Tyler and Natalie

The kids have been doing a lot of funny things lately...I'm not sure what the deal is. Tyler is going through the "why?" stage and it is driving me absolutely CRAZY! Everything is why this and why that...from why is it dark to why is daddy going to work...sheesh! I don't remember Natalie ever going through that stage. I guess his curiosity is a good thing - I expect he is learning a lot.

Tyler also is SO HYPER!! It's been coming on slowly but he is all over the place all the time. I feel kinda bad because we don't go out and run around much because we don't have a yard and I'm really bad about taking them to the park. So I guess he has to wear off all his energy somehow. But he is such a sweet boy and I still love it when he comes in my room first thing in the morning to snuggle with me. He pokes my face and giggles at me. Some day he'll stop bugging me so much and I know I'll miss it. So I enjoy every minute of it now.

Natalie is becoming such a little adult. I just read a post that Karen Scott wrote about her little girl saying "actually" and its funny because Natalie has been doing the same thing. Some of the things that come out of her mouth are so funny! I can see how she is developing her own personality and how she is applying things she hears to her own situations. I love her so much and am so excited for her to start school next year. She is so smart and I know she will do so well. She is such a fast learner and is very good at following directions. Hopefully this won't change when she goes to school!

That's all - just wanted to gush about my kids a little.

Tyler taking a nap with Buddy

Natalie "painting her nails" while we were going for a ride

Thanksgiving At The Downer's

It is a Downer family tradition to have everyone over for Thanksgiving at my parents house. Most of us kids still live in Henderson/Vegas so it isn't too difficult to get everyone together. Diana and her three little ones were able to come to town (from NJ) so the only ones missing were Mike, Renee and their kids. Dennis and Steph were there; Will, Leigh Ann and their three Greg, Madily, and baby William; Diana and her three Cody, Katie, and Jessica; Tina with Zach and Bonnie; me and Andy with Natalie and Tyler; Tim and Ally; Daisy and Mike; Bonnie; Clara Anne (although she had to leave early because she worked that day...bummer); and Jimmy. We also had my grandpa there for a total of 17 adults and 10 kids. WOW! We set up two long tables in the formal dining room where the adults ate and all the kids sat by the regular dinner table. Talk about a full house! We had lots and lots of fun. It was great to be able to have just about everyone there - and I don't even think we had any fights this year! Also a few days after Thanksgiving my mom and some of my sisters and I got to go to lunch together before Diana went back home. It was so great to be able to get out - just us girls! Thanksgiving is BY FAR my most favorite holiday and I can't WAIT for next year!!

My mom, cooking...

Cody and the snack trays

The kiddie table

The adult tables

Watching Wall-E with full bellies

Downer Girl Pics

My mom took some pictures this weekend with my sister Diana in town. We took some of all of us Downer girls - all 6 of us. Then we took a few of just us older girls. The first pic, left to right, is Diana, Bonnie, Tina, me, Clara Anne, and Daisy.

And here is Diana, Tina, and me.

Christmas Cards

I am getting ready to send out my Christmas Cards and I need a lot of addresses! If ANYONE would please e-mail me their address I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks! debrac28@gmail.com OR debrac28@yahoo.com.

Dance Class, Haircut, Twilight and Wall-E

Random enough? Just thought I'd jot down a few things about some recent events.

So I signed Natalie up for a dance class at the Silver Spring Rec Center a few weeks ago. It was a last minute thing - she had been dancing around all over the house for about a week and I decided to put her in a dance class to see if she liked it. Her class is on Mondays and it runs for 6 weeks. This upcoming Monday will be her 4th class and she is doing very well (as far as I can tell). She really loves going and seems to get along really great with the other kids. There is one boy in the class and I did notice last week that when they were getting in line to do one of their exercies, she was asking where the boy was so she could stand next to him. Ugh. She is a very friendly girl and I love how well she socializes with other children. Hopefully this will be a great experience that she will remember years to come.

Then I got bored a week or so ago and chopped off my hair. I had been thinking about it for a while but didn't know if I really wanted to cut it again. When my hair starts getting long it gets harder and harder for me to get the motivation to actually style my hair every day. I wind up throwing it in some dumb pony-tail because I don't feel like spending an hour in the bathroom blowing it dry and straightening it. My sister Tina just chopped of her hair (but she REALLY chopped hers off!) so it gave me the strength to do it. And boy am I glad I did! I really, really love it. I don't have a picture yet because I'm not a huge fan of taking pictures of myself. But I'll get one up soon. I'll post a picture that we just took for our Christmas cards - it was right before I cut it.

