We're getting all grown up. :)
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Happy Birthday to my sweet husband!
Mark is 26 (again!) today! Happy Birthday to the best husband and dad that a family could ever wish for! Since Mark has now been the young age of 26 for twelve years now, I thought I'd list 12 reasons why I love him:
1. He is hands-down the best, most loving and playful dad in town.
2. He is adored by all kids, whether he's know them for 2 minutes or 2 years. They clamor at his feet (think ALL ward parties, ALL family parties, etc.)
3. He is the biggest helper around the house. He jumps right in to empty the dishwasher, throw in a load of laundry (dry it and fold it too), change a poopy diaper... you get the idea.
4. He grocery shops for our family 90% of the time. I didn't really appreciate this enough until some friends were talking and this totally blew them away.
5. He makes a mean (and super tasty) beef stew.
6. He is dashedly handsome.
7. He is such a great provider and hard worker.
8. He fixes the sprinklers, although he hates it with a passion.
9. He has only once in 7 years of marriage asked me to take the garbages out.
10. He can tell when I'm at my wits end with the kids, and provides me some free time to get out and relax.
11. He doesn't snore - ever.
12. He still loves me even though I didn't get him a birthday present this year.
I love you, Mark! You're the best!
1. He is hands-down the best, most loving and playful dad in town.2. He is adored by all kids, whether he's know them for 2 minutes or 2 years. They clamor at his feet (think ALL ward parties, ALL family parties, etc.)
3. He is the biggest helper around the house. He jumps right in to empty the dishwasher, throw in a load of laundry (dry it and fold it too), change a poopy diaper... you get the idea.
4. He grocery shops for our family 90% of the time. I didn't really appreciate this enough until some friends were talking and this totally blew them away.
5. He makes a mean (and super tasty) beef stew.
6. He is dashedly handsome.
7. He is such a great provider and hard worker.
8. He fixes the sprinklers, although he hates it with a passion.
9. He has only once in 7 years of marriage asked me to take the garbages out.
10. He can tell when I'm at my wits end with the kids, and provides me some free time to get out and relax.
11. He doesn't snore - ever.
12. He still loves me even though I didn't get him a birthday present this year.
I love you, Mark! You're the best!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Lagoon...
Ahhh, the memories.
Last night I was driving home from Lagoon at 10:45 p.m. The roads were fairly quiet, and the car was even quieter. Alex was fast asleep in the backseat, lulled by the steady hum from the tires on the freeway. He was sticky, dirty, and completely satisfied.
My mind couldn't help but wander back to the days when I was that kid in the backseat, exhausted from a hot, sweaty, fun-filled day on rides with loud engines and even louder music. I remember having so much fun at Lagoon on my dad's work-sponsored day. I loved all the rides and always had a blast. (I couldn't understand how my parents would rather wait for us in the shade rather than go on those rides, but it's all coming clear now. I guess the equilibrium's not quite what it used to be.) I was usually with my parents and my brother, and it was a day I was always glad to be with my family. One of my fondest memories was eating KFC (like I said here, eating out didn't happen very often) and waiting for the drawing that my dad's company sponsored to see how much cash my dad would win. If we could score $20 or more, then I knew we were in for a delicious ice-cream treat at the end of the long, hot day.
And so it was last night. Alex was exhausted - even as he mumbled in his half-conscious state, "one more ride, please?" - and we had to get that coveted ice cream cone just before leaving the park. He licked and licked until his little tummy could take no more. Then he begged to be held as we made the long walk out to the car that was parked in Lagoon Siberia. The sky was dark, the lights behind us glowed as we walked further away from the muffled screams, laughs, roars and music that blanketed the night behind us.
As I held my little boy in my arms, his head resting on my shoulder, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming love and appreciation for him and my role as his mother. I want to give him every experience that I can, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. I want to create little traditions for him that he can look back on with fondness and a smile. I want to give him days that are so full of fun that they end in utter exhaustion. I want him to cuddle up in the back seat of the car, secure in knowing that his mommy is right there to love him and take care of him as he drifts off to sleep.
