Introducing: Sally, Pally, Master, and Blackcoon

I don't do pets. But as Joe and I were talking about something meaningful to get Madison for Christmas we talked extensively about her love for animals. At first we considered getting her one of those "fur real" pets that you put batteries in and they walk and bark and pant. But, honestly, she has so many stuffed animals that I am constantly sneakily stuffing them in plastic garbage bags. When we rented out the house we are in--we actually asked the owner to add "no pets" to the contract so we would have a good excuse to give the kids every time they asked for a cat or dog. But then Joe suggested a fish and I thought maybe I could handle a fish. We got permission from the landlord and bought Madison a fish tank for Christmas.

One month later. . . I took Madison to Pet Smart last Saturday and talked to a nice employee for about an hour. I kept emphasizing that we needed something that "was hard to kill" and would "stay alive easily."  I don't know if he thought I was nuts, but he helped us through buying a different fish tank*, getting gravel, chemicals to add to the water, bacteria to add to the water, fish food, and most importantly: fish.

It's been over 72 hours and they are still alive. 

I'm feeling pretty good about this.

Madison is getting ready for school faster than she ever has in her life because if she isn't ready for school by 7:20 then someone else gets to feed the fish. The ultimate threat.

If the fish stay alive for a few more weeks we will go back to get a live plant to put in the box at the bottom.

Can you find all the fish? I tried to figure out a way to circle them, but it was taking too much time.

And, finally, Madison let Logan and Grant name 2 of the fish. Can you guess who chose which names? 

*The fish tank we originally got was less durable and did not have a light. I decided to spend a little more on this one because it actually looked decent, and since it would be living on our kitchen counter I wanted something that looked nice. . . but then I got home and realized that maybe an open fish tank (in the kitchen, no less, which is messy. . . and then I read that fish in the kitchen are "bad chi." oops) with four little kids might not be my most brilliant act. Time will tell.

Goodbyes are so hard to say. . . unless it takes three years.

We've been holding our breath on this announcement, but it's finally safe to say: our Cleveland house has sold!

Three years and three offers later. . . I'd say it's about time.

I won't even tell you what it sold for because you might want to cry. I've already spent my crying-time, so I'm mostly just feeling thankful.

This house represents a lot for me: a new job--our first REAL job, our first home purchase, a baby born, a lost job, a few months as a "single" mom while Joe forged the way for us in Texas, 14 or so birthdays, 3 Christmas's, friends and family visiting.

I loved the wood floors, the flowers that bloomed each season, the sun-lit walls, and Grant's method of getting downstairs. I love the memories we made and the friendships that were built.

Getting rid of it represents a lot for me now: a new start, a better life-style, a job that we have more control over, moving from a small, old house to one that is new (2001!) and monstrous in comparison.

We've learned a lot, and we've grown in so many ways that I can't even explain. I think I can sincerely say I'm glad we had this experience, but I am thankful that now we can let it go.

Goodbye house!

Random from the week

Finally set up the trampoline. = Many hours of play, exercise, and fun.

*note* the neighbor's are not allowed to jump on it (their parents' rule, not ours). I guess that might not be such a bad thing.

Grant dumped an entire tube of blue paint on the carpet floor. Luckily it was (mostly) water-soluble. I have been scrubbing for days to get it out, but when it dries it comes back up to the surface and I scrub some more. 

*note* the best part about this is that he also got the paint all over his face. He looks smurfish. 

Found some decent curtains at Target on super clearance at $6 a panel. Also found curtain rod at Lowe's for $4. Not exactly my favorite of either, but as we are in a hopefully non-permanent rental home, they will do.

*note* the curtain rod is a few inches too short. We only hung them up on one window because I can't decide whether or not I like it better with curtains or bare. All I have right now is a pathetic camera-phone picture, or I'd get your opinion.

A little bit of TMI: Now that Ammon is nearing his first birthday, Aunt Flo has returned.

*note*awful awful awful. Why do women have to go through so much crap? Seriously.

