Hello!

Hey everyone!  I hope you're all doing well!  Just as an update, I changed the web address to my blog so it stays consistent with my name change...it's also easier (I think).  It's www.mandyrice.blogspot.com.  I don't know how to change the link on this blog to it...so I hope, Emily, you don't mind making that change for me.  Also...I think we should get better at using this blog again.  Emily, you're fantastic about keeping your blog up to date and I love reading your stories and seeing pictures of you guys!  So...let's recommit to using this blog!  Who's with me?! 

(PS, your reactions should be, and I quote, "YES!!!  I'm with you Mandy!!!" with as much enthusiasm as your little bodies can muster!  Okay?  Okay!)

So yeah!  Let's say we all try to do one post a month per family...?  Is that somewhat doable?  I'd say it doesn't even have to be much...maybe just a sentence or two giving even the slightest of updates...yeah.  :)  I love you all!  I hope all is going well with each of you!!!  Take care and have a fabulous Sunday tomorrow!

MISSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have OFFICIALLY begun the paperwork to go on a mission!!!!!!!!!!!!! HECK YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am seriously soooo excited right now! You have no idea. Anyway, I'll fill you all in on the recent developments of mission stuff, but I just had to share that with you guys right now. The church is true!!! YAY!!!

PS...do any of you know where Grandpa Wood served a mission? And what is Dad's mailing address? If there are any other bits of information I need, I'll let you know. Thanks for any and all help everyone! I love you!!!!!!!

Pictures of my Surgery...

Just in case you want to see some cool pictures. I posted the pictures and a very long version of what happened to me over the last 4 days on our blog!

http://phil-woodfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/appendectomy.html

Madison's Birthday.

I used Jen's cake making book from christmas to make the duck cake. It only calls for one cake round so the other one I decided to test out some more decorating skills. I need some work! But it was fun! A Hobby I think I may have to pick up sooner or later.

Madison was not getting enough in her mouth with just the fork so she resorted to all out licking the plate, Phil ended up assisting her in it eventually not really something you want to teach your kid but it was pretty funny to watch non the less.





As you can see Madison picked up on the lyrics to the Happy Birthday song pretty quickly. She also requested it as her bed time song that night!





Last year I tried to record some of the little things that Madison had recently learned how to do so here is a small clip of that for birthday number two. Kind of silly but it shows her personality quite well!

At long last...

Okay! I posted on my blog now! You can tak a look if you'd like. It's not much or very exciting, for that matter, but it's something! :) Enjoy!

Blogs

So everyone this is lame cause we never use this blog but I just thought I would at least point out that Celeste has her own blog that she does keep up to date that you should all see and check out cause she is amazing. And Mandy you just need start posting on yours so I can encourage everyone to look at yours too!

Karma I think you need to start using this as your personal blog so you can keep us up to date with tavy and everything with you guys. Im sure Madison would love to see some pictures of her youngest brother in law who she loves so much. And im not able to get pictures on my phone so maybe you can just post them here instead!!!

Love you all talk to you soon!

This is a paper I wrote and was asked to publish for my English class. It's a contraction on a paper I did earlier on this year.

The past months have filled many with a growing anxiety and apprehension for the future as the financial pressures of today, worsening from the effects of the recession, become too much for some to bear. Yet, while some fight against the ever increasing weight of debt, there are countless stories where someone has come, relieving in some way the burdens that bind these people, which then enables them to turn to other labors renewed. Today, when many still struggle, the hope for the economy lies in each of us, who have hands able to reach out.

Because the shock on consumer spending is rattling our whole economy so entirely, it’s clear that recovery and future prevention will involve a change on all our parts. Letting some stay at the bottom without aid would only increase the number of homeless and therefore decrease the ability of many to develop in our economy as contributors. The government has turned to increase government spending, stimulating present demand while cutting investments and putting a heavy debt on future generations. This practice, while immediately effective, is only a quickest fix.

To make an economy capable of weathering this and future storms, every one of us must realize our part in spending our time, money, and efforts to invest in the power of others. Then each giver, inspiring the receiver to follow, will become a stone in the formation of an economy where each person can build on the next, and then everyone may be securely supported together.

Sorry!!! It's really really long...right after I clicked on "publish post" I realized how stinkin' long that post is.

Update and Request =)

All right...well, I couldn't think of a better way to do this. So, in advance, sorry if posting on the family blog doesn't suffice or if it offends you in anyway. BUT! Just as a general update about what's going on and what will be happening in the relatively near future for me...you ready? (Drumroll please!!!)

