The Things We Do...

Maybe we're not the brightest lamps on the street...but we chose to venture out and see family on Christmas day. With all the snow, we were pretty sure we shouldn't but we somehow ended up going anyways. Of course, it took us a couple of hours to dig out our driveway first, and then we had to wait while Derrick and Zac jumped off of the deck into the 5 foot snow drift! I wanted to do it, but chickened out (see the ridiculous pictures below!). Anyways....the only thing crazier than jumping from a two story deck into a pile of snow is to try and make the drive from Pocatello to Cache Valley in a blizzard. (the blizzard warnings included a strong warning to NOT travel unless it was was an emergency) So we drove 63 miles with zero visibility, high winds, and unplowed roads (I think even the snow plows knew better). BUT...we made it, most of the way. We intended on going to Smithfield to see the Swaner's, but by the time we made it to Preston, Derrick was done. And, of course, he would never ever let me drive in a situation like that! I can't say I blame him. So we stopped at my parent's house and stayed the night. We had great times with both sides of the family. So it was worth it, right???

Derrick preparing to take the plunge...

...and the safe landing.

And Zac's turn...

...with a great landing.

And then there was me...

...with no landing. (since I chickened out!)

Ya, I laughed at watching my husband jump, and all but threw my son off, but wouldn't do it myself. I guess I'm kinda like that.

Boy, the things we do just to have a great time!

TRAPPED!

The excitement of going out to visit our families on Christmas day is at a stand still. Bummer. We are very very snowed in. This should be sort of fun, but I feel very trapped! Here are some pictures that we took several hours ago, and it just keeps coming. I'm thinking we're trapped for the day...

The snow drifts up the side of our house.

Derrick's car isn't going anywhere any time soon!
...such an inviting entrance way, eh???

We can't even see out of our windows, since the wind has blown all the snow onto the screens. It really adds to the whole 'feeling trapped' thing.
This is what I got when I opened the front door.

So, to our friends and family...Merry Christmas!
I wish we were with y'all right now!

(and what on earth am I going to do with the 2 pans of cheesy potatoes that I've already made)

A Week Full of Christmas Fun

It's been a week FULL of Christmas time festivities, and the week is only half over! I feel like I've enjoyed this time as a family so much, and while it's been a lot of work, I think we've made some great memories. This here's what's gone down in the Swaner home...

Sunday...we had our traditional 'fine dining Christmas dinner'. We started this tradition our first year in Vegas when we were so very lonely. Now it's something we look forward to every year...the one night each year that the kids actually try to have good manners.

The menu consisted of bread and olive oil, fillet mignon, spinach dip, pasta, salad, zucchini spears, homemade ice cream, and Martinellis. Good stuff. It's gotten pretty easy, since each person somewhat has part of the meal to be in charge of. Derrick deals with the steak, Zac makes the spinach dip, and Skyler pulls out and sets up the china. Tannon even made the salad.

Sometimes I think that maybe some day we'll actually dress up for our nice dinner. But then I think to myself....'Why??? Where else can I enjoy a fillet mignon while wearing sweat pants?' It sounds like a win/win situation to me!

Monday...we kicked off the day by shoveling tons and TONS of snow. I love shoveling snow. And it just kept snowing all day long. We also had to take Desmond down for his 4 month check up and immunizations. He weighed in at 14 lbs., which puts him right at the 50th percentile for his weight, height, and head circumference. Not real exciting, I know. But after that, we came home and spent at least an hour gathering up the snow clothes. It can be pretty tricky with so many kids who are growing so fast. Nothing that fit last year seemed to fit this year. Anyways, we loaded up and went sledding for a couple of hours. It was too cold for Des outside, so we stayed in the truck and played with the camera and took a nap. It was nice. The sledding hill was a ways away though, so we couldn't get any pictures of the other kids.

When we got home, I shoveled snow AGAIN, and Derrick helped the kids build a snow cave. They're pretty excited about it.

