mommyhood

still here!!!

2011-07-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

i love reading blog posts. i don't know why i spend so much time reading about others and not writing about us!!!! i have a minute, so i wanted to jot down a little about what is going on with us. summer is in full swing here at our house and we are loving it!!!!!! here is a little update on each of us.

daddy--started a new job in april and absolutely LOVING it! he works downtown so he takes the trax each day. he loves the downtime as he rides--visits with friends, and even reads his scriptures on his ipad. he continues to take taekwando with the boys.

"A"--finished 3rd grade--rocked the standardized testing!!! loves riding his bike and playing with the neighbors. working towards his 2nd degree blackbelt, earned his wolf and bear--waiting to become a weebelo.

"M"--finished 1st grade--is an awesome reader!! currently reading the "big nate" series. hoping to earn his blackbelt in december. he is my lovey. he is so sweet and affectionate! loves to ride his bike and play with his siblings and neighbors.

"H"--just turned 3! i cannot believe it!!! she loves all things girl--which i love! her favorite friends are cruisey and roxy. she loves to talk on the phone. her new favorite trick is to pick up and ants and to bring them inside. a few days ago she came inside with a spider crawling on her arm. "look mama, my friend--he is tickling me." the look of horror on her face when i squished it was priceless!!!

me--as of a few days ago, i am no longer PTA pres. it has been a fabulous 2 years!!!! i am now going to be on the council level--i am excited for this new adventure. some of my girlfriends and i participated in a dirty girl race last week. nothing like trying to run threw the mud! we had a great time and are excited to do it again next year! last month i repainted our kitchen cupboards and drawers. i love how they turned out!!!! i painted them black and then distressed them. in june i attended youth conference with the kids in the ward--had a great time--manti pagent and boating! we have girls camp in august. i am loving having the kids home and cannot believe that the summer is half over.

there's the update--hopefully it won't take so long to get the next one!

mortality

2011-03-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

this passed week i have been reminded of how short and precious life really is. interestingly enough, on sunday i taught a lesson in young women's about eternal life and how this life is like a "layover" on our way to eternal life. over the past couple days i have been reminded about how short this life can be. i found out that one of my dearest friends who i was an efy counselor with has a hubby with terminal cancer and a blood disease. then yesterday, i found out that one of the elders from my mission that i was very close to passed away. my heart hurts. my heart hurts for those who were (and will be left behind). as i am writing this i have a two year old climbing on me--she is one of the biggest joys in my life. i am soooo blessed. we all are. how wonderful the gospel is. how tender that the elder who passed away will be with his unborn child for a brief time before it is sent to earth--his wife is expecting baby #4. i love my crazy life. i love my practically perfect husband. how grateful i am that i have the privilege to be with him and our 3 beautiful children FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! holding my little ones a little tighter today.

the day of love!

2011-02-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

i love, love, love LOVE!!!!

last night after the kiddos went to bed i sat on our bed cutting hearts. i then hung them out throughout the house. it was so fun to have "A" come into our room this morning thanking me for the hearts. how wonderful it is to just be grateful for the little things!

the boys and daddy bought hannah and i beautiful roses. i feel so loved.

this past week at FHE i gave each family member (including nana and papa) a red pail. we each drew names to see who we would give little acts of love to each day up to valentines day. it was so neat to see the handmade pictures, cards, notes, etc. it really made for a great week--a tradition that we will continue.

i feel so blessed and loved!

happy day of love!

recap of 2010--A LITTLE LATE!

2011-02-05T07:13:00.000-08:00

i have a mountain of laundry that needs to be done. so, as i have loads going i thought that i would jot down a little recap of 2010. it may not be exciting for anyone to read, but i need to do it for myself.

hubby--as always, "K" stayed extremely busy this past year. he continues to teach and has even picked up a class at a nearby university. his dream would be to teach full-time at the university. he is a fabulous designer and teacher, i know that it will happen! he continues to stay busy with his freelance business. he has also been taking tae kwan do. due to some injuries, he hasn't been there as much as he would like. he loves it though, and loves spending time with the boys!

"A"-- a week before his 9th birthday "A" earned his black belt in tae kwan do! he worked extremely hard--often times 6 practices a week. he and his papa were extremely dedicated and it paid off! he was the youngest member of his black belt training phase. he continues to attend classes and is working on his 2nd degree black belt. he mentors at his tae kwan do school once a week. "A" is in the 3rd grade and is doing fabulously! he loves reading, math, and art. he has an incredible teacher who motivates him in such a great way! he loves recess--he and the other boys play soccer. in fact, 2 weeks before his black belt test he broke his pinky finger playing soccer. splint and all he tested for and earned his black belt! he was in a splint for 6 weeks and celebrated the day he was able to take it off!

