Help!

Okay, I've blogged what I'm going to blog in 2008... What's the best way to print it. I've heard of blurb, I've heard of photobucket, I've heard of my publisher, so, which one is the best (least expensive, highest quality)? Do tell!

The New Years/Anniversary/Christmas Cruise to Mexico!

Handed down to my mother (Abuella) was two mink stoles. Since mink isn't worn anymore, and she is always looking for ways to carry on the love from past generations to the next one, she had them made into teddy bears for her granddaughters. Sophia and Jennie both have one to cherish originally from Grammy Nelson, and Mrs. "D". Abuella also loves her grandsons!


Andy helped me with my kids the whole time, at meals, at sea, on the stairs, everywhere. Thank You Andy, you're a great uncle. Here's one of Sophias new favorite people on earth! She and Arianna hit it off! Thank goodness for family!


This incredible Pacific beach was refreshing, warm, salty, clear, and just perfect, can I say perfect again. Perfect.


Doug and I, but mostly Ocean, aahhhh, the Pacific Ocean! Dalton and Abby seemed inseparable on this trip. Hannah and Abraham were nearby most of the time too.


The cousins all buried Joseph. Aunt Yvonne buried Sophia. This sand was the perfect escape from the warm December sun of Cabo.




Jennie loved the perfectly granular nature of this Mexican sand. I loved the girls new Mexican sundresses!


The streets of Cabo,(the drummer is seriously no more than 6 years old). Doug and I with Cabo in back.


Carnival towel art. We loved all of their creations!


Um...is there an appropriate title for this one? The Crawfords in Ensanada. That's our ship in the background!


Thank you Mama and Papa for planning, sharing, giving, and loving all for us. This trip was beyond generous! We felt your love every moment! We made memories, fell in love with Mexico, and you raised the bar for my student poor kididdles! Thank you. Thank you! Thank YOU!

Christmas Highlights

Grandma "C" makes jammies for all of the Crawfords... I think she made 40 pair this year!
>

Got the books he wanted, and his favorite author is... Roald Dahl! That's my boy. A sledding tube in Arizona? Nope, we'll have to wait till we're home in Utah to use this one!


Must have come from Santa, mom would never buy a bow and arrow! Waffle maker, yeah!


A music box, Disney princess dress-ups, and Disney princess dolls, doesn't she look happy!


Jennie won't have to steal Sophia's silky anymore. A baby doll all her own.


Hungry Hungry Hippo with Madison (Doug's niece). Me kicking Doug's tail at the Wii.


"Say Harley" (Doug's niece). Aunt Becky (Doug's sister).


Thank you Mike and Stacie for letting us take over your home this Christmas! Special thanks to Nik for letting us take over your room. We had a great time, and made some fabulous memories.

10 Years

In the last 10 years, I've grown, birthed, and raised 4 children, conquered depression, supported my husband through a heap of school, taken enough classes to graduate from Institute, moved 4 times, read hundreds of books, learned to enjoy kitchen duties, had 8 church callings, and celebrated 10 wedding anniversaries with Doug, my love.

Our honeymoon wasn't a flashy one. All of our family was in town, which is super rare for the Crawfords. So we decided to spend the days with them and the evenings at a local nice hotel. We got food poisoning right at the tail end, and then started our married life.

Our anniversary dates have been conservative, the Temple and dinner. Nice for sure, it's good to just go on a date alone with the man every once in awhile. A couple of years, my good friend Annie has watched the kids so we could do an overniter, but since we have had 3, and then 4 kididdles, it just seems easier to parent them ourselves.

Each year we like to celebrate what we've accomplished, share what we've learned about each other, and dream of the future. Each year we've said that for our 10th anniversary we'd splurge and go on a cruise. This year has come, we're just as student poor as we've ever been, and it didn't seem prudent, (in these financial times) to take out more loans to finance a cruise. I put it out there though. We're going on a cruise for our 10th anniversary. We're going on a cruise for our 10th anniversary. We're going on a cruise for our 10th anniversary! Doug's response was just in his facial expression, and looked more like "fat chance, hun".

My positive attitude prevailed!

My parents decided to do a HUGE splurge this year for Christmas, (and all 2009 birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and whatnots) and all of us are going on a cruise! My parents, my siblings, my nephews, my nieces, my kids, and my husband of 10 years are all going on a cruise next week! I can hardly stand it I'm so excited!

So, Happy Anniversary to us, Merry Christmas, and Bon Voyage!

Kisses

Doug swears she's been doing this for a month or so...

but I'm just barely enjoying Jennie's new closed mouth kiss. This is one of my favorite milestones by far!

Sophia's First Day of Pre-School

We found out last week that she got accepted!

She got a big girl haircut, a new lunchbox, picked her own outfit, packed her snowsuit and she was off!

Daddy drove her in, and I picked her up, but in 2009, she'll be riding the little school bus. She is loving every second of it!

Too Cute!

Even in beans.

At 14 months Jennie still talks a ton although we don't understand most of her gobbildy gook. Her best word by far is "Peeeeees" usually pleadingly in want for a goodie. She does this super fast clompy walk that is her attempt at a run, but it's just not. Jennie is officially throwing fits all the time already. If she wants the pink sippy cup and I give her the green one, if I break a graham cracker in half when she wanted the whole one, if I give Sophia some lip gloss and none to her, or if Sophia won't share her necklace, she's on her back with legs flying. The fun thing about her is that if I simply say, "Jennie, stop" she'll usually look at me for more instructions, she'll listen to me and then decide if she wants to continue tantruming. Dalton makes her laugh a belly laugh that can pull anyone out of a grump. She lights up her daddy's, and uncle Lew's eyes too. The second either one of them walk into a room she bolts for their legs and wraps her arms around them, and then looks into their eyes with her arms up. She's such a lovey.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I love the snow. I won't drive in it of course, but isn't it beautiful.

Not exactly picnic weather.

Sophia's toileting today earned her a tea party, and instead of the usual water, we were able to enjoy some fresh snow!

Jennie enjoyed herself too.

Santa came...

...to our Ward Christmas Party. Okay so the kids knew within seconds that it was Bishop, but still.

Soph asked for a plastic Barbie head with hair. Check. Thanks Lisa.


Joe asked for a gun. You'll shoot your eye out kid. Not check.


Dalton asked for a Wii. Good luck kid, I thought you asked for building toys. Not check. Check.

Scripture Advent

I just found this advent calendar this morning and I'm so excited to start it for FHE tonight! I love that the FRIEND does all the work for me, all I have to do is follow through.

p.s. it's on page 10 titled "Stories of Jesus, Tell Them to Me"