This morning... I pulled Myah on her sled around the neighborhood to deliver Christmas gifts. It made me tired, but it fit right in with our theme of the day. We thought it might be fun to have an 'old fashioned Christmas celebration'. We spent the evening without electronics and just enjoyed some quiet time together. Derrick took the kids sledding again while I got everything ready. We decorated gingerbread men, had a nice dinner by candlelight, played Christmas songs on the piano, and we even made vinegar taffy. I really hate making that stuff. But we did it, and I even have the blisters to prove it! But since it was an old fashioned celebration, I didn't even pull the camera out. It was interesting though to see how well the kids got along without any of the distractions we usually allow into our home.

Now the kiddies are in bed, I'm back on the computer (while watching Prison Break), and gearing up for tomorrow. I'm not sure what we'll do to keep ourselves in the spirit of Christmas. Any ideas?

Gotta run. I'm VERY tired. Merry Christmas!

Questions, Questions, Questions

Myah is an inquisitive little girl. And she doesn't just want to ask questions....she really wants an answer. And not just a kid answer. She wants the real answer. Yesterday's questions included...

'Mom, how did you know when there was a baby in your tummy anyways?'

'What are these for?' (pointing to feminine hygiene products in the bathroom) and then...
'How do you use them?'

'How does your body give Desmond milk?'
'Can mine do that?'
'Why not?'

and last, but certainly not least...
'Mom, how come your tummy is still big if the baby isn't in there any more?'

Gotta love kids! Sometimes I feel like I'm under a magnifying glass, and nothing will go unnoticed. Oh well.

My Friend, Glenn.

Tonight, I actually freshened up my makeup (and even put on some lip gloss) for a little trip down to the mall. We've been waiting for this night for at least a month. After all, it's not every night that my friend Glenn comes to town. I'm referring to Glenn Beck. He was visiting the local Deseret Book to sign his new book, 'The Christmas Sweater'. I guess I figured that living here in Pocatello, there might not be a lot of people who would show up to see him. I thought he might feel bad. So I wanted to make sure he felt welcome in Poky. (Besides, Jenna, I really wanted to get you a copy of his book and have him write a note to Raef inside.) When we got there, the mall seemed pretty empty, and I was really starting to worry...Until we turned the corner, and found that the line to see my friend Glenn, went all the way through and out of the entire mall. No, we don't exactly have a large mall...but still...the line must have been several blocks long. CRAZY!!! So, no, I didn't get to meet Glenn, shake his hand, or even SEE him...since the entrance to Deseret Book was blocked with security. But at least he felt welcome.

ps....I know Glenn isn't really my friend. I mean, I'm not dillusional...well, not really!

12:12

Crappers. It's 12:12, and I'm still on the computer! The good news is, Desmond has been sleeping through the night. Saturday, he slept until 8:30 since we were all asleep and it stayed quiet! How cool is that?

Off to bed I go!

Gotta be quick. I promised myself I'd be in bed by midnight and I've only got 15 minutes. Mandi sent me some pictures tonight that I want to throw on. It turns out that over Thanksgiving, while I had all the little (and medium sized) kids out on our adventure to Little Mountain, the big kids (and really big kids) were having an adventure of their own. They took 4-wheelers up Oxford Peak. I'd pick hiking over 4-wheeling, but I sure can't beat the view they managed to get!

I think they froze their butts off. But holy cow! Check out that view!

(It's 11:55...off to bed!)

On a Roll

I think I must be on a roll. I mean, posting 3 blogs in just 3 days??? But Nicky just emailed me these pictures from Thanksgiving, and I'm going to share...

These are all taken over Thanksgiving.

Myah had a great time hanging out with her cousins. And the weather was AWESOME! So did Tannon.

And Desmond too. (Kamden and Desmond. I think Des might be catching up, a little)
The infamous after dinner football game. The good new is, nobody got injured this year!

I bet Derrick will like this picture. I think Skyler has a poster that kinda looks like this in him room...only the guy is in football gear, weighs about 100 pounds more than Derrick, and probably gets paid to play football!

So that's all. Thanks for the pics Nicky!

Playing Catch Up

Other than Skyler's birthday post this morning, I haven't posted for a while. I've been a very busy girl! So here's what's happened since my last post...

*We put up the Christmas tree, and yes, I re-decorated it when the kids went to school. I just can't help myself.

*We went to my mom's house for Thanksgiving. We probably overstayed our welcome, but it was just so nice to get away for a couple of days.

*I went and saw Twilight with Mandi and Nicky. It's always nice to get out for a while!

