Christmas Day

We took a video of the kids opening all their gifts so we didn't get many pics. We have a tradition of letting the kids open one thing on Christmas Eve, which is always Jammas. Kia isn't wearing hers in these photos, but the boys are. As you can tell, the living room was a big mess after they opened all their gifts. Spencer got a nerf gun that shoots these nerf balls, some Hulk gloves that say phrases as you hit with them, some new colors and a color book. Kia got 3 babies, some new colors and a color book. Wesley got 2 dump trucks and doodle pad. Some of their gifts came from a Secret Santa so we didn't know what they were. That is why some of the gifts were duplicates. I should have peeked so I could get them different gifts, but they love them. I asked Kia if she wanted to try and exchange some babies for something else and she said no. Oh yeah, and we got them Sleeping Beauty and Wall -E. It was a good Christmas.



We drove up to Pine Valley to find a place to go sledding. WE found this dead end street that went up hill where all the locals were sledding. The wind was incredible so Wesley and Kia didn't want out of the car. Spencer and Matt had a good time as we the rest of us waited in the car.

Nativity Scene

This is the Nativity Set that was given to us as part of the 12 days of Christmas that someone did for us. Also, there are some pics of our tree. We didn't have many ornaments, but then my parents got us a bunch. You probably can't even tell which is the before pic.

Santa

Waiting in line to see Santa


Wesley and Kia sitting on Santa's lap

Update

well, it's been a while since I blogged. Let's see if I can bring everyone up to date. We got the rest of our "twelve days of christmas" from our secret santa. After the last wise man, we got two Christmas trees, an angel and Baby Jesus. The last day, when we got Jesus, there were three presents left with it. One for each of the kids. Then I found $40 in the box for the Nativity Set.

We are in Salt Lake now staying with my family. We has my family Christmas party yesterday and tomorrow is Matt's family party. We are planning on going back to St. George on Tues. so we can be home for Christmas. So far, the weather looks sunny. We came prepared, though, just in case we don't make it back for Christmas. Santa knows where we are staying ;)

Ok, I finaly, did it. I broke down and bought a camera. It has been 18 months now since our camera busted. I have been wanting one for so long and yesterday I told matt i wanted to get one. It's a polaroid and it's orange. It's kinda funky.

Well, I think that's about it. I will post some pics in the next post.

Secret Santa continued... continued

Yesterday we got the last wise man and a plate of fudge, peanut brittle and caramels. This morning we got a shepard and a box of popcorn. I left a card for the misterious gifter but the wind blew it off the step so they probably didn't even see it. Tonight I need to make sure and place a rock to hold it there, though the weather seems nice today.

Speaking of Christmas cards, I only have 13 more to go. Some of you should start receiving yours in the mail tomorrow and then I have more to put in the mail tomorrow. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone.

Forgiven

Yesterday I got a letter in the mail from UHEAA and this is what it stated:

"We are pleased to inform you that the remaining balance of your student loan listed below has been forgiven as a way to thank you for taking care of your laon obligation in a diligent manner. Within 2 to 3 weeks, UHEAA will send a document indicating the paid in full status of the laon."

Is this for real? You bet ya, it is. Now if we could get them to forgive Matt's student loans ;) Oh yeah, the remaining balance was $559.20. Not very much, but enough to make a difference to us. Thanks UHEAA!

Spencer's Birthday Party

Today Spencer had a few friends over for his birthday since we will be in Salt Lake on his actual birthday. He was so excited about the cake I made ( which turned out cute) and especially happy to get presents. This morning he told me he wanted to open presents first thing and I thought I should have a talk with him. I explained that some people might not have money for gifts so not to be too disappointed if he doesn't get any. I also tried to stress that I wasn't having a party for him just for presents, but ait would just be fun to share the day with friends. I asked if he would still be friends with everyone even if they don't bring gifts and he said yes. He understood, but they all brought presents so he was exstatic. He got a nerf dart gun, a western style toy gun, a Big Rig with cars to carry in it, and we gave him the Batman Motorcycle fom the new movie ( which he hasn't seen and probably won't for a loooong time. That movie is really psychotic, not gory and no bad language, but it really psycho! I wouldn't recommend it for children.

Going back to school

Well, since there really aren't any job prospects in the near future,and Unemployment won't last forever, Matt has decided to go back to school. He has prayed, pondered and evaluated our situation and believes he has made the right choice. He has attended the temple and prayed on many occassions and has received a srtong impression to stay in St. George. He has struggled with this considering there isn't much of a job market here, but he has remained faithful. He is interested in a teaching degree which he may acquire in as little as 18 months. He has most of the requirements already and is hopeful for job placement. Teaching is not a high paying occupation as many already know, but it's employment and he is really excited. I think he would be a good teacher. He is looking into teaching math or other sciences at the High School level. He has already registered for spring semester.