"M"--quote from our pediatrican--"M" is the happiest kid that i have ever met!" "M" has a laugh like his daddy's--lights up and room and is so contagious! "M" is doing great! after years of speech therapy, he has finished!!!! he has worked so hard and is doing wonderfully!!!! he loves 1st grade, his teacher, and friends. he has become a great reader!!!! he loves to read to sissy--they snuggle up on my bed and read and read and read. like his daddy and brother, "M" is in tae kwan do. he is good!!!!! he loves it and is so fun to watch!

this past spring both boys were diagnosed with CAH (congenital adrenal hyperplasia). the diagnosis has forced us to study a ton and has made us even more grateful for our sweet little boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sissy--i LOVE having a girl!!!!!! sissy turned 2 in june. she is the cutest thing ever! i am not just saying that! she is a minnie me and my parents and sisters remind me of that often! she loves her clothes (which the boys pick out for her), shoes, and having her hair and nails done. she doesn't go anywhere with her "cruisey." she loves girls days with aunties and mommy. our neighbors have kids all the same age as ours--and same genders. needless to say, they are always together!!!!!! sissy spends a lot of time with her nana and papa--the highlight of her day. she loves to be read to and has memorized several books--her latest favorite is "are you my mother."

me--as i think about this year and my life in general--i cannot believe how blessed i am. i have the sweetest, kindest husband, and the perfect children FOR ME! i have relied so heavily on the Lord this past year--and am so grateful for my testimony and relationship with HIM. i am definitely keeping myself busy. for the 2nd year in a row i am serving as the president of our school's pta. i love it!!!! i love the children and teachers at the school. i love that every time i am out in public i have children running up to me and hugging me. what a wonderful gift! this past fall i was called to be in the YW's. i love it! i had most of the girls years ago when they were in activity days.

well, laundry needs to be switched and i am headed to the pool. it has felt so good to think about the past year and to count my many blessings.

i love fall!

2010-10-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

i know that i am not the most diligent blogger or journal writer--i guess that i just trust that my old memory will remember everything. hmmmm, i think that i am getting too old for that to be the case. i will try to be more diligent, i don't want to forget how great our lives are.

i absolutely love, love, love the fall! i love the excitement of change--good change! my boys are back in school and have 2 of the greatest teachers EVER! i feel so fortunate to have them at the school they attend. a week after school started i received a call from the assistant principal asking if i was interested in a reading aide position. it is 2 hours a day--first thing in the morning. i jumped on it and have loved it! i am at the school all the time anyway (serving for the 2nd year as PTA president), but this is something a little different. it is so neat to see the kids that i work with as they start grasping things better and feel more confident. my sweet little girl continues to be such a joy to us. i love her and am so grateful for the wait that it took to finally get her here! she is such a wonderful addition to our family! my sweet hubby continues to work hard. i so appreciate all that he does for our family. i look forward to our little sunday night dates when we drink diet coke and watch amazing race. the house is all decked out with fun halloween decorations. my favorite being a little purple rug with witch legs that we have placed by the stove. it looks like she is under the stove. so cute!

here is the recap of whats going on. now off to create more memories.

end of a great summer

2010-08-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

i cannot believe that the boys go back to school this week. this summer has flown! we have had a wonderful time and have created many wonderful memories with family and friends. at the beginning of the summer we sat down and created a summer bucket list. here are a few things that we did: summer reading program, classic skating, swimming (and a ton of it!), walks, summer lunches at the school, scouting ("A" earned his wolf), visiting great grandma, boating with friends, REAL soccer game, going to Boulder, etc. we spent the day yesterday with our neighbors on their boat. we had a wonderful day--the perfect ending to an awesome summer. tonight at family home evening daddy will give the boys father's blessings. i am sad to see them go back to school, but am so excited for the great opportunities that they will have this year--1st and 3rd grade--i can't believe it!!!!!!!!!! sissy will miss them like crazy, but we will enjoy some much anticipated girl time!

congenital adrenal hyperplasia

2010-05-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

it has been a while since i have updated on M's condition. he has been diagnosed with a condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia. the first test done was an xray on his wrist to find out his bone age. the hope would be to see 5 1/2 (his age). our dr. told us that if it showed 7 + we would have something to worry about. it came back at 12 1/2. next we headed to primary children's hospital for blood work--poor kid--he has been back a few times since and will continue to have level checks every couple months. short story of his diagnosis--his adrenal gland is not functioning properly. it is not making some life sustaining enzymes (cortisol for one). so, his body makes an excess of male hormones. he is now on several pills a day--2 in the morning, 1 after school, and 5 at night. when he gets sick we have to triple his meds. and then when he gets really sick (vomiting, broken bone, etc.) we give him an injection of hydrocortisone). he had the stomach flu this past week and i had to give my first shot. it was not fun for either of us!! we will find out in a couple of weeks if the meds are working well enough to stop the puberty or if he will have to have an implant put in his arm. we are praying that he won't! the dr. told us that the condition is not curable, but it is treatable. we feel so blessed to live where we do where we have such wonderful doctors and hospitals. after hearing m's medical history the dr. was shocked that he is still alive. 4 surgeries (oxygen levels dropping to the 30's), tumor in his ear, broken collar bone, etc.--he said that he shouldn't be alive. thank heaven for the priesthood. this little boy is a trooper. i know that he is here for a reason.

