Christmas 2009

This Christmas was the funnest we've had since we were kids. Our kids were so excited for the big day.  They loved the Christmas lights and decorations everywhere.  They loved the "classic" cartoons and music.  They loved everything.  Christmas morning was fun there was so much magic.  I forgot to take pics with the camera and only took video so if you are interested I'm going to upload them to my Picasa page. Here's the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/porterfamilyemail/ChristmasVideo#

This year Christmas was with my family.  Everyone was able to come and they got here on Christmas.  It was so fun to see everybody.  Our kids had so much fun with their cousins.  They just played and played.  Hailey cried so hard at bedtime the day the final cousins left because she missed them so much (i'm sure part of that was because she was so tired but still, she misses them).

Hair Update

It's been 4 months since Hailey chopped her hair off. I have to say it's growing back very nicely. Hip Hip Hooray! I am no longer embarrassed to take her out in public wondering if people think I chopped a little too much off :)

Before:

Now:

Before:

Now:

Fun Filled Weekend

Even though I pretty much had all of our Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving and last week we passed cinnamon rolls out to friends and neighbors, we still hadn't gotten the funnest things with the family accomplished yet.  This weekend we finally got to do them.  We started off the day going shopping for five hours in Idaho Falls with the kids.  I couldn't believe they made it that long without a breakdown, but they were troopers and had a lot of fun.

Then we made it to Scotty's in Rigby to get the Christmas tree.  The kids had fun picking one out.  Then off we went to Broulim's to go see Santa.  Santa was great.  (Although there was a little girl there trying to ruin Santa traditions for our kids.....I was ticked!)  They had so much fun and it wasn't busy so they got to sit on his lap for about 5 minutes until they printed off a picture they took with Santa.  Jack did not want to have anything to do with Santa so no pictures of him.

Today we were able to get the tree decorated.  Bo put the lights on.  Thanks Bo, that's not my favorite part.  It was fun but we have a lot of glass bulbs which was a problem. (I have to say when I bought them we didn't have hardwood floors and only had one kid).  Jack broke two. One of them by chucking it across the room before we could get to him. Conrad broke one, and I even broke one.  Needless to say that it is time to get some new ornaments before we slice up our feet on broken glass.  I let the kids put on almost all of the ornaments, so they kinda ended up in one place.  But, they had so much fun.  And it's our family tree; who cares if it's not perfect.  I love it. I love this time of year :)

airbeds4less.com (Fox Websites) Made it on AOL.com's home page

On Sunday a couple of weeks ago, Bo was flipping through yahoo, msn, and AOL.  He does this A LOT just for fun.  It showed airbeds starting at $50.95 and he clicked on it out of curiosity.

 The article was about "must haves" this holiday season with a picture of an air bed and some other stuff.  

He clicked on the air mattress link and realized all four beds were from Bo and his partner Kris's website.  It was exciting to see.

Great job!!!

Thanksgiving 2009

Okay, it's been kind of busy since we got back so sorry it has taken awhile to post. We got to Boise at about 9. It was the best drive we've had with the kids in awhile. We didn't even had to make a stop. Dinner was at Carley and Myles's house this year. Thanks guys for having it at your house. It was a lot of fun. Dinner was delicious!!! Thanks to everybody for making everything gluten free. I know it made things more difficult, but it was nice for me. :)

We girls made watches and ties (I don't have a finished pic yet, but you wash them and they have frayed edges). It was fun, but took a "little bit" longer than we anticipated. But, well worth it. We also went to a BSU game. It was fun, but COLD. Sorry no pics of that.

Here's a slide show of the few pics I took:

Thanks

I am so grateful for this time of year for so many reasons.  It makes me reflect on my life and family and the blessings the gospel brings.  It makes me realize how much I love my family and how much I like spending time together.  What a year we've had.....there is so much to be grateful for.

First and foremost I am grateful for my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  They bless us in so many ways and this year I learned even more about their tender mercies and how they bless me and my family.  I would be lost without the gospel.  I love the Book of Mormon and all if the different ways it brings me peace.  I am grateful for the priesthood and also all the blessings I can receive from praying.  I am grateful for the guidance we have from President Monson and all of the other church leaders.  I am so blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I am so grateful to be married to Bo.  He is so great for me.  He is so good at keeping me level headed and he knows how to make me laugh when I am not in the best of moods. He is so loving and I love spending time with  him.  He is a great dad and the kids love him.  They get so excited for him to come home from work.  They love playing Hide-and-Seek with him.  Thanks for all that you do.

