We're Going Private

After mulling over the idea for weeks now, I think that we're going to close our blog to public viewers. You never know who's stalking you...! So if you'd like to stay in the loop, leave your email address as a post or email us at ps.fairbanks@gmail.com! You've got about two or three weeks!

Craft Fair This Weekend @ MJH!

For all you locals, there's the annual Madison Junior High Craft Fair this Saturday! Doors open at 10:00AM - 5:00PM. Come and check out all the fun handmade crafts! This is one worth coming to!

Carving Pumpkins

This week for family night we carved pumpkins. The kids weren't too keen on the idea of cleaning them out, so, as you can see, Paul is doing most the work. But they loved helping draw the faces! And they really loved when we turned out the lights to see the cute faces. Hopefully they last until Halloween! Also, am I the only one that thinks pumpkin prices were ridiculous this year? I guess for good memories nothing is too expensive. However, I think we might grow our own next year! It can't be that hard!

A Day at the Park

We figured that we weren't going to see many more nice days and since Saturday was so beautiful, we took the kids to the park for some outside fun! They had a great time and I hope we maybe get a few more days of nice weather before the "storm" hits!

Carter in a swing. He wasn't too sure! Don't you love the Kings get-up?!

Kate in her Giants hat looking so cute! She was so excited for the park!

Liz loves this slide and I think her face is so adorable in this picture! She was so excited!

This is a video of Lizzie on the slide. She likes to warm up with a few swings and then go!

This is Carter in a swing for his very first time at the park. He was a little scared and didn't last too long but it was so cute!

This is Kate on the monkey bars. She's so excited that she can do it by herself now! This was towards the end of our trip and her arms were tired but she still mustered some strength to make it halfway for us!

Just Some Everyday Pics of the Kiddies

I was just snapping pics of the kids a few days ago and thought I'd post them.

Carter, just hanging out! He's getting so chubby! I love it!

Lizzie all "dolled-up" with her favorite jewelry! She's a real cutie!

Kate, photogenic as always with a beautiful smile!

ONE WORD

This is a fun one! use one word to describe each question. Try it! Thanks for the idea Rachel!

1. Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Where is your significant other? Work
3. Your hair? Brown
4. Your mother? amazing
5. You father? Smart
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? Greek
8. Your dream/goal? forever
9. The room you're in? downstairs 1
0. Your hobby? crafts
11. Your fear? drowning
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here!
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? rich
15. One of your wish list items? europe
16. Where you grew up? Idaho
17. The last thing you did? eat
18. What you’re wearing? jeans
19. Your TV? Small (according to my husband!)
20. Your pet? none
21. Your computer? on
22. What do you think of tags like this? So-so
23. Your mood? tired
24. Missing someone? brother
25. Where would you rather be? massage
26. Something you’re not wearing right now? socks
27. Favorite store? IKEA
28. Your summer? short
29. Love someone? Paul
30. Favorite color? red
31. The last time you laughed? yesterday

A Word on Women's Health

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I would never have given something like this a second thought until a little over two years ago. I discovered a lump in my right breast one day and thought that I should probably have it looked at. I called and the nurses quickly said I was very young and that it was probably due to hormones and my birth control pill. They also said that because my second child was only five months old, my milk ducts could still be out of whack. But I insisted that they see me. I was seen the next week and was diagnosed with a breast lump. I was immediately sent to a surgeon to determine where to go from there. He said that he thought we should remove it to completely to cut the chances of breast cancer later. Until the surgery, I spent the good part of a week in fear that I might have breast cancer - at the age of 23. My mind reeled at the thought of what might lay ahead. Doctors assured me that chances were very slim and that even if it was the case, survival rates were high. Surgery went well and biopsies returned a cancer-free lump. It was determined that it was probably a clogged milk duct from my pregnancy. Later we learned that 85% of breast cancer begins in a milk duct. Had we left it untreated, it very well could have developed later on in life to cancer. They told me that from now on I must keep close watch for any other lumps. The reason I feel so strongly about this now is because we all say, "It will never happen to me." And even though I'm fine, it was a close enough brush for me that I will always do my part to make sure that my health is in check. You never know. I was 23. So do your part to stay healthy and make it a habit to get yearly routine check-ups. You could be saving yourself a lifetime!

