Life in the Durst Home

So tomorrow we will be going to Apple Hill with some friends to cut down our Christmas tree. We started that tradition about five years ago. And go pretty much the day after Thanksgiving EVERY YEAR, this year however we where in Utah so it didn’t work.

I love going and picking out are tree, we spend a good part of the afternoon there looking at crafts and getting yummy caramel apples. This year we invited some friends to come up with us. It should be fun!

So what is new???? That house I wanted to rent Jan 1st is no longer available. I have to say I was very upset. Anthony is being optimistic and saying a better one will come. I just feel like we will be stuck in this house forever, and I hate that feeling.

I get to do the talk on Sunday in combined Young Women’s, I have been procrastinating for the past two months. But after getting down to the wire I had to sit myself in front of the Computer and do research on the Grace of the lord, and my talk just kind of came together. I am really excited. Now I just need to give the lesson so my fear of public speech will no longer hunt

Anthony came home late tonight again. He has been trying to finish this bathroom that he has been working on for the past two month. Another week and he still isn’t done. I guess he will be working on it tomorrow after we visit Apple Hill. He needs it done before monday, when he will be starting a Den remodel. Not to mention Cabinets from his Kitchen remodel come in on monday as well. I am really feeling for the guy. I am glad we took our Vacation when we did. He really needed the break!

other then that life is great!

New about my mother, No she is not dead. apparently she cut off her ankle bracelet and tried to skip town. She was caught and is now back in jail… It is a blessing to me that she is in there, and  I think thats the best place for her. Hopefully she will grow up and learn she can’t do WHAT EVER she wants!

Update; Anthony’s toe is lots better. He went snowboarding last week and played football on Thanksgiving. Today he even decided to go back and play basketball.

We made it back from Utah, wondering if we should move back. When I am there it feels like home after living there for five years and developing friendships. But when i am hear it feels like home too. I guess only time will tell where we end up. Anthony say’s we can’t move back there until we have money to pay cash for a house, and a good savings. So we have years!

I pretty much finished my christmas shopping today, I really need to get on top of the donations for the Children’s hospital (which I will work on more tomorrow). Then on Saturday we are going to get our Christmas tree, get extended family gifts and be done with Shopping for another year. I really like the excuse to shop during the Christmas Season. I never buy my kid’s things except Christmas and birthdays, so i seem to find myself going a little overboard this year.. Not good for my checking account! But as long as the children are happy that is what matters at the end of the day. Right??? tell me that so I don’t feel so bad!

Sammy is doing so much better since I started giving him prune juice, he doesn’t care nearly as much. He also found his fist this week and LOVES to chew on it. I tried to give him a pacifier but he won’t have it. He is a natural kind of kid I guess.

Aubrey want’s to help out so much more now, and even wanted to go on a play date with Ava today. She thinks she is four,but I have to keep telling her she is only two!

Ava starts preschool soon, I can’t wait. She really needs to get out and play with friends!

I have parent teacher Conference for the other three children this week. So I will keep you posted on how well they are doing!

The house I wanted to rent next month is still for lease. Cross your fingers it will be in two more weeks. Then and only then did Anthony say it would be okay to move. giving us a good week in each house for cleaning before officially moving in. I have so many ideas of how I will dress the house. (even though it’s not mine) it has major cleaning, painting and fixing up needed. It will be my winter project.

Anthony is still managing to keep busy, the past week was nice having him all to myself. He has come home early the past two days too.. Early meaning 7- but it’s still nice ~

My mother is missing, She said she was on her way to see my sister for Thanksgiving and nobody has heard from her since. I sent her a texted message cause her phone isn’t taking call’s and she never answered. I hate how she thinks she can pop in and out of our life she really needs to make her mind up and do what she says she is going to do!

Well I really need to go and plan my lesson for Church on Sunday. I get to talk about the Atonement & share stories but not to many… Don’t want to scare the kids. I will write and tell you how it went~

Oh I forgot to write about what Marissa said to me today.

Marissa has already told me today, You married dad before he was a member of the church, why can’t I date a non-member… At age 7- she still has 9 years before she can date.