Families are such a blessing.  Children are a great blessing.  It is hard to be a mom sometimes.  But, it is very rewarding.  I am grateful for Hailey and the way she loves spending time and playing with me.  We are best friends and I hope that never changes.  Conrad has such a sweet and tender heart.  He makes sure everyone is happy and remembered.  I love how he loves to tell me when he is so excited about something. The look on his face is just so cute.  Jackson's personality has gotten much stronger the past couple of weeks.  He just makes us laugh.  I just love this age.  He is such a tease and I love that he says mama all the time.  It makes me feel loved :)

I have a new appreciation for health.  Last year we had a few scares with Jackson and this year was a scary year for me.  I am so grateful to be feeling better and know what's wrong.  I am so grateful I can control my Celiac's and that that's all that it is.

We have been so blessed this year by the rest of our family and friends too.  I know I said this last year but, I am grateful my good parents.  I couldn't ask for better.  They taught me well and always loved me.  They have helped out and I always know I can count on them when I need them.  I love you guys.  Thanks for all you have done for us this year.

We have also received so much help from my in-laws too.  They are so great and have helped us a lot this year too.  I know I can count you when I need anything.  It's great to have another set of parents to lean on.  I love you.

My sisters and brothers (in-laws included) are great.  I love being around you all and all you do for us.

I am also grateful for good friends.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.  We love you!

And the winner is... #2

Here is the final design that we went with. It won by a count of 12 to 4. Thanks everyone for giving me your opinion it helped out a lot.

Vote for your favorite logo.

I am creating a new logo for fox websites. We are changing the company name to fox web stores. So, we need a new logo. (i changed it to foxwebstores so i could have a .com and not a .net web address) I am running a logo contest that ends tomorrow and I need help deciding which logo is better. Please make a comment and tell me which logo you prefer and why if possible. Thanks for your help.

Logo #1

Logo #2

Happy 28th Bo!!!

Wow!  Today is Bo's 28th birthday.  We had a little party with just us tonight.  It was fun.  We had General's Chicken for dinner.  Bo wanted Pecan Pie instead of cake (which I had no problem with since I could eat it :)

After we opened presents.  Hailey made him a monster out of pipe cleaners and drew him a picture.  I got him a new Braves hat.  It was fun to just hang out as a family.

I just thought this pic of Jack was cute, since he didn't want to be in any other pictures.This is his new cheesy smile.

We also had a party yesterday with my parents, Trent, Alisa, Barry and Sam.  My parents brought apple pie.  Thanks to all for coming.  It was fun to hang out.

Thanks Bo for all that you do for me and the kids.  You are a great husband and father.  I love you!

Halloween

This Halloween was probably the funnest yet. The kids were so excited and Hailey and Conrad picked their costumes. Hailey was a nice witch, Conrad was Spiderman, and Jackson was a lion. Saturday afternoon we went to Shelley to the Pumpkin Walk. It was cute and the kids LOVED it. After that we went to my parents and hung out for awhile and drove back to Rigby. Conrad fell asleep in the car and didn't want to wake up to go trick-or-treating. But, after the first door he was really excited. They loved it and Hailey didn't want to stop. We didn't get any pictures of them just in their costumes, we kinds forgot. But, here's the pics from the
pumpkin walk.

The first was one of my favorites
 .

They had a bunch of boards to take pictures in.  The kids loved them.  Even Jackson figured out what to do.

This was Charlotte's Web.  Very Cute too.

 

Hailey's 5th Birthday

We spent the weekend in Boise visiting Bo's family.  Bo's Aunt Pam and Uncle Darrell were visiting from Seattle too.  It was really fun seeing everybody especially Pam and Darrell.  We were sorry that Earle had the flu all weekend and was unable to spend the weekend with everyone.  We love you Earle and hope you start feeling better soon!!!

We met at the Municipal Park (in Boise) on Saturday to celebrate Hailey's 5th birthday!  It was so fun to see her act like a "BIG" kid.  She did have a little attitude (which was cute, but I sure hope it doesn't come out again any time soon).  She was so serious while she opened each card and gift.  It was funny.  Once they were all opened then the seriousness went away and she was so excited for everything she received.

