The Mordens: December 2008

Monday, December 29, 2008

Santa Came!!

On Christmas morning we opened stockings and presents with just our family.

Rachel was not in the picture-taking mood.

After that we went over to Grandma's house and opened gifts there.

And the big winners this year:

Additions to our Thomas the Train set,

and Hungry, Hungry Hippos!

In the evening of Christmas Eve we had Grandma Morden, Aunties Kim and Robyn and cousin Taylor over for clam chowder. Just before bed we read "T'was the Night Before Christmas," put out our cookies for Santa, and laid out the stockings. It is so much fun with little ones!

Christmas Eve

The kids and I went over to my sister Cherie's house to decorate cookies for Santa and exchange gifts. Rachel asks me constantly if we can go see cousins, so she enjoys every second when we are able to get up to Lincoln. And Ben and Nick are starting to enjoy each other's company more, so it was a good time for all!

Friday, December 12, 2008

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

Mmmm...the best smell in the world! The kids had a great time decorating the tree. And only one broken ornament so far!

One of my favorite traditions is putting together the gingerbread house. Okay, so it doesn't quite look like the picture on the box...

but the kids had a lot of fun! Though, as has always been the case, there was more candy in their little bellies than on the house! I also spent about 7 hours ripping our Christmas music onto iTunes, but it was well worth it to have my own commercial-free music with none of the crappy songs they play on the radio. I love technology!

Monday, December 8, 2008

We went to Disneyland the week of Thanksgiving. Despite a rather unpleasant walk home to the hotel in the pouring rain, we had a fun time.

We were able to spend part of the day with cousins since we were all there for a family reunion for Thanksgiving. Pictured above is my brother Kevin with his daughters Gabi and Sarah and Rachel and Ben. My kids love the train.

We have never been to Disneyland while it is decorated for Christmas, so it was fun to see all of the changes. The castle was beautiful and It's A Small World was really festive. This picture is in front of the Haunted Mansion, which was done up with The Nightmare Before Christmas (which my kids love).

OUR CUTE KIDS...

"My bum burped!" Ben (4/10)

While shopping at Target:
Ben: "I have three problems."
Dad: "Really, what are they?"
Ben: "I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, and I want to buy something." (4/10)

"Cookies aren't yummy to bad guys." Ben (3/10)

Frequently said in Ben's prayers: "Thank you for Daddy's spirit." (3/10)

Since reading Little House in the Big Woods, Rachel, in her prayers, has been thanking Heavenly Father for grocery stores. (3/10)

"Mom, when are we EVER going to go to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?!!" Rachel (3/10)

Before we had family scripture reading, Bryan asked Ben what the name of the book was, and he answered, "The Book of Morden!" (1/10)

Rachel got walkie-talkies for Christmas and she calls them laffy taffies. (1/10)

Rachel's new favorite phrase is, "Just so you know." (12/09)

Ben said to me today, "Thank you your highness." (12/09)

Bryan was leaving for work at 5:45 and he was just about to pull out of the garage when Rachel comes running out with a look of concern. Bryan said, "Go back to bed Rachel. It's okay, I'll see you when I get home from work." And Rachel said, "It's okay Dad, I just thought Mommy was leaving." She is quite the momma's girl. (11/09)

I'm listening to Rachel sing Taylor Swift's Love Story. I think she knows more of the words than I do. She likes to repeat the story of Romeo and Juliette (which I told her when she asked what the song was about) every time it comes on the radio. (11/09)

Mom: "I love you Ben."
Ben: "I love you too. I love you way too much!" (10/09)

Ben's response to much of the things we ask him to do is "I know," even if it is something he's never heard before.

Ben: "You know what whack means Mom?"
Mom: "To hit someone. But we don't hit people."
Ben: "We can hit bad guys. (While making a whacking motion) If there are bad guys in the house we can hit them."
Mom: "Sure Ben; we can hit bad guys if they're in our house." (9/09)

Our new favorite treat is a Slurpee. Ben calls it a "ner-pee." (9/09)

The kids think our newest game is called Hi-Ho Cheerios. (9/09)

Rachel, after only her second day of kindergarten, "Mom, school's not actually that fun." (8/09)

Ben's new phrases that crack me up: "What the heck is that?" and "See! I told you." (8/09)

Ben took something from Rachel and she said to me, "Mom, Ben just seized that from me!" (8/09)

Rachel's new favorite movie is the original Parent Trap. I just overheard her playing with Ben and working in "I'm not saying a word. Not one single word." (7/09)

We often call Ben by the nickname Benny. So today, Elton John's song Benny and the Jets came on the radio. Ben kept saying to me "Benny and the Jets?" like he couldn't believe there was a song about him on the radio. And a few times today I've heard him singing the song to himself. (6/09)

Rachel: "Why doesn't daddy have a garbage truck?"

