This was one of the other possibilities we thought of doing, but I'm happy with the Morgan
one we ended up with. It's so our family!

Christmas Card Preview!

As you can see, we have a new background and picture here on the Stastny blog. I hope you all love our picture as much as we had fun making it. Thanks to my wonderfully talented SIL Jayme, we were able to create the look of Morgan tipping us off the table. I had an idea in mind, and Jayme was so great about making it come to life. We chose this pose this year, because, as many of you may know, this is how it feels much of the time, living with a princess preschooler who's not only the baby, but the only girl. We love her to pieces, but she definitely has us all wrapped around her little finger. (but its such a cute little finger!)

Be sure and check out my SIL's photography blog...its awesome, and she has an amazing eye for stuff. http://jaymechristensen.blogspot.com/

Black Friday! Love it or Leave and Go Home!

Up here in Alaska, we have a thing called Combat Fishing. People literally stand shoulder to shoulder on some parts of the river, and fish for Salmon in the summer time.. Now, not every Alaskan loves this sport. My husband and father-in-law, for instance, would much hike a great distances to get to their own little quiet piece of Alaskan Heaven in order to get that perfect catch. I'm of the mind to go where the fish are. If they're in the middle of a row of stinky men, casting lines all around me, then so be it. On the other hand, if I can have the quiet fishing-topia, and still get the record size King, then I'm just as happy there also. I think you can apply the same standard to Christmas shopping. Either you like shopping shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of Valley Trash, or you don't....

So, we all have traditions, right? Well, my family has the tradition of getting up super early in the morning the day after Thanksgiving for a little thing we like to call 'combat shopping'. This year, we had to make plans, and divide and conquer. Crazy, I know. But when 3 different stores carry things you want, all open up at the same time, and there are only 4 of us, what else is there to do? Matt was working, so he and I got up at 3:30am to get ready to leave. I was in charge of the TV, fireplace, and DVD player at Fred Meyers. (oh, and of course their sock sale!) Mom and Jayme took on the craziness of Walmart for the camera, PJ's vacuums, and DVD's. And that left Dad with heading into Anchorage for a laptop, and flash drives. Crazy I know, but, like I said....its tradition! We came, we waited in line, and we were all back home by 8:30am. Not bad. I only had to wait for 20 minutes in the cold in front of Fred Meyers. And thankfully neither Jayme, nor Mom were trampled at Walmart when the unveiling took place. Dad had the longest wait of one and 1/2 hours at Office Depot.

Other than a few rebels at Target (who refused to conform and get in line with the rest of us) the morning was pretty uneventful. HUGE thanks to Renae and Jeremy for letting my kiddos spend the night last night so we could hit the early morning deals. You guys rock!

Twilight Weekend!

Major kudos and thanks to my mom and husband for this weekend. My mom was an angel and watched my kids over night Friday, so that Matt and I could have a real go out to dinner and a movie date. We went to Cattle Co. and then saw Twilight. I loved it! I have an amazing husband who, because of my interest in the books, decided to read them, and fell in love with them right along with me. It was awesome to see the movie, and then be able to contrast it to the book with him on our ride home.

And then today, my husband was once again his amazing self, and let me take another trip into town to go shopping with the girls and then see Twilight again, with them. He even managed to get my car out of the driveway of my friend's house after I got it stuck. What a guy! The kids were also on their best behavior for him, and I'm glad they had a fun dad day to just play and have fun.

I was coming back to bed this morning, laid down, and started complaining about my tush and how much it was hurting from my fall on the ice the other night. It was early, dark, and I just wanted to crawl back into bed after an early trip to the potty.

and from no where, Chandler raises up from the floor, and says: "well, it just gets better and better!"

What the? "where did he come from Matt? Has he been there the whole time?"

"Jesus Take the Wheel"

I love that country song. And for those of you who are familiar with the lyrics, this might be especially funny and appropriate.
So, I had to deliver a Hosting Packet for a lady tonight, who wanted to host a Scentsy Party. I don't know her, and had no idea where she lived. It was dark, and it had just snowed about 5-6 inches out here in the valley today. I finally found her house (up a steep, winding, and non-plowed driveway). I started up, but about half way, the car stopped, and wouldn't go any further up. So I put the car in park, turned to Chandler, and said, "run this up the the house please."

Chandler: I can't, no shoes!
(I had been in a hurry to run this errand, and as I am famous for, just yelled at all the kids to jump in the car in the garage with or without shoes and coats...dumb I know)

Me: Gabe?
Gabe: no shoes either.
so, I jumped out of the car, in my ballet slippers, and slipped and slid all the way up to the house. I gave the papers to the lady's husband, and walked back around their car, only to discover that my car was not where I had left it. I kept walking down the driveway, till I finally saw the headlight, way down at the bottom of the hill. So I ran, (slipping and falling on my tush more than one time) all the way down, where I could see the three kids piled in the front seat with the lights on inside the car. This was about 25-30 feet from where I had parked the car. I could even see my original tracks. Apparently, the car started sliding down the hill about the time I reached the house. The funny thing is, it didn't slide to one side, like cars usually do. (which would have led down an embankment) It followed the tracks right back down to the start of the driveway. Once I was in the car, and sure that all the kids were safe, I couldn't help but laugh, and say a silent 'thank you' to whoever backed my car so carefully down the driveway, since I was not looking forward to trying that on a snowy, icy, and very curvy driveway, in the dark.