I'm going on a mission!!!!!

I've been praying and thinking about it seriously for the last month or so. It's actually been kind of interesting how it's all played out. I started out just considering it as one of those future options that didn't need any real thought at that moment in my life...as a far-off possibility that sounded good and, of course, seemed righteous. And for right then, I just left it alone. I was more focused on getting through this contract with the Lee-Wens and with all the other drama...a mission wasn't my priority. So, I put off (yet again) the actual act of praying about it because it didn't seem logical right then...this was back around February while I was still dating Keegan, by the way.

Anyway...the thought kept coming back to my mind...so near the middle of March I finally decided to start praying about it. And at first, I wasn't exactly sure which way it would go. I knew that it would be good if I decided to go and if I didn't, then I would be taken care of. (Heavenly Father is just pretty good like that...) But, amid all this, I had had many conversations with a friend here in Texas that was leaving for a mission and also I talked with Hannah a lot about her making the decision to go...and all this other stuff. But it was something that Hannah said that got me thinking I should serve. She told me that for her, it was just a simple question of "Are you worthy? And if so, are you willing to serve?"

From there, I started to get the feeling that it was right for me to go, but I just couldn't admit it to myself. So, more time passes, and I'm on the phone with Mom and she tells me that she's always wanted me to go on a mission and all this other stuff...but the thing that stuck out was that she wanted me to choose the gift of a mission for my family. To choose that gift for myself and my husband. Simply to choose it. And then, a few nights later, I was reading my Patriarchal blessing and I was reading it specifically in regards to me serving a mission. It talks a lot about my being a teacher and the effect I'll have when I teach, but the phrase "stand as a witness" is used multiple times. This time, that phrase meant more than just in context to what the whole sentance was. It was a call/plea/answer for me to make the decision to choose to stand as a witness of my Savior.

But me, being the stubborn, willful person that I am...I still was having doubts. Then this one Sunday before church...it was actually fast Sunday before conference, I was saying my prayers before going to church and I was having a very difficult time comitting to the psuedo-decision to go on a mission. So, I was just saying my prayer and I finally realized what I wanted most. I wanted to get married...I wanted to just be married so I could be a mom and start raising my family...I wanted to be the best mom I could be...with this realization came the unwavering knowledge that a mission would help me reach my desired goal. I went to church that day with this serene knowledge that I would be serving a mission...and then that week went by, and by conference weekend, I was YET AGAIN not sure anymore.

Yes...I do realize how ridiculous and dense I am...and I apologize about that...BUT! It actually is what makes the rest of it really cool. SO! I watch conference that weekend with the specific intent to finally make a decision once and for all about going on a mission. It wasn't like there was one talk that spoke the impression of me going on a mission super clearly, but, rather, it was a question I wrote down in my notes as a result of President Monson's closing remarks on Sunday afternoon. The overall feeling that I got from that talk was one of action. We need to start actively serving the Lord in what we do, no matter what we are asked to do. So...at the end of his talk, I started just scribbling all this stuff out. I was asking myself all these questions about taking action until I finally ended with, "Will you serve the Lord?" To which my answer was, "YES!"

Later that week, after a trying experience invloving Keegan, I asked for a blessing from the EQP in my ward and he called up another guy, who I've gotten close to, to come help with the blessing. After the blessing, the three of us were sitting around talking and Paul, the EQP, asked what I was going to do after Texas. I replied with "I dunno...school, mission...something." A few minutes later, Jeddy, the other guy, said, "I thought this a few moments ago, and I feel like I need to say it...you already know what you're supposed to do." I just looked at Jeddy and nodded my head and said, "You know what? You're exactly right. I do know what I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to serve a mission."

And from then, I have not doubted that I am supposed to go on a mission. I talked to my bishop about a mission today and even he confirmed it. I came in, sat down and informed him that I wanted to go on a mission, so what do I need to do from here? And he looked me in the eye and replied with, "Yeah...this feels good. It feels exactly right..."

So, this is where I'm at right now. The only problem/difficulty in my finally making the decision to go on a mission, is that I can't begin the paperwork until 3 months prior to my availabilty date. Meaning, if I finish out my contract with the Lee-Wens (which goes through December) I can't start filling out the paperwork until September. And if I don't want to wait that long, then I need to figure out a way to convince/pursuade the Lee-Wens to let me go in August...or at least, to be willing to let me go then. Which brings me to my request...during this next week, I will be working up the courage and the right words to address the parents about my decision. To be honest, I'm slightly terrified about it because these people are very intimidating and I'm under contract so they don't have to do anything. They can make me wait until December to leave without blinking an eye. So I ask, that in your prayers this week, that you will pray their hearts will be softened when I present my case to them. Also that the Lord's will will be done either way...