So I already had to tell her she has her free agency, but to be  the “most” happiest she should date and marry a member of the church. I then had to explain how hard our marriage was for the first four years without having the church in our life. She dropped it, and didn’t want me to tell Anthony about our talk. She is very worried about what he thinks, but likes to get negative reaction from me.. I already can see I am going to have a run for my money with her when she is older!

My biggest fear is for my children to follow in my  youthful footprints, I want them to be smart (which they are) and to go to college and get a degree so if anything happens they can support themselves.

I want my children to be happy, and to learn to live their life’s by the spirit at a young age! To grow up and raise their families in the church. The gospel of Jesus Christ helps us to be good people and I know living the lords commandments the best I CAN has helped me to be the HAPPIEST that I CAN BE! I want my kids to be HAPPY!

PS Sammy is really snoring loud right now~

Today my aunt and I took seven kids to the movies to see the Christmas Carol… Note it’s not a child’s movie.. Very dark and kids five and under would NOT like… The older kids did have fun however and it was nice to get out of the house.

Anthony went snowboarding  with my cousins and I got a text at lunch telling me how old and out of shape he was. They came home a few hours later and he couldn’t even walk.

I am getting ready to watch Four Christmases.. I hope that it’s as good as everyone keeps saying…

FYI, Stuff in Utah is way cheaper than Cali! plus the sales tax is way less to!

When we got here tonight we made it just in time to be in Utah’s 4 hour snow storm. The kids loved it and quickly got their snow clothes on and started having snowball fights. I remembered why I moved back to Cali.. I HATE the cold weather. It’s really cold.

I was able to be outside for about 2 minutes. I can’t believe how the cold doesn’t even faze the children. Zack came inside with two bright red hands and a snow ball on his head. He stood by the fire trying to get warm. But not complaining at all. I would have come in long before red hands. Tomorrow we are going to need to buy some gloves and snow boots.  Hopefully Weds we will be able to take them to the snow. But we will see it might be melted by then.

I get to see New Moon tomorrow and I Can’t wait! Anthony is going to go snowboarding with my cousins on Tuesday… Then weds is open, Thursday Thanksgiving and Friday Shopping! Saturday we will start our trip  home.. The trip has already moved so fast! and we just started!!!!

Tonight we played games and drank hot chocolate. This is family…

I can’t wait until all my kids are old enough to gather around the front room and play games. Devun had so much fun tonight. He came up with some good things too!

Don’t get me wrong Marissa & Devun play games with Anthony and I all the time.. I just want All 6 of the kids to be able to play games and enjoy it… No baby’s crying or someone cheating….

driving up to Utah was better than we thought it would. The older kids sat in the way back playing videos, and the 3 younger ones sat in the middle area watching movies. We split our travel time to 6 hours each day, and stayed at the Holiday Inn. Got a good night sleep…

While we where driving through Elko there was a memory that I had, I haven’t shared before… I don’t remember the reasons or time line. I just remember at the time I still lived in Cali with Anthony. I took a trip to Utah with My uncle Peter driving my mothers car. Her and her husband Eric at the time drove his truck & followed us. I was young 19 and driving pretty fast. Faster than I thought I was.

apparently there was a NHP that tried to pull me over. ( I didn’t see him) and just kept driving. Then I see a sheriff do a very quick U-turn right in front of me, and I thought “someone is going to get in trouble” little did I know that someone was me…

He turned his lights on and I quickly pulled over. Then I realized that there was another highway patrol behind me… They though that I was “trying” to out run the first Cop and resisting.. When the Cop tried to enter my mom’s licensed plate number (no surprise to me) they didn’t belong to that  car. So they thought I was driving a stolen car. He didn’t understand why I wouldn’t pull over but after looking in the back of the Suburban and seeing all the stuff piled high he understood I really DIDN”T see him. That was my first ticket and I had to go to driving school.. HE talked to my mom about the license plates, and of course she got off… Don’t remember the lame excuse she gave him… But it worked.

That trip I ended up flying home.

