My Favorite Part about Christmas

My favorite part about Christmas is spending quality time with family. I love being with my brother, sister, bro-in-laws, sis-in-laws, mom, dad, moms-in-law, dads-in-law, grandpa's, grandma's, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I love classic family parties and get-togethers. Family really is what life is all about. Me and Justin and the kids get to spend four days and three nights and maybe more at my parents for the holidays. We are on the second day and having so much fun. We stayed up late last night just talking and playing cards. This morning we all played in the snow after the men shoveled the driveway. It's moments like those that I cherish and will remember for years to come. I am so grateful for my wonderful family. I hope you are having a nice time with your family. If you aren't able to be with them, let me know and we will have you over. Hope you had a magical Christmas.

Christmas Tag

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Copy my post, then replace your answers with mine on your post. I tag everybody! :)

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper

2. Real tree or Artificial? our 6' tall fake tree I got at walmart five years ago for $15

3. When do you put up the tree? once I get enough Christmas spirit to

4. When do you take the tree down? usually the day after Christmas- just because the kids destroy it

5. Do you like eggnog? I love it, and used to make it homemade, and it was delicious, maybe I'll try it again but this time using powdered eggs instead of real.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? any makeup, makeup kits, when my family got our dog Boomerang Far Out

7. Hardest person to buy for? Justin- I love you honey bunches

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes of course!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I am all about traditional mailed cards but sometimes to save postage I will hand deliver them for local friends and fam. But I do want to add that emailed cards are much better than no cards.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I love gifts I can't remember a bad one

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Family Man, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday about 4:00a.m.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes. I get that from my dad. This may sound tacky but it just seems wasteful to keep something you aren't going to use and know someone that will enjoy it.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? eggnog, beef stick, cheese, gingerbread, chocolate

16. Lights on the tree? Yes- colored lights. Justin let me have a girly tree this year to celebrate us expecting a girl. It's all sparkly pink and purple.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Winter Wonderland, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? A little of both

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? If I sing the song I do

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? A gold star

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas day? Christmas Morning at about 9

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? driving in the snow- scary

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I like to have a new theme every year-this year it's girly pinks, see Q#16

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? It's not about the food, it's about spending time with loved ones and playing board games after dinner

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? the most girly, flowery diaper bag on earth, and for my boys to have a good Christmas

26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Roxie, Lena, Marie, maybe Candyce

27. Who is least likely to respond to this? ???

Baby Furr Girl Ultrasound pics

Hello All! I posted these pics on my Facebook as well, so some of you might've seen them on there. Anyway, here they are, I thought some of you might be interested in seeing them. The first two are connected and the other is not.


Here's the proof that she's in fact a girl. Yay!:

Avon Calling

For those of you who don't know yet, I recently decided to sell Avon. http://jfurr.avonrepresentative.com/about.html
I think it will be great way to make some extra money for our family and still stay home with the kids. Also, Avon is an awesome company with great products. They have been around since 1886! My mom was an Avon lady for a while, and my grandma sold Avon for years and years.

This vintage Avon Ad actually came out right around the same time my grandma was a stay-at-home mom/Avon lady like me:
Here are a few of my personal favorite Avon products:

Avon fragrance is one of my favorite, if not my favorite thing that Avon has. Most Avon products, fragrance included, are so affordable, yet never lacking quality.

Flower By Cynthia Rowley is my #1 favorite perfume in the world. It's the perfect balance between light and airy florals and warm, powerful woodsy musks.
This perfume is called Timeless. It is one Avon's fragrances that has been around for a really long time. I love the scent, it's similar to Flower, being a woodsy floral. Timeless is also extremely affordable(less than $15!) Some of my other favorites are Rare Gold, Odyssey, Bond Girl, and this one, called Today. Sweet Honesty is a classic, my mom has loved it for over 20 years! Let me know if you want a sample of any of these, and I can get it to you.
Mesmerize is a classic men's cologne(my fave). Here is Avon's description: Mysterious myrrh, precious woods & exotic spices are accented with the intrigue of mandarin and bergamot to create a scent specially for him! Give him a scent that will remind you of him forever. I love Mesmerize simply because it is just so extraordinarily manly.Unscripted By Patrick Dempsey is the newest men's cologne. It's very modern and fresh. Plus, Patrick (Mc Dreamy)Dempsey, An Avon Ambassador created it. :)
Reese Witherspoon is also an Avon Global Ambassador. Through Avon she helps raise money for Breast Cancer research and spread the word about Domestic Violence. http://www.avoncompany.com/women/speakout/index.html

Just another reason why Avon is such a great company: In the last 15 years, the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade has raised and awarded more than $585 million in 50 countries worldwide for awareness and education; screening and diagnosis; access to treatment; support services; and scientific research. I care about raising money for these things because I have had family with breast cancer, and just found out one of my friends, who is still in her twenties was recently diagnosed.

