Reddington Family

Jewelry

2011-04-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

So I have picked up a new hobby, jewelry making, and it is getting really addicting. To justify the amount of time and money I have spent creating,I have began to sell some of it (although it is hard because I want it for myself). A couple of weeks ago a friend and I bought a booth together at a huge yard sale event and sold some of our creations. I did pretty good and almost made back everything I have spent, with plenty left over to sale. My next venture is to get a booth at an actual craft fair.
Here are just a few of the things I have been selling (none of my necklaces and earrings are pictured)...

Basketball

2011-02-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

So this winter the kids both picked a sport they wanted to try and it ended up being basketball. We signed them up at the "Y" and they have loved it. However, as a parent I have not. The coach is a little "too involved." I don't know if I should explain him because I could go on this long rant of how unbelievable his actions are. To sum up, he is a yeller. Yelling at the referees and kids on the team, it is quite embarrasing having my kids play for him. For instance, one game he got so frusterated he turned and punched the wall. A little too dramatic for a basketball game with kindergartners and 1st graders. He also doesn't like to play Jack very much, because Jack gets a little distracted when playing and occaisonally will dance on the court. Since he isn't as good as some of the other kids he keeps them in and Jack is just a sub. I feel everyone should get equal playing time at this age, but hey I am not the coach. Anyway, I am done complaining.
(Stephen is number 1 and Jack (in the next video is #10)
Here is one of both Stephen and Jack. We have learned constant encouragement helps keep Jack interested in the game. You can also see their coach in the blue shirt, and occasionally hear him yell. This was one of his more milder moments.
Only two games left and I cannot wait until it is over. I would have stopped taking them a while ago because of the coach, but they love playing and they want a trophy

Our soon to be new home

2011-02-23T08:46:00.001-08:00

So back in November Matt and I decided it was time to consider buying a home. We were both pretty busy so it kept getting put off until the day we met Kelly, our realtor. One weekend we were driving through Birkdale picking up papers from houses that were for sell and she saw us, stopped us and asked to be our realtor. We had been dragging our feet forever, but she sped up the process for us and now instead of buying a pre-owned home we are getting a brand new one!
Not only do I love the house, but the guy who sold it to us was new to the company and accidently included a few things (that would normally cost extra) into the price of our home, no charge. His boss wasn't happy, but we are. One of the extras is a kitchen island. Yeah.

The picture with the ladder in it is our walk in closet. It could possibly be a whole other room. I love it. Matt says he really loves it too, because now all my clothes won't be all over the bedroom floor anymore. To this I say...hmmm possibly.

Still Alive

2011-02-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

It has been so long since I have posted anything. Life has really gotten busy for us and I am just trying to stay afloat. To do a very brief update:
Matt is still an attorney and is extremely busy preparing for trial next week.
Amelia is still a student, but working now at a nearby high school and actually getting paid. One maybe two semesters left for a dual degree in journalism and English.
Stephen turns eight this year. Still really likes girls, lost both front teeth and has also discovered he loves basketball.
Jack is thriving in kindergarten and making lots of friends. We were worried because he is so young, but he is reading extremely well and really enjoys it.
Oreo our little shi'zu lives up to his name most days. I prefer not to refere to him as a swear word but it may have slipped once or twice while chasing this escaped dog down the road, and trying to stop him from blocking traffic.

I know this is very brief, but I hope to do more soon. Sooner then the last post at least.

2010-08-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

My husband was going through some of our videos and saving them to an external hard drive when he found this one. Isn't he so adorable? I want to cry when I think of how much he has grown. I guess we just have to have another one!

3rd of July

2010-07-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Since the 4th of July was on a Sunday we celebrated Independence Day on the 3rd. To start off the day Crystal (Matt's sister), her husband Danny and I ran in the first ever Rupert 4th of July race. It was unbelievably FREEZING!! I think I finally warmed up as I was coming into the finish line. After the race the men went golfing while the women took the kids to the big 4th of July parade. The kids received too much candy and otter pops. After the parade we headed to Grandma Reddington's house to play whiffle ball and croquet. If you have never played whiffle ball it is very surprising to find how difficult it can be to hit a ball with such a skinny bat. But don't we look like pros?

OUR LITTLE THIRD BASEMAN

STEPHEN HAD NO PROBLEM HITTING WITH SUCH A SKINNY BAT.

I WAS EVEN WORSE AT PLAYING CROQUET THAN WHIFFLE BALL. :(

MATT THROWING HIS CURVE BALL

LOOK AT THAT FORM!!

The other team in whiffle ball was very generous and made the rule that I had unlimited strikes. Eventually I did figure out how to hit the ball and slammed a few good ones. Don't make fun until you've tried it!

Family Vacation Continued

2010-07-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

The Reddington Family planned a little reunion to get all the kids and their families together at Lava Hot Springs. We all rented a camp spot close to the swimming area and hot springs and stayed several nights. It was fun swimming, roasting lots of marshmallows (which Randy (matt's dad) is really good at I ate plenty of them to verify) and just sitting by the fire.
THE SWIMMING AREA- SO FUN!

ENTERING THE CAMPSITE

I must admit I was impressed with my wood cutting skills. Next time though I should probably wear shoes.

Look at how happy we look camping!:)

I started reading my kids stories and all the grandkids joined in. We love the Fly Guy books.

The last day of camping we all packed up and then headed to Pocatello, ID to get family portraits done. The photographer did a great job and is actually the father to one of the son-in-laws. My kids were pretty worn out so trying to get them to cooperate for a photo was a little challenging.

Friday, the last day of our trip, was one of the most memorable. Matt's side of the family got together and we went to the Twin Falls temple to do temple work for Matt's Grandpa's family. Matt's Grandpa passed away a few years ago and asked for the work to be done. It was special to me because I loved the "Old Man" (that is what I called him). The summer before he got really sick Matt, the kids and I all lived with him (and Grandma)while Matt was doing an internship. Although it is always hard living with someone else I will never forget that time. Every night we would all sit together on the porch swing watching the airplanes and laughing and talking about our future plans. He was always so positive and fun loving. I miss him so much! So doing the temple work was a really neat experience that I am so glad I got to be a part of.
AFTER THE TEMPLE

THE KIDS PLAYING WITH THEIR COUSIN EVAN-WHO WAS A GREAT BABYSITTER.

ALL OF US WHO DID THE TEMPLE WORK

TWIN FALLS TEMPLE

After going to the temple we had to rush back to get ready for my high school reunion. I can't believe I have been out of high school that long!

LOOK AT US NOW

COMPARED TO 10 YEARS AGO...

I had a lot of fun catching up with old friends and seeing how people's lives have changed. I had almost decided not to go to my reunion so we could drive back home sooner, but was so glad I did. It makes me sad that I can't live close to my fun old high school friends, but they are more than welcome to come visit.

Our vacation ended that Friday night as we left the reunion, picked up the kids and drove through the night and the next day. Still not reaching our destination we got a hotel and drove one more day to get home. Yay!

Happy Little Brother's Day

2010-06-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

So as we were celebrating Father's Day yesterday, Stephen mentioned that we should do a little brother's day and celebrate it tomorrow (which is today now). So Happy Little Brother's Day to you all.
We have been enjoying Texas and explored a National Park where the kids caught plenty of frogs and grasshoppers, enjoyed a picnic and played on the playground.
We are all exhausted.

In honor of Little Brother's Day I want to share something really sweet yet discomforting that Jack shared with us yesterday.
For some reason Jack was asking a lot of questions about dying yesterday. Like...
"When will I die?"
"When will you die?"
"Will I be a kid in Heaven?"
"In heaven when I am a grown up will I still like kid movies?"

There were plenty more, but you get the idea.
Well as he got in to bed he grabbed his kitty cat named Kiddy Katty.
He carries this cat with him wherever he goes. For example, the movies, the grocery store, the park, to the bathroom, EVERYWHERE. So the cat is filthy and disgusting. Just last night while taking Jack potty he finished going and then dropped the cat in the toilet on accident before flushing. Sad to say that is not the most disgusting thing that has happened to that cat. You can't really tell in the picture below, but the cat is drying off near the tub after that last incident.

Well anyway last night while snuggling in bed with his cat Jack said to Matt,"Stephen says that when we die we can't take anything with us." Then Matt replied, "That's right." Then he squeezed his cat really tight and said, "Do you think we can take things to heaven with us if we hold it real tight?" Matt answered, "Maybe if something is real special to us then we can take it to heaven with us."
The next day Jack asked me, "Can stuffed animals be special?"
He really loves his cat.

To end our little Brother's Day we let Jack picked the restaurant (Red Robin). He also mentioned that he would love to end the day with a little party. So we told the waiter it was his birthday (only a month off) and he got his own song, ice cream and balloon. What a great Little Brother's Day.

Even More Photos...

2010-06-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

While my parents were here we also had to visit some local gaming stores like Gander Mtn. and Bass Pro Shop. The Bass Pro Shop was actually really cool. They had a bear cave and a huge fish tank. The whole store was decorated with outdoor wildlife. It is fun to go and just look around at the decor. Jack loved it. Although, the bear did scare him a little.

My lovely Garden

Yorktown Beach

Look close enough and you will see a cannonball that was left embedded into the house.

Parents Visit

2010-06-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

So after about 5 years I got my parents out to the East Coast. My Dad had never been out East before so of course we had to show him everything. (Including all the great fishing areas). Between visiting all the monuments, including taking an elevator ride to the top of the Washington monument, and walking through the museums, shopping in the outlet malls, touring Williamsburg, visiting Yorktown and its beaches, learning how to catch crabs (the sea kind), and my very favorite building me my own garden; I think I wore them out. (okay I might have been a little tired too.)

My Claim to Fame

2010-05-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I forgot to post this....while on my trip to Idaho I saw Phil, (the guy in the middle) on my airplane. I was completely starstruck...

Modern Family is one of my husband's favorite sitcoms and so I called and bragged it up! Would have been cooler if I had gotten an autograph.

America's Favorite Past time...

2010-05-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

This is what we have been doing every Saturday for the last almost two months.

Matt is the coach for Jack's blastball team and the assistant coach for Stephen's T-ball.

Here are the attempts I made at trying to get a picture of Jack's team. All the kids were interested in anything besides the camera.