And that about sums up this week at the McGregor's. 

TV or not TV

As I mentioned a few posts ago, we got a bigger than 15" T.V.

This has been a much debated topic in our house because I LOVE not watching television.


I grew up in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania, and the only television we watched was a very fuzzy channel 12. Instead I read up in my tree, read in the fields, walked in the woods, and did lots and lots of work around the farm. OK, so maybe I was supposed to do lots of work, but I whined so much that I probably didn't do as much as I think I did. And I should probably note that I did not think it was cool at the time to not watch all the shows my peers were watching.

My point is: I hate the noise of the TV. I hate the time wasted in front of the TV. I think that kids should be outside running around and playing with their friends, reading books, doing art, or playing an instrument. Something constructive and healthy.

But. . . when we do family movie nights, it was kind of annoying that we couldn't see the movie without squinting. And my parents surprised us with a Wii for Christmas--and while I think that could also be a time-waster, I am actually excited about the interaction and exercise it could potentially provide. And then there's General Conference. And wouldn't it be nice to maybe someday invite friends over to watch a movie?

So we got one.

Then came the issue of trying to figure out where to put it. At first I wanted it go upstairs in the play area so that my living area could remain distraction-free. But there isn't enough seating upstairs for everyone to enjoy the movie. Plus it's a pain to drag all of the food and dishes upstairs on pizza night. But the main reason I considered putting the t.v. in the main living area is that it is the room that is most likely to be clean and fresh and relaxing (despite what Madison is telling everyone). And let's face it, if I am going to cuddle up and watch a movie, I want it to be in a nice atmosphere--and sometimes the play area is not that place (unless, of course, I want to spend 30 minutes cleaning it, which I don't want to do after the kids are in bed).

The final decision: TV in the downstairs living area.

This presented its own problems, which included several different furniture arrangements. I couldn't win it all, and after Joe kindly moved the piano all over the living room for arrangement experiments, it is now blocking the fire place, which I guess is ok because we don't even use the fire place, but it is a little sad to me anyway.

We do not have cable or satellite, which I am hoping stays that way forever regardless of whether or not we ever have money to pay for it.

I think we've turned it on for one movie night (which I wasn't there for because my dear husband surprised me with a babysitter and took me out on a date!), for a few you-tube videos (check out "cello wars", and some "just dance" and "wii sports." I'm not totally convinced, but so far so good.

Madison tells it like it really is:

"My house has six people.
It smells like (disgusting) trash and (yucky) diapers.
It looks giant."

or

"My house smells like trash and dirty diapers."

Which one do you like better?

When I laughed and put this on here Madison got very upset and said (and I quote), "Don't laugh. Those are good describing words."

Yes, Madison, yes they are.

Maybe I should rethink the WalMart-brand of scentsy.

On new year's resolutions

Before I say anything else, you should know that I am typing this on my iPhone in a parking lot facing a lake while I wait for the time in between Logan and Madison's first semester award assembly. Ammon is snoring in his carseat and Grant went to work with dad today (because he has been asking for a while and dad told him that Friday (today) he could go).

Let me tell you, I have had a battle going on inside of me because I can think of 101 things I could be doing with only one small child in tow . . . cleaning a house still suffering from Christmas break or going shopping are my top choices. But I keep reminding myself that I am a SAHM (stay at home mom) so that I can go to all of these things for my children, and in the long run it is better time spent.

The SAHM conversation has been going on in my head a lot lately. I feel like our generation is fairly supportive of SAHMs, but I still find I'm defending myself often. Not long ago I was having a conversation about how we didn't get a second car until we'd been married for 6 years and we were in Ohio, expecting baby #3. This person, someone I love very much, said something like, "yeah, but you didn't have a job to get to." That really stung-- and I said something like, "I did have a job, and I was stranded at home alone with 2 little kids, and it was very difficult."