I bet you didn't know Avon carried footwear. They do, and it's actually really cute! Here are two pair of very different boots that I thought you might like:

One of the very first Avon products I ever tried was this Perfumed Skin Softener. This purple one is Odyssey, a scent that is very 80's. I thought since 80's clothing is coming back in why not bring back 80's scents? They also have deodorant, body powder, and purse spray in Odyssey. Plus they are all less than $5.


Avon Cosmetics are why Avon is what it is. They are always updating and releasing new cosmetics that are just so great. This Super Shock Mascara is rated 12 out of 10 in volume. wow! shocking! lol.

This eyeshadow is from Avon's line called mark. directed at teens and women who want a little more youthful trendy makeup. I like this eyeshadow because you can pick whichever shades you want and put them together in your own little compact.

The last product I wanted to tell you about is Eye Lift from Anew. It has won tons of awards. All Anew products are rated as the best in the skin care anti-aging industry, even over grocery store brands and dept. store brands.

Well, thanks for listening to my little Avon testimonial. I think selling Avon will be fun, and if you are ever interested in checking some products out or making an order please think of me. Also, let me know if you'd like a brochure or some samples. Check out my very own Avon website at http://yourAVON.com/jfurr or send me an email. Also, let me know what some of your favorite Avon products are if you have any.

Here are some more vintage Avon ads I thought you might like. Have a glamorous day!

Michelangelo's Thankful List

On Monday night we were having family night and I asked Michael what five things he was thankful for. Here is his list:

Michelangelo's Thankful List

1) Family

2) Church

3) Temple

4) Books

5) Jesus

I can't believe how smart and receptive my two year old son is! It's incredible! I love being a mom so much and can't wait to have many more moments like that. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Twilight

Yes, I am a huge Twilight fan. I read all the books in days. My sweet husband surprised me on saturday by taking me to see Twilight the movie. I loved it. Even Justin loved it. I think it's my new #1 favorite movie!

The casting of everyone, especially Bella and Edward was fantastic. They have incredible chemistry. I love the cheesiness of it.

This was one of my favorite parts. I just loved it. It reminded me of when me and Justin first fell in love. You just want to tell them everything about you, and to know everything about them. I loved how it happened so fast.

The only thing that could have been improved upon in my view was the Cullen's makeup and hair colors. I'm sure it would be hard to make them appear as beautiful as they seem in the book but I think they could have done a bit better.
I can't wait to see it again and again, and to see New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, once they come out. I hope they release them fast.

Oh and for the record, I can't believe that some of my friends didn't like it! It was so good. I think maybe they just need to see it again. :)

Jenny's Product Endorsements

Hello all, I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite products at home, and why I like them:

Quilted Northern Ultra Plush is the best toliet paper I have ever used or seen. It is 3-ply, 2 layers of softness plus one layer that feels just like a kleenex, seriously. It's also super absorbent, but doesn't fall apart, like other brands. It can be a little pricey, but I have yet to buy it at full price. You only need a few squares so I think it's a better value over cheaper toilet paper overall, even if you do pay full price.

Kleenex Viva Choose-a-Size Paper Towels are awesome! They are super absorbent and soft, and I like how you can just break off a small piece for a small mess. These too are a little more pricey than the cheapo alternative but it is so worth it. Their rolls last twice or maybe even thrice longer than other brands in my experience.


Lysol Antibacterial Kitchen Cleaner is really good for cleaning off counters and tables and high chairs. Especially with how messy those areas get after feeding a one year old and a two year old. It has 3 settings: spray, squirt, and off.



Windex Original is the best window and glass cleaner in all the land. Other brands don't even compare.