Dad: "Okay Rachel, how do we play this game?"
Rachel: "I don't know. There aren't any constructions!" (3/09)

Bryan took the kids to get Top's Frozen Yogurt and it was very crowded (hooray for free Fridays!) and Rachel said, "All of these people are kidding me out!" She was actually trying to say wigging me out. (2/09)

We watched The Restoration for Family Home Evening. Toward the end of the show there is a scene where Joseph Smith Sr. is being baptized and Ben said, "He taking a bath Mom!" (1/09)

After eating a big dinner Rachel said, "I'm full. I can't carry anything else." (1/09)

Rachel: "I'm hungry as a whistle!" (1/09)

So Ben is getting a little better at saying prayers, but this morning I could tell this prayer was a little different, like he was trying to add a few new things. Then at the end, instead of saying the normal closing, he just said, "The End!" (12/08)

Rachel got a cut on her finger at church and I forgot to get a band-aid on it before I started driving home. Rachel said, "Mom, pllleeaasssee get me a band-aid." I said that I couldn't get a band-aid while I was driving. So Rachel said, "Mom, just drive with your knee again!" (12/08)

So my kids really love The Nightmare Before Christmas. The other day Ben was looking out the window and saw a neighbor's Christmas lights on and said, "Halloween lights!" I tried to explain that they were actually Christmas lights, but Ben insisted that they were Halloween lights and sang the song "This is Halloween" to prove his point. Hmmm...Maybe Charlie Brown can change his mind in the next few weeks, since his mom doesn't know anything! (12/08)

I pulled out of our driveway with the kids in the back and Rachel says, "Mommy, you're really good at not trying to hit other cars." (12/08)

Rachel, about 6 hours into our 8 hour drive home from San Diego: "Mom, I'm so tired of just sitting here looking at the sky!" (11/08)

Normally when Ben says the blessing on the food you can only make out the words food or dad or amen but the rest is unintelligible. But last night during his prayer I heard something about a horsie and then the sound he makes for a horse's neighing. It was really hard not to laugh. (11/08)

When Ben is mad at someone, his response is to tell them, "Pooh pooh Rachel" or "Pooh pooh mommy" or whoever else he might be mad at. And usually it is with a low voice and a frown on his face. I guess that's his ultimate insult. (11/08)

Whenever we get in the car to drive somewhere and I turn on the radio, Rachel asks, "Mom, can you turn on 'It's Too Late to Apologize'?" Then I have to explain to her that the radio doesn't work like iTunes and you can't turn on whatever you want. But no worries, it usually comes on the radio at least once during our ride anyway; then she will sing away. It's so cute. (10/08)

Ben was having a hard time getting his dinner on his fork and he finally shouted, "Come on!!" No comment as to where he picked that one up. (10/08)

I usually carry Tic Tac breath mints in my purse and the other day Rachel asked me, "Mom, can I have a Tic Tac Toe?" (10/08)

"I can't believe in my eyes!" -Rachel (10/08)

Mom: "Why did you close the window Rachel?"
Rachel: "Because I'm cold. I'm freezing heck cold." (10/08)

Rachel was eating a peach and she said, "This is excellently pretty!" (10/08)

Rachel took a late nap after spending the night and partying with cousin Taylor. When she woke up to eat dinner, Bryan told her we were going for a walk after dinner and did she want to ride in the stroller? She said: "No, I want to ride my bike so I can exercise and get some energy back." (10/08)

I hear this at least three times a day from Ben: "I wan yo-yi." Translation: I want yogurt. (10/08)

Rachel, during a dinner prayer, "Pray that Mommy and Daddy and Grandma can save the day and rescue each other."

Ben thinks it's pretty funny to repeat Lightning McQueen and say "Car car idiot!" Thanks Disney.

Mom: "Rachel, what do you want for your birthday dinner?"
Rachel: "Cookies and bananas and M&Ms."

"I hear someone talking in my head" -Rachel

Ben was pointing at different things on my face and he suddenly put his finger in my my nose and said, "Hole!"

Recent Reads

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this for book club and enjoyed reading something different for a change. The author makes some good points that I mostly agreed with. It made for a good discussion.

View all my reviews

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow...so sad, but very compelling.

View all my reviews

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to the audio book on this one, which made the author's somewhat-tedious tangents a little easier to gloss over. It was, overall, a very interesting and thought-provoking book.

View all my reviews

The Work and the Glory, Vol. 4: Thy Gold to Refine by Gerald N. Lund

My rating: 5 of 5 stars This one was very hard to read. I love my country but am finding myself feeling a little angry as July 4th is just around the corner. How could American citizens treat their fellow countrymen in such a manner? The pure evil nature of the mobs related in this book, with the full blessing of their government leaders who are supposed to uphold the rights of all of its citizens, is appalling to me. Let us hope we will not be faced with such evil again for a long time. You can see the father of lies and hate hard at work trying to stop the important work the early saints were starting. I'm very grateful to those who would not deny their faith to escape such horror. View all my reviews >>

The Work and the Glory, Vol. 3: Truth Will Prevail by Gerald N. Lund

My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews >>

The Work and the Glory, Vol. 2: Like a Fire Burning by Gerald N. Lund

My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews >>

Pillar of Light (The Work and the Glory, #1)

Pillar of Light by Gerald N. Lund

My rating: 5 of 5 stars I began reading this series when I was a teenager but never finished, so I decided to start over from the beginning. I must admit that it took some getting used to the mixing of fact and fiction. It made me a little uncomfortable to read of Joseph relating his sacred account of the first vision to a fictional Nathan, which was basically word for word from the Pearl of Great Price (which I do think was a good choice, just a little strange for me.) I did come to terms with the format and feel that the author did a great job in looking at Joseph and the Restoration from many differing points of view. It brings church history alive while creating a very intriguing storyline. View all my reviews >>

The History of Joseph Smith by His Mother by Lucy Mack Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars I don't know why I haven't read this before. In my opinion, a must read for every Latter-Day Saint. I'm so thankful we have his mother's account of Joseph's trials and triumphs. Inspiring. View all my reviews >>

The Mordens

Monday, December 29, 2008

Santa Came!!

Christmas Eve, Part II

Christmas Eve

Friday, December 12, 2008

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

Monday, December 8, 2008

The Morden Family: Camille, Bryan, Rachel and Ben

OUR CUTE KIDS...

Recent Reads

Blog Archive

Some Fun Sites

My Blog List