merry christmas everyone!

Well, I am up to ears in lists and getting ready for everything that is going on! I am loving almost every minute of it. (note to self, do not do renos and move at christmas time again, or take on a sewing project in the middle of it all.)



Derek has been working so hard on the house and I really do think next week at this time we will be all moved in. This has been such a busy month enjoying the Christmas feel with baking, parties, service, friends, family, and church things. In there somewhere I have really been feeling the spirit and joy of Christmas and I hope my kids have been too.

We are just about ready to head out the door. Derek's family is ALL going to a big cabin in the mountains for Christmas and while it is rather crazy getting all ready to do that, it will be so fun and worth it to be together with no distractions. No running to the store, no last minute this and that, no working at the house after the kids go to bed. We just get to play and hang out and of course EAT!

This is me wishing a Merry Christmas to you all!

12, 13, 14

Day 12-What you believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-Some pictures you love

The pictures I love I am just putting up through the post. They are just random ones I pulled out of my albums for no reason other than I love them because they are my family, they are my LIFE!

Day 12 What I believe in

I believe in the articles of faith and in my church
I believe I am loved
I believe families are forever
I believe in the golden rule
I believe in paying it forward
I believe in you scratch my back I'll scratch yours kinda thing
I believe in feeling your emotions

I believe in having fun

I believe in laughter
I believe in being yourself, your best self
I believe in Christmas and Santa!

Day 13 Goals

I'm always a little hesitant of goals and sharing goals. I am a very realistic person, which is good and bad. Sometimes I am not very spontanous (sometimes I am) because I am realistic. I sometimes go along with plans and ideas just to go along with it to make whoever I am with happy, but fully knowing in the back of my head it is so not going to happen. But I have learned that some people dream big and they don't mind when things don't go they way they planned or they do mind and they bring on stress because of these things. I am not someone who is devastated when things don't go as planned either, I would just rather not waste my time and efforts into something that isn't going to happen. Did that make sense?

That being said I do set goals and I am happy to share them, mostly when they are accomplished though.

I do have the daily goals of prayers and scriptures and bringing the spirit into my home for my to feel and recognize.
I am always striving to be a better wife/mother and will often focus on different things for a week or 2 to improve my relationships with my kids and husbands. I have found the best way for me to do this is by spending time with my undivided attention with them. Which is actually pretty hard sometimes.
I try to be optimistic and positive.

I try to be kind and aware of other people and their feelings and needs.
I have some goals in the financial department.
I sometimes work on improving skills and talents that I already have when I am feeling ambitious.

I would like to start writing in a journal again.

And, well my friends. I just finished on Saturday my last day of the workout program Insanity. Yep, 6 days a week at 6ish in the morning I was sweating my brains out and I really quite liked it. There's a true completed goal. And nope, I didn't lose any weight, dang it. But my biceps are huge, hahahaha, I wish.

And that day 15 is going to have to wait. Because my dream house is not quite ready yet! Soon I hope, soon.

day what?

I will not quit this!

day 10

something you are afraid of.

Well,

I have a huge fear of mice. Do I wanna talk about? Well, I am nauseous just writing about it. So no I don't. It's embarrassing, I cry like a baby when I see them inside or out, and also I dry heave on occasion. Thankfully there hasn't been too many occasions. And my husbands dream house would be on an acreage, HA!

Also, I 'm afraid of the garbage disposal (is that what it's called in the sink? I don't know how to spell the word i call it) I use it all the time, but every time I have to shove a little something in while running (shove in as in a cm or 2) I think of my fingers being shredded.

I am an in the closet worst case scenario person. I honestly believe that if I think about something bad happening, it won't happen. This may be another topic, but whatever. My mind is filled with worst case scenarios, so if something kinda bad happens I'm like, oh phew, that was nothing. Like, I always think about getting in a car accident or stranded, I'm talking rolling off a cliff into a lake, or running out of gas in the middle of nowhere -500 degrees with a pedophile walking down the road. So if it's just a little ding, no big deal. Does that make sense. I think of all sort of terrible things about my kids, so far so good!

I'm also gonna go ahead and do day 11 cause it's easy.

fav tv shows!

YAY! I love tv, but end up watching a lot of ho hum hgtv. no pvr and working evening is a damper on my previous lifestyle. I hope to mend that in the near future. I do believe it is worth the money. I'd rather spend the money and watch what I want when I want than watch whatever is on and truly waste my time. So in no particular order.

1. SNL - i'm still going strong, but I always fall asleep after Weekend Update if I make it that long, but I laugh so hard.

2. 30 Rock - I'm rolling on the ground right now

3. Modern Family - I hate to jump on the bandwagon but it is truly so so hilarious.

4. Glee, needs no explanation

5. And my newest obsession, '9 By Design.' Move over Kate and 78 Kids and Counting, this is not your average 7 child household. I love them and I want to hang out with the mom and work with her, and I wished I would have know there were looking for a nanny, because I would have applied.

(these are not edited, it was that WHITE out! James' skin almost blends in too.)

day nine

Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs.

Well, that won't be very fun since I'm not at my computer and my ipod is DEAD right now, so I'm showing you this instead.

I think this is pretty cool. I love these flash mobs.

day eight

A place you've travelled to

I know it says a place you have travelled to, but I'm letting you know pretty much all the places I have travelled to. Don't worry it won't take too long.

I sometimes think I'm not very cultured, and now that I am most likely a lifer in the little town of Raymond (though I dream of living elsewhere upon winter's evil arrival this week) I fear I will stay that way. I may not be well travelled, but I have travelled, I hope to increase my list as the years go on so that if being cultured includes being well travelled than I can raise my hand to being cultured!

Some of the photos of the places I have been were pre digital camera so I dug up a few, but I did dig up a few oldies for fun.

First off, these are the States I have entered. (I would start with provinces but other than a layover in Ontario and a visit to the Sask border of Lloydminster, I have only been to BC)

Montana (lots of times)

(Let us please take note that this picture in Montana I was 7 months preggo with Alli. SEVEN! I just had to note that because those pants are tight on my thighs these days.)

Idaho (mostly uneventful, minus one trip with a large grassy area)

Utah (many a long trips i slept through to get here)

Florida -once

Arizona (only driven through a few times)

Nevada (driven through a few times, but actually stayed there 3 times I think?)

California (Maybe 4 or 5 times?)

Washington (i think iwent here)

New York (one glorious time)

Other than I got

Mexico a few times and France.

I hope to expand that list to include someday Hawaii, Arizona (more than drive through), New York again, Kentucky!, eastern Canada/US, various other European destinations and naturally more beach locations. I probably should work more.

day 7

I love a good movie. It's like an escape from reality, and who doesn't love that every once and a while. So many to choose from. Except that I sometimes forget when I like a good movie because my husband likes to see every movie ever released and I'm easy to please. So here's my classics.

I reeeeaaaly like the movie Shine. Such a good show and makes me regret I quit piano lessons. (because if I would have stayed I totally would have been that good, minus the crazy.) If you ever see it on dvd please buy it for me I once had it on the ol video tape, but it must not have made it through the moves.

In the chick flick dept i love a little

-17 again (surprise surprise)

-Princess Bride

-Dirty Dancing

-Moulin Rouge

-p.s i love you

In the action dept

-not much just the Kill Bills

In the I don't know topic

-Stranger than Fiction

-Scoop

I can't think of any more right now.

And I love all funny movies of course. Good funny, not dumb predictable Amanda Bines/Hilary Duff funny. (I'm pretty sure those are for teenage children anyway so I shouldn't fess up to watching them and that I do kinda like them, they just aren't funny) Derek sometimes get embarrassed of me at the movies because I laugh the loudest and the longest.

now day 5

pictures of things that make you happy

So that I don't get overwhelmed wondering what to put up because many a thing make me happy, I'm going to go with 5 picture topics that make me happy. I feel like I pulled out some randoms for this.

Of course I have to pick this perfect little family of mine. I love them so much I could just cry! This first picture is from last year but I just love it!

The mountains. Oh they make me smile. Waterton is one of most favorite places to be. I loved living in Cardston and being that much closer to them and seeing Chief Mountain out my front window. My dream home would be right beside a lake in the mountains, I would wake up and smile every day. It is just so peaceful there, and I get that peaceful feeling when I look at pictures too.

