choir concert

last night "A" had his first ever choir concert. this might not seem like a big deal, but it was to us! "A" has always been on the shy side. he makes friends very easily and is a fun kid, but he does not like doing things in front of groups. plus--"A" has never really been a singer--he only recently has begun singing in primary. so, last night when he stood on the stage and sang it brought tears to me eyes! i was such a proud mommy!
the gals who spend countless hours on this little choir are wonderful! thank you!

my baby 'A" is 7 today!

my sweet little (okay--he is not all that little) "A" turned 7 today. he is such a joy to have in our family. he is gorgeous, sweet, sensitive, smart, honest, innocent, etc. he is such an amazing little boy and we feel so blessed to have in our family. every night before my children go to bed i say to them, "thank you for letting me be your mama." how very blessed i am! i love you bug!

ward christmas party

last night we had our ward christmas party. it was such a fun night. what made it so great was being with all of our friends. we have been so blessed to have wonderful friends. i love going to church or any church functions because i can see those that i love so much. the theme of our party was a hawaiian christmas. the food was yummy and the entertainment was great! our dear friends planned most of it, but are in hawaii for the next little while working. they called last night and were so thrilled that it went so well.
i love this time of year and am constantly witnessing little miracles on a daily basis.
i am so blessed.
i am so grateful for the family that i was blessed to be born into and for the family that my practically perfect husband and i have been blessed with.
as Elder Neal A. Maxwell said--"the lord is truly in the very details of our lives." how wonderful it is to see it!

pumpkin cookies

my kids and i are huge fans of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. this recipe is super easy and so yummy!

1 spice cake mix
15 oz. can of pumpkin
1 pkg. chocolate chips

mix all ingredients together. bake at 400 for 12 minutes.

story time

i love children's literature. i am so passionate about reading to my children. they have not missed a day of reading in their little lives. i grew up in a home where reading was such a huge part of our lives--in fact, all 3 of us girls worked at the library in our hometown when we were in Jr. High and High School. after speaking with some of my friends i decided that i would host a little storytime each week at our ward building. i love reading to my own kids and loved reading to my students when i was at ricks doing my student teaching. i hope that this will be a successful activity and the kiddos will enjoy some good books.

daddy is busted!

last night i was on the phone while our family was finishing dinner. "M" came in to the room where i was and said:
"she's eating all by herself!"
"what is she eating?" i said very concerned
"daddy is giving her applesauce."
that little stinker has her daddy so tightly wrapped around her finger!
um honey--applesauce is not a good choice for the very first food!!! oh how her little belly must have ached! i am not ready to enter this stage yet! let's stick with milk for a little while longer!

how hard can it be?

while i am writing this i am on hold with our power company. in august we bought an energy saving washer and dryer and were promised rebates from the power and electric companies. one check came (2 months ago)--while the other we still haven't seen. i called them a month ago and the said that they never received the forms from us. i refaxed them and was told that the check would be here in 3 weeks. today i received a call saying that they needed more info. what more could they need??? when i got the lady on the phone she that they had the info and that we would be receiving the check in december. i demanded to speak with the gal that i have worked with in the past. she isn't understanding why the check hasn't been processed either. what in the world? is it really that hard!
pet peave--when you ask to speak with a supervisor they tell you that there isn't one there because they are on vacation. do they all take a vacation when there is a problem.
how funny is this? the nice gal just said that she would grab the supervisor. vacation anyone?

all 6 on the floor

"all 6 on the floor" was the lesson that "A" learned yesterday (painfully learned i must add). yesterday i got a call from the school saying that "A" had cut his head and was bleeding--and that i needed to get there right away. i rushed over to the school (with papa--thanks dad!) and found poor "A" basically in shock and with awful coloring in his face. it turns out that he had tipped back in his chair, fell backwards, and hit his head on a table. so, off to the er we went. the doctor decided that he needed 1 staple--not a good thing to say to a terrified 6 year old. "A" jumped off the examining table and took off! after catching him--a close escape to the bathroom--and much tears the doctor said that he could glue it instead. he now has a big patch of hair cut away and bloodly glue on the back of his head. no shampooing for a week. yuck! the poor kid. it was pretty traumatic! the worst part was a minute after we left the hospital he feel asleep mid sentence. that was really scary!!! we rushed back to the hospital and they informed us that that is very common and it was alright for him to sleep.
he now knows that all 6 legs must remain on the floor!
the interesting thing about the whole experience was that yesterday morning during our family prayer i really felt prompted to pray for both of the boys' safety at school. then, 5 minutes before the school called i felt again that i needed to pray for them. we had a little lesson last night about the importance of listening to the holy ghost.
what a day!

future politican

well, i think that we may have found a possible career for "M". yesterday he and i hand delivered political fliers for my sister (she is friends with someone running for office). "M" had the greatest time hanging them on the doorknobs. he would run from house to house. he was quick and the smile never left his face--except for when he face planted on the sidewalk--yikes!!! he was adorable when he would get to the doors--he would say "they don't have one. here you go!" then he would hang it on the handle and off to the next house.
watch out! you may see his name on the ballot in a few years!

happy halloween!!!!

i cannot believe that it is halloween already! where does the time go? the day has started full force--lots of celebrating here in our little home! i made the kids a fun little breakfast which included pancakes with spiders and ice cubes in their drinks with spiders frozen inside. the table was decorated with a fun tablecloth, halloween dishware, and candy corn scattered around. the kids loved it!! i love that little simple things mean so much to them. yesterday was the big school parade down main street and class party (we don't have school today). i am the head room mom in "A's" class so "k" and i were able help with the party--it was simple, but loved by the kiddos! yesterday "A" said--"this is one of the best days of my life!" i asked him why?--his response--"because it is the day before halloween!"
update on "M"--i took him to the pediatrician--he doesn't have a bladder infection, etc. he thinks that it is possibly anxiety. i pulled him out of the "new school" yesterday--i feel really good about the decision. i think that it was not the right fit for him. i am hoping that with a little more "mommy time" things will get back to normal.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

why does it have to be so hard?

where is the instruction book that was supposed to come with our children? i am having one of those days were i could use it. (okay, as i am typing this i am realizing that i need to be praying a little more about it--but for now i just need to vent). i am really struggling with how to best meet the needs of my sweet little "m." he is the most fun little guy, i love him sooo much. i just want to be sure that he is having the best opportunities for him. "m" has a speech delay that we have been working with for the past 2+ years. he is doing really, really well. he attends a speech school (preschool with kids that have delays and some that don't) he loves it and has been there this year and last. he has great teachers and seems to be doing really well. we also enrolled him in a local preschool (the one that "A" attended). we did this for a few reasons--just in case he didn't qualify for the special school anymore, it was great for "A", and we thought it would be good for him to be in a nondelayed atmosphere as well. he is too overscheduled??? i just don't know!!!!!! we thought that it would be so great. . . he loves the speech school and his favorite little friend Rachel is there--that makes it really great. his teachers have said that he is doing really well and is speaking a ton more! yay! but, at the new school they have said that he doesn't talk, etc. is he just uncomfortable and needs to warm up to the situation? is it just too much to go to 2 schools? to add to it--over the past week he has started wetting his pants right before he makes it to the potty. that is not like him! does he have an infection? is he stressed?
where is that stinkin manual???? i must go look for it!!!!!!!!!

i am a sneaky one!

actually, i should say--"I am a tricky one!" that is how "M" would say it if he knew the one i pulled over on him tonight! he is my picky, picky eater. i worry about him. he loves pancakes--so i make them often. tonight as i was getting ready to make them i saw a partial can of pumpkin in the fridge. do i dare??? yes!!!!! he loved it and i just kept my mouth shut about it! he didn't seem to notice. in fact, he ate 3!!!!!!! yay! a veggie!!!!!!!
this might not seem like a victory to some of you, but for any of you that have little ones like "M" you will understand my joy!!!!!!!!

hsm 3

i have to admit--we all 9 of us (my parents and sisters included) went to high school musical 3 and loved it!!! the highlights of the night (what made it just sooooo fun) were: the aunties giving the boys wildcats hoodies (they looked soooo cute!!!!!), "a" dancing in his seat, a's little comments ("this is sooo much better than 1 and 2!), "k" eating almost a whole bucket of popcorn (we all ate at the primary program practice--whoops! sorry honey!), "m" drinking half of my coke and half of "k's" rootbeer and then snoring for the rest of the show. it was just sooooo fun!
my mother-in-law had a great halloween party for the kiddos. it was great! so fun to see the cousins.
the best part of the night was coming home to a stocked fridge, freezer, and pantry. thank you aunties! we love you!!!!!!!

spinach salad

last night i had the most fabulous time with some of my dearest friends--my "playgroup friends." i will post about our night later, but quickly wanted to share the recipe that i brought last night. the gals all wanted it, so i thought i would post it.
enjoy--it is a yummy one!!

10 oz. spinach
1 granny smith apple (thinly sliced)
3/4 c. toasted almonds
1/2 lb. crisp bacon (crumbled)

dressing:
1/8 of a red onion
1/3 c. salad oil
1/4 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt

puree dressing ingredients in blender. toss and garnish with parmesan.

biggest loser

i have to admit that one 0f my very favorite shows is "the biggest loser." i didn't get hooked on it until last year. now i live for it! it is inspiring and just a neat show. well, i feel like the 2 biggest losers are in my own family! i know that it is unkind to call someone a loser--but they really are! (hehe!) my mom and dad are doing amazing things with a recent life style change. in the past few months my dad has lost over 60 inches and over 40 lbs. and my mom is being to have a such a tiny little frame. it is so neat to hear the comments that people have made about them! it is inspiring to talk to them and to hear about my mom's yoga class and my dad's exercise bike. they are amazing in every aspect of their lives--here is just another thing to add to the list!

a little humor

my cute little "M" says the funniest things! on saturday while we were driving he was telling me a birthday party that he had attended earlier that day. here is our conversation:
"M": jarom had a baby. his baby eats cake.
me: really? was it a boy baby or a girl baby?
"M": i do not know. it did not have a bow.

as you can tell, our little "H" is almost always accessorized! mommy loves to dress her up!

today we had another fun conversation:
me: "M" sister troyer sent home a treat for you and "A" (I was visiting teaching)
"M": did you say thank you?

i love that my children make me smile. it brightens my day and helps take away some of the grown up stresses of life. this past friday my dear friend janice's husband and 2 or her 4 children were in a very serious car accident. I am still quite shaken by the whole thing. i hope to never have to go through what their family has been dealing with for the past few days. the are a great family and know that they were being watched over. It was neat for me to be able to say a little prayer with her daughter in the waiting room of the e.r. i am so thankful for my knowledge of the plan of salvation and for temple covenants. it sure brings light to situations like this and luckily some that she was able to avoid. (for pictures of the crash link to janice on my blog).

i am . . .

I saw the neatest thing on a blog thought that it would be fun to do it myself.
I am--a wife, mother, daughter, sister, child of God.
I think--I have an amazing life.
I know--that I am not perfect.
I want--my husband and children to know how much I love them and how grateful I am for them!
I have--everything I need.
I wish--that my children could stay little and innocent forever.
I hate--when I lose my patience.
I miss--my kids when they are at school and the dating phase of our courtship.
I fear--not always being there for my kids.
I hear--nothing! yay! the kiddos are fast asleep.
I smell--clean laundry (needing to be folded).
I search--the scriptures.
I wonder--why I am so blessed.
I regret--wishing away times in my life.
I love--"K", "A", "M", "H" and my parents and sisters, laughing, making out with my cute hubby, reading, cleaning, holding my precious little baby.
I care--about my neighbors.
I always--thank "K" for asking me to marry him (I have everyday for 9 years), tell my family that I love them.
I am not--fake.
I believe--that everything happens for a reason.
I dance--with my husband and kids.
I sing--in the car.
I don't always--exercise.
I write--in my journal and in my kids' journals.
I win--when I am patient.
I lose--when I am not patient.
I never--swear.
I listen--to others.
I can usually--follow a recipe.
I can be found--on the go and with my family.
I am scared--of the dark.
I read--to my children everyday!
I am happy about--with where I am in my life.

better home interiors

whoops! i forgot to post the name of the company and the address.
it is called Better Home Interiors.
BetterHomeInteriors.blogspot.com
www.BetterHomeInteriors.com

super saturday

tis the season--it is time for super saturday yet again. i am so excited about this year!! last year i loved the calendar that i taught, but it was sooooo much work! well, this year is going to be even better!!!! i have found the neatest company (and girl that owns it!) and the best part is that she lives about a mile from me! who knew? i found her on tip junkie, started emailing her and then discovered that she lives so close by. i went to her house and she really is one of the best in the business of cute home decor!!!!! pop by her website or blog! we 2 projects that we are doing (even though i love soooo many more) are the temple board and the president monson quote tile. fun ideas for gifts!!!

is this normal??

is it normal for little boys to tell their friends that if you they don't give them there toys that they will either hurt them or do other unkind things to them? is it just me, or this a weird way to act? "A" has now had 2 friends do this. it doesn't seem to make him upset, but i know that it bothers him. he is a really sweet boy, but luckily he isn't giving in with this. one boy has told him that if he doesn't give him his ipod or some of his transformers that he will hurt him (and actually has!)--the other was yesterday at school. his friend told him that if he didn't give him something he would make sure that his mom doesn't buy him a birthday present. silly!!!! i didn't grow up around boys, but this just seems crazy.
Maybe it's normal?

baby "H"

i have to take a minute to say how amazing our little baby "H" is. she is the cutest little thing! she smiles and cooes and just loves life--except for when she is hungry--boy does she let you know! she wants to eat and she wants to eat NOW!!!!! she is the best sleeper--very unlike her oldest brother who didn't sleep well through the night until he was about 3. baby "H" usually sleeps from 8:30pm-7:30am. she wakes up hungry and i wake up sore--that is a fair trade!!! i love that she has just adjusted to our schedule. i have no idea how we got so lucky or how long it will last, but we are really enjoying it!!!!!!!
one of my girl friends told me not to tell any of my friends with little ones how well she is sleeping. she said that they would punch me in the eye. i would have done the same thing if someone would have told me this when "A" was a baby. i will watch my back!!!

memories of 9/11

This morning as "A" was getting ready for school I was talking to him about the significance of this day. It brought back a flood of memories. I feel a special bond with "A" in regards to 9/11 because I was pregnant with him at the time. I remember this day 7 years ago so vividly. When I first heard the news of the first tower being hit I was just getting off the freeway on my way to teach seminary. I was listening to a country station. I couldn't believe my ears. When I got to the seminary I called "K." He hadn't been feeling well and wasn't sure if he was going to go to his classes. He had turned on the "Today Show" and was glued to the TV. I remember how scared my students were. They ended up canceling school after the first class. The kids could stay if they wanted or their parents could pick them up. All of us teachers stayed at the seminary building and watched CNN. There was such a feeling of sadness, but yet our testimonies were strengthened that our Father in Heaven would protect and bring comfort to each of us. I have changed in many ways since 9/11. One big way is that I now have to sleep with a light on. I get very scared now when I cannot have control being able to see what is happening around me. Today after "A" gets home from school we will go to the "Healing Fields" and talk more about this day and the many brave men and women of this wonderful country!
God bless the USA.

ALL IS WELL!!!!!!

hoorah! the radiologist from the hospital just called with good news! everything is fine! the lump was an excess of milk--nothing to worry about!!!!! i feel like i can breathe now. i am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who has continually blessed me with what i need. I am also so grateful for my amazing family and friends. a special thank you to those who fasted on my behalf and have called, etc. Karlie, thank you for the beautiful flowers. what a fun surprise. most of all, thank you "K". you are my rock, my sweetheart, my best friend. i love you sooooo much. thank you for asking!!! now, NO MORE DRAMA! PLEASE!!!!!!!

I'm scared

Sometimes being a grown up is not all that fun. I cannot believe that I am old enough to face "grown up" trials. Over the past several weeks I have discovered a lump in one of my breasts. We thought that it was a clogged milk duct. I tried several things that were recommended by my OB, but nothing made the lump disappear. On Thursday I had to have an ultrasound. "K" was not able to take off work so my sister came with me. I am sooooooo blessed to have the husband, kids, sisters, and parents that I do! What a blessing they are in my life! My nurse called a few hours after the ultrasound and said that they don't think that it is a cancer, but that it is probably a collection of cysts. They have scheduled a needle guided ultrasound biopsy to confirm that it is not cancerous. I am trying to hold it all together, but I am really having a hard time. I cannot see the screen as I am typing. I am sooooo scared. I am trying to trust my Heavenly Father that he is aware of me and this sitution. I have found a lot of comfort through prayer, hymns and primary songs, and reading. My sisters took me and "H" out for a girl's night. I am having the hardest time getting my mind off of it. So, my house is getting very clean, my primary binder is getting well organized, and now on to some PTA things. The ultrasound is scheduled for Thursday. I need to relax!!!!!

1st grade!

I cannot believe that "A" started first grade today! The house was quiet and we all missed him, but school is something he absolutely loves! Several of the kids were crying this morning as they lined up, but not "A" he wouldn't even kiss his mother goodbye (I did sneak a kiss before we left the house!) He seems to have a super teacher and several of his friends are in his class. He is my sweetheart--I cannot believe that he is growing!
In a few minutes we are off to celebrate the 1st day of school with the Aunties (Nana and Papa are in Iowa for the week). When we get home its shower, reading, then bed. I love being on a schedule--everyone is so much happier that way!

the drama continues!!!!

There is never a dull moment around here! Poor baby "H" has pink eye! The fun never ends! On the flip side--I had to chuckle when they weighed her. She was 12.3 lbs. Gotta love cute chubby babies! She is adorable!

who has he been kissing???

My little 'M" has mono! What in the world? I took him in last week because his throat hurt. I had also noticed that his glands were HUGE! They checked him for strep (that was negative) and agreed that his glands were very swollen--but that was it. A few days ago his nose started running and he was coughing a ton. I started him on breathing treatments but they didn't really seem to help. So last night we took him to the kids care. He had 3 breathing treatments but still wasn't doing great. The doctor mentioned that he might have mono and that we could get him tested if we wanted. I hated to put him through the pain of a test, but I wanted the peace of mind. He was a champ! No crying, just a little grunt! Mind you, this is the same kid who didn't cry when he broke his collar bone. He is one tough cookie! Actually, that is what he wanted--a cookie. We told him that after the test he could have a package of cookies from the vending machine. He was happy as a clam. They called tonight and said that the test came back positive. Oh what fun! It is going to be tricky though--no contact sports for 6 weeks--he cannot take a blow to his splene (sp??). He is our rough and tumble crazy one. This is going to be interesting!

my baby "M" is 4 today!!!!

I cannot believe that my little boy turned 4 today!!!!!! I cannot believe how fast the time has gone, yet how it seems like we have had him forever!!! We had a really fun party last night with my family and a couple of his friends at Chuck E. Cheese. Everyone had a great time!!!!! Thank you Aunties!!!!!! Our pediatrician once said that "M" is the happiest kid that he had ever seen. Rarely do you see him without a smile on his face. I love my boy sooo much! I feel so blessed that Heavenly Father would entrust us with such a special boy. Today "K" has a retreat so I think that I will take the kids to a playland for lunch. Tonight Nana and Papa and our friends the Websters are coming over for cake (Auntie "K" made the most fabulous Dora, Diego, and Cars cake!!!!). Tomorrow we will have a little party after church with my in-laws. Three days of partying!!!!!! Happy 4th Toshi!!!!!!!!!!! We love you!!!!!!!

i am in laundry heaven!!!!!!!

a few nights ago i was doing yet again another load of laundry. i cannot believe how many i do a day!!! i put the load in right before we sat down for dinner. a couple hours later i heard the washer going--i thought that maybe in my sleep deprived state i didn't remember maybe putting in another load or exactly when i put in the other. later that night i heard it again. i asked "k" if he had put in a load. he said that he hadn't. so i checked it out. the same load had been washing for over 5 hours. not a good thing for the clothes!!!!!!!!!! it turns out that it was going through all of the cycles continuously. so--now we have a brand new washer and dryer!!!! i wasn't thrilled about spending the money but we have been living on borrowed time with these old ones--they belonged to my parents before they moved to Utah. i cannot believe how much fun i am having with these new machines! they are both front loading and energy efficient. i think that i am actually going to get rid of my mountain of laundry!!!!

I feel so loved!

We have the best family and friends! I feel so blessed and so loved! We had a great past few days. On Thursday our stake had Lagoon Day. We went with some of our best friends, the Websters, and had the greatest time! I felt like a kid again! Our boys had the greatest time--and we had the greatest time hanging out with them!!!!! We left baby "H" home with my sisters--she was in heaven being held and loved by her Aunties. On Friday our friends threw a surprise baby shower for "H" and I. I was sooo surprised! Normally I am pretty hard to surprise, but with this one I had no clue! We had a fabulous time. I felt so loved and special. Yesterday was a very special day. Our baby "H" was blessed at Church. "K" gave her a beautiful blessing. She really is a special little girl. We feel so blessed to have her join our family! I am so grateful for my husband, Dad, and our wonderful friends who were able to take part in this special blessing! My sisters, Mom, and Dad helped us throw a wonderful open house. We had about 40 people come--we laughed, visited, and ate for hours. My Mom gave "H" her dress--it is gorgeous and I hope that maybe one day her daughter will wear it!
I feel so blessed and grateful for the gospel, my family, and our wonderful friends! We love you all!!!!!

what we do for our kids!

this morning i had an experience that gave me a new appreciation for my parents. the summer is half way over and my kids have not had any swimming lessons. i checked in how to register and when. somehow i got the dates mixed up and thought that it was yesterday. so, i drove over to the pool and got their at 5:30 right when they opened. come to find out--i was wrong on the dates. so home i went. once again, this morning i got there--this time at 5:15. i was the 5th in line. by the time it was my turn there was only one spot left in each of the levels that my boys needed. thank goodness i got there early. i felt bad for the others there, but was sooo excited that i was able to get them in. my boys don't know how exhausted i was today because of this--but i really don't care. i would do anything for them--just as my parents did for me.

no more lights!

Baby "H" is finally done with her lights! It is soooo wonderful to have her out of her "little tanning bed" and into our arms. Someone from church asked "A" how it was to have a little sister. His response was, "We never get to even see her--she is always under the lights." It has been great for the boys to be able to bond with her, see her, and touch her. They have fallen in love--thank goodness! "K" and I are trying to get used to not sleeping--it's been a long time since we've had a baby in the house--we love it though!
My family (and my mother-in-law) have been absolute lifesavers! My sisters took turns staying with us--someone was here 24 hrs. a day helping take "H" temperature every 15 min., helping with the boys, etc. My parents are my boys' favorite playmates! They have been to movies, restaurants, coloring at "Nana and Papa's", etc. The boys also had a fun sleepover at my mother-in-laws. We are so blessed to have the families that we do!

she's here!!!!!!

our much awaited daughter has finally come! she was born on sunday, june 29. here are the stats: weight--7.5
height: 20 in.
time: 7:57 pm
she is beautiful! she looks like the boys--but has a lot of dark black hair. she has the same dimple in her check as the boys. she is precious and we are soooo thrilled to have here home! she has jaundice so things have been really crazy around here. we also found out today after having an ultrasound at Primary's--that she probably has reflux. she is sleeping in a little blue box with lights--that is hard because she can only come out when she is being fed. her levels looked better today--so hopefully we'll be done with the lights soon!
i am nervous about posting personal info on the blog--s0 if you would like to see a picture, etc. we are sending out a mass email. let me know if you want one!

the latest

so, things have not really panned out how we planned. how funny that i thought that i had it all figured out--"H" would come at 37 weeks, etc. prideful gal that i am thinking that i know all!
she is still happy and content inside of me. i am dying of heat--gotta love pina colada slurpees! yesterday we celebrated out 9 year anniversary. we definitely didn't think that i would still be pregnant, so we had an interesting--but great day! i love "K" soooo much and cannot imagine a person more perfect for me! i spent most of the day in the hospital. steady, big contractions--but one problem. my cervix is now posterior. until it moves, even though i contract like crazy--i will not go further than the 2 that i am at. i have an induction scheduled--my dr. cannot get me in until 7/9--my actual due date! yikes! then, last night "M" started vomiting and diarreha. poor kid. he has been sleeping for about 3 hrs. now. needless to say, none of us have had much sleep. so, i cannot believe that i am saying this, but i really hope that "H" doesn't come today! i need a nap!

stubborn!

this little girl inside of me most definitely is trying to make a point! she is not her brothers and will come when she is good and ready (which really is a good thing, but i am sooo tired of thinking that "it's time!!!!!!!" on friday my contractions were very consistent and i thought that "it was time!" so we went to the hospital--again--i really feel foolish, but what else can i do? i was checked at the ob at my appt. on tuesday--still a 1 1/2. when i was checked on friday i had gone to a 2! i have never done that before without being in the hospital--i was so excited! the contractions were consistent and we thought that it was "the day!" we then walked for 30 min. i became a "stretchy 2." an hour later when i was checked the nurse couldn't find my placenta. that was strange! i was hoping that that meant that i had fully dilated! but, no--she found it about 10 minutes later--still at a 2. so discouraging! i am so grateful though for a patient husband, parents--my mom sits in the waiting room and my dad has our boys, and sisters. we are a blessed family. let's just get this little one here safe and soon (for my sanity!)

today is my parent's 46th wedding anniversary! i love them both sooooo much! they are amazing examples for us! happy anniversary! i hope to give you a baby today!! heehee!

I am starting to get scared!

Now that I will be having this little one any day--I am starting to panic! I have had really interesting labors and deliveries with both of my boys. I am starting to worry about the whole process--going through it again! "A" had a great delivery! I contracted the day before--but never anything closer than 10-2- minutes apart. This continued throughout the night. Finally the next morning "K" said that we had to go in. When we got there they said that I was on the "magic bed" because the contractions totally stopped. An hour later they checked me--I had progressed to a 4--who knows how?!?--the gave me my epidural--which was great--and some pitocin (sp?)--and a few hours later--2 pushes and he was here!
"M" was a different story! I had contractions for 5 weeks before he was born--just like with this one. My water broke--contractions stopped--we went to the hospital and were admitted. Got the epidural--nightmare!!!!!!!! My nerve was hit--i will never forget the awful zing up and down my spine!!! My doctor came in and noticed that i was not numb--AT ALL! but, I was at a 10. 2 pushes later he was born--but delivering the placenta--PIECE BY PIECE was horrible pain! When the nurse went to remove the epidural they noticed that it had fallen out! no wonder it hurt soooooo bad!
So, having all of this fresh in my memory has started to freak me out! Plus, my doctor will be out of town next week! He told me that he thinks and hopes that I will deliver this week. Lucky for me, in the past I have delivered quickly, but I am still really scared!

amazing progress!

it has been so exciting lately to see how much "M" is improving with his speech! if you didn't know you wouldn't think that he has had any trouble with his speech. it is so great to have people comment on how well he is speaking. i am soooo glad that we caught the speech delay early. i am such a firm believer in early intervention! he is the funniest little boy and says that greatest things! one of our favorites was during sacrament meeting when he blurted out "my bum burped!" we have a family with teenagers that sit behind us each week--they always thank us for the entertainment. "M" is quite the funny one!
we feel so blessed to have these 2 incredible boys!
oh--exciting news--"M" is completely potty trained! there might be some regression when the baby comes--but for now we are thrilled!

predicitions!

i have predicted 2 due dates since the beginning of my pregnancy. the first one is today (the 14th) and the second is monday (the 16th). i told my doctor about this at my last visit a few days ago. he said that those dates sounded great--so lets get her here!!!! i have been really dehydrated lately which has caused tons of contractions. word to the wise--DRINK!!!!!!!!
today our boys and the aunties are going to "build a bear." they each get to make an animal for themselves and one for the baby. "A" wakes up each morning telling me that it is almost saturday. this has been a much anticipated event. i am so excited to see what they come home with! thanks aunties! "K" has a business lunch--so i will be home alone--enjoying the quiet.
wish us luck on my predictions!!!!!

a new countdown begins!

yesterday was a frustrating day! i saw my ob for my weekly checkup. we were sure that our date was 7/2--according to my last period. well, he told me yesterday that my 20 week ultrasound said 7/9 and he would rather err on the conservative side. he then told me that there was no way that i would be going to july, but he would like me to g0 as long as possible. his hope being 10-12 days. i don't know if she will last that long! i am at a 1--not too exciting, but i am completely effaced and she is at a -2 station--he said that she will not get any lower than that because she is my third. i love my dr. and am grateful that he wants the best for me, but i am feeling sooo impatient! i wish that i could just sleep for the next 2 weeks to make the time go faster!

on a more positive note--the boys are out of school for the summer. they both had a great year! i cannot believe how fast it went!!! looking back on it i think that one of the highlights of the year for me was getting involved in the pta. we don't have a lot of kids in our neighborhood so i only knew a few of the moms. joining the pta was such a great way to make the most amazing friends and to really get involved with the programs and get to know the teachers, staff, and principal. this year i was in charge of teacher appreciation! i had soooo much fun!!!!!! i really love the school and am so glad that it is where our children get to be!

not so fun comments

I am officially at the stage of my pregnancy where I am very ready to be done. I know that I need to be patient, but come on! Speed up time! It wasn't until the past few days that I have really started to feel self conscious! Last night we went to the school carnival. One of the teachers asked how much longer I had--she just couldn't believe that I wasn't closer to my due date. Do I really look that huge?? Then this morning I ran over to a neighbor's garage sale. I saw a gal there from our ward. She said, "You still haven't had that baby?" I am 35 weeks. In reality I could go 5 more!!!!!! I am hoping though that she will follow suit and go at 37 like her brothers! Here is to wishful thinking!!!!!!!!

the bolder boulder

"A" went to Boulder, Co. this past weekend with his aunties to do the Bolder Boulder. If you are not familiar with it--it is a 10K road race--it is a ton of fun! It is very Boulder--complete with belly dancers and all. I could not believe it when my sister called to tell us that they had just come into the stadium. I am so proud of my little 6 year old! He has had a fabulous time with his Aunties--I must admit, they are very fun to travel with! My sister told me that he will have a hard time when he returns home because he won't be able to have cheetos with his breakfast!
On a fun side note--"A" won an IPOD from his school fundraiser! It was so fun calling him on the cellphone today to give his the news!
Special thanks again to the aunties--and for helping soooo much with the nursery!
I feel sooo blessed to have such an amazing husband, kids, parents, and sisters!

it's ready!

the nursery is ready!
i am soooo excited! last night my husband and his buddy finished painting and putting together the nursery. it looks amazing! i am soooo grateful to have such a good husband--he sacrificed a lot of time over the past few days to get this completed. it is so strange to see the room transformed from a boy room to a girl room. it is really beautiful! the walls are a purple, ceiling very light shade of lavendar (looks white) and the trim is all white. the bedding is my favorite! the aunties (who else?!?!?) purchased the most precious princess bedding. it looks awesome! i am just so excited--i can't stand it!!!!!!!!!
thanks sweetheart--and barry!
now we have to go shopping for the new running shoes that i promised "k" if the room got done last night!

false alarm!

on tuesday afternoon i started having painful contractions--the kind where you cannot walk. i got my kids to bed ("K" was at a meeting) and sat down to time them. they were close together and getting more intense. when "k" got home i told him that i thought we should go in. when i we got there and got all hooked up we saw that the contractions were every 6 minutes and some of them quite intense. after being checked (by a busy doctor--that is not fun--it hurt like heck!!!!!!), urine sample, and 4 hours of being monitored--we headed home. i was at a 1. the contractions are still going--but thanks to some pills they are not quite so intense or frequent. this little one needs to stay in for a few more weeks!
boy has the nesting phase kicked in!

how to get to heaven

tonight before bed, we were reading to our boys the story from the old testament about the tower of babel. after we read we had the following conversation:

me: "is that how we get to heaven? can we just build a tower and get to heaven?"
"a": "no."
me: "so, then how do we get to heaven?"
"a": "we die."

very profound, huh?

life

a couple nights ago my husband and i attended the viewing of the son of our o.b. who had died of brain cancer. we had never met him, but after standing in the line to greet the family we felt so inspired by this incredible man. as we stood in line (for an hour--then we were told by some of their close friends to play the pregnancy card and go to the front of the line--because it would have been at least another hour more) we visited with some of his friends who had come from several states to be there. it was so inspiring to hear the stories that they told about Rich and his little family. he was a really remarkable man. there was a man there who was not a member of our church who had become a close friend of his while working in texas. there were people who knew he and his wife on a study abroad in jerusalem. there were people from kansas and minnesota who knew them as newlyweds. when we finally got to see our dr. he just cried and hugged us. he thanked us several times for coming and told us how much he loved us. we thanked him for being there through some of our most difficult trials (losing 2 babies). we told him and rich's wife how inspired we were by the conversations that we had with their friends. we told them that he sounded like the most remarkable man! our dr. told us that he was just amazing and that he must have passed the test that we are all struggling to pass--he laughed and said that rich passed and he (our dr.) obviously hasn't because he is "so old!" as we left there was a CD to take called "live rich!" that was their families motto. they said that Rich really knew how to "live rich!" his priorities were in line--he knew what and who was most important in his life. after the viewing we listened to the cd--I bawled. he spoke for about 10 minutes about what he has learned and then the remainder was his piano music. he was so talented. as we were driving home my husband and i were discussing whether or not we are the kind of friends that rich was to his. would people travel several miles to attend our services? have we left an impact on people? it was a wonderful, spiritual, thought provoking night.

i am soooo ready to be done!

okay, i am going to vent! i am soooo ready to have this little baby! i know, i know, it is way too early--but come on already! i had my ob appt. yesterday. my dr. had a family emergency so i saw one of his partners. when he came in to the room to see me he said to my "k" and i, "boy, it looks like this has been a really rough pregnancy!" that was an understatement! i am swollen, have infections EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!, and can barely sit or bend. i am grateful though for the many medicines that i am on! i think back to this time last year when we lost our last baby. what a blessing it is to have one on the way. but, i still think that i am entitled to a little whining!
sorry for the vent!
i will try to be more upbeat on my next entry!

M.I.A.

it has been far too long since i have made an entry. things have been crazy, and i haven't been on the computer much. i do miss writing about the events around here, so i thought that i would do a brief catch up!
* this little girl of our is wanting desperately to make her appearance! i have been on another partial bed rest to slow things down. i had both of our boys at 37 weeks, if that is the case here that means 5 1/2 more weeks to go!!!!!!!!
* "M" broke his collar bone while playing at a neighbor's house. he decided to dive off the little slide and do a roll. i didn't know if i should take him in to have it checked because he never cried--he just held his shoulder and wanted to cuddle. i decided to take him in and sure enough it was completely broken. this all happened the day before my birthday--not too fun. but still, through it all he never once cried! he is a pretty tough 3 year old!
* "A" lost his first tooth! i called some friends to hear what the going rate was for the tooth fairy. inflation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
* i am really busy with pta getting ready for teacher appreciation week. i have really enjoyed being involved!

well, i think that that about covers it!

april fools!

I love a good joke! I do feel bad though about the one that I pulled on my oldest sister yesterday--well I don't feel too bad! I called her yesterday and told her that I had to go in for an ultrasound to make sure that everything was okay with the baby ( I was in the hospital AGAIN this weekend with more bleeding). I told her that the baby looked great, expect for they are now questioning whether or not it really is a girl. Boy did I scare my sister! She tried to be so brave, but the tears still came. She is as excited as I am about this little girl! She loves, loves, loves my boys--but is thrilled about now spoiling a girl! The closet in the nursery is already filled--thanks to my 2 sisters. After a few minutes I told her that when we explain to everyone that it is possibly a boy that we will also remind them that it is april fools day! It took her a minute to register that I was teasing her! The poor girl! I was a fun one though!

uninvited guest (to put it nicely!)

a couple weeks ago my husband woke me up as he was searching through the pantry for a flashlight. half asleep i asked him what he was doing. he responded by saying, "something just took a leek down the chimney!" that shot me out of bed! i turns out that we had a raccoon in our chimney! yuck! i hate, hate, hate raccoons! when i was in 3rd grade i was nipped by one on my foot. yuck! $350 later, everything was disinfected and the 2 fireplaces were capped on the top. i should add that he/she was not there at the time. we haven't thought too much about it since--until last night at 10:00 our neighbor called us to tell us that our little guest has moved on and found a new home--in their fireplace and it is stuck! would it be heartless of me to say, "Merry Christmas!"???

influenza!

poor "m" woke up yesterday with burning up! we took his temp. under his arm and it was 103.7--which would really be 104.7 because it reads lower under your arm. we gave him motrin and tylenol--which he threw up twice, but was finally able to hold down one additional dose of motrin. the poor boy was feeling horrible! he slept most of the morning but then threw up again. "A" was such a great big brother. he read to him, wrote a story for him entitled "Math Baby and Fun", and offered to dump the vomit out of the bowl that "M" was sick in. if that isn't a sweet brother i don't know what is! of course i didn't have him clean it out--tempting though! in the afternoon we sent "A" to church with some neighbors and took "M" to the kids care. he has the nasty influenza that is going around. not fun! he seems sooooo much better today. hopefully we will both get a good nap!

it's a . . .

yay! we had our official ultrasound on friday and we are having a GIRL!!!!!!!!!! we are so excited--maybe some of us (me) more than others ("A"). a few weeks ago when i was in the hospital we had an ultrasound that also looked girl--but it was a little early. at that time "A" was informing us that if it was indeed a girl, she and i would have to move to africa. well now, bless his heart, he has had a change of mind--we are now having to move to australia because africa has poisonous ants. how sweet of him--don't you think!
we are so excited for this new upcoming addition!

watch out!!!!!

a couple days ago i was at the grocery store with our 2 boys. "M" was loving life in riding in the little car cart--gotta love those! he was steering and just utterly amused. as we started down a busy isle i heard him yell--"WATCH OUT! WATCH OUT!" i was afraid that he was going to scare the cute little old man near us--luckily he laughed and thought that it was really cute. he continued to do this several times in different places of the store. when i told my sister about what had happened she asked if "M" thought that I was going to throw up so he was warning the other customers. i don't think that that was the case. i just think that he wanted to let everyone know (and rather loudly!!!) that we were coming! gotta love the grocery store!

president hinckley

as so many of you, i am deeply saddened by the passing of our sweet prophet--president hinckley. i am so grateful for the opportunity that i had to speak in church on sunday--just hours before his death. i am so grateful that from the pulpit i was able to bear testimony of him. he made such a huge impact (as did his wife) on my life. he signed my mission call and was the prophet during some of the most difficult times in my life--times when i had to make some huge decisions (marriage, career, motherhood, etc.) i will never forget the day that i was able to meet the hinckleys. when i was at BYU my bishop's wife was in charge of a luncheon honoring sister hinckley. it was there that i was able to shake the prophet's hand. my sweet "A" asked if he would someday be able to shake the hand of a prophet. i have a feeling he will!