Baby Products:

Pampers Swaddlers are the best diapers for babies from birth to size 3. They are so soft and fit so well and absorb so much. They totally helped my babies with blowout prevention. I tried other brands but these diapers would last twice as long as the other brands so these are totally worth the extra money, it ends up being a better value in the long run (in my personal opinion, especially when you have a coupon)


Huggies Supreme Natural Fit Diapers are perfect for older babies and toddlers. When we can afford them and I have coupons for them, this is the brand I like to buy, but regular huggies are good as well.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment is another expensive yet worth the price item. This is great for any type of diaper rash, or any rash on the body. It's been great in the winters when my kids get red rashes on their little faces, or when they have a runny nose to put on their litle noses. It's kind of like a souped up version af vaseline, but works much faster and has more medication.

Huggies Baby Wash and Shampoo is great. It smells great, it easy on their sensitive skin, and the bottle is even easier to grab than other bottles.

Huggies Sensitive Wipes are the best wipes I have used. They are soft yet strong, and I can tear off half if I only need a little bit.

Products that help make you feel better:

Advil is awesome for headaches or any pain really. Tylenol just doesn't do the trick like Advil. Except you can't take it if you are pregnant.

Tums are good for a number of stomach issues and they have calcium. I take at least two a day.

Nothing is better than Coke at helping my tummy feel better. It's bubbly, sweet, and fun. Don't worry, because I am prego, I only drink about 1-2 per week, if that, but the doctor thinks thats just fine. He said people only start having problems when they drink 3-4 energy drinks per day, or 5-6 cups of coffee. I would have to drink about 15 cokes per day for it to have any effect.

Well, there it is. I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about me through the products I use at home. Pretty much all the other products I use are store brand, unless there happens to be an awesome sale. :)

Michelangelo and his tricycle

Michael now knows how to ride his Radio Flyer tricycle finally. Before, he kind of knew how, but his legs just weren't long enough to reach the pedals. Here's a video clip of him riding in our driveway:

Here are some pictures we took right after:

He's such a good little rider. I can't believe how fast this kid is growing up. It's so fun watching him; he's so intelligent and kind-hearted too:

I love my little Wesley guy so much!!!:

Mama loves her Wessy guy too:

Since we realized that we all happened to be wearing hoodies, we became da hooded boyz!:

Hope you enjoyed those pictures. Everything is going fine. Jenny is doing well since the surgery. The baby is growing nicely in her belly. We should find out the gender for sure like around Dec. 10th or something. I think Jenny said this, but thanks to everyone who helped out. We appreciated it so much. It's times like these that you can really feel the Lord's hand helping out through other people. We had more than enough helpers during and after the surgery. Thanks again!

-Justin

Alright!...I got tagged

Tag 8 things (in no particular order)

8 T.V. shows I like to watch:

1. Star Trek Enterprise
2. Star Trek Voyager
3. Star Trek TNG
4. The Office (hilarious)
5. Smallville
6. Lost
7. Lois & Clark (cheesy yet classic)
8. More Star Trek, can't get enough of it!

8 things that happened yesterday:

1. Woke up, fed kids breakfast
2. Sat in my office at Orem High thinking about school and my family, did some homework
3. Came home for lunch with wife and kids
4. Went to classes
5. Turned in a huge assignment for my Systems Analysis Design and Integration class
6. Drove home, gave wife and kids big hugs and kisses
7. Did homework assignment, played on Facebook
8. Went to bed at 11:00 pm

8 places I like to eat:

1. PF Changs
2. Any Thai restaurant
3. Olive Garden
4. Red Lobster
5. Wendy's
6. Tucanos
7. Rodizio Grill
8. Fuddruckers

8 things I am looking forward to:

1. Putting wife and kids up into a nice house
2. Graduating from UVU
3. Having more kids
4. Having a huge backyard to put in a garden
5. Getting a really nice, high paying IT job after graduation
6. Living in another state with my family, getting outta dodge for a bit
7. Resolving conflicts with certain people
8. New Star Trek movie coming out May 8th, 2009 (if they don't postpone again)

8 things on my wish list:

