away. Haahaa! Yes, son...keep on running until after your mission.

Gavin asked me the other day when I fell in love (spoken as yuuuv) with him. I told him I never had to fall in love with him, I just always loved him. He told me he falls in yuuv with me when I give him hugs, but it isn't girl yuuv, just yuuv. Silly boys.

Truly Happy

I was thinking today, as I was running very mundane errands, and came to the conclusion I'm truly happy. It has been quite a while since I have felt this way. Things in my life haven't changed, my beasties are still goobery at times, money is still tight-as it probably always will be and I still need to loose the baby weight. But, life IS good. I know, you can laugh at my mushy-gushy mind wandering (Kit does, good thing I'm here to keep him entertained ;P ). You can blame it on my recent hair trim, maybe less weight to hold this air-head down, but I feel giggly and good. Even sunshiny. I have so many blessings withing my little sphere and they make me happy!

Seek and you will find (Kit's title, I'm leaning away so I won't be struck!!)

Our newest family hobby and possibly the next Marzipan Incident (drum roll, please) geocaching. Do you know what that is? I hadn't heard of it much, maybe a mention here or there until Kit (collector of new hobbies) began to be interested. It is essentially a treasure hunt. We are given a coordinate (latitude and longitude) and with our GPS we go to that location. Once there, the search is on and we try to find the "cache" or treasure. It is usually a box with a log book of geocachers who have located it and sometimes filled with objects. You are allowed to take an object if you leave one of greater or equal value.

Our first geocache experience was across the bay in Daphne. We received the coordinates for a small, obscure grave site located behind a car dealership. This cemetery dates back to the 1700's. There are not a lot of grave markers due to the fact they were originally made out of wood and have since rotted away. Someone created cement crosses with what little information they had from the previous wood ones, sometimes only a first name or last name. Josiah was saddened and intrigued at a cross of a little girl only 3 years old who had died in the early 1800s. Josiah was pleased to take a tiny green plastic monkey from our first cache and left a valued seashell. Kit found this cache quite quickly and even quicker, we became hooked.

Kit was on duty and had to work all weekend, so he was given Monday off. With Josiah out of school for a teacher prep day, it was a perfect day to try our hand at more geocaching. The boys were SO excited. To them, it is the ultimate-the opportunity to sneak around, look under, in and around bushes, etc. and to find the elusive hidden treasure. The boys collected their "gear" (note we are SUPPOSED to be secretive about this), I packed snacks and water bottles and we were off. We proved our ineptitude on the first two attempts, but the boys were not discouraged in the least.

On our third location, Josiah hit the jackpot. This cache was also located in an old cemetery, located downtown Mobile. It is a large one with an entire section for the confederate soldiers lost during the battle defending Mobile in the Civil War. Again, my boys were interested in the history of what we were viewing. The unknown soldiers bothered Jos. It made him sad no one knew who they were to "write" their name on their stone. I overheard him telling Gavin that he knew Heavenly Father and Jesus knew who they were and that they would be resurrected soon. I had to chuckle when he added "you know, with the dinosaurs". After we looked around a bit, we headed off to another cache site.

This last one was a progressive series of coordinates to find the final cache. I really enjoyed it. It is on a local nature walk and the cacher was creative with the locations of the serial coordinates. We got exercise, wore our children out and spent wonderful family time together. My boys thought they hit the veritable pot o' gold with this cache. Along with the log book, there was treasure galore. It was a tough choice between a bell, bouncy balls, a wiggly plastic skeleton, a toy car, beads, etc. Josiah and Gavin each left a treasure behind, a toy penguin and a toy lizard and claimed their choice loot. I had to veto Josiah's first choice-a bone...not a plastic bone, but a real bone bleached white with dried out marrow. I didn't want our hands on something, or someone's bone...uggh! Of course my child wants something like that-"but mom, it is probably a dinosaur bone!"

I'm excited for this new family hobby. I hope it will continue to be something we can do together, even when my boys are big, stinky boys. Maybe it will up my cool factor in their book.

If you're interested, check this out

Our secretive little boys in their "gear"

Josiah with his cache find

Typical pictures of my "special" family
(aren't we photogenic)

Monument to the Confederate Dead

Cute boys!
(Note the candy corn stuck to Gunner's collarbone, not just Mommy survives on candy corn alone)

Josiah protecting his "do" from random drops of rain
(again, aren't we photogenic)

The search

The tired, but treasured end (I know, cheesy pun)

Free Handbag?