crazy times

2010-04-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

this past week has been a really interesting one. over the past several months i have noticed that my 5 year old--"m"--has seemed to have some hormonal issues. he has pimples on his nose, sweaty armpits, etc. i finally decided to take him into the dr. the dr. agreed that he is extremely tall and thought that it would be good to do an xray of his wrist to show his bone age. a few days ago the dr. called me and told me that i was right on to bring him in and that his bones showed that of a 12 1/2 year old. he told me that there was definitely a problem and that we needed to get to the bottom of it. we were then sent to primary children's hospital to have several viles of blood taken. that was a treat! luckily his auntie who works there let him go crazy at the vending machine! i think that he got one of everything! the dr. called the next day and told me that the 2 tests to see if it was something from his brain came back as negative. we are still waiting to hear on the other tests. there is a possibility that he is lacking an enzyme in his adrenal gland so his body is cranking up the hormones trying to make it--which it can't so it produces male hormones instead. we will see the endocrinologist on wednesday to see what the next step is. he is such a sweet boy and has been through so much. the Lord must have special plans for this great kid!

blessed

2010-04-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

i feel so blessed! i haven't posted in so long--nothing too profound to say--just thought that i would quickly jot down some blessings.

--my amazing husband who does soooo much! i was recently in the hospital for a few days. he picked up the slack and then some! he is so wonderful!

--my beautiful children. need i say more?

--my parents and sisters. i love them so much!

--good friends, neighbors, and ward.

--spring break with the kiddos. we saw dairy of a wimpy kid and how to tame your dragon. i love watching their faces and listening to them laugh!

--general conference. remarkable--as always!!!!!!!

just a few things that make me smile.

8 is great!

2010-01-12T10:25:00.000-08:00

two weeks ago "A" was baptized. it was such a special event! i cannot say enough about how special this little boy is. he is such a kind, gentle, intelligent, and loving little spirit. he brings such joy to all of our lives. it was so neat to see the outpouring of support for him! there was standing room only. there were ward members, school friends, his teacher from last year and his vice-principal and her family. grandpa steve and grandma connie came all the way from oregon and the rest of the family was there to show their love and support. it was so neat to see "A" as he soaked it all in. he has prepared for this and was ready. we love him and feel so blessed to have him as part of our family.

my little princess

2009-11-16T06:15:00.001-08:00

on saturday we had a fabulous girls day! baby "H", the aunties, nana, and i went on the trax to see the disney princesses on ice. "H" was all decked out in her princess attire--black velvet dress, tights, black shoes, and a lovely tiara. she was the belle of the ball (and i might add received several compliments). she is such a sweet little girl--and ALL girl i might add! she absolutely loved the princesses--especially ariel--she went crazy during the little mermaid portion of the program.

i am so thrilled to finally have my baby girl--and her gorgeous brothers of course! how blessed "K" and i are to have these 3 wonderful children in our home.

side note--my sister made the mo tab!!!!!!

our little miracle!

2009-11-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

this past week we had "M's" post surgery check-up to check if the prostetic hearing bones allowed him to have any hearing. after the first surgery he was left with no hearing at all in the ear because the bones had all been shattered. well----he can hear!!!!!!! he actually has better than normal hearing now!!! miracles happen! my favorite thing is when he tells me "mom! my ear is working today!" how blessed we are!

i'm still here

2009-10-14T09:11:00.001-07:00

i really need to keep up on my blog. it is a great way to journal. things have been absolutely crazy over the past little while. i will give a little recap.

*both boys are in school and loving it!

*i am the pta president so baby "H" and i spend a lot of time at the school.

*baby "H" won 2nd place in the city baby contest.

*"M" is learning to read and loves it!

*the males (including daddy) are doing great and continue to progress in tae kwan do.

*after a few years of serving as elders quorum president my hubby is being released and moving on to another organization--should be fun!

*i am the den mother for the bears and wolves--so fun! "A" will be 8 in Dec. so i get to be with him. i am also helping with the music in primary--loving that!

*"M" had his prostetic (sp?) hearing bones put in--we will find out soon if there is any hearing. he was a champ with the surgery! (he has for all of his surgeries!)

*i had surgery on both of my legs--lovely veins after pregnancies!

