The Morgan Follies

How We Do Christmas

2009-12-23T11:32:00.002-06:00

Everyone has different traditions and ways to celebrate the season. We are no different and we've been tweaking things and doing a bit different each year. I assume that will continue to be the case as long as our family is changing which will be forever! We've done the present thing where they each get only 3 from Santa to represent the 3 gifts that Christ got. Then we were really tight on funds so we switched it to 3 presents total- one from Mom and Dad, one from a sibling, and one from Santa. Last year we completely changed things up. They still got just one from us and one from a sibling but the gifts from Santa were for the whole family to enjoy and share together. Games, Nintendo games, art supplies, books, things like that. We really like how that worked out. They still get little trinkets in their stockings from Santa but he doesn't bring each of them a big gift. It really cut down on toys that we do not need floating around the house and the kids haven't had a problem or felt deprived at all. We felt like everything went perfectly last year and are hoping for the same this year. The kids each drew names for each other this year and bought a book for the sibling that they drew. It was fun to really see them pick out books that they knew the other would enjoy reading. We got some great family gifts this year and put a lot of thought into the one present they will be receiving from us. The kids also bought presents for Peter and I this year as well as for Grandma which will make Christmas even better for them. I'm excited for Friday morning!

Another tradition my family had when I was growing up was along the lines of the real reason of the day. We would write down something we wanted to change about ourselves or a goal we wanted to accomplish in the next year and would put it in a gift box wrapped up for Jesus. Every year we would switch out the goals. We have a stocking ornament on our tree that is along the same lines. We have been doing family goals so far but will add individual goals one of these years.

We don't have a lot of traditions yet- we love to do puzzles, and make goodies, and give them to friends, and spend time with family. What are some of your traditions that you remember from when you were a child or that you have now with your children?

What a Girl Wants

2009-10-27T10:20:00.002-05:00

Okay- this post was going around and around in my head last night and I thought I'd go ahead and put it out there. Maybe one of you can help!! I am looking for a really great book. I have read many great books but haven't found one that is "perfect" yet. Here's my list of what's been running through my head- maybe you can give me referrals that fit:

Twilight series-
Likes- The characters were so well developed that I just can't stop wondering about them for a while after I read the books. She easily draws you on from page to page.

Dislikes- She tied it up all too nice and tidy. There should have been a battle and at least one person could have died. Not the main characters, mind you. Perhaps a guard or one of the many extras- besides Irina. The whole "Renesmee" thing was too weird too.

How Green Was My Valley-
Likes-Oh I just LOVE the words in this book. So beautifully written and descriptive of the people, place, and time.

Dislikes- No good resolution at the end. I'm a sucker for a happy ending. That doesn't mean it has to be all kittens and rainbows but in the end, the boy should get the girl and they should live happily ever after.

Poisonwood Bible-
Likes-I really enjoyed the way this book made me think and think and think about the characters after I finished reading it. I think it's a really good Book Club Book but I don't think a lot of people would like it in my book club... ;)

Dislikes- It was just a bit too dark for my sensibilities. I don't mind reading a book like this once in a while but it's not a genre I can read a lot of. I like to escape reality and go to a happy place when I read. It took me longer to read than I thought which means it didn't call to me either. How good can a book be if you can put it down for a couple of days?

Dean Koontz-
Likes-I just love the way this author makes me giggle at some of his phrases. I wish wish wish I could come up with some of the phrases he uses. The books are SO different from what I am used to that I get a kick out of reading them and they really interest me. I bet he is an interesting person.

Dislikes-again, I can put these books down. A couple have had really twisted endings but instead of twising in the direction to shock and surprise you- it twists the other way and underwhelms you. I've never been really satisfied with an ending from him.

Life of Pi-
Likes-An odd book and quite different than anything I have read. I did enjoy it and the character he created. Worth reading.

Dislikes- I had to work a bit throughout to read it and I don't like to work for my books- it should be the other way around.

Gurnsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society-
Likes- the characters were GREAT. I loved the story.

Dislikes- the characters were TOO great. I wanted much more than she gave me about the side characters. I couldn't decide if I liked the book or not because it left me wanting almost too much instead of being satisfied.

Dan Brown-
Likes- I enjoy his storylines- he knows how to do a twist and he keeps me turning those pages.

Dislikes- I don't dislike a ton about his books but some of them just have more swearing than I am comfortable with. I'd like a bit more on a personal level as well.

Those are just some of the books I was thinking of last night that were close or had things that I really really enjoyed but missed the mark. Any suggestions? I need a book with great characters, a page turner, a happy ending that isn't a cop-out, has enough meat in the story to keep me going, witty remarks and descriptions that put me there. You know, the perfect book?

Trouble

2009-09-11T13:29:00.003-05:00

I'm in for some...

Welcome Fall! (okay not yet, but soon!)

2009-09-01T09:03:00.007-05:00

I just LOVE September! The high yesterday was in in the upper 80's or lower 90's. The kids can go out for longer periods of time without feeling like they are going to melt away. We loved living in the swimming pool during the summer but we are ready to go back to the park and go for walks and exploring and Fall is just perfect for that! I've always thought the name of the month "September" was just the prettiest month there is! Maybe it's because it's my birth month too. We did school loosely throughout the summer but we have started back up again full time. While we don't have to get new things every year at this time of year, it is usually the cheapest time to get them so we have stocked up on new pencils and notebooks and glue for the year. I love new school supplies. There's just something about a new notebook of paper that hasn't yet been written in. I am anxiously awaiting many boxes this week that have some fun stuff in them! I try to order books that are not consumable so that they can be re-used for subsequent children but every year Sarah needs new books because she is the oldest and the math workbooks have to be ordered for the other children as well because the ones I prefer are write-in and I don't want to make that many copies. This year we needed some science encyclopedias and some fun math CD's as well as some new Logic curriculum and a new spelling program. The old one wasn't doing the trick. I have never had much trouble when it comes to spelling. I always figured if you can read, you can spell. Turns out that's not true, lol. History is going to be so fun this year. Peter has taken it upon himself to be the History teacher twice a week when he gets home from work. We are studying 400-1600 AD this year and there are some great things in there!! Sarah will be mostly self- taught in history using the History Encyclopedia and working on maps, timelines, and reading other books and writing about big or interesting events and people. We've also started piano lessons again. It's tought to stick with teaching that to your own children but I am determined to make it work and they beg me for lessons so I don't think it will be too difficult to keep it up. It's going to be a fun year! We already have a field trip to CiCi's Pizza planned with 50 other kids from our homeschool group. We will take a tour and then everyone will get to make their own small pizza- doesn't that sound like fun?? September is like a prequel to Christmas for me. I need to think about a fall garden before it's too late. It's not yet is it??

I put some pictures up on Facebook already of the summer but I'll be posting them on here from now on! If you are on Facebook and I know you- add me as a friend and I'll see you around there too!

(click to enlarge)

Alive and Well!

2009-08-20T12:15:00.002-05:00

We are alive and well and have had a great summer. I need to get back to my blog- just give me a little more time and I'll be rolling again! I'll have lots of great pictures and maybe things to discuss. See you all soon!

'Twas the Night Before CFA Take II

2009-06-06T08:46:00.002-05:00

6 months ago in December, Peter gave the CFA level 1 his first shot. In the middle of the night, when he should be resting up for the test that takes a whole day to complete, we ended up having to call the fire department because some car was on fire behind our house. Interesting night. Fast forward to last night- again the night before his big test. We decided to enlist my parents to watch the kids so we could go out to eat and walk around the Highlands and relax a bit before his test. It was a really nice, easy evening. We were a bit concerned because both Eric and Robert had been needing breathing treatments that day but Eric was more worrisome by far than Robert. So the both had treatments before bed and neither seemed to be having much trouble. Around 2am I heard something on the monitor that is in the boys' room that scared me. Someone was having trouble. REAL trouble. I ran downstairs, sure it was Eric- he was sleeping soundly. Then I heard Robert on the top bunk struggling. I brought him out and hurried Peter to get a treatment going for him. I was about ready to call 911 right then because I'd never heard him so bad but I thought I'd see how he was after the first treatment. Meanwhile Peter got the shower going because it sounded just like croup and I knew if we could just loosen stuff up a bit, he'd be fine. After the first treatment, he immediately needed a second- no improvement really. Then I had him go in the bathroom but after about 10 seconds in there he looked panicked and I could tell he wasn't getting much air in but he was really sucking to get something in his lungs. It was downright scary. So I put him back on the nebulizer for a 3rd treatment. I knew then that I didn't want to drive him to the hospital myself because we didn't have an adapter for our car to take the machine with us and I didn't think he could make it there without it on. So for the second time before Peter's big test, he had to call 911. The paramedics came and moved our boy to the ambulance. I could tell that the 3rd treatment was doing it's job. They gave him a 4th on the way to the hospital and when we got there, they took him off the mask altogether and he was doing great. The Dr gave him a scrip for prednisone and an oral dosage while we were there and we were able to leave. I've never seen him so bad or recover so quickly. I'm so grateful he did though! Everyone seems much better this morning as long as they don't get too riled up. Now Peter is off taking his test and won't be home until after dinner. Good luck honey!! You've worked hard for this and I know you can do it!

Ouch

2009-05-22T10:01:00.003-05:00

Poor JoJo. He hit his head on the windowsill a couple of minutes ago. This is what his head looked like 2 seconds later when I ran to pick him up. I ran right next door to my wonderful nurse-neighbor who told me what I should look for and when I need to take him in. So far he has stopped crying and is eating a cracker. He won't let me keep ice on it unfortunately. Poor little guy. I will probably just sit here rocking him all day.

Meal Planning

2009-03-12T08:14:00.002-05:00

Peter and I often get asked how we feed a family of 8 on such a tight/low budget. I think half of it is being creative in meal planning. We have some health concerns with Grandma's gall stones so we eat a very low fat diet but I have found that this is easily done by buying low fat versions of cheeses and sour creams and eating less red meat in our meals. Cooking with plain yogurt instead of sour cream or using fat free sour cream and cream cheese tastes just the same (actually better with the yogurt!) as using the higher fat versions. We also find that even if I am not going to cook for an entire month, it is easier and less expensive to buy for the whole month's worth of meals in one day. My least favorite part is planning all of the meals but I'm getting better at it. We don't like to repeat too many things throughout the month and certainly not within the same week. I like the kids to try different things (or at least have the chance too) and I try to have their favorites every month. Thankfully their favorites are cheap and great for them too! This past Saturday I cooked all the meals that could be cooked ahead of time and planned for the ones that I would rather do on the day of. Peter went and bought all of the groceries we needed for the month and some that we just like to keep stocked up on as well as the fresh things we would need for that week and spent less than $250. We will still need to buy milk, fresh produce, and most likely a few other things that I didn't plan for or that comes up but those are also budgeted for. That cost also includes paper products we use- diapers for 2, paper towels and a package of paper plates for those nights when I feel dishes just aren't going to happen, lol! So would you like to know what we are eating? Here is my list of meals for the month. I only needed 27 as of that day.

Homemade pizza- twice
Stroganoff
Spaghetti- twice
Salsa meatloaf- 2 lber
Tostadas
Potato Soup with bacon and cream cheese
Chicken Dumplings
Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Fajitas
Roast Sticky Chicken
Roast Herb Chicken
Chicken and Gravy on Biscuits- twice, a favorite!
Homemade Slider Burgers (the kids call them crabby patties)
Tacos
Penne Bolognese Casserole
Goulash or Poverty Meal
Tortilla Soup
Chicken Wraps
Chili
Taco Salad
Pancakes-twice
Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Meatball subs
Hot dogs and Macaroni and Cheese (grandma iis gone this week, lol)

These main dishes are usually accompanied by bread and a fruit and vegetable or other side if it is not included in the main dish. Yes, I did lose 10 lbs while eating these types of foods. I am a strong believer in changing to a diet that you will be willing to keep forver and I refuse to live without carbs! ;)

By the way- this is also a huge time saver for me. I just need to look on the fridge to see what I can choose from and know I have everything I need for it and a few ready to be cooked or warmed up!

So, does this look like a menu plan that is suffering to you? Just because you are on a budget does not mean you have to eat beans and rice every night (although we do like red beans and rice with sausage!). You can eat healthy and tasty food and still stick within your budget.

Please- feel free to share your budgeting, money saving tips!

Question

2009-03-03T08:33:00.003-06:00

Well, all of you who voted for Obama- are you still happy with your choice? Have you liked the decisions he has made so far? I was going to try and have hope that he would make some smart decisions (kind of) but so far I am well, pretty disgusted. I think I can probably come up with a better budget than that. So many things seriously worry me about it and where he is going to send this economy in one fell swoop. I'm sorry if I'm offending those of you who like the guy- that's fine if you want to like the man, but are you really happy with where this is going?

Crazy Talk

2009-02-23T15:28:00.002-06:00

I was playing Zuma yesterday while holding Eric on my lap. He's liked to watch me play that since he was a baby. He also likes to watch the balls go in the hole- if you don't know Zuma- you DON'T want the balls to go in the hole but he likes it when I lose. So he said yesterday "I want you to lose- I want the balls to go down the hole." I said "That's crazy talk!" To which he smartly replied, "That's not crazy talk. This is crazy talk- blah blah blah..."

Valentine's Day!