Here she is with her I'm a big kid cause I'm 5 attitude (ignore the cake it had a few problems coming all the way from Rigby):

 

Hailey LOVES chocolate

 

waiting to open her gifts (she kept giving that huge smile; she was so excited)

Opening some of her gifts

 

Here's what she got.

  Thanks you everybody for your time you gave to her and gifts.  You made it a special day.

Now a few things about Hailey

After Hailey turned 5 really quietly she told me that she didn't feel any bigger and asked when she would.

Hailey loves:

Pet Shops

Barbies

Chocolate

Pop

Ice cream

Electric Company (PBS)

Making things (today she made a bracelet out of her Fruit Snack wrapper)

Riding her bike

Watching TV

She is afraid of the dark and especially since it is Halloween she thinks there are ghosts flying around.

We love you Hailey!  You are such a sweet heart.  You are such a great helper around the house and with the kids.  We are best friends and I hope that never changes.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

Karen wrote this on her blog I thought I'd do it too.

Favorite Stores
1. I don't know if it's my favorite. But, I do shop at Walmart a lot. I have a love hate relationship with it. They make everything so convenient but yet they are so bad for other businesses. And as if I need another reason to shop there, but all of their "great value" products say gluten free if they are. This makes shopping just that much easier.
2. JC Penney Home
3. Pottery Barn (I don't really ever shop there, but I go there for decorating ideas.)

Favorite Food
1. Thai House Fried Rice
2. enchiladas
3. Pizza

Favorite Holiday
1. Christmas
2. Thanksgiving
3. Halloween

Favorite Candy
1. Taffy
2. Taffy

3. Did I mention Taffy!

Favorite Soda
1. Not much of a soda drinker
2. I do like Dr. Pepper from the fountain every so often
3. That's about it

Favorite Treats
1. Chocolate Chip Cookies
2. Chocolate Cake
3. Salsa

Favorite Things
1. Time with Bo
2. Happy Children
3. A Clean House

Favorite TV Shows
1. House
2. Glee (I know it's kinda lame, but I like it. Not a show for kids, especially teenagers :))
3. A tie between Lie to Me and The Mentalist

Favorite Rush
1. Finding a good deal
2. Trying a new recipe and having it taste great!
3. Girls night out.

:) Okay...YOUR TURN! I wont tag anyone...but would totally LOVE reading YOUR favorite things!

FHE

Monday night for FHE we went to a pumkin patch. It was fun and the weather was very nice. Last year we froze and the wind was blowing bad so the kids didn't have much fun.

This year the pumpkins were already picked, so the kids picked their own out of a pile and walked through the fields just for fun. There were 2 cats running around and the kids loved them. It was fun watching the kids play. Even Jack was getting into it.

This pic of the kids was the only one that we could see all of the eyes. 3 kids is so hard to get a good picture of. :)

GOODBYE GLUTEN

After a year of tingling in mostly in my hands and feet, and months of testing for everything from Multiple Scerosis (which was my biggest fear) to Lupus to insulin resistance and many more, I finally have some answers. Some positive blood work and a gluten free diet for a few weeks concluded I needed an endoscopy to confirm Celiac Disease. On Tuesday an Endoscopy was performed and they found some areas of possible Celiac Disease and some biopsies were taken. I'll know for sure next week, but in so many words the Dr. told me I most likely have it.

Celiac Disease is an auto immune disorder that attacks the lining of the small intestine. If it goes on undiagnosed, malnutrition, osteoperosis, other auto immunes disorders, infertility, neuropathies, and even cancer can manifest. The good news is I can control it. All I have to do is stop eating any form of wheat, rye, and barley. THAT'S IT?! Sounds easy right, but wheat is in EVERYTHING. Not just bread. I am grateful that I can control it and only have to change my diet.

So, last night we had some of our family and friends over for a "gluten filled" party so I could say goodbye to gluten for good. It was really fun we all ate until we were sick. We had pizza, cinnamon rolls, crackers and dips, oatmeal cake (one of my favorites), chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin cookies. I am grateful for those who could come. It was a lot of fun. I forgot to get my camera out to take pictures, but I did get one of me eating the first thing I craved after going gluten free the first time. This was the last thing I ate too. A cinnamon roll. Oh, how I will miss these. But, I have had my fair share the past month knowing I was probably going have to go gluten free again.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. :)

No More Training Wheels for Conrad!!!