Problem Solved

Today Matt moved the treadmill in the house for me. It felt so good to use it again. It worked just fine and I plan on using it alot. I am glad we found a spot for it. Hopefully Grandma doesn't mind when she comes to stay with us cause it's in the spair room.

Friday

Yah, today is Friday. We are having a Birthday party for SPencer tomorrow because we will be out of town on his birthday. I need to make his cake today and I'm going to attempt a Spiderman Cake. I found some pics online and it looks pretty easy. He only wanted to invite two friends so i hope they both are coming. I know Spencer will be disappointed if they don't.

Today I am going shopping for both family Christmas parties. In my family we exchange names and on Matt's side we just do a generic gift and play that game where one person opens a gift and then the next person can steal the previously opened gift or open a new one. It's really fun. Then I still need to get the kids stuff for their stockings. That is all I'm doing this year because a friend of ours gave us one gift each for the kids and I know at least one Grandparent is giving them gifts. They don't need a lot, but I'm grateful for what they are getting.

Oh yeah, this morning I checked the door step and this time we got the second wise man, a bag of chocolate animal crackers and a scripture. I ma going to make a "Thank You" card and leave it tonight for them to take in exchange for what they leave. I need to figure out how to make sur they know it's for them.

Hot Cocoa and a Wise Man

This morning I got up at 5:30 to go running. When I opened the door, there was the next little gift on our steps. This time we got Hot Cocoa and one Wise Man. The scripture is Matthew 2:1,2. Pretty soon we will have the whole nativity set. We have never owned a nativity set.

Ok, so back to the running. I think I am coming over a slump with my working outs. I was really gung ho for a while and was running everyday. It is starting to get colder outside than I prefer for running so I have slacked off. I have been doing some workout tapes at home that I have justified as my workout for the day. Don't get me wrong, I think those tapes are great and I know it still helps, especially in my condition. But, I am not pushing myself and not getting the heart rate I need for an extended period of time. Last night, as I watched the Biggest Loser, my motivation came back. I set my alarm for 5:30 and actually got up at 5:20 before my alarm went off. I went running in 30 degree weather and came back all weazy. Cold does that to my lungs. So, I'm kinda frustrated again. I'm not totally down, I'm just trying to find the right time and place to run. I have a treadmill but it's questionable. I have thught about bringing it in the house (it currently resides on the carport) if I can find a place. Also, I thought about trying the gym. There is one within walking distance of our house. It makes me nervous to think about working out in front of other people, but it might not be a bad idea. Then I need to STOP eating sugar! THis time if year is so hard becaue of all the yummy treats.

Secret Santa continued...

Last night we heard someone running away from our house, so we thought to look out the door and low and behold, there was the third gift on our steps. A jar of peanut butter; YUM, and the last portion of the last scripture which can be found in Luke 2:7. Oh yeah and the figurine is a donkey. I suppose we are going to receive the whole nativity. I hope it's ok to share this experience with everyone. I am so humbled by the anonymity of those who are giving to us this year, but there is a sense of exhiliration when it comes to secrets and I just thought I would share this with everyone til the last day we receive something.

Secret Santa

I mentioned in my last post that someone left items on our front door yesterday. Those Items were 3 pillow cases made with holiday print material, a little Joseph figurine and the scripture found in Luke 2:4-6. I have never read the account of Christs birth as found in Luke and didn't think about reading it until this morning when I opened the door to take Spencer to school only to find more items on the steps. This morning there was two boxes of thin mints, a Mary figurine and another scripture which can be found in Luke 2:7. I decided to get out a Bible and read the accound before we left for school. It was a cool experience and by the scriptures I guess I can expect something tomorrow morning. Thanks Secret Santa!

Very Blessed

I was just sitting in the living room all by myself, as Matt is gone and the kids are in their room, and I couldn't help but stare at the Christmas tree and think of my many blessings. I was reminded of many Chrismas' past that we were humbled by the numerous secret Santas that provided us with extra holiday cheer. I remember the first year we lived at the village getting a knock on the door, Christmas Eve,only to see our Bishop Featherstone with that welcoming smile and "how ya doing." We invited him in and he handed us a Christmas card. He didn't stay long considering we were on our way out the door and he had other cards to deliver as well. As he left our apt. he turned to say, "I'm just the messanger." We open the Christmas card and inside was a $100 bill. Matt and I both just broke down crying. We were so greatful for that money. I went to the store that day and spent every penny on neccessary items such as food, laundry soap and TP.

