Chore Chart

So I made my first attempt at a chore chart for the kiddos. I think it turned out really well. I have a picture of each of there jobs on the board- each day they complete there job they put a pin under it to mark it done. I also added a reward chart for good behavior. On the side there is a row of stars. If I catch the boys doing something the first time I ask or being really nice to there brother than I have them move there star up - when they get to the top they earn a reward. John actually prayed last night that he would be better at doing things the first time he was asked- so hopefully its working. lol.

The Humphries Christmas Card 2011

Merry Christmas! You know I am still amazed that Christmas is already here. The years continue to go faster and faster.

Wayne- decided this year that he should go back to school. He is now working towards his MBA and is just slightly busy with going to school full time, working full time, serving as Elders Quorum Presidents, & being dad and hubby. I don’t know how he manages it but he is doing an amazing job at all of them. He still works for SunRoc as the Forman of the Cedar City Sand and Gravel Division. We are grateful they have been so willing to work with him so he could attend school.

Teona – Well one of the biggest things I faced this year was a huge stone in my gall bladder. After months of many doctors, many tests, & lots of pain, we figured out what was wrong and I had surgery on June 8th. What a relief to finally start feeling better- you sure recognize the blessing of health when you don’t have it. At the beginning of this month I was able to participate in the “Expedition” a 50 mile relay race in St. George. I was on a 5 person team and ran 2 legs of the race. My legs added up to 6.5 miles. I am so proud of myself for running this because the most I had trained for was 3 miles. One of my hobbies these days is a game called “Pickleball” if you don’t know what it is, Google it, and if you have a chance to play- DO IT! I love it! I have played in a few tournaments with my partner and we have done really well. I am on the PTA board at John’s school as the Yearbook Advisor and am loving being involved in all the fun events at the school. I am serving as a Sharing Time Specialist in our Ward. I do a sharing time in the Primary once a month. I love this calling because I love to teach and I love the Primary. Other than that I am home with the boys running the house.

John turned six this year and started first grade. He loves school and is doing an amazing job. He is reading on a second grade level and just absorbs everything he is taught. He shocks me daily with his smarts. The other day he asked for some milk and I told him he could have some if he could spell it. He spelled it m-i-l-k-e. I said “no, if it was spelled like that it would be pronounced milkee” John’s response was “actually you would have to add an adjacent E to make it spell milkee.” REALLY! I could not believe that my six year old was using the word adjacent and in the right way! I know he isn’t getting those smarts from me- I have to thank his dad and his teacher for that. John loves video games! He loves to play the Wii and Plants Vs. Zombies on the computer. His new favorite game is Angry Birds but we don’t have it at home so he will convince anyone that has it to let him play- even at our Ward Christmas party last week.  He also loves to exercise-whether it’s a work out video, running around at the park, or playing sports. I think he is going to be a personal trainer when he grows up.

Taylor turned 3 this year and started preschool! He loves it and is doing a really good job! He can already write his name by himself, and he loves to do it over and over and over again. He loves to drive cars around, play the Wii, Plants Vs. Zombies, Angry Birds, color, water paint, play with Playdoh, and watch movies. He also LOVES to talk on the phone to whomever I am talking to. He is growing up so fast! He will be moving into Primary next month! The Primary had him come in for singing time on Sunday and it was so cute to see him in there, I am so excited for him. He wants so badly to be big like his brother! I keep warning John that when he does grow big- he better watch out because my guess is Taylor is going to be bigger than John and there might be some retaliation for all the teasing he does to Taylor. Taylor is so anxious for soccer to start so he can play like John. I have kicked the ball around with Taylor and he is actually REALLY good at soccer- so it should be fun to get him started this next year.

We are so grateful for the blessings we received this year, for our wonderful friends and family, and for the Gospel. Thank you for your love and support you always send our way-it’s more appreciated than you probably know. We hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please don’t forget what this season is really about- the birth and life of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We challenge you to try and give Him a gift this season. It could be serving others, obeying a commandment, forgiving someone or thanking someone for something they did or said that inspired you. Don’t forget “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me” –Matt 25:10
Merry Christmas,
Love, The Humphries (Wayne, Teona, John, & Taylor)

Family Pictures 2011

My dear friend Mellissa took some family photos for us last week. Here is how they turned out. I would love to know which one is your favorite. I am still trying to decide which one to hang in my home.

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Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I can't believe Halloween has come and gone already! The last few months have simply flown by! This year John dressed up as Bumblebee the Transformer and Talyor was a "Big Fat Pumkin".

Some fun things we did this month to celebrate were:

Went to car dealerships in town where they had games and treats for the kids-



Carved pumpkins-







Taylor's class did some trick or treating practicing:






Trunk & Trick or Treated-



Played with our candy!- Can you tell they are excited?

John's 6th Birthday Party

John decided he wanted a Plants VS Zombies birthday party. For those who have no idea what that is...its a computer game that John has fallen in love with that he plays at his friends house. Its all he ever talks about. In the game you plant plants that kill zombies- thats it. Pretty simple and yet very addicting. So for John's party we decided to "train plants"(the kids) on how to be succesful zombie fighting plants.


First we played Plant..plant..zombie(duck,duck,goose):



Then we went Walnut bowling where we practiced our skills knocking over the Zombies:


Then we practice picking up our "sun drops" (candy) from the sun pinata:



We took a break from training and had rootbeer floats and presents. John loved all his gifts but the highlight was recieving his own copy of Plants VS Zombies (Can you tell he was excited?)