(mountain photos courtesy of clayne as usual)

Friends. I have so many good friends. I don't like to pick favorites among all the friends I am blessed to have, but these ladies and this picture make me smile. I am always the one laughing the hardest as previously discussed on the blog, but I'm quite sure Emily was finding something to pinch in this pic.

I don't usually enjoy pictures of myself while in action, but I just love this picture. I've put it on here before. It makes me happy, so so happy doing someing that keeps me hap hap happy.

This is the night Derek and I got engaged. It just makes me happy. I can remember that night so well over 8 years ago. You can just see the sheer happiness on both our faces, it's so real. Also, the shadows magnify the look of a mullet in Derek's hair, hehe, he didn't have one I swear. (but, he might have had them at one point and another and another...during the early marriage years and I cannot wait for his mid life crisis when he decides to grow it out again, i just love a curly mullet. I'm being serious. He hates me for making him grow it out all the time back when the young love had more control over him.)

I'm thinking of a million other pictures and ideas that I want to use that make me happy, but I just don't have it in me to carry on, and I did my 5. But can I say how much I am loving everyone doing this! Isn't it fun to talk about yourself?! And I am loving and appreciating everyones comments too, thank you thank you!

day 6 on day 5

well, i'm cheating. there's a couple pictures on derek's computer that he took to edmonton that make me happy so i'm doing...

a song that makes you cry and why

This took me a while to figure out. Nothing came to my head right away. I'm not saying I'm not a cry baby, because I am quite capable of it. I'm sure we can relate when I say that music can really stir up emotions or bring back memories. It's the reason why a song makes me cry. And well, I'm a woman and that is all I can think of as the reason why! Certain songs hit me at different times in my life and can make me cry or not. So I guess I'm saying the list of songs that make me cry could be long on some days, but for today this is what I came up with. And I'll be looking forward to what other people put for this.

(sorry, had to do another one cause I like to kill things to death haha, and I just can't do a post without a pic. note to self, you look old when you frown, don't do it.)

This is one of my all time favorite songs. I've loved it since I first heard it back in high school I think, maybe even junior high. I don't think it made me cry then, but ever since it was on er a few years ago, it has makes me tear up a bit when I hear it, I sure loved that Dr. Green. I don't necessarily think of anything or anyone when I hear the lyrics, but it's just such a beautiful song and even though the lyrics are simple, they are so deep. I also love that the song is really long. Nothing like a good long song to sing along to, have a little cry, and sing some more.

And I have to pick one more. I love this song. It was hard to choose just one from Les Miserables, but I think this is the one that I love the most. I can't even get through the 1st 15 seconds of listening before it hits me. I went to this first when I was 11 years old. I sat on the front row of the Jubilee in Calgary. I was sure I made eye contact with some of the actors. I don't think I got the full idea of what this musical was about way back then, but I remember how I felt, and I remember those feelings when I saw it again when I was older and I could appreciate not only the talent of the people that can sing and write like this and bring about such feeling inside me, but also the powerful story that this is. I would LOVE to see it again someday.

day 4

something you're looking forward too.

Well, that is easy! I'm so looking forward to moving into our house. I really can't show any pictures because it's no fun to see the before pictures when there is no afters. And you definitely don't want to see the DURING pictures that we are in right now. It's a mess. But Derek is awesome working so hard. And I am awesome too because I am doing the wallpaper removal and well, kill me now. Wall paper is evil, pure evil.

I'll give a little snaek peek of the wall we knocked out. It's as much demo as we did. The kids keep asking when we are going to hammer more walls down.