2009-02-16T20:10:00.002-06:00

I hope you all had a fabulous Valentine's Day! Mine was really great and I can thank my sweet other half and children for that. The whole family has been sick with a stomach bug and I have been so worn out and tired and needed a break. Early Saturday morning I woke up at 6 because I could hear Eric yelling for Robert to wake up and wanted to get to him before he woke up anyone else. Peter told me to go back to bed and a few minutes later he left a card and a big soft red teddy bear on his pillow next to me. I wanted to go back to sleep but couldn't resist peeking at the card. In it were my instructions to stay in bed watching movies, reading, or sleeping until lunch if I wanted to and to call when I wanted breakfast brought up to me. I was thrilled and glad to oblige. I slept for about an hour more and then had a breakfast in bed that consisted of bacon, orange juice, and raspberry chocolate chip pancakes with raspberry syrup. Yum. I watched junk TV for a while- you know, America's Next Top Model, Housewives of Somewhere, house renovations, flipping around all the channels. I went down to say Happy Valentine's Day to the kids and be with them for a bit and then back up to my cave. I watched Juno (okay but I'm a prude and probably won't watch it again even though the message is fine), dozed off for a while, read a bit then went downstairs to start being a mom again. We had a fun afternoon even though people were sick. I guess fun isn't the right word, more relaxing for everyone than anything else. That's a good thing considering the next wave of sickness hit a couple of people that night. I just love being with my family and I'm so glad they seem to feel the same way!

Sport Savvy

2009-01-29T09:29:00.002-06:00

There is a new restaurant going up in town called Fat Daddy's (sounds nice and healthy doesn't it?) Well, it isn't open yet but there is a big banner out front that says "Super Bowl Party 02/01"

It's a really big place and when I read that sign I thought I understood why it was so big. You see, I read the sign like this "Super BOWL party!" Cool, it has a bowling alley in it! It took me only about 30 seconds to realize my mistake. There will be no bowling there. Darn it! I laughed all the way home at my sport savvy.

Slacker's My Name

2009-01-11T19:10:00.005-06:00

We have had a really good end of the year and I've just been too preoccupied to blog about it. Thanksgiving was nice and quiet- we were all by our lonesome and had a fabulous turkey dinner with only the trimmings we wanted and a lot of fun games and puzzles. It was so nice and relaxing. Christmas came upon us before we were quite ready. I pulled out the Christmas decoration boxes and the kids went to town putting things wherever they wanted too and I left it that way! We didn't get lights up this year and didn't get all the goodies made that we wanted to but we did enough. We went driving and looked at lights a couple of times, sang Christmas songs, exchanged gifts, made cookies, played with friends, and spent quite a bit of time at the Drs (but we won't dwell on that!) We visited my parents on Christmas Eve for a ham dinner- and I didn't cook a thing! The kids did a live nativity while their Dogone (that's what they call my dad) read from the Bible. The next morning was pretty perfect. Santa brought everyone something special in their stocking and everything else from him was for the whole family to enjoy together- a little something for each age group but none of "that's mine!" going on later in the year. The kids drew names and bought each other gifts and it was fun for them to do some giving and see the excitement that entails. Of course they were plenty excited to open their own gifts as well. The next day I got my Christmas gift from Peter. The kids- all of them- stayed at my parents house for the night while we stayed at a hotel in Arlington and I got to do a little shopping. We also went out to eat (thanks to some great giftcards we received from friends!) and saw Tale of Despareux. It was so rejuvenating and I think a whole weekend would have done even more good to my mind and body, lol. We did miss the kids though and were happy to see them, but more happy that they did just fine without us for one night. That was the very first time we have done that since we've had children. It was long overdue. New Year's Eve morning was spent at the Allergist getting Robert tested and he's pretty much allergic to the world as we suspected. If we can get that somewhat under control maybe his asthma won't be so bad anymore and he can get sick like a normal kid. We spent that evening at home and the older 3 kids stayed up to ring in the new year with us. We spent the next few days cleaning and de-Christmasing our house. We had beautiful weather up in the 80's at times so the kids were able to spend most of the time outside with friends in the neighborhood. So that's the holiday wrap-up!

In other news- Peter was finally promoted to Senior Analyst (or Fund Accountant or something- oops!) We feel very blessed that he is being promoted in this economy. Joseph is jumping off of the couches now and scaring me silly at every turn. Sometimes it's just easier not to watch because if I try to stop him it turns into a game of "scare Mommy" and just gets worse. Eric is in underwear now except for at naps and night and half the time he wakes up dry! Woo hoo! Kaela is really reading well and has really enjoyed being creative with tangrams. She and Robert like to create homes out of boxes for their Webkinz as well. She spends much of her time outside riding scooters with the boy next door. Robert has had a hard time recently because of his asthma and hasn't gotten to spend as much time outdoors as everyone else. Thankfully he has loved him Magnext set he received for Christmas as well as his K'nex and new Wii games. Sarah has enjoyed a little bit more freedom to go farther in the neighborhood to a friend's house. She also keeps reminding me that she is going to be 11 this year and can't wait to baby-sit for me. She insists on helping me so she can have practice and has even changed a couple of stinky diapers! Brave girl! She will be an excellent baby-sitter one day. I have been in somewhat of a funk lately but I think I'm starting to pull out of it. I've just felt very blah about everything and it isn't a fun feeling to have. I've been more aware of what I do and have tried to stay busy and productive and that has really helped- goodness knows there's enough to do! I'm in a place I have never been before. I don't have an infant and I am not expecting one either. Sometimes it is a great feeling and I didn't know I could have so much freedom, and time, and energy because I truly have never been in this place. Other times I miss it and I think I always will. It's a special time in my life and I know I am going to have many more great things ahead too. I've been busy being the Enrichment Leader in church and planning things for the women to do together and I still have a TON to learn there. I'm still watching a little baby a few days a week and she is really crawling around now so we're in for trouble! I'm thinking about starting to do digital scrapbooks but I'm not sure. I've never done the scrapbook thing and I'm not really sure where to start! Any tips are welcome.

Now for the pictures:

This was the night before Peter's big CFA test #1. There was a car fire right behind our house and close to one of our trees. I noticed it when I had to get up with Joseph so we called 911. It took them a good 20 minutes to get here. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures before they put the fire out so they aren't all that exciting.

We were given all of these cups and the kids have found a better use for them than sitting in our cupboard!

Jumping off the back of the slide is much more fun than sliding down the right way!

We gave this to Joseph for Christmas. It had been sitting in our garage but was new to him!

Bubba loves Mr Potato head and Star Wars. Smart toy company put them together!

Her very own Tea Set

Finally his very own Webkinz!

She wanted this so she could learn how to be a spy. The walkie talkies they got from Grandma go with it perfectly.

Still Here!

2008-11-20T07:40:00.002-06:00

I'm still around- just busy! I've got the Christmas Enrichment Night swimming around in my brain along with Thanksgiving (we're alone this year) and Christmas shopping to plan! I know- everyone else is busy right now too so I'm not alone in this. Having healthy children would really help right now! They've all gotten colds that never end! I could deal with that much better if Robert, Sarah, and Eric didn't have asthma troubles with every little thing. Eric went in last Saturday and had ear infections and was put on a steroid. Robert was in the ER on Sunday all day as they tried to get his oxygen levels up to snuff. The nurse said I was very calm for a mother who just found out her son may be admitted because he can't breathe well. Don't worry- it all hits me later after I come home. Poor Peter had to be the one at home worrying. He's still having trouble but it's nothing we can't manage here at home. Now Sarah has started up but thankfully, she seems to have outgrown getting bad enough to go to the ER and we are managing it with breathing treatments. It's all so very tiring though! I am ready for a good nights' rest.

Can I just say that Joseph is SOOO cute!!! He just makes me smile. He just came up to me and tried to say Peek-a-boo. Too cute.

The big kids will be starting martial arts in December (that's the plan anyway.) Peter's work pays for a certain amount for physical finess expenses and this will count. The children are very excited about it. I wish I could join them! Robert has joined the scouting program and is having fun doing that every week as well. I have a picture from his birthday party I need to put up. Who says homeschoolers aren't social? He had 12 little boys at his birthday party that will say otherwise. It was so crazy and so fun! (I'm trying to remember if I already blogged about this...)

Peter's CFA test is in 2 weeks and then I will have my husband back until he starts studying again in January for test #2.

I don't know whether I will see the Twilight movie or not so let me know what you think if you go see it tonight or tomorrow!

New Article on the Alaska Daily News

2008-11-12T07:15:00.002-06:00

Last night I spoke with a reporter from ADN about Beany and he already ran the story. I think he did a fair job and we are all still bewildered and frustrated. He spoke with and quoted myself and Sue. I was a little nervous about actually talking to a reporter on the phone because I didn't want to accidentally say something I wouldn't want quoted. Well, here it is if you'd like to read it. I still check her nlog out of habit just waiting for that next post.

Robert's Baptism and Sonic Cake Pics

2008-11-08T06:59:00.004-06:00

We were all glad Grandpa Morgan could come for the special occasion! Joseph just didn't want his picture taken.

Ready and waiting!!

A little bit of a size problem- this was the closest we could get!!

Robert really likes Sonic so this was his request after looking at cakes online yesterday.

Halloween and Random Pictures

2008-11-08T06:53:00.004-06:00

The kids were supposed to be working on school work and look what they were up to instead!

He actually managed to get a lot of corn off eating it this way- he loved it!

Pinewood Derby and Sarah's Party Pictures

2008-11-08T06:41:00.005-06:00

So- here is the beginning of a backlog of photos. These are from Sarah's Activity Days pinewood derby and birthday party.

Woo-Hoo!!

2008-11-07T09:56:00.002-06:00

Last night on my way home, I drove by the QT and gas was down to $1.99!! I honestly wasn't sure it would get down under $2 this year!

The Search Continues

2008-11-07T06:48:00.002-06:00

There is no relevant news to report on my missing friend Kathleen McBroom. KTUU has run a new story on her so at least she is getting a little attention. I have been in contact with a reporter from Anchorage Daily News as well and she seems very interested in the story and the investigation (if you can call it that). For any updates you may have missed- you can visit Sue's blog at Beggar's Shot Glass and scroll down to see her posts on Beany. We both feel like we've reached the extent of our help in the search and hope that her family continues the push until she is found. She and her family will continue to be in my prayers.

Robert is 8!

2008-11-04T06:04:00.002-06:00

I have been meaning to update my blog about my family but we've just been so busy! This post won't do it justice as I have pictures that need to accompany the words but for now- it'll do!

Robert turned 8 at the end of October and was baptized this last weekend by his dad. He has been so excited for this day. All 3 boys sleep in the same room and we keep the monitor in there. I remember the day before his baptism, Robert woke up and siad to Joseph "Only one more day until I get baptized!" He and the girls sang a song and both of his Grandpa's spoke. There was a little glitch in that someone else got to the building first and was using the room even though we had scheduled it. We worked it out but there were no clothes that fit Robert so the waist of his jumpsuit was down around his knees. None of that matters though. He was still beaming. His Grandmpa Morgan came down from Utah and we so enjoyed seeing him and wish he could have stayed longer and brought Grandma with him but she was recovering from surgery.

Robert is an imaginative boy! He loves to draw and covers his walls in his room with his artwork. He makes friends so easily and everywhere he goes he tries to find some child that he can play with. He is a good big brother and tries to set a good example for his little brothers and sister. Even though he has a quick temper- he has a tender heart that helps to keep that a bit more under control. We love you Robert and I'm so glad you are my first son. You have such a bright smile and an infectious laugh that we just couldn't do without!

Alaska News Article

2008-11-04T06:02:00.002-06:00

You can find the ADN news article on Kathleen at Beggar's Shot Glass. As of right now- we don't know much else that is going on but keep hoping for the best final outcome.

Update on Kathleen

2008-10-31T21:55:00.004-05:00

I just called Kathleen's and she said they found her truck. She had been pulled over earlier Monday morning by a state trooper because she hit a guard rail but she explained she was sleepy and he let her go. Her truck was found by the water up somewhere I can't remember but somewhere she wouldn't normally go alone. Her stuff was in the car, phone too, but she and the keys were gone. The other side of her truck was pretty banged up and the mirror missing but nowhere around. They have no idea if she hit something or if someone hit her or if it was just vandalized. They did a search and rescue and didn't come up with anything. The police said it would take a few months for her remains to show up if she went into the inlet and there could still be foul play involved. They don't know anything for sure though and of course she could still be okay. They impounded the truck to look for more clues. She said they are running a story on it tonight on ABC in Alaska channel 13 if you want to look for it- I haven't looked yet. I pray she is safe and they can find her. Her Dad doesn't want her on the internet much because she does not know all of us (understandably!!). So- that is what I know as of right now. I know the family is not doing well at all and could still use our continued prayers.

Kathleen (Beany) is missing

2008-10-30T07:07:00.002-05:00

I know a few of you visited her blog so I thought I would post this here. Kathleen at So Grateful to be Mormon is missing. No, this is not a joke. Her older daughter called me yesterday to ask if I had heard from her in the last three days. She never showed up for work on Monday. The last I heard was a phone call on Sunday night that I couldn't answer and she didn't leave a message. If anyone has heard from her at all or who knows her whereabouts please speak up. Her family is very worried. They have notified the authorities and called everyone they can think of. She hasn't answered any calls. We'd all just like to know she is okay. Please say a little prayer for this sweet mother that she is comforted and will find her way to safety and home. Thank you.

