Coming to you live from Springville, Utah...it's Friday Night!

(ok...so it's a little late and I'm feeling a little corny)

That's right, we're finally in Utah for the holidays. We drove straight through on Wednesday. Spending 18 hours in the car with three kids, three and under (including a newborn) is never fun, but it wasn't too too bad overall. Mostly we're just excited to be here. Ezra can't get enough of the snow and Georgia is s.l.o.w.l.y. warming up to everyone (just don't look at her wrong or she'll give ya the cold shoulder). Before things get really crazy during Christmas, I thought I'd give ya'll a quick little filler post and show you what we've been up to.

Apparently, this is what Spencer and the kids get up to when I'm gone. The crazy thing is, he actually got them to pose for these pictures...with the timer no less! Someone explain to me, please, how I can't get them to pose for a single cute Christmas Card picture in their church clothes and he gets them to wait for the timer to go off with matching poses and underwear on their heads. Someone got it wrong-blondes don't have all the fun. Dads do.

gee, I wonder where my children get their big ol' tongues from?

They even took the time to change underwear for this one

Last Saturday, we went to the Chickasha Festival of Lights with my sister Stephanie and her cute little family. It was so beautiful and Ezra, especially, was thrilled with all the lights. It was well worth the drive (an hour and a half) and definitely got us all in the Christmas spirit.

The little ones all bundled up and ready to go

I rarely like pictures of myself. For some reason, this one struck my fancy so I thought I'd post it.

We kept on trying to get all of the kids to look at the camera and smile for a group picture. Ella was the only one cooperating, so she's the one who got her picture taken.

Take note:

This is one extremely rare pictures of just Spencer and me since our wedding.

I thought it was kinda cute.

(thanks Steph!)

I'm going to make an effort to post pictures of vacation while actually on vacation, so that ya'll won't get picture overload when we get home. Here's hoping I actually do it! Have a fabulous day!

Kansas City, mogli children, and John Denver

Ev'rythin's up to date in Kansas City
They've gone about as fur as they c'n go!

After gobs of resumes, interviews, and a few offers, Spencer has accepted a job offer in Kansas City with the consulting firm, Burns & McDonnell. Both Spencer and I are really excited about the job and uber-excited about the location (it's right on the border between Missouri and Kansas). It's a beautiful city, both the city itself and the area, environment-wise. As an added bonus, it's only a 4-5 hour drive away from my family in Oklahoma and significantly cuts down the time it takes to get to Spencer's family in Utah. So, come June this summer, we'll be living in be-u-tiful Kansas City!

Yes sir, that's my baby
No sir, I don't mean maybe

Scarlett had her blessing last Sunday. It went really well-she looked absolutely beautiful and was wide awake for the entire blessing, just looking around without a peep. Unfortunately, I didn't get any really great pictures of her, but that seems to be the pattern when it comes to blessing pictures for me. I even attempted to take a picture of all three of the kids by myself (Spencer was still at church doing his calling), but that didn't turn out too fabulous either...

(note: these were taken post-church, so everyone looks a little wrinkled and mogli-like)

Country roads, take me home

To the place where I belong

West Virginia, mountain momma

Take me home, country roads

I was looking at Georgia this morning and noticed something...when her hair is all flat from being slept on, my daughter resembles John Denver. It's more than a little disconcerting that my daughter looks like some old guy from the '70s.

=

Why I Do It

Ezra has thrown up at least 17 times in a 14 hour period of time.

Georgia is on the mend from a month long diaper rash, bad to the point of bloodiness.

Scarlett has yet another cold...

however, she also smiled at me for the first time, making it all so worth it.

They're not *just* songs

I was thinking while in the shower the other day about my blog (the shower's where I come up with a lot of my posts, actually) and my thoughts eventually led to my playlist. My playlist is filled with my favorite songs-songs that move me, songs with stories behind them, and songs that have been stuck in my head for the last decade. When I added a playlist to my blog, I intended to give ya'll a glimpse into my head and my life, but I realized somewhere between the lathering, rinsing, and repeating, that to you...they're just songs. You don't know whether I posted a song because it changed my life or if it is simply on this week's Top 40. So, I thought I'd take a few of the songs off my playlist and explain to ya'll what exactly they mean to me. I know, it's a little egocentric to assume any of you even care, but indulge me (you are, after all, reading *my* blog)...

PS~For your convenience, I've posted a playlist of these specific songs off to the side of the post so you'll be able to follow along if you so desire.

Wildflowers by Tom Petty
Spencer gave me a burned cd of songs that reminded him of me while we were dating. This song was on it. Whenever I feel old and frumpy, I turn this on and it reminds me of the girl I used to be and who I know is still there somewhere.

Hips Don't Lie by Shakira and Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard
Who doesn't need a couple of incredibly sexy songs to dance around to in the kitchen?

Bubble Toes by Jack Johnson
Favorite. song. ever. 6 years in counting and hasn't been topped yet.
Incidentally, it also reminds me of my nephew Greyson who actually *does* have bubble toes.

Sweetness by Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World=High School.

Cherry, Cherry by Neil Diamond
This is one of my favorite songs of all time. While it's mostly true that Spencer led me to the Neil Diamond light, this one was around for me long before he was.

