100%

Travis and Hunter made a deal at the beginning of the school year. If Hunter could get 5 spelling tests in a row with 100% he could go to a fun place (i.e. chuck-e-cheeses, PoJo's, etc) and take a friend. So the challenge began. He did pretty well getting 3 in a row and then not on his 4th and had to start over...but he did it just before the Christmas break arrived. So- after 5 100%'s in a row off we went on December 30 to Boondocks. Hunter chose this location because they have laser tag and he really wanted to play. So we invited the cousins and off we went for lunch and laser tag. It was a fun morning/afternoon....here are some pictures of the insanity.

Really?

I was getting up on Sunday morning after a long night with Dallin (teething) and Tyler (sick)- I don't think I slept more than a few hours at most. It was a rough one. Anyway, we decided that since Tyler was sick and I got no sleep we would stay home from church. Well, I went to pull Gwendalin's hair back and what do I see? Yes, you guessed it bugs...not just any bugs but lice. Now I grew up on the Navajo Indian Reservation and never had lice at my house. It is like the plague. I know it's common and kids get it regardless of your hygeine but this was killer for me. Good thing we didn't go to church! I went to Wal-Mart instead and bought the lot of everything that gets rid of the disease. I seriously could not handle it, I was in tears most of Sunday and even Monday. We treated Gwendalin and Travis, Hunter, and I also did a treatment. She was the only one who had it, so naturally we assumed she must have gotten it at preschool. I spent the next few days Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with Gwennie on the floor for at least an hour (usually more) each time while I sat and sifted through her hair to ensure that it was gone. I didn't realize that this would have such a drastic affect on me. I feel like it's because I have quit cleaning as much as I used to, or maybe it's because I did or didn't do something I was supposed to do. I felt violated that this dirty thing had somehow gotten into my house and attacked one of my kids. This doesn't happen to me! It only happens to other people. Needless to say, it is gone now and 1.4 million loads of laundry later I think I am over it. I still check her head every time she is near me. I guess I am a little nutty. Travis told me he didn't know how crazy I was until this happened. I think his exact words were "I had no idea you were such a freak until this happened..." I did go a little nuts...washing everything....anyway, I debating posting this, but wanted to remember what a nutter I was and how this every day occurance changed my life forever. I should've just burned the house down - it would've gotten rid of everything. :)

Family Night

We made chocolate chip cookies for Family Home Evening this last week. The kids did it all and I cleaned it up- flour on the floor, etc. Anyway, they were sure cute doing it...and they loved it all...afterward they made ugly faces at me.

Oh, the festivities!

This year Christmas was a bit different for us! I had a rough time even getting into the Christmas spirit...and only put up the stockings and the tree (which are already down). It made for very easy clean up and less stress for me. I may do it for a few more years while my kids are little....the thought of a lot of decor and the like just make me so tired.

We rang in the first day of "no school" with the making of the gingerbread house. Hunter and Gwennie did the decorating, and Tyler did the un-decorating after which he sat on the table hoping the house would be returned so he could eat more. Dallin enjoyed a nice nap during the festivities.

Christmas Eve was spent at mom and dads eating lasagna (yum!) and having the kids re-in act the Nativity. Hunter was Joseph, Jocilyn was Mary, Gwendalin and McKenna were angels and Tyler (The Texas) was either a wise man or a Shepard, I'm not sure. But they were darn cute. They walked into the room to "When Joseph Went to Bethlehem" and then the angels sang "Away in a Manger."

After we came home from grandma and grandpa's it was off to bed for the kiddos. They went down okay, except for Gwennie (she took a nap earlier). When she finally fell asleep aroumd 10:00 Hunter was up using the bathroom and then couldn't go back to sleep- he kept hearing footsteps outside and bells jingling. :) Travis and I were dying - we are usually in bed by 9 or 10 and we didn't get in bed until midnightish. There was a little bike that needed building and some presents that needed wrapped.