Child labor it's what we do. I wish I could say it made it easier but it sure doesn't!

day 3

...my siblings and parents...

here we are a couple years ago.

and this past summer.

i love my low maintenance, easy going, drama free, loving family.

i feel i have good relationship with all my siblings and my parents. i feel so blessed to be a part of this amazing family. there has never been any doubt in my mind that i am loved by my family. i secretly think i am really quite spoiled in my family setup.

i have no pics of the baldry fam because they are on derek's computer and my computer is being weird so good thing i have my dad's computer! so i will update that later.

i feel doubly spoiled because of the fantastic family i married into. i really couldn't ask for more.

are you feeling the love?!

and while i'm on the subject...i haven't talked about my brother for a while on here. my brother ryan died over 12 years ago. it doesn't feel like yesterday he was here anymore. that makes me sad. i always remember him but it's easy to forget him in my day to day life. i used to think about him almost every day for years. i love when things remind me of him. sometimes it's good music that reminds me of him, or tight rolled jeans, ralph lauren polo shirts, and doc martin shoes. it doesn't happen very often but i love it when someone tells me they remember him or even better i remind them of him. because i don't know that we were too much alike, but what little sister doesn't want to be told she is like her cool big brother?!

and a couple extra family pics because they are kinda fun to look at and always good for a laugh!

(oh yes that is me in that outfit on the right!)

day 2

I made it to the next day!

And I am clearly having as much fun as a teenage girl with this photo booth business. (That's me being stressed by the way. It was either me or a picture of Cathy the comic strip stress lady.)

2. Something that stresses you out.

My first thought is what? Just one thing? How do I choose just one thing? I have have so many mini day to day stresses (like is my grammar correct on the ol blog? ) on top of the other unpredictable stresses that come up in all our lives (like the lady who was renting my house got a roomful of pet rats, true story)

-There is the kids factor and all the stresses that come with that. Everything from stressing about keeping the noses clean, (Just ask my mom, she says I cant keep my fingers out of there. So what I like them to be clean?) to how they are going to turn out and if it is all just too late and I've ruined them forever. Now there is some stress for any parent.

-Of course money, oh the money. I am so grateful that Derek and I both have such good secure jobs, but still, who couldn't use a little cush in the wallet to take away some of the day to day stress that the lovely money brings!

-Right now I've got house stress, but NOTHIN like it used to be! It's good stress, like are all my color choices going to look good? How much longer until that dang wall paper is off? When are we going to finish? ( I know we just started but I still want to hurry it up)

- I'm going to go out on a limb here and mention this because I am a woman (and as far as I know my reading population is rather low in the male department. and as far as i know males don't want to hear/read about this) and it is what we talk and stress about and if you don't, I am very jealous. The weight factor. I wish I didn't waste my time thinking and talking about it as much as I do, but I do. I don't know why my weight has such a central role in my life, but it does. It always has and always will I assume. I am very happy with my body and feel so blessed to have the health and strength that I do. So why do I stress about it? I don't know.

Which brings me to my final thoughts. Stress is very real and it is what we make it. We can get so worked up about any of the things on this list and hundreds more, or we can deal with it like the mature people that we are. Blaming others for our stress won't take it away. Focusing on the negative and dissecting every little angle about our problems won't make them much easier. So face the stress and be the boss. Don't let the stress run the life. Focus on how to cope with things, and hopefully in a positive way. And of course, really, the best way to deal with it all is hit up those scriptures and pray too.

Did I even answer the question?

i'm doing this

Well, I thought I'd commit myself to some serious blogging. Cristal is doing this 15 day challenge, so I'm joining in on the fun. I can pretty much guarantee that I'll get never er done in 15 days, but that is the plan for now! Here's the list. Also, I think everyone else should do this.

Day 1-Self portrait picture, and 15 interesting facts

Day 2- Something that stresses you out

Day 3-Your siblings and parents

Day 4- Something you're looking forward to

Day 5- pictures of things that make you happy
Day 6- A song that makes you cry and why

Day 7-Favorite movies

Day 8-A place you've traveled to

Day 9- Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Day 10-Something you're afraid of

Day 11-Favorite tv shows

Day 12-What you believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-Some pictures you love

Day 15- pictures of your Dream house

So this is where the 15 interesting facts about me come in...

1. I think taking that self portrait was the most awkward thing I have done in a long time.
2. I am capable of falling asleep anywhere anytime. Give me 5 mins in any position and I'm out. It is quite possibly a serious problem.

(The most recent sighting, Thanksgiving weekend. I just found this picture when I imported my moms camera. I have no idea who took it , but thank you for the double chin view.)