Anyway, I've been so busy that I haven't had time to think of who I wanted to be this next year. It's so easy to see your own weaknesses but everyone else's strengths. This can really get a person down sometimes! Some things I want to make sure happen this year are:

Be more dilligent at teaching the kids piano;

Get Logan and Madison signed up for a sport;

Get Grant signed up for preschool;

Spend my time more wisely;

Be a more optimistic person, and have more spontaneous fun with the family;

Greet Joe with a smile and a kiss each day when he walks in the door;

Buy Joe the camera of his dreams; dear Joe, I was rereading this, thinking that some stuff (especially punctuation) was different, and now I know why. I wish you many nice dreams; maybe you can subconsciously alter them to include that camera. ; ). 

Be filled with gratitude and a desire to help others;

Come what may, and love every single minute; and

Find peace with who I am while striving to be better.

2011: A Partial Year Review

Jennifer and I spent much of the last 3 weeks debating what to call 2011: "The Comeback Year," the "Turnaround Year," the "Resurrection Year." You get the idea.

The point is, looking back, 2011 has been very good to us. It didn't start that way. In January we were out of money. I dropped a few resumes with potential employers thinking I would have to abandon my practice. I contemplated picking up a part-time job to make ends meet. Things were scary, and every penny counted.

To make matters worse, we were living in a pretty crappy house. For the first time in my life I was miserable in my church calling. Our Cleveland house was evaporating value. We were about to have another baby, and I wasn't sure how we would pay for him. And, BYU Football had just wrapped up an extremely disappointing year. It was hard to be happy, and it was sometimes difficult to be a good husband and father.

Needless to say, 2011 started out as a horrible year.

Somewhere in the middle of 2011, though, things began to change. Clients started showing up out of nowhere. With money. We moved into a much better house. I got a new calling (I teach early morning seminary). BYU won 10 games. Our savings account rose from the dead. And best of all, I don't think my marriage has ever been as strong.

I know people use blogs to only write the good stuff about their life. I wanted to relate the bad stuff because that's what makes these days seem so wonderful. In a strange way, I cherish that really rough patch. There are a lot of reasons our lives are much better now, and one major reason is that they were so bad at the beginning of the year. But most importantly, there's no doubt that our fervent prayers and other acts of worship during that time and since were heard and noticed by our Father in Heaven.

I look forward to what next January holds.

Rocket Launch Logan

 The kids got a rocket for Christmas. GREAT gift idea.

The day after Christmas Logan and Grandpa Foster assembled the rocket. On December 27, 2011, against partly cloudy skies and chilly Pennsylvania air, the entire Foster clan gathered around the launch site to watch Logan's first step towards becoming a rocket scientist.

Here Grandpa Foster is explaining to Logan how to trigger the rocket. 

Controller being handed to Logan. We all become a bit nervous.

On cue, Logan commences lift off. 

Rocket tube was recovered a few hundred yards away, ensuring future launches. 

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. . .

Not so many years ago we were living in Provo, UT and Joe was attending law school at BYU. We were poor. Logan was 2 and I was pregnant with Miss Madison. I can remember walking down the aisles at Wal-mart trying to decide what I could afford to buy Logan for Christmas. He didn't have many toys, and I thought he would love everything! I would pick up a toy and put it in the basket, only to walk a few steps and see something else that he "needed." I felt so sad that I couldn't buy the things I wanted, and for a good bit I was really feeling sorry for myself. Somehow I luckily realized my silliness and I got angry at Wal-mart and the commercialism of Christmas for making me feel like a little $10 toy was what would make me happy. I put everything I had been contemplating back on the shelf and went over to the art section and bought Logan a pad of construction paper and some colored pencils. He loved his Christmas present that year! 

