Super Cheap 11"x14" Prints!

Here's a smoking hot deal on 11"x14" prints! It is only for the first 1,000 customers (or so they say) so hurry! I just ordered mine and the sale is still on. Good idea for holiday gifts!

1. Go to Artscow.com. Register if you need to.
2. Upload the four photos you'd like to have printed, or just order four copies of the same photo if you're planning Christmas presents for family members.
3. Select the 11*14 print size.
4. On the checkout page, enter code POSTERSALE to have the entire cost of your order, including shipping, dropped to 3.99.
Note: You can order more prints for just $1.99 after the first 4 and shipping is FREE! It won't show your real order total until the end so don't get confused if it shows a shipping amount.

This and That

... and a cat! I have been wanting a cat for a few years but couldn't because my hubby was allergic. Well, hubby is gone, so... need I explain more? She is a lynx point siamese and 10 weeks old. Her name is Chloe. Braden loves her as does Travis. Braden plays with her all day long and even sings to her. She's amazing with them and very tolerant.

We are not supposed to have pets at our apartment so... Shhh! The manager has told me multiple times that they just don't want to know about any pets. I believe, "Just don't let me see any pets I won't have to get mad," were her exact words. Well, I totally took that as permission, so now we have another addition to the family. Our manager also told us that she likes to "stalk" people's blogs so I may be getting myself into trouble... So, if you are reading, Julie, this is just a joke... there is no cat. She was photoshopped into the pics! =)

Other news:

I took the boys to the dinosaur museum yesterday and it was.... um... how do you say??? Boring! We went with friends so that made up for it. I guess I expected more bones and less fossils. Just one huge room with huge fossils (some real and some replicated) laying all over the floor. The kids seemed to have fun. I think the highlight was coloring and using dinosaur stencils at the end. Its always fun to get out with friends and was worth going, but I don't think I'll head back anytime soon. But hey, it was museum day and admission was free so I am not about to complain! Yay for dinosaurs!

Sad other news:

My camera battery charger decided to hide from me after our camping trip so all my pictures are going to have to be from my phone until I  find it or buy a new one. =( Sad day, I know...

Zion

We went camping at Zion National Park last weekend and had lots of fun. It is always fun to get together with family. Everyone that went is from my ex's side but they are family no less! We had an awesome time although I do not recommend camping with one's ex. You've got to draw the line somewhere and I think I learned where that line was. We can get along for a couple of days but past that is asking for trouble.

Here are some highlights from our trip:

Swing batter, batter!

Its a bird, its a plane, its a... flying Travis!

Marshmallow face

B got down and dirty playing a game of catch in the water with Papa T.

Braden loved meeting his cousin, Bailey, for the first time!

And so did I...

Here's Trav taking a bath, camping style!

Braden's rock behind the tent which he discovered to escape the chaos and meditate upon life's mysteries

Hiking in style

Throwing rocks with Uncle Tom.

Point and shoot!

Yes this is a tarantula. Yes it was in our campsite. No I didn't run screaming. Welcome to the great outdoors!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

One thing that bothers me about blogs is the fact that they make everyone's life seems picturesque and perfect. No one ever writes about the hard times and the parts that just downright suck. There is reason for this: No one wants to remember the bad parts or broadcast it to the world. I however, want to take a moment to be real with life. Life is good for the most part but lets face it, divorce is not a pretty picture. It  is a part of my life and my blog is about my life, so here goes... If I haven't scared you off yet, keep reading. There are good parts to this post as well (hence the title)!

 We picked up the boys' dad from Vegas last night and Braden was beyond excited to see his daddy. Seeing him run up to his dad and leap into his arms after not seeing him for over 3 months was almost enough to bring tears to my eyes... almost. Here's the ugly part: I held back although emotions are high because tomorrow we have to sit down with my precious Braden and explain to him that daddy and mommy are getting a divorce and that is why daddy is not living with us anymore.  

We briefly talked with him before we left California but it didn't click. How do I know? Well, after hearing him tell someone that daddy was coming and we were going to be together forever managed to clue me in on the inner-workings of Braden's mind. This is something I swore to myself would never happen. No mother should have to tell their child that their parents aren't married anymore. It makes me sick every time I think about it. I feel like I'm letting him down in the biggest possible way but at the same time I know that I'm giving him the best life I can and quite frankly, it is out of my hands. This road is mine to travel so I'm going to walk it the best I know how. I realize that Travis is going to be affected by this also but not nearly as much as his brother. It will just be the way life is for him and he won't know any different. 

Okay, so this post is not meant to depress anyone! Welcome to my life. There is the good, the bad and the ugly. Most of the time I like to deal with the first but sometimes the last two sneak in there when I'm not looking and ruin the party. So, back to the good... We had a fun time in Vegas last night. We checked out the lions at the  MGM and then headed to the M&M factory and checked out their 3-D movie. Braden had fun and Travis was in a good mood; smiling and laughing and screeching (his good screech). It seemed as if he remembered his dad even though it's been so long for such a youngster. 

