We are all human!!

Okay so this is kind of a random post about something that has been on my mind and my sisters and I were talking about it yesterday so I wanted to do a post about it. I had a friend of mine last year say that she didn't want to blog anymore since it just made her feel bad about herself and her life. She said that reading everyones blogs about how perfect their life is was depressing for her and made her feel like she was a terrible person. Do you ever feel that way?? That everyone else has the perfect marriage, and the perfect kids, with the perfect house and friends, and they are always have a grip on life? So I wanted to do a post for the girl who is a little discouraged about something in her life. I want you to know that I am so not the perfect mom. I have lost my temper with my kids, and been impatient and said the wrong thing at the wrong time. My house is never clean, as hard as I try there are always messes that seem to never go away. I don't always make perfect home cooked meals. Some days are so crazy that yes I will run to McDonalds and grab some happy meals for dinner, with a rootbeer to top it off. There have been some days that I want to stay in my sweats and just kick back and hang out on the couch, and so I do. And some days I don't even get make-up on. Here are just a few things that make us not perfect. There are so many more I don't need to list them all. But I just wanted you to know that we are happy and life doesn't have to be about looking perfect and having everything that you see others have to be successful. You can find happiness in your imperfections and weaknesses. We are all human and trying to do our best and I think that is enough.

Halloween

Kali this year chose to be a vampiress. She is so in love with the movie Twilight that it has gotten her hooked on vampires. I love how she always has a pose for pictures....

Lexi decided she wanted to be the "water fairy" from the Tinkerbell Movie. It just suits her so well since she is just a little princess and always so girly and sparkly. Lexi is also a huge sugar nut, so Halloween is about the best time of year for her.

We decided to have the twins be "thing 1" and "thing 2" from the Cat in the Hat. They are too silly!!!

Here is the crew!! They are such a cute bunch of kids!!

Trick or treating was a blast this year. We had no idea that the boys were going to love it so much. They were running from house to house, and saying trick or treat when the door was opened. My favorite though was that they would wave and yell "thanks, see ya" to every house. It was such a blast for me to watch and the kids loved every minute of it!

Chalmers Halloween party!!

This year we decied to do our own Chalmers Halloween party for the grandkids, and it was so much fun!! We just kept it really simple and decorated cookies, and did an art project. Corey made a really yummy creamy chicken soup, with homemade bread and homemade rootbeer.

I just love so much that the cousins are all so close and love being together. There are 15 grandkids total and things can get kinda crazy when we try to do stuff together. But we love it and they love it.

So far we have partied through the Halloween season and there is a lot more parting that is going to happen through the week.

I love Halloween!!!!

Lexi's bday party!!

So this year we decided to do a Halloween party for Lexis Birthday. Her birthday is in December and we always have the hardest time putting together a party for her that month, and I also feel like she gets so many presents at Christmas time. So this year we wanted to try something different. And it was fabulous!!

The kids had such a fun time. We decorated pumpkins and ghosts,

Opened presents and had birthday cake.

Then played "pin the mouth on the ghost" and Halloween twister.

The kids had so much fun ,and most importantly Lexi loved it!! We love you little lu!!

Pumpkin Patch

In Lexis Pre-school class every year they do a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch. It is so much fun for the kids. They each get to pick out their own pumpkin, and they have a small corn maze, and two fun different playgrounds and some fun small animals that the kids can pet.

The kids had a fabulous time!!! We look forward to going again next year.

New photos of kids

Cookie Time.

Growing up every Halloween my mom would make these super yummy spiced sugar cookies with us, so it is a tradition that we are passing on down. We made them for FHE tonight and it was kind of a bad idea considering I am dieting and thought I would have no problem turning them down....5 cookies later I realized that I might not be as strong and I thought. Not to mention these are the kind of cookies that there is no way you can eat just one. Opps I gues I will have to step up the excersize program...