Conrad has been trying to ride with no training wheels since Hailey learned. I'd take off his training wheels and then he'd want them back on. This went on for about 2 weeks and then he decided he'd learn next year. Then on Monday he told we he wanted his wheels off again. So I took them off and he did really well but then asked for me to put them on AGAIN! My goodness! Finally, yesturday I removed them for good. He is riding really well. It is so fun to watch him and I'm so excited to see him and Hailey ride around together. Great job Conrad. We love you!!

New Puppies

Okay, I love this pic of the kids. We went to Boise a couple of weeks ago and visited a great uncle of Bo's. He had a stuffed puppy there and the kids could not get enough of it. So, Earle (my Father-in-law) sent each of the kids a puppy. They were so excited to get a package to open, and when they opened them up to see puppies they were ecstatic! Thank you Earle. They sleep with them every night (well not Jack, I think he would use his to climb out of the crib)....Now they won't be asking for a real puppy :)

Labor Day Weekend

Okay so we went camping a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted to post because it was really fun. Thanks to everybody who came! Most of my brothers and sisters made it. It is always fun hanging out with family.

This is the only good pic I got of Hailey and Jackson. I took it on the drive there. I was kind of lazy with the camera.

The kids love riding their bikes around this campground and Conrad can fly down this hill. I have been wanting to post a video of this for awhile, but I haven't had one. This one he is all by himself (so it is slower than normal but you can get the idea). He races his cousins down this hill and it is so funny. The first time I saw them going down I almost had a heart attack. But, he just loves it.

Conrad's First Motorbike Ride

Conrad got to go on his first motorbike ride with Bo. They were gone for a few hours and I was surprised he made it that long. He LOVED it!!! He kept talking about it and I asked him if he liked it more than Disneyland. He said he did.

Hailey's Art

Hailey made this the other day and sounded out the word "insect" to say what the picture is. I thought I was funny that she didn't just sound out the word "bug". It's so fun to watch her as she learns and comprehends letters and words.

No More Training Wheels!!!

About 6 weeks ago we started trying to teach Hailey to ride with no training wheels. She couldn't quite figure it out. And two days ago I tried again with her small bike. She figured it out. I am so happy for her. She is so proud of herself. She keeps saying, "I feel like Abbie!" I'm not quite sure which one since she has 2 cousins named Abbey. She feels like such a big kid. Now all she wants to do is ride her bike. She woke up this morning and said, "My legs are tired." She had me carry her around for a little while. She thought she was sick. Funny kid.

Another Facebook tag about Bo and I

Consider yourself tagged. It does take a little while to do (consider it family history ;)) and it is fun and brings up good memories. I would love to read your list :)

1. When is your "engagement" anniversary: Official engagement Feb 14, 2003, but we were planning months before.

2. When is your "marriage" anniversary: March 28, 2003

3. How long have you known your spouse: about 10 years

4. How long did you date/court before you were engaged: almost 4 years

5. Where did you meet your spouse for the first time? Cruising 17th street, of course

6. What is your spouse's full name: Bo Joseph Porter

7. Do you have any children: Hailey 5 in Oct, Conrad 3, Jackson 1

8. How many - boys/girls: 1 girl, 2 boys,

9. Do you have any house pets: a cat to catch the mice

10. Do you own a house or rent: own

11. Do you live in the country or town/city: just outside of Rigby ID

12. What is one of your favorite activities together: camping and watching movies

13. Do you have a favorite vacation spot: not really

14. When did you first kiss? New Year's Eve 2000

15. What church do you attend? LDS

16. Did you get married in a church? Where? Idaho Falls Temple

17. What town is your current address at: Rigby ID

18. Do you work or stay at home: stay at home

19. Where did you go on your honeymoon: Disney world and Bahamas

20.What was the funniest gift you gave when dating? I don't remember

21.How long have you been together? been married 6 years

22. How long did you know each other before you started dating? no time at all

23. Who asked who out? he called me so nervous I couldn't even understand what he was saying (so cute!)

24. How old are each of you? 26 and 27

25.Where do you each work or go to school? Bo has and E-commerce business based out of Lewsiville ID (I know weird, but very cheap to buy property and it doesn't really matter when your customers are online :))

26. Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? I would say I hate to be late places. He would probably say the crazy woman that comes out Sunday morning trying to make it to church on time.