I am also a huge fan of Twilight. It was quite a while back when my sister-in-law Leigh Ann tried to get me to read it. She kept bugging me and bugging me and I wasn't really interested. I'm a huge science fiction fan but vampires just didn't seem to intruige me. So she finally just gave me the book so I started reading it one night. Well I finished the book in 8 hours and read New Moon and Eclipse the next few days. But I had to wait for Breaking Dawn to come out. So of course I pre-ordered it and read it the day I got it. I'm not overly obsessed with any of the characters...I just think Stephenie Meyer is an excellent writer. I just got so involved when I started reading and couldn't stop. I love books that just capture all my attention and get me so involved. I went to see the movie on Thursday night (which was probably a mistake) and was not really suprised. The movie followed the book fairly well but did have it's own parts that weren't in the book. Some of the scenes I was hoping they would have done a little better but I really wasn't expecting much when I went to see it so I really wasn't disappointed. I did like the little cameo that Stephenie made. But I really, really, really could have done without the giggling and cheering little girls that made it difficult for me to enjoy those scenes that were supposed to be touching or sentimental. But that was my fault for going to the very first screening. Live and learn, I guess.

I also saw Wall-E at my sister's house for the first time. I had heard that it wasn't all that great. I must say that I think it is my favorite Disney movie! I absolutely loved it! I thought it was so cute and so funny - I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't like that movie. My kids had seen it the day before at her house and apparently they loved it too. They have been asking to see it for quite a while now. So I guess I'll have to buy it for me, oh I mean them, for Christmas.

I know this has been quite random, but sometimes I realize that there has been a lot going on and I want to get some of it down or else I never will. I will post some pictures in the next few days as well - I always LOVE looking at people's blogs when they put pictures up. So yeah that's it. If you've made it this far, thanks...you must really like me!

Crazy 8 Tag

Thanks Caroline...I don't think I've been tagged before, maybe, but I guess I can do one as well.

8 TV shows I watch

1. The Office
2. Heroes
3. CSI (Las Vegas)
4. Burn Notice
5. NCIS
6. Anything on Discovery Channel
7. Anything on Food Network
8. Anything on Disney Channel


8 Restaurants I like

1. Chevy's
2. Chilies
3. Applebees
4. Olive Garden
5. The Original Pancake House
6. In-N-Out
7. Taco Bell
8. Denny's


8 things that happened yesterday

1. Went to see Twilight
2. Went Christmas shopping
3. Bought a Christmas Tree
4. Decorated said tree with the kids (no I did not put the kids on the tree, rather they helped me and Andy decorate it)
5. Went out to dinner with my husband, sister Daisy, and her husband Mike
6. Saw Wall-E for the first time
7. Just about had a heart attack when the TV in my bedroom blew up
8. Fell asleep watching TV on my husbands laptop (in bed) as a result of said broken TV


8 things I look forward to

1. Thanksgiving with the Downer family
2. My sister Diana coming to town to visit for Thanksgiving!
3. Seeing Diana's new baby Jessica
4. Going to Wisconsin to visit Andy's family for Christmas
5. Being done with Christmas shopping
6. Going to Natalie's dance class on Monday
7. The new season of Burn Notice starting in January
8. Getting a new TV


8 things on my wish list
1. Books 5 & 6 of The Great and Terrible series by Chris Stewart
2. The new Nickelback CD
3. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4. New Lord of the Rings DVD's (dang kids)
5. The Office DVD's
6. Dustbuster
7. A new toaster
8. A trillion dollars


8 People I tag

Yeah, I'd rather not.

Primary Program

Last Sunday was our Primary Program and all the kids did such a great job! I was so proud of Natalie - she had her part memorized and spoke nice and loud into the microphone! She sure isn't shy being in front of a large group of people. I had to sit on the stand with some of the kids and Andy sat with Tyler in the pews. Apparently Tyler was the best that he has ever been in Sacrament Meeting! He loved seeing Natalie sitting up front; and because Natalie was sitting right in the front he could easily see her. She had been so excited about the Primary Program and being able to say her part. She also learned all the songs so well and knew just about all the words. We would sing them in the car when we drive to the store and to my mom's house. She even learned the sign language to "I Am A Child of God." She is so smart! I am so proud of my little girl!

