WHAT?!?!...AGAIN?!?!

This story feels like deja-vo. A car accident and then surgery. Where have I experienced this before?! Wait..in the middle of February? I've definitely heard this story before.
A refresher of last year..
Last February I was in a car accident that left me with two broken feet. I was unable to walk for 2 months and then I had boots on for another 6 weeks. It was not fun. At. All. The accident was on Sunday and the following Monday and Tuesday I was in surgery. I wasn't even released from the hospital until Thursday! It was a long week.

Earlier this month my foot doctor told me that he was unable to help my left foot until we removed the plates that were put there to replace my bones. Now that the bones have grown back the plates are no longer necessary.  the pain in my left foot had been increasing and I found myself using a lot of over the counter pain meds. Not fun! Surgery was scheduled for February 22. Last year, my surgeries were on Feb 20th and the 21st!

 Cory and I set up a plan to make things the easiest for me after the surgery. I made a meal list, chore list and all the things I wanted to get done before I was unable to. I was doing all of this and then my little boys and I headed to Costco to get the groceries. Well..I was driving down the street and approaching an intersection. A car in oncoming traffic was at that intersection and decided to turn and cross in front of me. Well..I braked as hard as I could but alas, we hit. I really do not like the smell of air bags. My car was totaled. Thankfully my boys were ok. I  needed some x-rays on my hand but it turned out everything was ok. It was a long few days being in a hand brace and a foot boot!

Surgery was still a go for the next day. We arrived bright and early and everything went pretty smoothly.  They even sent the plates and screws home with me!!--I think a necklace of some-sort will be in the works with them! They left the pins in since they were so deep.

I went in a few days later and had the stitches checked. Everything looks great! They even used the SAME scar! NICE! --now for some feet pictures. Oh yeah!

 I think next February I will be staying home.

Family Prayers

I wanted to share what we have added to our Family Home Evening. Cory and I noticed that prayers in our family were getting redundant. They went something like this "Thank thee today was a good day. Please help us sleep good tonight. Please help tomorrow be a good day."
I really hope that we're not the only ones with family prayers sounding like that!

Our Family Prayer board helps us to remember what we're thankful for and blessings we are praying for.

Last fall at my retreat that I host, one of our presenters spoke about keeping track of what you wanted to pray for. Her memory is something like mine. At 3pm I would think of something that I wanted to pray for but by the time evening prayers come around, I would have forgotten. She suggested a notebook for personal use to keep track. I decided to use this with my family.

I purchased a picture frame, with glass, from the DI.  Then I printed a simple page to be placed  in the frame. I also found some dry erase markers to write on the glass. I love it when its simple!

Now, during Family Home Evening, we discuss what we would like on the prayer board. We can add anytime during the week. Then, at prayer time, the board is placed by whomever is saying the prayer. They take a moment to look over the list and then the prayer is said. We're even ok if they have to peek a little to help them pray. Its not a deciding list of what we pray for, but it is helping us think of other things to be said in our prayers.
Anyhoo, I just thought I'd share!

Quick trip

This past weekend one of my favorite friends agreed to let me tag along with her on a day trip to Salt Lake City. A favorite of hers was getting married in the Draper temple and she didn't want to travel alone. I love a quick trip, so I begged and pleaded for her to let me tag alone.

 At the crack of dawn, well..maybe a little earlier then a crack, we scurried off on a 4 hour drive to the Draper temple. I had never been to the Draper temple and so I was very excited to go. I was also looking forward to spend most of my day giggling with my friend and her family.

 The temple was completely rewarding. The peace that I find inside gives me strength and courage to tackle my trials.  We also visited with her sons, who were completely awesome and I hope my boys love me like that in 5 years!!

After the whirlwind trip, we arrived home in time to tuck in my boys as they went to bed. I felt recharged and I loved the new insights that I gained from the temple, new friends, and all of those fantastic giggles.

Thanks, Sherri, for a great day!!

Four year old Mark

Yesterday my Mark reached the big 0-4. He is loving life as a four year old!

Sometimes its hard to believe how fast my boys are growing up. When they were little I took the attitude that they would always be small. Since I  have learned that this is NOT the case, I really try to love each of these moments. 
 
Last year I started decorating the living room for the boys' birthday. This time, I confess, I had the two older boys do it. They had so much fun and did a great job!  

Mark is a green loving fool! When in doubt, just make it green.

To start the day off, the phone rang and it was for Luke. Mark instantly starts crying and after I console him he tells me that "its my birthday! I want a phone call too!!" And wouldn't you know it...Cory conveniently called him a few minutes later. Thanks hun!

Mark wanted a chocolate, rainbow cake. I am able to create a lot of "artsy" things. Cakes are not one of the mediums that I am comfortable with so doing this cake was a STRETCH for me. As simple as it looks, I am very happy with it. Of course, it was served with a side of green mint chocolate chip ice cream.