While walking back on the strip, we ran into... 

So, I had to get a picture. This one's for you, Sheyene! M.J. lives! (Sheyene thinks this should be the "Ugly" part of my post because M.J. looks dead...)

On a side note: Braden had a speaking part in the primary program at church today. He did amazing! His part was, "I lived with Heavenly Father before I came to Earth." He was so cute up there singing the songs. Before church, I asked if he was excited and he whispered in my ear, "What if I get stage fright?" He's just too dang cute. I just want to squeeze him tight and never let go! I love the way he thinks. I think the best part for Braden was having his daddy there to watch him. I'm grateful that he went for Braden's sake.

Monkey See, Monkey Do...

Monkey (wanna) act just like you (and me). Travis is very independent and strong-willed. He is great at home and even for walks or trips to the park but shopping is a whole other story. This kid is determined. Determined to squirm out of the shopping cart belt (no matter how tight I make it), determined to be like his older brother and walk, determined to be like mom and push the shopping cart. I've been thinking of different things to do like force him to stay in the cart against his will but he finds his way out of the belt and I'm afraid he's going to fall out one of these days, I've tried the basket of the cart (you know, the part that you're not supposed to put children...) but he tries climbing out. Again, I'm afraid of him falling out. Special toys and snacks don't do the trick either.  Holding his hand is out of the question at this age while shopping. It is good for a short trip into a small store but not grocery shopping or the mall. He hates his stroller and fights to get out the entire time. He is too young to understand language well enough to know to stay close for safety reasons.

While looking on Amazon.com I came across this review that made perfect sense to me. Here is part of it: 

"As to the preachy comments from others who feel "leashing" your child is inhumane, they just don't get it. I would suggest that confining your child to a stroller, shopping cart, backpack, etc. is the crueler alternative. Let's face it, being buckled into a restrictive seat is much more restraining than being tethered.
I am a rock climber, and I would suggest that the rope and harness I wear to protect my climbs, gives me freedom to explore the vertical world in relative safety. This product similarly provides our son the freedom to explore the ambulatory world in relative safety."

I used to be one of those people who thought harnessing their child was absurd and inhumane. I thought they should just teach their child boundaries. I do not want to get a harness so he can run around like a crazy child but so that he can walk independently yet still be safe. Child abduction is a real concern of mine. I don't see it as a cure to every situation but definitely for when we go to large stores, places like Las Vegas or at the airport. Thoughts, ideas? Is there anything else I could try before the harness? Do you harness your child in crowded places? Do you think its inhumane? Are you one of those people who give dirty looks to parents who harness their child? 

Par

We went mini golfing the other day as a reward for Braden filling up his chart with stickers. My mom watched Travis while B and I went out to have some fun. 

He's getting so big and is so fun to hang out with! He has definitely become my best friend over the past few months as life has changed and we've been able to spend a whole lot more quality time together. He is like a little man in a 4 year old body. My favorite time of day with him is in the evening after Travis goes to sleep. We all have fun during the day but its the quiet moments when we are alone with each other that we get to really connect. Our conversations have become pretty deep as he has been learning lots about the world around him. 

Excuse the funny look on his face. It was super sunny and this was the best shot I got of the two of us. You should see the look on his face in the other picture I took! 

Back to golfing for a minute...

While we were golfing he told me that I wasn't very good at mini golf. Thanks for stating the obvious, Braden... But then he told me that maybe I'd do better next time and told me I was being a good sport. He cheered me on and clapped for me when I got it in the hole. Now, I am going to make a rebuttal... I do not entirely stink at mini golf and he is no better than I... It is all about fun anyway and we sure had lots of that.

Look closely at the top of the stairs... That's Braden. And yes, those are storm clouds above the temple. It was a beautiful day until we got in the car to leave. That's when it poured buckets of rain!

Today the boys and I went to the temple visitor center as a play date with some other moms. We waited and waited but no one showed up. The boys and I walked around talking about Jesus and his life and then were able to watch some short movies (more like commercials) that were geared towards children to teach principles such as honesty and honoring your parents, etc. Then we watched a movie that was absolutely phenomenal. We had a great time and Braden didn't want to leave. We walked around the temple grounds and learned about the the history of the temple and such.

Ever see a cotton plant? We hadn't until today. People first came to St. George to harvest cotton. Straight from the plant, it looks and feels just like a cotton ball... except with a seed inside. 

Travis didn't do much except for "talk" the entire time we were in the visitor center. The sister missionary who took us through to see the movie asked if he always "talked" this much and my answer was... "YES!" I can't get him to be quiet... EVER! He has such a loud, high-pitched voice that sometimes gets my last nerve but its fun to see him try to communicate all the time. I can't wait until he has language and neither can he! I took this photo a few weeks ago. He has never fallen asleep anywhere exept his crib and car seat (or my arms...) but one day he just couldn't take it any more and he crashed on the living room floor.