Stephen's team was a little more cooperative for the photo.
So funny story with this helmet of Stephen's. First off he had a nice red one that didn't have a face mask, but upon entering Dick's to buy him a bat he begged for a new helmet. We refused and had to drag him out kicking and screaming. Only to find out later that his red helmet wouldn't work because of the no face mask. So back to Dick's we went and ended up paying double what we would have (because they were on sale the first time). So parents sometimes giving into those tantrums can actually save you money.

He couldn't be more proud of his helmet though and the whole team knows it. After each game the couch gives one player the game ball. When Stephen earned the ball the couch asked "now who hit the ball every time they were up to bat" and a lot of the kids raised their hands. Then he asked, "Well who has the coolest helmet." Everyone dropped their hands and yelled Stephen. That really made his day.

I have loved watching them play and really enjoy seeing them improve. Just yesterday I was playing catch with the boys and while we were playing Stephen would stop every now and then to coach Jack. He said cute things like "Always watch were you are throwing" and would show him how to position his body. What a good big brother.

My Trip to Idaho

2010-05-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

It was so fun to be with family again. Over the weekend I laughed so hard that my stomach was seriously cramping painfully by Sunday. I showcased my beautiful Karaoke skills (For the record Wendy scored lower than me! So I'm not the worst but still not good) and my brother in-law Johnathan entertained us with his late night stories of dissecting dead people.

The reason for the trip was because my littlest brother (only boy in the picture below) got married. I can't believe all my siblings are now married! He was the baby (youngest) in the family and it was fun to see how he has changed and grown and even matured a little.

Anyway it makes me emotional thinking about it so onto the randomly presented pics.

All the stunningly beautiful former Stimpson girls with the handsome groom.

My Brother and Sister in Law just chillin' with me
All the girls including in-laws with the bride

And a very out of order picture of some of my high school friends who I got to get together with when I went to my old home. (somebody needs to inform me how to arrange the pics in the right order). Katie my friend on the far left was kind enough to let me stay with her in Utah and take me to the airport in the morning. She decorates her house so cute that I left feeling totally inspired to make an effort in my own home.

And my ever hilarious Dad who while visiting took me asparagus picking in rural Declo and who also took me to the bead store. The bead store trip ended up being quite humorous because before going into the bead store I jokingly told my dad not to get too carried away. I was laughing when he said upon entering the store, "Hey these beads would be great for steel head fishing." And then ended up purchasing some. So hilarious I took a picture. The funnier part was when we went to Wal-Mart afterward and he ran into his fishing buddy who he had to take out to the car to show him his cool beads. I think he was as excited as I was to find such cute beads!! (my mom also came along with us, it was fun just hanging out alone with the parents. When you have eight siblings it is rare)

More extremely glamorous babes. (all my sisters and me..oh and my mom)

I told my brother to work it for the camera...look at that stud. In the temple ceremony both of our grandparents have passed away and they needed someone to sit in the grandmother spot and since I was the only sibling without a spouse there I got to be the grandma for the day. Really, I was called Grandma Reddington for the next two days.

The cake and the happy couple.
Saturday the family got together to have a surprise celebration for my dad's birthday/father's day at the bowling alley. (My Dad loves bowling and competes in National tournaments, ya I know he is awesome like that.) After the bowling we all went to have a BBQ at the park.
It really was so fun to just relax with the family. I wish my kids and husband could have come but I have to admit it was less stress not having to worry about my kids running off, bearing their bums, or breaking anything.

I also got to visit with the in-laws and do some beading with them. I really lucked out with in the good in-law department.

It was so fun to see everyone and I can't believe how much seeing everybody makes me realize just how much I love and miss them. Till next time....

Did I ever tell you...

2010-04-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

HOW EXTREMELY AMAZING I AM!! (spread the word)

Why? You might ask.

Well besides the fact that I have been getting up to go running at 6:30 in the morning, I apparently am EXTREMELY AMAZING at retrieving my car keys that somehow (wink) got locked inside the car. (which I discovered after the run)

With the strength of me and this other EXTREMELY AMAZING friend we lodged a metal bar in between the door and the car and then got two metal hangers and stretched them out, making metal loops at the end. With one hanger we used it to pop the door handle out a little and the other one looped the handle and pulled the door open.

It was really pretty clever.

There were m&ms in the car so the kids were excited too when we got the car opened.

The tools we used to conquer the task. (Thanks Shannon for the pics)

The part I enjoy remembering is when one of my friends neighbors showed up to help and he looked at us and what we were doing and said he was very impressed.

He said he thought he was going to be a hero and come and help some damsels in distress when really we educated him. Well it was fun to see his reaction when we got it open.

I was so excited to get it open and so I called my husband to brag.

His comment, "I'd be impressed if you hadn't locked the keys in the car in the first place."

I choose not to reflect on that part of the story.

So I am EXTREMELY AMAZING! Right?

WARNING!!

2010-04-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

I just picked up Jack from preschool today and there was an incident. Since I am such a good person (wink wink) I thought I would educate every other parent with young boys, so this does not happen to them.

So read carefully...

The advice: When training boys how to use a potty and occasionally letting them go places where no potty exists (trust me this will happen) parents be sure your child knows when it is appropriate to use a tree (for instance, camping) and when it is mandatory to use the potty (like while at school).

His teacher informed me that I need to stress the use of using the potty at school and not the tree at recess.

A LITTLE EMBARRASSING!!

In other news this weekend our church ball team finished our last game for the season. We came in third. It was incredibly fun. I learned through trial and error most of the rules of the game. For instance, when shooting foul shots you have to let the referee touch the ball between shots or the point will not count. No matter how excited you get when the ball goes in you will have to re-shoot. There are so many other things I learned, but that was the most recent.

We look like a pretty intimidating team right?

Awesome Weekend

2010-04-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

I had the perfect Saturday this weekend. About 2 weeks ago a friend and I decided to run a half marathon in two weeks and decided that we should do a 12 mile run to see if we were in good enough shape to do so. I was really worried because I have only been running 4-6 miles a couple times a week but I survived and really enjoyed it! After the run I had to hurry home and had about 10 minutes to get ready for a big Easter egg hunt at another good friends house. (This girl and her husband are awesome they do this annual Easter Egg hunt every year for friends and family) Even though none of the Reddingtons found the big golden egg (that contained a gift card for $20) We enjoyed the hunt, friends and yummy cookies and punch.

The other good part about Saturday was that I didn't have to worry about preparing a sharing time or controlling 70 children in one confined space. (Although for some odd reason I really do enjoy my calling) I got to sit and listen to conference with my family.

Last week at the end of church I handed out conference bingo cards with m&ms for the kids and I was shocked that when the Saturday session of conference came on Stephen came running into the room telling us to pause conference and rewind it to the beginning. He didn't want to miss any of it while he was getting his bingo card. I highly recommend bingo cards for conference my kids sat through the whole first session. Although I did hear comments on how long it was (little did they know there were still 3 more sessions.)

Overall it was enjoyable.

After all of conference was over we all went to eat at Johnny Rockets that recently opened by us. When we got there they were having a old car show and so we got to walk around and look at all these old fashioned cars.

We also bought the kids milkshakes and Stephen thought they were the best thing ever. (I have made him milkshakes before apparently I am not that good at it)

It was definitely a good Saturday.

Sunday the boys woke up excited to find eggs hidden all over the house (although they had been to 3 other egg hunts prior to ours) and were very excited to find that some of them contained money! They also were excited about the games the Easter Bunny brought (connect 4x4 and battleship) We all ended up watching more conference, playing games, dying easter eggs and enjoying a delicious ham that we shared with our neighbor.

Just an all around good weekend.

Now back to the grind...only 4 weeks left of school...Wahoo!!

Funny Happenings

2010-03-24T20:48:00.001-07:00

I wanted to snap a picture but I was too busy enjoying the moment.

The kids were playing outside while I was making dinner. I went to check on them and found Stephen in a tree with Jack's stuffed animal cat (that he carry's everywhere and has named kitty katty). Jack was on the ground with a stick trying to reach the cat and help it out of the tree.

Stephen told me he had placed the cat high in the tree and was training his brother to be a firefighter because sometimes firefighters have to help get cats out of trees.

Once Jack would get the cat down with his stick, Stephen would try a new spot.

By the time dinner was done cooking they came running inside and Jack was so excited because he thought he was an official fireman. He told me Stephen had trained him and said he was fireman ready. And since all it takes to be a fireman is a little training from Stephen, I couldn't disagree with him.

I love the way kids minds work.

After dinner it was fun to pull out my old firefighting photos and show the kids that their old mom used to be one of those "cool" firefighters.

They were a little more interested in watching a cartoon, but I had fun reminiscing.

Happy St. Patricks Day

2010-03-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share two words that bring complete joy and peace to my life right now...

2010-03-12T16:40:00.000-08:00

SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!!

Snuggly Time

2010-02-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

With all of the snow we have been getting, there has been plenty of time to watch a few good shows.

I recently watched "The Brothers Bloom" not expecting to like it that much and was pleasantly surprised. The movie had humor, action, and romance (ahhh)

So for those of you stuck inside, you will have to rent it!

Along with movies and lots of homework, I have been making some jewelry. Very fun and addicting. I want to post pics of what I made to get some feed back. So look for some jewelry posts.

Dreaded the Snow, But turns out it can be a good thing!

2010-01-31T11:58:00.000-08:00

I was a little sad when I first heard about this big snow storm we were suppose to have. I am ready for spring and warm weather (I know, I know it is still January). But it turned out to be well needed.

After enduring a tough week of school and not getting in much family time, a nice storm was perfect to force us to be together. I have night classes Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night and I had a Primary meeting and a basketball game Thursday and Friday night. (By the way who knew Church Ball could be so fun!)

So the kids were begging for some family time! Plus I was able to deep clean (much needed) a little and catch up on laundry.

The kids were really excited about the snow so we pulled out our big sled and ran them up and down the street taking shifts pulling the rope. We probably looked crazy, but the kids told me "this is the best day ever." So I think they enjoyed it.

Also, my little brag moment:

I googled myself to see how many times I have been published for the articles I've written for my new class. It was exiting to see that all the articles I have written have been published by different newspapers around the area, some of the articles multiple times. So all this crazy busy time does show some accomplishment.