Spiced Sugar Cookies

1 c shortening

3 eggs

1 tp nutmeg

2 c sugar

3 tsp water of milk

1/2 tp cloves

3 c flour

1 Tbsp baking powder.

Cream sugar with shortening. Add eggs, water or milk, and spices. Sift together and add dry ingredients. Flour the counter and roll out dough. Cut in shapes. Use a spatula to place on greased cookie sheet. Dust with sugar before baking. You can color the sugar by adding a drop of food coloring and stiring or shaking in a zip lock bag until color is even. Makes great fall cookie because of its spiced flavor. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Goodnight Sweethearts!!

Here is my little angel Dominic as I lay him down for a nap and give him a kiss and tell him "Goodnight, Mommy loves you"

When I come down to check on the boys to see if they are asleep, this is what I see next....

These little stinkers have learned how to climb out of their cribs. Which has made nap time and bed time very interesting. At least in this picture their diapers are on...add that to the mix. This phase always comes way too soon.

Fall is in the air.....

I absolutely love fall. I think it is my favorite season for so many reasons; I love BYU football, I love the crispness in the air, I love when things are starting to get all cozy for the holidays, I love making all the yummy soups and pumpkin goodies, I love the trees changing colors, But most off all I love the festivities.

Little Lexi got her ears pierced this last week and is loving how pretty she looks.

I had presidency meeting on Saturday morning and came home to this. Daddy had some fun with the kids making pumpkin pancakes. The kids loved it and I could tell that Derek loved getting a little creative also. What a great guy!!

Here are just some pictures of the guys. They are way too much fun!

My latest hobby!!

I have pulled the sewing machine back out and dusted it off. I made a decision when I was pregnant with the twins that I was going to not plan on doing much for myself for the next few years since I knew it would only frustrate me. And the boys have gotten so much easier for me, so I decided I was going to be back some old fun hobbies. And first was sewing. So I made these adorable skirts for the girls, some cute aprons and winter pajamas for the kids. It has been so much fun to start sewing again, and see my kids wearing things that I have made for them.

My angel is 7

I can hardly believe that my little angel turned 7 today. I can honestly say that she has brought so much joy and happiness into my life. I have always called Kali my angel. When she was about 6 months old my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a hard time for our family and especially my mom. Well she was the only grandchild that lived close to my parents and since I was able to be a stay home mom with her I spend a lot of time with my mom as she was struggling through Chemo and sickness, and Kali was the bright spot of every day for me and family. She helped us all get through that hard time and I have always said that the Lord sent her as an angel to our family to help us through a difficult time. She was my little buddy and her and I had such an amazing realationship with each other. She has so much personality and spunk!! And she is so talented and gifted in so many ways. I love her so much and I feel like the years and flying by. It is like one of my favorite songs says, "I wish I could save these moments and put them in a jar, I wish I could stop the world from turning keep things just the way they are." I love her and I love so much that she was able to come into my life and teach me so much about love and patience. I love you little chick and I hope you had a great birthday!!!

Kalis dog birthday party

Kali told me from the beginning that this year she wanted to have a dog birthday party. So we went to work to find some fun ideas for her party.

We got Kali and Lexi all dressed up as puppies

I was so glad that the weather was so nice that we were able to do the party outside.

All the kids got their faces painted, then they adopted a puppy and gave it a name. after that they went and made a dog colar for their new puppy out of beads. Then we had dog races where they had to run like a dog and carry their puppy in their mouth. The kids were giggling through the whole race.

We had a fun bone pinata, which we have found has always been one of our kids favorite things to do for their birthday parties. This year the pinata broke off the string so Derek had all the kids line up on the patio while he opened it and scattered the candy on the lawn, then the kids made a run for it.

Opening presents. Aunt Camie is the one who made her the adorable dog apron. Kali loved it.

Cupcakes, and dogie bingo. The birthday party was a total blast and the kids had so much fun!!

Grandma came and got Kali and Lexi and took them to go and see "Up" for Kalis b-day. The girls loved it!!

On her birthday morning I asked her what her favorite breakfast was and she said "Waffles, with buttermilk syrup, whip cream and rasperries." So we made it happen and of course she got to eat on the "you are special plate" And she had to model her new birthday outfit.

After school we took her to play on the playground and get icecream. So Camie and Corey brought their families and the kids had a blast being together. I think all in all she had a great birthday!!