I don’t know where my energy went, but it has left! I remember back in the days when we would go on vacation I would have the bags backed day’s before. Now it’s just hours away and I sill haven’t washed all the clothes. I still have Christmas gifts to take to Kim’s house… Yes my house is clean, and I was able to make dinner and wrap all the cousins gift’s but for some reason the rain just got to me today….

I know I have already told you a hundred times, but we are going to Utah and leaving tomorrow… We are going to drive half way. Sam has been crying a lot lately, and I don’t want to hear him cry for 12 hours…  I can’t wait to have Anthony ’s full attention… NO WORK! He really needs the break too… That past few weeks he has been working like crazy.

Dinner last night was nice. But Anthony and I still didn’t get that one on one we really need. Once we came home he was back on the phone and computer so I went to bed. Did I mention this vacation is going to be great!

I wish I could say great new stuff was happing, but my life is really boring.

I went to Marissa field trip @ the school today.. Heather Farms came to the school & I learned some great new stuff and the kids had a lot of fun …

walmart has some great priced stocking stuffers. I just wish I didn’t have Ava with me so I could buy some… Oh well there is always this up coming week….

I told my mother I couldn’t give her money to come out, but if she wanted to come she could… She said she was going to buy a bus ticket…. I don’t think it will happen… Bus ticket from Alabama to Ca that will be a fun drive.

Ok, cheesecake factory last night was great… I was able to spend time with my husband and our friends….came home to a baby who had major belly problems…

the best cheesecake I can recommend is there new red velvet… SOOOO good!

today I am going to Marissa in school field trip. Heather Farms is coming to her school… Should be easy & fun. Anthony gets to stay home with the kids and do some invoice & paper work for his company… SO he gets to relax a little.

My mom wants to come for Christmas. I told her I was not sending her money to get here. If she can find her way by herself it was fine…. Pray for me it works out the way it’s supposed to… NO FIGHTS!

Got new tires for my truck for our big trip… Didn’t want to ! but I had too…. the old ones where very bald!

can’t seem to get this american girl doll addiction gone! I got the book collections from Sam’s club yesterday for my cousins… I want to go and buy Marissa ever girl book collection that they have. She loves to read! but I just feel like I need to stop, so I am trying to listen to that voice… STOP STOP!

Sam has been very grumpy lately, he has major belly problems! and likes to share with us. I got some Apple/prune juice, and I am hoping that will help him… So far no luck. But he has only had less then an ounce..

anyways, I better go… shower, laundry, dirty house and field trip are calling…

Holiday Donation’s

• Please leave toys unwrapped and in their original packaging.

Items We Do Not Accept
We do not accept or distribute the following items:

Items We Always Need
(Items in blue are high-volume requests.)

- Art and craft supplies:

• Popsicle sticks, felt, foam balls, googly eyes, colored pipe cleaners, colorful feathers, glitter, glitter glue, colored pencils, children’s safety scissors, colorful tissue paper, bleached muslin by the yard, ZIG permanent markers, fabric paint or dye, and origami paper.
• New White Cotton T-shirts: all sizes, for children and adults
• New Picture Frames: suitable for decorating projects or displaying children’s artwork (Frames with plexi inserts only; no glass please.)

- Baby items: plastic rattles, teething devices, wrist rattles, cloth books
- Balls: baseballs, footballs, soccer balls, gym balls all sizes
- Beading Kits
- Beanie Babies
- Bionicles
- Books: new or gently used, especially picture books
- Character Toys: such as Dora, Spiderman, Sesame Street
- Children’s Books in Spanish
- Coloring Books: especially Dover brand coloring books
- Crayons & Colored Pencils
- Crib Mobiles & Crib Activity Boxes
- Crossword Puzzle Books: for both kids and parents
- Dolls: especially African-American, Asian and Hispanic dolls and Barbies

- Games: such as Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, Battleship, Chutes and Ladders, Yahtzee, Life, chess, checkers, Boggle, Trouble, Connect Four and memory games