Last night I was driving home from Lagoon at 10:45 p.m. The roads were fairly quiet, and the car was even quieter. Alex was fast asleep in the backseat, lulled by the steady hum from the tires on the freeway. He was sticky, dirty, and completely satisfied.
My mind couldn't help but wander back to the days when I was that kid in the backseat, exhausted from a hot, sweaty, fun-filled day on rides with loud engines and even louder music. I remember having so much fun at Lagoon on my dad's work-sponsored day. I loved all the rides and always had a blast. (I couldn't understand how my parents would rather wait for us in the shade rather than go on those rides, but it's all coming clear now. I guess the equilibrium's not quite what it used to be.) I was usually with my parents and my brother, and it was a day I was always glad to be with my family. One of my fondest memories was eating KFC (like I said here, eating out didn't happen very often) and waiting for the drawing that my dad's company sponsored to see how much cash my dad would win. If we could score $20 or more, then I knew we were in for a delicious ice-cream treat at the end of the long, hot day.
And so it was last night. Alex was exhausted - even as he mumbled in his half-conscious state, "one more ride, please?" - and we had to get that coveted ice cream cone just before leaving the park. He licked and licked until his little tummy could take no more. Then he begged to be held as we made the long walk out to the car that was parked in Lagoon Siberia. The sky was dark, the lights behind us glowed as we walked further away from the muffled screams, laughs, roars and music that blanketed the night behind us.
As I held my little boy in my arms, his head resting on my shoulder, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming love and appreciation for him and my role as his mother. I want to give him every experience that I can, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. I want to create little traditions for him that he can look back on with fondness and a smile. I want to give him days that are so full of fun that they end in utter exhaustion. I want him to cuddle up in the back seat of the car, secure in knowing that his mommy is right there to love him and take care of him as he drifts off to sleep.
Friday, June 27, 2008
They're officially "Toddlers"
My babes are walking. It's so dang cute. They officially toddle around with their little wobbly walk. I love this walk. It's so cute. Jackson is already growing out of the toddle and starting to cruise like a big boy. AJ is still in the tipsy stage. They sure love trying to keep up with their big brother. For the record: Jackson started walking about 3 weeks ago, and AJ started walking about 3 days ago. I'll get some video up here for Grandma in the next day or two.
Alex and I are headed off to Lagoon this afternoon. We're excited to ride the rides in the 95 degree heat! Woo hoo! Here's hoping he wants to go on more rides than just the carousel and the train... We'll see. Ciao!
Alex and I are headed off to Lagoon this afternoon. We're excited to ride the rides in the 95 degree heat! Woo hoo! Here's hoping he wants to go on more rides than just the carousel and the train... We'll see. Ciao!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
When it rains...
Well, well... what a week. I guess when it rains, it pours.
It all started with an awful night on Sunday night (last week, the 15th). Andrew cried all night long. He didn't seem sick, he was just super upset for whatever reason. The poor kid probably got about 4 hours of sleep, compared to his usual 10 or 11. Mom and Dad got even less. Grrrr... This mama doesn't handle no sleep very well.
That night led to an ornery mom and an ornery Andrew on Monday morning - especially when AJ only took an hour morning nap. I honestly thought it would last about 3 hours. The babies were also off schedule, since AJ fell asleep for his morning nap at 8 a.m., about an hour after Jackson woke up for the morning. So, I figured we were doomed to a whole day of nap-taking. Once AJ woke up, I held Jackson off for his morning nap until lunch time. I figured by then that AJ would be ready to go back down again. Well, predictably so, Jackson was a tired mess by the time I got ready to put him down. I fed them both lunch (or tried... Jackson was so tired [or so I thought] that he didn't eat much) and put them down.
This is where it all becomes a blur...
Jackson started moaning after being down for about an hour. I'd go in there, and his eyes were closed, but he was crying. I don't think he even knew I was with him. Finally after about another 1/2 hour, he became quite upset, and I took him into my room and tried to see if he'd sleep next to me on my bed. He was quite agitated, but still had his eyes half-closed. Suddenly, yup you guessed it, he puked all over me, him, and my bed. YUCK. My very first thought was, "Oh great... how in the world am I going to handle two babies with stomach flu?" Andrew hadn't shown any signs of sickness besides his extreme fussiness and lack of sleep, but experience told me it was only a matter of time. A quick call was made to Daddy to "hurry and get home, there's puke everywhere!" and another call was made to Becky who angelically came running. I got everything cleaned up (while blessed AJ was finally sleeping a loooong nap) and Becky rocked a now feverish and miserable Jackson.
That night AJ woke up in the night and followed in his brother's yucky footsteps. Mark dealt with him while I put in my fourth load of puke laundry. (Sidenote - it was quite depressing to think that I'd done four loads of laundry and to see that the laundry baskets were still brimming with the regular laundry to wash... what a bugger.) Jackson woke up with problems on the other end, and once again, it was a long night. Luckily Mark was able to take Tuesday off, and we both just held feverish, fussy, clingy babies all day long. This whole time Alex was a trooper and on his best behavior in days. He did so well. I was just waiting for it to be his time however. Which leads me to Tuesday night....
Jackson went to bed with a 100 fever, and AJ 103. We loaded 'em up with ibuprofen and we all went to bed. At about 1 a.m., I hear Alex coughing. Poor kid didn't have the stomach flu, he had croup! He coughed, wheezed, and flipped out about his labored breathing until about 3 a.m. when I finally snuck into Jackson's room and got out the nebulizer and steroids that were stashed in there. It helped his breathing immensely but by then he was WIDE awake and wanted nothing to do with falling asleep. Luckily our feverish babes slept the whole night! yeah! Too bad the parents didn't.
Well, the flu hung on for a few days. On top of that, AJ got a horrible sinus infection (which he still is getting over). Jackson, of course, soon caught the cold, and we added that to our list of yuckies. Every night since, I've been up with someone at least twice a night. Our good sleeper, AJ, has been the worst sleeper ever. And then, of course, by Friday (or was it Thursday? like I said, all a blur...) I got the stomach flu. Oh joy! Luckily, I have an awesome family, and Aunt Wendy came and saved the day! She just jumped in and took great care of those babies and Alex while I spent the whole day in bed. sheesh.
Now it's the following Thursday, and last night was the first night that everyone slept thru the night in almost two weeks. Dare I say that we're finally kickin' these bugs? Maybe I ought not be so bold as to put in in black and white. The noses are still running green, the fussies are still hanging around, but I really think we're on the mend. My patience is about as long as a grain of rice, but that'll be my next project when I get a few nights of sleep under my belt. Ahhh...
So, thanks to all of you who helped, and thanks to my mommy for letting me cry over the phone one-too-many times. This motherhood can be good stuff sometimes, huh? The one thing that makes it all bearable? Those eternal cuddles from those sick babies. Too bad those only come with sickness, huh? Oh well, they sure were nice.
It all started with an awful night on Sunday night (last week, the 15th). Andrew cried all night long. He didn't seem sick, he was just super upset for whatever reason. The poor kid probably got about 4 hours of sleep, compared to his usual 10 or 11. Mom and Dad got even less. Grrrr... This mama doesn't handle no sleep very well.
That night led to an ornery mom and an ornery Andrew on Monday morning - especially when AJ only took an hour morning nap. I honestly thought it would last about 3 hours. The babies were also off schedule, since AJ fell asleep for his morning nap at 8 a.m., about an hour after Jackson woke up for the morning. So, I figured we were doomed to a whole day of nap-taking. Once AJ woke up, I held Jackson off for his morning nap until lunch time. I figured by then that AJ would be ready to go back down again. Well, predictably so, Jackson was a tired mess by the time I got ready to put him down. I fed them both lunch (or tried... Jackson was so tired [or so I thought] that he didn't eat much) and put them down.
This is where it all becomes a blur...
Jackson started moaning after being down for about an hour. I'd go in there, and his eyes were closed, but he was crying. I don't think he even knew I was with him. Finally after about another 1/2 hour, he became quite upset, and I took him into my room and tried to see if he'd sleep next to me on my bed. He was quite agitated, but still had his eyes half-closed. Suddenly, yup you guessed it, he puked all over me, him, and my bed. YUCK. My very first thought was, "Oh great... how in the world am I going to handle two babies with stomach flu?" Andrew hadn't shown any signs of sickness besides his extreme fussiness and lack of sleep, but experience told me it was only a matter of time. A quick call was made to Daddy to "hurry and get home, there's puke everywhere!" and another call was made to Becky who angelically came running. I got everything cleaned up (while blessed AJ was finally sleeping a loooong nap) and Becky rocked a now feverish and miserable Jackson.
That night AJ woke up in the night and followed in his brother's yucky footsteps. Mark dealt with him while I put in my fourth load of puke laundry. (Sidenote - it was quite depressing to think that I'd done four loads of laundry and to see that the laundry baskets were still brimming with the regular laundry to wash... what a bugger.) Jackson woke up with problems on the other end, and once again, it was a long night. Luckily Mark was able to take Tuesday off, and we both just held feverish, fussy, clingy babies all day long. This whole time Alex was a trooper and on his best behavior in days. He did so well. I was just waiting for it to be his time however. Which leads me to Tuesday night....
Jackson went to bed with a 100 fever, and AJ 103. We loaded 'em up with ibuprofen and we all went to bed. At about 1 a.m., I hear Alex coughing. Poor kid didn't have the stomach flu, he had croup! He coughed, wheezed, and flipped out about his labored breathing until about 3 a.m. when I finally snuck into Jackson's room and got out the nebulizer and steroids that were stashed in there. It helped his breathing immensely but by then he was WIDE awake and wanted nothing to do with falling asleep. Luckily our feverish babes slept the whole night! yeah! Too bad the parents didn't.
Well, the flu hung on for a few days. On top of that, AJ got a horrible sinus infection (which he still is getting over). Jackson, of course, soon caught the cold, and we added that to our list of yuckies. Every night since, I've been up with someone at least twice a night. Our good sleeper, AJ, has been the worst sleeper ever. And then, of course, by Friday (or was it Thursday? like I said, all a blur...) I got the stomach flu. Oh joy! Luckily, I have an awesome family, and Aunt Wendy came and saved the day! She just jumped in and took great care of those babies and Alex while I spent the whole day in bed. sheesh.
Now it's the following Thursday, and last night was the first night that everyone slept thru the night in almost two weeks. Dare I say that we're finally kickin' these bugs? Maybe I ought not be so bold as to put in in black and white. The noses are still running green, the fussies are still hanging around, but I really think we're on the mend. My patience is about as long as a grain of rice, but that'll be my next project when I get a few nights of sleep under my belt. Ahhh...
So, thanks to all of you who helped, and thanks to my mommy for letting me cry over the phone one-too-many times. This motherhood can be good stuff sometimes, huh? The one thing that makes it all bearable? Those eternal cuddles from those sick babies. Too bad those only come with sickness, huh? Oh well, they sure were nice.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Happy Father's Day!