The following year, we thought we were ok. We had purchased a few things for the kids to open Christmas morning and we were happy with that. We try to teach them the real meaning of Christmas and not spoil them too much. A couple weeks before Christmas our Bishop Mangum gave us a call and asked if he could come over after the kids went to sleep. We agreed. Bishop, his wife and daughter all came over and brought with each of them a full box of presents. Even stuff for Wesley who wasn't born yet. Also, there was two gift cards for Matt and I. We begged Bishop to let us know what we could do to help someone and he refused. That same year, someone paid our rent, and someone gave us a card with cash in it.

This year, our friend has provided us with some gifts for the kids and also a few clothing items they were in need of. Just this morning, as we were on our way to church, I opened the front door and found some items on our steps.

These experiences and many others have truly humble our family. We are so greatful for those around us that are praying for inspiration to help families around them. We keep thinking the time will come for us to repay this debt and help someone else in need. I know there must be something I can give that someone else needs. I guess I should also pray for inspiration to know of someone or something I can do to help.

We are so blessed in so many ways. I know that Heavenly Father is watching over us and as long as we can keep his Spirit with us, we can recognize his hand in all things.

Here are just a few things I am greatful for this Christmas.

My Savior, Jesus Christ
The opportunity to be humbled
My Family
My WARM home
Church Welfare
My testimony of the Savior
The hand of the Lord in all things
All those that sacrifice for m family

Ironman

I went to Wal*Mart to redeem my Quarters for Christmas voucher for shoes. Spencer picked out a pair of Cowboy Boots that were really nice and a pair of Ironman shoes. I knew the voucher was for $30 but I didn't realize it was just for one pair of shoes. I get up to the register and give the voucher to the cashier and she kind of gives me a look and then proceeds to read the instructions on how to process this purchase. I knew it was gonna be bad news when she had to read the instructions. It took her forever and two CSM's to figure it out. Apperantly, the cashier's haven't been trained how to process these vouchers. The shoes that Spencer picked out went over by $2 so I was gonna pay the difference. The sale went through but the cashier couldn't figure out how to charge me the difference. I was then told I could only choose one pair. I chose the Ironman shoes (by now Matt had taken the kids to the car) because I thought Spencer needed them more than boots. The sale then went through just as it should and Spencer has a pair of shoes that he believes makes him run fast because they are Ironman shoes. The funny thing is, Spencer hasn't seen Ironman and doesn't even know who he is except that he's a superhero.

Random Post

The other day Matt told me he wouldn't mind if I were a little more girly. So, I took a good hard look at myself to see what I could do to be more girly. I wasn't offended by what he said. We were having a conversation and he was very kind in the way he spoke to me. See, I've been having this BO problem that I am not proud of. I have tried every deodorant on the market and the clinical strength is a joke. I looked at my diet and certain diseases that can give a person BO, to no avail. Well, I was talking to my sister in law and she has had the same problem. She went to see a doctor and was given a prescription for hydracortizone. She was instructed to use the hydracortizone in place of deodorant. I have tried this and it seems to be working. I never thought I could go without deodorant and not smell stinky! Thanks Becky! So this was our conversation. Matt said I smelled better and he wouldn't mind if I were a little more girly too. Anyway, I decided I would start wearing makeup everyday ( after having kids, I only put makep on for sunday or special occassions) and I don't want to wear perfume everyday so i got some very yummy body sprays. To top it off, I gave myself a french manicure. Yep that's right. I bought this kit with everything in it for $8 at wal*mart. This is the first time I have attempted this on my own. It will take some practice, but they look great! I'm gonna have to get used to functioning with nails. I'm having a hard time typing right now and I can't pick up anything small without a struggle. I asked Matt if he likes my nails and he said he does. He couldn't stand the smell though last night as I was applying the acrylic.

Today I went to pick up Spencer from school and as the teacher called his name she walked over with him to me and handed me a piece of paper. She said it was from the principal and immediately I thought something was wrong. She explained that the paper was from Quarters for Christmas which provides shoes for children. She said each class got three of them and as she looked around her classroom she thought of Spencer considering Matt has been out of work for a while and thought we could use this $30 voucher to buy shoes at Wal*Mart. I broke down crying. We are always so fortunate to receive charity when we need it the most. I know she was inspired to choose Spencer for this amazing gift. Thanks to a special friend too (you know who you are) for providing some gifts for the kids for Christmas.

Trim the Tree

Well, we did it! We put up the Christmas tree and had a good time doing it. We made a night out of it. First of all, we watched The Polar Express and then the kids had a ball decorating the tree (they had lots of practice doing my parents tree). Hot chocolate came next to top it off. We put the tree on the coffee table in front of the window, so I hope Wesley will leave it alone being a little taller. So far, so good.

