Kids waiting for the kiddie trains

Bailee's amazing Gynastics skills

Me and toothless Zoe

Ben strummin' with the ladies!

do be dobe do

Bailee and Jack's Halloween

Jack Helping Dad fix a tire

Bailee making her own skirt design

Family train ride

Dinosaurous

Jack said that the other day thought it was the cutest word ever!

One of those Days!

Wow... Saturday was an AWESOME day...

My husband had to work unexpectedly and he was going to watch the kids help me with the Primary activity I was in charge of. EEEEK.

So I found a place for Jack to Go - Blessing- and she ended up taking Bailee and Bringing her to the activity- Blessing 2

Right before I had to go take the kids I was feeling REALLY nauseous and tried to shove the nauseous feeling away with food (my normal tactic... It's just what I do?!?!) and I felt worse and worse till finally I just startes puking. Full on body up heavals. Since I was there alone with the kids they all came in for the show... Bailee kept asking me if I was okay I kept trying to answer between body convulsions and Jack got a stool and climbed so he could see the action better.

I finally felt as though I might be done... not feeling well, but at least able to brush my teeth and I had to leave for the primary activity. Side Note....I figured out I had taken my medicine before I ate my yogurt... APPARENTLY not the best idea... (Ben's comment was... and we learned something from this :) helpful!)

So stomach still week, Breakfast in the sink... drop off the kids, and get to Church. Set up the activity...Run the Activity.... Normal Activity Chaos... over in a few hours... Quick Break down- blessing 3

Pick up my kids... put then down for a nap, they take them- blessing 4. Ben gets home from work. I leave for work and run into Ben's Car... yea I was in tears... I guess I just scratched mine and his was unscathed-blessing 5...

Get to work stomach still funky, feeling exhausted from my day... HAVE to get some work done but all I can think about is that I have Sharing time Tomorrow... So I plan that instead of working... THAN finally get some needed work done, but I had to take some home since I spent my work time on Primary stuff...

I put the kids to bed and then CRASHED.....

GEEZ... There was more but that is the jist.... God is trying to make me see my blessings.... And I am trying to see them!

Lub!

I am so in love with my Kids!!!!

They just started their new pre-school and they have the cutest teachers. Jack walks in the school and immediately starts hugging every adult in sight... it seems everyone knows his name now and we have only been there 4 times total.

Bailee loves to talk about Mrs. Janet. She is the kind of teacher that wears baby doll dresses at the age of 50... she is really cute and loves the kids. She is also laid back which I like for pre-K, I am not the drill sergent type-if you didn't know.

As far as Jack, He just walks right into his classroom full of tearful 2 year olds and goes right to the toys after a kiss from mom... no problems... It really helps you know they are in the right place when the transition goes so smoothly!

I just am thinking how fast life is going today... Jack's Sweet slurred "I yoveyou teo" and Bailee and I cuddling last night and her asking to tell her stories of the prophet Jonah.... then Noah... When we got to the part about how Noah was in a world when all the people were wicked and made bad choices, she stopped and said she needed to say a prayer and asked for forgiveness for hitting her brother... Then after the story of Noah, she asked how God can see us and hear us... I don't REALLY have a good answer except... I don't know, but I know he can by the way I feel.

I love my babies!

Building Forts!

I don't have a ton of happy memories from my childhood... not that I didn't experience any just he bad stuff sticks in my memory and I have forgotten alot of the positive things.....

BUT.... I just remembered that my brothers and I used to build forts together in the front room with blankets and couch cushions.... I love those memories... thinking of that makes me think of the game lava where if you step on the floor you fall in to the lava so you use anything handy to get around the house with out stepping on the floor....

I want to start having "premeditated fun" with my babies... if you have good memories from your childhood... leave a comment!

Choosing the better part

I am going to be a better Mommy... I am a good mom I think but I want to be a better Mommy. You know the person that is the one you just sit and cuddle with and chat about anything... I think I am so worried about the kids getting dinner, the house and the bills and my calling that I forget to be a mommy.... Gonna make that happen!

Finding Footing

Positivity... I'm working on that...

I'm not quite sure where life is leading me right now, I am not sure if I should go for the ride and see where it takes me or need to be steering in another direction forcibly.... really unsure....

Jack Turned 2 and we had a party for him at the Park... HE loved his friends all getting together to be with him... HE was such a HAM at the table, whipping his head back and doing big belly laughs so that everyone would laugh at him... Jack is the most loving boy I have ever seen. He tells EVERYONE he loves them and trys to kiss them ALL on the lips... UMMMMMMM... If he hasn't said I love you to someone before they leave he gets quite up set... well by upset he puts on a sad face, droops his head and sulks for a min. or so. Sweetest boy ever.

