i'm going to disneyworld!

On Thursday, Bart and I took his little sister Sadie to the Magic Kingdom at Disneyworld while Grandpa and Grandma watched Kade and Ky. We had such a great time! The weather couldn't have been nicer, and it was fun to go without pushing a stroller around, or trying to convince two toddlers that standing in line for anything might be worth it. We ate pineapple ice cream near the Tiki Room, Cream Cheese filled pretzels, tacos, and ice cream bars.

Bart and Me starting the day in front of Cinderella's castle

Bart and Sadie were caught cutting in line... :)

Can you tell who that man sitting in the rollercoaster is?

Here's a blurry picture of Calista Flockhart and Harrison Ford, who rode Goofy's Barnstormer just before us. I sure noticed all the Star Wars and Indiana Jones posters and post cards and t-shirts in the gift shops more after seeing him there!

There were a few too many people there that day, but we still got to see and do so much and we had a great time!

Cinderella's Castle at night. We couldn't stop looking at it.

Me and my sweetie at Disneyworld

The gang. What a fun, memorable day! We sure hope Sadie had a great first visit to Disneyworld!

to a wonderful christmas day!

Bart and I have been so excited for Christmas morning all month. We knew that the boys would be so entertaining to watch as they opened all their gifts. And there were a lot of them. Bart and I got them gifts, Grandma and Grandpa Adams sent a bunch, Grandma and Grandpa Miller bought more, and "Santa's Elves" left a bunch on our doorstep Sunday night. (Thank you so much whoever you are!!) I thought at some point one, or both of the boys, was bound to have a tantrum over not being able to open someone else's gift, or that what their brother got was better, etc. But, they were so good. They got excited about each and every gift they got, loved watching everyone else open their gifts, and said thank you to each person who gave them the gifts, even if those people were not there. The funniest thing they kept saying all morning, even after all the gifts were open and they were playing with their new toys was, "I'm so excited! Mommy, I'm so excited!"

The rest of the day we relaxed, played with our new "toys," and ate a delicious dinner that Bart made. He also invited a recently widowed woman in our apartment complex who was all alone for Christmas, to have dinner with us. She livened up our evening and we are glad that she could be with us.

Thank you to everyone who helped make our Christmas Day so special!

Kade with the dump truck from Santa

Ky with the firetruck from SantaKy dunkin' the ball in his new hoop

christmas eve

Bart's family flew in on Christmas Eve. After we got reacquainted, we had a delicious chili dinner and acted out the Nativity story. Kade was a shepherd, complete with a baby sheep, Ky was a wiseman, (and didn't want to take off his costume the rest of the evening), aunt Sadie was Mary, Grandpa was Joseph and I was an angel. Then we watched a short video of the Nativity story, and Mr. Kruger's Christmas (a holiday favorite!) while the boys colored a picture of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. Then we put out some cookies and milk for Santa, sprinkled Reindeer Dust on the front lawn, and put the boys to bed so Santa could come.

Grandpa telling the Nativity story

The Wiseman Ky bringing a gift
The whole cast

Sprinkling Reindeer dust on the lawn so they would know where to bring Santa Claus

christmas party

We went to a fun Christmas Party at our friends, the Rees', last night. There were lots of yummy appetizers, and Berries on a Cloud for dessert. The kids made "Reindeer Dust" (dry oatmeal with glitter in it) to sprinkle on the lawn Christmas Eve so the reindeer know where to come, had a fun gift exchange, and decorated sugar cookies. The adults helped and visited. It was fun to get to know some more people in our new ward, and fun to celebrate the season with friends.

Ky and Kade with their friends, Maddox and Isaac

Me and my friends at the party

christmas questions

I stole this from my friend Meghan's blog. Thanks Meghan!

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper

2. Real tree or artificial? I wish I could afford a real tree. We spent $16.99 on an artificial tree the first Christmas after we got married, and it will have to do until I can afford to buy a real one each year. You just can't beat the smell of a real one!

3.When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? I like the idea of keeping it up until New Year's day, but with the boys birthday on December 29th, we are going to make sure all the Christmas stuff is put away before then so it can just be their birthday.

5. Do you like eggnog? Love it, haven't had it for a few years

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I remember a doll swing set I got when I was like 5. I don't remember many others specifically.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes

8. Hardest person to buy for? My dad

9. Easiest person to buy for? Kade and Ky

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? One that I had no idea what it was. It took me several days of searching the internet before I knew what it was

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

12 . Favorite Christmas movie? Home Alone, Charlie Brown's Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? After Thanksgiving

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Homemade chocolates, Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, my mom's Peppermint Delight

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear

17. Favorite Christmas song? Angels We Have Heard on High, but I love the radio stations that play nothing but Christmas music for a month. I listen to the radio way more that month than the rest of the year combined.

