post 1.

Okay I told everyone each item from the last post deserved its own.

Let's get the gross one out of the way first.

House

After looking for houses for a couple of weeks, we decided on two. One was too nice for us and then there is this one. The size is great, quiet neighborhood, landlords seem really nice. A little aloof, but nice nonetheless.

So up here the kids are in year round school. The landlords didn't want us to have to start the kids late, so they let us in a week early under the condition that we would patch some holes from pictures, clean blinds. Ya know, normal stuff when you move out. I said sure! I like that sort of thing anyway. However, upon move in day there was more than just a little wear and tear.

1. house gross! not just like move out gross, like I haven't ever cleaned my oven gross, or I have 4 boys and they never cleaned a toilet gross! Now I know I have 5 kids, a husband and me. But if I can find time to clean my house, so can you!!!
So while we were moving in boxes, I make Brent go buy a bunch of cleaners so I can get started. The oven was promptly set to self clean as well. So hot in the house but I didn't care. Then I got to work with the elbow grease.
2. They only left 4 blinds in the whole house and they are all broken. So we had to go buy some blinds then some curtain rods and curtains. This must be the first time they have rented a house to someone.
3. The walk through: "I know we didn't leave the house super clean, but we expect it cleaner when you move out" (Katie raises an eyebrow) um, ok. (thinking to myself "I live so much cleaner than this, no problem") Holes in the wall. Okay I see the picture holes no problem. Did you mention the holes in doors. like baseball sized? the towel bars pulled from the walls? hmmmm. Well good thing I know how to patch right? Your island counter has chunks taken out from it, did you know that too? Your stove has a heating element that has been fried, did you know? of course not, you would have to clean under the drip pans to see that!!!
Let's just say I marked everylittle think on that list so I am not held responsible.

On the upside. I love the neighborhood, the house is big for everyone to have their own room. Babies are sharing though. They did spend money in some good places. Bathrooms are gorgeous,(when cleaned that is) and they upgraded the flooring on the main level. Lighting is beautiful. Yard is fenced and green grass everywhere!

Once it was cleaned, I truly am loving this home. I am making small adjustments to the house. New light fixtures in the girls rooms from IKEA. Love that store! and bedding and paint. All in all it has become my home. I hope when the landlords come over they see how much I really have done to improve the house.
I'm a bit overbearing with how my house looks, and now I can see some potential growing in it.

If we like the ward enough here, I can see us buying this house. The landlords would love that. If that becomes the case, I will make sure some serious improvements are made before we buy though.

I will post pics once each room is complete. Until then I will get crackin on the next post

Black and White

While we are settling into our new rythym. I was asked to catch everyone up.

1. We are in our new house. Long story short (it needs it's own post)

2. Kids have started in school. Year round. All the kids love their teachers

3. MacKenzie is growing like a weed. She has a doctor appt. tomorrow

4. Jackson is all trained in his toddler bed.

5. I've started working out again. Kinda. 20 min pilate video

Okay so that's the main things goin on. I am posting some pics from the baptism in FL and the blessing. Stacey of course did an amazing job. Thank you so much.

I will post about each item later. There is just still a ton to do here;)

Love you all

Our newest addition

WOW oh Wow! Has it been a long time to post.

Alot has happened in the last couple of months.

We have a new baby. Her name is MacKenzie Snow Craig. She is named after my dad's side of the family with Snow being Lorenzo Snow. We came upon this little bit of information while we were in KY for Christmas. We always name our children after one side of the family and this just seemed to fit. MacKenzie joined us a little soon. She was born at 36 weeks. She weighed 6 pounds even. For a Craig baby, she was super tiny! She started to lose weight her first two weeks. Doctors had us on a strict feeding schedule and we are happy to say that at her 8 week

appointment she was 11.4! YAY! So I have got my Craig baby back for sure now. She looks

like Caroline but with much darker hair, and she has Abbey's eyes. I would like to say that it only took me 5 babies to get one that looks a little like me. She has my nose and Brent's cheeks. We all love her so much. The kids love on her all the time and Jackson is so good to give her cuddles as much as we let him.

We are moving to Utah again in a week. I have mixed feelings about it.

On one side we are moving "home" I am from UT so I should be happy right? And don't get me wrong, I love UT. My family is there, the church is bigger there, great opportunity for Brent there. But I have grown to love Navarre! It has truly become my "home". This is the longest we have ever lived in one town, the most "roots" we've laid. And let's face it, it is a great place to visit. We have beautiful beaches, sunshine most days, and the kids love school, friends, and church here. It will be crazy to be back with all our family again. I look forward to it. But a little piece of me will be staying here in Navarre. We will miss all of our friends and new family.

Anxiety

I know the word can have many meanings. For me lately I have had a lot of them.

First, we are getting ready to have another baby. Not that I haven't done it before, but just the sheer knowing its getting closer and I just don't seem ready yet.

Next, we found out from our landlords that they will not be renting our house after our lease is up. (don't know what that is about but Brent and I have our thoughts)
We were looking at maybe finding a place with cheaper rent, but now we have to look. Nothing like that to get you worked up.

Living in limbo, not knowing where we are going to be living scares me. I am such a planner I know, but I have people who have bought tickets to come out for the baptism for Caroline and blessing of the new baby girl. I need to know where to tell them to come. Brents parents will be coming down too, so I need to tell them where to look to stay.
(this has partly been remedied. We found a house but we haven't signed a contract yet)

Brent's job, he hasn't heard anything official, but he sees things. He knows things. He just has that intuition and I don't like when he doesn't know what's going on.

Calling. I am in the RS presidency. For the most part our presidency works so great. I feel like sometimes I am letting them down though with my lack of things to do. I am in charge of planning out our activities and I am over the new YSA's that come into RS. I love both of these items and I conduct every 3 months and teach once in 3 months. Not a bad calling at all. But I feel like I am just letting them down. They haven't said anything and I know it's in my head, but I just can't shake the feeling.