Bailee is becoming more of a little girl every day. She is really coming into her emotions and learning how to deal with them. She only seems to want to talk to me about them which is a difficult task when I am the problem, but you know it is making me realize that some of these emotional outbursts may stem from me and I need to evaluate myself more and control more of my raw emotions and let them come out less frequently... so then she can learn by example hopefully!

I am also realizing that I need to make more effort to be a better friend... I have just sectioned myself off in my world and been trying to stay afloat, but maybe friends would make it more bearable to be float... I need to try more.

Go Go...

OKAY....

Found out there is a Temple trip today.... gonna make it happen.... hopefully!

The rope has ended....

Do you ever look back in your journal and figure out you haven't changed that much in 10 years.... I mean, you have, but you haven't.... So wierd!

I had a hard day yesterday... I am being obediant to something I was asked to do that I COMPLETELY disagree with.... and am having an EXTREMELY hard time with it, wondering if I should say something.

I really want to get to the temple, but I don't think that is understood... It has been 2 years now since I have approched my ward about it- said somwthing again a few weeks ago for the 3rd time- and still no go... really frustrated right now and kinda putting this out there for guidance... UGH!

Blessed by our blessed Blessings!

I love my cute family. We had fun Easter Egg hunting and the kids both held their own with no help from mom and dad.

Bailee Made Egg carton Flowers for her teachers and friends... she is quite crafty!

Just loving our sweet family!

On another note... found out Jack can't hear well... Said he hears like and old man underwater... Will get tubes and his adnoids scaped on April 9th... Little scared for my baby to go under the knife.... hope it helps!!!

Daughter of Decorating

IT is St. Patricks Day- Happy Green To everyone!- and I was dressing up my kids and I in our green attire. I asked Bailee what green she wanted to wearin her hair. She said her green flower clip and RAN to her bathroom to get it. After a few minuites I was wondering where she was and found her green flower clip on the sink (it had been hung up on her hair clip ribbon). I asked her if she needed help getting it in her hair. She Abruptly said NO! I am decorating my bathroom with that and choose another clip for her hair... At least our bathroom won't get pinched today!

Have a great day!

I also love that my sweet babies always pick the flowers outside and bring me one every time they play outside. I have a sweet family!

BLAST!!!

2 Snickers and a yogurt into my day.... SO need to eat healthy tonight! DAMN YOU FREE SNICKERS!!!!

This is whaz up!

My Camera has disappeared again so no new pics till we can find/ replace it... it has been missing for over a month now so hope of finding are waining!

Recent events in a nutshell...

Trip to Canada- First time out of the us... only out of the US for a total of like 72 hours, but hey... it is something....

Flew from Canada trip to Utah to Help Mother-in-Law with a treatment series she had to undergo... There for 3 weeks... she doesn't even remember us being there... that's the breaks, but got to see a few of my favorite people while I was there... reminded me I do have friends...

Back to Texas to crash into a pile of work and responsibilites... moving and groving on those...

Ben returned to work today after being on disability for 5 weeks.... I hope he can do it.... Praying for his quick healing

Trying to get a grip on food intake and only eating healthy foods... too much stress eating lately and need to reign it in!

Loves to all of you! Bless You!

HORRAY FOR WARMER WINDY WEATHER! Kites in the park...

We had 3 different Kites going today in the park... it was a miracle we never got tangled! Fopher, Jacob, Bailee and Jack had so much fun running around the grassy areas and playing in the park... nothing like being inside for winter to get you excited about the park... We stayed till it was dark... It was Ben's last free day before the semester... Good bye ben... We'll See you in May! WE LOVE YOU!

PS incase you are wondering.... yes those are jeans under Bailee's pants... she had to wear her dress... Too cold for just a dress... I had jeans... therefore,,, TADA!... She is still pretty cute though!

My Pretty Princess is 4

Okay... So she turned 4 almost 3 weeks ago, but we rarely get to celebrate with friends since we travel for the holidays... so Bailee had a party... Turned out fun she really enjoyed it... which is what I do it for... I was hoping to have it outside, but the cold weather (cold for Houston Standards) prevented that... so no kite races... barbie Vs. Buzz Lightyear... would have been fun... I think Ben and I are going to do that tomorrow with the kids...

Anyways back to Birthday Party... We had a princess party and here are the cliff's notes with pictures....

The girls all made crowns with their names on them and put glitter and things on them to their liking. Then had mini makeovers with lip gloss, blush and any dress they wanted to wear... We were invited to the Ball but they had to clean like Cinderella first...

