Mike's trip, Christmas Splendor and Thanksgiving

First off, Mike got to take a quick trip with his two friends Greg and Matt to Grand Junction from Friday night to Saturday night. They fit in a few bike rides and the BYU/Utah game. They had a great time!

Mike (lookin good), Greg and Matt.

The beginnings of our Christmas decorating. I was thinking that one month is not enough for Christmas decoration, especially since I don't decorate for Christmas except for one sad little turkey. Our Christmas tree is a little bit Charlie Brown but who knew fake Christmas trees were so expensive? I'd like a piece of that pie.

For FHE we each wrote 6 things we were thankful for on some leaves and talked about them. Kennedy's leaves included crunchy bread, ponies and Christmas lights.

We hope you all have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

Tagged

The 8's in my life

8 Favorite TV Shows
1. Life
2. Tim Gunns Guide to Style
3. What not to Wear
4. The View
5. Oprah
6. So you Think You Can Dance
7. The Office
8. Law and Order SVU
9. Deserving Design
10. Diving Design

Favorite Restaurants
1. Chilis
2. Noodles and Company
3. Salt Grass Steak House
4. Subway
5. Cafe Rio
6. Johnny Carinos
7. Pandera
8. Cheesecake Factory

8 things that happened yesterday
1. went to church
2. got to sleep in until 9
3. watched our friends baby so she could go to her hubby's football game (plays for the broncos)
4. went to sleep at 7 with a huge headache
5. watched some of mary poppins with Kennedy
6. read some of Breaking Dawn
7. watched Iron Chef with Mike
8. decided after babysitting a baby that I hope I NEVER have twins!

8 things I am looking forward to
1. going to Utah for Thanksgiving
2. not being sick anymore while getting off my medication
3. sophie crawling so I can go to the gym without scheduling an appointment with the infant room
4. mike graduating
5. making instead of borrowing money to live on
6. feeling well so I can run and workout consistantly
7. losing weight
8. being able to travel again (when we have money)

8 things on my wish list
1. sewing machine
2. willow tree nativity scene
3. trip to Costa Rica
4. furniture for our front room
5. a house that we own
6. a playground for our backyard
7. new wardrobe
8. be back to my marriage weight

A few of my favorite things...and not so favorite things

#1 Dennis Prager

I have been meaning to pass along a favorite radio personality that I think is worth your time to take a listen. His name is Dennis Prager and he has a show that you can subscribe to for FREE on the itunes store. My favorite shows are the Wednesday Male/Female hour and Fridays Happiness Hour, but I enjoy all of his shows. I have put it on my ipod for walks and working out or listening to on the computer while I am blogging, shopping online or whatever. He has a GREAT book "Happiness is a Serious Problem", it is a short read and I highly recommend it to EVERYONE!

#2 The Twilight Series

I am almost done with Breaking Dawn. Mike has already bought our tickets for the show on Friday. Cute romance, suspense and not something I EVER thought I would read, I mean vampires and werewolves come on but seriously they are fun and make me feel like I am a teenager reading a love story.

#3 Flannel Boards

Does anyone remember these from Primary circa 1980? I loved them! I made a cheap version for Kennedy and then just put felt on the back of random stock pictures the LDS church has on their website for really cheap. We use if for FHE or to just play and tell stories, Kennedy loves it! I just bought a cardboard "science fair" tri-fold thing, covered it in flannel that I glued to the back with Elmers spray adhesive and then bought sticky side felt from the craft store and attached small squares to the back of the pictures I cut out from the church. Good cheap fun.

(pictures found on ldscatalog.com under visual aids and cutouts)

#4 Family Fun Magazine

It is a cheap subscription or you can just go online. I get a lot of fun ideas for games, crafts, activities and good articles about things to do with your family (traditions etc.)
#5 Workout Clothes/a healthy lifestyle

Since coming to Denver I have noticed many moms here wearing workout clothes to the store, library, pretty much everywhere. I HAVE FOUND MY HOMELAND! I would love to wear workout clothes all day every day, TLC's "What Not To Wear" be damned! I love to be comfortable and frankly hate doing my hair, make-up etc. I realize many moms wear their workout clothes out and about in many states but as one of my friends put it so well "in many parts of Utah the women are suspiciously blond and tan in the middle of the winter". Colorado has them too, the Trophy Wives of the world but I do appreciate that where we are in Aurora/Parker, Colorado there seems to be more of a focus on being HEALTHY AND ACTIVE instead of being SKINNY AND TRENDY.