I'm sure the kids thought I was losing it, the way I kept laughing as we drove home. But the way the driveway was curved, I couldn't have driven the car more accurately down that hill myself.

 

This is the Ariel Pumpkin Morgan insisted on us carving. Not too shabby, hu? The boys had awesome white pumpkins which they carved spooky faces out of themselves. Unfortunately we didn't get pictures of them all lit up, then they froze to death. So this is all we've got from this year.

The Next 4 Years

Everywhere I went today, I was met with the same disappointed, upset, sad, worried and frustrated responses to last nights election results. We talked to the kids last night as news was coming in about the results, and had no idea the outcome would effect them as much as it did. They have been very tuned into any political discussion Matt and I have had. (on a nightly basis pretty much) And I had a hard time last night and this morning reconciling how to explain to them what has happened. I'm afraid the historics of it all is lost on me. I don't see the world in Black and White people....just people. So I can't explain to them why it was more important that a man be elected based on his color than for his character and values.
Then today I was informed that Chandler had overheard some kids talking in the lunch line at school about assassinating the new president. Now, realize I'm only getting bits and pieces from a few 9 year old, but still upsetting. What kind of parent (or older siblings) talk about such matters at all, much less in front of their kids? To say the least, we have been having discussions with the kids about what has happened. Both yesterday, and in our countries history. But then I also opened it up to include the worlds history, and the several groups of people that have been persecuted throughout time, since this isn't taught at school. (don't know why Jews are always left out of this inequality discussion in school, but, sadly they are)
Sufficed to say, we've come to several conclusions in our family lately:

*We have a new President starting in January, and weather we like him or not, its time to give him a chance. Let's see how he does, and then judge him on his merits.
*Do we pray for our enemies, and those who spitefully use us? Yes. Do the democrats, of all people need all the prayers we can give that their hearts will be softened, and they'll try to do some good for our country? yes.
*Is this what men and women have fought and died for? Is this the direction the majority of Americans want our country to go in? Yes. Do we have to like it? No. Do we have to respect it? Yes. Can we change it? yes, if we are active in our community, and follow examples like Sarah Palin, and get involved in our PTA's our school boards, our Party of choice. As for me, I am joining the Mat-Su Republican Women.
*We are teaching our children to respect others. No matter their religion, race, or gender. They are the next generation. What are we all fighting for if not to give our children something better to grow up in that what we have now?

Okay, said my piece. I'll leave it alone now till 2012.

Scripture Studying Last Night.

Family Scripture time is always interesting at our house. Last night, in stereo. We had Chandler, who was supposed to be reading, then Gabe, who is quite the show off now with his reading ability, quietly whispering the words while Chandler read, and even reading ahead of him at times, so that we were hearing two different parts of the scriptures at the same time. Then there was Morgan, who when it was her turn, and I was giving her a line at a time to repeat, but either expound on what I had said, instead of repeating it, or would start to recite the pledge of allegiance. (which Matt and I still don't know where she learned, since they don't say it in her preschool) So here's how it sounded.

mom: ...and it came to pass
Morgan: there was now a people who did this and the
mom: ...in the thirteenth year
Morgan: allegiance to the flag
Mom: ...and the people did wax strong
Morgan: and they cleaned the floors...

The difference between boys and girls

So, for those of you who don't know yet...there is a difference between raising boys and raising girls. My boys, for instance, cared a great deal about phonics, but not so much about reading when they were 4. Morgan, wants to read all the time, but is more concerned about singing the alphabet song, then writing her letters. The boys were all about eating...snacks, fruit, dinner, breakfast. Anytime, all the time. Morgan on the other hand, has no interest really. Come dinner time its always, "I'm not hungry". And the most recent discovery...when Chandler and Gabe were in preschool, and we would ask them about their friends, Chandler couldn't tell me any one's name. Its not that he didn't have friends, he just didn't care enough to find out their names. They were simply-"that kid". Gabe only knew the names of the girls. (he's our resident 'lady's man'). Morgan on the other hand, comes home from preschool and tells me all about what so and so was doing, and Tucker got in trouble for this, and Mackenzie asked me to this party, and Seth at this at lunch. Its amazing how much of the fluff of her daily life she retains.

Halloween

Finally, I know, but here are the pictures from Halloween night. The kids had fun. It was about our 4th dress up event, and I think the magic of the night was wearing off on them. It was also very cold, and Morgan only made it to 3 houses before she gave up and went back to Grandma's to warm up, cuddle up on the couch, and get her fill of candy without heading outside. Chandler made it as far as our house, but then decided to stay in as well. Gabe is our Trick-or-Treating champion. He did the entire loop with Matt,and had a ball. He was so excited to be a viking this year. Oh, and in case your wondering, Chandler ended up being a Secret Agent. This was a tough one. Chandler has such incredibly high expectations, and such a great imagination, that I don't think Martha Stewart herself could make a costume to his liking.

 

Morgan and I at the resteraunt before Trick-or-Treating. She went as Cinderella (of course). And I was Red Riding Hood.

 

Matt and I gave up on his "Big Bad Wolf" costume, and he donned his camo gear and took along his paint gun to go trick-or-treating. I guess he was sick of kids asking him if he was the Easter Bunny.

 

The whole gang, getting ready to go out trick-or-treating.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

a>Good luck with the lines, everyone!