Happy Birthday Sydney!!!

This weekend is my little Syd's Birthday. She will be 4. Oh how those 4 years flew. Some of my favorite things about Sydney are...

1. She is a singer...everywhere she goes she is singing. She loves to just sing about things. Now she is in primary she is getting to know actual tunes rather than just making them up. Her favs are I love to see the temple and I am a child of God.

2. She loves to dance... she dances like a soccer player. Her body jerks in different directions and she runs and falls down a lot. She really gets me laughing.

3. She likes to put on plays. She acts out situations with dance and expessions, I think this one makes me laugh the most because she is so very expressive. She is so so so dramatic.

4. She has so much love. She can't let anyone leave our home with out a hug and kiss if not 3 or 4. She is very sensitive with her loveing.

5. She is very spiritual. She will say a prayer at the drop of a hat. There have been times where she almost creeps me out because she will talk about the darkness and how she prayed and Jesus came and chased the darkness away. She is very close to our father in heaven and our Savior her faith and innocence really inspire me to be closer to them as well.

6. She is a great big sister. Rowyn insists on being right beside her and she loves it. She can't wait till Rowyn can dance too.

7. Words. Like her mommy she loves to make up words if she doesn't know the right one for the job. Privacy is Priceavey. Button them is Buttom um.

8. she is a princess. She loves dressing up as a princess. Many people call her their little princess. She loves that.

9. She captures the heart of every man in the remote area. She has Mark's young men wrapped around her fingers. Of course Mark would do anything for her. And many other neighbors and friends just love her.

10. She calms me when I am sad. Whenever I am having a hard day she is right by my side. she even says, "Mommy lets watch that movie with music and dancing and Mr. Darcy," Now that is a girl who knows how to cheer me up. She will sit through the entire movie of Pride and Prejudice with me. She is her mamma's girl.

Time Flies.
Dress up is a favorite at our house. Never mind me... I am just out of bed and look more the part of the wicked witch than a fairy princess.

Well Sydney's 4th birthday is just around the corner and I am opening up the blog for ideas for a cake and party. She loves princess themes. Any good ideas for cake and invitations and decor are so very welcome. She has been quite in love with little mermaid lately too.

This is Sydney telling me that Rowyn made the mess in her room. Yeah....right....but oh man isn't she growing up fast?

. Rowyn, she is getting around more. Her first official crawl was yesterday Jan 12th. yay!! no more mancrawling.

Last of all....we got about 8 inches of snow. This is our Snow Lady. She was fun to make. Sydney loves making snowmen. Rowyn didn't do much other than sit in the snow and tip over on her head.

Lovin the snow, Mark and his scouts went on a snow hike and camping trip on Friday and Saturday. Needless to say.....they froze. But they had fun. that is what counts. :)

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list.

Put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and figure out if you have a life.
I know i don't. I've seen way too many.

( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show(x) Grease(x) Pirates of the Caribbean(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest( ) Boondock Saints(x) Fight Club( ) Starsky and Hutch(x ) Neverending Story(x) Blazing Saddles( ) Airplane

Total: 6

(x) The Princess Bride(x) Anchorman(x) Napoleon Dynamite() Labyrinth() Saw() Saw II() White Noise() White Oleander(x) Anger Management(x) 50 First Dates(x) The Princess Diaries(x) The Princess Diaries 2: ()Royal Engagement

Total so far: 13

(x) Scream(x ) Scream 2( ) Scream 3( ) Scary Movie( ) Scary Movie 2( ) Scary Movie 3( ) Scary Movie 4(x) American Pie() American Pie 2() American Wedding() American Pie Band Camp

Total so far: 16

(x) Harry Potter 1(x) Harry Potter 2(x) Harry Potter 3(x) Harry Potter 4(x) Resident Evil 1(x) Resident Evil 2(x) The Wedding Singer(x) Little Black Book(x) The Village( ) Lilo & Stitch

Total so far: 25

(x) Finding Nemo(x) Finding Neverland(x) Signs(x) The Grinch() Texas Chainsaw Massacre
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning() White Chicks() Butterfly Effect(x) 13 Going on 30(x) I, Robot() Robots

Total so far: 31

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story() Universal Soldier
() Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events(x) Along Came Polly(x) Deep Impact
() KingPin(x) Never Been Kissed(x) Meet The Parents() Meet the Fockers() Eight Crazy Nights(x) Joe Dirt(x) KING KONG

Total so far: 38

() A Cinderella Story(x) The Terminal( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber() Dumber & Dumberer() Final Destination() Final Destination 2() Final Destination 3() Halloween() The Ring() The Ring 2( ) Surviving X-MAS() Flubber

Total so far: 40

() Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle(x) Practical Magic() Chicago() Ghost Ship() From Hell
() Hellboy() Secret Window(x) I Am Sam() The Whole Nine Yards() The Whole Ten Yards