Here's to my health!

2008-10-20T08:08:00.002-05:00

I've been trying to create a healthier lifestyle for myself. I've lost 11 pounds in the last 6 weeks. I went shopping yesterday with some birthday money I was given and bought a few new articles of clothing. (Can I just say how much I hate to try on clothes? I love getting new clothes but all the buttoning and tugging with jeans- jeans- ugh that's a nightmare! And I don't think my hair gets messier than when I am shopping for new clothes.) I bought Mediums!!! I never thought I'd be a medium again but I guess 10 pounds was all it took! It's amazing how much different I look in clothes that fit me correctly. Feels good too. I'm not really that close to my goal weight- I have about 20 more pounds to go. Do you think I can keep up the momentum? I'm not on a diet or anything. I eat what the rest of the family eats- I just don't do the late night ice cream or crackers with cream cheese and salsa as much as I used to. I try to load up on salads before I eat the main dish so I won't want seconds. I work out with my Wii Fit almost every day for 30 minutes. That's so fun by the way!! If this is all I have to do- I should be able to keep it up. I'm lazy but even I can do that much ;) I just hope there isn't too much chocolate around after Halloween- we all have our weaknesses right? I don't know if I can say no to a Reese's PB cup.

On another note- I have the best husband in the world. I've been so cranky lately! I think it's because I just haven't had much in the way of down time or time alone. We've had sick kids in one form or another and birthday parties or other things taking up weekends. Peter is a card lover. Hallmark would love this guy. I've gotten some fun cards from him in the last week or so and I just love it and I love the that he is thinking of me enough to buy the perfect ones. I finally got my "me" time on Saturday too when I went shopping the entire morning. It was nice to have my thoughts all to myself and uninterrupted for just a little while. I so needed the rejuvenation. The next few weeks will be crazy again! I have Super Saturday and Trunk or Treat this Saturday, Halloween and Robert's baptism next weekend, and then Robert is having his birthday party the weekend after that (put it on your calendar now if your kid is a friend of Robert!) Somewhere in there I've got to clean my house, cut up a ton of chicken and peppers for this Saturday, make sure everyone has a Halloween costume, keep teaching my kids and watching a very cute baby, have them all learn their lines for the Primary Program that is also this weekend, fit some fun Halloween activities in, get the baptism planned, party planned and invites out, thank you cards from Sarah's party, get my car in because the check engine light is on and our state inspection is overdue, think of a program for the Christmas enrichment, buy all the stuff Robert will need because he is starting scouts next week, and the list goes on. It probably isn't anything new for some people but I am unusual in that I don't like to pack our time full of things! We usually try to lead a more leisurely life but I'm starting to wonder how much longer that can last. I think a lot of the busyness is just the season- it's a crazy season with birthdays and holidays. So- if I'm not posting much- you know why!

Win a Free Handbag!!

2008-10-12T08:51:00.003-05:00

I want one! How about you? http://www.handbagplanet.com Check it out and win yourself a handbag. I'm going for something funky.

Two digits!

2008-10-06T07:13:00.002-05:00

My little baby girl is 10 years old. I'll have to put up pics later but I wanted to post now since I'm already a day late! She will have her party next weekend but we celebrated as a family with her yesterday. I sat down with her and went through her baby book. I thought that Joseph was my smallest baby at 3 weeks early but nope- Sarah was 3oz lighter a week past my due date! She liked hearing her first few words (one of which was poop, lol) and about her favorite songs and books and how we felt when she was born. Since I am doing her fun halloween cake next weekend, she opted to have Apple Crisp with vanilla ice cream instead. So we had our usual Sunday pizza and a yummy dessert. She opened presents from Peter and I (a pink MP3 player which she already used this morning when the thunder was scaring her), from Great Great Grandma Honeycutt (a beautiful opal ring and necklace- her birthstone), and from my parents (a Hannah Montana Wii game). Sarah is such a sweet, tender girl. I am so glad that she is my first because boy do I need her! She is such a little mother that I have to remind her that they are MY babies and that she can go be a kid for a while longer ;) Throughout the day you can usually find Sarah riding her bike around the block, reading a good book (she is in the middle of both the 6th Harry Potter and 2nd Fablehaven- she reads each in turn every other day), making some jewelry with beads, sewing something for one of her stuffed animals from scraps she finds, crocheting, or playing with her siblings. I remember when I went into labor with her (Jen- I think you called me that night but I couldn't talk to you) and went to the hospital almost right away- I knew nothing- the staff told me it would be a LONG while before she was born. About 30 minutes before she was born they were still telling me that there was NO way this baby was going to be born that night. Well, 10 minutes before midnight she arrived. She slept through the night the very first week we brought her home. I remember being awake in the morning and finally waking her up at 9am because I thought it was just strange that she would sleep so long! She's always been in sort of a hurry to grow up. 3 of my kids have started walking before they were even 9 months old (I tried to stop them, lol!) but she started it. We love you Sarah! I'm so glad that you are my girl forever!

Healthcare

2008-10-01T08:59:00.002-05:00

So my buddy Sue over at Beggars Shot Glass and I both have problems with the healthcare system right now be we disagree on what should be done about it. I haven't got a clue what should be done but I know what I don't want to happen. I don't want Gov in charge of it. I don't want it to be free for all. I think that there needs to be programs like Medicaid for people who truly can't afford it and have medical problems. I think that with the care existing- it should also be available for use. I haven't yet figured out how to do that though. Any ideas? Here are my issues- I am not a fan of taking money from the rich to pay for the poor. It doesn't work. People aren't going to give up a decade or more of their lives to make the same amount of money that any Joe makes. Why would he if he can make the same old salary without as much effort and time spent away from families or on call? People are rich for a reason- they worked hard, went to school longer, had better ideas, or are much better at something that people want than you or I. I'm okay with that. I know life isn't fair. People came to America long ago seeking fortune and still do and they should be able to if that's what they want to do.

Did you know that if a person comes in with Medicaid and a Dr sees them they have to open the office up to all Medicaid patients? My dad is a dentist and he does not accept medicaid, neither does our orthodontist- and I was told by them that they don't know why any dentist would. The fee they are paid by Medicaid doesn't even equal the fees that the Dr has to pay to labs or for materials. Every time he would see a medicaid patient he would lose money. If I can't afford to get my car fixed would a mechanic pay me to do it for me? No- how would he stay in business and pay his own bills? Does a Dr lose the right to make money because he is dealing in people instead of cars? I don't think so. Most Dr though do offer their services at free clinics on a regular basis though.

We were without healthcare for a while because we just couldn't fit it into our budget. I found it was cheaper NOT to have it because many Drs gave a cash discount. (Of course it's never cheaper in an emergency and I recommend having insurance or a big savings account if you can.) I could NOT buy maternity insurance in Texas (you had to get it through a workplace- I called every insurance company and no one sold maternity) so my choices were to pay cash and hope there weren't any complications or get on Medicaid which I knew we would qualify for. I did the latter because if there were some emergency I would be paying on that baby until I died. Sometihng is wrong there!! Why in the world has the cost gone up so much that people have to worry so much about paying to have a baby- something most women used to do in their homes for free? (That's another post) I can tell you one of the reason and it isn't Dr's greed. Insurance Companies. Drs have to pay a boatload for insurance- much more than your usual businessman.

So what is to be done people? There needs to be a safety net for those that are in need of care. Yes, they can go to emergency rooms, free clinics, free hospitals, but that is just too much trouble for some people I guess. I know I would rather pay and go into debt than spend a whole day at one of those places waiting to be seen or for my child to be seen. Anyone have any bright ideas?

It's True!

2008-09-29T07:45:00.002-05:00

I DO age just like everyone else. I know, I know- you all think how impossible it is that I'm actually 31 but I really am. I was born in the 70's. No matter how much you argue that I must be in my early 20's I truly am in the next decade. So far my 30's are okay! I haven't had any children in my 30's yet and may not either (although that kind of makes me sad too)! I'll be a mom of teenagers and a scout mom in this decade. I'll most likely be a mom to college student as well. Wow- that puts things into scary perspective. I don't think I want to think along those lines anymore! I'm okay with ME getting older but I don't like to think too much about my kids getting older! Well, I've already had some fun things done for my birthday. My parents stopped by the other day with something for Peter and gave me Mario Party 8 for the Wii, lol. Everyone has had fun with that. My wonderful Visiting Teaching companion gave me a $25 gift card to Borders- can't wait to go browse!!!! My kids have made cards for me, a crown and breakfast. I think it will be a great year! I hope to see some of you throughout this year- let's not wait too long!

Saturday was my Church's Women's Conference. I look forward to it all year long! They usually have a nice dinner before and a great dessert afterwards and the speakers are always uplifting and amazing. I wasn't able to make it to the church building because Joseph and Eric both had croup and Grandma was also sick. I had been to both the pharmacy AND the Dr twice on Saturday. Once with Grandma and once with Joseph. I had a feeling Peter was going to ask me to stay home to be there for him. He really freaks out when the kids have croup. Understandable- it's a scary thing when your kids can't breathe. He did and I stayed home and listened to the Conference online. It was the same wonderful message and I want to hear it again! Everyone is on the mend thanks to Orapred and Grandma's medicine. Maybe we can all get healthy and stay that way for a while!

Let's play Photo Catch Up

2008-09-25T08:34:00.007-05:00

Hi! We love Grandma Kathy's house!

Joseph loves to go in and sit on the big bear's lap in Great Great Grandma's room

Cute and crazy- both of them!

Eric loves Barbie movies much to Peter's dismay.

We got corn 10 for $1 this summer so now we have a freezer full!
The kids actually enjoyed shucking it thank goodness ;)
I remember doing it when I was a kid only it was corn from our garden and I would find a worm every now and then. My mom told me I was grossed out by it.

He always looks like this when he eats chocolate, whether it is a brownie or M&M's it's always messy and very cute!

He likes spaghetti so much he has to lick to bowl clean.

In other news- Peter got me a Wii Fit for an early birthday present. I am in a Biggest Loser challenge and while I'm sure I won't win- I feel better already! I'm losing at a rate of about 2lbs a week so far which feels good to me. I think I can give the Wii fit two thumbs up! The kids have so much fun playing with it too. You can hula hoop, jog, do all kinds of fun balance games, there's yoga and strength training and boxing and step aerobics! It's great for when we can't play outside and the kids need to do something active or for when it gets too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter and we just want to stay in. You know, I do NOT enjoy running- walking yes, but not running- but there is something about folling a little dog or character around a picturesque island and keeping a good pace that makes it fun. So strange, lol. I don't often play video games but this one I LOVE!

Look- a post!!

2008-09-14T09:03:00.004-05:00

I have nothing clever to say today but it has been a while since I have posted anything and I just KNOW you all are wondering what I'm doing and have been on pins and needles waiting for me to post again ;) Right? Right?

It's Sunday morning and church has already begun and here I sit. Robert was up last night getting breathing treatments and they haven't helped much so I kept him home today. I thought we'd actually get to go as a family today too. Bummer. Sarah was sick with the same problem last week and I knew it was coming with Robert but I had hoped it would stall for just one more day. I suppose it's cold and flu season already and that's our toughest time of the year. You see, my children don't have asthma that bothers them when they run around or play sports. It only hits them if they have any sort of cold. Just the tiniest runny nose turns into breathing treatments multiple times a day for many days and we usually have to get them on a steroid before it becomes manageable. It stinks but we are getting good at dealing with it. The only problem is that the kids can't do much during that time because they just can't breathe well, even with the treatments. They have trouble just sitting watching a movie so it makes the days/weeks tough in the fall when the colds are just flying around and almost impossible to escape. A very sweet woman in my church new we were stir crazy and brought over fun treats for the kids and some nice goodies just for me too. I am surrounded by some of the nicest people I tell you!!

Friends

2008-08-26T12:18:00.003-05:00

I LOVE being a good friend. I love to know that I have made someone's day easier in some way. Well, someone did that for me today. Leslie over at Altered Art surprised me today. I mean, really surprised me! Not that I wouldn't expect this thoughtfulness from her because she is probably one if the NICEST people I know- not a mean bone in her body. It's just that I don't really see or talk to her very much anymore since we are in different wards and well, I don't get out much, lol. The kids had just finished school up for the day and we were settling into some quiet time and getting ready to watch a movie together when someone knocked on the door. I thought it was the neighbor boy again wanting to play as usual but it was Leslie! She was standing on my porch with some beautiful sunflowers and a Dove chocolate bar. I was just baffled and still surprised to see her there. I asked what they were for and she just said that she saw Peter recently and told her I had a houseful. True. Last week was kids' week at the Morgan's and this week the kids are sick so we are all getting a little stir crazy. So, she brought me this wonderful, precious treat! For me! I teared up of course and was completely overwhelmed with gratitude and the knowledge that yes, I am still on Heavenly Father's radar. He knows me and knows that I need people like Leslie popping in on me now and again to remind me of that. I so appreciate her listening to what prompting that she received because I needed that today. Thank you!