*I think I consumed at least 2 pounds of turkey, and a whole pie when you count all the leftovers. It was yummy. Really yummy.

*I was given a little extra church calling. I was just working in the library. Now I get to do the ward bulletin and the ward web site too. I guess if they're going to kick me out of Young Women's, they better make it something good.

*I conquered the declined sit ups. Still not loving them, but they don't bring tears to my eyes anymore! Just as a side note...people who prefer c-sections are NUTS! But that's just my humble opinion.

*I conceded the battle, and let Derrick off the hook with Christmas lights this year. He hates putting them on the house, so this year I gave in and he just put a few on the trees outside. That's ok. Easier clean-up.

*I've felt the need to document and photograph every single second of Desmond's life. Isn't there a movie about that? I think it's called the Truman Story with Jim Carey. It's not such a bad idea, really. Des is just growing up so fast. I think he's doubled in size now and it's going by much too fast. I don't want to forget any of it!

*I've done at least 30 batches of laundry. Seriously.

*I've done almost all of my Christmas shopping...mostly on line. It's like getting Christmas twice. It's so exciting to find packages at my door. I get to open them up and now I'll get to wrap them for the kids.

*I've visited Costco at least a half dozen times. It's my other favorite place to Christmas shop. Entertainment is somewhat limited in Pocatello.

*I took the kids (nieces and nephews included) on a hike up 'Little Mountain'. Derrick was gone 4-wheeling up to Oxford peak, and I felt the need to get out and move a little, after the whole 2 pounds of Turkey and everything! Anyways, there's a pretty cool cave, and we found a skull on the mountain. We weren't sure what it belonged to, but since I came home and looked up pictures on google, I've decided it was a very BIG rat. Nice, hu?
*I kept Zac home from school to help me get things done. I think I deserve a 'mother of the year' award. Ok, maybe not...but I could at least write a book on great parenting, right?

*We painted 2 bedrooms. And we almost did it without any major problems. That is, until I was just finishing cleaning up, and Myah tripped over a full bucket of paint...spilling it ALL on the carpet. I couldn't get too mad, since the last time I painted I did the same thing.

*I've watched Kung-Fu Panda a dozen times with Myah. It makes me laugh every time. Last night though...'Shrek the Halls' moved up to the top of her list. I prefer the panda.

*I thought about cleaning the storage room. I even took a picture so that when I was done, I could post a 'before and after' picture. I never got around to the 'after' picture, since it still looks exactly the same. It's the thought that counts, right?

So that's about it! I'm all caught up! And it's only 8:30!

Thirteen Years!

Skyler turned 13 years old on Sunday. Time sure flies! For his birthday, we had his favorite dinner (chicken alfredo and bread sticks) and then he opted for a giant skookie rather than a birthday cake. It was yummy. Thanks to Derrick's parents for coming up to celebrate with us.

For Skyler's birthday gift, we helped him upgrade his room to a 'teenage room' rather than a 'kid room'. We painted, bought him a new dresser, got a new bedspread and curtains, and framed some sports 'motivational' posters. The most exciting part was putting in a giant magnet board in the section of his wall that is recessed in. It's about 8 feet across and 4 feet tall. It's pretty cool.

As long as I'm on the Skyler topic, I gotta brag on him a little. He's such a good kid, and is very quickly growing into a great 'guy'! He is extremely talented with his piano playing and his academics, and is able to do really well in basketball (he's a real hustler), art, and many other things. Skyler is currently reading the Book of Mormon for the 3rd time. I'm pretty proud of that. He has an understanding of the scripture stories that is amazing, and is so good at recalling them. I think he gets that from Derrick. He'll be a great missionary, I'm sure. When people see Skyler, they remember him for his curly hair, but my favorite thing about him is his laugh. It seems like the older he gets, we get to hear him laugh less and less, but it's absolutely contagious and I love it! That's probably why I love the picture that I'm going to post so well.

Happy Birthday Skyler! We love you!