*my sister-in-law is having a baby in a couple months--i'm excited to hold him!

all in all, things are going great! i feel so incredibly blessed to have the family, friends, and neighbors that we do!

2 in school!

2009-09-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

i cannot believe that i have two children in elementary school! "A" started 2nd grade last week and loves it!!!!!!!! "M" started kindergarten today--he was all smiles! he has the same teacher that his brother had--she is wonderful! i was so strange today to just be with my sweet little girl! we sure missed the boys!!! i feel so blessed to have the wonderful children that we do!

happy birthday "M"!!!

2009-08-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

my sweet boy turned 5 today. i cannot believe how fast the time has gone! he is such a sweet boy. he is my funny, crazy, always smiling, lovey boy. he is so excited to start kindergarten and to be at school with his brother. we had a fabulous party for him yesterday. it was a pancake and pjs party. papa told a "pop-up" story, decorated pancakes, gave awards, and played a game. everyone had a great time! happy birthday "M"--thanks for letting me be your mama. love you lots!!! xoxoxox!

summer 2009 highlights

2009-07-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

here are a few of the things that have made this summer so great!
*daddy had 3 weeks off! that has not happened in years (or ever, now that i think about it!)
* 10th anniversary trip to lava hot springs!
* summer school (for"M")--he loved it!!!
* bright ideas camp for "A"
* thanksgiving point camps for both boys
* swimming, swimming, swimming at nana and papas!
* having our neighbors home from hawaii!
* weekly library trips
* playlands
* sleep over at the aunties
* being with family!
* stadium of fire!
* ice cream
* popsicles
* tae kwan do

we have had a marvelous summer! we will continue to play, play, play until school starts!

my sweet girl

2009-07-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

i cannot believe that my little "H" is one! her birthday was 6/29. she is such a joy. we love her so much! we had a fabulous little party for her. it was a princess party/pinkalicious party. she loves the book "pinkalicious" so we played off of that. she had the pink cupcakes, purple cake (from purplicious), etc. it was so fun to watch her with her cake. she is a lot like "A" where she was very careful at first, but then she really dove in! thank you all for spending her special day with us!

vacation!

2009-06-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

my cute hubby and i leave tomorrow for our long awaited anniversary getaway! for christmas my sisters surprised us with a trip to lava hot springs. thank you! my wonderful parents also surprised us with "trip money"-how great! thanks! we are sooo excited to play! it has been a long time since the two of us went somewhere alone. i absolutely cannot wait! we will miss the kids dearly, but they are so excited to play with their aunties!
happy 10th anniversary honey (on the 25th)--love you so much!
thanks for asking!

last day of 1st grade

2009-06-05T18:11:00.001-07:00

summer is officially here! today was "A's" last day of 1st grade. before he left for school this morning he said to me--"don't tell me that you are going to cry"--does this kid know me or does he know me? he has had a fantastic year. i have loved, loved, loved his teacher. she has a very similar personality to "A" so they really jived. i feel so blessed that my hubby, mom, dad, and i were all able to volunteer in his classroom. i will miss that group of kids. i am so proud of my sweet boy. he is such a joy--he loves learning and life. i am so blessed to be the mother of these 3 amazing children.

last day of preschool

2009-06-04T11:19:00.001-07:00

today marks the end of preschool for "m"--my sweet boy. i cannot believe that he will be off to kindergarten soon. it has been so exciting to see the changes and growth that he has experienced over the past 2+ years. he has come such a long way. i am so grateful for the many speech therapists, teachers, aides, and bus drivers who have made his experience so wonderful. no on to kindergarten!

it's been a while!

2009-05-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

it has been a while since i have blogged. my sister often tells me--"you should put that on your blog!"--but then i never get around to it.
so--i am taking a minute and just jotting down a few things that come to mind.
school is almost over for the year. i cannot believe how fast the time has gone. "A" has a fabulous 1st grade teacher. she is really wonderful! it is so neat to hear him recall his day. "M" will graduate from preschool in a few weeks. he has done really well--it is so great to see the progression in his speech. we feel so blessed to have the services that offered in our community. "H" is my little princess. she is the sweetest little girl. she is very pleasant and just a joy to be around. she loves her brothers and daddy and squeals with delight when they are around. she is rolling all over the place. i still love dressing her and putting her little bows and flowers in her hair.
last night "A" had a choir concert. as we were leaving i was chatting with one of the mother's. i then told her 4th grader how neat i thought he was and thanked him for being such a good example to the other kids. "M" chimed in--"just like Jesus Christ!"--hmmmmm--maybe something does get through to them!

great day!