Lena Land

2008-08-22T08:09:00.003-05:00

That is the name for that place in my brain where the strangest, most random thoughts come from. Peter is usually the amused recipient of these quirky ponderings. Today you lucky reader, you get to share in the fun! The night before last I was awake in the middle of the night and my unruly mind wouldn't quiet and let me get back to sleep. I was pondering waffles folks. My first thought went to the shapes of waffles. Our waffle iron makes square waffles and you can buy those circular Eggo waffles. Wouldn't the square be the most efficient shape? I was trying to imagine how Eggo must do it. Do they have a bunch of single circle irons the batter is poured into or all they all connected and then torn apart after? It seems like if they were connected, more batter would be wasted but the time saved may make up for that- but then there's the time to take them all apart afterwards.... So that worked it's way around for a while. I know companies like to be efficient. That's not all though. While wondering how Eggo chose to make their little disk waffles I started thinking about all the eggs that need to be cracked to make them! Do the have machines that crack the eggs? If so, do they then run it through a strainer to make sure all the shells are taken out? If the have human egg crackers, they must use some kind of glove and take many breaks because that would kill my fingers! Peter solved this one for me by saying they probably just bought the eggs already cracked. Good thinking Baby.

Anyway, that's what I was thinking... How did you enjoy your visit to Lena Land?

A Couple of Cheeseheads

2008-08-12T06:37:00.006-05:00

Can't you just see this picture on the cover of an Ensign Magazine?

That is what the Best Man at our wedding called us. We were a couple of Cheeseheads and perfect for each other. We still are- both of those things- I'm sure this post will have plenty of cheese! This is an interesting year because it is also the same day of the week that we were married 11 years ago. Yes, a Tuesday. We wanted a weekend wedding of course but we were doing everything so quickly that there weren't a whole lot of days to pick from and we just wanted to get married before school started again. You see, we met on a blind date in May of '97. I was 19 and just finished my first year of college. He was 21 and just returned from his mission to Madagascar. The point of the night was to set my roommate up with Hans, a guy I worked with and for him to set me up with a friend as well because I had been dating a guy that was turning out to be a loser. Peter got roped into it against his will. He did NOT want to date yet. I remember that night really really well.

Peter and his best man Hans

It was a Sunday and I had pretty much given up on Russ, my then-boyfriend. While I was home visiting he had gotten to know another girl (who he later married). I guess he even went on a trip to Vegas with her and didn't tell me about it. Well, he came by that day as I was making brownies for my blind date that night. He was trying to be all lovey dovey and tell me how beautiful I looked and maybe we shouldn't stop going out. LOL! I was loving it and told him he was nuts and I was going out that night and he could go out with whats-her-name. It was funny- not uncomfortable or anything and he apologized for being a dork and we went our separate ways. Hans-my friend and our best man- picked up my roommate and I and took us to Peter's house to play some games. We played a little pool and Scattergories and watched a movie. Peter and I continuously picked the same words on Scattergories! I remember on the line for "4 letter word" the letter "r" was up and we both put "rake." We talked movies and books and we had much the same taste there. Not many people have seen and loved the movie "Solar Babies" right? We followed the games with a movie during which we played a little footsie- lol! I gave him a hug at the door and my friend took us back home. The next day Peter had to ask Hans what my name was again-haha! He called the night after that first date and we have spoken or seen each other every day since. Our courtship lasted an entire 4 weeks before Peter popped the question. We thought about getting married at Christmas but that seemed SO far away so we thought about another break in school for Thanksgiving. It seemed a little too much to squish a wedding in during that holiday too so we thought we may as well move it up to before school even started. We were going to spend eternity with each other, we had just spent 4 weeks talking non-stop about every subject under the sun- money, kids, school, work, religion, hopes and dreams, so why not start eternity as soon as possible? So August 12th was decided on. I knew Peter for almost a full 3 months on our wedding day.

My family didn't get to meet Peter until the week before the wedding- although he had talked to them on the phone. I woke up to a rainy day and our reception was outdoors. I knew I didn't want an outdoor reception but I think it was Peter's mother's dream or something because she really wanted it and I'm not bridezilla so we let it be in her backyard. It stopped raining (but was still overcast as you can see in that first picture) for the wedding and for enough of the reception to get good pictures. After the rain stopped we had a beautiful double rainbow which stands for good luck! It was beautiful.

On our way to the hotel at Snowbird we got a little lost. We forgot to get directions before we left but we both "kind of" knew where it was so we just thought we'd find it eventually. I don't even remember what town it was but there was a little town having a fireworks show! We stopped and watched the fireworks on August 12th that seemed to celebrate our union. That is a fun memory ;) We did eventually find our hotel and have lived happily ever after to this day.

I just love this picture and that grin! I'm surprised he could find my leg in all that petticoat!

I do think that we lead a charmed and blessed life. We are both still as cheesy as ever but maybe that's a special hidden ingredient for a happy marriage. We love to talk about our dreams and where we see our family in 5 and 10 years and what we'll do when we are empty nesters.

Baby, I can't wait to spend the rest of forever with you. I'm so glad that you are my partner in parenting and in life. I am so glad that I have you to watch with me as our children grow and learn. I wouldn't want to share that with anyone else. I feel so blessed to have found such a caring man that is such a wonderful husband and father. You are my opposite when I need it and my match when I need that. I hope that I can be the same for you. I love you.

Your Girl

Shhhhh...

2008-08-03T19:26:00.001-05:00

I'm reading.

Look Out!!!

2008-07-29T11:01:00.003-05:00

Yep, Memories!

2008-07-23T21:36:00.002-05:00

Okay, there are SO many of you I haven't actually met yet so I don't know if you have a comment to leave but for those of you who HAVE met me and knew me when I was weird (Okay I still am...)leave a comment with a memory we share! I'm sure there's something more to this meme but that's the gist and all that really matters right? So come on all you people, come out of hiding and leave me a memory!

Book Heaven

2008-07-23T14:54:00.003-05:00

Okay, not quite heaven. HEAVEN was when my mom owned a bookstore and I pretty much ran it (I was in high school). When I would make the book orders I could stick in whatever books I wanted! Heaven.

This is good too though. I was turned on to a site called paperbackswap. It's a lovely site where you can swap books and just pay postage when you send a book to someone else. When you sign up and list 10 books that you are okay living without you are given 2 credits. With those two credits you can request 2 books from other people's bookshelves on the site. I listed my 10 this morning and have already requested Poisonwood Bible (thanks for the recommendation Mommax5!) I am waiting to see if there's anything Peter would like for my other credit before I indulge again. I already have people requesting 3 of my books and I will get even more credits when I send those out! So go sign up and put those books that you like but can probably find any time at the library or you will probably never read again up for grabs and find something else to stimulate your brain! Woo hoo! You can put my email address as a referral if you want. I'm not sure what that does but it can't hurt right? This is the one I used: morganhome1 at gmail dot com. Happy reading!

Summer Fun!

2008-07-10T08:54:00.002-05:00

We are having a wonderful summer! The plan was to continue with school in between fun activities but the fun hasn't left enough time. We've still been learning- who needs school for that? We had a great Independence Day. I'm not big on parades but the kids wanted to go and every child should be able to see a few parades while they still enjoy it. We brought donuts and water and scooters with us so the kids would have something to do before it started since we had to be there somewhat early. We didn't get a shady spot so it was HOT! Thankfully I was armed with sunscreen. We stuck around for most of the parade but the sun was just too much for Joseph who was stuck in his stroller for way too long and the older kids had had enough as well. So we left before the end but I think we saw most of the good entries anyway. The kids just loved all the bands! We will probably go again next year but find a spot in the shade.

We spent the rest of the day swimming at my mom's house and enjoying the beautiful day. My children have also not had the joy of seeing a real fireworks show. So that was on our list of things to do. We took of at dusk to go find a nice viewing spot and found a dead end road with a few other people sitting in their lawn chairs. We had to wait a while but it was worth it! I loved hearing the oohs and ahhs of my children. It was so much fun and we will certainly be doing that again next year!

I am having a Summer Science Fun Day for some kids in my church next week so we've been practicing with Solar S'mores. We found a method that works wonderfully and you don't need a pizza box- we never have one. First assemble your s'more and wrap it in tin foil. Next put them in a black trash bag and put it in the sun! I put it on a cookie sheet so they would all stay upright and easy to move. After about an hour (I forget to time it) in the heat we've been having, everything is nice and gooey and smooshable. I hope it works in the morning sun too when we'll be having our activity. If not, there's nothing bad about eating chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers when they AREN'T mushy right?

It's been such a relaxing summer so far and I can't wait to see what else we do!

What's For Breakfast?

2008-07-01T11:51:00.005-05:00

(I did not take this picture and I no longer bother with disposable muffin cups. They are a huge pain and if you just spray the baking spray with flour on the tins the muffins or cupcakes come out just perfectly.)

Once in a great while we will still buy cereal but it's a rarity now where it used to be our daily breakfast fare. The kids were just always so hungry all morning long and I wanted to give them something that would stick to them. It was tough at first because I have a very picky eater and I wanted them all to enjoy breakfast. So we started with eggs because they all love those. They will mix in a little salsa with their eggs now too. Pancakes or waffles were okay but still not as filling if we didn't have some protein along with them. If we aren't having something with a meat or eggs I will usually make a fruit and yogurt smoothie to keep them filled up for a while. I found a site that I just love. Mr Breakfast. There are a myriad of recipes there. I have tried a few but have a long way to go! I love the Perfect Blueberry Muffin recipe (I don't use the optional ingredients though) and a couple of the scone recipes were good too. So, tell me what you have during the week for breakfast to help me keep things interesting! Our "usuals" are donut muffins (good and so easy!), blueberry muffins, cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, chocolate chip muffins, blueberry scone, and granola. Add to my list please!

Pictures and Creating a Skirt

2008-06-25T20:25:00.003-05:00

Eric had a fun fun birthday. His siblings made him King for the day and his Grandparents came to have cake and celebrate with us. He got some fun gifts too. His biggest sister made him a coloring book with her own drawings all stapled together. Very cute!

Sarah has plenty of jeans with holes or that are now too short but still fit fine in the waist (let's face it- she could probably wear Josephs clothes on the waist). So, instead of the usual cut-off shorts I tried creating a skirt and I think it works! I didn't use a pattern but it's pretty darn simple. I just wish I could find my seam rippers because ripping out all of those seams with scissors is a PAIN! So does it work?

Look Who Came To Visit!

2008-06-22T13:48:00.005-05:00

It is Eric's 3rd birthday today and a celebrity came to visit. At least he's a celebrity in our house. Rocket from the Little Einstein movies is one of Eric's favorite characters and we've been watching a movie we borrowed from my Mom every day for the past couple of weeks. (Save me!) So I figured Rocket would be an appropriate cake and I thought I'd try my hand at fondant. I used marshmallow fondant (thanks to Heidi) and a really great buttercream underneath that. I even made the cake from scratch this time and it's nice and spongy like a box cake (tastes kind of like Devil's Food actually). Anyway- I was so excited to see his face when he got a glimpse of it this morning. He was so cute and happy to see Rocket there. He wanted to eat it for breakfast. Poor guy has to wait until after dinner when the Grandparents come over to have his cake. (By the way, I got the best chocolate cake recipe, the lightest bettercream recipe and the design for Rocket's engines from the website Andreas Recipes.)

Eric is such a joy to have around. He's got dimples like the grand canyon and eyelashes that look like fuzzy caterpillar on his eyelids. He can melt your heart when he says "I wuv you" but has a quick temper and doesn't like to be told "no." For a while I thought something was wrong with his hearing until I realized he only said "what?" after I told him an answer he didn't want to hear. He's a happy smart loving 3 year old and I am SO glad he is a part of our family!

Happy Father's Day and other stuff

2008-06-16T08:12:00.004-05:00

We had a great Father's Day here yesterday! At church Peter was given a bag of microwave popcorn for being the best "Pop" as well as 4 bags of M&M's because that's what the primary kids gave their dad. Too bad he's not an M&M fan but good thing the kids and I are! ;) I bought a bunch of different candy's and had the kids make up sentences using each one and we put it all on a poster. It was pretty cute. My favorite sentence was "Your breath smells like Junior Mints!" Haha! I made a framed artwork with each child's footprint that Peter loves and took to work this morning. We love the daddy of our home so much!!

I subbed in Primary behind the piano yesterday. It was fun to be in there again- and I know it's only temporary! Two people were shocked when they asked the ages of my kids and I listed them all. The first lady who asked me said she thought I was younger but I have to be older than she thought if I have 5 kids, lol. The second was a woman who is younger than me- early 20's I'd guess. When she asked how many kids I had and I said 5 she almost choked and then asked how old I was. 30, yes, 30. She said she thought I was "maybe 25." Cool!! I don't mind looking young- not at all! As long as they don't treat me like I don't know anything, lol. I haven't gotten that in a while though and usually only from medical professionals.

I finally gave Joseph his first hair cut. I didn't cut much but it was getting SO long that I had to at least trim it.

He looks much different without his curls in the back and his hair all in his face but I'm sure he likes it better. Here he is enjoying a little box with his favorite toy- a book!

The big kids are always wanting me to take pictures of them holding Joseph. He loves to cuddle up with a stuffed animal and his biggest sister.
If it's a dinner he likes he literally licks his bowl clean! Now we just need a dog for the floor...