Chipmunk Cheeks

2010-01-25T07:31:00.000-08:00

My poor Stephen. Unfortunately I cannot say he is purposefully puffing out his left cheek. Over a year ago he had a cavity filled and somehow that same cavity got infected and he swelled up last week. The pictures do not do it justice. The swelling had actually gone down quite a bit. These pictures are just before our trip to the Dentist to get it pulled. He was such a trooper! He did really well with the dentist but I could tell it was really painfull. As the Dentist finished pulling the tooth I saw tears streaming down his cheeks. He didn't full on kick and scream from the pain until I carried him out to the car. It was really sad but he put on a brave face for the doctor. I was also informed by the dentist that he will most likely need braces in the future because his mouth is too small. Yippee. Overall, not a fun visit to the dentist.

Just one question... is it wrong I am posting such non flattering pictures of my son for millions to see?:) Just too cute! I think he had a little fun when posing for me.

Amelia Goes to the Capitol

2010-01-13T06:52:00.000-08:00

So this week started my first week of school for the semester. Well officially school does not start until next week, except for this one class. The class entails being a reporter covering the General Assembly. Not intimidating at all right?

So as of yesterday I received my official press badge permitting me to enter the capitol without being serched and the General Assembly building.

To be honest, I felt a little important and a lot out of place as I went and introduced myself to Senators and Delegates.

Should make for an interesting and challenging semester.

Side note: I didn't realize how my wardrobe is completely unprofessional and totally mommy-ized. I need to work on that one.

Picture overload

2010-01-06T14:10:00.000-08:00

I am sad to say that for some reason the camera I used for Thanksgiving is not being recognized by my computer so we are skipping that Holiday update and moving on to Christmas. We really did enjoy having my sister's family over Thanksgiving though, and it was fun to have someone to do the black friday shopping with me. She also taught me how to make little girl hair bows, a skill I would like to be able to use one day :). But for now it is put on hold.

We had a great Christmas and it was a little sad when it was all over. Christmas eve we did the nativity play and then sang carols and opened up pjs. The kids then got to pick one present each. They picked the present they got for each other and both of them gave each other the Pixos imagination design station. After presents we put out the cookies for Santa and then the kids sprinkled reindeer food on the lawn with some glitter so that our house would be easily spotted.

A couple of days before Christmas we got to watch some friends kids while they performed in the Miracle of Christmas play at the zoo. (They were Mary and Joseph) We attempted Gingerbread houses, but ours are called Sugar Cookie Houses because I much prefer making sugar cookie dough than gingerbread.

It worked and the kids seemed to enjoy it. Consuming massive amounts of candy is always fun right?

Overall getting together with friends, learning new games (love monopoly deal, thanks Diane) making my first live wreath, doing goody plates for friends and neighbors, putting together the christmas nativity with the primary for the ward party, playing games with friends, enjoying a crazy snowstorm which canceled church, and visiting DC friends for a Christmas feast left us busy during the holidays. We missed family but enjoyed sharing this time with good friends.

I would just like to conclude one last new years resolution or basically new years statement because it is going to happen:

Dave Hopkins I hoped you enjoyed that last Settlers victory because no more! I will defeat you!

My Very Own Walmart Surprise!

2010-01-02T13:29:00.001-08:00

To my delight,this afternoon in walmart I saw all Christmas decor up to 75% off. So I bought me a nice big Christmas tree for only $20.00.

But the excitement doesn't end there.

I bring it home and open the box and find one more surprise.

A DEAD MOUSE!!

Lucky me. That's what you call a 2 for 1.

quick notes

2009-12-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

I know it has been forever since I posted. I treat this blog somewhat like a journal and so you know how its easy to put off journal writing. Anyway, I just wanted to post a few funny things the kids have been saying so that I will always remember how hilarious they are.

Well for starters, yesterday I overheard Stephen talking to Jack and he told him that he should come to his school one day so that he could see Hannah (who is a girl in Stephen's class) he then went further to say,"She is really pretty. She is the prettiest girl in my class. You would like her." (How nice of him to share!:))

What ever happened to girls have cooties?

Well later in the day Stephen proclaimed to Matt that he already knows who he is going to marry and her name is Hannah. My husband told him the sweetest thing...he told Stephen that it took him 22 years to find the PERFECT woman, so it is OK if he wants to keep looking.(he's referring to me as the perfect woman. there has been no others before me)

Well Stephen says he doesn't need any more time.

Earlier he came home saying that he had a problem because four girls wanted to marry him and he didn't know who to marry first. Apparently he knows now.

The other funny thing he told me that I wanted to share was his little analogy on remembering things.

"It's like I have all these papers in my head and when I look at them and don't want to remember them or think about them, then I wad up the paper and throw it out."

We are raising a true philosopher here.
Well I really need to post pics of our wonderful Thanksgiving before Christmas gets here so stay tuned.

2009-11-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

I have no pictures right now but I just wanted to wish everyone a great Thanksgiving. I have so much to be greatful for. My kids, my husband, my family, my husbands family and all the great friends I have met along the way. It is hard being away from family, exspecially during the holidays but we are lucky enough to have my sister and her family coming to join us for Thanksgiving. I am so excited and grateful they could come and just wanted to express it.

One last thing I am extremely grateful for....The semester is almost over!!!!

Totally Hilarious

2009-11-18T17:40:00.001-08:00

I found this hilarious and wanted to share it with you all. So on Monday I decided to rake some leaves while waiting for the bus to drop Stephen off and Jack wanted to help. We were near the end of taking care of our leaf piles when Jack wanted me to bury him in one to scare Stephen when he got off the bus. (All his idea) So I buried him in the pile and we continued to wait for the bus. Well the bus came and I walked with Stephen over to the leaf pile and stopped, pretending to look at his art work while trying to give Jack the chance to scare him. Well Jack never popped up so I nudged the pile and still nothing. I started to get worried that maybe he was being suffocated so I hurried and unburied him to find him ASLEEP! I laughed so hard! And telling it over just makes me laugh more!

The Dreaded Swine Flu

2009-11-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

So Matt and Jack have been sick all weekend and today we did research on the Swine Flu. They have every symptom...and I am starting to not feel so good. Stephen on the other hand could not feel better. He has been bouncing around the house entertaining us all as we lie helplessly on the couch. We think somehow he stole all of our energy and consumed it. So off to the doctor tomorrow.

Halloween Weekend

2009-11-07T18:18:00.001-08:00

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I'm running just a little behind...but those who frequent my site know that this is nothing unusual. We had a great Halloween with a lot of fun activities. Jack had a Halloween parade at his school and Stephen had a harvest party at his school. I went in to help at Stephen's school for the day and he was sooooo excited about it. He wanted to introduce me to everyone and then come and eat lunch with him. Thanks to a friend of mine I get to go into Stephen's school every other Tuesday, while she watches Jack for me. I have to take advantage of it now because soon it will be embarrassing for him to have me around.

After the school activities we had the ward Trunk or Treat and dinner which the kids loved. Jack for dinner had a huge (costco) cupcake that was the size of his head and then we found him at the cupcake walk eating ANOTHER CUPCAKE!! That wasn't the end either, the next stop was the cookie decorating station. He has the eating thing down. Now we just have to work on healthy eating. The next night was Halloween and the kids got loaded-up with candy. I have learned that candy must be stored up high or else when I am not looking they both won't stop eating it. Stephen had so much candy on Halloween night (because I wasn't paying attention) he got a stomachache. It was a fun Halloween. Unfortunately, ever since all the Halloween excitement we have been down sick with some kind of nasty bug.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

Even though it was suppose to rain we braved the weather and headed to the pumpkin patch. The boys loved the hayride, straw maze, the play areas and finding the best pumpkin. I really do love this time of year!

Our weekend

2009-10-20T09:18:00.001-07:00

This weekend was crazy busy but really fun. My weekend actually started Wednesday night when I found out that day that classes were not being held Thursday and Friday to allow the students to prepare for midterms. I had no midterms so I got to relax a little and it felt great.
On Friday our ward had a craft night and these are what I made. One is a countdown to Halloween and the other is a countdown to Christmas (I still have to put the numbers on my Christmas ones) They are just two blocks that flip around with numbers on all sides. I took my neighbor to the craft night with me and it was a lot of fun.

Saturday was Stephen's party and we decided to have a Halloween carnival in the backyard and hand out tickets when they won each game. They then turned in the tickets to get prizes and toys. Kind of like a Chuck E Cheese thing. I have always wanted to do this idea and got a little carried away. I recruited some young women to help me handle all the booths. When the kids were done I let them decorate their own cupcake and eat up.

This last little picture is of Jack holding our new addition to the family. Barry Reddington. He is a little gray kitty our neighbors gave us that we are recruiting to be a full time mouse hunter. Just in case the mice decide to come our way. We are being proactive. He is cute and fiesty and excretes a lot of smelly air. So he fits in well with all my boys.

Stephen's Birthday

2009-10-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend was Stephen's long awaited birthday. He has been counting down for nearly two months. He was so excited when it finally turned October. The pictures pretty much explain what we did: Presents, cake and a school carnival. It worked out great that the carnival landed on Stephen's birthday. We told him the carnival was because his school wanted to celebrate his birthday also. He thought that was pretty neat. :) After the carnival I made him his favorite dinner, chicken enchiladas, and then attempted to do his scary birthday cake he wanted. Originally, he wanted a bloody guy to scare me, but we decided upon a skeleton cake. I tried to get all creative and make a full skeleton with arms, legs and everything. Matt, the pragmatist, said why don't you just draw a skeleton on a sheet cake? I defended my actions by explaining that this is what Stephen wanted and it would be cooler anyway. But then when Stephen saw it, he said I just wanted a skeleton painted onto a cake! Matt had a good laugh and I wanted to cry!

In the whip cream eating contest, Jack was licking it daintily so Matt made sure he got it all by shoving his face into it. Jack was shocked to get whip cream all over his face and then giggled about it the rest of the day.

On Sunday we went to church, the primary went well but I left room for improvement :) Matt also got a new calling, he is now in the Elders Quorum presidency. We both ended up with the exact same callings in this ward as our last ward. He is excited and I'm sure he will do great. After church we headed over to some friends house for some yummy homemade pizza and cookies! This ward has been so great and there are so many fun people in it. It helps make up for the family that we don't have around. (which can come visit anytime!)

Busy Busy Busy...