I just found a great website that helps turn your blog into a hardbound book and so even though I consider myself to be pretty meticulous about blogging, I'm going to be even more so because I want to put it in a book for our family history at the end of each year.

So TODAY:

- The kids and I went to the Cocoa Bean for cupcakes. If you haven't been in Rexburg - GO! Amazing cupcakes, totally addicting, and oh so cute! The kids were covered in chocolate!

-Walmart for new church shoes for Kate and Liz. They went to church in flip-flops yesterday cuz I wasn't ready for the snow!

- Spent the afternoon with my sister, Anna. Always a delight!

-Dinner, a frigid walk with the kids, bath, family night, and a little playtime!

-Blogging, clean the toilets, shower, and bed!

Kate said something so cute also. She just learned a primary song that has a line in it that says, "I love to see the temple. I'll go inside someday. To covenant with my Father.." WELL, her version states, "To cuddle with my Father". CUTE!!!! I love that visual and we ask her sing it for us all the time!

Days that include cupcakes and shopping for shoes borderline perfection.

Hibernation Has Begun

I'll have to admit that I share a stunning similarity with a bear - when the snow comes out, I stay in. My winter hibernation is soon approaching because despite my greatest wishes against snow - it's here! I like snow for Thanksgiving and Christmas but that's about it. But I couldn't let our first snow go by without a post. The kids were pretty excited, besides that fact that we promised them a trip to the park today. Looks like our park days are over. Didn't summer just get here?! However, it does make me giddy for all the holiday festivities and yummy food! So pull out the mittens, coats, and hats! Welcome Winter! (P.S. I'd like to think of myself as the cute bear, but occasionally my family would probably tell you I'm the other one!)

Protecting our Families

A friend inspired me to write a few of my own thoughts on the soon-to-be-voted-on Prop 8 in California. Thanks, Brigitte! If you're not familiar with what it is, please visit the website http://www.protectmarriage.com/. Paul is from California and we lived there for a couple years and so we know several people who will be voting. Paul's father was made chairman over his stake and has four thousand "Vote YES on Prop 8" signs in his yard, waiting to be handed out! There are so many members of the church working vigilantly to help make sure that we have as many supporters as possible. Some of you might ask why it's so important that we're educated on this and why we need support. Well, I absolutely have a firm testimony that marriage is between a man and a woman. And now it's being threatened. California has already changed the definition (marriage is between same genders now in California) and now the residents of California have a chance to restore the definition to it's correct form. The reason this means anything to us is because California is a very large, ifluencial state and if it does not pass, many are afraid that other states will follow suit in changing the definition of marriage. Why such a big deal you ask? Well, in our religion we teach (and know!) marriage to be strictly between man and woman. Put that up against a new legal definition and we become pegged as "discriminant". It threatens our temples marriages and what we teach our children. There are several more issues as to why this is so important and if you'd like to know more just visit the website. So if you have any sway with someone if California whether it be friend or foe - please ask them to vote YES, YES, YES on Prop 8!

To All Our Kings Fans

Paul is a die-hard Sacramento Kings fan and so that means I am too - by default. When we first got pregnant with our first baby, his family bought us a full blown Kings outfit and every child we've had has worn it. But this time it was even better because we had a boy! the rest of the outfit doesn't fit right now but the hat almost does. I think hats for little boys is just as fun and bows for little girls! Here's Carter looking so cute!

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Well, I never thought I'd cry over something so ridiculous as a deleted blog but I did. Let's face it - these kind of things mean the world to moms who take pics of their kids and write down every cute thing they say and to lose it just ruined my day! But we decided to start new. So if you're just finding us again, please leave your blog address as a post so we can start finding you again! And never accidentally delete you blog!