Total so far: 42

(x) The Day After Tomorrow() Child's Play() Seed of Chucky( ) Bride of Chucky(x) Ten Things I Hate About You() Just Married() Gothika() Nightmare on Elm Street(x) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans( ) Coach Carter() The Grudge() The Grudge 2(x) The Mask() Son Of The Mask

Total so far: 47

() Bad Boys() Bad Boys 2() Joy Ride() Lucky Number Slevin(x) Ocean's Eleven(x) Ocean's Twelve(x) Bourne Identity(x) Bourne Supremecy( ) Lone Star() Bedazzled() Predator I
() Predator II() The Fog(x) Ice Age(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown(x) Curious George

Total so far: 54

(x) Independence Day() Cujo() A Bronx Tale() Darkness Falls() Christine(x) ET() Children of the Corn() My Bosses Daughter() Maid in Manhattan() War of the Worlds() Rush Hour() Rush Hour 2

Total so far: 55

( ) Best Bet(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days(x) She's All That( ) Calendar Girls() Sideways
() Mars Attacks() Event Horizon(x) Ever After(x) Wizard of Oz(x) Forrest Gump() Big Trouble in Little China(x) The Terminator() The Terminator 2() The Terminator 3

Total so far: 60

(x) X-Men(x) X-2(x) X-3(x) Spider-Man(x) Spider-Man 2() Sky High() Jeepers Creepers() Jeepers Creepers 2() Catch Me If You Can(x) The Little Mermaid(x) Freaky Friday(x) Reign of Fire(x) The Skulls() Cruel Intentions() Cruel Intentions 2() The Hot Chick(x) Shrek(x) Shrek 2

Total so far: 70

() Swimfan(x) Miracle on 34th street() Old School(x) The Notebook( x) K-Pax() Krippendorf's Tribe() A Walk to Remember() Ice Castles() Boogeyman() The 40-year-old Virgin

Total so far: 73

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total so far: 79

() Baseketball( ) Hostel(x) Waiting for Guffman() House of 1000 Corpses( ) Devils Rejects(x) Elf() Highlander(x) Mothman Prophecies() American History X( ) Three


Total so Far:82

() The Jacket() Kung Fu Hustle( ) Shaolin Soccer( ) Night Watch() Monsters Inc.(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail() Shaun Of the Dead() Willard

Total so far: 84

( ) High Tension() Club Dread(x) Hulk() Dawn Of the Dead(x) Hook() Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe(x) 28 days later() Orgazmo() Phantasm(x) Waterworld

Total so far: 87

(x) Kill Bill vol 1() Kill Bill vol 2(x) Mortal Kombat( ) Wolf Creek(x) Kingdom of Heaven() The Hills Have Eyes() I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman( ) The Last House on the Left( ) Re-Animator() Army of Darkness

Total so far: 90

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace(x)Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith() Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi() Ewoks Caravan Of Courage() Ewoks The Battle For Endor

Total so far: 95

(x) The Matrix(x) The Matrix Reloaded(x) The Matrix Revolutions()Animatrix() Evil Dead() Evil Dead 2( ) Team America: World Police(x) Red Dragon(x) Silence of the Lambs
() Hannibal

Total-- 100

At least it is an even 100 Right. Oh well. I knew long ago I had no life.

Prize-a-fee

Prize-a-fee. Sydney, in all her curiosity has been observing dad sans clothes whenever she can. She walks in on him going potty or getting out of the shower. He usually shrieks and says TRRRRRRIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!!!!!! So now we have told her over and over that daddies are different than mommies and they need their privacy. So now when she needs to go potty we aren't allowed in cause she needs her Prize-a-fee. We love it. She is great at giving Mark his privacy as well.

26. This is the magic number of people my mother-in law tried to squeeze into her home every stinking day of the holidays. The first day I was afraid to put my baby down for fear she would be stepped on or sat on. 2nd that many people belong in a very large space not a 2 bedroom home with a kitchen the size of an outhouse and dinning room that you have to "suck it in" when walking around the table. needless to say we passed up many a family bonding experience due to claustrophobia. I love family....but I love to visit on a one on one basis.

New calling....Relief society Secretary. I am enjoying being with the adults after 5 years in primary. I do catch myself talking to the sisters as if they are 7 years old. I am working on that. I am sure they don't appreciate it. hee hee. Oh well...that is what happens when you are with children 24-7.

relieved that the holidays are over....I am ready to begin my wonderful new year and work on all of those resolutions. :)

Not much is going on right now. We have a ton of snow but we have had freezing rain the last 2 days and so Sydney can't play in the snow because it is one solid piece of ice. She just jumps on it and pretty much ice skates across the front lawn. boo. I wanted to make a snowman.

Christmas will be fun this year. I got Mark a secret present. Each year I am only able to slip one present under his nose. He is sneaky. He does the checking accounts and bills so I have to figure out a way of purchasing something under the radar. He trys to figure out everything he gets for christmas. This year I have him stumped. I am so excited. It doesn't help that I am a horrible secret keeper. So if you have a secret....don't tell me. I could keep it if I knew it would hurt someone if it was told....but a present.....nope. Well this year I am doing great. Oh it is killing me not to tell him. But it has kept the excitement of christmas high at our house. Sydney loves to see him try to figure it out and has joined in on guessing.

Rowyn is getting big and growing into a lot of that baby fat. She is beautiful. She is like a little upchucking machine lately. I keep a bib on her daily. yuck. Oh well. She spit up at church yesterday and the young girl behind me, home for christmas from college, gagged. I just laughed and said, "makes you want to have kids right away doesn't it." She said "NO!!!"

I love my girls. They are such a slice of heaven. They really make my life so full of love and laughter. We were playing a guessing game in the car yesterday and we were saying, "I'm thinking of an animal....." Well Sydney said she wanted to do people. So she started with a friend of ours named Chad. She said, "I'm thinking of a guy with a face and a great big head....oh and a big tummy." Mark Said Chad!!! We really laughed.

Merry Christmas to everyone. We love you all so much

I am going to try fudge and caramels this season. I have never tried but I have to try sometime right?? Thanks to Monica for the recipe for caramel.

:)

Fencing is insanely hard. Mark and I have been doing it for a while. Mark has been doing it for about 4 months and me 4 weeks. We fence for about 3 hours every Tuesday. when I walk out of Penn State my legs feel like Jello. Wow. I don't think I have ever done anything this hard before. It pushes me beyond my limit and then some. I am sure that it will get easier with time but wow right now I am really having to work. It really feels good to be doing something that really kicks my trash. I have been taking it easy for far too long.

After I get feeling better with this I am going to take a dance class. I am excited for that.

I have also been singing a lot lately. I really love to sing. It is the key to lifting the burdens in my life. It is like I sing away any stress and pressure it is an awesome vice in my life. I thank heavenly father for giving me such a beautiful talent. I love to help people feel the spirit through my songs. I think I get a great workout when I sing with the choir cause they always make me hit those High notes at the very end and it takes all I have to do it.

So I guess it really has been a few months all about me. Sometimes you need a me month. Where you do things that you love to do and feel good about yourself. So yay for me. :)

I am so excited for Christmas this year. Merry Christmas. :)

Getting to Know You: Christmas Edition
Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. I got this from Melissa and thought it would be a fun post. Copy it if you wish...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper I love love love to wrap the presents with fancy ribbon!
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. I love real trees but I have kids and that equals needles everywhere.
3. When do you put up the tree? Wellllllll......not yet, and it is Dec 3rd. arrrrggggg
4. Do you like eggnog? maybe...if it is really watered down with Milk
5. Favorite gift received as a child? A Shetland pony name Pudge....I loved him for about one day, until he ran me under the clothes line, then....not so much.
6. Hardest person to buy for? Mark, He ALWAYS buys whatever he wants so that leaves me with very little to get for him.
7. Easiest person to buy for? Sydney. She is easy to please.
8. Do you have a nativity scene? Used to...when Sydney was small we got a resin one which we thought she couldn't hurt. We were wrong, by the end of the season I don't think a single member of the nativity escaped unscathed. Headless and legless I had to get rid of everyone. :( We will try again this year. :) Oh wait....Sydney got a stuffed version last christmas. So yea we have a stuffed toy nativity.
9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I am making my own this year. I love crafty people. (If you want one, I might need your address!)
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? There is no such thing as a bad present.
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas. (Love that it is on broadway too!) Melissa and I have good taste.
12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? After black friday madness is over. I really don't want to get trampled to death.
14. Favorite thing to eat at lunch on Christmas? Leftovers. mmmm pie homemade noodles cheese balls with crackers. I'd go on but I am making myself homesick.
15. Lights on the tree? Yes. White no exceptions. no colored lights at my house.
16. Favorite Christmas song? What child is this?
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Depends on the year. This year, we will be staying home but my sister is coming to visit!
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?Easy Peasy, Sydney has been watching the old Christmas movies. Rudolph is one of her favs.
19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Actually niether. I have a beautiful father christmas that goes on top.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We do both.
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? When people forget the true meaning of Christmas
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? I like a lot of Silver with cool colors like blue or pastels. I also really love Red. Who doesn't?
23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I like a simple christmas meal. We mostly just piece on sandwiches and snacks. The real feast happens christmas morning breakfast.
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Joy and Peace.