Dentist

Natalie and Tyler had their first visit to the dentist last week. I knew how Tyler was going to react - not very well! Last time I took him to the doctor for his annual checkup and shots he did VERY well - I was very suprised! He sat really still while they took all his measurements as well as when the doctor looked him over. Of course he didn't like the shots, but who does? So when we went to the dentist last week, sure enough, he lost his mind when we tried to sit him in the chair. He wanted NOTHING to do with any of that. So the dentist simply brused his teeth with flouride and that was about it. Hopefully next time he will do a little better so we can do some x-rays and all that junk.

Natalie did much better. She actually kept saying that she was excited! She did great for the x-rays - that was always my most unfavorite part. That cardboard crap they make you hold in your mouth really isn't comfortable. But she was such a trooper and we got some great x-rays. A few months ago she had a face-on collision with Tyler's head and it knocked her front teeth a little loose. So they look a little dark now and I was concerned that something would have to be done with the teeth. But after looking at the x-rays the dentist said they should be fine as long as we keep a close eye on them. When it came time to clean Natalie's teeth, she got a little nervous. She wasn't a big fan of the noisy toothbrush but once we assured her that it wasn't going to hurt then she calmed down a little bit. She was still a little nervous for the rest of the time but overall did really great.

So...no cavities! Yeah! Hopefully it stays that way for a long time. The dentist also mentioned something about Natalie's bottom teeth - they are a little crooked because she used to suck her thumb. But I'm not going to worry about that until her permanent teeth come in. If he thinks I'm gonna put braces on her when her permanent teeth come in, he's crazy!

Trunk-or-Treat / Halloween Party

Okay so we had a little Halloween Party for the kids at my sister Daisy's house last week and it was pretty fun. We had pizza and the kids decorated pillow cases for trick-or-treating and played some games. The kids had a really good time, as you can see!!

Natalie had falled asleep in the car on the way over so her hair was all messed up - and the red eyeon my camera was acting up so some of these pictures look pretty scary!!

I know....YIKES!!! Andy did NOT like my costume - he said I looked like Kathy Griffin. Eeek - what was I thinking?!

Tyler was sick of wearing his costume after about 10 minutes. Punk.

We also had our ward Trunk-or-Treat the next day. Of course the kids loved that - what could be better than getting candy for dressing up?!

Silly Kids

So I was just playing with the kids and thought I'd take some pictures - they just LOVE being silly and having their picture taken!

Here Tyler was winking at me...

...and here Natalie is trying to wink at me...

Buddy...

...and more silly children!!

You're A Genius!

Oh the things kids say! Tyler just picked up a new phrase. I'm not exactly sure where he got it from but it is so funny to hear him say it. We were driving to my mom's the other day and we drove past the doctor's office where I take them. I had just taken Tyler the week before to the doctor for his immunization shots. When we drove past the doctor's office, he says, "Mom, you'r'e a genius for taking me to the doctors!" I just started laughing! Now he says it all the time - whenever I do something that he likes. "Thanks Mom, you're a genius!"

A Few Random Things

So I've been reading everyone else's blogs and it has got me thinking about all the stuff in my house and other things I have been thinking about. So these are going to be a few random things but I just have to get them out!

I was reading a blog from a friend of mine I grew up with (Trisha) and she was mentioning about celebrities and their political endorsements. I just want to say a HUGE AMEN to everything she said! Celebrities, in my honest opinion, have no place in politics. They just seem to use their "big names" to get their two cents in. I personally HATE when celebrities are so adamant about endorsing a particular candidate because most times they feel that because their are a "celebrity" their endorsement should mean something to me. Well, it doesn't. If I went around everywhere telling people who I supported and how I felt about certain candidates people would be like, "Uh, that's nice, why should we care about who you endorse?" So that's how I feel about celebrities. I have very, VERY little respect for celebrities and do not at all agree with their career choices. That's a whole 'nother subject that maybe I'll expand on another time. But for now, I'll leave it at that. I don't think celebrities endorsements of political figures should weigh any more than the rest of us - because like the rest of us, they are humans with opinions, that's all.