I Remember When

2008-06-05T09:17:00.005-05:00

I was in 8th grade and it was Halloween. I was one of those people who wasn't really shy and I decided to wear a costume to school. No one had said anything about costumes not being allowed that I had heard. So I got a pirate costume out of our Halloween box and put on the pair of black pants that looked shredded at the end, and a red and white striped shirt and an eye patch. Nothing too elaborate. It was school after all. So after the pep rally that morning, I was walking down the hall and the cranky art teacher whom I had never had, yelled down the hall "what do you think you are doing?" I didn't answer because I was just calmly walking to my class and he couldn't possibly be talking to me. Well, he came and grabbed my arm and said "Come on, we're going to the Principal's office." Okay. That's when I found out costumes weren't allowed. So I took the eye patch off and told the Principal that everything else was in accordance with the dress code. She didn't feel like being reasonable and called my mom. Okay- I had never ever gotten in trouble before so this just seemed really weird to me that a pair of black pants and a striped shirt was what landed me in the office.

My mom showed up and was about as understandable as I was. She knew what I was wearing that morning and was okay with it. I wasn't showing any cleavage or booty and if it hadn't been Halloween, I probably could have worn the outfit safely (not something I would recommend for everyday wear, but one could do it.) So after the Principal suggested my mom bring me some appropriate clothing or I could pick from the box of sweats she had, my mom told said this (I remember it exactly and was so proud), "my daughter isn't feeling well today and I think she needs to go home." So she signed me out and we went shopping, lol.

Did I mention that on the way out we passed the school counselors who were wearing a funny little pig snout masks over their noses for Halloween? Nice.

Time Out For Family

2008-05-29T11:22:00.004-05:00

Peter took a few days off work after Memorial Day to spend with us. Sort of a mini vacation that we all needed. We had such a good time! I took Saturday and went shopping for a few hours ALONE. I had been putting off getting some things I needed for too long so it was kind of a big trip. Thanks to Payless and their BOGO, and some good finds at Target and Walmart I came home with 4 pairs of shoes, 3 outfits to work-out it (go yoga!), some lightweight capris, 2 new shirts, and 2 hats (at Peter's request so I would stop taking his, lol). Monday we spent the morning playing around the house and making treats before we headed to my parents for a day of swimming. We all got a tad too much sun and are still rubbing aloe vera on our shoulders. It was so much fun though!

Tuesday Peter and I had plans for a date. We didn't have time to do both a movie and a meal so we chose the meal and then a trip to the store. So we slowly drove through the driving rain to The Saltgrass Steakhouse for lunch. It was almost completely empty and so quiet! I could have stayed there all day. The food was scrumptious and totally bad for me. We took our time too. After that we headed on over to a new Target that is closer to my mom's house where the children were. We decided that after selling our trampoline we'd get something fun to do in the backyard. So we picked up a croquet/Bocce set and went to pick up the kids. They had a grand time at Grandma's house and we all went home and played Dance Dance Revolution since it was too wet to play with our new outdoor games.

Wednesday we headed out to the zoo! We wanted to go one more time before the public schools got out for the summer. It was so nice to walk around and have the place almost to ourselves. The animals gave a great show too! The penguins preened and stretched and shook their tails at us right in front of the glass. A female Mandrill took to the kids and sat right in front of the window for them too. She would put her hands on the glass and just look at us. She swiped at us a couple of times too, lol. The Gorilla was also sitting right in front of the window and at one time, picked up a branch, dropped it, and proceeded to pound on his chest and do a huge gorilla yell/roar thing. I turned on the video camera too late and just got him picking his nose and eating whatever it was he dug out, lol. We took a ride on the monorail and saw the parts of the park that you will otherwise not see. We decided to leave at lunchtime and come back Saturday morning (and face the crowd) to see the animals that we missed. I love having a pass because we don't feel like we have to stay the whole day to get our money's worth! That afternoon our new game set got some playtime as well.

Peter went back to work this morning and we are all missing him. Love you Baby! It's almost the weekend!

Straight Talk

2008-05-21T11:27:00.003-05:00

Sarah got her braces off yesterday! It has almost been two years since she got them on and what a difference it has made! The ortho gave us her before mold to take home and show people because it's easy to forget how her teeth looked before. She had quite the overbite. 13mm. I think the Dr said that it is usually 2 or 3mm. So, phase one is done! Now we'll see how her teeth look after the back one all grow in. Isn't she beautiful?

Our Welcome to Texas

2008-05-19T15:21:00.002-05:00

If you haven't yet heard the story of our adventuresome first year in Texas after we were married come one over to Pancakes and Pinesol and read all about it! It's amazing we chose to stay after that year. And if you'd like to join in the fun at P&P, just email pancakesandpinesol at gmail dot com and request to be a member!

Strawberry Fields and Head Banging Baby

2008-05-19T10:51:00.003-05:00

I was looking for a good strawberry cake recipe for my mom's birthday request and found this yummy treat. I brought a pieve home for Peter because he stayed home to get some rest (he's still sick) and he loved it! I had enough strawberries left so I made the one pictured above yesterday. Here's the recipe.

I tweaked it a bit. I put both layers together with some lightly sugared mashed strawberries between them. The cake soaked in the juices very nicely! Then I poured the glaze on top and cut up the few strawberries I had left as a garnish for the top. The cake has fresh strawberries in it, between the cakes, and on top! I used 2lbs of strawberries for the whole thing. The cake is almost more of a muffin texture- which I liked. When you do the glaze, be sure to mix the liquid and the strawberries first and then slowly add the powdered sugar in. I forgot to do that the first time and had sugar clumps- but it still tasted great.

Now, because I get a kick out of it, I thought I'd share. We have a spider that squeaks when you squeeze it. Joseph is too little to squeeze it so he came up with his own way of making it squeak. Please don't look at my messy living room. It was a busy day and we hadn't picked up yet...

My Baby

2008-05-12T08:19:00.005-05:00

As you can tell from this picture he gets a sense of humor when I try to take a picture of him. You can see his huge dimples though! I call them "cheek pits" because they are so big.

So, you all know more than enough about me by now. I did this a while back but I have some new readers so here's something about the man I love!

What is his name? Peter

How long have you been together? We met 11 years ago this May 18th!

How did you meet? I was set up with him on a blind date and I set my friend up with my roommate. We worked out!

How long did you date? 4 weeks before we were engaged and we were married 2 months after that. We were just shy of knowing each other for 3 whole months when we were married.

Who eats more? Him, unless chocolate is involved.

Where do you like to eat together? Anywhere! We do love to go to Olive Garden though. We love the breadsticks. Outback is another of our favorites.

Who said I love you first? He did.

Who does the laundry? I do most of the laundry. He does his when I am too far behind and he is out of clothes, lol. He hates folding and I hate doing toilets so we have an agreement.

Who does the dishes? Me during the week but he is more than happy to help if they are still in the sink when he gets home. He usually does them a few times on the weekend.

Who sleeps on the right? He does

Who pays the bills? He brings home the bacon and I make sure it goes out to who it needs to.

Who cooks dinner? I do except on Sundays when he makes breakfast for dinner.

Who is more stubborn? Depends on the subject.

Who kissed who first? It was mutual. I'd been waiting for him to respond to my wiles for a while though!

Who proposed? He did but I'll save that story for our anniversary.

Who has more siblings? him- 4 brothers and 4 sisters

Who wears the pants? Again, depends on the subject.

Where do you fit in birth order? I'm the middle child and he's the 8th of 9.

Who is older? He is by 1 1/2 years.

What does he do for a living? He is a Fund Accountant for Fidelity Investments and studying for his CFA (Chartered Financial Ananlyst)

Where is he from? Born in Cali, then a teen in Utah, and now from Texas!

What does he like to do? He loves to go shooting, paintballing, mountain biking, play Rome Total War on the computer and play the PS2 every now and then. He likes to play catch with the kids, read, and play board and card games.

What's your favorite thing about him? So much. I used to call him my Eggroll because he's a lot of good things all rolled up into one! He loves me and is not afraid to show it. He knows what he wants and goes after it. He is a great daddy and a kind, loving, funny husband. I can be my weird self in front of him and he thinks it's cute, lol. He is a man of great faith and acts on that faith. He is my best friend and we have such a good time together. We can talk about anything and may not agree on everything but it doesn't matter. We were MADE for each other!

If you want to, write a little something about your Sweetie and let me know so I can read it! I know all about you gals, but not a whole lot about your significant other.

Religious Descrimination?

2008-05-07T09:18:00.002-05:00

I have a small beef with my local homeschooling community (I'm sure some of them lurk here and please feel free to comment and explain). First of all, I am LDS which sets me apart from most. I am sure most also wouldn't consider a Mormon a Christian. When I was little they all changed their Statement of Belief that you had to sign in order to coach or lead any activity to state the Bible was the only scripture. Of course we wouldn't sign that. That is the first thing. What purpose does a religiously based Statement of Belief serve on a group that claims to welcome all religions? Why not a moral code or code of ethics? Why can't you just promise to have good sportsmanship and be kind and honest and even modest? I don't think those things have anything to do with religion. I think that people who believe in NO God can be just as honest as any Christian and a Christian can be just as dishonest as any other person. I just don't understand why someone has to be excluded because they don't have exactly the same beliefs.

Another thing that my group does all the time: Someone will send out an email asking for a recommendation for a car repair shop, a painter, a Dr, or even a hairdresser and the response kind of baffles me. Lots of email come back suggesting someone and then saying that the owner or person recommended is a "Good Christian." I don't really care as long as they are good at their job and have a reasonable rate. If they are Muslim or Jewish are they less worthy of your business? Are you afraid that anyone NOT a "good Christian" will try to trick you or overcharge you? I don't get it. And if you are concerned about everyone's souls wouldn't you want to be in contact with others not of your beliefs to show them your good example and that you are a "good Christian?" Of course you can go to whomever you like but I don't get it.

And third: There is a "good Christian" car repair shop here that gives a discount if you bring in your church bulletin. Is that considered religious descrimination? ;)

Finals Today!

2008-05-06T07:39:00.002-05:00

Wish me luck!!

Another Birthday Milestone!

2008-05-03T09:52:00.003-05:00

Last post for the day, I promise! Great Great Grandma turned 95 on the 24th of April this year. If only we can all be as healthy and happy as she is at this age. She has 2 children, 10 (I think) Grandchildren, over 40 Great Grandchildren (of which I am one), and I think she's working on about 25 Great Great Grandchildren. Isn't that wonderful!!!
The kids had a great time "decorating" for her party with whatever things we had lying around. They made a crown for her and wanted to lower it down on her head from the loft. The string got tangled so Sarah just ended up placing it on her head. She loves parties as much as the rest of us. We went to get her handicap placard renewed and won't have to go in again until her 100th birthday. I think she just might make it!! We put 5 candles on her cake as a count down to 100. It's been a great 8 years having her here with us and we hope for many more!

Finally- the Birthday!

2008-05-03T09:32:00.006-05:00

So my little Joseph turned 1 on the 19th and I'm finally getting the pictures out. I've been battling a fever all week and it's still hanging on by a thread but I think I can manage to post pictures ;) We'll soon have to have a first haircut post because he's WAY overdue. I just haven't been able to bring myself to cut his cute curls in the back yet.

This is the shirt Grandma gave him

It's so much fun to crawl INTO the bag for the sippy cups from Mom and Dad.

Sarah spent a lot of time making this great mobile for him.

Dogone and Grandma Kathy (my parents) gave him this cute cute dog that has all sorts of buttons!

No cute cake for Joseph this year- we were just too busy! So he had cupcakes and couldn't care less of course. It was all yummy goodness to him!
Happy Birthday Jo Jo!

Zoo Days

2008-05-03T09:20:00.003-05:00

When the zoo opens a new exhibit they often invite members to a pre-opening after hours. I figured it wouldn't be that busy but it was busier than any Saturday we have ever been! We can see animals any day so the kids wanted to do a couple of the "other" things.
They were able to go to the new Stingray Bay and actually touch the stingless Rays.
Free Carousel rides on the way out! It was Eric's first time but we didn't get a good pic of him. I think it was the fastest carousel I've ever been on!

I love having zoo passes and am so glad we'll be going a lot more now that the weather is good!

The Sky is Falling

2008-04-18T08:34:00.007-05:00

We had quite a storm last night. It came on quickly and left it's mark in a few ways. The hail didn't get that big here, only about the size of marbles. Some in our town got golfball and baseball sized hail. It looked like it snowed but it sounded life rockes pelting the windows. I brought the kids downstairs that hadn't already found their way to us because I thought we'd lose a window and that would scare them silly. When I was a teenager we had a storm that broke 2 windows and the car windshield and ruined the A/C unit. But, even though we had winds of 70-80 mph the hail stayed fairly small and the only thing that was ruined was Grandma's swing.

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This was just after the storm passed. The hail covered the drain pipe and was a few inches up. You can see how high this drift is by looking at the foundation.

The paint was already peeling, lol.

This is what our fence looks like now. It's a good thing the hail wasn't any larger or we could have holes.
RIP to Grandma's swing
Amazingly, there are still some leaves left on the trees.
This is that same drainpipe from above this morning. It didn't freeze last night but I guess it's taking a while to melt.
It pelted our door too. This is our stoop last night.

My Crazy Wonderful Life

2008-04-16T11:06:00.009-05:00

A wonderful sweet man brought these beautiful flowers home to me yesterday for no reason at all- vase and all (the only part I don't like about getting flowers is having to put them in the vase). This morning the Iris are blooming beautifully!