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? We have done a lot of traveling for Christmas and I love it, but we are excited to stay here this year and have Bart's family come to us!

19. Can you name all of Santa's' reindeer? Yes

20. Angel on the treetop or a star? I've never had either, but I would like a star. I bought a wiry, glittery one this year, but even it was too heavy for our little Charlie Brown Christmas tree, so I had to return it.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning, except for the traditional pajamas on Christmas Eve.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Shoveling snow and scraping my windshield...oh wait, I don't have to do that this year!

23. What I love most about Christmas? The tradition of everything from music, to Christmas lights, shopping, parties, yummy food, etc. Also, the fact that it last for a whole month!

24. Favorite Christmas Tradition? Oranges, beef jerky and a toothbrush in our stockings, white elephant gift exchanges, etc. I am excited to start some traditions of our own with our new little family.

ode to kisses

A few years ago, I thought Hershey's Kisses were one of the best treats out there. Then, a few years ago, Hershey's came out with Double Fudge Kisses. Those were even better. A while ago I discovered the caramel filled ones, and the peanut butter filled ones. Yummier still. I had some Cherry-cordial Kisses last year, and was so surprised how much they tasted like cherry cordials, without the yucky cherry in the middle. But, this holiday season, I have bought Hot Chocolate Kisses (which I thought would just taste like chocolate, but somehow they have a "hot chocolate" taste.), Candy Cane Kisses, and Mint Truffle Kisses. There are no words! These are amazing. I like the Mint Truffle ones the best but they are all so good, and taste like Christmas. I don't think I am ever going to be able to eat a regular Kiss again. It makes me wonder: what took Hershey's so long to make different flavors?

batteries

I was just sitting here with the boys looking at some blogs, and the boys asked to watch the golf video on our blog. When I tried it, it didn't work and neither did the singing video. They both said they were unavailable, whatever that means. So we had the following conversation:

Me: Sorry boys, the videos are broken.
Kade: Fix it
Me: I don't know how to fix it.
Kade: Needs batteries. I'll go get 'em.
Ky: Try again mommy!

I can't believe my not-quite-two-year-olds are having these kinds of funny conversations with me already.

night in bethlehem

On Saturday night, we went to our church to the "Night in Bethlehem." It is this amazing production that they have put on the past few years. I know last year they had over 3,000 people from the Stake and the community come over the 6 days they had it last year, and this year they were planning for double that.You start out walking through town, with lots of different shops like they would have had in Bethlehem. There was a toy-making shop where the boys got a dreidle, a jewelry shop where the boys made a bead bracelet, a candle shop, where the boys looked, but we politely turned down a lit candle, because toddlers and fire don't mix. Then, every half-hour, they start a new performance of the nativity story. It was amazing. I really could have been a professional production. There was lots of beautiful music, sung by Mary and the Angel Choir. I was so touched. When the performance was over, we got to go pet the donkey with Mary (who was played by our friend Emily). Then we went inside for hot chocolate and cookies. What a fun evening, and a great opportunity to focus on the birth of our Savior, and the true meaning of Christmas.

Ky and Kade looking at the chickens in Bethlehem

Waiting in line to make a bracelet

Mary and Joseph in the stable, the New Star and an angel

by the bay

Here are a few pics that were too cute not to share. We took them last week downtown by the bay. Hope you are enjoying the weather in your neck of the woods!

While I am here ...

Tim Tebow for Heisman! Gators and Badgers both playing on New Year's Day! SEC and Big Ten playing for the championship! The Pac Ten fizzling out and BYU playing in a bowl game before Christmas (weak)! What a great college football season!

little singers

The boys have started singing a lot lately. They like to sing the song from Elmo's World, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Old MacDonald, The Wheels on the Bus, and Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam. They are getting pretty good at it and can get most of the words in there, and if not, they mumble until they get to words that they do know. It won't be long before they are singing Christmas songs too with as much as we are listening to them lately.

Here is a sample of them singing with their puppets this morning.

before & after

When we moved to Florida a year and a half ago, Bart bought this old dresser from a tiny secondhand store in a small, rural town outside of Gainesville. When I arrived in Florida with the boys a few days later, he showed me the treasure he had found. Other than the fact that we desperately needed a dresser and had no money to purchase one, and the fact that this dresser was structurally in great shape, I despised this hideous thing. If you can't tell from the picture, it is a cream color with gold accents. I have been wanting to paint it since the moment I saw it, but could never decide on a color. Our bedroom is done in turquoise and chocolate brown, but there is already so much of that color combination in there, I thought it needed something different. Well, I decided last April to paint it Vintage Bouquet and chocolate brown, but for the past seven months it has been too hot in Florida to paint. So, I finally painted it this week.
It's hard to tell from this picture, but it is actually more purple than it is pink. I knew I couldn't possibly make it look any worse than it already did, so it was fun to try something a little different. It looks really good with the other colors in our bedroom. Between the paint and new handles, it only cost me $14 to fix it up, and worth every penny.

a fun-filled week

I just realized that the last few posts I didn't mention anything about what we have been doing around here, so here you go. Bart is almost done with his rotation in the pediatric ICU, and he has really enjoyed it. He has learned a lot, and he has worked with some great doctors and residents.