Tomorrow night is our Ward Christmas Party. I am so excited. I love ward parties. I hear the food is gonna be delicious. Then our family party on Matt's side is on the 21st in Salt Lake. Man, I ove Christmas. I have been trying to remember not to get caught up with all the festivities and remember the real meaning of Christmas. Every year I remind the kids that Christmas isn't just about Santa and presents. I was telling Spencer just this morning as we had a snuggle moment while looking at the tree. I know my Savior lives and loves each and everyone of us. I hope I can think of Him throughout this holiday season and help my family come unto Him.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We decided to travel to Salt Lake for Thanksgiving and we will probably come for Christmas too. I am really proud of myself for going on walks while we've been staying with my family. I even went this morning and I didn't pig out at dinner time. I probably could have done better, but I didn't feel overly full and I only ate the equivelant of one piece of pie. My mom said she heard that on average a Thanksgiving meal is somewhere around 4000 calories! Oh my.

Tomorrow I am going to see a good friend (you know who you are) and then on Matt and I are going on a date. Matt's mom offered to keep the kids for a sleepover so we could go out. Thanks Kathie! And then on Saturday we are all going to see BOLT. We will probably head back to St. George on Monday weather permitting. It's been a great virtually stress free holiday. Hope everyone else can say the same.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm a genius! (but everyone knew that, right?)

This morning, a thought occured to me. Spencer's school has a track near the playground. So, I took the kids to the school and ran around the track while they played. Sometimes they would come run with me or just play in the field or the middle of the track and other times they played on the playground. I could keep my eye on them the whole time and there really isn't anywhere for them to escape to anyway. It is the perfect setup. Except when Kia wants me to swing her. I have been trying to teach her how to do it herself. She gets upset when I won't stop and swing her. See when I'm at home, the kids always need something or Wesley is always getting into something so it's really frustrating to workout on the treadmill. I always feel like I'm limite to 15 or 20 minutes because that's as long as they can go without my attention. I see this as a good opportunity for me to run as long as I can without any inturruptions. I will most likely be doing this more often.

Pre-Thanksgiving

This week has been hard for me as far as working out. I have a little cold so some days I couldn't do much without making myself feel worse. This morning I went for a walk/run and feel great. I have to get back in the saddle so I keep going through the holidays. I always pick the worst time of year to start working out and eating healthy. I am going to Salt Lake for Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean I have to slack off. I can still go for walks/runs and not eat like a pig. I think I'll have to eat pie though ;)

Food Pyramid

I have decided that our whole family needs a makeover when it comes to nutrition. I printed out a copy of the Food Pyramid and explained to the kids what it means. They are really picky so I had them go grocery shopping with me and pick out the fruits and veggies they like. Also, they are going to help with meals on occassion. Tonight they are helping by choosing an item from each food group to plan the meal. I am hoping this encourages them to choose more fruits and veggies with meals. Kia isn't too bad, but Spencer is my carb boy. A typical day for him is cereal for breakfast, bread or crackers for lunch and noodles for dinner. He won't eat all that is fixed with a meal. I know my kids go through phases like these, but I have actually started worrying about him. It's been about two weeks now that he hasn't had much meat or fruits and veggies. Last night after we got home from the store, I started cooking dinner and Spencer was sure to tell me he wanted to have the sugar snap peas he picked out at the store. And he ate them along with some mandarin oranges, but that was it. We still have a ways to go but I am hoping this goes over well for all of us.

Trial of my life

Ok, so, I've had some incredible challenges in my life especially since I've been married, but this by far is the BEST yet to come. I say best because it's so huge that I must really need to learn a lesson. I am really struggling to be a good mother and wife and friend. I am struggling to feel the love of Christ in my life. In return, I am not able to share it. All my children se, hear and feel from me is negativity and contention. I have been praying alot for Heavenly Father to help me. Some days I see his hand in my life, but others I wonder what I'm doing wrong that I can't recognize his hand in my life. I know he's always there, but I struggle to recognize Him. Spencer is going through some hard times right now and I am not handling some situations the way I should and it just makes things worse. He is on this power struggle so he thinks he can do what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants. I try to offer choices, so I still maintain minimal contol, but I've lost the battle. He is totally in control. He thinks he makes the rules and is so disrespectful to his family. The last two days, I have just prayed. I tell him I love him and try to speak with love so he knows I am here for him. I tell him I pray for him and he says "prayers cant help me" Isn't that sad? Is this what I've taught my child? I am trying so hard to just love my kids and not show them that I am torn inside. I just want to let them be kids and not always be on their case about stuff. I want them to feel good at home. Home should be a place of refuge for them.