Hair things can be bought at the Dollar Store
- Hair Supplies: combs, barrettes and scrunchies
- Hand-held Games
- Hot Wheels Toys, Small Cars & Trucks
- Infant and Toddler Toys: such as those made by Fisher-Price and Playskool, stacking rings and blocks
- Journals, Blank Books, Notebooks
- Mad Libs
- Magazines: for all ages, including magazines in Spanish
- Magic Markers and gel pens
- Mini Needlepoint Kits
- Model Car Kits
- Mylar Balloons (not inflated), Balloon Weights & Curling Ribbon: Balloons are used for birthdays and special events and should have positive kid-friendly messages for boys and girls ages 0-teens. (Get Well, Happy Birthday/Feliz Cumpleanos, Smiley Face, You’re #1, You’re Special, To Cheer You, etc., and characters such as Spiderman, Dora, Disney characters, butterflies, fish, are also popular.)
- Play Dough and Silly Putty
- Playing Cards: including UNO, Old Maid, Crazy Eights
- Portable CD Players: with headphone and batteries
- Puzzles
- Rattles
- Safety Scissors
- Scrapbook Supplies
- Spanish Language Books, Magazines & Games
- Stationary Sets
- Stickers
- Teddy Bears & Stuffed Animals: in small sizes, ten inches and under, please

Unusual Items We Appreciate Getting
- Electric Toothbrushes: (Craniofacial Department)
- Gift Certificates: Safeway or Albertson’s grocery stores, or Target stores
- Knitting Yarn & Knitting Needles: all sizes (Family Resource & Information Center)
- Crochet Hooks: (Family Resource & Information Center)
- Magazine Subscriptions: People, People en Espanol, Readers Digest in Espanol, Jet, Teen People, Teen Vogue, Teen Voices, American Girl Magazine, Oprah (Family Resource & Information Center)
- Infant Socks: (Intensive Care Nursery)
- Measuring Cups: (Endocrinology Department)
- Sweatpants, T-shirts, Underwear: all clothing items must be new and unused. (Emergency Department)
- Telephone Cards: for long-distance phone calls
- Travel-size Shampoo, Deodorant, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, & Shaving Items: for parents

Fundraisers: Organize a book or new toy drive, or hold a fundraiser.

Again, thank you for thinking of the patients at Children’s Hospital.

For more information about making a Family House donation call:(510) 428-3100

So not much is new here in the Durst home. I went and ordered Zack’s team soccer cake today at Costco. I can’t wait until Friday and Soccer will be 100 % done. Devun played a GREAT game last Saturday. I really enjoyed watching it.  He came in Second place but only after playing Over time and the team making a sore a minute before the five was up…. He was heart-broken but after everyone told him how well they played and a team trip to Baskin Robbins he was felling much better.

I was an hour late to Marissa tournament. I guess I got the time wrong. But she was able to play one game and had fun playing it and being with her friends.

This weekend Marissa and Ava had their friends spend the night, and they loved it…

We had friends they came over and cooked us dinner on Saturday night.. It was VERY NICE. Anthony had to go to church, and got home just in time to eat a yummy dinner. Friends are Great (thanks Rob & Jess)

My cousin and aunt are going to Disneyland in Feb.. (just the girls) and I invited myself to go…  What do you think ten kids two adults???? should be fun. My sister is going to “try” to come too, but we will see. The kids are really looking forward to that.

We are leaving for Utah in a little over a week. My kids are REALLY looking forward to that. I just hope it doesn’t snow.

Anthony is getting his stitches out tomorrow. Then he goes and see’s a specialist on friday. He still can’t move his toe and my need surgery.. pray for us that its nothing and he’ll be fine.

I went and looked at a bigger rental, and decided to try and be more patient. Hopefully we will be able to buy something after the first of the year…. If not then I will look for a bigger house. three bedroom are okay, but four would be asume’

Anthony is still working hard, even with a broken toe. I really couldn’t have married a better person. I really love him rain or shine.

Marissa is turning into a spoiled thing. She is gaining more confidence and thinks she can have/get what ever she wants…

I taught Devun how to do laundry, and the sweet guy gets up every morning and starts a new load for me. He also has been making all the kids their lunch while I cook breakfast. He really is a great kid ~

I don’t know what else to share with. All this stuff is pretty boring.