Christmas morning was great...we started out with some sticky bread and then waited for GM and GP to come and watch the present openings. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of any of it. Tyler loved his bike and constantly pushed the button that played music so he could dance. Hunter was thrilled with some roller blades, a new scooter, helmet, magic set, and rubiks cube. Gwendalin's favorite was a barbie that sings - she also go a washer and dryer (she's been asking for a set like mine for quite some time). I think it was a very successful morning. I got Travis a bathrobe, and he surprised me (like he does every year) with a bose docking station for our iPod, and a new 10.1mp Sony Digital Camera.

Hunter has thoroughly enjoyed the snow during his no school time. He has embarked on sledding adventures almost daily. I think it is his new found love.

Merry Christmas to all!

Elephant Hill

I grew up in Northern New Mexico (Gallup to be exact). It wasn't flat country at all, in fact it was quite hilly. There was this one hill close to where my Great Grandma Viola lived called Elephant Hill. We used to beg mom or dad (whoever was driving) to take us home by way of that hill so we could "tickle our tummies." I loved it! In fact, I love a lot of things about my childhood. I will list just a few for posterity's sake: *Stick racing with Scottie in the rain in our swimming suits, * playing doctor with Lynn and making her drink pickle juice, * sharing a room with Tricia and playing the "cold pillow" game, *sharing a room with Lynn and dividing it down the middle and telling her that the door was on my side so she could never leave, * finding the "sleeping drunk guy" wtih scottie under the bush at the building we cleaned, * going to Jason's basketball games and loving "being cool" at the high school when I was in elementary school, *going to chop wood with dad on a school day, *planting flowers with mom along our driveway. These are just a few. ;)

This morning Hunter wanted to play "Name that Tune" with primary songs. So, I sat at the piano with Dallin on my lap and played it while Hunter and Gwendalin tried to guess which primary song the notes were from. It was a fun morning. I am in hopes that my kids will remember things like that in the same way I remember Elephant Hill.

Here are some pictures of them after I left to go shower...Hunter became the primary pianist (remember he doesn't really play) and Gwendalin the primary chorister. Hunter played whatever notes he wanted and sang the songs that he new - they didn't quite match up, but it was cute nonetheless. Notice that Gwennie is leading the songs that come out of the Book of Mormon. :)

Our Family Pictures

While in AZ we had our family pictures taken....here are a few ...they take forever to upload so this post has been in the works all day.

Big Chesley Family Pictures

While in AZ we had family pictures taken...Travis' whole family. Here are the two that I have in my house:

Busy Mind

Have you ever sat at a STOP SIGN and waited for it to turn green? Yep, I did that today. I think my mind is preoccupied with other things....

Barely...

So if you talk to people who know me well at all, they might tell you I am a bit obsessive compulsive. I might tell you that I am completely obsessive compulsive. Since the birth of Dallin, I have been on function mode, but barely getting by. You see I am the kind of person who likes things done when I see that they need done: dusting, bathrooms, vacuum, etc. I can't stand messes and thus they rule my life because I am trying to constantly keep my house looking like a model home. I recognize that flaw in my personality...because really who cares? I have 4 kids...my house is going to have toys on the floor and sticky spots and dust, and pee on the toilet seats. So with that in mind I will continue. I have barely been functional since Dallin was born, I get things done, but not like I did when I just had 3. I did get the Christmas tree up but it doesn't look "pretty-" it looks like kids helped...and I'm glad about that...even for the knitted baby hat thrown at the top to sit by the angel. I decided in light of my disorder that I won't put everything out for Christmas, just the tree and stockings. I have 3 bins full of Christmas decor, but if I put it up, I have to take it down, and I don't have the energy.

Needless to say I have passed the OCDness on to at least 2 of my children. We constatly have a crisis...whether it be over the way the shoelaces hang on the shoes (Hunter), or if it is getting socks off in the perfect manner (Tyler).