Hot 'N' Cold by Katy Perry
This song reminds me of Spencer when we were dating. Mean, I know, yet oh-so-true. For those of you who knew us while dating or have heard the stories, you'll know what I'm talking about. Incidentally, it reminds Spencer of the type of music that was popular while he served his mission in Russia (it's the techno feel to it).

Is There Life Out There by Reba McEntire and New Soul by Yael Naim
You know when you hear a song and you just recognize yourself in it? That's exactly what happened when I heard both of these songs for the first time. I hear them and can't help but say, "that's me" for completely different reasons.

Come A Little Bit Closer by Tony Orlando & Dawn
This one's for you, Lib.

Stacey's Mom by Fountains of Wayne and Hot Mama by Trace Adkins
On those down days when all you can do is compare yourself to the tan 'n' toned co-eds, just jack these up and you won't be able to stop from feeling like one hot mom yourself.

Better Life by Keith Urban and Forever In Blue Jeans by Neil Diamond
I just can't help but relate to these songs. They're my life. One of these days we'll graduate, eventually make decent money, and move on, but I'm sure going to enjoy myself in the meantime.

Thanks for humoring me. Hopefully you at least kinda enjoyed the music along the way. Have a fabulous day!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Here's what we've been up to lately...

HALLOWEEN!!!

Ezra as our little train conductor:

Georgia made a very pretty fairy princess:

(Aren't the tutus adorable? My sister, Stephanie, my mom, and I were feeling kinda crafty one day and decided to make them. Also, a big shout out to Steph who made the flower crowns while I was in the hospital with Scarlett!)

Georgia and her be-u-tiful cousin, Ella

First Bath!

Thank you Mimi for the cute purple hippo towel!

(I know, I know, not the best picture in the world, but she was really squirmy, so we weren't getting any fabulous ones. )

Family Home Evening on Noah and the Ark

(FYI-We're making banana boats in these pictures)

(that's some bad, bad hair, isn't it...)

Georgia picked out all the chocolate chip and marshmallow "passengers" and left the banana pieces behind :P

Getting to dress up in fun new clothes!

Thank you, Auntie Libby for the friggin' adorable outfit! Scarlett might not look it in this picture, but she was practically dancing with excitement at your fabulous taste.

Happy (late) Birthday, Ezra Emil!

On October 23rd, my little Ezra turned a very big 3 years old. I can't even believe that he has gotten so big, so very, very fast. Ezra came into the world wiggling and wailing and hasn't changed much since.

In the weeks leading up to Ezra's birthday, I often asked him what he wanted for his birthday. Ezra, having a vague idea of what a birthday entails, informed me that he wanted to blow out candles and open a red present with Skittles in it, which are good for his tummy (Ezra-speak for an allergy-safe food). This is *all* he wanted, which he repeated many times over. Spencer, for one, was ecstatic because he assumed this got him off the hook for giving anything more to his first-born than a pack of 97 cent Skittles. Luckily for Ezra, I had bigger plans for his birthday.

On the long-awaited day, Ezra started off bright and early at preschool. There, they had their annual Harvest Fest, which Ezra assumed, as any egocentric 3 yr old would, was completely for him. Following this, they sang Happy Birthday to him, gave him a construction paper crown, and gave him some Skittles for part of his snack. After I picked up Ezra from school, he was very excited to tell me how his birthday went, thinking that was the beginning and end of the celebrations. It was quite the task to convince him that his birthday actually lasted all. day. long. *gasp*

After preschool, we went up to my Mom's house to spend the day and get ready for the evening's celebrations. Ezra got to help me make his cupcakes (he requested cupcakes instead of an actual cake, which was a-okay with me) and after they cooled, he and his cousin, Greyson, got to decorate some of them with sprinkles. Later, Ezra, Cooper (another cousin), and Greyson helped us make cheese-less pizzas for dinner.

Ezra and Greyson working studiously

There's that "cheese" face again...it's startin' to get a little old

After we had pizza for dinner, it was the long-awaited present-opening time. The kid made a haul. I'm not quite sure how it happened. I really didn't intend to spoil him rotten, I think I just don't really buy any toys the rest of the year, so they all have to be stuffed into his birthday and Christmas *shrug*

On to the orgy of gift-opening...

And, of course, the beloved Skittles...

After all the presents were finally opened, we ended the night with cupcakes, Luigi's Italian Ices, and Philly Swirls.

Happy Birthday, my wonderful Ezra! I can't imagine my life without you and I certainly wouldn't want to. You are my very special Ezra Sunshine and I love you with my everything.

Waiting on The World to Change

Me and all my friends

We're all misunderstood

They say we stand for nothing and

There's no way we ever could

Now we see everything is going wrong

With the world and those who lead it

We just feel like we don't have the means

To rise above and beat it

So we keep waiting

Waiting on the world to change

We keep on waiting

Waiting on the world to change

It's hard to beat the system

When we're standing at a distance

So we keep waiting

Waiting on the world to change

Now if we had the power

To bring our neighbors home from war

They woulda never missed a Christmas

No more ribbons on the door

When you trust your television

What you get is what you got

'cause when they own the information ooohhh,

They can bend it all they want...

One day our generation

Is gonna rule the population

So we keep on waiting

Waiting on the world to change

Now we keep on waiting

Waiting on the world to change

We keep on waiting

Waiting on the world to change

John Mayer

Waiting on the World to Change

Change has come...and I, for one, can't wait.