Who doesn't love a new bag? Since receiving my fav Kate Spade bag from my sis-in-law, Sydnee, and finding a Prada bag at my thrift store (seriously, for less than $5), I'm hooked! I have fallen in love with new bags! Join the club and register to win a free one...or maybe not, so I'll be the lucky winner!

http://www.handbagplanet.com

Birthday...#3

Gavin Reed turned 3 years old yesterday. I was waxing nostalgic with Kit and I thought I would share with you.

Kit, Jos and I were stationed in Port Huron, Michigan when we decided to have baby number 2. We prayed about it and felt it was the right time and low and behold...fertile Myrtle performed (Kit was only home 3 days in the month of January and we still managed)! Things went well and I had a fairly easy pregnancy. Kit received his orders to A-school (a training school for 8 weeks) and needed to report to Yorktown, Virginia October 15th. I was due October 18th, so we decided to move me home to my parents in Oklahoma in September and possibly ask my new doctor in Stillwater if he would be willing to induce me so Kit could be there for the delivery. After a frenzy of getting the house packed up and cleaned (sans Kit) so we could leave, Kit took us home. After a short visit, Kit returned to his cutter now in dry-dock in Wisconsin. My doctor agreed to induce me one week early since I was already slightly dilated and 75% effaced at my 36 week appointment. Hooray! We booked Kit's flight for the 9th and the induction was to be early on the 10th. Well, as plans have a way of going awry, a cold front moved in the night of October 5th. I woke up to sharp cramps 5:30 am. I waited it out, thinking I couldn't really be in labor, but went to tell my mom when they were 7 min apart at 7:30. I went back upstairs to shower and get ready for the day. At 9 they were 5 min apart and I called the doctor. He told me to come on in to the hospital. So, in between contractions my mom, Steph and I got Jos ready to go, packed my bags and headed out. I was still in denial, but agreed to call Kit and let him know I was heading to the hospital. I'll never forget his stunned question, "Can't you stop it? Maybe wait for me?" Haaahaa! Yeah, I'll just cross my legs until you can fly in! Silly man. When I got to the hospital, I was still afraid they would send me home and when the nurse warned me just that, I thought for sure I was being silly. Nope (thankfully!) I was already at 5.5 cm and effaced. I asked politely for the epidural and was told the anesthesiologist was in surgery, but he would come up as soon as he could. Okay, I could wait it out. My nurse was fabulous, helping me into other positions to labor and things were great until I needed to push...what, without my drugs! Yep, without my consent (just like now) Gavin decided to do whatever he wanted. Out he came! The cutest little Troll-baby ever! He had a reddish-blond fuzz and the most disgruntled expression. Everything was said and done by 12:30 in the afternoon. I was so thankful for the way Kit's captain put him on the first flight home to me. It was wonderful he was able to get there late that night.

Gavin has been our fabulous super-hero from the start. He was walking at 9 months and didn't stop there. Leaping off of tables, couches, beds, fences...you name it, Gav has climbed and soared off of it. He has the greatest imagination ever. He IS everything from a baby rhino to Batman. We love our little man and are so glad Heavenly Father sent warrior #2 into our family.

Birthday Dinner at the Boiling Pot

Gavin (looking funny, sorry) with his big ol' plate of crawfish tails (when asked what he wanted for birthday dinner he said "crawfish" don't we have a little southerner!)

Spiderman Cake (his choice, of course)

Aunt Ashlee's fab gift

Surrounded by all his loot

It's Autumn Time!

I love the fall. It is by far my favorite season. Down here we don't get a great fall, but a girl can dream, right? To make me feel more in the season, I decided to decorate-quite the feat for me. I haven't really had the desire or energy to do much lately, so what little I did was a fabulous accomplishment. So, I wanted to share them with you. I actually found the little flower wreath at Walmart and I wired it and a berry strand to a grape-vine wreath I had. It plumped it up a bit and added more demension. I was pleased with the result. I'm not really talented in the flower arranging area and it would have looked better with a bow, but I am SO not capable of making beautiful bows...so my wreath is unadorned. I also took a little time to primp and prime my little ghosties and my cheap mums in their flower box. I was excited for the feel of fall around my home. I also hope Kit will find it to be a fun little sprucing up for his return home.

My wreath

A close-up

My Flower-box

My ghosties

My doorway