Last in our training was to learn to collect water- because everone knows plants need water to grow:

Taylor's First Day of Preschool!

Taylor started preschool today! He was a little nervouse as we walked in, he insited that I come in with him. Once he hung his bag and found the kitchen set to play with he was good to go. He gave me two sets of hugs and kisses and waved goodbye. He as grown up so much from a year ago. He would not even let me leave his side ever! When I picked him up after he said he really liked school and his favorite part was playing on the playground. I am so excited for him. He finally conquered the dreadful potty training days just in time. Here are some pictures:


Thumbs up-


Walking into school:


Hanging his backpack by his name:


Deciding which he likes better apples or strawberries.

Taylor's First Day of Preschool!

a trip up the mountain

So a couple weeks ago we went up Cedar Mountain with Wayne's parents and sister to check out some land a friend purchased and to have a cookout. While we were there some kids brought over water snakes. John and Taylor loved it. John had to hold one...which surprised me a little. He loved every minute of it and on the way home he asked me if we could get one-a snake. I informed him no such reptile will ever be in my home.

Later on we stopped off the highway by a cute little stream to have dinner. These were some really cute pictures of the boys playing in the stream. These pictures capture my boys silly personalities so well. What cute boys!

Brotherly Love:

A fight with a treadmill-OUCH!!!

So John decided while mom and dad were at the temple he wanted to run on the treadmill at grandma and grandpa's house. Needless to say he ended up in a fight with the treadmill and lost-didn't feel very good to say the least.

First day of First Grade!

So it was John's first day of school yesterday! He likes to say: "It's my first day of first grade mom!" He thought he was pretty clever when he came up with that. I thought it was pretty cute! For about a week before school started when I would ask him if he was excited for school he would get a very sad face start rubbing my arm and say "I am nervouse for you" how cute is that!! I think he was nervouse for himself but for him to say that was so preciouse-pulled on the heart strings. But when the day of school arrived he didn't even want me to drive him to school he wanted my neighbor to (we car pool and he wanted it to be her week) but I told him it was his first day of school and I would be taking him. He absolutely loved his first day of school! he said it was "GREAT!" He loves that he gets 3 recesses (one being after lunch), P.E. twice a week, that they have a big screen tv in their room (a projector screen), and that he has friends from last year in his class too. I am so glad that he loves it! I hope he continues to like school for years to come!

So I am such a dork- this is a picture of John's first lunch! I have never made school lunch before and I was pretty excited for myself. I also wrote him a quick little note that he brought home and showed me- he read it to me and gave me a big hug! How sweat!

John working on Bell Work at his desk:

A Moment of Gratitiude

Since Taylor turned one we have had him in a program called "Early Intervention" through SUU. Taylor wasn't crawling at one, he wouldn't eat any food, (he would only take a bottle and when food was offered he would gag and throw up when we tried the food)and he couldn't talk. Just finding out about this program was a huge blessing- we were about to take him to a specialist in St. George and it was going to cost a pretty penny. Early Intervention has been completely free for us. We were able to have Taylor work with a physical therapist, speech therapist, & food therapist who each came to our home monthly for the first year and then worked with him in a class room setting for the next year. Taylor has improved leaps and bounds and I can't express my gratitude enough for the program and the people who have helped me and my son. The letter below is a thank you I gave the workers- it lists some of the things Taylor couldn't do when he started and things he can do now. What a difference it is!!

What you have done for my son “m”eans “M”illions!!!
There is so much more that you have done for my son than is listed below, thank you for helping teach him and me how to release my son from the chains that held him captive. Thanks to you-I have my son; a happy, bubbly, cheerful, loud, silly boy- and he has his life too. Thank you- more than you will ever know. -Teona HUmphries


Before:
-He couldn’t speak
-He was in the 0% in weight
-he couldn’t crawl
-he wouldn’t eat anything!
-He wouldn’t let me leave his side



Now:
-He doesn’t stop talking
-He is around the 20% in weight
-he runs, jumps, & hops around
-he eats and tries new foods
-He gives me a hug and a kiss and says goodbye

When are you due?

Can I just say I HATE HATE HATE THIS QUESTION!!! I have been asked this question time and time again. I thought after loosing 50lbs that this question would assist. But NO- in the last two months I have been asked 3 times!!! I think all these people could have been asking for other reason other than the size of my belly (which I do still have a little pooch) but STILL that question is SO SO SO hurtful and discouraging especially after loosing all that weight. Brian Reagan my favorite comedian has a joke about this very thing and I wanted to share it in hopes to spread "the rule"... "the rule for this is to not guess at this EVER EVER EVER EVER....." to see the joke go (Here)

Coloring Noodles

John has been So Bored not having school, his mom recovering from surgery, and this morning Taylor woke up sick-so all the fun out door activities planned went out the door for today. What to do... what to do... John and I went searching online for some ideas... This is what we found:

Coloring Noodles- I found this on my freinds blog.
John coloring the noodles - you simply put some noodles in a ziplock bag add some rubbing alchol (1-tsp) and add food coloring of your choice and mix:



Noodles Drying:




All our noodles mixed together- aren't they so colorful!!


John creating his master piece:(We just used elmer's glue to glue onto some paper)



Taylor creating his master piece:



My Master Piece: