Gove Family Christmas Card!

This is it!
We are officially GREENish!
(formerly known as too-poor-to-send-out-100-real-cards-to-everyone-we'd-like-to)

and if this were a real card the inside would say this:

12 events of the Gove family, 2009 edition

1. Amanda was baptized.
2. We bought a house in Florida.
3. Amy photographed her best friends wedding.
4. Samantha celebrated her 1st birthday!
5. Hayden learned to use the potty... sort of.
6. Samantha learned to walk.
7. Both of Amy's sisters came to visit and sweated it out!
8. Visited Kennedy Space Center and Universal Studios.
9. Went to the beach more often, but not often enough!
10. Michael got promoted!
11. Hayden celebrated his 3rd birthday at Disney World!
12. Amanda celebrated her 9th birthday!

and it would also say:

Merry Christmas!
May you find Joy and Happiness this Season...
and throughout the year!

when Christmas photos go terribly wrong...

okay - maybe not terribly wrong. But just not how I envisioned they would be. If it hadn't been such a windy day and if I hadn't decided to take pictures right after church when the kids are way tired and the shadows are deep, my vision might have been realized... but alas, this procrastinator of family photo-taking screwed up. So these are the best of the bunch... I can't decide if I should bother printing cards this year... Oh well - that's US!

p.s. the photographer is in NO WAY at fault for my disappointment - she was a total doll to put up with my lack of direction and my daughters lack of cute shoes... she even let Amanda borrow her shoes (yes they fit!). I actually think these pictures would have been just fine and dandy if it were not for the fact that our "girl hair" is so flyaway-ish.

Dear Daddy...

come home soon.

things are getting a little dicey around here.

I've made an effort to communicate...

but can wait no longer. My kids need their mom back and a liittle Christmas cheering of the house! I promised Amanda that we would decorate the house today and we will! We will, however, save the tree till daddy gets home. Now...gotta go find some corny Christmas tunes!

Used and Abused

I guess you could say I've been feeling a little used and abused lately. I've done my share of punching back, mind you, but it's not like it made me feel any better... I'm at a bit of a crossroads where neither path will be traveled painlessly and that has made me very anxious (as in panic attacks AGAIN....yay). I honestly don't know what to do. Following my instincts and sitting tight believing "this too shall pass" did not work... in fact it probably made things worse. So, now that I have finally taken some action to defend/clear my name it's too late - I'm yelling into an empty auditorium.

I wish my hubby wasn't on a business trip - I could really use his listening ear. I guess I really will have to handle this on my own and just continue praying for guidance. So far my prayers have been answered with messages from the Ensign and one particular blog post that has lifted me just a bit. But I still see no end to the distrust I have for some who I used to call my friends and will now have to endure seeing at least once a week.. I have to find peace and strength and humility and balance them perfectly.

Yeah.... I know.

Thanksgiving play-by-play

{insert imaginary picture of yummy baked apple substitute for cranberry sauce}

{insert imaginary picture of Samantha totally stuffing herself}

{insert imaginary picture of us all playing Dominoes}

{insert imaginary picture of Hayden the Pimp Daddy}

{insert imaginary picture of Amanda playing games on the computer}

{insert a suddenly grumpy and sick Samantha}

{insert "the drive home" starring "the guy who couldn't stop tailgating us"}

Hayden's Awesome 3rd Birthday!

Today was Hayden's 3rd birthday!
Since Disney gives you free admission on your birthday, I decided to take Hayden alone, with no other siblings to compete for attention. With the help of super deluxe wonderful friends and family who helped with all day babysitting and financing my admission to the park, we made it happen!

Halloween 2009

13 months - so smart, but not walking yet! ahhh!

We're not big pumpkin carvin' people

Basically, we're too lazy and cheap, I suppose.
So today the kids decided to paint their melons instead...

It all started off innocently enough.









Happy Halloween!