And that's about it. :) Thanks for reading this big ol' thing and for your prayers and help. I'm at a point where I just need all the help I can get. I've been ridiculous with how long it's taken me to actually recognize what I'm supposed to be doing, so now, I don't want to keep waiting. I have my answer, so I just want to move forward with it. I love you all so very much. Thanks again for everything you have done, all that you currently do, and everything you continue to do. I couldn't ask for better brothers and sisters-in-law and parents to be my examples.

PS...the church is TRUE!!!!

Phil's German Chocolate Cake

I don't want this post to sound too deceiving, just wanted to make clear that Phil did not make a German Chocolate Cake...but he did eat one.

http://skinnycakery.blogspot.com/2009/04/german-chocolate-cake.html

You can read about it on my blog. Oh, and Emily - I put on there a really cute picture of Madison and I'll have to email you some others that we have of you and Phil sometime before before you or I die (whichever comes first...).

A couple things...

I got a haircut!!! YAY!!! I think it was somewhere between 8-10 inches whacked off...so yeah! Here it is...

Next...here is a video of Caeleb reading his favorite story. There was about a two week period where I read "Are You My Mother?" to him at least 3 times a day. So he, and I, memorized it. He can't actually read, mind you, but it's still pretty freaking adorable to say the least. His little voice just melts my heart. Enjoy!

I'm a blogger!

I've started my own blog. It only has two posts (whooo!!!).

You should mark this in your "favorites" and give the URL to your friends.....

www.skinnycakery.blogspot.com

More pictures of the kids and me!

Here's just some more random pictures of me and the kids. Nothing all that special about any of them or anything...I'm just sharing! I hope you find them as entertaining as I do! Love you all!

Tender moments with Caeleb.

Eilie being crazy as usual.

For whatever reason, these two became obsessed with taking pictures of someone getting kissed on the cheek. This one was funny because Caeleb was giggling like a little girl when whe smooshed his face.

More kissing cuteness!

Caeleb learning to be a copy cat...every crazy face he makes, comes from Eilie's wonderful influence.

Eilie is doing her "I'm sad, but I want to look 'hot' like all the models in magazines" face. She's pretty cute!

He does know how to be a charmer when he wants to be though. Look at that face...deceiving isn't it?

Adventures at the park with Caeleb being silly and learning how to make crazy faces...

So...apparently Eiliana likes the taste of Caeleb...I didn't know this, however, until this picture was taken and she tried to take a bite out of his head. Funny how kids work sometimes, huh? :)

This is Eiliana and the dog, Leo. She pretty much loves him and he's crazy about her.

My cube-mate's work wife asked me to make a cake for a going away party for some guy (who got promoted) on the Hellfire program (which also happens to be the program Scott works on). Since Lockheed does a lot of work for the Army....why not make a camo-themed cake? Here are some pictures.

So if you need one any time soon....you know where to reach me.

More pictures!

I took more pictures of me and the kids so here they are. These are just a few of the (literally) hundreds I take of them. Ha! They're just too darn cute for words...at least in my opinion...

Details...

All right Emily...here's the down low on Keegan. He is 22...served a mission in the Toronto West Canada Mission. He got back about 4 months ago. I met him Christmas Eve at Juliana Herzog's house. He was there just hanging out with her...he lives down the street from Ju so they became close friends. That whole weekend that I was in Bastrop for Christmas, he was there every day. Uh...so yeah. Just a process of events I guess...we started dating...we've been dating about two weeks I think. And that really is about it...here's a picture...this is us...

Here is a video of Caeleb with some playdoh...I hope this works...he's pretty cute (in my opinion) so I hope you all agree! :)

The kids!

Now that I have pictures, I wanted to show ya'll Caeleb and Eiliana. Some are from the tumbling gym Caeleb goes to during the week and the others are from the Children's Museum of Austin that we went to during Christmas break. Eili also got a hair cut right before these pictures were taken. Her hair used to be half-way down her back...but she looks so good with her short hair. Caeleb is also a little cutie in these pictures...once I figure out how to post videos, I'll get those on here so you can get a taste of what they're really like!

Eilie loves getting her picture taken. She will stand there for a full 15 or 20 minutes just making faces at me if I have my camera out. And then she turns around and shows me her butt and that's where I draw the line...