The boys and I went to Busch Gardens twice this week. Here is a fun picture from the earlier trip.

The three of us on the dragon merry-go-round

Kade and Ky driving a car

Posing in an eggshell

Kade with Dumphry the Dragon

Just playing with the monkeys!


The second time, I went with my friends Sarah and Suzanne and their kids. I realized that morning that the battery in the camera was dead, but I didn't think it was a big deal because we have been there a bunch, and the pictures are always on the same few rides, and they all look the same. Well, this time, Sarah and Suzanne showed me another part of the park I didn't know about, with some more fun rides that Ky and Kade could ride on. So, we'll have to go again and take pictures of them on the new rides.

Last weekend, we took a drive downtown and found this fun park right on the bay. We walked out on the pier and saw a huge cruise ship leaving the port and wondered why we weren't on it. The boys had a great time on the playground.

With Daddy on the pier

Kade hanging on slide

Ky hanging on slide

Bart took the boys to the golf course on Saturday. Kade loves to play golf, and had a great time hitting the balls into the hole. Ky was more interested in seeing how many golf balls he could pick up at the same time. He kept saying, "Another one golf ball!"

I've started making and buying Christmas gifts, and I can say I am having a great Holiday Season so far!

taggy, tag

I've been tagged a few times, so I thought I should sit down and force myself to think of 6 interesting facts about myself. So, here goes:

1- I love being a wife and mother more than anything else. It has been my dream since I was a little girl to be a stay-at-home mom, and it is more wonderful than I ever imagined. I can hardly talk about my children (especially when I am at church) without getting all weepy and emotional. My husband and my boys are my life! (Almost) everything I do is for them, and I wouldn't have it any other way!
2- I'm a hobby hopper. I like to try new hobbies, but they never last very long. I was way into embroidery a few years ago. I scrapbook, but only for a few weeks at a time, where I go crazy, buy lots of supplies, do several pages, and then forget about it for a month or more. Same with cooking; I will plan elaborate meals for every night of the week for a week or two, then the next few weeks, I don't want to cook at all and we end up eating spaghetti or tacos last minute because I hadn't even thought about dinner.
3-I have a serious sweet tooth. For some reason, I think I need to have a treat after every meal, including breakfast, and a late-night dessert as well. I have basically zero self-control when it comes to sweets, especially chocolate and ice cream. I was amazed by the amount of candy we accumulated for Halloween, and thought we would never finish it all. But, I'm happy to report that in less than two weeks, we have made a serious dent in it.
4-My dream job is to own a bridal consultancy. I love weddings and everything about them. It would be so much fun to work with brides and grooms to help make their special day memorable. Plus, I love being around the fanciness of the bridal gowns, the gorgeous flowers, the art of the wedding photography, and all the other elegant details. It's like a real life fairy tale. (Of course I'm not doing anything now to pursue this career, because I am too busy enjoying my real life fairy tale of being a stay-at-home mom.)
5-I love to dance and sometimes wish that it was practical (and classy) to be in some sort of performing group, now that I am "old" and the mother of two. I guess dancing in my kitchen will have to do.
6-I love holidays, especially Christmas, and I can't wait to see what kind of "magic" this Christmas season has in store for me and my sweet little family.

I don't know who else to tag, because it seems like I have seen this on just about everyone else's blog. So, if you are reading this and haven't done it yet...tag, you're it!

change of plans

So, after posting the entry last week about deciding to move to Wisconsin, we have received many upset and confused emails and phone calls. It turns out that our friends and family do not want us to make such a big decision about our family's future based on the poll on our blog. So, we have decided that we are going to continue to pray and fast about where we should look for work. Then, we will try to have a job before we settle for sure on where we will live. So please pray for us that we will receive some guidance over the next few months and that Bart will be able to find a good job in a place that will be good for our family.
Oh, and just so you know...this was the plan all along. We were never actually going to decide this based on a silly poll. But it sure was fun to freak everyone out like that!

the boys' first gator football game

Last Saturday we took the whole family up to Gainesville to go to the Gator football game. The boys were so excited from the moment we told them we were going to go. They wanted to see Tebow (the star quarterback) and Albert (the mascot), and were very excited when they finally saw them. Before the game, they went to their first tailgate party, and boy do Gator fans know how to tailgate! I've never seen anything like it in my life. Ky and Kade danced to the music, ate hot dogs and chips, and played a Gator beanbag toss game.