2009-10-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

So I forgot to mention the exciting and crazy news that has happened to us recently. Well first of all Stephen wants everyone to know that his birthday is coming up this Saturday and he wants 21 nerf guns! He told me I had to throw him a birthday party because it would cost me too much money if I didn't. I asked him why and he said because if he didn't have a party then his friends couldn't bring him the nerf guns and I would have to buy them all.
I laughed but was suprised how he worked out the logistics on that one!
(we will be throwing him a party not this weekend but the next...he is a little spoiled i think :))
The second exciting news is that I have been called to be the Primary President again. I really loved being in the primary before and miss the kids so I am excited to go back and get to know a whole new other group of kids. This primary though does not have only 25 kids like last time but instead close to 80! I really am excited though. (I will admit though at first when I was told I was completely stunned and speechless and in tears. Now that that has worn off...I am functioning beautifully)
Well I hope everyone had a great weekend!

So Proud of Myself

2009-09-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Today as I got in the car to take Jack to story time I realized the drivers door was not all the way shut. (here's is where I had the oh no moment, Jack was the last one out that door so just for the record: not my fault) Then I tried to start the car and it was completely dead.(makes sense since the door had been open all night long) Well Matt has been out of town since Sunday so luckily I had his car still at the house. Only problem my dead car was parked right behind it.
So I was forced to overcome my fear of being electrocuted by jumper cables and jump start the car ALL BY MYSELF! And I can very proudly report we both survived , the car and I! We made it to story time and enjoyed catching up with friends there.

Try this link!

2009-09-25T14:20:00.001-07:00

http://www.monstermashup.com/dd44e8
We made our own Monster video and the kids loved it. Thought we would share!

Getting my kids to read!

2009-09-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

So I realize I need to work on getting my kids to read. They know all the letter sounds but just don't put the words together. They know some staple words but just haven't grasped the concept. Well since Stephen started school I have more time with Jack and I have started this book called 100 easy lessons in getting your child to read. We have just read up to lesson 5 so far and I can see vast improvements! I just have to post because I am so excited! He is sounding out small words and I love it! He might learn to read before Stephen does! So for those of you who just don't know how to go about teaching your children to read I strongly recommend this book!

My good friend Chelsey recommended this book to me and I am so grateful!

Weekend Fun

2009-09-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our weekend was pretty busy but fun.
On Friday night we took the boys to the movie "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs."
On the way to the movie Stephen kept saying that we were seeing it in 3-D and we told him over and over that we weren't and he then said well maybe we are you don't know.
Well it turns out that we did see it in 3-D (on accident) because we showed up for the 3-D time not knowing it. This delighted Stephen. His little I told you so moment.
So we had a little photo shoot before the show started.

Saturday was filled with baseball, running, grocery shopping, homework,and free dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings for being the t-ball coaches for Stephen's team.
By the end of the day we were all exhausted and a little sick.
Sunday was stake conference and we learned our lesson about getting soft seats during conference. The people who show up early for the soft seats are typically not young families with kids. I felt a little bad because we were surrounded by all these older people that came early to hear the speakers and there is us and our kids disturbing the peace. They did pretty well considering 2 hours of sacrament meeting though.
After church we got to go to some friends house for a little BBQ. It was fun and the best part I didn't have to do any dishes:) They were great hosts and Jack and Stephen love playing with their little boy.
Now it is just back to school, work, and somewhere in there cleaning!YEAH!:D

Jacks Cast

2009-09-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

So this was the cast that the doctors wanted him to wear for six weeks after the bleacher incident. Do you see why it only lasted for a day?

Just Trying to Catch Up Once Again.

2009-09-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

For our family end of the summer fun trip we all went to Busch Gardens. (For those of you who don't know Busch Gardens is a very nice and clean theme park.) Jack and Stephen were tall enough to ride on almost all of the rides and to our suprise they really like a lot of the grown up rollar coasters (such as the big bad wolf). Before we got there I let them look at pictures of rides on the computer and they really wanted to go to the Haunted House Ride (DarkCastle) and so we went and they were terrified of it. After it was over they didn't want to go near it again. Too bad because it was one of my favorite rides. Everything was in 3-D and I think I screamed through most of it, so they were justified in being scared.

Matt recently celebrated his birthday and it was so nice for both of us. We got a babysitter and got to see a movie and have dinner! It has been about 7 months since our last date so it was much needed. We also had cake with the kids and Matt just wanted a boring vanilla cake with vanilla frosting, but it was his birthday so his choice.

It is crazy that we now have a little boy in Kindergarten. I can't be happier though with Stephen's school. I was a little suprised to realize how sad it is that he is going to school everday now and seems so much more grown up. I was excited for him to start because I knew he needed it and would love it and then I have time to do schoolwork, but both Jack and I miss him!

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Jack gets to go to preschool and he absolutely loves it. Everday he wakes up and asks if it is a school day and then gets really excited when it is. This is his first adventure without his big brother and he is learning how to make his own friends now. On Tuesdays and Thursdays he gets to be with just me and it is so fun to get to know him better. He is so lovable. Right now he is singing "life is a highway to me (from the lightning mcqueen show)." (except he is saying life is a hallway...)

I Am A Published Writer....

2009-09-06T18:23:00.001-07:00

For one of my classes we have to write 6 News articles and my first one just got put in the School Paper. (though they did do quite a few edits on it, It still has my name in the title) To see the full article go to commonwealthtimes.com and then do a search for H1N1 virus.
Just had to have my little brag moment... This is why I have been a little stressed lately!
Four swine flu cases presumed at VCU
Amelia Reddington - Contributing Writer
Issue date: 9/3/09 Section: News
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Since the fall semester began, VCU has had four possible cases of the H1N1 influenza virus in addition to the four cases reported during the summer. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the H1N1 virus is the only strain of influenza in circulation at this time.

"If a patient tests positive for influenza, A, the health department recommends assuming its H1N1 since the majority this spring and summer were H1N1," said Dr. Margaret Roberson, the director of University Student Health Services.

According to Roberson, only patients who require hospitalization will be tested for H1N1.

The regular flu season will not begin until later this fall.

Three of the students went home and one stayed in their dormitory, according to Pam Lepley, the director of VCU Communications and Public Relations. The latest case was diagnosed over the weekend.

The Centers for Disease Control has identified universities and colleges as "points of spread" for the H1N1 virus. On Aug. 25, the National Geographic Web site cited the World Health Organization as estimating that one out of every three people will be infected by the H1N1 virus before the pandemic runs its course.

H1N1 symptoms intclude fever, chills, runny nose, body aches, headaches, fatigue, cough or sore throat, diarrhea and vomiting.

Students are at a higher risk than the general population for such contagious illnesses because they travel often and attend many social activities, according to the Virginia Department of Health Web site. The provost of VCU issued an e-mail alert on Aug. 26 to students and faculty detailing symptoms and recommended precautions.

The CDC is recommending students, faculty and staff with flu-like symptoms stay in their homes, dormitories or residence halls for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of fever.

"We have to wait to determine the prevalence and severity of the cases," Roberson said. "It's too soon to say yet."
Continued...

Some of what we did this summer!

2009-09-03T11:00:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Slacking off again..

2009-08-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

So School has been going on for the past week and I have been a little stressed trying to figure out my schedule. The kids also have not started school yet so I have been having to find babysitters and it is a little stressful!! I am hoping that as the semester goes on it will get easier.
On the bright side I really do appreciate my kids more when I leave them for a few hours a day. (I feel a little guilty for leaving them. I just keep telling myself that what I am doing is important).
We have been really liking Richmond and our ward here is awesome. I have found a running buddy and so I am very excited. I am doing a little of P90X also and that is a very good workout!! My friend loaned the DVD's to me and I might have to go buy my own. Well hope everyone is doing well I will posts pics hopefully soon!

Just Our Luck...

2009-08-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

So I was looking forward to posting a picture of me standing seductively in front of our new car but unfortunately I never got the chance. Yesterday Matt, I and the kids were driving home in the right lane when a guy in the left lane decided he wanted to make a right turn at the intersection from his lane. Well he had to cut across our lane to do it and we didn't have enough time to brake and ran into the rear passenger side of his car. Luckily everyone had their seatbelts on and the kids were fine. Although Stephen and Jack were almost in tears because they didn't want our new red car to have a dent like our white car does. They think dents are ugly apparently. I reassured them the car would be fixed back to normal and they calmed down. Both cars had to be towed but we had some awesome friends that came and picked us up to take us home. They have been so amazingly helpful since we have moved here. I managed to get a picture of the part of the car after the crash. I have to foolishly admit though that when taking the photo I was thinking of using it more for blog purposes instead of insurance purposes...Matt laughed at me for that one.

In case your curious the other person's insurance should cover everything.

We are way excited about our new place!!

2009-08-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today while the boys were still dressed for church we decided to take a few pics in front of our new place.

A couple of weekends ago we ventured out on a hike in Pocahontas State Park with the boys and they absolutely loved it. There were a ton of frogs along the trail and at one point there were 4 frogs in Stephen's hands.
As we were walking we heard this conversation between the boys...
Stephen: Hey Jack I dare you to kiss this frog
Jack: Okay
Stephen: Good job . . . now I dare you to lick it!
Mom and Dad: NO NO NO!!
We brought along their swimsuits so they could play in the waterfall and they really enjoyed it. We all did until we came home and found that we were covered in ticks. We counted over ten ticks on each of the boys including Daddy. I managed to only have two somehow...ugh I hate ticks

Follow up on "The Great Fall From the Bleachers"

2009-08-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

So as mentioned in the last post Jack fell from the bleachers onto concrete while watching Stephen's baseball game. I was back and forth on if I should take him to the emergency room and opted not to because he seemed completely fine and I didn't have a car. So anyway after Matt came back and we packed up our house and then drove to stay a couple of weeks with my sister we realized Jack would cradle his arm whenever he would run and was really favoring it...
So a week after the incident I finally got him to the emergency room in Cleveland and turns out he broke his collar bone. They couldn't find the break with the x-rays but there was a definate bump and the way he was favoring it they were sure it was broke. I felt incredibly sick to my stomach when they were asking Jack if he felt safe at home!! Not my proudest parenting moment!

The funny part of this whole story is they were going to send me home without a brace or anything since they could not find the actual break in the x-rays. Well we were about set to leave and then Jack needed to use the restroom. While I was taking him to the restroom my sister was talking to the doctor and mentioned that my husband is a lawyer and we were in the process of moving. Well when I came out of the bathroom they ended up strapping a brace on him and telling me he needed to wear it for six weeks....hmmmm.
I really want to post pics of his brace I just have to unpack the cord from the camera...