Husband Tag

Since I'm really having trouble coming up with anything to write about these days, I'm very willing to fulfill the tags I receive. This one is a husband tag. Derrick and I are about to celebrate (ha ha) our 14th anniversary in December. Why the ha ha??? Well, because we NEVER actually celebrate our anniversary! The first couple of years, we tried because we thought we were supposed to, but that eventually wore off. One year, we both completely forgot! When he finally remembered, I pretended as though I hadn't forgotten too. Our justification....'We should show our love to eachother every single day of the year! Not just once a year, on our anniversary!' So ya, I'll go ahead and wish Derrick a happy anniversary while I'm remembering! And now back to the topic at hand...the 'husband tag'. I learned so much about Jordan and Maria in reading there's, so here goes...

1. Full name: Derrick Lamont Swaner. He's named after his grandpa, Lamont Harris.

2. How long have you been married? 14 years on December 16th

3. How long did you date? Tricky question. We dated for about 6 weeks before his mission, and then two months after his mission before we got engaged. We were married 3 months later.

4. Who eats the sweets? I like baked goodies and dark chocolate. Derrick likes candy (Dotts and licorice are his favorite)

5. Who said "I love you" first? He did. That must be a scary move for a guy!

6. Who is taller? Ha, do I really need to answer that?

8. Who is smarter? Depends on the subject. We each have our territories of brilliance and we both have our areas of complete ignorance!

9. Who does the laundry? I'm not sure Derrick knows how to run the washing machine. But he helps me put the sheets on the bed sometimes!

10. Who pays the bills? I do. I hate it, but I do it...when I get around to it.

11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Doesn't matter. No preference either way.

12. Who mows the lawn? I prefer to, but Derricks wants the boys to learn how to work. Sometimes I sneak out and re-mow it when they aren't here. Derrick does the trimming. The edger is too heavy for me.

13. Who drives? Derrick. I have no sense of direction.

14. Who admits they are wrong? Both of us. But he's usually the one that's really wrong. ha ha

15. Who kissed who first? He kissed me, of course! It all goes with being taught to NEVER call boys (or kiss them)

16. Who asked out who first? Derrick asked me out. I was so very happy! The first summer we met, we spent almost every day together until he left on his mission. Then when he came home, we spent almost every day together until we got married.

17.Who wears the pants? I pretend to. Derrick usually lets me think I'm the boss, until there's something really important, and he'll take charge. I like that about him.

Derrick is my six foot three, tough but tender, backpacking and hiking, movie loving, sometimes quirky, amazing and funny, 'tall dark and handsome', great example, talented and unselfish, husband and best friend!

That's it! Now I'll pass on the tag....to anyone who wants something to write about. But I'd love to hear from Victoria and Maryanne and anyone else! Have fun!

Did I Miss Something?

I was driving in the car today...and realized something. Actually, I realized a few things. I feel like I missed something, because it all just snuck up on me!

First...I realized that I am the mother of a teenage boy, who is now taller than me, and wears a size 10 1/2 shoe! When did that happen?

Second...I have gray hairs. I'm not going to say any more, other than...It sucks.

Third...I have 5 children! Only middle-aged people have 5 children!

Fourth...I've been married for almost 14 years. Derrick should be translated for dealing with me for that long!

Fifth...I have 5 children! ....oh, I already said that! Sorry! But seriously...I know 'how' that happened, but HOW did that happen??? Shouldn't we have to fill out an application or something to be a parent to that many little spirits?

So I guess that my thought today, besides wondering where the time is going....is that the time is going very quickly, and I ought to make the most of every minute! I guess that means I ought to get off of the computer and go play polly pockets with Myah, or something.

My Little Peeps

Have you ever noticed that when we have babies, we give them the most ridiculous nicknames ever? Maybe it's because they can't really protest. While we were eating our Saturday morning waffles today, the kids were asking what their nicknames were when they were babies. I thought it was kind of funny to start listing them all...
Skyler...Puba
Zac...PeeWee
Tannon...PipSqueak
Myah...Pippa
Desmond...Little Prince
And if you put them all together....they're my little Peeps!

I wonder if I have some deep psychological connection to the letter 'P' that I never knew about. I mean, my favorite show is Prison Break, I love potatoes and pancakes, and I even love bacon and sausage (aka 'pork' which comes from pigs), and I'm sure if I really thought about it there may be more! So what is it with the letter 'P' anyways?

PRIVATE!!!

I've been meaning to do it for a long time, but today is the day! I've gone private. You know, just to be safe. I would really hate to put these cute little people in any danger!