One nice thing about growing up is realizing that things do not make you happy. This Christmas season I have felt that so, so, much, and I have such a desire to teach our children that concept, but I'm not quite sure how to do that. I want them to have nice things, and I think it is fun to have nice things, but I want them to have nice things without thinking that they deserve or need those things or that those things can make them happy (not to mention that those things usually end up all over the floor and cause contention between me and the children). If you have ideas, let me know. :)

Christmas-time seems like the perfect time to teach kids one way or the other, and we have been really trying to make this time of year focused on the birth, life, and mission of our Savior, Jesus Christ. While it is fun to receive gifts, and wonderful to give gifts, I hope that we can remember that it is not the gift itself that makes us happy. We might, however, find happiness when we sacrifice something to give something meaningful to someone else. We may even feel happy when we receive a gift because we see that as an act of love and thoughtfulness.  

While Santa's name comes up once in a while, we don't really emphasize his role in Christmas. We do put most of the presents under the tree before Christmas morning, but we don't say that they are from Santa. When the kids ask who they are from we answer that the gifts are from us. I think that the stockings are the only thing we really give Santa credit for. A few weeks ago Logan asked me how the first person discovered Santa. I told him to google it, realizing that he would probably come back asking me questions, and thinking that eight year olds were old enough to hear the truth. Sure enough, Logan reported back and asked his questions, and Madison now calls him an "unbeliever." 

 Our reindeer. . .

Logan at his school's parade. Madi was sick walking down the hall and I tried so hard to take a picture of her but she basically ran away from me. 

Brother McGregor at the Seminary party we hosted. 

My Dad is Awesome

Fake Christmas morning. The kids had already pulled and sorted everything out by the time we made it downstairs, so we had them push it under the tree for a picture.

Ammon sitting on my food dehydrator. 

This year we have enjoyed spending quality time driving around looking at lights, visiting Santa's Land, and visiting family. Today we had our early Christmas, and it was perfect! Related to what I've mentioned above, I don't like having a ton of presents around the tree. It feels indulgent and detracts from the meaning of Christmas. Joe knows me well and when we put everything out under the tree he asked me if I felt embarrassed that there was so much under there. I kind of did! The kids came down this morning and sorted and counted all the presents, and after we unwrapped everything I felt a little better--it wasn't that there were so many presents, but that there are so many people! 

The kids all got some small things (coloring items, comforters and sheets for the boys, clothing for the Madi, and a book for each). Logan's big presents were the original 3 Star Wars movies. Madi's big present was a 1.5 gallon fish tank (fish to come after Christmas). Grant's big presents were a Transformer kick-ball and an r2d2 play-doh toy. Ammon got a walker (which I found at Wal-mart for $7!!). Joe spoiled me with a food dehydrator, c.d, and Apples to Apples (and a purse and sewing machine that I picked out. . . looks like I'm the materialistic person here). I got Joe a t.v. and blue-ray disc player. (That in itself is another post, as we have gone 10 years without buying a t.v. and I'm not really sure I want one now--and I'm especially not sure about having it in the living room--but we are going to see how it goes. . .) Oh, my favorite present was an ipod speaker. I already have one, so when I saw it I was kind of thinking "I don't need this. . . how much did you spend on this?" But then he told me that he had to buy toner for work and it came free with the toner, and I was like, "I LOVE it!!" lol!

Most of all I feel incredibly blessed and loved as the year comes to an end. 2011 has really been amazing in so many ways--we are pushing through and we are stronger and better than we were a year ago! Joe and I have spent much time talking about how grateful and happy we are. I know that our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us, and He has been with us every step of the way. I am excited to see what 2012 has in store for us! 

ear infection/a dr. visit i haven't forgotten

I've only taken a child to the doctor for an ear infection once. When Logan was a year old (plus or minus some months) I asked the dr. to take a look at his ears because he was unusually cranky and had been playing with his ear. The dr. looked at me and said something very similar to, "You just have a cranky baby." When I re-mentioned the ear-touching he said something like, "He is discovering something fun and flappy on his body."

For this reason I have never taken a child to the dr. for displaying ear-infection symptoms (and I wait until I know they are really sick to take them in for any other reason, as well). Good thing our dr. friends have told us just to give babies tylenol and wait the ear infection out. So far it has worked.