I am Back!!!

2009-08-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

I am just so excited to post!! I finally have internet after a month and a half and I have missed it!! We are in our new house and I am completely loving it. I will post pics soon!!

More of our last week and last blog post for a while....

2009-06-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

It is Friday night and though I should be doing some last minute clean ups before the big move tomorrow I decided to procrastinate instead. I figure it will at least be a month before I get another blog post in so better make this a good one.
This week has been full of goodbyes and lots of packing. I took Stephen to his school for a last goodbye to his teacher and friends. I feel bad taking him out early and that he is going to miss his own preschool gradution which he has been learning songs for. (It is really cute he can sing "you raise me up" and "I believe I can fly") But he tells me he is very excited to move.

Jack wanted to sneak into a few of the pictures also!
After getting through the goodbyes at Stephens school I hosted one last goodbye playdate with some ladies in the ward. I reserved the movie theater at our complex (which is pretty cool and free of charge). The kids watched Walle and we got to chat until it was time to say goodbye. I REALLY HATE GOODBYES!!

The saddness does not end there...
Jack and I were at a baseball game of Stephen's and while I was watching Stephen playing Jack climbed to the top of the bleachers and fell off onto the pavement. I heard the thud and my heart leapt out of my chest. Luckily he only landed on his side and his head did not hit, but he did get a nasty bruise and scared me to death. Everyone around though was so helpful and got me ice packs and everything. Stephen's coach after the game even volunteered to take Stephen for a while in case I needed to take Jack to the doctor. I thought that was an awesome gesture. He knew Matt was out of town and just wanted to help. So I didn't earn the award for Mommy of the Week this week.
After it all happened I called up my sister to tell her about it and to seek some comforting advice. Instead she told me this horror story about a friend whose kid fell off the stage in a church and she didn't take him to the emergency room and the kid ended up dying in his sleep. Then she went on further telling me that the mom was sent to Jail for it!
I was not comforted by this at all!! Thanks anyway Janil!!:)
Well I think that I have procrastinated long enough and better get busy or it is going to be a very late night.

Last Week in New Jersey...

2009-06-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

I really did not think that I would be sad leaving New Jersey and am very surprised to be getting a little emotional about it. Matt started work in Richmond on Monday and so that left me with two kids, no car, and all the packing to get done for Saturday. Suprisingly enough though it wasn't too bad. Tuesday the kids and I had one last playdate with a very good friend that we met at the park when first moving here. Our kids really played well together so we decided to meet up often and it has been fun getting to know her and her kids. During the playdate they came out of the bedroom all dressed up funny so we got out our cameras. The boys love acting out super heros and their friend Ean loves being the villians so they get along really well! We will really miss them and it will be hard to find another friend that loves being the villian as much as he does.

The Best of Friends

2009-06-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

How much damage can 5 girls and a baby do in one big city? Let's just say we left our mark!

I had a great week this past week. An old friend from High School came out with her mom and some neices and all 5 of us girls (plus little baby Ella) got to go shopping in the big city with me as their tour guide. I turned out to probably be the worst tour guide ever but it was great exercise! If I said something was in one direction, sure enough after walking a couple of blocks I discovered it was in the opposite direction. I did do the subways right though. (Well lets not count the subway attendant that came after us accusing us of not paying the fee to ride the subway)

We went into China town empty handed with purses full of cash and came out with all of this and no cash left.

It was so much fun catching up with my friend again. There are few people that I can totally relax with that know me probably better than I would like them to and still no matter how much time has past when we do get together nothing has changed. (well maybe a few extra additions like kids, etc..) I love you Katie! It was fun beating you at Settlers, buying knock off China town purses (who knew there would be so much cops around and that it really is illegal?), seeing the statue of liberty and listening to your mother snore on my couch!! (kidding about the snoring she wasn't that loud) Do come again!

2009-05-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy and fun week in the Reddington household. Since Daddy didn't have to work this week the kids got a lot of play time in with him and have really enjoyed his company. Over the memorial weekend we were outside constantly between the beach, the park, and the swimming pool. (Matt forgot the sunscreen and is still suffering the consequences.) There are grills and tables right next to the pool area so Matt made us the best hamburgers ever (I must say they were even better than 5 guys). They were so good we had to do it again the next day and plan to continue grilling often.

I found this hilarious! Stephen dressed himself and ended up putting his waiste through one of the leg holes.

I have been baking a little this week and found some interesting things to make.

I had to make this for a baptism and it turned out delicious. All it is is a regular yellow cake with a layer of homemade butter frosting in the middle topped with a cube of butter and melted chocolate chips. The chocolate coats the cake and keeps it extra moist and also tastes like a delicious fudge on top. Very easy.

This is called Pavlova which I found on a friends blog (thanks megan roe) and it is also on the joy of baking website. It is very low fat and delicious. You are suppose to top it with whip cream and fruit and the white fluffy stuff tastes gooey and sticky and delicious.

This last one is suppose to be a cake pop (for those of you who like the bakerella blog which i do then you have seen these before). I did acheivement days this last week and we made them for our activity. Although they look lumpy and not perfect the girls had fun making them and we all had fun eating them! I brought some home for the kids and so Stephen is modeling our creations. I hope everyone had a great Memorial weekend. Thanks for staying tune for such a long post!!

The News I have been wanting to share for a couple of weeks now...

2009-05-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

Matt has just recieved his official job offer and starts work in one week from Tuesday! We are moving to Richmond, Virginia!! So all of my D.C. friends I hope to see you soon! We absolutely loved our time in Virginia and are excited to go back! I have had to postpone blogging about this until after his background check and tax check cleared. He will be working for the IRS doing, of course, Tax Law.

Good news #2
Matt is completely done with school!! We had a little surprise for him as he walked in the door with a little silly string, treats, and presents. The boys really got into it since it was a surprise. And since having him in school is hard on all of us, we all got a present too.

We are so proud of him!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

In honor of Mother's Day I wanted to list just a few reasons why I am grateful to be a parent....

And just to validate my point..... How cute are they?

They love to pose as Super Heros!
(Don't mind the dirty shirts. It is hard to get a picture of my boys, so if I can get a decent one with no goofy faces then their clothing can be covered in mud and I'd still be happy!)

P.S.
Matt only has one more final left and then SCHOOL'S OUT FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a new Addiction!!

2009-05-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this but I am addicted to clipping coupons!! I can't believe how much money I can save!! My sister told me about some great deals she got by using coupons so I tried it and now am addicted.
Todays purchase at Walgreens:
2 big bottles of dishsoap
1 Bayer quick release pain reliever box
1 colgate sensitive toothpaste

total: $1.00

And soon I will be on my way to the grocery store to get me some free cereal!

Some websites my sisters told me about that I visit frequently...
thriftyandchicmom.com
afrugalfriend.blogspot.com
mummydeals.com
(Beware it gets addicting)

Trips into the City are always fun...

2009-05-03T11:48:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday after Stephen's baseball game I left the kids with my husband and ventured into the City with a few girlfriends. My sister has been wanting me to get her a few things from China town and of course I couldn't go alone! So the four of us had a fun filled trip to NYC. It was fun bargaining prices and nothing beats a Tiffany bracelet for $8.00 and some Gucci sunglasses for $10.00!! The three other lovely ladies I went with all got brand new purses and I also found my dream purse but realized I was a little too low on cash! I tried to convince the man to give it to me for $10.00 but the lowest he would go is $25.00! I guess it was "supposedly" Prada. It had the Prada name on it at least! After China town we ate at a Mexican Restaurant and then took a trip to times square looking for the Hershey store. I have to admit there is no better way to end a fun trip with meltaway kisses and hershey bliss!

The photos above are us modeling our purchases. Amber and I got the Gucci sunglasses and Emily and I got the matching Tiffany bracelets. Also you may notice the blue purse Emily has that was just one of my dream purses I saw. Emily has good taste!! Overall it was fun to get a break from the kids and enjoy good friendships. These girls have been amazing. On the first Sunday of moving here I met them and was invited instantly to a girls night at the melting pot and from there on there has been many great girls nights. They have made my stay here in New Jersey a lot more enjoyable and so much more welcoming! I love you ladies!!

Opening Day and the Beach!

2009-04-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

The weekend had beautiful weather and we enjoyed every last bit of it.
Friday we spent at the playground, baseball practice, and the park and then Saturday was Stephen's Opening day Parade for his baseball league! It was fun watching him in his little uniform marching and waving his flag. Matt is the Coach so Jack and I both got out our cameras and played the audience. After the parade we grabbed a quick lunch and then got ready for his game. According to Stephen his team won although no score was kept. As an opening day game reward all the teams recieved a free hotdog and drink after their first game. This part Stephen was the most excited about. I asked what he loved most about the day and he said the huge hotdog he got to eat!

To end a beautiful Saturday we went to a town called Rumson and according to my friend a few famous people live in the area (Bruce Springstein, Connie Chung, and Queen Latifa). There is a really fun pirate park a friend showed me earlier in the week that has a beach area next to it and some great restaurants nearby. So we played at the park, the beach, and then ate at a restaurant next to the water. On the way home it was fun to drive through these mansions and just dream about one day making loads of money.

We caught the Easter Bunny...Turns out there is 2

2009-04-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunnies!!
End result of Egg Hunt

You are not going to believe this one...Seriously!!

2009-04-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

So this Sunday was the ward choirs Easter Presentation and they had a few musical numbers. Well some of my friends were doing one and I decided to join in. If you have ever sat next to me in church or for some other reason have had the opportunity to hear my lovely voice you will know that I can't sing. Well I have always wanted to do it anyway and I finally told myself I was going to sing in public! AND I DID! I think i was even in tune. I practiced the song so much that now Jack can even sing it. We sang I stand all Amazed but it was acapela (no piano) and it might have sounded good! A few said it did. I don't really know I was so nervous my legs were having muscle spasms. So to all of my sisters who laughed at me when we played Miss. America (when we were younger of course) and I sang for the talent portion of the contest and never won...all I have to say is Ha!!(in a loving way though. Well other than the singing here is what else we did this Easter weekend. The kids were pretty spoiled getting to have two egg hunts. Friday we got together with a few friends for a playdate and had an egg hunt. Once again I forgot my camera. Then Saturday came and I realized oh crap tomorrows Easter so after a few trips to the store we had the essentials to dye our Easter Eggs. (I always forget you need vinegar) Then Sunday we celebrated with a yummy dinner, church and egg hunt. We were suppose to go to a friends house for dinner but Jack had a temperture so we had a nice family Easter Day....