2009-04-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

the boys are on spring break. i love having them home (even though it is a lot noisier then "H" and i are used to. but--she is sooo happy when they are around (so am i)! daddy had the day off--so we planned a little outing. we took the trax (an adventure in itself) downtown. we had so much fun making up stories, looking at landmarks, and playing "i'm thinking of a number." we went to the downtown library. this is one 0f our favorite places. there is just something magical about libraries. after checking out a million books we grabbed some lunch and then took the train to the end of the line and then home again. it was such a perfect day! how blessed i feel to have the little family that i do. they are my life--my joy.

surgery update

2009-03-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

we are home! we had planned to spend the night--but are home. i think that he slept better being home and being with his family. thank you mom, dad, aunties, and grandma "R"--we sooo appreciate all of your help and sacrifices to help us today! the surgery ended up taking longer than planned and was more intense than hoped. the cholesteatoma shattered the hearing bones and went 2/3 of the way through the mastoid. the doctor could not believe how big the cholesteatoma was and how strange it was that there were no signs of it. how grateful we are for our excellent pediatrican who found this!!!!!! at the moment, he has no hearing in the left ear. in 4-6 months they will go back in again--check for more cholesteatoma and put in prostetic bones. how grateful i am for modern day science! this is definately not the outcome we were hoping for, but i am know that the Lord is watching over him and that he is going to be just fine--of course he will--it's "m" we are talking about!
now off to snuggle with him!

surgery

2009-03-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

my sweet "M" is having surgery tomorrow. he has a cholesteatoma in his ear. basically that means that he has normal cells growing in an abnormal place. it grows like a tumor and has wrapped around his eardrum. they will have to lift up the eardrum to get it out. i am trying so hard to be calm and to put my trust in the Lord. i don't know what i would do without the gospel or the priesthood in our home. i feel so blessed to have such amazing priesthood holders in our family--"K" and my dad. i am waiting by the phone for the hospital to call to let us know the details for tomorrow. i am curious to see if once the cholesteatoma is removed if we will see any changes in his speech. i cannot believe that he has lost 30 decibels of hearing. my poor sweet boy. please keep him in your prayers.

love is in the air!

2009-02-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

this past weekend i attended a little get together that my friend tiffany hosted. it was a "mama's romance night." it was great! we talked about little things that we can do to improve our marriages, ate, chatted, and just had a great time! tiffany is amazing and put so much into this night! she even had goodie bags for us to put together for us to bring home to our husband (his favorite were the chocolate dipped strawberries!) thanks tiff!!! it was great and really helped me to remember how fun marriage can be!
when we first got married we decided to hold a "companionship inventory" (much like on our missions) each sunday night. we have done it off and on throughout the 9 1/2 years that we have been married. it is a time where we review the calander, set goals, talk about things to improve, and pray together. at tiff's party one of the girls mentioned a list that she and her husband made for one another. it was a list of 101 ways to show love to them. we decided to do this last night--it was awesome!!! we each wrote our own list--mine was "101 ways to love diane"--it was really neat. we then took turns reading our lists. it was such a neat way to be reminded of the little things that he likes.
5 minute rule--the 5 minutes before your husband leaves and the 5 minutes when he first gets home--make it pleasant!! don't throw the kids at him, etc. let him unwind.
this is something that i sooooo need to work on!!!!!
creative dates, love notes, etc.
i am really excited to take things from his list and try to serve him more.

nightmare of a weekend!

2009-01-26T06:43:00.000-08:00

i am so glad that it is monday. i hope that this week can go a little better than the last one. here is a little recap of our weekend. friday--took "M" to primary children's hospital because he could not breathe or stop coughing. the doctor sent us there because he had progressively gotten worse throughout the week. sunday--i took "A" to church while "K" stayed home with the little ones. in his primary class they were learning about joseph smith and his leg operation. it is a very graphic story, but one of my all time favorites! i guess that it was too much for "A"--he turned white, slid off his chair, and started jerking around on the floor. by the time i got to him he was still white/green but completely alert. our good friend took us home and he helped "K" give him a blessing. in the meantime my amazing family dropped everything that they were doing and came to be with him and help us out. the doctor ran some tests--on his heart and a cbc. everything looked good. after a complete exam and the doctor speaking with his primary teacher on the phone he thinks that it wasn't a seizure, but that the story was too much for him. i pray that that is what it was! then to top it all off--baby "H" was in the kids care 2X last night with RSV. her stats were very borderline. she did sleep great throughout the night--so hopefully things will turn around soon! i feel so blessed to have the medical care that we do, the priesthood, wonderful friends, and the most amazing family in the world!

blasted u.t.i!