This morning I was working with Kaela on some math and we heard Joseph banging on the wall upstairs. He does that to tell us he's awake I guess. It's funny to hear him knocking on the wall when he wakes up. So I sent Robert upstairs to keep him entertained for a few minutes while I finished up with Kaela. He came right back out and said Joseph had poop on his face and hands. Beautiful. I had the foresight to tell Sarah to get the camera and quickly snapped a couple of pictures. That isn't chocolate on the wall. I found some nice presents on the floor under his bed and all in his bed. I think he was throwing things AT the wall. Yuck!!!! I think his bum was the cleanest thing in that bed.

He looks so innocent here. Yeah right- you aren't fooling anyone!!!

And so that you can now get those images out of your head, you can watch this cute video of Joseph doing some patty cake. We do a different version in our house than most people do. It's much more fun to "Throw it in the pan!" than to mark it with a B.

Long and possible TMI- Joseph's story

2008-04-15T06:36:00.005-05:00

Joseph now

Scary claustrophobic moment
My guy holding our guy
Not a happy camper
I love how babies curl up!
Angelic isn't he?

Joseph's birthday is coming up fast! He will be 1 on Saturday. This year has just flown by. I usually try to wait until the child's birthday and post the birth story as I remember it but this weekend will be busy so I'm going to give myself a head start. I may or may not finish it in this one post. It's stinkin' long and while there is some info you may not want to know, it was a C-section so there won't be THAT kind of TMI, lol. I was going to just save myself some time and copy it from last year but I think I remember it differently now and it would be interesting (for me) to see the differences. I know I was pretty upset and messed up when I wrote it last year and I'm much more accepting of it all now (not completely, but it HAS only been a year).

A year ago, baby 5 was due to be born on May 6, and we expected him to be a week later because that's the way things usually went and I always figured it was better to expect a baby to be late and be pleasantly surprised if we were lucky enough to have the baby on time. Early didn't really even cross my mind. With my previous births I had epidurals and things went so smoothly. So smoothly in fact that I decided to go with a midwife at a birthing center. I was very excited and preparing myself for this.

I never had the swelling that some women experience in my pregnancy so when my feet started to blow up, it was kind of gradual and I wasn't sure if I had really just gotten that fat or if my feet were swelling. I was pretty sure it was swelling though. I talked to my midwife about it on the phone and she stressed that I stop wearing my heels all the time, drink lots of water, and keep my feet up. I remember at my next visit, I thought my blood pressure was a little high for me. It was usually around 100/60 and this was 124/74. Still fine but high for me and that was really unusual. The next week, I had some protein in my urine, not good, and was so swollen. My hands didn't seem to be very swollen though. I could take my ring off with no problem. Hands and face seem to be what they worry the most about though. Well, my face was swollen but it was hard to tell at that point because it was so gradual. My blood pressure was much higher though. 150's/90. I was also having headaches. So I was put on bedrest and told to come back a couple of days later for a re-check. At least the baby was in a good position though! Peter was pretty worried and confined me to my bed. Betty-my midwife- had stressed to him that I be in BED, not on the couch where I would be tempted to help with something. BORING. Oh, it was terrible. I really feel for you women who had to be on bedrest for months. Two days was horrible! Peter took time off of school and stayed with me. Peter had finals coming soon and was such a sweetheart. He really knows how to take care of me. That night I felt the baby rolling big time and was afraid he'd turned around.

The night before my re-check I started having horrible pains. It wasn't like any kind of contraction I'd ever had. It was so hard to breath at all and it lasted forever. There was no gradual coming and going. I went downstairs to walk around because laying down was horrible. It got so bad and I started to worry because it just wasn't right. So I yelled for Peter for at least 5 minutes- more like 10- before he heard me and came out. He got his watch and they would last 5 minutes with less than 2 between them. But, these weren't normal so I wasn't sure what to do. The pain was up high on top of my belly. Betty said to come in if I wanted to but that there was another lady there and I didn't want to go in that early in the process anyway. We packed everything we would need for the delivery though, just in case. After about an hour, the pain went away and I went back to bed.

Early the next morning we dropped the kids off at my parents and went to see Betty. My protein levels had jumped and my blood pressure was 160's/100 now. I told her about my pains and she was worried about HELLP syndrome. She said it was probably my liver that was hurting and that she thought I was in the first stages of HELLP. Great. She said she had never seen someone this swollen before and that there was even swelling on my belly. She checked the baby and he seemed okay- only she thought he might be sideways now! Great. Lucky for us the ultrasound tech was there that day and he had a peek. Yes. The baby was back down, head and feet up. Lovely. I knew when she told me my blood pressure numbers that I would not be having this baby in the birthing center. Actually I think I knew that all along. I had a feeling during the whole pregnancy that I wouldn't get the birth I wanted. I still cried. I was so scared of a c-section. She called her collaborative OBGYN and I had to go straight to the hospital. I was hoping that they may be able to turn the baby and induce me but I think I was just dreaming at this point.

I could have gone to a hospital closert to home but I wanted to go with someone that Betty trusted because my old Dr had moved out of state and I didn't want to be harped on my a Dr about going to a midwife in the middle of all of this- especially since this had nothing to do with me going to a midwife. So I ended up in Dallas- an hour away from anyone. If I knew then what I knew now, I probably would have just come to the one close to home. I can take a little flack for more comfort and family close by.

Well, I got to the hospital and they sent me to the OR prep room. Not a good sign. I asked if they were going to attempt a version (turning the baby) and the Dr explained that she wasn't even going to attempt it with my high blood pressure and the bad shape that I was in (I think everyone was trying to be calm and I was worse off than I thought). Turning the baby when my blood vessels are so strained could cause placenta abruptia and that is bad. So, I would be having a c-section. I cried again.

I was started on a drip of magnesium sulfate- that stuff is some strong bad stuff- to stop seizures. They also took a ton of blood and had a ton of trouble doing it too. The anesthesiologist came in and told me my blood level was horribly low and I'd need a unit of blood before the surgery and one during. I guess it was supposed to be at a 14 or 15 to be considered "normal" and mine was a 7 which is usually when they give normal people a transfusion, let alone someone going into surgery. That is another symptom of HELLP. Next came the epidural. I hate those. I didn't want one in the first place and now I had to have one. I hate needles- especially really long ones that they stick in your spine. He said he had never seen someone's back so swollen before and it was hard for him to find my spine to put the needle in. It took him 2 tries to get it in the right spot. Yes, I had to go through it twice. So they got some more blood in me and Peter was dressed and ready to go and I guess I was too. They put an oxygen mask on me and I pleaded with them to get rid of it. I am slightly claustrophobic and was already nervous that I would panic during surgery with a big sheet in my face and not being able to move and the mask just made it worse. So we traded it for tubes in my nose and off we went.

Once in the OR they started wiping iodine everywhere and I could see my reflection in the big light over the table and thought I may get to watch the whole thing but they moved it at the last moment and thankfully I was spared the opportunity- I wasn't sure I was going to say anything. I did fine and didn't freak out. I thought about it but Peter and the anesthesiologist's assisitant kept me talking and I did okay. Talk about pressure though! I swear the Dr was having the hardest time getting the baby out. It felt like she was jumping on my or something. Later I found out that I have the largest uterus she's ever seen and that while they usually take it OUT OF YOUR BODY- !!!!- to sew it up, mine was too heavy so she had to do it while it was still in me. Whew! That's where it should stay in my opinion.

They lifted up a little messy baby in perfect shape at 6:30. A boy who at 2 1/2 weeks early weighed 7lbs 10oz. I wonder how big he would have been if he was on time! He was my smallest baby by 1oz. Peter brought him over so I could kiss him but I really wanted to hold him. Badly. The baby was crying really well and kept crying for a long time after. We hadn't yet decided on a name- he was early after all.

After I was all stitched up, they took me back to the room I was in before surgery to finish the magnesium drip. I had to stay laying on my back too so our first attempt at nursing was not very successful. We knew Peter needed to go home soon to get things for the other kids. He also had school the next morning and really needed to be there. I wanted him with me of course and it was hard being so far away from everyone. I had to be on the Mag for 24 hours and as long as I was on that, they wouldn't leave the baby with me because it is some seriously wicked stuff. So I got to hold my baby whenever the dumb nurse could bring him to me. It stunk big time. I think I cried most of the time I was there. Joseph wouldn't nurse very well. Usually I get some privacy to get the hang of it again and this time it was all different because my stomache hurt so badly with even a tiny baby on it. I could hardly move. I guess all the swelling made everything worse and I was all black and blue with bruises from the surgery. Every time a nurse would check the incision she would say "what did they DO to you???" You know how they push on the uterus to make sure it is shrinking, sometimes massaging it? Yeah, my first nurse tried that and it killed me. She had a tough time finding it though so she called another one in. This nurse actually said to me "Brace yourself, this is going to hurt." I held on to the bars and screamed. She just jammed her hand on me. Not even trying to be gentle. She was not allowed near me again as far as I was concerned. Can I just say that morphine is wonderful stuff. It works so quickly- just not long enough. The first nurse that gave it to me right after surgery shot it right into my IV drip all at once and left right away. It burned so badly I called her back to ask her about it. She said, yes, it did that. So when I was asked later if I wanted more I told this nurse that I wasn't sure it was worth it for how badly it hurt going in. Later I called her back to get it anyway (did you know you can have gas bubbles in your SHOULDER?? I think that was one of the most painful parts of the whole thing). She put it in slowly and it didn't hurt at all. She said, you just have to do it slowly. How mean of that first nurse!!

When it was finally time to move me, and I was finally allowed to try and walk for the first time and just about fainted so they had to wheel me everywhere. Apparently I was green, lol. I was finally able to go down to the recovery rooms and be with the baby. Unfortunately, this hospital also has rooms you have to share. I'd never been in a hospital like that before. It wasn't fun. So this was Saturday and Peter brought the kids to see me. I was too weak to visit very long and the kept wanting to jump up on the bed so they didn't stay long but it was soo good to see them. I enjoyed my quiet time with Joseph and he got used to nursing now that we could be left alone. He lost almost a pound but I managed to keep them from supplementing with formula. The next day I would be going home. I didn't think I would be ready but I wanted to go home so badly I didn't care. I felt so weak though. I tried to take a shower Sunday morning and almost fainted again. I had to ring for help and they had to wheel me back out because I couldn't walk. I don't know how they thought I was ready to go home and why they didn't check my blood first. I was still swelling. I guess that's normal for after surgery so no one but me was worried. My blood pressure was also still through the roof and no one was worried. They just said it should come down soon. I was put on some meds and after the staples were removed, was sent home. That was interesting. Some of the staples had actually turned upside down so the prongs were sticking out instead of in and had to be turned all the way around on the way out. That didn't feel good. We still hadn't named the baby! Usually the records dept is hounding us by now for the birth certificate. We ended up calling them because they hadn't even brought us the info yet. She said they close for the day in 15 minutes and we need to do it before we leave. No pressure! Peter came up with Joseph- out of the blue- and it was perfect. I though it sounded good with Wayne- my Dad's name- and I walked myself down there, holding the wall all the while to fill out the paperwork. Even now I'm surprised I made it.

The ride home was excruciating. I felt every bump. Who knew you used your stomach muscles so much just riding in the car?

My ward really helped us out. They brought delicious meals every night that week and the next. My mom came over every day that Peter was in school to help feed everyone and put Eric in his crib for his nap. He wasn't 2 yet and was having a hard time with my not being able to lift him. I tried to sleep in my bed but it wasn't working out. I couldn't get up from it in my condition. So I slept on the couch for about a month. It was easier to get in and out of and I had to do that often. It had been a week now and I wasn't feeling any better. At all. In fact I was feeling worse. I was still trying to deny it though. I wasn't sure how I should be feeling anyway after all of this. I took Joseph in to the Dr on Friday and the nurse looked at me funny, almost scared, and asked if I was going to be okay. She told me how pale I looked. I said I was fine, that I'd just had a c-section and I'd be okay. At a later visit she told me a lady had recently been in there looking just like me and had bled out all over in the bathroom. Joseph was looking great and growing well. No worries. He was such a good baby!

Later I was having some chest pain and bad headaches and my blood pressure was still high but it was when they sent me home so I wasn't sure what I should be looking for. I called Betty and she told me it looked like I needed to go back to the ER for a visit. So I went, not happily. Peter stayed with the kids this time and my parents came with me and Joseph. Well, they took some blood and the Dr came back in with a scared look on his face saying my blood level was horrible. 6.4 this time. So I had to be admitted. I cried again. I was so tired of this! I told them the baby would be staying or I wouldn't be and they sent me to L&D recovery and the nurse there said it was fine and they gave me a bassinett and all the baby stuff I needed. It was awesome. Then they gave me a shot of demoral and something else and started me on some more blood, 2 more units.

The next day they said I could go home and gave me my discharge papers. They took my blood pressure one more time and then took my discharge papers away. My blood pressure was 168/114 and they wouldn't let me go home. I cried again. I still had the headache too so I guess it was a good decision. The next morning my blood pressure was just as high but the headache was gone so I went home.