Conference Weekend-

2009-04-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

With conference this weekend we just relaxed as a family, enjoyed the weather and tried to keep the kids entertained so that we could listen to most of the speakers. Their project was drawing each of the speakers. Here are the favorites.

The second drawing is Jacks and the others are Stephens. Stephen informed me that President Monson has a circle around his mouth. It took me a little while to figure out that he was talking about his wrinkles.

One Great Weekend!!

2009-03-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

The weekend started off with a great relaxing day with the family. We got to spend the day at the park, then go on a run with the kids, and then dinner and a movie. We all ended up going to see Monsters Vs. Aliens and it was hilarious. All the way home we were laughing as the kids quoted their favorite parts. It is amazing how good their memories are as I listened to them quote scenes line for line. We usually have family movie nights on Fridays but pick a rental instead so this was a treat for all of us. Our favorite monster is Bob (the blue one with no brain)
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Saturday I got up early and headed to the church to set up for our primary activity. (I got put in as the primary president back in December) We were having an early Easter party where the kids made their own baskets, did the easter story, and had an Egg hunt. Also to promote reverence in church they have been getting reverent dollars that they save up to spend at our quarterly activities in the reverence store filled with toys. (I had fun picking out all the toys to sell in the store!!)It was so fun to see them getting all excited to spend their money and go on the egg hunt. I made cupcakes for the kids to buy also and some table decorations. I got the cupcake idea from foodnetwork.com and the flower centerpieces from familyfun.com. I really enjoy the kids (even though it is exhausting and challenging at times). It amazes me how quickly you grow to love each one individually...Okay I will stop with the mushy stuff...Here is how it turned out (I didn't post pics of a lot of the kids up close on the blog due to privacy reasons.) After the party Stephen had is first baseball practice and his Dad got asked to be the Assistant Coach. If my camera had not died you could see just how incredibly handsome my husband is while coaching. (By the way I got a new camera...I will not smash this one's screen by slamming the trunk lid on it!) After practice the Missionaries came for dinner and then to top the night off Matt watched Twilight with me. (he thought it was okay but laughed histerically when Edward put Bella on his back and started to run "super speed" I must admit it does look really funny!)Overall it really was One Great Weekend....

I can ride my bike with no training wheels...no training wheels...

2009-03-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

Matt enjoyed a week with no school as spring break came. Although we didn't go on any fun crazy trip the weather worked out wonderfully. Matt and I were able to take the boys to a local park (which is huge that includes 2 playgrounds, multiple running trails, a lake for swimming, and golfing and campsites) where we spent hours playing with the kids and then going for a run together with the stroller. One particular run we decided to go offroading (big mistake) the trail said it was a mulitpurpose trail, but it was not meant for a double jogger. On the other hand it was an extremely intense workout as we pushed the stroller over tree roots, up hills that felt like mountains and squeezing in between trees while admiring the deer (we saw four of them pretty up close). The kids laughed the whole way because it was so bumpy, they also made the comment that they liked it when Daddy pushes better because they crash less. (I didn't think I crashed once!)
Anyway the biggest highlight of the week is that Stephen learned how to ride a bike without training wheels. He got it on his first try!! Such a pro!! (the one in the blue helmet is stephen the red helmet is Jack)

Next week Stephen starts baseball and they get pretty serious in his league. We were informed that he has to wear an athletic supporter. :)

The SNOW and more visiting with friends!

2009-03-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

Here is what we did in our bizarre March snowstorm...(very excited that by the weekend it was gone and we were out at the park without our coats on! That is the way snow should come and go always!)

As mentioned in the previous post we got the opportunity to go to D.C. and see some old friends. Here are just a few more of those pictures. I got to see my good friends Valerie and Alyssa and their kids (which have grown into little toddlers since I have seen them last). It was good visiting and seeing them again. They were so fun to hang out with in D.C. going to baseball games, having barbeques (and Rob's Ribs), and my most favorite of all the late late night game nights.. even if Cory would always win. Below is Valeries little girl Sophie who is absolutely adorable!! I loved all the kisses!!

(Again thanks Val for the awesome pictures!!)

Over a Week of being Sober....

2009-03-10T06:09:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post my little accomplishment! It has been 1 week and 3 days since I have last had a Diet Pepsi. So proud.
How the addiction started:
I never liked Pepsi until I was married and my husband was always drinking it. I started by taking little sips of his and then it got to the point where I needed one everday.
The Turning Point:
While watching the Biggest loser one night with my husband they talked about the effects of diet soda and how it can add weight to your middle. So I am hoping my middle improves!
The Struggle Continues:
It still is hard for me when seeing my husband pull a diet Pepsi out of the fridge and then hearing that crisp click as he opens it and then feeling my mouth all water up....Just walk away....and keep walking...

So much to Post....

2009-03-04T10:16:00.000-08:00

Well to do a quick summary of the past month...
here are the highlights...
I Turned 27 (wow)!! Some friends from the ward had a birthday party for me and another fantastic Lady. And then a few days later We (me and this fantastic other lady) got taken to dinner and a movie with some girlfriends.
I got to see "He's Just Not That Into You" and "Shopaholic" and absolutely loved them both!! I was completely spoiled for my birthday. I think it lasted for about a week. The kids were so excited to help prepare for my birthday and they helped pick out the cake. I was not complaining when it turned out to be Cold Stone's cookie dough ice cream cake!!

I also got to go with a couple of fun girls from the ward to the New York City Temple. It is beautiful although very small.

And finally this past weekend Matt had some interviews in D.C. and so we got to go stay with our friends the Hopkins for the weekend. One of my friends happened to be hosting a party at her home in D.C. that weekend so we got to go and catch up with everyone at once. It was so fun seeing everyone again. It felt like we never left!!

To end this enormous post on a funny note this is what Jack said today....

"Handsome Please"
I didn't get it at first either but it turns out he doesn't like saying Pretty Please because Pretty is for girls (or so he says)!! He is a funny kid.

Preschool Drama...

2009-02-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

Today I laughed out loud and probably shouldn't have but wait till you hear...

So just as a background. My little preschooler has acquired a few girlfriends. Now both he and I are thinking they are just friends that are girls. That is until today. As I picked him up from school we were going over the usual questions and he was telling me about the friends he has been playing with when he mentioned Jada. Now according to Stephen she became his girlfriend when he told her she had pretty hair but then today she told him that she wants to break up. (He has been paying too much attention to other little girls). Stephen didn't understand why she keeps telling him that and what "breaking up" means. He just thought they were friends.(which is exactly what I want him to think about when it comes to girls...at least until he's 18 :))
I will save the whole boyfriend/girlfriend talk for another time. (I mean he is only 5)I am just starting to wonder how long I can hold off on giving it?
I find it funny how kids are already talking about the opposite sex at such a young age. But what can I say the kid does have some sweet moves...just check it out....

Yoga!

2009-02-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday for the young womens activity they were doing yoga. Well my friend just happened to be teaching the class so I decided it would be fun to come and learn from her also. It was really fun to learn new moves and she was such a great teacher. Well I came home that night and just left my yoga matt lying on the floor. This is what I found in the morning. No joke. My kids attempting yoga! The only camera I had close by was the one on my phone so not the best quality. Afterwards I tried to teach them a few simple moves and it was hilarious!

The craziest kids...

2009-02-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

Sometimes they just make me laugh...
Jack claims he is a snowmobile racer with his goggles on. Stephen is just plain goofy!

How I lost the Faith....

2009-02-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

So it all started one morning when I went to drive Stephen to school and spotted a flat tire. Thinking I could handle the situation by myself I thought I would take the tire in to get patched while Matt was still in school. So I thought hmmm Walmart is pretty cheap...I'll go there. So with our spare (which is a regular old tire) on our car I drove to Walmart and explained that I had a tire in the trunk that needed patched up and then put back on in place of the spare. Well they later came to me and told me that I needed to new front tires and that my old tires were "down to the nubs". So trusting in them I bought two tires and left. Well I told Matt the situation and it turns out we had just bought new tires not even two years ago and Matt insisted that our tires were fine. So when Matt got home he went to Walmart and was pretty upset because he thought they had conned me. It turns out that they measured the tread on my spare tire (which is I admit aweful) and based on those calculations assumed I needed new tires. So they had to refund us for the new tires and fix the patch in our other tire. The old guy who sold it to me was not happy at all. (Turns out the tire they patched went flat again the next day. We went to Pep Boys this time and only bought one new tire)
Then just yesterday I had to get some things at Walmart. Well the kids left the interior lights on in the car so when I came out of Walmart my car wouldn't start. I knew I would have to go to the tire center and have them jump the car. I just prayed that old man wasn't there who we dealt with previously. Well just my luck he was and he said he would be the one to jump start my car...(this was a very awkward situation for me) He was nice enough and got my car running again. I was really grateful. After it was running he told me that my car battery was leaking acid and that if I didn't get it fixed that day it wouldn't start for me in the morning.(I know we had only had our battery for a year and a half so again I thought hmmmm) So instead of taking it to him I took the car to Pep Boys again. They told me the battery was working great and that I didn't need a new one. They then cleaned off the corrosion that was on the cables and did this all for free.
So after being wrong not once but twice about my car I have lost all faith in our local Walmart tire center. But I have come to really like Pep boys!

To be a kid again...

2009-02-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday it snowed and snowed and snowed which was a bit depressing because I am anxious for the spring. But to make the best of the situation Jack and I went to sports authority bought a snow tube and bundled up so that when we picked up Stephen from school we could suprise him and go sledding....

Our tube:

Stephen's Reaction:
"I have always dreamed of this. This is going to be so fun!"

After going down the hill a few times...
"We have the fastest tube! I love this!"

It is so much fun to share moments like these with the kids! Even if my side of the tube sank to the ground when riding it!

And Now Presenting...

2009-01-26T10:39:00.000-08:00

Jack loves to dance and I on the other hand have no coordination so therefore am not a good dancer. So you could say he gets his beautiful dances moves from his mother. I guess what I am trying to say is go easy on the kid he doesn't have that great of a teacher!

