..Jingle Bell Rock..

Mr. Masen came to my house last Friday and sang the cutest version of Jingle Bells; over, and over, and over again.  It was the day after Thanksgiving, so of course we had the Christmas tunes on all day.  Every time Jingle Bell Rock would come on the radio, Masen would break out in song.  It made me giggle every time!  By the time I finally thought to get it on video, it was late; my boys were snoring away in front of their movie, and the downstairs tenants had gone to bed, so I gave him extra special permission to to do his dancing on the couch. What a cute boy he is!

..O' Christmas Tree..

We decorated the  Christmas tree for FHE last night.  The tree has been up since the day after Thanksgiving, but we just haven't had the time to decorate it yet.  The boys had fun, as always, and were bummed when they ran out of ornaments to hang.  The decorating was done their usual fashion, clumped together in various spots around the tree.  Now I get to re-decorate to my liking! (My apologies for the jaundiced looking children, I promise they are in good health.  The photos were taken with my iPhone and I currently don't have any photo editing software...at least that I know how to use.) It's virtually impossible to get the camera out without Ronnie turning on the dramatics.  After the first picture I told him he needed to pose a little more "manly"...the result was the next second picture. Hmmm.

I'll be sure and post a pic of the tree once I finish with it.

..Sleepy Heads..

I've been cataloging all my photos on my computer.  It has been so fun to take a walk down memory lane!  While browsing, I noticed a trend.  MY CHILDREN SLEEP IN SOME OF THE STRANGEST PLACES/POSITIONS!  Are my kids the only ones?  I thought it would be appropriate pay tribute to this humorous trend.

Lovin' the Michael Jackson hand placement.

Notice the candy cane in the mouth.  Too funny!

This one is Masen.  Every time he comes to my house, he wants to play Wii.

You'll remember the dirt nap from a post not too longs ago.

But the winner is....

...Ronnie.

He had fallen asleep on the way home from a camping trip.  He "woke up" when we pulled in the garage.  Nelson and I got out, started checking on the animals, and when I went back to check on the boys, this is what I saw.  This is as far as he made it, then he fell back to sleep. 

So the moral of the story is...when you're tired, sleep.  Wherever you are!

..New Calling..

About a month and a half ago, I got a new calling.

I am now serving as the Stake Young Women Secretary.  I'm scared to death!

I'm also still serving as the Relief Society 2nd Counselor.  (Service in the church has been busy in the Mangum house these days!  Nelson also received 2 new callings...in addition to the one he already had.)

I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get released from Relief Society any day now, although I am really sad to be leaving.  I LOVED my calling! I LOVED the sisters I was serving with!  Sad day!

To be quite honest, serving in the youth program has been the one calling I have always dreaded.  I'm not very fond of teenagers, specifically teenage girls and all the mean drama.  I guess the Lord needs me to have a change of attitude.

I am still terrified, for so many reasons.  I know they say you should never place one calling as more important than another, but a Stake calling really does seem so much more prestiges...AND I AM NOT PRESTIGES!  I have been racking my brain wondering why on earth I was even considered for this position.  Often in the church, callings seem more like playing a matching game with names and callings on a piece of paper, but I have received confirmation that this calling was in fact divinely inspired...and I'm still having a hard time figuring out why.  Not only that, but the women I am serving with are SO INTIMIDATING!!!!!  I feel so out of place when I am around them.  Not only are they all at least 10 years older than me and in a different phase of life, but they are incredible examples of righteous mother's and leaders ( I have much work to do to ever be half of what they are).  I'm beginning to think the Lord put me here to learn, not to serve.  In my setting apart, I was asked to fill some big shoes using some characteristics that are very much a dormant part of my personality.  I was told to be BOLD, OUTGOING, and to REACH OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE!  Wow! That's asking a lot! I'm a wall flower, completely content to sit back and watch life happen.