Sick on a Sunday

Well, I finaaly caught what all the kids have. A stuffy head and mild cough. Wesley is so bad, it looks like his brain is oozing out of his nose. Kia is just a little stuffy and Spencer just has a cough. Well, today I decided to stay home with Wesley considering he shouldn't be in nursery. Spencer automatically thinks he can stay home if someone else does. So, needlless to say, he is home with me and Wesley. I told him we are taking naps not playing and watching movies. What do you think he chose to do? I'll give you a hint; he isn't taking a nap ;)

Also, I colored my hair. Last year I colored it a dark brown with red tone and it has grown out like 3 inches, so I thought it was time to do it again. I decided to go back to my original color so I bought this really dark brown and it turned out so cute. It's darker than I thought it would be, but I love it. Now the house smells like developer.

It's Friday, Yah!

I am proud to say that after a bummer week of not really working out, I did 2 miles this morning. I went for one mile and then came home to get Spencer to walk him to school and that was the other mile. I feel great. It's amazing how I can not really be motivated to workout but after it's over, I'm sure glad that I did.

Yesterday was a really hard day for me. I was really depressed and emotional. I'm sure it was, you know, that time of the month, but that is no excuse. Anyway, I feel better today and I'm sure some of that reason is because I am going shopping today. I get paid today from my babysitting job which gives us some cash. Sure, most of it will go for bills, but I'm gonna use some of it to spend freely.

Spencer's pinkeye is gone, but he still has a really bad cough. Kia has come down with a stuffy head and soar throat and so has Wesley. Wesley was really restles last night so Matt and I took turns taking care of him. So, since I was up at 5 am, I made cinnamon rolls for everyone for breakfast and they turned out great, just like always.

Well, nothing new about a job. Matt has prayed alot and says he keeps coming back to the feeling that we are just suppose to stay where we are and a job will be provided. Great, right? Well, the Lord works in mysterious ways doesn't He. Ok, we'll stay here, but could He let us know some of the details? I guess we are just suppose to wait and let the Lord do his job. That is really hard sometimes when things don't happen according to our will. This is one of the many lessons we are learning right now.

Week #3

So today I did a weigh in and no change from last week. I was terrible and didn't workout over the weekend and I didn't eat that great either. But, I did try on my wedding ring last night that I haven't been able to wear in almost 4 years and I got it over my knuckle. Yah!

Conjunctivitis

Yes, that's right, Spencer has "pinkeye" Poor guy feels miserable. Last night we thought he was having an allergy attack. I saw the gouping, but wasn't too worried. Well, this morning he had fever and the gouping was worse. I took him to Instacare tonight and got him an antibiotic eye drop. And let me tell ya, he doesn't like that. Iv'e got a trick to giving him the eyedrops, though. I have him close his eyes and put the drops in the corner of his eye and then have him open his eyes. He still didn't like it, but I can imagine it would be worse to try it open eyed. Hopefuly it will be gone in a few days. I am not sending him to school tomorrow and the SEP's are on Tues. and Wed. so there is no school those days. I guess this was a good time for this to happen, if it had to.

Call Back

Matt just got a call back from Sacramento. They are extending their decision making time until next week. We are excited that Matt is till in the running. I'll keep you posted.

Public Humiliation

Ok, no one ever told me that running on the road is different than running on a treadmill! There is something wrong with my treadmill. The speed fluctuates while in use, so I haven't been able to use it. This morning I went running in the neighborhood and I felt like I was gonna die! I don't think I even ran .5 mile. It was a good run, but I guess I need to run on the road more often to get used to it. It feels like I was working harder, so that is good.

Picture This

This morning I was running on the teadmill with it set on the 5.0 speed. I was running as fast as I could and then.... fump,,, whoa... what the.... All power was lost and I went backwards off the treadmill. Not the first time that has happened. The last time was about a year ago. It's kind of a surprise when that happens.

Tonight we played a "board" game that is found in the new issue of the Friend. It was really fun to see my kids display the knowledge they have of the gospel. If you haven't played it yet with your kids, I highly recommend it.

Still don't know anything about the interview. Hopefully we know by Friday.

President Obama

I just knew that Barack was gonna win. I mean, he just looks like a president. President Obama, it has a ring to it, doesn't it?

New Email

I have been really disappointed with my hotmail account lately so I set up a yahoo account. I still have my hotmail account, so I can still receive emails and I will still check it frequently, but the new account is mandy_woodruff@yahoo.com.

Week 2

Ok, so today I did a week weigh in today. I lost 2 lbs, which isnt great, but it's a loss not a gain. Also, today I added some weights and other exercises besides running on the treadmill, which by the way, I ran 1 mile in 14 min.

Sacramento?!

Ok, so Matt has an interview in Sacramento on Tuesday. I kind of have mixed feelings about this. I am excited he has an inerview, but I don't want to move. I guess we'll see what happens on Tuesday. He is being flown out of Vegas at 8:50 a.m. and then returning later in the day (can't remember what time). Anybody have any advice about the area i.e. where to look for housing, etc? His office is actually in a town called Woodland, that appears to be about 40,000 people, which is fine with me. Living in St. George, I've gotten used to the smaller town feel. We have been told that the temps are similar to here in St. George and not too far from snow, if we' re interested in Skiing.

