THE Most amazing stroller ever--I'm drooling!!

So, I've never done this before, but my friend Adele had this link on her blog about a giveaway. It was for the world's cutest and most AMAZING double stroller-- I know these things I researched for MONTHS when I was pregnant with Kate. Anyway, if I blog about it supposibly I am entered 10 times-- we'll see-- I'm not sure about these things, but I guess it's worth a try. You can enter at http://inevergrewup.net/giveaway-25-bumbleride-indie-stroller It's for the Bumbleride double stroller!!

House Update

Here's our house!! The outside has looked like this for probably a month or maybe two-- I've not been good about taking pictures of anything except the kids--Christmas is just way too fun!! Jason and his dad worked all day today and almost finished up the electrical. The plumbing is almost done too and they've started the HVAC. We should be ready for insulation in a week or so and drywall by the first of Feb!!! Then we can start finish work-- that's our favorite part!!

Merry Christmas!!

My mom got Claire this cute outfit, so I had to take a picture of it so she could see-- since she's in Florida and I picked it out!!

The snow drift---Jason thought he could make it!! Here's the story-- We were driving over to Jason's parent's on Christmas morning after we'd opened presents and ate breakfast at home. I was in my car and Jason was in his Dad's truck, we'd borrowed and were returning. I got to the drift first and stopped. Jason pulled up next to me. I told him that I didn't think we could ever make it through, He said, " oh Jenn, just back up and I'll go first" This is where he ended up. Lucky for us we live in a farming town and within 5 minutes a tractor and a backhoe were there to pull him out and plow the road so we could make it to gma's and gpa's house. Jason claims he could of made it if he had gotten a little more speed-- we'll let him think that-- the drift was like 4 feet tall!!

Karson got his very own "real rock star guitar" as he calls it!! Santa brought it to him. We are excited for him to start playing his first musical instrument. I'm more of an acoustic fan, but the guitar guy said that the electric are much easier for kids to learn on-- so here's our future rock star!!

Don't you just love your house at Christmas!! I do-- I took this picture after Santa came on Christmas eve! We had such a wonderful Christmas this year!! The kids are at such fun ages and were adorable!! I loved being in my own house and would have been perfectly content just hanging out at home all day. We did get to see lots of family though, and that's always fun too! I feel so blessed this year and I always love Christmas as a time to reflect on blessings especially the gift of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ---his birth, his life, and all he did for us!!

Christmas Eve!!

Cute smiles from Claire-- Jason was having tons of fun making her smile.

The kids in their Christmas jammies-- I must say, I think I have to world's cutest kids!!

More cute Claire-- we just can't get enough of her!

Karson and Claire-- He's such a wonderful brother-- he loves her so much and helps me out tons!! I am loving 5!!

We acted out the Nativity with Jason's family-- it was so much fun-- brought back childhood memories!!

Blessing

We blessed Claire on Sunday!! She is such a sweet baby-- really a little angel!! Last night she slept for 9 hours!! I haven't had a baby do that until atleast 6 months!! She brings so much joy to our family!!! I feel so totaly blessed. As you probably noticed from previous posts, I've been under a lot of stress the last few weeks, but yesterday really put things into perspective. I have the most amazing husband in the whole world and three beautiful healthy children!

Here is Claire and her cousing Gracie. Gracie is one month older than Claire.

Here is a picture of Claire's pretty dress-- she looked like such a little angel!! So Sweet!!!

She is such a cute little thing!

Jason and Karson got her ready for her big day!!!

Pictures for Grandma

Here is Kate....I was taking pictures of Claire and she felt left out so we took a picture of her with the Christmas tree. Here's our little Claire Bear-- as we love to call her. She was looking so cute in this outfit, that my firend Jodi gave me, and I just had to snap some pictures. I think she is kind of half smiling in the picture. I tried really hard to capture her smile, but of course never snapped the camera at the right time-- mostly because Kate was being oh so helpful!! I think her cheeks are starting to chub up a little and she still has all her dark hair!!

Anyway, life is good ... Crazy but good. I am still stressed about school (hopefully I'll have that all figured out by next week) and Christmas (mostly because I am ward activities director and have to plan the ward party!!) and my house (which I've decided I need to not worry about so much) and my kids (mostly the messes they make--my mom says I'll miss them someday, we'll see) but I feel so blessed!! Plus it's Christmas time-- I love Christmas!!!

Thoughts...

I decided that I need to write more on my blog-- thoughts, feelings, etc. I'm not an amazing writer and despite the fact that I never have a hard time finding something to say, I do have a hard time writing anything of length. It's been a tough past few days. Everything with graduate school is exploding in my face. My thesis advisor moved to TX and my new committee is not supporting some aspects of the research we did. I went up to ISU for a meeting on Friday and was totally attacked. I cried the whole way home, but made a resolution to myself that I could overcome this and with the help of my old thesis advisor could prove these people wrong. Well, today my new advisor wrote me suggesting that I turn my thesis into a project. It would be the easy way out, but makes me feel like a total failure and all the research and hard work I did would be in vain. It makes me want to throw-up. I just feel so abused!! I thought educators were supposed to help students-- I guess I was spoiled at Ricks and BYU!! This makes me want to teach even more. Maybe that's why I need to go through this, so I will be a more understanding teacher and be an advocate for the student and not the "rule book." Despite all of this I am so blessed-- I really do think I have the cutest kids in the world!! Here is a recent picture of Claire. She was 5 weeks yesterday!!