Man, I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful pop! My dad always treated his little princess (me!) with such love and tenderness. I remember when I was young and I was super sad about something (who knows what...?). My dad took me out for a fast-food hamburger, just me and him. At our house, that happened about once a year, so it was quite the treat. My brothers were sooo jealous! My dad has always been such a great provider, and even to this day he helps all us married kids out by coming over and helping (okay... doing it by himself) us with our little home-improvement projects. He's also always been such a great example of spirituality and obedience. I don't think there's a single rebellious bone in his body. He's always been so straight arrow, and I love him for it. Forever ingrained in my memory is the picture of my dad, kneeling at his bedside, morning and night, praying. I think a characteristic of his that is my favorite is his squinty-eyed laugh. When you get him going, his grin is so big that his eyes just automatically shut. And if you drive him to complete silent laughter, you know he's got the giggles good. It's so hilarious that it sends the rest of us into even more laughter. :) He's also the most brilliant man I know. He can figure out any math equation from simple algebra to advanced calculus. (I guess helping 7 kids with their math homework - and a few grandkids too - helped him remember everything.) He's a fabulous engineer and has designed some incredible machines. He worked until the ripe, young age of 76... definite devotion and wonderful work ethic. He's a great man!Love you sooo much, Daddy. I miss you! Thanks for your wonderful example!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Shaun Lunt
June 6th, 2008
My bestfriend lost her true love this weekend. It's so tragic. I know she's a stranger to many of you, but please include her in your prayers.
Shaun died doing what he loves best, flying. If you'd like to check out some of his amazing pictures and adventures, go here.
I love you and I'm so sorry.
My bestfriend lost her true love this weekend. It's so tragic. I know she's a stranger to many of you, but please include her in your prayers.Shaun died doing what he loves best, flying. If you'd like to check out some of his amazing pictures and adventures, go here.
I love you and I'm so sorry.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
So you think you can dance, dance, dance...
So, I'm totally in! This is the first season I've watched this show, and man, I'm hooked! Why didn't anyone ever tell me about it before? Well, I suppose I knew about it, but the DVR opens up a whole new world of TV watching. I need to hop on that treadmill while I'm watching, instead of sitting there eating cookies... but hey, every mom needs a little self-indulgence once-in-a-while, right? Anyway, I digress... This show is so fun! Mark is totally hooked too. There are some incredible dancers!
However, I ask you fans this... Where was the tryout of the black man with the seven foot (I exaggerate) long legs? Do you know what I'm talking about? He was in all the trailers leading up to last night, and he did an amazing leap across the stage. He seriously had the longest, thinnest limbs I've ever seen and I was excited to see what he had to offer. But... they never showed him? I swear I watched carefully. Did I miss it? Anyone?
Anyhow, it will be fun to watch those 200+ dancers get narrowed down to 20. How do they choose? I'm glad I'm not a judge. Oh... and I know I'm totally naive, but I never knew "popping" existed. Very cool...
Wish I could dance, dance, dance....
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
My carpet won't get heartburn...
Yep, you read that right. The carpet in the babies' room certainly won't get heartburn. Not since I spilled half a bottle of Mylanta all over it. Why Mylanta in the boys' room? Well, I was told it helps with raw bums from what I call, "acid poops." Yep, we're dealing with a major case of diaper rash. Again. What is up with that? My first child had a diaper rash three of four times, maybe? Poor little Jackson's bottom side is bleeding more often than not... Too much info, but true. So... As I'm trying to get my cotton ball saturated with Mylanta and keeping a very wiggly 1-yr-old from rolling off the changing table, that poor bottle just went flying. Good thing it wasn't the berry variety, huh? Hope there's some of that stuff left for me after this long day...
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Picture of a picture
I'm in love with this sweet little, cheesy grin. This was one of my rewarding motherhood "moments." Love you boys!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Alex, you're it
Here are twenty questions that were for Alex. Kids say the darndest things...
1. What is something mom always says to you? Thank you.
2. What makes mom happy? Givin' you hugs.
3. What makes mom sad? When I do naughty things to my baby brothers.
4. How does mom make you laugh? Computer (yah... I don't get it either?)
5. What was mom like as a child? Like me.
6. How old is your mom? You are... [holds up three fingers, then four, then five... questioning look?]
7. How tall is your mom? This tall [standing on the bed].
8. What is her favorite thing to do? Watch Curious George. (my most favorite thing. ever.)
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? You're all by yourself.
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? I don't know?
11. What is your mom really good at? Feeding lunch and planting flowers and digging the garden and when it's bedtime drinking water and punch and that's all. (alrightythen...)