Day #5

It is amazing the difference one can feel after a good workout. I used to think that I was a pretty active person considering I have 3 young children that keep me on my toes, but that is not the case. I feel so good after a workout even if it takes everything out of me to get through the workout. Today I went to the store and could feel the amount of confidence I had as I walked around doing my shopping. It's not that I look any different yet, but I feel good. Also, I have heard a few people say they have positive thoughts hangng all over their house to keep them motivated, so I did that too. I don't know if it will help, but it sounded like a good idea.

Day #4

Today I took it slow again. I walked 3/4 mile and then ran the last 1/4. My joints are still kinda sore and I don't want to push myself too hard that I lose interest in working out.

Day # 3

Yesterday my hips were totally killing me. I've never had that happen before. I didn't think I was gonna be able to run today because my hip joints were so sore, but they felt better this morning. To play it safe, I walked the first half mile and than ran the rest. I feel great! I just hope I don't give up after 2 weeks. That is my weak point. Anyway, I'm gonna journal everyday in my blog to keep track of all my efforts.

Day two

Well, today was great! I ran a mile in 17 min 26 sec. A new record. I ate really good yesterday and so far today too. I tried the Yoplait Yogurt chocolate mousse whips, it's alright, but key lime pie is still my favorite!

Week 1

Today I dusted off the treadmill and did one mile in 18 minutes. That is a record for me. I know it doesnt sound very good, but I haven't even used the tread mill in 6 months. I weighed in at 222 lbs (I can't believe I'm telling everyone this) and I'll update each week. My friend Jamie (you know who you are) has inspired me to start working out and eating better....again. I'm gonna add a tick mark if I can figure out how to do that. Anyway, I have 70 lbs to go to reach my goal and I'd like to be there by my birthday in Feb. Wish me luck!

Kia's New Bike

Matt bought a bike for Kia at D.I. and then he got her a new helmet to go with it. Isn't she cute!?

Spencer's missing teeth

Spencer has now lost another tooth. His first new tooth is almost all the way in while the other one hasn't started growing yet. He is such a big boy!

"Frosted Flakes Day" at school

Wal*Mart provided Frosted Flakes Cereal for everyone as part of a promotional contest. Tony the Tiger was suppose to be there, but some law was passed that animals cannot be used to promote food to children, or something like that. So, Ernie the Elf was there. Spencer didn't want his pic taken, but I got the others.

Happy 31st Birthday Matt!

We had a small get together with some friends for Matt's birthday. We BBQ'd and I made this yummy chocolate cake. It was really fun. Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Kia's Room

These are some pictures of Kia's new room. We received a mail in rebate for a fridge we bought at Lowes and that's how we funded this project. Anyway, as you can see, the room is pink! Matt has added the white trim to seperate the colors since I took the pic. Also, I still need to make the curtains and I want these cute princess wall decals. Matt made her bed, but we decided it doesn't match. When we get the chance, we will get her a white bed and matching dresser. The dresser in the photo matches the bed (we found that in someones garbage) We have no shame!

Zions October 2008

Top 8's

Not in any specific order


8 Favorite TV shows
1. All CSI
2. All Law and Order
3. Biggest Loser
4. ER
5. Seinfeld
6. King of Queens
7. Flash Point
8. Cold Case


8 Favorite Restaraunts
1. Olive Garden
2. Famous Daves
3. Chilis
4. Applebees
5. Buffalos
6. Cafe Rio
7. Black Angus
8. Tuciis

8 things that happened yesterday
1. I brushed my teeth
2. Took a shower
3. Watched a movie
4. Put Wesley down for a nap
5. Played outside with the kids
6. Went to the store
7. Made chicken noodle soup
8. Made Cinnamon rolls

8 things I look forward to
1. Me time
2. Matt getting a job
3. Fall
4. Holiday season
5. going on a mission
6. seeing all my family in the temple together
7. getting a new, bigger car
8. decorating my house

8 things I love about FALL
1. Sweaters
2. halloween
3. thanksgiving
4. cool weather
5. leaves changing color
6. soup
7. Hot cocoa
8. cute family pics in fall backgrounds

8 things on my wishlist
1. New car
2. new carpet
3. New curtains
4. sewing machine
5. peace
6. job for my husband
7. a room for scrapbooking
8. a garage

8 people i wish to tag (don't have to if you don't want to)
1.Lene Morford
2. Amber Vester
3. Stacy Johnson
4. Andrea Smith
5. Kristy Crane
6. Lynette Bowers
7. Tonya Jensen
8. Melanie Fida

Interview

Yea, Today Matt has an interview with a firm in Mesquite. That is only a 30 minute communte so we can stay in our house and it sounds like a good job. He will be working with water instead of soils and materials, he thinks it will be an office job so he can dress nice. The firm is small with only one engineer and Matt likes the sound of a small firm. Anyway, I will post again later when I know the results.