A few of my un-favorite things...

#1 Purple Chub
My new nickname in young womens is "purple chub" because I once had my fat little Sophie in a purple dress for church and there are two young women that are obsessed with her and always want to hold her so for the longest time they didn't know my name so they would just point to me and say "purple chub?" to ask where my fat baby was so they could hold her...well now they just call me purple chub and then add "purple chub's mom" sometimes. If I ever wear the color purple to young womens I am going to be real bitter. (not really. the girls are freakin cute and wonderful and if they want to hold my baby literally ALL through church- they can call me whatever they want)

#2 Baby Weight

I have exercised and eaten healthy but since my initial baby weight loss...NOTHIN! I don't know what the rest of you ladies are doing but fill me in here. Starvation? 4 hours of working out a day? WHAT??? I have a six month old baby and I look like I just had her. What gives?

Colorado my home sweet home

First snow last week.

72 degrees today.

Paid $1.73 for gas.

I love Denver!

(put my Christmas Tree up today, too soon?)

Pancakes, Massage and Ballet.

Our little Sophie has become quite attached to this little Winnie the Pooh bear. She actually cuddles with it when she sleeps or jabbers to it while she is trying to fall asleep. So sweet! Kennedy working on our mini-carmel apples for the missionaries.
This week Kennedy and I went to a performance of the BYU Theater Ballet. They came to Denver and performed Fairy Tales and Fantasy. It was the perfect length for Kennedy and gave a little taste of ballets such as Raymonda, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and Swan Lake. Kennedy was glued to the first half and during the intermission she danced in the isles until it was time to sit down.

I was also treated to a one hour massage this week. It was heaven. At the top of my "when we have money" list is that I want to get a massage at least once a month. Now when I say my "when we have money" list I really mean "when we are actually making money and not living off the government". Kennedy was so sad that I was leaving for my massage that the minute the garage opened as I can home I saw her little head pop out the door and a huge smile on her face. "Mom I thought that was you and it was! Oh mom I missed you, I love you so much!" Boy you'd think I never left the house.

We also attended a fun scouts breakfast at McDonalds yesterday morning. It was an all you can eat pancake breakfast and Ken had a great time playing with all the kids.

Mom Breakdown

Things that bug:

-Paying $90 for a haircut and color and getting a butcher job with layers that I just finally grew out and a color that I hate!

-A 3 year old that was once potty trained and is now back in pull ups full time because of three poops in underwear in one day. Hates to go to the bathroom because "there is so much to do, wiping, washing hands, blah blah blah"

-A 3 year old that is obsessed with gum and mom and dad drinks and asks for them ALL DAY LONG!

-A 3 year old that thinks she has to eat ALL DAY LONG!!!

-Children whose noses NEVER stop running!

-Never ending laundry and dishes

-Not being able to workout because I can't get a spot in the infant area at the gym and when I can the kids are taking naps and all the good classes are when the husband is not home

-3 year olds that won't go to bed, play when they should be sleeping and want to sleep in bed with mom and dad

-sometimes frankly just 3 year olds (can you tell it's been a bad day?)

Things that make me laugh:

-Kennedy insisting tonight that the missionary feel her leotard because it is velvet but not on her shoulder on her "tummy or boomers" (missionary turning bright red)

-Yelling to Kennedy that she can eat as soon as the dang missionaries show up for dinner (20 min late) just as they knock on the door (yelled so loud near the door that I am sure they heard me)

-Kennedy doing her ballet when she thinks no one is watching

-Wiggly babies that smile at anything...thanks Sophie

Ever had one of those days?

For a fun idea for easy carmeled apples go to

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50565

Kennedy-Sophie Sophie-Kennedy

I had Sophie in one of Kennedy's old outfits today and just could not get over how much she looked like her big sister. Sophie was dumbfounded by the camera and after she saw the flash the first time she just had this goofy look on her face. There are some differences but they do look quite a bit alike.