Star of the week!!!

One really fun thing that they do in 1st grade is each week they pick a different student to be the "star of the week" and this week it was Kalis turn. So Derek and I got to come into her classroom and give a 10 minute presentation on Kali and hand out a little snack to all the kids. It was a lot of fun!! And Kali just thought it was fabulous!!!

family fun!!!

Last Friday we took the girls up to the aquarium in Salt Lake. They loved it!!

It was so neat, and the girls favorite part was petting or touching the sting ray. It was a blast, the sting ray would come up along the sides and flap his body, it looked like he was waving (at least that is what we told the girls). They loved it!!

Next I had to post this picture since I thought it was a little view into my amazing life. First off I was just throwing together some cookies really quickly for the young women and next thing I know one by one the kids scooted the chairs over the the counter to help me. I love these little angels!!!

Derek and the boys watching football. It has begun!!!

My boys are in love with Barney right now, whenever I turn it on they are glued to the T.V. So I had to take a picture of this since they look so dang cute.

Kali's new glasses

Our cute little Kali got glasses this week. She was having some difficulty seeing the board at school so we took her in for an eye exam, and found out that she needs glasses. She only has to wear them when the teacher is writting on the board, but she sure does look adorable in them!!

And of course she has to model for the camera. She is such a little actress!!

Updates

First off Kali and Lexi started Dance and they are loving every minute of it. The are constantly showing me new cute dance moves they learned, and they especially love getting all "tutued" up ( I know that is not a word I just made it up.)

Lexi's twin cousins Sadie and Saylor are in her class with her. This is their first day!!

This I can honestly say is one of the highlights of the year. I know all you ladies know what this is, and I have wanted one forever. My parents gave this to me for my birthday this year, and I am so super excited about it. It has made me want to be in the kitchen so much just baking away. No more kneading bread by hand....Yahoo!!!

Derek and I also had our 8 year anniversary in August. I walked in the door to these!! Why is it that roses just make a girl so happy?? Thanks babe!!!

Consider the options.?.?.?

Okay so Sunday in church I was asked by a darling little girl in our ward if I had a baby in my tummy........So I have been pondering this for the last few days and thought of a few options of what she was thinking...

1st. The dress I was wearing needs to be burned at the stake..
2nd. I just had a great glow about me from an amazing lesson in Young Womens.
3rd. Kids sometimes have intuitions about things in the future, so I have a lot of reason to be terified that another baby "or two" is coming to our house soon.
4th. The seven pounds that I have put on over the summer have not gone unnoticed and I need to start a diet asap.

Sunday walk in the canyon

We had no church today due to the temple dedication so I decided to take the girls on a walk up the canyon. They loved it!!

We had a lot of fun finding all sorts of different leaves and rocks that we took home and did some fun art projects with afterwards.

And the girls especially loved throwing rocks into the river and getting a little wet.

Lexi starts pre-school

Lexi also started pre-school this week. She has her cousin and best friend Parker in her class, and here is a picture with their fabulous teacher Miss Ann. We love her!!

Kali is off to first grade

I can hardly believe that I have a child old enough to be in 1st grade. It blows my mind!! I have been a little sad as the summer has come to an end knowing that Kali was going to be in school all day long. But at the same time she loves school and thrives on socializing and learning. This is a picture of her at back to school night where she got to meet her teacher Mrs. Clark for the first time .

And sit in her desk for the first time. She was so excited as we left the school that evening she just kept jumping around saying " I love school" She is such a darling!!

This is her on her way out the door for her first day of first grade.

Signs that you have a "2 year old" in your house.