Please make checks payable to...

Anyone who wants to donate to the WoodruffFamily unemployment fund can please makes checks payable to Matt or Mandy Woodruff. We also accept cash, money orders, cashiers checks, gift cards, food, kids clothes, and other unwanted items. Thanks and have a great life! ;)

Feeling Nostalgic

First of all, I don't know if I spelled "nostalgic" right in the title, but you get the idea. Today Kia wanted to know if I wore a wedding dress when I got married. I told her I did and that she could see it if she wanted. I made sure her hands were clean and I broke out the old wedding dress. I held it up and she thought it was so beautiful. Spencer asked if it still matched me. I guess he could tell it was a little small for me now. Anyway, I also had some tasteful nighties packed in the same chest and I got those out. It was really fun to think about the good ole times.

Hi, my name is Mandy and I'm an emotional overeater. It's been about one year since I attended a 12 step group. I fell off the wagon about 4 months ago. I was doing really well and then we were really serious into the process of buying our home and that was really stressful. I never want to go through that again. Anyway, I have recently become aware ofthe fact that I am out of control and my addiction has taken over. I have started exercising again and today I have been watching what I eat. My real problem is with soda and foods with high sugar content (i.e. candy, ice cream, donuts.) This is how I maintain my weight. Last year I was awesome for about 3 or 4 months and I lost 30 lbs just by cutting out sugar from my diet. Sugar is my weakness and I know that if I can be careful in that area and work out at least 3 days a week for 30 minutes, I can continue losing weight. I have about 70lbs to go. I have a picture of myself at my thinest that I will try to add to my blog at some point. Anyway, the last few days I have felt the side effects of my diet. I know my blood sugar has been really high because of the way I have been eating. I have been walking Spencer to and from school everyday since school started and I feel good about that.

A few pics

This family pic is a year old. I guess it's time to get new ones when my kids don't look the same anymore. This other one is a pic from Matts sisters wedding. Pretty good shot except for Wesley sticking his finger up his nose.

Matt found my shoe

The other day Matt retraced the who situation of Wesley playing with my shoes. He gets down on the floor in our closet and there was my shoe in the back of the closet under a shelving rack thing. Of course, the first time he looks he finds it. And I know I looked there more than once. So, anyway, I have my shoe back.

Missing Shoe

Ok, I'm going crazy trying to find my shoe. The other day, I put all of my shoes in the closet as i was straightening up the house. As I was getting ready to take a shower, Wesley started bringing me all my shoes wanting me to put them on. I told him I didn't need my shoes yet, to please put them back. Later in the afternoon, we had packed a picnic and were getting ready to leave for the park when I coudn't find my other flip flop. I only have one pair and I didn't want to wear my tennis shoes, so I wore Matts extra pair. They are only like 3 sizes too big! Anyway, the saga continues. I have torn the house apart and turned it upside down and to no avail. I went shopping for flip flops thinking I could find something on clearance, but I guess It's too late in the season. And I am still wearing Matts flipflops which by the way hurt my feet and are wearing blisters on both feet inbetween my big toe and whatever the next toe is called.

Hitchin a Ride

My sister is having her baby on friday and I really want to be there. My Dad drives a truck through here every week and I'm trying to hitch a ride with him on his way back to Salt Lake. If everything works out, I should be leaving on Wed. and probably coming back on Mon. I am taking Kia with me and leaving the boys so Spencer doesn't have to miss any school. And I Kind of want the Vacation:) I mean, it's not like Matt has to take any time off! I know I'm gonna miss them but it's gonna be a fun trip.

News about Spencer

Spencer was eating an apple yesterday and then came running in to show Matt that his tooth was gone. Yep that's right, he lost his first tooth. So, I played toothfairy last night and he was sure excited this morning when he woke up at 6:45 (a little earlier than usual) to find that his tooth was missing and replaced with a note from "Sparkle" the toothfairy and a $1 bill. He looks really cute with his little whole right in front. Oh yeah, and yesterday was picture day at school. I can't wait to see how they turned out.

It's a Great Hair Day!

Not too long ago, my brother Matt recommended a hair product to me, but I didn't try it right away because it's kind of expensive. Well, the other day my hair dryer went on the blitz so I went to buy a new one and decided while I was there I would look at hair products. I have been trying to grow out my hair from very short and at times I have these awkward stages, so I needed something to help with this process. So, I'm looking at the hair stuff and I see this product that my brother told me about and I bought it. It is called got2be and they have a whole line of different products. The one I picked up is got2be unstoppable gel and glueing paste. And it really works like glue! This product doesn't flake, it holds during a wind storm, and my style remains even if I perspire. Just a little plug there for my new find. It would work great for long hair too. So, looks like i'll be using this product for a long time. Thanks Matt!