If there is a silver lining to this nuroces (Nyur-oh-sees) ( I don't know if I spelled that right)...then it is that I have had children and this 4th one has helped me let lots of the crazy lady syndrome go by the wayside. For instance, I walk by my bookcases and see that they are dusty and think...I will do them later and I get them done within a few days of noticing rather than RIGHT THEN. I don't do laundry every day all day, it's okay to have dirty clothes in the dirty clothes bins when I go to bed at night. I still do clean my bathroom and the kids bathroom at least weekly, because well, I just won't compromise on that. However, I have decided that it's okay not to have the perfect house all the time, because my kids are getting big too fast and I'd rather play with them...

Now just so you understand, I am not healed by any means, but I have been enlightened and hopefully will continue to be. I will let the little things be, and they won't consume me, instead I will read books with my kids, make cookies, let them sleep in sheets that weren't washed that week- I can wash them the next week. So, during this holiday season, I am grateful for four kids who have helped me refine myself to be not so crazy.

Sock Trauma....it wouldn't come off right...

New Christmas dress from Ree....

Baby Blue eyes...

Texas kept getting in bed with Hunter, and Hunter kept coming in to tattle, finally Hunter quit coming in, we thought it was taken care of and Tex was in his bed, but when we checked them later here they were. Hunter told us the next day that he was too tired and didn't want Tyler to be sad so he just let him lay by him....:)

Ever had one of those dreams?

Our last night in Arizona for Thanksgiving I had a dream. No, not a Martin Luther King Jr. dream, but very real dream that scared me silly. I have only every had a few in my life that were so real I wake up in tears like this. But it was a dream that Hunter along with 2 of my nephews on the Chesley side, were killed. I couldn't get the point across to whomever I was with that I had just lost my son. It was awful! I woke up and went to make sure he was fine....and he was. On the way to the airport I was telling him about it (Hunter) and I started to cry again. If for no other reason I am glad I had it just to realize how much I cherish my family. Hunter just hugged me and told me he loved me. :)

Thanksgiving Trip...

Sadly, I didn't take nearly enough pictures....the kids played with cousins galore and I don't have the pictures to prove it. It was a very nice trip. Travleing was a breeze believe it or not and the visit was amazing as well. here are a few good memories:
1. We had our individual family pictures taken...and even though Travis complained, I think they will be super cute.
2. We had a big "Chesley" family picture taken (like 40-50 people) - twice...the first time the camera didn't focus so we dressed up again the next day and did some more....
3. We helped Aunt Nikki move out of her house.
4. We played and played with cousins.
5. We got to eat Higley Hot Dog and Native New Yorker. Sadly, we didn't make it to Serranos. :(
6. Tyler Hunter and Gwendalin got to sleep in the same room on the trundle bed. One night while I was up with Dallin in the next room over, I heard Tyler scream. I went in and he had been asleep on the tallest of the beds, he was twisted and tangled in the sheets and had fallen off the side (Thus the shout) but he was still alseep dangling from the sheet off the side of the bed over Gwendalin's head. :) I moved him back up. So cute!
7. The kids got to play chase with Grandpa and read lots of books with Grandma!
8. Thanksgiving was so good...Judy makes awesome coconut creme and banana creme pies!
9. We remembered why families are important to stay in touch with. I love that my kids get to know both sides!

Here are the kids at Uncle Jason's house...they got to play and spy on the grown ups with Cayden's cool spy stuff...and eat pizza and play outside in the rain. Aside from the 2 hour drive it took us to get to his side of the valley, it was a good visit.




Gwendalin played some sort of "mothering" game with her cousins...In the picture are Bryant and Trevor. She would lead them around the house by the hand....they were so patient with her....it was cute.


Hunter got to go with us to Rubios (Uncle Phil goes for the fish tacos, so we went along.) Anyway, he was thrilled because his kid's meal came with a churro. :)

Here are the kiddos watching Wall-E or Kung Fu Panda...for quiet time...we were trying to stay quiet for the nappers at each house. (Grandma's and Nancy's)


My kids got a little bored during the day because they didn't have school and their cousins did....but they found ways to stay entertained. They gathered leaves and made a leaf pile by the garden with Brock and Bryce (Nancy and Aric's boys).




Hunter was laying in the bathroom while I was bathing the kids, telling me how unfair life was and how hungry he was....before you knew it he had passed out....too much playing. ;)