12. What is your mom not very good at? You're not very good at drinking water. (which is true, but a bit contradictory to the bedtime routine mentioned above.)
13. What does your mom do for her job? You write good numbers. (I'm an accountant. I hope those numbers are good. Good guess, kid.)
14. What is your mom's favorite food? Chicken rice. (It's what we had for lunch, and his favorite.)
15. What makes you proud of your mom? Riding things that you go on at Lagoon. (random.)
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? You would be a horse! (um...gee, thanks.)
17. What do you and your mom do together? play ball
18. How are you and your mom the same? Doing the blower on the lawn. (yah, the same in the fact that neither of us does that.)
19. How are you and your mom different? I'm a boy and you're a girl.
20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because you give me pillow bonks and play with me.
This was a lot of fun. I tag everyone on my "Friends" list, and anyone else who wants to play. Even if you don't blog, it's fun to ask some of these questions to your kids just to see where their little minds take them.
1. What is something mom always says to you? Thank you.
2. What makes mom happy? Givin' you hugs.
3. What makes mom sad? When I do naughty things to my baby brothers.
4. How does mom make you laugh? Computer (yah... I don't get it either?)
5. What was mom like as a child? Like me.
6. How old is your mom? You are... [holds up three fingers, then four, then five... questioning look?]
7. How tall is your mom? This tall [standing on the bed].
8. What is her favorite thing to do? Watch Curious George. (my most favorite thing. ever.)
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? You're all by yourself.
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? I don't know?
11. What is your mom really good at? Feeding lunch and planting flowers and digging the garden and when it's bedtime drinking water and punch and that's all. (alrightythen...)
12. What is your mom not very good at? You're not very good at drinking water. (which is true, but a bit contradictory to the bedtime routine mentioned above.)
13. What does your mom do for her job? You write good numbers. (I'm an accountant. I hope those numbers are good. Good guess, kid.)
14. What is your mom's favorite food? Chicken rice. (It's what we had for lunch, and his favorite.)
15. What makes you proud of your mom? Riding things that you go on at Lagoon. (random.)
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? You would be a horse! (um...gee, thanks.)
17. What do you and your mom do together? play ball
18. How are you and your mom the same? Doing the blower on the lawn. (yah, the same in the fact that neither of us does that.)
19. How are you and your mom different? I'm a boy and you're a girl.
20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because you give me pillow bonks and play with me.
This was a lot of fun. I tag everyone on my "Friends" list, and anyone else who wants to play. Even if you don't blog, it's fun to ask some of these questions to your kids just to see where their little minds take them.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Trip to the store....
It was just supposed to be a simple trip to the store.
I got everyone fed, wiped three mouths and six hands. I cleaned the peas and smashed bananas, got babies out of the high chair, and quickly packed a little diaper bag. I found my shoes, purse and keys and ran them out to the car with the bag. I forced my way back into the house from the garage as two little bodies pressed on the door from the other side, crying that mom was out of sight. I grabbed one baby, ordered the 3-yr old to find his crocs, and took the first child out to strap him up. The 3-yr old was close behind, climbing into his seat. I got those two strapped in, came back for number three, and smelled his stinky diaper. I made a lightning change and ran him out to join his brothers who were both crying now because I was, once again, out of sight. I then grabbed two bags with their respective receipts so I could make some returns. I searched high-and-low for a third receipt, but couldn't find it, so I decided to head out. I made a quick inventory check, making sure I had binkies, cloths (their "lovies"), sippy cups for all, and the necessary double stroller. I climbed into the minivan, running through my to-do list in my head. As I backed out of the driveway, it happened.
Crunch.
Are you kidding me? nope. crunch.
Drats.
I pulled over, got out of the van and slowly walked across the street to let the construction guys at the house across the street know that I just hit their truck. Once again, kids were crying as mom was out of sight. Mom was crying because Dad just found the car insurance bill three days prior hidden at the bottom of a pile of paper rubble. Expired. Lapsed. NO car insurance.