The other day our next door neighbor told us we could have his fifth wheel trailer. I know it sounds great, but it needs a little TLC. He has left the top vent and a side window open, I guess for ventilation purposes, so it's really dirty inside. He says the appliances work, but it needs a propane tank. All of the tires will probably need to be replaced and there is no title. I know we can apply for one but we arent sure what the history is. We are really excited to go on a trip in it! I dont expect that to happen very soon though:)

Also, I started babysitting a little girl named Katelyn, she is about 10 weeks old. The schedule is 7-4 on tues, wed, thurs. She has an older sister named Emily who is in full day Kindergarten. I walk her to school when I walk Spencer and then her mother picks her up before she picks up the baby. I really didn't want this job, but it is helping us financially so I guess it couldnt have come at a better time. I was approached at church and asked if I would like to babysit for a non-active family. I called the mother of the children and she actually already had someone lined up except she couldnt start until the first of Oct. I may only have this job until then, but I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father for his hand in all things. I know this came at the right time and I know He is watching over us during this especially hard time. He is always there for us but I think we realize it more when we need Him the most.

We are doing ok for not having employment. I have applied for some public assistance and Matt has applied for unemployment. He should get his first disbursment this week and we have also let the bishop know about our situation so he can be prepared to help us as well. It's just crazy to think that last year at this time development was flourishing and Matt was working long hours. It has been nice having him around to help me out, I just hope I don't begin to rely on him too much.

First Day of Kindergarten

Today we all got up and got ready to walk Spencer to school. We met his teacher, Mrs. Brown, and saw some of the kids from our neighborhood walking the halls. Mrs. Brown seems really nice. She is young and this is her first year teaching. We picked up Spencer and took him to lunch to celebrate his first day. This is going to be an interesting year. We have a whole new routine for everyone to follow. The kids are gonna have to be in bed at a certain time and be up at certain time. You wouldnt think that just one child in school would effect everyones schedule, but it does.

Matt has been making a bed for Kia over the weekend and he just finished staining it. It is sooooo cute! I have been painting her room. It will be pink and pink, of course. She is a princess after all. The room was this aweful midnight blue color so it has taken several coats of primer. I hope I just put the final coat on. Tomorrow I will paint the ceiling white and then the upper part of the walls is "Precious Pink" and then the lower part of the wall is a darker pink (I forget the name of that color). Matt will add a white border to seperate the colors. It wll be the cutest room ever. I hope she will love it.

Spencer is starting Kindergarten tomorrow. What a big guy he is getting to be. Yesterday he noticed he has a loose tooth. It is his first. He keeps telling me it is hard to have loose tooth. He is very cautious when he eats anything. And he is brushing like crazy. I'm not really sure why. If he thinks the tooth will fall out faster or if it wont fall out.

Jobless

About four weeks ago, Matt called me on the phone and said "pack your bags, we're going to Salt Lake for 2 months." I was so excited! My sister in law was getting married and Matts company had asked for volunteers to go to Salt Lake because their workload was so heavy. Matt was put on a job site near Brigham City and was working 17 hour days almost everyday. I dodnt see him much, but we needed the money. Work has been realy slow in St. George, so we thought it would be a great opportunity. Well, we are back in St. George, and jobless. Last week, Matt was called in and they gave him the news. Someone had asked that he be removed from the job in Brigham, and he was told there was nothing else for him at the time and that they were in the process of lettting go employees in St. George and he would be one of the first because he was one of the last hired on. So here we are. Matt has sent out resumes all over and has had a few responses. We may be going back to Salt Lake, but we are not sure. I have had Spencer registered for Kindergarten for a while now. He was going to attend a school in West Valley, but we came home, so now I will take him to the school in our neighborhood on tuesday.

Woodruff Family Blog

So, I've been told I need to start one of these things. I have no idea even how to do this, but I'm gonna try. Here goes nothin. My name is Mandy and I am happily married to my husband, Matt, and I also have 3 beautiful children. Spencer is 5 1/2 and will start kindergarten in 2 weeks, Kia is 3 1/2 and she is very excited to start pre-school. Wesley is 18 months and is a handful at times. He is a very good kid as are all my children, but they all have their moments. We just bought a new house, well, it's new to us. We moved from Salt Lake City to St. George in may of 2007 and just recently moved into the home we purchased in Washington City, Utah which borders St. George. Ok, well, I'm gonna go with that for the moment, but I'll be back.