Okay, I think thats enough ranting. So another thought I was having was about my kids and the Disney Channel. Unfortunately the Disney Channel babysits my kids more than it should. My kids will watch ANYTHING that is on Disney Channel, no matter what time of day. And the funny thing is that whenever a movie comes on, Natalie will say, "Oh this is my favorite movie!" Most of the time she has never even seen the movie! My kids, too, recognize the Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and other big name people and shows from Disney. There is a picture of the Jonas Brothers in the Burger King drive thru and whenever we go there Tyler will say, "Look! The Jonas Brothers! I love the Jonas Brothers!" ANYTHING Disney that they see in a store or anywhere they recognize. And it even goes beyond people, too. Just yesterday we were in Target and I was getting our dog some dog food. So we were browsing the dog food aisle and pretty soon I hear Natalie say, "Oh it's Mighty Dog!" I looked around to see a bag of dog food called "Mighty Dog". I looked at her and asked, "How did you know that was Mighty Dog?" (Natalie just turned 4 and there is no way she can read yet). She said, "It's just like on TV." So apparently she saw a commercial for the dog food and recognized the name. Crazy. And Tyler was looking through my wallet the other day and pulled out my Smith's rewards card. He immediately said, "Oh, Smiths!" It's so weird what kids pick up and remember! They are A LOT smarter that I give them credit for!!

My First "Real" Post

Okay so I've been a little nervous about my first post because it seems like I'm the last one on board the blogging world. So I guess I'll just dive in head first and start posting away!

We had Tyler and my birthday "parties" at my mom's house this weekend. Tyler got a bunch of Thomas the Train stuff - no suprise there. I got some girlie stuff - pedicure essentials from my sister Daisy and a variety of bath washes from my brother Dennis. Actually, I'm sure they were more from my sister-in-law Stephanie - although oddly enough I can picture Dennis at Bath and Body Works browsing the bath soaps for "just the right ones."

I did one little project this weekend that I was a little proud of. You see, I am really NOT the decorative type or the creative type. That side of my brain really doesn't work so well. The walls and windows of my home are embarrasingly bare because I lack the interest and ability to decorate them well. So when I took on this recent "project" I was a little nervouse as to how it would turn out. Here is a tiny backstory: I bought a "newer" car earlier this year. It is only a year old and in really great condition. So I want to do my best to try to keep it as nice as possible. Those of you with kids will understand that this is near an impossibility. The interior of my car is a light tan and gets dirty at the slightest touch - and it drives me absolutely crazy! Every time the kids get into the car their shoes touch the seats and immediately there are dirty shoe prints all over the seats. My mom covers the seats of her car with fleece that she buys at WalMart or wherever. So I've been contemplating doing that but not sure that I could pull it off. So the other day I vacuumed and steam cleaned my car because I was sick of all the dirt. Sure enough, the next day the kids get into the car to go to my mom's house and get dirty shoe marks all over the seats. I had enough. So the next day I went to WalMart and found some material that was on sale for $2 a yard. I actually liked it a lot and it was a lot cheaper than the fleece I was considering. So I bought like 6 yards which turned out to be twice as much as I needed, but it was only $12. I got home and started cutting. It was really simple. I just cut the width I needed and tucked in all the sides around my seats. Then I cut a couple slits on the top for the head rests and poof!! Newly upholstered seats! And the really great thing is that if they get dirty, I just pull them out and throw them in the washing machine. I know the fabric of choice will make some of you gag, but I kinda like it. I was actually impressed that it turned out so well and was so easy. Ah, I'm so lame, I know.

My Family - A Brief Overview

So I am finally joining the world of blogging. After several attempts to find old friends through places such as Myspace and Facebook I have realized that blogging is the place to find them. I look forward to finding old friends, catching up, and keeping in touch.

Our little family stared August 28, 2003. Andrew and I met at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada. He was working security for the hotel. My brother Dennis, who was working with Andrew at the time, introduced us and the rest is history. We were married two months later at my parents home in Henderson. Less than a year later our daughter Natalie came along and then a year after that we had our son Tyler. Shortly after we were married, we moved to Rockford, Illinois to be near Andrews family. It was there that were were finally sealed in the Chicago, Illinois temple. A year after we moved to Illinois we moved back to Nevada.

Andrew is working for the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas as a security supervisor. I am a partner in my dad's business, Small Business Resource Center. I work part-time as a QuickBooks Consultant. We live in a tiny townhouse with my sister Bonnie and are eagerly awaiting our first home purchase.

So that's a little about us.