3. If the person wins at the end of Wheel of Fortune I get that just about tear up goosebumps feeling.
4. I have size 6 feet. I hate your feet, but I love my tiny little things!
5. My husband claims I snore, but I'm preeeetty sure it is only when I'm stuffed up, which is rare for me...
6. I waste time trying on various outfits some days.
7. my friendships are very important to me.
8. I reeeeeaaaaaly like chocolate chip cookies, I think about them almost everyday. I don't make them very often because I'm actually not very good at it, and when I do I eat them all in a day.
9. I worked as a cashier at a grocery store my first year away in Edmonton and I loved nothing more than making that little thing bring the stuff up then beeping the items through and running that till, oh the till with all the buttons! and bagging the groceries so good. The bread was never squished when I was in charge.
10. When I was in junior high and Derek was in high school I thought he was totally cute (among many other boys. hey, I was in junior high)
11. If you ever want to feel funny, hang out with me. Not that I'll laugh at your lame jokes, but I have a loud bust of a laugh, it'll give ya boost.
12. I just love laughing and being around laughing people, and I'm so glad I have James to make me laugh everyday. (like today he said mom I know all the seasons, football, basketball, hockey, baseball and soccer. I don't know if someone taught him that or not, Derek said he didn't. Funny kid. 3 year olds are great.)
13. I don't like winter. I hate wearing coats. I'm with you Cristal, too constricting.
14. I hate when people leave time on the microwave...DEREK!...
15. I love to be around people. On those long winter days when I am in the house all day with just the rowdies I am not a happy or productive person.

Ok, that took a long time. Turns out it's hard to think of 15 interesting things about oneself.

And if it wasn't awkward enough, here is one more! Maybe I did have fun in photobooth this fine evening.

Also, speaking of moms and self portraits, mandybakerblog.com is having a GIVEAWAY! It looks like the most fun giveaway, and i want to win it!

it's halloween, it's halloween

Ok, the token halloween post. James only wanted to be Batman for Halloween (he also wants to be Spiderman for Christmas) and Alli didn't really ever decide. So I hit the local wal-mart and just let her pick whatever she wanted, Snow White it was. I have always done matchy costumes for the kids in the past as noted here, here and most recently here, since I couldn't find a super hero girl costume I didn't do matchy, I thought it would bug me but it didn't.

Derek and I hit up a couple of fantastic halloween party's. We were the Spartan cheerleaders (from snl, if you don't know who they are, we probably shouldn't be friends) and as on top of things as I am, I have no pictures of us. I'm kinda bummed, because we pulled it off...kinda...the homemade way... I kinda didn't do so well in the picture taking department this year.

Anyway, we had so much fun at the party's. I think that is why I like Halloween, I love any excuse to go to or throw a party. I'll even talk people into having a party at their house which isn't quite finished and they don't live it yet, haha, thanks whit! (It's pretty much done anyway, you wouldn't have wanted carpet for us to spill on right!?)

The kids went to a birthday party on halloween in the afternoon. BOTH of them gone for 3 hours. (you know I took a nap in there and folding laundry was the most productive thing i did) That is a great neighbor having a loooong party the day of halloween. Way to load them up on sugar before the night of sugar, a good prep you know.

(james wanted to be a football player for the birthday so he could play better at the party, i know, he's weird.)

Halloween night was on Saturday in these parts. (how can you not love that about small town raymond!) It was so nice out. I wore a sweater, a SWEATER! James and his older cousin took off and hit up a couple blocks while we were still having the pizza party at Grandpa and Grandma Baldry's, they came back with tons, TONS! Then Derek and I took around Alli and James with 2 cousins. When we finally were calling it quits, they were chanting 'more houses, more houses!' I figured out later that I totally dressed them too warm. Not good, gotta make them cold so they are ready to quit after a block.

Today, I let the kids go crazy with their candy. They didn't even go too crazy, which is weird for them, but thank goodness. Then, my master plan came into play. I traded them all their candy for Silly Bands! The kids have been wanting them for weeks, I don't really know how my 3 and 5 year old found out about silly bands, but they did, all the rage you know. So while we were walking home form school today we stopped and got silly bands and the candy is done and gone. I do consider myself a genius, yes I do. I went right ahead and had Derek take that candy OUT of the house, because I had been going crazy eating it all over the last couple days myself. I should buy myself something for the trade too.