It's amazing how enough blood in your body can make things better. I healed so much faster and felt so much better after that. By the time I went back to Betty- my blood was still at okay levels- an 8- so higher than when I left the hospital the second time. My swelling had gone away as well and my blood pressure was almost normal. It's still higher than it was before I had Joseph but not high at all and I don't need any meds. Betty said she hardly recognized me I looked so different. I lost 30 lbs in a week and a half, lol. That's a lot of water!

So that's the story as I remember it a year later. It wasn't happy but I remember Joseph being just the sweetest baby. He was so sweet and loved to sleep on the Boppy at the hospital. I still remember those sweet blue eyes looking up at me and just staring. We made up for that 24 hours that we didn't get to bond as we wanted to in no time. I can say that he had the perfect shaped head coming out the way he did. He's still a little angel and I can't believe he is going to be 1 in a couple of days.

A New Calling

2008-04-10T15:31:00.002-05:00

So with the new boundary changes for church I am no longer a teacher for the Relief Society (women's class on Sunday), or the pianist. I knew we'd be getting a phone call soon for either Peter or I and sure enough Sunday night the phone rang and while I didn't recognize the name, I knew who it was. I debated answering it only for a second and then set up a meeting for earlier this week. I had a few days to stew over it and speculate. It's hard to speculate when you don't know anything about the ward though or who was even extending the calling (the new thing I will be doing). I figured it would be teaching again, or the nursery, or piano- all of which sounded just fine to me, very comfy. It sounded like that's what it would be too by the way Bro C was talking. "We went over the things people have done and had experience with..." okay, piano here I come, I thought. Nope. "So we've felt that you should be called to be the (insert calling here)." I think I laughed out loud. Really, I'm not kidding. He got a funny look on his face, maybe a little worried that I would say no and asked how I felt about it. I kind of sputtered again and said "okay I think, I've just never done anything like that before." So I let it settle in, and accepted the calling. I suppose I can say on here because I don't think many people from around here read this anyway and the cat is already out of the bag and it will all be done on Sunday anyway. I'm going to be the Personal, Family, and Home Enrichment Leader. Shhhhhh. Want to hear something funny? I was making bread earlier that day and said to myself jokingly "I could be over Enrichment, look at me making bread!" Then I laughed because I always thought of the Enrichment person as a crafty talented McGyver type of person- not me. I think I will be much more comfortable with how they do it now than when it was a monthly meeting. I think there are already some great groups going and I am ready for something new. I still laughed the whole way home though. Honest. If anyone has any advice, hand it over!

Remember Aqua Net?

2008-04-08T06:44:00.002-05:00

I thought of that million times as I watched Hairspray the other night. Val, a co-worker of my dh and someone I just know I'd love, lent us the movie and I just had the best time watching it! Poor Peter wasn't as thrilled. I think he liked watching ME watch it, but John Travolta in drag (really GOOD drag, I kept forgetting it was him and not actually Edna...) was just too much for him to stomache. I admit the part where he was dancing around with Christopher Walkin was a little much even for me. But oh, when Tracy Turnblad sang "I Can Hear the Bells" I turned to Peter and said, "you know that's really me inside don't you?" Yes, that's how I would act if no one was around. It's quite often how I act when only my kids are around. Crazy dancing and all- they think I am so funny. Anyway, I had a huge grin on my face at the end of this movie. I have to wonder though, am I really so weird or are most girls secretly like this?

Change Change Change

2008-04-01T10:16:00.002-05:00

Nothing so constant as change right? I'm kind of lucky in that change doesn't bother me too much. I've always been a "go with the flow" "come what may" type of person. I don't know why- I think my parents are both that way as well. If you aren't Mormon, this post will be mostly gibberish to you. Sorry about that.

This past Sunday we had a big stake meeting that had been anticipated for a few weeks. The Stake Pres said every ward would be affected by the new boundaries. (Most of the wards did turn out to be affected.) I managed to stay out of the loop and didn't know a thing about it until Peter got home from the meeting. I was determined that we would all go to the meeting together. Peter had an early 7 am meeting for the men and managed to get a flat on the way. It seemed like everything was getting in the way of him going to the meeting and he really wanted to go. So I loaded everyone up- we were all up anyway- with a movie and some blueberry muffins and picked Peter up. The kids ate breakfast and watched Animaniacs in the van while Peter went to the second half of the meeting. By the time he came out I knew I probably wouldn't get my way and have everyone at the 10am meeting. I wasn't showered or dressed and neither were the kids. I knew that by the time we got back home it would be almost 9 and everyone still wanted breakfast (the muffins didn't do the trick) and I wouldn't be able to get ready in time to go. It was really a lost cause at that point. People were already arriving to get good seats almost 2 hours ahead of time. I probably could have gotten everyone ready in time for the meeting but I was just too tired by this time to worry about it and I knew if I cracked the whip it would be a terrible morning. You know what I mean? So Peter stayed and rode home with my parents. He got the scoop for me. I have been told that there was a good 1 1/2 hours of speakers before the news was actually given. Well, I live just over a mile from the building that we currently go to but I won't be going there anymore. I will be driving out to the Stake Center. It's still only about 15 minutes away. I remember having to drive almost 30 minutes to the Forest Hill building when I was a kid. But it will certainly be more gas with our 2 cars that we have to take every Sunday just to get us all there. It is a vey nice building though and one that I spent all my years at since I was about 10. I will miss many in my old ward- we were split up quite a bit, but I am sure that I will keep in touch with many through my kids if nothing else. Now we get to be anxious about what we will be doing in the new ward! I suppose we'll find out in the next few weeks!

Magic Morning

2008-03-28T13:05:00.003-05:00

Wow, this morning has been just wonderful and the only thing I'm sas about is that I didn't take a single picture.

It started off with quick cinnamon rolls made with baking mix (Bisquick type). I had never tried it before but it was so appealing because there is no wait at all. You mix the baking mix with milk, knead for a minute, roll it out on wax paper, butter it, sprinkle on the brown sugara and cinnamon and roll it up. Cute them into rolls and put in a greased pan. Bake for 20 minutes and eat them when they are cool enough! So, I was worried about how good they would be but I need not have worried. I made some icing to go on top and drizzled it on while they were just warm enough but not too hot. Everyone liked them. I was very impressed because they weren't too sweet- which is what I think of most cinnamon rolls, but they didn't taste like biscuits either. They were light and yummy but still filling. Perfect. I got the recipe off of Hillbilly Housewife. Try it!

So after that the kids cleaned up the bathrooms and then we met in the living room and went over the 9th Article of Faith that they are learning right now:

"We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. "

Then we said the Pledge of Allegiance and stretched and recited the Latin words we learned yesterday and listened to Dona Nobis Pacem a couple of times.

After that I had them all get a book to read or look at. Sarah wanted to read to Eric and that was just fine with me. They all somehow ended up laying on the floor with blankets and looked so nice and cozy that I pulled out Peter Pan and read that to them for a little while. Then Joseph woke up and we decided to finally go for a walk on the trails at the park.

We didn't get very far. There were too many things to look at. Sarah has always wanted to run in a meadow of flowers. Well, we found one on our walk. There were all kinds of wildflowers- bluebonnets even! So the kids romped around there looking at all the flowers and then we started back to the park. After a few friends were made and swings were swung and slides were slid, we headed home. Lunch is over and both little boys are asleep and the older 3 are playing quietly upstairs. I hear little voices making up stories. I wonder what they are playing with...

Easter, Dancing, and Goo

2008-03-27T09:16:00.005-05:00

Eric couldn't let Joseph get even one egg. Good thing Joseph didn't care.

Yesterday we made goo out of corn starch and water. They never get tired of it! Thankfully it is easy to clean up- ask Peter, he would know.

Joseph had croup recently and we were both pooped. Peter thought it would be a great time to take a picture. Don't I look beautiful?

Yesterday we were blasting Simon and Garfunkle. I think Joseph's favorite was Cecilia. That boy has rythm!

More Pictures and HI VAL! ;)

2008-03-18T12:52:00.004-05:00

More from New Year's. We had a big family gathering after Christmas this year. My little bro Robert brought his sweet fiance' Shea home for all of us to torture, my sister Amy and her family and my other sister Laura and her hubby came for the fun too. (My pics of you are on the other computer Laura.) We bowled, and played games, and assembled new puzzles and a puzzle that we do every year, and even gathered in the bathroom for some minor surgery on Robert's neck, lol. Yes, I have photos, but I will be nice and NOT post them. We are a weird family. Shea took it all in stride. I think she'll be a great addition to the fam. So, I learned that bowling isn't very friendly to picture taking. Most are from the rear...

My nephew Colton playing on the couch- the bowling alley had couches!

Colton after he fell off the couch.

The soon-to-be Newlyweds

Yay Mom!

Sara, Jessica and Whitney- well, her eyes anyway.
Mmmmmm. First baby food right?? Pizza crust!

All of us gathered at Cici's after bowling
MUCH better than Cheerios!

Retro-post Christmas

2008-03-15T07:19:00.004-05:00

I realized I didn't post any pictures of our Christmas or New Year's yet and I need to do that! We had a wonderful quiet Christmas at home and at my parents' house. We've been working on just getting a few things that each person will really like. It's easy to over-do it with little ones and it just ends up being a waste of money and a lot of space! So each child got 1 thing from Santa (and candy plus 1 little toy in the stocking), 1 present from mom and dad, and one present from their other siblings. It was perfect! The bigger 3 all got nerf guns from each other which made for a fun Christmas morning. Peter and I were wishing we had gotten some too. Of course they each got something from their 2 sets of Grandparents, their Great Grandparents and their Great Great Grandma too. There was MORE than enough to go around! Joseph loved all the lights and sounds and had all the paper that he could want to try and stuff in his little mouth and cheering us on. I really need to hand the camera over to Peter once in a while to prove that I DO exisit!

Joseph cheering the kids on!

Eric is still a gentle unwrapper.

Sarah opening her Nerf Buzz Saw

Kaela and her Ponies

Ya think Robert likes this one?

Peter wanted Chinese meditation balls so he would have something to play with at work. Can you see where my boys get their dimples?

I don't have a picture but I got a great cake decorating book and a revolving cake stand! I hope to put them to good use for Great Great Grandma's 95th coming up next month.

OAMC- Done!

2008-03-12T16:02:00.002-05:00

Wanna know what I did this last Saturday? I was in the kitchen almost the entire day. It is SO worth it though. I now have 22 different meals in my freezer ready, or almost ready, to eat. I'm talking DIFFERENT meals. They are tried and taste great after freezing. We'll be eating great for the rest of the month. This will save us some $$ I believe as a nice bonus to saving me precious time. You see Joseph is usually fairly cranky just about when it is time to get dinner started. If we've had a tough day or I'm sick or we've been running around and I just don't feel like cooking, I don't have to- it's already done! That means we don't order pizza or go get chicken nuggets either. Money saved. We had many things that I needed already on hand but Peter went shopping for the majority of it and it was just under $200 for everything we needed in addition to lunch and breakfast things for 2 weeks. My feet were killing me later that evening but oh, it is worth it when I look in my freezer!

I was thinking about posting a few political thoughts but I am too tired to think any more about it and have been too riled up today as it is. Maybe later ;)

Check Out MikaRose- Modest Dresses

2008-03-05T14:33:00.001-06:00

I had the privilege of interviewing Michaella Lawson, owner and designer of MikaRose. She has a great new dress shop filled with beautiful, classic, elegant dresses that are also MODEST! Yep, no undershirt necessary. It isn't the easiest thing to find dresses of this sort in the shops around town. Here are some of the things I was curious about:

Me: What made you decide to open up shop?
Michaella: I started MikaRose because I noticed there was a lack of dresses for women who did not want to reveal certain parts of their bodies. I wanted to design dresses that were not only modest but elegant as well.

Me: How long have you been designing?

Michaella: My designing experience began when I started MikaRose so that is almost three years.

Me: Where do you get the inspiration for your designs?
Michaella: A great deal of my inspirations comes from our customers. I get a lot of feed back on our designs as well as people sending us emails about what types of dresses that they would like to see. I also look to the past for inspiration. I love the clothes that women of the 30, 40, and 50s. The other way I get inspired is through family and friends. For example our style called the Ariana was inspired by a friend who told me how frustrating it was to not be able to find a classic shirt dress.

Me: What are your plans for the future of MikaRose?

Michaella: Currently, we are working on introducing a maternity line at the beginning of next year. I also get a great deal of request to add a plus size line to the MikaRose collection so we are exploring that as well.

Me: Any possibility of a children's line?

Michaella: Someone asked me this very same question last week and I said I don't think so because the kid's clothes out there are already modest. Then after this conversation, I thought about how I am always putting a t-shirt underneath my daughters dress. Thus, I think the answer to that is a definite possibility if another company has not tackled it yet.

Me: Tell us a little about the woman behind the dresses.

Michaella: First in foremost, I am a mother and wife. I started MikaRose out of a frustration and a desire to stay at home with my child. I am the mother of a two year old who has been a blessing to me while starting this business. My husband has been a blessing because he has supported me through this endeavor. I love to travel and when I do, I am always looking at what people are wearing and thinking of new dress ideas. I love clothes and dresses that make people feel feminine yet sexy while maintaining their modesty. One of my favorite things to do is to cook. I love trying different types of cuisines and going to restaurants to see if I can make similar dishes.

Me: How do you balance your business with family?