1. A nice, big house that fits lots more kids
2. A new red 2009 Mazda 5 Minivan (gotta get a van or SUV anyways now)
3. Laser eye surgery
4. Get my Network+ and CCNA certs
5. A baby girl (it's lookin' like it might be one!)
6. Building my own mammoth, top-of-the-line PC
7. Graduate with Bachelor's by Fall '09
8. Gaining some weight ;)

And I'm gonna add one more for fun--

8 favorite bands/singers:

1. Depeche Mode
2. The Cure
3. Tears for Fears
4. Duran Duran
5. U2
6. The Smiths
7. Coldplay
8. Jack Johnson

Just a quick note, there are a lot more than this but I won't list more because it'd be too long. Notice how the first 5 groups started making music around 1980 (about as old as me!) and they're still pumping out sweet albums! Depeche has a new one coming out in April (very excited about it!) and the Cure just came out with one that's good. Anyway, those groups have way loyal fan bases!

4 people I'll tag:

1. Grant
2. Brett
3. Brandon
4. Blaine

Surgery Saga

Under the knife.

Me trying to be cheerful while taking yucky liquid goo medicine.

My super-caring, diaper-changing, understanding hubby.

Justin's mom and my mom with the boys. Priceless help.

For those of you who don't know yet, I had laproscopic surgery on Thursday. Here is my story: A few weeks ago I was feeling a little under the weather and I missed my cycle and told Justin but we both thought there was no way I was pregnant. The next day I took a pregnancy test, went into the doctor's office and an ultrasound confirmed. I was 8 weeks pregnant! I had gotten pregnant while on the Mirena IUD! The chances are like 1 in 3000. Next we were worried because it is very risky getting pregnant on the IUD. Once we found out the baby was alive and healthy, we were super excited about the pregnancy. The Lord knew it was time for another little spirit to come into our home. We are so blessed. Meanwhile, after many ultrasounds, the doctor could not find the IUD anywhere. I had a feeling it was still inside of me and yep, one week ago I had an X-Ray and there it was, in plain sight. The next day my doctor calls me and says he has scheduled me for surgery for the next day, Thursday. Laproscopic surgery to remove the IUD. The surgery was a success, the IUD was wrapped around one of my ovaries but he got it and everything is now ok, including the little fetus. The anesthesia was really hard on me. I'm pretty sure I sounded like a crazy person for 12-24 hours after the surgery. When I got home from the hospital my grandma and grandpa were there to see me! It was such a nice surprise to see them. They are on a mission in Salt Lake City and took the day off to see me. In addition to them Justin, my mom, Justin's mom, my visiting teacher, and tons of nice ward members have really helped with my recovery. My relief society president even arranged for sisters to bring meals over for this entire week. I don't know what I would have done without all the support of everyone, so thank you. I have three insicions, all on my abdomen all healing nicely and some air from the surgery still in my abdomen but slowly but surely within a few weeks I will be back to normal. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Thank you honey bunches for putting up with my emotional and physical roller coaster and for giving me a diaper changing break for a whole 72 hours. That was nice. I love you. I will be better soon.

Ultrasound pics

As Jenny said, she got an Ultrasound yesterday from Dr. Young. Here are some pictures of it. Jenny says the profile looks "feminine" but we're not 100%. Dr. Young thinks it might be a girl. Either way, we're excited for this one. Enjoy the pic:

Shopping Day

Last saturday me and some old friends, Candyce and Roxie spent a fun day together in Salt Lake City. We went to Sorrebella for lunch, then shopping at Steve & Barry's, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, Decades, Spark, Gymboree, and Old Navy. I got the most beautiful and awesome shoes I have ever laid my eyes on at Spark. Then for dinner we went to Pei Wei and got lettuce wraps and egg rolls. Roxie brought her adorable little son, Tanner. He is such a cutie. We had a great times reminiscing about old times, present times, and what we want in the future.
We all never would have guessed that I would be the one with (almost) three kids at age 23. It was such a needed girls day for me. Being surrounded by three males really makes me crave anything feminine and girl time. I hope I am having a girl so bad. That would be so fun. Yesterday I had two ultrasounds and the doctor said it might be a girl but that he's not sure yet. I hope he's right. I got adorable little pictures of his/her profile and they are precious. Well, gotta go chase two little boys down and make sure they are not getting into anything dangerous. It is way too quiet right about now... By the way, thanks Rox and Can- Saturday was totally specktacular. :)