Well, that was Halloween at the Baldry house. Maybe next post will BE the new Baldry house, maybe, i don't know.

good times, good times

Ok, so things are so great right now. I'll let you know why.

We sold our house in Cardston, YAY!

(we went to the corn maze a couple weeks ago with the Vaz's and it was a perfect night to get very lost in the corn for 2 hours. I wish Bentley was in the picture, he is THE cutest child ever! But he also can't stand still, 2 year olds!)

I could go on and on, but it's done and gone and I couldn't be happier. In the mean time, we bought a house. YAY! It's just a little fixer upper in a perfect little culdesac that we are going to take on right away here. It's just fun fixing up, not crazy, I hope. So hopefully Derek and I won't kill each other in the process, oh renos. Once we get started you know I'll do the before and afters and it will just be so fun.

The weather has been fantastic, just perfect. My kids and I have spent more time outside in the month of October than we did in July. It is a party. James has only took off on his bike to unknown destinations a handful of times or so. He seems to think it is ok to leave the block if he is wearing his helmet and shoes because that is what I have to constantly harass him about. I am going to miss this quiet little street with the most fun group of kids.

(note the just socks, which is a step up from bare feet, but not great because of the dirty socks and all.)

So I've been thinking and that always makes for a good post.

-What' s the deal with yogurt. Why is it always such a dream to eat yogurt in the commercials? Seriously, all of them. Like it is some stay at home moms secret escape of the day. Yogurt? I mean sure the real stuff is ok with the cream and sugar and all, but it's still this tiny thing of yogurt is not going to make me smile like that even if it does regulate the ol digestive system...

-The waitress's are getting younger and younger, I am not getting older. I am perfectly fine with the thought that my waitress is 14 and I am 25.

-Not too long ago I took the children out on a beautiful day. Got them dressed decently (as in James in jeans!) to take some pretty fall pictures. We get out of the car and the kids instantly go into these perfect poses. I pull out me camera and NOTHING! Dead battery. I never did get it together again for those fall pics and now the fall prettyness is gone.

-I went to a junior high football game the other day (my husband coaches, I'm not weird) there was a mom with her full out face painted. I mean more of the face painted than not. A MOM! I cannot even imagine how embarrassed her son must be. And while I'm on the subject, do not cheer like a lunatic at your childs sporting events, again, that would have to be embarrassing for the poor kid. I know I was embarrassed for her.

-Speaking of me being 25...what's with all the wrinkles I have?! I'm too young for this. I don't care if they are 'laugh lines.' Laugh lines are crows feet to me!

-can't do a random thoughts bit without a celebrity bash, and it is you Miss Rachel Berry. ( I don't know her real name) It is you I am very disapointed in for your GQ magazine spread. That's just gross, I thought better of you. Here I am never have devoted myself to a teen show like this since the days of Saved by the Bell and this is how you deal with the fame? Scantaly clad pics?! Well, I'm quite sure Kelly and Jessie would not have done that to me. (please tell me that my sis and I were not the only ones who cheered for the Bayside Tigers.) Please know, my respect of Glee has waivered, but my love for it has not.

-I 'made' cereal for supper the other day. It was glorious. Derek was not impressed and made something else. My mom was almost in disbelief and I loved it. And it wasn't that I didn't feel like making supper or that I couldn't think of anything to make which is usually the problem, it was that the kitchen was clean all day and I just wanted it to stay that way. So cereal it was and not even a healthy cereal either, Frosted Flakes all around! I should do that more often.

-And just to keep you updated on my latest because I still don't craft or sew or bake anything out of the ordinary, but I do work out as my hobby, I am in full swing. 6 days a week at 6:15 I am working out with a friend. I have never sweat as I am sweating now. You have no idea. It's glorious. I can't wait to be so strong. I'm also doing a yoga class once a week and quite like that too!

(James and his partner in crime last week!)

Well my friends, that is all. Have a great Halloween week. I keep hoping that one of these years they are going to just ban trick or treating so that I don't have mental children the days following. A simple party will do for the season, no?