1. The toilet paper is always rolled out in your bathroom
2. You can't walk across your kitchen floor without having your feet stick to it.
3. You are smiling most of the day with all the new cute things that they are learning to say and do.
4. The word "No" is the most common word that you hear.
5. every door or cupboard that doesn't have a lock or latch will be all over the house and a total mess.
6. Changing dirty diapers is not as enjoyable.
7. When things are quiet you always need to worry.
8. Always keep a close eye on where you tooth brush has been.
9. There is a good possibility that a few items will be flushed down the toilet.
10. All the childrens books in the house will have at least one page ripped out.
11. They are at the height where they can reach the lights and buttons on the T.V. So the lights will flicker on and off often and it is almost impossible to watch anything without the channel getting changed a few times or having to adjust the volume.
12. Plan on a tantrum or two on about every trip to the store.
13. Watch out for the little body that will be learning how to climb out of the crib soon.
14. Cleaning up fingerpainted cribs and wall after nap time. And they will provide their own fingerpaint. ( my person favorite)
15. Messes in your house that are impossible to stay on top of.
16. Unless you know where every crayon, pencil and marker are you will have beautiful art work on walls and furniture.
17. It is hard to leave the house without hearing cries behind the door as you leave.
18. Don't plan on making through one Sacrament Meeting.
19. lots of juicy kisses.
20. You will find yourself giggling most the day.
21. The dishwasher will be running most of the day. It is all too easy to figure out how to turn it on.
22. Oxyclean is a must for every piece of laundry.
23. No matter how many toys you buy they will always want to play with the things you don't want them to.
24. You are very ready for bedtime each night.
25. You will have Barney songs running through your head all day long.


Here are just a few I thought of off the top of my head. Are there any others you want to add??

Downey Family Reunion

Every Summer in August we have our Downey Family Reunion in Benjamin. It is one of my kids favorite things. We go to the park in Benjamin that has a fun little playground, and they always have such fun activities for the kids.

This of course is the high light. Grandpa Downey built this amazing train out of his riding lawn mower and he attached to it these 50 gallon buckets. The kids have such a blast cruisin around the park in this little train.

I feel so blessed to have married into such an amazing family. Thanks Downeys for being so fabulous!!!!

Lexis special hospital day!!

For those who did not know Lexi has been having some problems with bladder infections and kidney infections. Her pediatrician is a little nervous about what is causing the problem so we went to the hospital today to have a few tests run. The first one was an ultrasound of her kidney and bladder. Then they did a procedure called a BCUG which she needed to be sedated for. I hav known about this appointment for a few weeks and I have had a little anxiety over it. Lexi is absolutely terrified of the doctor, she almost has little panic attacks when she knows we are going. So I have really played up this day for her. I kept telling her that is was going to be her special day at the hospital and she was going to have a special mask and get to wear a special dress. It actually worked out perfect since she loves Curious George and there is an episode that we have where George has to have surgery and so he stays at the hosptial for a few days and has a fun experiece. So she was sort of looking forward to today as you can tell in the first few pictures that I took of her. The day all in all went really well. We wont get any test results back for a few days.

This is Lexi feeling really special that she got to wear a fun hospital dress just like Curious George did when he had to go to the Doctor.

I told her before we went that she got to wear a mask and it would help her fall asleep and have good dreams about princesses and she just thought that was the great thing. She wanted me to make sure I got a picture of her with the special mask on. It is always a little scary to see your child sedated. I had quiet a few nerves during the whole thing.

She was a little sad about getting her IV taken out and so the nurse gave her a popcicle to help cheer her up.

She thought it was pretty neat to be able to take a ride in the wheel chair.

The nurse gave her this doll to take home. She named her "Bam Bam" It was the perfect thing to give her something to remember and to give her a little confort.

Going Private

I have decided to go private and I know I mentioned this before but this time I really am. So please email me your email addresses if you would like an invitation. downeygals@gmail.com

Two amazing learning years!!

The twins are 2!!! I can hardly believe it.....I can honestly say that having these 2 darling boys come to our family has been the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I have learned so much about myself. I have seen faults of mine come to a full head and I have had to really do everything I can do push through hard days that I thought that I could never make it through. I have seen how much joy that can come from being a "stay home mom." The past two years I have been stuck home most of the time. It is way too hard to take all 4 kids out and so instead we have found fun creative ways to enjoy life in our home. These boys are such a joy and have been such a great addition to our home and our family. I have just found that I can do hard things, and enjoy it!!! I love you little guys!! Thanks for making me a better person and adding so much sunshine to our days!!!

boys 2nd birthday party!!