Thanks Shaleece, for the ksl link....I'm going to pass it on. It's just a story about blogging safely!

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4699330

Vote Vote Vote

Free speech. Why is it that one side of the free speech isle can make those of us on the other side feel.....silly, dumb, like bigots, wrong...(and the list goes on)? Sometimes I get to feeling like I don't have the right to voice my opinion just because the 'other side' is so verbal about theirs.

Well, today I learned a lesson from my nieces. They made me proud. They live in the great state of California, and don't have the privilege of being quiet about their beliefs. They've had to stare the 'other side of the isle' straight in the eyes and stay true to their beliefs! They've done everything from making phone calls to registered voters, to standing by the street holding signs. I'm sure that they had all sorts of nice and not so nice reactions to that! Way to go girls!!! It seems like when we're teenagers, being popular is oh so important, and I'm sure that their point of view probably isn't very popular among their peers.

It's funny that people all over the country are so worked up over this. I hear that the Idaho and Utah Mormons are 'involving themselves' in something that's not our concern, yet the person who I hear this from lives in New York. So I guess that New Yorkers have a right to care, but not those of us in little ole' Idaho. Funny how that works.

When we had this same vote in Nevada a few years ago, we were asked to go door to door. Not because we wanted to convince our neighbors one way or another, but because the way the proposition was worded on the ballet, was very confusing (on accident? I don't think so), and was stated in a way that would favor the vote for changing the definition of marriage. How do you just change a definition anyways? I'm going to post a couple pics of these awesome nieces (borrowed from Nicky). So my goals today...go vote, and to NEVER let fear get in the way of my beliefs!

That's all! I'll get off of my soap box (for now).

Tagged. I got a quirky tag today....name 6 things about myself that are quirky. Maybe I should ask Derrick. He probably has a list a mile long. But I'll do my best.

1. Door knobs. I have issues with doorknobs. My house may not always be super clean, but you can count on my doorknobs being cleaned on a very regular basis. I wash my hands twice in the bathroom. Once after I flush, so that I won't get any germs on the doorknob, and once after I open the door, in case anyone else touched it without washing first. I also take my bottle of Lysol around at least once a day and wash the doorknobs.

2. Feet. I don't like feet at all. I especially don't like my own feet. When I was in Junior High and High School P.E. and they made us take off our shoes for something, I just about died. I just really don't like feet. I think Derrick (and my dad) may be the only guy EVER to touch my feet.

3. Sand. I have a fear of sand in my food. When we go to the beach, and I see a little person put their hand in the bag of chips, I'm done. The thought of biting into a chip and feeling that sand grit between my teeth, just sends me through the roof. It's worse than fingernails on a chalkboard. Last time we went to the beach, we ate in the car before we got out. Just to prevent the sand thing.

4. Music. I listen to music only for the beat. Sometimes I'll be singing a song that I have really always liked, and Derrick looks at me with complete shock. He then asks me if I know what I'm singing, and of course, I have no clue. I've never thought about it. When he tells me what the song is talking about, it usually makes me blush. I've had to delete some songs off of my ipod. It's a shame, since they had such a great beat!

5. Smell. I have a super strong sense of smell. I can smell something and have memories flood back from my childhood. It's probably the reason we don't have a pet. Even a clean dog still smells like a dog to me. It doesn't bother me when other people have pets (to a point), but I just can't do it myself. I have 4 boys, that's bad enough!

6. Memory. I think I remember everyone I've ever met. Not that they remember me. I just don't forget people. I remember the smallest details of conversations we've had. I usually remember their name too. I can't remember what we had for dinner last night, and I almost always forget to make it to doctors and dentists appointments, and it's almost scary how lost I can get because I forget which way I came from...but I NEVER forget people.

That's it! So now I'll tag Maria (you don't come across as a quirky person, so I'm dyeing to know), Tonya (I'm laughing already), Ruth (I've never really thought about your quirks), Gabe, Nicky, and Laura (yep, sister Campbell, that's you).

Guilt...