Here they are pretending to be either dogs in their kennell or prisoners. I can't remember which, but they had some fun with it.

This is classic Caeleb...he makes this face a lot...and usually when he's screaming or whining...or just playing around.

This is classic Eilie...this face is her usual face besides the few big grins she gives me every once in a while.

There was this music room filled with a stage, country music costumes, and wooden guitars and violins/fiddles. The guitar of course was too big for Caeleb but it was the one he insisted on playing with the whole time. :)

Update from Austin!

Hey everyone! I finally had some time on the computer to write about what's going on in Austin and how life and work is. First off, the family is really great so far! Caleb, who is three, is just adorable! Today he started randomly saying, "Tanks fowa being my fwend" which, honestly, melts my heart! He has a dimpled grin and these big brown eyes. He's definitely a boy who likes to wrestle and play and run, but he is also a snuggle bug through and through. He is one of the easiest kids (along with his sister) to put to bed. I read him a few stories before naps (usually Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Dr. Seuss's ABC book, and Guess Who with Elmo) and then I lay him down and that is that...he rolls over and essentially falls asleep right there. No tears, no fussing, no fight! I am spoiled! But it's the hours that he is awake that make up for the easiness of his going to sleep. He rarely speaks when he isn't whining or raising his voice, he repeats the same phrase about 20 times despite any attempts at consoling or understanding, and, my favorite, he puts his little hand in my face and yells, "Don't say dat to meeee!" And then, if that weren't enough, he sleeps for two solid hours at least giving me a wonderful break in the middle of the day to do whatever work (or rest) I need. Eiliana (pronounced Haley Ana...without the "H") is eight years old, a gold belt in martial arts, and a girl through and through. She reminds me a lot of Tavy with the energy, the way she talks like a baby when she wants something, and the way she hangs all over me whenever we are in the same room. She's pretty fun and good natured, but she is certainly a challenge in that she struggles with staying focused in school and with homework, she lacks the needed work opportunities that I was blessed with growing up, and desperately wants attention and affection from her parents but doesn't have the opportunity to receive it.

The parents though are pretty good so far. The last couple of working days have been somewhat awkward simply because one of them have been home consistently but regardless of that, it's great with them. Monte, the dad, told me that I don't need to ask about using the car when I'm not on duty and he is also pretty laid back with how I manage the kids. He is particular in the end result with them however. He wants me actively involved in Eili's school work and to teach her the importance of her actions now. He is very much about the consequences that come from his kids' action and inaction. Nalie, the mom, is more...demanding when it comes to the kids. She has very high expectations of me and is constantly telling me how to do things and what to do with them. It is to be expected though, so I don't mind it much. I do my best to follow her instructions and still find ways to be myself with Caleb and Eili.

I have a private bedroom and bathroom with a walk-in closet (WOOT WOOT!!!) and a car that I have for my personal use...an amazing silver '08 Audi that drives like a dream and is just pretty! My bedroom is gorgeous! The bedding is so pretty and the walls are a golden yellow with black picture frames and a black bookshelf as the accents. The bed is a queen sized bed and it's actually the same bed as the one Mom and Dad have...with the pine cone looking things on it...I think it's the one in the guest room, if I remember correctly. They have a baby grand piano that is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen! They have a home theatre room, complete with awesome surround sound, big screen, and over-head projector. The house is really an amazing thing to see...it's insanely gorgeous and well furnished.

The singles ward is also great so far! I had lots of people come up and introduce themselves to me within the first hour of church and right after Sacrament meeting I was set up with FHE information as well as meeting both counselors in the Bishopric. I am yet again, one of the youngest members in the ward, but I'm used to it. So far it reminds me a lot of the ward I attended in Alexandria except that I'm not as intimidated by this group. Pretty much everyone is very friendly and warm which makes it easy to feel welcome and a part of the ward.

I got to see Juliana Herzog this weekend and I expect to be seeing more of her in my time in Austin. I don't think I'll be getting much time off for Christmas so I'll be heading over to her house for Christmas. Ju says hi to everyone (that she knows, anyway) and Rachel sends her love as well...especially to you, Mom. And for now, I guess that's it. I can't think of anything else to write about...I hope you are all doing well! Love you and miss you all! And when I get pictures of the kids, I'll post them so you can see how cute these two are! :)

Halloween!

I want to see everyone's Halloween costumes or just pictures if you were lame and didn't dress up. This was our little pirate family! And yes I know Madison looks like a boy, next year i think well go with the princess theme so she can wear pink!