Its Fun to Have visitors....

2009-01-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

well that is until they beat you at every board game you play with them!! :)
The past weekend some good friends came to visit us from D.C.
The weather was super cold but we did manage to get a trip into the city (which lasted for about a half hour) by riding the Staton Island Ferry which goes right by Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

I tried taking a picture of the Statue of Liberty from the Ferry window and so that white blurry picture with the stick in it is the best I got. The boys though loved the Ferry and ecspecially loved little Christopher. Steve even told Matt that he thought the baby was so cute and that we should get one. Now that is a talk for another time... We really enjoyed seeing the Hopkins family again and next time we won't let them win every game so easily!! (also thanks Sarah for the pics I stole from your blog)

As Always trying to catch up on posts...

2009-01-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

These are just pictures of some of the Christmas windows I saw with the family and with Val when she came to visit from Bergdorfs and Macy's.

2 Women and One Big City!

2009-01-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

My friend Val came from D.C. to stay for a few days and it was so much fun. I got to experience the city without kids for 2 days (thanks to my awesome husband)and these are just the highlights of our adventures...

The most exciting thing that happened was Val winning discounted tickets in a drawing for the Broadway play Wicked! We got front (1st row front) tickets to wicked for only $26.00!! The play was incredible (my first broadway show ever).
The second most exciting thing was going to Chinatown and being taken down to mysterious basements to buy knock off brand purses. On one occassion we were even shoved into a van to be shown some purses. It was all very mysterious!
On Val's last night here we also went to see Twilight and although Val fell asleep during the movie I enjoyed seeing it for my first time finally! The picture of us by the giant ball is the New Years Eve Ball for 2008 and we got to write a wish on confetti that was dropped with the 2009 New Years Eve Ball. Overall it was an exciting couple of days for this usually unexciting stay at home mom!! Thanks Val and thanks wonderful husband of mine!! Oh and thanks Rob for letting Val come!!

Our Christmas

2009-01-04T18:06:00.000-08:00

With Matt on his last year of Law school we were unable to afford tickets home this Christmas but we had a great family in the ward take us in. We were invited to another family's house for christmas and to our suprise Santa showed up with presents for all. Along with the Santa visit we had a great dinner with home made spanish rice and pork and turkey and sweet potatoes and.. and... so much good food!!
Christmas Day we also went to the same familys house to play games and also eat wonderful homemade tamales!! Delicious!!

Christmas is saved!!

2008-12-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

It all started on Halloween. While shopping at our local Walgreens for glow sticks, Jack found a Lightning McQueen gumball car machine and really wanted it. We told him that Christmas was coming soon and he would have to ask Santa (thinking he would forget about it) Well now that Christmas is here he has not forgotten about this gumball lightning McQueen and has told several Santas that it is the toy he wants and we have not seen it anywhere. Until yesterday on a whim Matt went into a Walgreens and there sitting on the shelf was the gumball Lightning McQueen. Now the gumballs don't really resemble gumballs anymore for they have lost all their color and look really old but we are just excited that we found it.
So Christmas can continue..

In the Spirit of Christmas..

2008-12-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to mention (on a sentimental note) how blessed we have been recently...
Strangers have been incredibly thoughtful and I thought I would share.
These are just the past few instances and I am truely thankful for them.
Today while paying for our groceries an older Woman thought that Jack was really cute and kept talking to him. Later as we were leaving she gave him $5.00 so that he could pick out a toy! (Now it might have something to do with the fact that Jack's mommy was not wearing make up, hair up in a ponytail, and possibly looking a little homeless)Grateful either way!
Along with that for the past 3 nights we have been receiving gifts on our doorstep. Someone is doing the 12 days of Christmas to our family and the boys could not be more excited. Just last night we got the Living Christ in a picture frame and the boys took it all around the house trying to find the perfect spot to hang it.
Another huge blessing was that I needed to see a dentist and since we have no dental insurance right now I was calling around getting prices. Well one of the dentists I called just told me to come in for free and she would take care of me!! I could not believe it! I am so grateful and felt that I needed to share that with everyone. I hope everyone has a Wonderful Christmas!

2008-12-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying the Holiday Season so far with decorating the Christmas Tree, attending the town Christmas festival, and listening to lots of fun Christmas music!

So very Thankful!!

2008-12-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving we had to take the opportunity and go and see the Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade. Which meant waking up at 5:00 in the morning to catch the train. We arrived two hours early and found some prime spots on Harold Square. The only sad part was that by the time the parade had reached us Jack was fast asleep!! He did wake up to see Santa though. So after freezing (with smiles on our faces) for four hours in the cold we went home and made our Thanksgiving feast. Which Matt and I did all by ourselves. I was so proud I had to take a picture!! We are so very Thankful for our two boys and the opportunity that we have had to see and live in the East coast and explore this side of the U.S. We miss our families so much exspecially around the holidays but We love you all and anytime you want to visit you are more than welcome.

These are just a few of the favorite floats that we got to see!

On the way home there were no seats left on the train so we had to sit where-ever we found a place. I loved this picture of Stephen because I just thought that he looked so homeless.

gotta love black friday!!

2008-12-04T11:03:00.001-08:00

I can finally post pics!! Turns out my computer was having some problems but no worries thanks to my 2:30 a.m. black Friday shopping trip I was one of the fourteen in line at Staples who recieved an awesome deal on a new laptop. I almost froze to death but fortunately there was a great person in the line ahead of me who lent me an extra coat and a doggie bed to sleep in. I was truely grateful. So to catch up here are photos of the last couple of weeks...

It was fun to see Stephen with his friends at school doing the Halloween parade and then getting to take Jack to the library for his own parade also. They got to wear their costumes plenty. We also got together with some friends and had a little Halloween party. In our friends basement they had a stage with guitars, a drum set, and karaoke machine so the kids put on concerts for us. It was really fun to watch them showcase their talent!!

So just how many miles wide is Pennsylvania...

2008-11-25T19:56:00.000-08:00

This past week I went on a little road trip to Cleveland, OH with just the kids and I. Matt is studying for finals and my sister was suppose to be having a baby. My sister has an incompetent cervix and has to be stitched when she is pregnant. Once the stitches are taken out the baby is suppose to come. I was going to go to help take care of her kids while she was in the hospital, but even though the stitches came out no baby has yet. But we got some good family time in and the kids got to play with their cousins. I also learned that I average about a 40 out of 100 percent on the Karaoke machine...in other words I can't carry a tune!! The drive was long and in case you are wondering Pennsylvania is over 310 miles wide and I got to see all of it!! Wish I had pics but my blog is not allowing me to post any pictures for some reason!!

Time to Celebrate!!

2008-11-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

I am experiencing Technical problems with my blog so I have not been able to post but I just wanted to let everyone know...
MATT PASSED THE NEW YORK BAR!!
We are so proud of him! He has worked so hard in school and is so very near the end. He passed high enough that he will be able to waive in D.C. also so here is to hoping that we end up somewhere near the district!!

2008-10-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Just another day on the Farm

2008-10-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

A new favorite of New Jersey is an old historic farm with horses, pigs, peacocks, chickens, and sheep wandering around. The farm also has baby kittens that run free which Jack and Stephen are in love with. Jack milking his first Jersey Cow. His comment while doing it, "This cow is stinky!"

I loved this old swing!!

Stephen started Preschool...

2008-10-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

I finally after weeks of phone calls was able to get a hold of Stephen's shot records and get him enrolled in Preschool. It turns out that a doctor I had in D.C. got in a car wreck and was killed. Another doctor took over the practice but in the meantime they lost all the records they had of Stephen and Jack. Their solution was to have me go and get their shots all redone. Fortunately after a few more days of looking they came across them. I was a little relieved. Stephen is actually in his second week of school and loves it (although he tells me it is a little long ..5hrs) It is fun getting to know Jack better while Stephen enjoys preschool.

The photo below I thought was hilarious. The boys can reach our A.C. controller and so they turn on the air and stick the balloons up to the vent. I may think it is funny and creative now but things might change once I get the bill....

The HAMMER RUN....

2008-10-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

My brother Orrin and I ran a 5 miler in the summer and I am finally getting around to posting it. It was fun running with him! I had to laugh because about three miles into the race I started to slow down a little and I just told him to keep going and he says are you sure? And are you going to be okay? I wanted to remind him this is a race!! But he is very considerate of others and a great brother. He also knitted us both matching sweat bands. We were defintaley styling!! We did so well in the race (or just maybe there were few particpants) that we both won a hammer (mine was more of a mallet) and so far it has come in very handy with recently moving. After the run all the runners were rewarded with a free pancake breakfast, but the thought of food just was not appetizing. It ended up being my fastest 5 mile pace coming in in 38 minutes and something seconds. Not to bad for this old mom.

BYU Loses!

2008-10-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

There is fantastic news in the Reddington house . . . BYU lost and they lost big. Now we don't usually cheer against the Y (or for them, of course) but with Boise State undefeated yet trailing Y in the polls this is fantastic news. This whole season has shaped up to see what "little" school (between Boise, Utah and BYU) will get the BCS bid so it is very important to have the Utah schools implode and serve it up for Boise. Now that BYU has effectively taken themselves out of the runing, it is all up to Utah to do its part and we go back to the BCS.

How about a loss to BYU in the "Holy War," Utah?

Our Economy...

2008-10-16T18:40:00.001-07:00

The state of the economy freaks me out a little so much to the point that I would rather be ignorant of the exact details but today while at the park I was only reminded. While playing down by the pond with the boys a little girl came over and this is how the conversation went...

the girl: how old are your two boys
Me: 3 and 5. How Old are you?
the girl: 8
Me: (talking to the boys as they are getting all muddy) You guys are going to need to take another bath!!
the girl: We don't have water at my house. The water company shut it off so I have to take a bath at my cousins.

After hearing that it made me sick to my stomach! I just wanted to somehow do something for this girl but had no idea what.