Much self-berating occurred as I ran to finish my errands. A few more tears were shed when we got home: babies because they were tired, 3-yr old because he wanted a kid show, and mom because she's a total space cadet.
5:30 p.m., husband brings home flowers because I had a bad Monday. Ahhh.
6:30 p.m. I go to meet some of my dearest friends in this world. After 4 hours of talking, laughing and catching up I conclude:
This wasn't such a bad Monday. I can't say I'll agree when I fork over the money for car repairs... but until then... c'est la vie.
I got everyone fed, wiped three mouths and six hands. I cleaned the peas and smashed bananas, got babies out of the high chair, and quickly packed a little diaper bag. I found my shoes, purse and keys and ran them out to the car with the bag. I forced my way back into the house from the garage as two little bodies pressed on the door from the other side, crying that mom was out of sight. I grabbed one baby, ordered the 3-yr old to find his crocs, and took the first child out to strap him up. The 3-yr old was close behind, climbing into his seat. I got those two strapped in, came back for number three, and smelled his stinky diaper. I made a lightning change and ran him out to join his brothers who were both crying now because I was, once again, out of sight. I then grabbed two bags with their respective receipts so I could make some returns. I searched high-and-low for a third receipt, but couldn't find it, so I decided to head out. I made a quick inventory check, making sure I had binkies, cloths (their "lovies"), sippy cups for all, and the necessary double stroller. I climbed into the minivan, running through my to-do list in my head. As I backed out of the driveway, it happened.
Crunch.
Are you kidding me? nope. crunch.
Drats.
I pulled over, got out of the van and slowly walked across the street to let the construction guys at the house across the street know that I just hit their truck. Once again, kids were crying as mom was out of sight. Mom was crying because Dad just found the car insurance bill three days prior hidden at the bottom of a pile of paper rubble. Expired. Lapsed. NO car insurance.
Much self-berating occurred as I ran to finish my errands. A few more tears were shed when we got home: babies because they were tired, 3-yr old because he wanted a kid show, and mom because she's a total space cadet.
5:30 p.m., husband brings home flowers because I had a bad Monday. Ahhh.
6:30 p.m. I go to meet some of my dearest friends in this world. After 4 hours of talking, laughing and catching up I conclude:
This wasn't such a bad Monday. I can't say I'll agree when I fork over the money for car repairs... but until then... c'est la vie.
Monday, May 19, 2008
First Haircuts
Andrew's shaggy-ness has prompted the dire need for haircuts for these boys. Thankfully my niece Jen came to the rescue. We set up shop in the garage, and away she clipped. AJ, in true form, sat very still and just sucked away on that lollipop. Jackson, also true to fashion, looked every which way and wondered who in the heck was touching his head. But, I'm happy with the outcome, and I really need to learn to do this myself. No patience. Anyway, here are the results!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Paria {pah-ree-ah}
This last weekend, Mark and I went with some of my family to hike the narrows in Paria and Buckskin canyons in Southern Utah. It was so incredibly beautiful and so incredibly difficult! My brother Danny and I had backpacked it overnight before, but we decided to try and day-hike the whole thing this time... 21 miles! The first 14 miles are slot canyons - beautiful narrows of red rock cliffs. There's a huge risk of flash-flood danger, but we carefully checked the weather forecast before heading in. It was sooo neat. Here are a million pictures from our great day!
The Group, at the trailhead:
We weren't alone: Here are some jack rabbits and some rattlesnakes! eeek!
Here are some more group shots in the canyons.
We had a few obstacles to get around as well: This huge boulder was right in our path:
This is called the "Rock Jam." It's a huge jam of boulders and sand that have been washed into this spot by flash floods. The only way down is via rope:
JJ showin' us his moves:
We let the "young ones" scramble up this little cliff. Us "old folks" knew that we wouldn't want to expend any more energy than necessary:
This quote really says it all. Unless you're there in real life, you really can't quite appreciate the beauty of it. Literally every turn of the canyon walls displayed more beautiful scenery. After taking dozens and dozens of pictures, we finally just had to soak it in, because we could have been snapping away all day!