Today Ammon is unusually cranky and he keeps tugging on his ears.

Christmas Card

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

This year we made Christmas cards. Sort of. Unfortunately only a few family members will get them, but maybe next year I will get around to collecting addresses and printing off 100's of Christmas cards plastered with our beautiful pictures. If you read this blog then you already know what the McGregor's have been up to this past year, but here is a recap (and you can pretend you got a card from us, only you won't have to feel bad about throwing it away after Christmas. If you don't do that, don't worry. . . me either. :).

2011: We had a baby, experienced lice, moved to a new home, hosted family members and friends, celebrated 6 birthdays, visited PA (and hope to make one more trip before 2012), went camping, hosted Thanksgiving, baptized a child, and paid off our second car. During all of this there was some laughing, some crying, much praying, and lots of growing.

Joseph: Is continuing to grow his law practice; this year was much better than last year.  He is teaching early-morning seminary and is on the Boy Scout Committee. He plays basketball on Tuesday nights at the church. He continues to amaze us with everything he knows and does. His favorite Christmas present would be a bigger than 15 inch t.v.

Jennifer: Feels extremely blessed to be able to stay at home with the kids. She stays busy chasing after them, cleaning house, making food, helping friends, and taking forgotten homework to school. She is the first counselor in the Young Women's Presidency and loves working with the Mia Maids. She volunteers in the children's classrooms and was recently asked to head up a special book club for the advanced readers in Logan's class. Her favorite Christmas present would be a clean house without having to actually clean it.

Logan: Turned eight this year and was baptized after Thanksgiving. He is one smart second grader. He is generally a good listener and good helper. He is very sensitive to others' feelings, and is easily saddened when he does something wrong. He dreams of Transformers and Star Wars anything for Christmas.

Madison: Is a six-year old, and a very social first grader. She was also student of the week on the first week of school! New experiences over the past year include getting lice and losing teeth. She says she likes all of the girly toys (barbies, baby dolls, ponies) but then complains that the boys get all the fun toys. Her parents spoil her a little because she is the only girl with three brothers. She asked for girly toys for Christmas, but Santa has a special surprise in store for her.

Grant: One Star-Wars-Loving, Light-Saber-Fighting, Transformers-Dreaming boy. Mom keeps trying to engage him in more age-appropriate shows/toys/internet games including Sesame Street, Disney, etc. It works until the big kids get home. His hearing and speech have improved a TON over the past year, although he is still visiting the speech pathologist once a week. He has also been going to a play group/preschool with some friends from church once a week. For Christmas he would like toys.

Ammon: Entered the world and our family in March, and we can't imagine life without him. We love his smiles, noises, and laughs. He is everyone's favorite baby, and he crawls and cruises all over the house. He says "Mamama" whenever he is distressed, and he lunges for mom when someone else is holding him and she walks by. He loves the stairs (uh oh). He loves his brothers and sisters, even if they are sometimes rough with him. He has two teeth, he sleeps through the night, takes a short nap in the morning and a nice long nap in the afternoon (same time Grant does, which makes a happy mama). His latest achievements include gurgling spit in the back of his throat, howling like a wolf, clapping his hands, and maybe waving (not sure, but I'm gonna' give him credit). For Christmas he would like something to chew on.

Summary: I often think about how great stories always have some conflict. The story wouldn't be good unless it pulled elements from the basic plot diagram. In life we have many little conflicts and resolutions. I feel like this year of the McGregor story has been a good one. We have had struggles, but we are getting through them. . . successfully and happily. I know that Heavenly Father is aware and looking out for us, and we have felt His love. We know He has a plan for us, and that the trials we have are there to teach us and to make us better people. We feel extremely blessed for all that we have--a nice, warm place to live, four healthy, smart, and beautiful children, everything we need, and the gospel in our lives. We hope this year finds you all doing well, and may 2012 be the best year yet!

Love,

Joseph, Jennifer, Logan, Madison, Grant, and Ammon

To Joe

You are tricky.