2008-10-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

This past Friday was Stephens Birthday and it is very hard to believe that we are parents of a 5 year old!! For his birthday dinner he wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese. Yipee!! The kids had a great time and other than smelling vomit the entire time it was enjoyable. (The things you do for your kids) After Chuckies we all sang Happy Birthday and ate cake. He is growing into such a really sweet kid. He loves his brother and lately calls him his little buddy. (I think it is the cutest thing) He actually starts school tomorrow and unlike most mothers I am so excited for it. I know he will love it and enjoy making new friends. I think that he gets bored with me sometimes and will love all the interaction. Also today our ward had a get together after church to welcome us and to celebrate Stephen and one other kids birthdays. They had a cake for each of them and candles to blow out. (the cake just happened to be better than ...anything cake) It was fun and we are starting to feel more at home here in New Jersey.

When Declo froze Over...

2008-10-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

My Family in Good old Declo, Idaho sent me these pictures of a snowstorm that happened just yesterday. I couldn't believe it. There was so much snow that their church was canceled. And here I am enjoying the great 70 degree perfect fall weather...

The after effects of How I met your Mother...

2008-10-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

So every Monday night Matt and I sit down and unwind and watch How I met your mother (along with Chuck of course) and the episode was on finding the best burger. We both were sitting there craving a burger after the show was over. So finally on Saturday we drove a half hour to the closest Five Guys and I had my very first Five Guys Burger.

I am never turning back!! The best burger I have eaten!! I admit I am not a big burger person and never started eating them until after I got married so I don't have a lot of Burger experience but still...

More Of Our New York Adventures....

2008-10-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

You may recognize this church if you are a fan of National Treasure. The one and only Trinity Church...

And this would be Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange.
The picture above Stephen took. I gave him my camera phone to entertain himself with and he got a few good pics. (Along with a lot of other random people. I felt bad for those riding next to us on the train but thanks to Stephen we will now never forget those random people because the amount of pictures we have of them.)
I thought that this was pretty amazing. It is a small memorial for Sept. 11 and the brass ball on the grass was what was on the bottom floor of one of the Towers.
This was some signifigant monument of Washington that I now cannot recall what exactly it was there for but don't the rest of us look cute!!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2008-09-14T16:17:00.001-07:00

This Past Friday the Reddington Family ventured into the Big City. As in New York City. Before going though we forgot to check the weather report. Unfortunately it rained the entire time we were there. On the bright side though I did discover that there are nice people in New York (who'd have thought). Just as a huge down pour of rain came and we were out without umbrellas a very nice man gave us his umbrella because he was getting onto the Subway and did not need it. I was about to tell him that umbrellas can just fold up and be reused for another time but I was so grateful for the kind gesture that I thanked him tremendously and kept my mouth shut otherwise. One of the places that was a must stop despite the weather was FAO Swartz. We arrived just in time for their story time and afterwards the kids got to do some crafts and play on the giant piano. They would have played on the piano for forever and the thought crossed my mind of how nice it would be to have one in the house just to occupy the kids at home. Well for $250,000 I quickly dismissed the idea.

Overall it was a fun family trip and this next week we are hoping to make it to Central Park and if it does rain we have one nice umbrella!

The Many Faces of Jack....

2008-09-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

Every year around Halloween, Matt loves taking the kids to the halloween sales area. This time in particular Stephen was terrified of the masks and of anyone wearing them, so I had to take him elsewhere while Jack and his Daddy played dress up. It is funny because when I was younger I remember feeling the same as Stephen. The masks made me feel clausterphobic and seeing them was horrifying. Jack is more like his Dad and had fun with all the crazy faces.

A New Favorite Of New Jersey

2008-09-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

While trying to find a fun park for the kids, I just happened upon this beach. The great thing about this beach is that right across the street is a playground and swings so it kills a couple of hours and the kids are pretty worn out afterwards. Another bonus is that it is only 5 minutes from our house. When we found this beach I told the kids they could wade their feet and before I know it Jack was up to his waste while fully dressed, but they both had a good time.

First Visitors in our new Home: The Cops

2008-09-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

So I am trying very hard to have a positive attitude about our move to New Jersey but it has been difficult considering the unfortunate circumstances that seem never ending since we have arrived...

Upon arrival we had a few quirks with our apartment where I was unable to use our stove for a whole week (this was not neccesarily a bad thing for me but Matt was sure missing it) then our refrigerator broke and we had to ice everything down.

We also have not been recieving our mail and therefore have not been getting our student loans that we need for bills and FOOD!! (Don't worry though crisis averted)

The mail we did recieve though (which led to our visit from the police) was a huge home theatre system. My first thought was sweet we can return it and I can get one nice IPOD. But the more we looked into it the more we realized we had become victims of identity theft. Apparenty one of our kindly neighbors got a hold of our credit card number and ordered a $700 suround sound system. They sent it to their address but the office recognized my name and sent it up to our apartment. A very nice police officer came and took all the information and they are going to put a detective on the case. Kind of exciting that I get to help solve this mystery but unbelievable the things people do.

We are getting to know our ward and the other members in the area. It is a huge change from our large cozy ward in Virginia. The ward is really friendly but is a lot older and there and no other student families. Also the ward building is 30 minutes away and the chapel was only half full. So instead of having to leave home 30 minutes before church to get a seat we now leave 30 minutes early to get there in time.

On the bright side I do like the apartment it has two very huge bathrooms with a huge tub in our master bedroom. It also has a balcony with two storage closets on it and two very nice sized walk in closets. Our veiw from our balcony faces a forest so we have lovely scenery. We also do have a lot of privacy (oh except for people steal our credit cards).

I will have to post pictures.

I also found a very shady running trail not far from our apartment.

Trying not to be a Negative Nelly we are all safe and continually counting our blessings.

A little glimpse of my husband...

2008-09-07T17:07:00.001-07:00

Because of my husband's birthday I also wanted to share just a few silly pics that I have found. Not many know that he was a serious runner and ran in college. So I thought I would share...

Happy Birthday Wonderful Husband...

2008-09-07T14:18:00.001-07:00

This Saturday was Matt's Birthday and every year around this time I get all nervous. I always have the best of intentions on making his birthday the best day of the year but really fell short this time. What was supppose to happen consisted of breakfast in bed, a trip to NYC and ending the day with his favorite dinner and birthday cake while winding down with a fun movie.

What happened instead:

The aftermath of a hurricane.

With all good intentions aside the day still managed to turn out okay. The Breakfast ended up not being in bed because I realized I was out of eggs and had to do a grocery trip. Needless to say he was out of bed before I could get it to him. We canceled the trip to NYC due to the rain. Instead though the day consisted of the kids and mommy making and decorating Daddy's cake with sprinkles (which included Jack eating the frosting off the top in the process) and while we watched the rain come down we taught Stephen how to play monopoly. (According to him it is the longest game ever) . To conclude the day we did eat one of Matt's favorite dinners (sesame chicken and stir fry rice) and watched "What Happens in Vegas."

Since it is his birthday I thought I would just also mention what a wonderful husband he is. He is very inteligent and so willing to do whatever he needs to in support of his family. He is a wonderful father who loves playing with the boys and teaching them all about sports. He is extremely knowledgeable in the gospel and I always find myself looking to him for answers. He is my constant comfort and love. WE LOVE YOU MATT!!

The best and worst of Cake Making...

2008-08-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

So lately I have found it really fun to make and decorate cakes. With the help of a good friend and a mini relief society class I picked up some tips and have made a few of mine own. This is definately something I would love to become better at and develop at a more professional level.

The first cake I made here is a Lightning Mcqueen cake from the movie Cars for Jacks birthday. I cheated and bought the frosting, which melted so much it wouldn't hold up the decorations. So not the cutest cake but a good learning experience.

The second cake I had a blast with but was in a little bit of a time crunch. I felt it could have been better but still liked how it turned out. A good friend of Stephen's was having a birthday party and we volunteered to make the cake (I don't ever get to do girl cakes so this was extra fun and a lot easier than a car!).

The last cake I made for my sister's wedding!! She was very trusting to let me (who had never made any kind of decorative cake before) experiment. It was very fun and very time consumming! Not to mention stressful when the day of the wedding my own son spys cake and takes a big bite out of the top of it. Needless to say there are a few spots on the cake where the decorative flowers are there for a reason.

All of these pictures were taken with my camera phone so not the best of quality. My mom still has not sent me the pictures from her camera of the wedding cake so I had to use this lower quality one...(mom that is a hint and reminder...I love you)

Slacking off again...

2008-08-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

Just a little update. A few events that have taken place in the last month...
Matt has taken the bar and the boys love having their daddy around!! After the bar was over we went on a little sight seeing trip. We got to go to Niagra Falls on the Canadian side (first time in Canada) and almost got stuck there because we had no birth cirtificates for the kids and so therefore no proof that they were ours. After a quite extensive and frightening lecture from the border patrol man we got let off with a warning. Then we continued onto Palmyra and saw all of the church sites there. It was really neat to actually sit on a park bench in the sacred grove. To end off our little sight seeing tour we stayed in Scranton Pennsylvania for all of those Office fans out there.
The biggest news of all though is that Jack is finally potty trained!! I would like to say that it was due to my great parenting skills but he did this one all on his own. I just had to give him a little motivational tool (a lightening McQueen car after he went at least three times).
And now the saddest news of all... We are moving in ONE WEEK and just found out yesterday. We finally found a place to live that is not too far from NYC but far enough that we don't have to pay the NY price!! I was very exstatic to find a place but now it is really heartbreaking to leave all of the friends that we have made...So those of you reading this blog feel free to come and visit...(exspecially if you want a girls night out on the town in NYC) Also our place is only about 5 minutes from the beach (i don't know how good the beach is, I'll have to fill in when I get the scoop)
As for posting pictures an unfortunate event has occurred. I placed the camera on the side of the car while getting into the trunk and when I shut the trunk it shut on the camera. So sadly enough the screen is cracked and we have to send in for repairs...
Well it has been fun but all good posts must come to an end...

A Photo Opportunity

2008-07-23T08:19:00.001-07:00

My side of the family finally got together after 4 years and managed to get a family picture after my sister's baby blessing.

The first picture is the whole family (all eight kids and Mom and Dad). The second picture is just my brothers and sisters and I and finally the last picture is the whole family

and spouses (minus my husband and my sister Janil's husband so we sandwiched in between our brother Orrin in the front.)

I also better state on my sisters behalfs (because I would expect the same) that

two are pregnant and one just had a baby. Looking good either way!!

My mom really wanted a picture with her and my Dad and all of the grandkids. My kids decided to be a little uncoporative and Stephen would be the one holding the book in front of his face.

What do you do???