2009-01-18T15:08:00.000-08:00

ever since i had my second child i have been battling urinary tract infections. it got so bad during my last pregnancy that i was put on a maintenance dose of antibiotics. i still cannot seem to get rid of these awful infections. i always know when i get one because my back kills! i have been on meds for a couple weeks, but knew that the infection didn't clear. after a crazy night (thanks dad! you are the best!) of 3 tests (don't ask!) the dr. informed me that the infection had not cleared and that they would have to give me a different antibiotic, but that i would have to pump and dump for the 7 days that i take it. that broke my heart. first of all, i hate pumping!!!! second, i feel so badly not being able to nurse "H"--she just looks at me like i have abandoned her. i just pray that she will want to continue nursing. i went to prague for 10 days when "M" was 7 months old--he wasn't a great nurser, but didn't have a lot of interest when i got home. i just have to remind myself that this is important for all of us!

2008--it really was great!

2009-01-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

i have decided to take a break from taking down the christmas ornaments/cleaning and jot down a few thoughts about 2008. when i think about this past year i am flooded with wonderful memories, feel so blessed, and have seen the Lord's hand in our lives so many times. the highlight of our year was the birth of our beautiful daughter. she, along with her brothers bring such a tremendous am0unt of joy to our lives. i am also very grateful for our wonderful families. we love them and feel so blessed to have the friendship with them that we do. i am also grateful for the many, many dear friends that we have. (jess, we must have a pizza making party with non-alcholic pina coladas--heehee!!) our membership in the church is one of the main things that brings our family peace, joy, and a sense of hope. how grateful i am for a testimony and for the opportunity that i have to strengthen it on a daily basis.
i am excited for this new year! "A" and i started the day with a brisk walk--boy was it cold and i am feeling the pain now--which is a good thing!!
here's to 2009!

choir concert

2008-12-19T05:04:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-12-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-14T07:23:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-25T09:05:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-20T20:07:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-11-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-13T08:23:00.000-08:00

"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

2008-11-02T09:45:00.001-08:00

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!!!!

2008-10-31T07:20:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-10-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-08T20:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-30T14:28:00.001-07:00

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 . . .

2008-09-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

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??

2008-09-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-09-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-11T07:45:00.001-07:00

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!!!!!!

2008-09-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-29T23:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-26T15:37:00.001-07:00

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!!!!

2008-08-21T14:40:00.001-07:00

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???

2008-08-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

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!!!!

2008-08-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!!!

2008-08-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-18T19:48:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-07-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!!

2008-07-03T18:32:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-22T08:20:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-06-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-31T09:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

"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!

2008-05-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-05-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-26T18:33:00.001-07:00

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.

2008-04-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

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!)

2008-03-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-03-10T07:24:00.000-07:00

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 . . .

2008-02-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

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!!!!!

2008-02-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-30T07:07:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-25T15:01:00.000-08:00

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!)

2008-01-18T14:05:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-16T14:47:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-01-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

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!

clarification

2007-12-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

okay, i think that i need to clarify. i probably came on too stong. my poor sister called me yesterday asking me if i don't like her dog. whoops. i do. he is the cutest little thing that i have ever seen. plus, he doesn't have that yucky dog smell. sorry again--but you know that smell. well, her dog goes to the groomer every 6 weeks--the same day that my sister gets her hair done. i apologize. i love my cruisey! my children love him more--especially my youngest who french kisses him. yuck! my main complaint with animals is that they die. i know that that sounds funny, but i have enough anxiety about losing family members that i don't like the added stress. okay, i feel better getting that off my chest!
bring on the fish!!!!!!!!!

we are having a guest stay with us for christmas!

2007-12-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

yesterday my son's kindergarten teacher approached me and asked if we would keep the class goldfish over christmas break. i smiled and agreed. i then said, "you picked us because you knew that if it died we would replace the silly thing and no one would no the difference." for those of you who know me well--you know that i am anything but an animal fan. i was not pleased this summer when my son came home from camp at thanksgiving point with a goldfish. i knew that it would die--sure enough--3 days later the blessed spidey was gone. only to be replaced with hulky the beta fish who has a life expectancy of 5 years! okay--is that commitment or what? so, how many fish goldfish do you think that we will go through before school starts back up on jan. 2nd?

out of the mouth of babes!

2007-12-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

a couple days ago my dad had an angeogram (sp.). i was explaining to the boys that papa would be in the hospital for a test. i explained that he might have some clogging in his heart. i told them that it was similar to when our drain was backed up and i had to (this is going to get gross--beware!) dig some gunk out of it. our oldest said, "yeah, and it looked like b.m.!" to that our youngest responded, "papa, pee-pee in heart! ha ha ha!" he thought that it was the funniest thing that he had ever heard--or said for that matter!
well, i am proud to report, there was no gunk and all is well!" yay!

it's almost december!!!!!

2007-11-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

i cannot believe that tomorrow is december! tomorrow starts the excitement of advent calendars! we have a new one to add to our collection this year. on my last post a put a picture of it. i taught how to make them at Super Saturday for our ward. i think that they turned out pretty cute! each day we will put an ornament on the calendar--don't worry--we bought the chocolate calendars too!