My boys have a "thing" for beyblades. They are almost to the point that they might need an intervention since they are playing with them ALL the time. Beyblades are like a top- you pull a cord and they spin around. The last one spinning wins. Well, Mark received TWO of them from his brothers. He is currently in beyblade HEAVEN!

His other birthday wishes were to have german pancakes for breakfast and for me to make pizza.  Both of which were successful!

Happy birthday Mark!  I love how when we play UNO, whenever you play a card you yell "BOUYA!!" I love that you know how to use my ipod better then me. I love your cuddles, kisses and smiles.   Your mamma loves you!

Blogging funk

I'm finding myself in a sort of blogging funk. I don't know what to say or to talk about. I don't really have any pictures to post and to top it off, I really don't have any readers so does it matter anyway?!
Bleh.
 For this blogging funk that I am in. Here are some nonessential-random photos not for your amusement...but feel free to enjoy them anyway.

MMmmm.....toe jam.

Having a bad day? Try a fire. It always works.  And BTW,  Luke makes THE BEST toasted marshmallows EVER.

Playing Ticket to Ride. I love this game! I was one orange car away from taking it all!! James, on the other hand, was very happy with his red road.

And continuing with James.. this is the jewelry  holder that he made for me for Christmas. I told him I wanted something so I could SEE all of my sparkely things. This is what he came up with. I love it!

These are Luke's books for the semester. Right now he is very excited to read the books...however...I doubt. but really hope,  the same excitement will be around very long. He already has 4 books do in the next three weeks. Yeah Luke! 

I am in the process of digitizing my mom's photos. This is one of my favorite so far from my childhood. My sister is on the far left, then myself and then my brother has a messy face. It just amuses me. I love my family! Since I began at the beginning of the month,  I have already digitized more than 2200 photos/negatives. I have loved looking at all of the old photos. There are many  many to go. Yeah!

blah. Next time will be better.

Christmas in the cabin

This year for Christmas, the Brown family gathered together at a cabin near Park City, Ut. I love spending time with my family and this trip was no different. With my brother in law likely to be deployed next year and with missions coming up soon, this may be our last Christmas with all of us together. It was a blast!!

It snowed the almost the entire time. It even kept us there longer then planned. I didn't seem to upset over it.

Luke was in charge of breakfast....well I was but since Luke makes breakfast much tastier then mine I thought he would appreciate the challenge. He did great!

Mark smiling so cute like. To bad it didn't last!

Christmas even jammies!!! They were all about angry birds! Caw CAW!

Mark loved them! He is still wearing them. Yes they have been washed!

present time! present time!!!

James received a remote control helicopter from Grandma and Grandpa Brown. It is still working and he still plays with it every day! He loves it!

Luke recieved a new mp3/planner. His old one was broke and he really wanted a new one. This one even has a few movies on it so he is SET!

Grandma and Grandpa Brown gave Ben a mobigo2. They are pretty sweet. Ben pretty much has it with him all the time.

After three presents Mark stopped feeling well. He became ill and soon was asleep before opening all of his presents. Thank goodness it only lasted about 8 hours.

Cory wins best gift award. He took our family picture and blew it up poster size...but...

...when you look up close it is made up of thousands of pictures that he has taken over the years. If you would like Cory to make you one. let me know and I'll get you a quote. :)

We also decorate REAL gingerbread houses. It smelled SO yummy. The gingerbread was WAY better than ANY of the candy. My mom (Grandma Brown) made all of the gingerbread! Way to go mom!

 And now for some pictures simply because I can. Its my blog. And my family has to forgive me because..well..they are family!

Happy New Year!!

Random Christmas activities

Here are some of the activities that we have been busy doing this past month. There are so many of them that that I wanted to include, that all of them are going to be squished into one post. Lucky them!

Christmas present for my mother in law Gayle. I am blessed to have such supportive in-laws. This chair was so fun to do!! Gayle loved it. :)

Sutton Christmas party. Watch out for a wicked white elephant party full of snatching hands for the best present!

We were so excited that Crystal's family was there. They moved to Salt Lake City this year. It was nice to see them again!

Luke chillin with Grandpa Sutton. Those glasses were a HOT item. ;)

Choir Christmas concert. My favorite!

I decorated a booth for the Night of Bethlehem for our Ward Christmas Party. Mine was the least decorated but I still think it looked really nice. 

James was a shepherd for the ward nativity. I even washed the bathrobe.

Our commonwealth has a New Year's ball each year. It is a family formal. I love seeing all of my commonwealth friends there!

Ben LOVES to dance. With girls. Heaven help me!

Scary dragon in the parking lot! Look out!!

At the dentist, not only were there ZERO cavities, but we discovered that Luke's feet are exceptionally large.

We started a new Christmas tradition. We wrote down our favorite memories from this past year and wrote them on a large bulb. It was a lot of fun to reminisce. AND this is proof that ideas that I find on pintrest I am able to complete them.