Needless to say... something like this just always reaffirms my belief in God. This beauty didn't happen by chance or some big boom. It was incredible!
We weren't alone: Here are some jack rabbits and some rattlesnakes! eeek!Here are some more group shots in the canyons.We had a few obstacles to get around as well: This huge boulder was right in our path:This is called the "Rock Jam." It's a huge jam of boulders and sand that have been washed into this spot by flash floods. The only way down is via rope:
JJ showin' us his moves:
We let the "young ones" scramble up this little cliff. Us "old folks" knew that we wouldn't want to expend any more energy than necessary:
This quote really says it all. Unless you're there in real life, you really can't quite appreciate the beauty of it. Literally every turn of the canyon walls displayed more beautiful scenery. After taking dozens and dozens of pictures, we finally just had to soak it in, because we could have been snapping away all day!Needless to say... something like this just always reaffirms my belief in God. This beauty didn't happen by chance or some big boom. It was incredible!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Ode to Mom...
I wish I was one of those writers that waxed eloquent when it came to expressing their feelings about something so special as a mother. However, I'm not. But... that's not gonna stop me from telling everyone, especially my mom, how wonderful a woman she is. My mom will do anything for anyone, particularly her children. She was (and still is) constantly thinking of and concerned for the welfare of all seven of us. She would stay up many nights nursing a sick child or waiting for a teenager to get home. She always made our home a clean and orderly place that was a refuge from the outside world. We knew that we were safe and loved when we were there. Many times she would get comments such as, "Your home has such a special feeling," and I attribute that to her Christlike way of living. She also has expanded her love to include 6 children-in-law and 24 grandchildren (with the first great-grandchild on his way). She has a special way of making each and every person know that they are unique and incredible in her eyes.
I love you mom. I'm grateful for your example. I'm proud of you for leaving the people that are so important to you to go out and serve the Lord. I hope you have the best Mother's Day ever!
I love you mom. I'm grateful for your example. I'm proud of you for leaving the people that are so important to you to go out and serve the Lord. I hope you have the best Mother's Day ever!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Toots
Alex and I were talking about his potty chart (with boxes for “poops” and “peeps” on it) and he wanted to fill it in and get a prize sooo bad. (It is currently blank, because he doesn’t want to go potty.)
So, I suggested that he try going potty so that he could start filling in a box. He sat on the potty, and pushed and pushed, but nothing came out except a little toot.
He looked at me and said, “Mommy. I tooted. Let’s start a 'Toot Chart' so I can fill that out instead!”
heh heh
So, I suggested that he try going potty so that he could start filling in a box. He sat on the potty, and pushed and pushed, but nothing came out except a little toot.
He looked at me and said, “Mommy. I tooted. Let’s start a 'Toot Chart' so I can fill that out instead!”
heh heh
Thursday, May 1, 2008
A little fiber will do ya...
The doctor said that starting the babies on cow's milk might cause a little, well, backup in the intestinal tract. So... AJ took it to heart to make sure he wasn't backed up. He found fiber all on his own, and downed quite a bit of it before I found him.
As I was preparing dinner, I had the "things are too quiet in there" feeling and decided to check up on the babies. Like I said, Andrew. Fiber, aka Toilet Paper. 'Nuff said:
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Happy Birthday!!!
What? Are you kidding me? They are one? No way! How in the world did a year already pass? Holy moly. My little babies are one! And they aren't so little and babyish anymore. Unbelievable. We survived, and I admit that it's just getting better and better!
So... Happy Birthday to you, AJ and Jackson! I love you boys soooo much.
This slide show is a little long, but it's for the Grandparents. :)
So... Happy Birthday to you, AJ and Jackson! I love you boys soooo much.
This slide show is a little long, but it's for the Grandparents. :)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)