Christmas Countdown

2007-11-30T06:29:00.001-08:00

yummy recipe!!!!

2007-11-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

i have been scrambling for the last few weeks looking for a good caramel corn recipe! i am on the pta at my son's school--my job being teacher appreciation. i have made it a goal to do something fun for the teachers each month. well--i found an awesome recipe and the teachers gobbled it up! hope you enjoy!!!!

1/2 c. butter--not margarine
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 karo syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla

boil butter, brown sugar, and karo syrup for about 3-5 min, until caramel is done. use soft ball method, (have a cup of cold water handy, place a drop of caramel in the water, if it forms a soft ball, then you know it is done).

remove from burner and add vanilla, stir well.

pop about 1/2 cup of popcorn, salting once popped.
pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir well.

WHAT?!?!?!?!

2007-11-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

i am stunned! i don't quite get what happened last night on the bachelor. i totally respect brad for his decision--but was that a last minute thing? it sounded like when jenni was in the limo leaving that brad said that he was positive that deanna was what he wanted! hmmmm. AND why was it a total break from each girl. there was no--"take this ring and let's get to know each other better. . . " it sounded like there was complete break. ohhhhhh i am dying for tonight!
comments?

"It's a full moon!"

2007-11-17T06:36:00.000-08:00

it is early saturday morning and my darling husband took our little boys with him to play basketball--because i am awake--not by choice!-- i decided to do a load of laundry and update my blog. this past sunday we had a very memorable sacrament meeting. i wish that it was so memorable (for us and the rest of the ward) because of some marvelous uplifting talk or reverent musical number. but no--it was because of our darling angelic little 3 year old. he really is the cutest little guy, but for reason he was really on one that day! in the middle of the meeting he started acting up. so to be polite and QUIET my husband took him out into the hall. a few minutes later--a few minutes too soon--they were back. i could tell that trouble was just brewing! he had that look on his face and the crying started again. this time i decided that i would take him out. well, he didn't want to go out. i was not going to cause more of a sense (opps! too late!) so i picked him up. needless to say, he didn't want to go and put his feet against my chest. i carried him out anyway. when we got to the hall he ripped off his clothes--don't worry--he always does this when he is upset--it's nothing new! there he was--buck naked in the hall. it was comical to see the different ages of people and their reactions as they walked by. the younger kids did double takes, a teenage boy blushed and tried to pretend that he didn't see anything, the young parents had sympathy and some laughed--as i was! the m0st interesting was the relief society pres. from another ward. she put her hand and him and said, "oh no!" meaning--what a horrible mother to let you be in public like this! after the meeting we returned to our pew. a man in the ward patted me on the back and said, "Wow! That was a full moon!" after seeing the confusion on my face he told me that when i was exiting the chapel--my little boy's pants and diaper where completely down! the whole ward got a different view of my boy! when i got home my neighbor and dear friend called. she is battling cancer and isn't able to come often. she called to thank me for the "best sacrament meeting that she had been to in years!" i am glad that it made her day!
hmmmmm- i wonder how tomorrow will go?

i voted

2007-11-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

this morning my 3 year old and i went to the polls! there is something exciting about casting a ballot. my little boy loved the "i voted" sticker--also very important! we were #116. we will have to go out later today to another poll and vote for the sewer issues--kind of a pain to go 2 places--but this is an important race with huge issues at stake!
be sure to get out there today!

the bachelor

2007-10-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

okay, i admit it! i watch the bachelor. my friend tara and i talk at each commercial break trying to debrief what has happened and who will get the rose. it is a busy phone night because i do the same with my sisters. so, who do you think he will choose? i was shocked last night when he kept betinna. hmmmm? but, sheena's mom was a bit cuckoo! so, now i really think that it is between jenni and deanna. i am torn. i do think that jenni is a bit too into her dancing.
i would love to hear what you all think! leave a comment and let's make up brad's mind for him!

Help!!!

2007-10-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

help! i feel like i am being sucked in! i feel like i am living at my son's school. of course, it is totally my fault. i love to help out and am terrible (as all my friends know!) at saying "no!" i was there (with my 3 year old--who only escaped once!) from 9:15-1:30. i have also gotten myself roped into (once again, by my own doing) into helping (a lot!) with the book fair. i also need to get things finalized for the halloween party, etc. etc. etc.
oh, did i mention the outlandish time that i have spent on getting things ready for super saturday--tomorrow!?!
once again, this is all my doing--but my head is swimming and i just wanted to vent! i really need a nap!