Once we were inside the stadium, the boys just stared at everything and took it all in. They couldn't stop smiling and cheering and doing the Gator Chomp! The only time they sat still was when the marching band performed--they were completely mesmerized by the music and the twirling flags. I was a little worried that they would be too overstimulated by all the people and all the noise and that they would be restless and wiggly and cranky. But, they are such big gator football fans that they just enjoyed everything about being there in person.

Final Score: Gators 49, Commodores 22

Here we are in a sea of orange & blue walking to the game

Here they are before the game started. Ky loved his ticket, and couldn't stop looking at it. Kade is showing us that the Gators are #1!!!

We took the rare opportunity of sitting down in the student section to pose for a family photo

Daddy and Kade, "We're #1!"

So much excitement leads to tired twins!

it's been decided

Well, our poll is now closed, and after receiving many votes, it's official: we're moving to Wisconsin! We've started to look for jobs online, and it seems that there are a lot of nice job opportunities in the Green Bay area. We're also looking into living in Madison, especially if Bart's brother, Bret, gets accepted to vet school at the University of Wisconsin there in Madison. It also might be nice to live in the Fox Valley since Bart's family is there and Bart knows the area and already has some contacts that might help him find a good job.

We've found some good websites that show some of the good things about living in Wisconsin: a top ten list, a summary of Wisconsin lifestyle, and a list of fun places to visit in Wisconsin. I'm excited about the delicious cheese and ice cream, Bart is excited about going home, and the boys are excited about becoming Badger fans (although they will forever be Gators!!)

We're glad that we don't have to be grown-ups and make these tough decisions. It's much easier to leave our future up to a very scientific poll on blogger. Now, rather than trying to decide what is really best for our family, we can just trust this poll and spend our time worrying about how we are going to afford to buy complete, new, winter wardrobes for everyone! Thanks everyone for your input. And for those of you who saw the poll and didn't vote, maybe next time you will take our polls a little more seriously :)

deck the halls

I know there are some of you out there who are completely disgusted by the fact that as soon as Halloween is over, Christmas begins. In the stores, on commercials on TV, etc., even though Christmas is still almost 2 months away. Not me! I walked into the grocery store today and saw the display of Santas and snowmen, reindeer and candy canes, evergreen trees and shiny, sparkly balls, and I got all warm and tingly inside. I am so excited! I wanted to come home and start decorating our apartment, and begin my Christmas shopping, and start writing our family Christmas letter, and change the ringtone on my cell phone to Jingle Bells. I'm so excited that this year, I will have two sweet boys who I can really share the joy of the season with, who will understand what unwrapping gifts is all about, who can help me make Christmas cookies, who we can start our own family traditions with, who I can share the Nativity story with, and who I can buy great (yet inexpensive) gifts for! So, I bought a roll of wrapping paper and I thought of some gift ideas for the boys. Maybe next week I will start making some homemade gifts, and start my Christmas shopping. After all, I only have 53 days left until Christmas day! Christmas Season...here I come!

to a great halloween!

Between the four Halloween parties we went to, and trick-or-treating on Halloween night, we had lots of fun dressing up, lots of fun spooky appetizers, lots of chili, lots (and lots) of candy, and so much fun!

A few weeks before Halloween, Bart and I went to a party at our friends, the Andersons' house. It was fun to go to a party just the two of us and get to know some more people here in Tampa. We played games and ate some really fun, yummy Halloween food. I won the prize for the weirdest feet! (Those of you who know me, know exactly what I am referring to!)

Bart & Ashli

All the men at the party

All the women at the party

We had a lot of fun at our ward trunk-or-treat party, although I was in charge of all the games, so we didn't spend much time together as a family.
If you look closely at this picture, it looks like Bart has red-eye from the camera, but he actually wore red contacts that night. It was so spooky!

Monday morning, my friend Sarah hosted a party for all the kids. (She's the same one who hosted the adult party too!) The boys dressed up again, ate mummy dogs and witches brew and had a great time playing with their friends.

Kade

Ky

We had such a good time trick-or-treating on Halloween night. I couldn't believe I was taking my children trick-or-treating! I'm such a grown-up. We had been practicing the whole process at home so that Kade & Ky would know to knock on the door, what to say, and what they would get. Well, the first house we went to, before we knocked, I asked the boys, "What do you say when they open the door?" They both said "trick-or-treat!" But when the lady opened the door, Ky held up his bag and said, "More!" and Kade reached in the bowl and took some candy while she was trying to give some to Ky. Some houses they were very good at, but others, especially the ones with scary decorations or music, they were quite hesitant. But, everything about it was so much fun!
Ky & Kade with their happy/spooky bat faces

Trick-or-treating all by themselves

Victory!!!!