27. Did you go to the same school? no I went to Shelley he went to Rigby

28. Are you from the same home town? no

29. Who is smarter? Him

30. Who is more sensitive? probably him

31.Where do you eat out most as a couple? Thai House in IF (YUMMY)

32. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Sao Paulo Brazil

33.Who has the craziest exes? neither of us

34. Who has the worse temper? LOL Me of course, I have only seen Bo mad a couple of times and it's still hard to tell if you don't know him.

35. Who does the cooking? mostly me, but Bo is also a great cook

36. Who is more social? It depends, he loves parties more than anyone I know, but in a group of people we don't know he is very quiet. But, I guess I kind of am too. I guess he is.

37. Who is the neat-freak? I am, but my house still gets messy...I have 3 little kids!

38. Who is more stubborn? me

39. Who hogs the bed? me

40. Who wakes up earlier? it depends

41. Where was your first date? At his house. They showed up like 2 hours late because they couldn't find my house. Then we drove clear to Rigby to have a BBQ and then rented a movie...the movie got over after my curfew and I didn't realize it. I thought I was dead meat when I called my mom, but I didn't even get in trouble. Thanks mom :)

42.Who had more boyfriends/girlfriends? me

43. Do you get flowers often? No

44. How do you spend the holidays? We switch off every other year

45. Who is more jealous? I don't know that we are jealous

46. How long did it take to get serious? probably 8 months or so, but I really liked him before that. I don't know what he would say.

47. Who eats more? He does...he is a guy....but I eat way more junk food than him.

48. Who does the laundry? Me

49. Who’s better with the computer? He is

50. Leave a piece of advice for the other couples. President Hinkley is better for advice. This was given to us from our Stake President when we were getting ready to get married and I have always remembered it: If married partners first concern and priority is the comfort, the well-being, and the happiness of their spouse, and if they will sublimate personal concerns to that loftier goal, not only will the marriage survive, but their commitment one to another will deepen and their desire to build a lasting relationship will increase

FHE

Last night we decided to have a more adventurous Family Home Evening. So, we went to Rigby lake to go fishing. Whenever the kids go fishing they (usually Bo just takes them) stop to get worms and they get a treat. This is probably the only reason Hailey goes. They also have toys at the lake and Hailey and Jack had a blast playing on them. I think Conrad loves every part of fishing and he is really very good. Very patient.

There were tons of fish. Conrad caught 2 and so did Bo. They were biting and jumping constantly. It was pretty cool. I have to say that I have been quite a party pooper about fishing (sorry Bo) but, I love going to Rigby lake because it is so kid friendly and has lots of fish.

Some funny memories were:

Hailey: Grabbed a worm and kept getting close to me saying "touch it mom." Of course I didn't want to, but she just kept chasing me with it and laughing, until I finally did. She thought it was so funny. I didn't know she liked worms so much.

Conrad: When the first fish bit he said, "Huh, I think I got one!" I was like, "No, it looks like it is just in the weeds." So, I tried to get it unsnagged. He really did get one and I almost reeled the whole thing in for him. Oops! He didn't care though. He was just happy to see it.

Jackson just got eaten alive by misquitoes.

The kids kept talking about Christmas and the Christmas lights. Hailey said, "I have a great idea! We should put Christmas lights all around our house!" So, maybe we'll have to put some up this year :)

Sorry, no pics. I forgot my camera. Darn!

I cried today!

Today, Hailey decided to sneak scissors downstairs and chop off her hair. She felt really bad once she got caught.

You gotta love the tail she left showing just how long her hair was

The beautician did a great job on her hair. They just had to shave the back where it was so short to a "number 2" and they will just blend it as it grows. So in a few months it should look like a pixie cut. Right now, we just like to see it from the front. (I loved the front so much that I forgot to get a finished back view. Believe me you aren't missing anything.)

She LOVES it. But, she is sad she can't wear bows anymore.