I need a vacation!!!!!! (another one)

2007-10-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

uugghh! i am pooped! i never thought (pre-children) that i would be so tired as a stay at home mom! poor sick husband started back to work today. he probably shouldn't be there. . . we will see how the day pans out. he brought the nebulizer (sp?) with him to his office. lovely, that will look great if he has any meetings with clients! i have been busy as a bee! here is just a little list (i need to just vent). dropped my oldest off at school, rushed home for my youngest to get on his little bus for preschool, ran to the dry cleaners, bank, back to the school to bring my oldest his red bracelet for red ribbon week (i realized he left it home--he is so excited that if all the kids bring their's all week they will get a surprise), scrubbed the hard wood, started dinner, washed the couch covers, ran to the store to buy new halloween plates (i gave my children's away to some neighbors when we were spooked (i had to replace them before my boys found out!), laundry, etc. my sweet friend janice just brought over a diet coke. oh bless her!!!!!!!! now back to work and back to playing with my youngest!

my poor sickie husband!

2007-10-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

i feel so bad for my sick husband! he is now going on week 3 of this awful sickness! we spent much of general conference in the emergency room. after 2 sets of chest xrays they said that he had possible early pneumonia. so, 3 medicines later we thought he was on the mend. then, the day before our trip he was really sick again. he saw our dr. and she said that he now had a sinus infection. well, the magic of disneyland seemed to make him better. he did really well on the trip. on monday he went back to the doctor--sinus infection was still bad--but okay other than that. wednesday night-sick, sick. yesterday--back to the dr.--blood work and then back to the hospital for more chest x-rays. the doctor was very concerned because after 3 rounds of antibiotics he still wasn't any better--worse actually. we were not home even an hour from the hospital when our doctor called to say that he has full blown pneumonia and croup! what in the world????????? to bed for him!!!!!! i think i need a little nap too!

disneyland!!!!!!!

2007-10-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

we had a marvelous trip to disneyland! going to disneyland for 4 days is a ton of walking! i should have brought my stepometer. we had such a great time! my parents and sisters came too. here are some of the highlights--plus one not so great moment. i will start with the negative. tuesday morning at 3:30 am the fire alarm went off. it was terrifying! we had to climb down 1o flights of stairs--carrying our sleepy and alarmed children. all that i could think of was 9/11--this is nothing in comparison of seriousness--but i couldn't get it out of my head. it ended up that it was just some teenagers partying--it did make for a very exhausting next day!
okay--here are some of the highlights:
*being with our whole family. we all had such a great time!
*dinner at goofy's kitchen. our youngest loved it and was adored by all of the characters. our oldest was more reserved--surprise, surprise.
*lunch at club 33. that was so amazing! we were able to see the table from mary poppins and many of walt's sketches. my hubby ate that up!!!!!!
*our whole family received dream fast passes! now that was cool!
so, now we are home and back to the grind. my washing machine has not had a break! our oldest had a really hard time going back to school. oh, did i mention our luggage didn't make it home with us! we had a nearly perfect trip--so we were okay!

tagged--exicting info about me--hah!!!!

2007-10-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

i now officially feel like a blogger. i often read my friends blogs when they got tagged. now that i have a blog, my friend annie has tagged me. so, here goes!

1. what were you doing 10 years ago?
i was attending BYU. i was starting the seminary program. i was an efy counselor. i was playing a ton! i was the relief society president in my BYU ward which kept me really busy.

2. 5 years ago?
we had just moved into our home. our oldest was not quite a year old. i was adjusting to being a mom (and loving it!!!) after teaching seminary for 4 years.

3. 1 year ago?
yikes! i need to consult my journal for that one! hmmmm. my oldest was just starting preschool. i was busy playing with our youngest.

4. yesterday?
doctors, doctors, doctors. we are all sick. both boys got their flu shots. trauma!!!!!!!!! my cute sisters picked us up dinner from chili's. (i do have the greatest family in the world!!!)

5. 5 favorite snacks?
hot chocolate (i drink it 364 days a year), smoothies, cherry coke (from sonic), granola bars (the new butter toffee ones--yum!), popcorn.

6. if i had one million dollars what would i do with it?
make it so my husband wouldn't have to work so much! take our family on a fun trip! go to prague with my hubby. save it for my children's college funds. wait, did you say just one million?

7. 5 places i would run away to?
disneyland (we will be there shortly!!!!), our bedroom (i would love to just lie on the bed and read all day!), prague, boulder, hawaii.

8. 5 favorite tv shows?
blue's clues of course!!!!!, biggest loser, the bachelor (did i just admit to that?), anything on hgtv and food network.

9. 5 things i hate?
when people are mean to my children, confrontations, eggs, putting away the laundry (why do you think that i am blogging right now, when my family is sick.

10. 5 people i tag?
all of you have already been tagged--but humor me!
janice, ani, karlie, mike, sara