Kids. To put it plainly, I am worried that I am not doing everything I can do for their education. Abbey has about 2 hours of homework every night. NOT Joking. Every night. Hunter, Love the child is so self sufficient and I feel like he gets left out of the attention because he knows so much. Caroline has really good homework days and really tired "I just want to rest for a while" days. I never know which one is coming home so on good days we get as much homework for the week done we can. With the stupid FCAT coming up, there is so much pressure placed on the kids and I don't want to pressure them. I keep telling them that either you know it, or you don't. I want you to do your best and that is all I expect. But for Craig children, they put so much pressure on themselves. I just don't know how to handle it all sometimes.

There is light at the end of my anxious tunnel though. FCAT will be over soon, we will have a place to move into, our new baby will be born and home, and family will be coming to visit. RS is something I will just have to do everything I can to make sure I am not letting the sisters down. Visiting the sick and elderly more, making some dinners or just calling to check up on them. I really do feel a love for the sisters, I just hope they know that.

Okay enough pity party for one night. Time to kick start the new year with renewed look on life:)

Our little man turned 1!

So if you can believe it. Jackson is now 1 year old!

This year has flown by! I tell everyone that with the older 3 it felt like it took forever for them to turn 1. But not Jackson! Maybe we have had more time to enjoy all of his milestones. I don't know, but I do know that he is such a blessing in our life!

He waits for the kids by the door everyday to see them get off the bus. When they walk in, his face just lights up and he gets the biggest smile! The good thing is the kids are just as excited to see him!

They all have such a great bond with each other. The age gap hasn't seemed to phase them at all. I am so glad to have Jackson in our lives. We love him so much. He is a absolute doll baby. He is happy most of the time, a great sleeper, and I have yet for him to meet a stranger. He must be a Craig!

Happy Birthday little man.

Love Mom and Dad!

The Ants go marching....

Yep I said it. ANTS!!!
Right now I feel liket this is the only way I can express what I am feeling

I keep a very clean house. I know that when my kids come home it goes to crap. I know that after a long day it gets cluttered. I know that I have to do my dishes every night so I don't get bugs. I know, I know, I know. And I follow those rules to the letter.

So what the crap is going on in my house right now??? Oh nothing but some freaking ants trying to set up shop in MY HOUSE!!!!!

So it all started a few days ago. We found some in the kids' bathroom. We sprayed, cleaned them up. Had the talk with the kids about leaving candy wrappers around. yadda yadda

Then two days later they are making home in my kitchen 6am I might add that we are cleaning and spraying them up. Now I am getting a little frustrated. but I can't find the source of where they are coming from.

Next day. Find them in the pantry on the floor. Piece of dog food left out. Okay nothing on the floor. Got it.

Next day on my counter tops. Spray mop clean again. See a pattern??? I am pissed now. Because every time I find them, I spray the whole kitchen and think I got em!

Next day, in the laundry room eating cat food. AAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGG!

Next day, underneath and in the cabinets. Yep all my small appiances now gone! waffle maker, snadwich maker, bread maker, all gone because I don't trust the poison to not be safe on those things.

Today!, Under my sink in the kitchen (where the ant spray is!) in the dishwasher seal, and in my bathroom! What the freaking crap?!!!! All I can think of is in the bathroom maybe some were on me and they got transferred. I don't know! I feel like I have poisoned my whole house and they are just moving from place to place. I can't find the source either.

There are no trails! Just pockets of ants, ants, ants. I emailed the landlord and asked for an exterminator. Do they pay for that or us? I don't know. I am waiting for them to tell us that we are dirty or something!
Anyone who knows me, knows that a dirty house is not what I keep. I am so anal about it! So what can I do? I just feel like I have been so violated! I don't want people to think I am dirty. I do my homemaker duties to the fullest. So why oh why is this happening?
Some people have said that it is the time of year. It is getting cooler so they are moving to warmer places. But I haven't ever had that problem in the past! Why oh why is this happening?

Books, Books, Books

Wow so since girls camp is over, kids are back in school and Jackson is such a great baby, I have had some time to do my ever favorite hobby. READ! Oh I love it. I went to Liz's house a few weeks ago and borrowed Mocking Jay. (last book in the Hunger Games series) WOW it was great. The author had so many surprises up her sleeve still. I won't do any spoilers to those who haven't read or finished it. But I really liked the series.

Second she gave me a book called A Countess Below Stairs. This was a quick read. It was really good too. I loved the time period that took place and I couldn't put it down. Now remember most of the stuff I like is Young Adult novels. I love to see how authors explain life through a teenagers eyes. The classics are good too, don't get me wrong but I love how authors are able to explain teenage life in our time. However, this book is set back in England and Russia during the cold war. Great novel.

The most recent book I have borrowed from my personal friend's library was The Book Thief. WOW. It is a historical fiction book as well. Set during WWII and about an girl who goes to live with foster parents. Yes there is the typical holocaust stuff and the hiding of a Jew. But what people don't realize is all of the other Germans during the war. There were Germans who flew the flag on the right days and kept their noses clean as to not get thrown in jail or go to war. But they did not really believe in the Nazi party. This book is about them. I was riveted to the book. I was sad, and I laughed and I loved the narrator. It was death! I was kind of surprised at first and was wondering how that was going to work for me. But in this book Death has a sense of humor.

My next saga I am borrowing is Dreamhunter and Dreamquake. I have just only started the first and I will give my feed back when I am done with them. But, I just needed to put my little opinion out there for a couple of great books. And a special thank you to Liz for feeding my hunger with books. I feel a bit like the book thief at her house ;-)