But, a thrilling and surprising thing is happening.  I am learning so much about who I am through the eyes of others!  The Lord is guiding me to see that I am exactly the person He has always know me to be. A person I have always been afraid to see, because it is so much easier to believe I'm a nobody.  Several people over the last few weeks have paid compliments that have been shocking to me, because they are about qualities I never would have thought I possessed.  Quite frankly, it feels good to be somebody.   

Overall, I'm terrified! Intimidated! Inadequate! and a complete fish out of water!  Let the adventure begin!

..Cakes..

I have a few family posts coming once the weekend is over, but I've been so busy with cake (and my new calling) that I haven't had a chance to post for awhile.  In the meantime, head on over to Iced Occasions and check out my latest work!

..My Baby Isn't so Much a Baby Anymore..

He turned 4 today!  Where has the time gone?  I can remember it was just yesterday when we brought that sweet little bundle of joy home.  Now he's not so sweet anymore(sometimes the sweet still sneaks in), but he's definitely still a bundle of joy!

We sure do love him! He makes us laugh all the time.  He's growing and learning so much everyday.  And he's 100% boy!  Loves dirt, bugs, tractors, and anything that involves the outdoors.  What a blessing he has been in our lives! We are so grateful Heavenly Father placed him in our care.  Our family just wouldn't be complete without him!

Ryland loves tractors! Obviously.  And his current TV obsession is "Bob the Builder", but he calls it "Fix the Tractor" because really he just watches it for the tractors.  His favorite episodes are the "Job Site" episodes because they have footage of actual tractors.  He knows many of the correct names for tractors, but due to Bob the Builder, most tractors with buckets are "Scoop".  Hence the Scoop cake.  It was a big hit! He was upset with me when I cut it and then he wouldn't eat it. (I think his mind was on the plethora of toys he had just opened too.)

Tractors!

Ryland also got a new bike, because he quite literally ran his Radio Flyer Trike into the ground.  He loved that bike so much the back wheels fell off and he has been lost without it.  He rode that thing all over our place.  And if you know our place then you know that means he took that thing off-roading.  R.I.P Radio Flyer.  You were WELL loved!

And more tractors.  He can never have enough tractors.

Ryland is not an attention seeker.  He didn't want to blow out his candles because every one was watching and every one was expecting him to...and Ryland doesn't do things just because you expect him to.  So he had a little help blowing out his candles this year.

..When You're Tired..

...You sleep anywhere!

My kids have always napped in strange places and in odd positions.  I assume most kids do.  When you play that hard and your body says it's nap time, it happens regardless of where you are.

For Ryland, there is clearly no exception to that rule.

Even if that place is under the porch.  With the dogs, and the bugs.  In the dirt.

What can I say?! He is ALL boy and he plays hard.

..Shopping Fun..

See that new button over on my side bar?  If you like to craft or create and you like getting crafty mail, it's the place for you, so go check it out! It's called Whoopdwhoop! Hope to see you there.

..HOT..

It's been HOT in Missouri this summer.

I mean 95-98 plus humidity HOT for nearly 2 months now.  And if you're familiar with humidity you know what kind of HOT I'm talking about.  It's  MISERABLE!  For once I agree that we live in "Misery" as my family likes to call Missouri.  Our heat indexes have been around 105 degrees.

If you don't know humidity, let me just tell you this.  Back in June, while we were in Utah, Nelson and I ran away to Vegas for our 10th anniversary.  Most of you will remember that we used to live there.  It's hot there.  When we lived there I hated it.  When we arrived, it was 110 degrees.  But, I was perfectly comfortable.  It's not hot there like it's HOT here.  We laughed comically at all the passerby's as they moaned and groaned about the heat as we commented that the "breeze" felt quite nice and the heat was actually surprisingly pleasant.  Vegas is not HOT.  Missouri in 90 plus with 70 plus humidity is HOT!  I'm glad I don't live in Texas!  (Is it HOT in Texas Whit? I've heard it's HOT HOT.)

This is how my children are surviving the HOT summer.  (I'm praying for an early fall, since we got cheated of our pleasant spring and mild early summer.)