our little sunbeam

our youngest, "M" moved up into sunbeams (sunday school class @ our church). my friend told me a cute story that happened to "M" a few weeks ago. i thought that it was cute enough to share. "M" has a speech delay--he has had therapy and now attends a little preschool class to work on it. he is doing really great! the first day of sunbeams the sister conducting primary had each of the new sunbeams stand and tell a little about themselves. she would ask them questions and they would answer in front of all of the kids (ages 3-11). when it was "M's" turn she said (keep in mind, i love this gal! she is a cute grandma and a school teacher--she was "m's" nursery teacher when he was 18 mos. but hasn't seen him much since then. when he stood up she said, "now boys and girls, this is "M." "M" doesn't speak very much with his words, but he speaks with his hands--with sign language. here is how it played out----

sister: what is your name?
"m": "m"
sister: oh, i thought that you were going to sign that.
sister: what is your favorite color?
"m": blue
sister: hmmm, i thought that he would sign that.
sister: what is your favorite primary song?
"m": "i am a child of god"
sister: wow. i guess that he wasn't going to sign for us today!

i got such a kick out of that! once again proving that our little "m" is very capable and very STUBBORN! oh, and i must add adorable!!!!!!!!

i've been tagged (now so have you!)

my friend janice had this little thing on her blog. i have know her since i was 6 and love finding out things about her that maybe i didn't know--or had just forgot. not it's my turn!

8 things that i am passionate about:
1. my husband
2. my 2 little boys
3. my religion
4. relationship with my parents and sisters
5. making sure that my husband and children are happy
6. my children's education
7. doing random acts of service
8. trying to be a good person

8 things i want to do before i die:

1. return (again) to my mission--prague, cz
2. see my children go through the temple
3. travel to the church history sights
4. be in the shape that i want!
5. go on a mission with my hubby
6. have my scrapbooks up to date
7. see my children married in the temple
8. be a grandma

8 books that i have read recently:

1. twilight
2. new moon (i am almost done!)
3. the children's version of the old testament
4. the book of mormon
5. is your mama a lama?
6. everything you need to know about pregnancy
7. my father's dragon
8. the best christmas pageant ever

8 things i often say:

1. i love you!
2. mommy needs to take a little rest
3. in a minute
4. really?
5. i'm proud of you!
6. be careful
7. be nice to your brother
8. no way!

8 things that attract me to friends:

1. sense of humor
2. kind
3. similar interests
4. children involved in same activities
5. people who are not high maintanence
6. happy
7. ?
8. ?

8 songs or albums that i could listen to over and over again:

1. red light blue light (harry connick jr.)
2. bubbly
3. pachabel cannon
4. anthing harry connick jr.
5. sting--fields of gold
6. anything my children sing
7. savage garden--i cannot remember what it is called--but it soooo reminds me of my husband
8. allison krause--when you say nothing at all

8 things i have learned this year:

1. my husband is the most support guy ever!
2. my children are so innocent, pure, and sweet
3. the Lord will never leave me alone
4. prayer works
5. you are your child's only advocate!
6. don't tell someone something if you don't want to pay the consequences (keep things to yourself!!!!)
7. full day kindergarten is great!
8. i am so blessed!

8 things you might not know about me:

1. i was a seminary teacher
2. i was an EFY counselor
3. my husband and i dated for 1 1/2 weeks before we got engaged
4. i have had 2 miscarriages
5. i love to talk to friends on the phone
6. everyday since we have been married (81/2 years) i have thanked my husband for asking me to marry him
7. i graduated from ricks and byu
8. i love hot showers!

the most recent happenings

i have not been very faithful with my blogging. we have had a crazy few weeks. i thought that i would jot down a few things that we have been up to.

a couple weeks ago i was upstairs resting while all 3 boys were downstairs. i woke up to the screaming of our 6 year old--"daddy! get me a band aid!!!" the screaming didn't let up. i dragged myself out of bed--went to the top of the stairs and asked if they needed help locating a band aid. the screaming continued. my husband then told me that "A" was really bleeding. i asked him if he meant stitches worthy bleeding. he said "yes!" so, next thing i knew we were packing the boys--screaming hysterically!!!--into the car. we waited for 30 minutes at the e.r. and didn't look like we were going to be seen anytime soon. so, we headed over to the "kids care." "A" was screaming "no stitches" at the top of his lungs! it was awful. he also only wanted his auntie to take care of him. she had movie tickets, which she swallowed and raced from orem to get here. she really calmed him down. the doctor took one look at it and said that he would definitely need stitches. as they were getting ready to prep his finger he was still screaming bloody murder. i asked him if he wanted his daddy to give him a blessing. after the blessing the tears and screaming disappeared. it was awesome! he had 4 injections and 8 stitches. he really was a champ. having them removed 13 days later was another story, i am not going to go there!

another exciting tidbit--i am now 16 weeks pregnant! things look great. my dr. sees me every other week--it has been so great! we will find out in a few weeks what we are having!

things are never dull!!!!!

happy birthday honey!

today is my cute husband's birthday! the big 35!!!!! i just wanted to shout out how much i love him! he is: my best friend, the greatest daddy--EVER!!!!!!!, the cutest guy around, supportive (he has only missed 1 OB appt. in the 5 times that we have been pregnant), hilarious, has the best laugh (it is so contagious!), super humble, dedicated to the gospel, kills himself as an Elders Quorum President, amazing designer, the all around perfect guy! I love you sweetheart! i hope that you have a great day! let's hurry and celebrate!
xox!