Then we played "Don't touch the spinning wheel" it is like musical chairs but you pass a spinning wheel around and what ever princess ends up with the spinning wheel falls fast asleep. The last princess wakes everyone up with a hershey kiss. They played this game over and over... LOVED IT... We also played charades with the Snow White Characters... but the Sleeping Beauty game was the favorite! Great Party... Great Fun... Thanks to all who came!!!

Lastly... This was this morning as I was getting flustered before church looking for Jack's socks.... Bailee was at my feet everywhere I went I finally said... BAILEE I NEED SOME SPACE... she went and sat in the corner... GUILT... and Jack went over to be with her and they were having the best time... Just the 2 of them in the corner for no reason... I love my sweet family...

No Way.... WE LANDED ON THE MOON!

Yes... A Dumb and dummer quote.... it is kinda the way i've been feeling lately... like all my brain cells live in Mom and and there is nothing left for Melanie... I think alot of people feel that way though, but we all just smile and "Keep Moving Forward" as "Lewis" would say(Meet the Robinsons for those not in Mom brain land)

I had a good time last night I blasted my stereo to the oldies station... and felt more like myself than I have in a long time... I love the zone that only a good oldies song can provide... and then just had a chill night with friends helping register for a Baby- No not mine factory closed-at least for now maybe for good... yet to be determined....

I guess I am realizing I need WAY more me time, but that will soon not really be an option with Ben's school starting back in less than a week... but I need to find more me time at home... any suggestions?!?!

I really do love you all! Thank you for listening... or not but if you are not you are not reading this... and so... Thanks!

OH YES... 2 Days in a row!

Jacks head bonk of the day... bending down to get Bailee's shoes on and at full bending velocity wacked his head on her foot board.

Bailee's fun of the day.... Mom i'm gonna read this to you loud...and in full scream 'read' "CHAPTER 1... This Chapter is really loud... The end"

I am INSPIRED!!!

I am AMAZED by everyone... WAY TO BLOG PEOPLE!!!!

The HALL clan has been doing well... Here is us in a nutshell...

Ben has been at his job for almost a year... got a fabulous year end review and has been moved to a new team so he can get more knowledge of the company and continue to grow... He has been going to school for a year straight now and I have seen him grow so much! He got the top grade in his drafting class and his teacher said he had better lettering than him even after over 30 years in the business! He is really finding things he likes and has a natural talent at! SO COOL! He spends as much time with us that he can... He goes back to school on monday so we hope to make this week count!

Melanie has been at her job for almost 2 1/2 years (HOLY WOW!!!) and is focusing on marketing the business on top of the usual duties... I think I can I think I can.... I have also been primary chorister for a year... DOUBLE WOW! My friend Theresa just got called as chorister too so I am hoping she can keep my ideas fresh... it is so easy to get stuck in a rut!

Bailee is 4... that is right 4... she has the attitude of a teenager though... I think she gets that from mom... ALAS... She loves to write words and knows how to spell the word spell, mom, dad, Bailee, Joy, and Hall. She LOVES to help... She is such a sweet lovely girl. She is SO girly, you can find her in her Belle dress most hours of the day... I just couldn't have asked for a better little girl.

Jack is my miniature man- almost 18 months... Grunts, talks loud (MAAAM, MAAAAM- that is mom with a Texas accent... think he has one... sorry Utah Family :) and adventure should have been his middle name... He is the busiest kid I have ever seen- as witnessed by the whole ward as he tries to make it to the stage every sunday... He succeeded yesterday from the cultural hall... he is fast- Sorry Brother Baxter!!!! He always has bruises from his adventures going awry... actually he has a fat lip today from a realization that socks are slippery on tile floors and hitting a metal chair with his face... yea... that bled for many hours! No more paci till that heals! He has the cutest pucker lips... melts your heart... sweet baby...

OUR CURRENT ADVENTURES

Chicago Trip for Christmas

Replaced old fluorescent light in kitchen with COOLEST lighting fixture with 2 fans and a light

Clogged Sink.... PLUMBER can't come yet with all the frozen pipes :( doing dishes in the bath tub... yeah... fun!

Bailee's 4th B-day party- Saturday at Carl Barton Jr. Park at 3pm... come one come all...

Going to Canada for the kids and my first time out of the country... we aren't staying long sadly

Amee's Wedding- in Canada- Thus the trip

Make Amee's Wedding Cake... 1st time traveling and decorating a cake... I'm not sure how it to do it all, but will figure it out pretty soon I only have 2 weeks till we leave...

And... now we are up to date... hopefully pictures to follow...