Why am I feeling so guilty today??? This is the first time EVER in the history of my kids' education, since Skyler started preschool when he was 4, that I have NOT volunteered my services at a school Halloween party (at least one per year). Shouldn't I feel as though I've earned the right to stay at home with the baby? Why don't I feel that way? I was determined to stay away this year and let some of the other mothers take it on, which I'm sure they are more than capable of....but then WHY do I feel guilty about it!? I didn't even get asked to send cookies or anything! Tannon's costume doesn't even require my assistance at school. I wonder if I'll actually be able to stay away! Probably not. I guess it's most likely I'll see y'all (at least you Pocatello friends) at the school in a few hours!

Beward Of Pride!

When I was a kid, I was always confused by the statement, 'Beware of Pride'. On the one hand, the scriptures tell us over and over that pride is bad, but on the other hand I always felt so warm and fuzzy when my parents told me that they were proud of me! I even remember once when President Benson came to our ward (since he was from my hometown, Whitney Idaho), and told us how proud he was of us! So which is it??? I guess now I know there are two kinds of pride. There's the kind that is bad, that makes us think we are above others, and perhaps even that we don't need our Heavenly Fathers help...and then there's the kind of pride that we take in ourselves and in our accomplishments...while recognizing the Lord's hand in those accomplishments! So this is what I'm proud of...

*I'm proud of my husband, and the way that he treats me. It's easy to feel like a 'queen' when my husband treats me as such! I'm really proud that his parents taught him that.

*I'm proud that I know how to 'can' food. My mom taught me, and it's been such a great skill to have.

*I'm proud that I can make my husband laugh. Granted, it's usually on accident when I do something really dorky, but laughing is the greatest thing ever, and I love to hear him laugh.

*I'm proud that I can keep up with Derrick on a hike (normally), and I can even take my fair share of time carrying the baby back-pack.

*I'm proud that I have so many great friends. I think they really like me!

*I'm proud that I'm really a pretty darn good cook. I LOVE going to a restaurant, and then coming home and making up copy-cat recipes. I am especially proud that I am able to make healthy food taste really good.

*I'm proud that my kids eat vegetables. I have taken it as a challenge the last few years to get them to actually like their veggies...and they do!

*I'm proud that my boys can play the piano. Most days its a battle, but when I see that Skyler can play the hymns in priesthood, it's all worth it!

*I'm proud that I'm smart. I may be a flake, but I'm really smart!

*I'm proud that Derrick and I can grow a garden (for the most part). I think it may be a necessity some day, and I'm so glad we know how!

*I'm proud to be a Latter Day Saint. I'm also proud that I have a testimony. I'm proud of my parents for teaching me, and helping me develop that testimony!

*I'm proud that Derrick reads books. He loves classic literature. I think it's so important that boys see their dad reading.

*I'm proud to have five wonderful kids!

*I'm proud that I chose being a mommy as my first priority. I want to go back to school some day, but this whole mommy thing is the best!

*I'm proud of 'my girls'. I just got released from Young Women's, but I just love 'my girls' both here in Pocatello and in Vegas. It's so much fun to see some of the older ones getting married, and serving missions, etc....

*I'm proud of Skyler's curly hair. He gets it from me. It's way cute.

*I'm proud of my brothers and sisters (there are 8 of us!). It's so great to know that I always have people who care about me (even when I might not deserve it!).

*I'm proud of my nieces and nephews. They are some seriously great people!

*I'm proud that we've been working on our food storage like crazy! Whether we'll ever use it or not doesn't really matter. We've already received the blessings just from being obedient.

*I'm proud that I'm not a selfish person. I love to serve others, and don't mind putting others ahead of me. I think I'm pretty sensitive to other's needs.

*I'm totally proud to know that I am a daughter of God, and that he loves me!!!

So there you have it! I'm so proud of so many things, and I'm so thankful for each of them!

This was a week of FIRSTS. It all started on Sunday morning...

Tannon found his church shoes BY HIMSELF for the first time ever!

It was a miracle!

Myah blowdried her own hair for the 1st time.

Desmond sat in his Bumbo seat for the 1st time.

And so did Myah.

I got to go for my 1st hike since Des was born (a very mild & very short hike, but it was better than nothing!)

And I even got to shop at our brand new Pocatello Costco. I thought this day would never come!

I even used Facebook for the FIRST time, and found old friends that I got to talk to for the FIRST time in 15 years! How cool is that???

I think all of our FIRSTS this week were good. Can I have SECONDS?