Kennedy loves to play hide and seek and this was a spot she discovered on her own while trying to hide from Dad when he got home from school/work. I couldn't believe she could fit in there.

I heart Troy Bolton

Is it wrong that my 10 year old niece is SO over High School Musical and yet I am 30 and have a crush on Zac Efron? Most of my friends took their little girls to the movie, Kennedy has never really gotten into the series BUT you better believe that Mike and I went together for our date night and LOVED it. The dancing and singing was over the top and FABULOUS! My only complaint was the short skirts and cleavage...come on Disney. Troy Bolton you are just too pretty to be a guy.

Voting

I have been trying to explain the election process to Kennedy, not in detail but just letting her know that we now have a new President and that people voted for him. I created a ballot for Kennedy so she could vote too, she voted for her favorite treat, movie, book, color and so on. She thought it was so fun the next day she asked if she could vote again, hopefully her enthusiasm continues as she gets older. When I told her the name of the new President she laughed hysterically, it is a funny name after all. As far as how I am feeling; as a history teacher I can appreciate the excitement and importance of this event for the African American community and I do think it is very moving in that regard BUT it is not exactly how I was hoping it would all turn out.

November Food Storage

"Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance, for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to “prepare every needful thing” (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity
come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others. We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings."

Three month supply: Milk (powdered and canned): You can purchase powdered milk in large quantities at the dry pack cannery! Yeast, Bouillion, Flavorings, Sugar (granulated, powdered, corn syrup), Flour
$$ Watch for lots of great deals on these items this month, as the holiday baking season approaches. $$

Long Term: apple sauce, apricots, beef chunks, beef stew, white black and pinto beans, beans and ham, cherries, chicken, chili, chicken noodle soup, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, ground beef, honey, jam, ,syrup, peaches, pear sauce, pears, pork chunks, pork and beans, salsa, sloppy joe mix, spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato soup.
(these are all things offered at the wet pack cannery, work on them slowly after your three month supply is done)

Here is the list of websites that I have found helpful if you missed them before.
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/ (food storage)
http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/ (food storage)
http://www.providentliving.org/channel/1,11677,1706-1,00.html (church website)
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_217_,00.html (redcross emergency kits)
http://www.homecanning.com/index.asp (how to can your own food)
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/water (how to store water)

Halloween is finally over! Halle-freakin-lujah

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays but when you have an already hyper and busy little redhead and pump her full of sugar you learn to hate Halloween real quick. With the ward trick or treat, the outdoors mall Halloween extravaganza and then the normal trick or treating one tends to get a sugar overload. Ken was three different things this year; Dorothy (from Wizard of Oz) while we were in Utah, Fancy Nancy for the ward thing and then last minute she decided she wanted to be Snow White from two Halloweens ago for regular trick or treating.

Above is our posh little puppy in her poodle costume and below is Kennedy and Holden at the mall extravaganza. Holden was a monkey but everyone thought he was a lion...either way he was dang cute!

A little free face painting for Ms. Snow White.

Just a side note: I have been working with Kennedy on her personal prayers so after we do a family prayer I take her to her room to do her own. One was particularly cute today. "Heavenly Father I had a hard day today. I got really mad when Audra wanted to use all my ponies so I yelled at her and then I threw stuff. Please help me to use my words next time I get mad at Audra." Funny and totally melted my heart.

Six Months Old

My name is Sophie Blake Voorhies and I am now 6 months old.

I don't have any teeth yet and I am still trying to learn how to eat without letting my tongue get in the way.

I am the happiest, easiest, smiliest little baby girl EVER!

I like to squeel, jabber and put everything in my mouth.

I have been told several times (just like people told my older sister) that I should be the next Gerber baby.

EVERYONE thinks I am a boy. I AM NOT A BOY!

I finally figured out how to keep a binky in my mouth at 6 months.

I like to roll over, I can sort of sit up but not perfectly just yet.

My Mom, Dad and big sister love to kiss me and squish my fat little body.

I have had my mouth open with my tongue out since I was born...and my nose is always runny.