Michaella: I take my crazy two year old everywhere I go except in formal business meetings. When I travel, her and my husband travel with me and he will keep her while I am in meetings or if it is informal, I will have her with us. I also have a playroom for her in my office so that she is there. My husband and I do a date night once a week so that we know there is one day that it is just us and we are enjoying ourselves and each other. Also we have a family night once a week with our daughter doing a variety of activities.

Me: Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Michaella: For me the number one goal of MikaRose is to create dresses that women are happy to wear. We work hard on making sure that our clients are happy.

I think a maternity line is an excellent idea and I wouldn't mind petite sizes either! So go take a look at what could be the next item in your closet. Here's my favorite from the clearance rack and my favorite one from the 2007 collection is Halle.

What's your favorite?

She mentioned she may want to do a giveaway but I haven't heard back from her about that so keep checking back for updates!

New Look!

2008-03-05T14:22:00.001-06:00

Do you like my new look or is it too busy with 2 sidebars?? Tell me true!

You Can Never Have too Many Pictures!

2008-03-05T12:33:00.004-06:00

I've been meaning to post some pictures for a while. There are many more to come. I have some fun ones with my family from Christmas- yes, Christmas!! Just give me a little more time and I'll get to it eventually.

Eric doesn't do so well now that we afternoon church. Neither do I!
Robert likes to make songs up and I guess Nellie likes it too.
Robert's first day of soccer. It was so cold!!

Joseph is just 10 months old now but has been doing this neat little thing called walking since he was 9 months and 1 week old. I'm happy that he is growing and learning and it is fun, but I really wish he would listen to me and stay a baby for a while longer.

Once a Month Cooking and Ode to an Apron

2008-02-28T13:36:00.002-06:00

Wow, I just LOVE this concept. I bought the book a long while ago and finally got around to trying it out. The first time I made 15 meals and planned other things to carry us through to almost the end of the month. It was SO helpful to have a meal in the freezer completely or almost completely ready to go. The last two times I didn't have enough time to devote to the kitchen so I just did 2 weeks worth. It saves us money because I've always got something ready even if I don't feel like cooking so we don't have to a last minute fast food or pizza night. I am so pleased with this and we eat so well when I have this ready. It really does take some stress out of my life to have a nice dinner already planned and prepared. I want to incorporate a baking day as well and do many loaves of bread and muffins and cookies as well. I have been so busy with the kids' school, my school, and well, life, that this one little thing has just really helped me out.

Another tip I found to help me get in "work" mode at home and stay there for a while is to wear my apron. I read a great article on Hillbilly Housewife about this. You'll have to click around to find it. The gist of it is that if you want to feel like June Cleaver- dress the part. Get dressed and make-up on (they are talking nice full skirt with pearls and pumps but I don't take it that far) and put on that apron. My kids notice I am in cleaning, or cooking, or at least busy mode and I seem to be taken a little more seriously in my apron at times. I need a new one with a pocket though and maybe some lace around the edges... I loe my apron and how I stay in go-mode while I wear it (otherwise I tend a bit towards the lazy bones) not to mention its ability to keep my clothes cleaner!

A Bit of Fun

2008-02-27T14:02:00.001-06:00

I got this from my buddy Meadow. It was fun to see how fast I type. NOTHING compared to her 80 words per minute. Talk about fast fingers! I did notice that I don't use my pinky finger on either hand though. Curious.

60 words

Speedtest

Long Time, No blog

2008-02-21T07:24:00.003-06:00

I'm finally getting around to a catch-up folks! Between the kids school, my school, the flu, the house, and just being lazy at times blogging has made its way to the bottom of the totem pole. I'm back though folks! I have much to catch up on and many pictures that will someday make their way here.

About a week after Joseph turned 9 months old, he decided to start walking. We knew it was coming but we are still surprised how good he is at it. He is so tiny that it looks like a little doll walking around the house. He's 10 months old now and toddles everywhere now instead of crawling. He doesn't even need to crawl to something to help him stand up again. He's just up and away. Nothing is safe anymore. He is still sleeping in our room. We have plans to move Eric out of the crib and into the bunk bed so that Joseph can have the crib. That should be interesting. I am looking forward to having the bedroom back!

School is going well for all of us. I am Ace-ing both of my classes but I think Economics is a very difficult class. I am impressed that Peter chose it as a major. I still don't know what I'll lean towards regarding a field of study but I'm thinking some kind of accounting. I love working with our budget. It's fun to squeeze out as much as possible, lol! I'll have to look into investing as well. I am having fun trying my hand at the Forex and I kind of have a knack for it!

I took the kids to homeschool park day yesterday to test my skills. Last time we went, Joseph was a wee one and Eric ran away from me. It's not like I can chase him with the stroller. That was tough. So for a while I confined us to the outdoors right, well, out our door. Eric seems to be slightly more aware now so I thought I'd give it a shot. I thought it just might work if Jospeh would be content to stay in his stroller. If I had to worry about what he was eating off of the playground and watching Eric, I don't think I could handle it yet. Everything went like butter though. Smooth as can be. Little Joseph was content to watch everyone and the older kids all made new friends. Eric sat at the top of two slides and pretended like he was going to come down but never did. We have plans to go to a friend's house and make bird feeders out of milk jugs today. That should be interesting. Crafts with 5 little kids is just as interesting, if not more (there will be honey and paintbrushes, and don't forget the seeds, need I say more?) than an excursion to the park.

Birthday pictures

2008-02-21T07:08:00.003-06:00

These two pictures ar when Kaela saw her dragon cake on her birthday morning. I love the way she scrunches her nose!

I added this pic of our kitty because Kaela took it the other day.

Kaela is one of the giggliest little girls I know. Her laugh is completely contagious! She has a sweet spirit that makes her emotional about some things. For instance, when she was 2 I would sing "Goodnight My Someone" and put her name in it. She would start bawling every time! So, I couldn't sing that song. Once in a while I would test it out to see if it still affected her and it did for a couple of years. We have a DVD called Mommy and Me and at the end she always runs out of the room because there is a goodnight song that talks about seeing each other next time. She can't in the room when it comes on because she starts crying. It's too sweet and a little sad! She loves to make Joseph laugh and loves to make new friends. SHe makes life around here just a little bit sweeter for everyone. Love you girl!

Happy Birthday Kaela!

2008-02-05T08:17:00.000-06:00

I want to post later about the birthday girl and how special and sweet she is. I don't have the time to do it right now but I wanted to say a quick Happy Birthday to her. She is turning 5 years old today. She requested a Spyro PS2 game for her birthday so in honor of that I decided to make her a Spyro cake. The wings and spikes are made from molded chocolate. I got the idea from various places online. She loves it! Eric looked at it this morning and said "A dragon cake! That's very funny." Happy Birthday to my sweet little Rose!

Our Prophet Dear

2008-01-28T06:54:00.000-06:00

Dear President Hinckley will be sorely missed. He was such a gentle, kind, loving but very strong in his faith-never wavering. I loved how he could go on national television shows and answer questions about the church and every interviewe was taken with him.

From KSL:
President Gordon B. Hinckley has passed away
Monday, January 28, 2008
He has exhibited vitality and energy as he has traveled about the world meeting and speaking to members of the Church.

Officials with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced this evening that Church President Gordon B. Hinckley has passed away.

He passed away at his home about 7 o’clock this evening with his family at his side. President Hinckley was 97 years old. He was the 15th president of the Church.

Born in Salt Lake City on June 23, 1910; he graduated from the University of Utah and served a mission to Great Britain. After he returned, he embarked on a lifetime of service for the Church.

He was employed as the executive secretary of the Church Radio, Publicity, and Literature committee, before he was called to be an Apostle in 1961.

He was later called to serve as a counselor to President Kimball, President Benson and President Hunter.

Since becoming Church President on Mar. 12, 1995, he has directed the most intense temple building program in the history of the Church in an effort to extend temple blessings to more members.

He has exhibited vitality and energy as he has traveled about the world meeting and speaking to members of the Church.

Through television interviews and national press publications, he has increased media attention and improved the public image of the Church. He has counseled Church members to fellowship new converts, befriend members of other faiths, live exemplary lives, and avoid the evils of the world.

Many people are just getting the news. The atmosphere right now is one of pure shock around the Conference Center and Temple Square. Some people are very upset, but many seem to have braced themselves for this day, knowing it would come, partly because of some of his health problems in recent years.

A lot of the people we spoke with at Temple Square just wanted to celebrate his life.

One man said he’d remember, “definitely his character, his love for everyone. The charity he showed towards all people as he traveled. You can see in his face the love in his eyes for the gospel and for everyone.”

A woman said, “His countenance, the way he’s always smiling, even though he’s probably not doing to well. I just think he’s probably pretty happy right now with his wife.”

Another woman said, “He was a really cool guy. He was really funny. He’d always wave his cane around, and it was just fun.”

A man said, “He was a great guy. You know, he’s the only president we’ve ever really known. He’s been president most of our lives; I’m 18, so you know, we’re really gonna miss him. I come here sometimes at night. I know he lives right up there in that apartment, and I just sit there thinking, you know, he’s inspired.”

A lot of people also talked about the charisma that President Hinckley had and how when he spoke, you couldn’t get that voice out of your mind.

People are beginning to gather at Temple Square as the news filters out.

KSL News

La Chanson de Phoenix Was Here

2008-01-27T09:47:00.000-06:00

Sue interviewed me and reviewed my blog! Click on the pretty picture above to go to her site or click here for the actual review entry.

Sue's is, for me, a great blog to read. She is a tiny lady with a big personality! I can almost see the excitement, or anger, or deep thinking...ness... whatever, bubbling out of her when I read her blog. She has so much LIFE in her that it can't help but spill over onto the computer screen. She's not going for readers- although she likes them as and welcomes them much as any blogger does. I get tired sometimes hearing how much thought she puts into things and thinking I should spend a little more time with my own brain. I'm pleased to "know" her and proud to be a reader of her world on the web.

Mish Mash

2008-01-25T10:48:00.000-06:00

Okay, since I took way too much time off I have some things I need to write down!

My sweetie had a birthday this week on MLK Day! He had the day off from work because he is in a financial industry. My parents watch the chitlins for us (all of them, even the baby!) and we went to IHOP for lunch and then just walked around the mall. We were going to do Putt Putt (miniature golf here) but it was yucky and rainy out so we looked at movies and thought we'd rather just wait for them to come out on video, lol. The last movie we saw in a theater was Batman Begins almost 3 years ago. So we just walked around the mall and talked and enjoyed being together- alone!

I DID get my hair cut (did I mention that already?) I got about 7 inches chopped off and it's about to my shoulders now. I bought a straightening iron and my goodness!! What a difference! I LOVE it. I'll have to get a picture one of these days.

Eric is finally hitting the terrible twos and he'll be three this summer. He jumps up and down yelling "stop saying that!" when we tell him "no." He's very good about staying in his room until he calms down though. I'm hoping this won't last too long.

Eric has croup as I mentioned in my earlier post. He had a bit of a rough night but was still able to sleep most of the time and his breathing was fine in between panicky fits. I'm debating whether or not to take him in. I wish it wasn't Friday. He always gets worse at night but we can probably manage it. I don't think he needs steroids. Although now that I'm listening to him, he still doesn't sound great... He's been exposed to walking pneumonia a few times recently so we're keeping an eye out for a cough that won't go away now too.

Hmmm, next I think I'll have to do a picture mish mash. It's been a while now and I know I have some good ones...

Roughing It

2008-01-24T22:36:00.000-06:00

I hate croup. Even moreso than usual tonight! I'm sure Eric hates it more.

Charlie Bit Me

2008-01-20T17:10:00.000-06:00

Okay, this has got to be the cutest thing I've seen in a while. My kids just want to watch it over and over again and I just want to talk in an English accent now...

BTW-I got it from Randi's blog. She always has something great to read/watch. No pressure Randi.

An...interesting...story

2008-01-19T08:36:00.000-06:00

You need to go check out my post on the Pancakes and Pinesol blog today. While you are there read some of the other posts. It's a fun site with exceptional women. I've gotten some great advice and many good ideas from some of my buddies there. You can also check out the official site at http://www.pancakesandpinesol.com There's an easy peanut butter fudge recipe with 3 ingredients that I am determined to make today. Come join the fun!

Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Kitchen

2008-01-19T08:21:00.000-06:00

I was still sleepy eyed the other day when I came downstairs to get Eric out of his crib. I hadn't turned the light on yet but I could see well enough to see that there were some dark clumps on the carpet by the fireplace. Great. I was NOT happy. Our cat hadn't ever left presents for me on the carpet before. So I turned on the light and the kids looked down from the loft to see what I was so pleased to find. Well, I was wrong! Sarah yelled, "the fish!!" and sure enough, there it was. Our beta fish that I had kept alive for over 2 years now, on the floor, along with little rocks and fake trees and his plastic home. Our cat likes to walk on the mantle, which is where the fish lives. I guess she was a little clumsy that night and knocked the fish over. I was a bit perturbed. I had after all, kept the fish alive for a long time as far as my fish go. So I got the net to pick it up and take to its watery grave when the fish flapped, or flopped- one of the two. So I hurried and got a bowl and put the fish into it. I was sure it wouldn't live after the shock it had received. It had been out of the water for at least an hour because the kids had been up that long and hadn't heard a crash. Well, he's still alive and kicking today! This fish, with no name, must really like it here to want to stay alive so badly...

Lots of stuff!

2007-12-31T08:18:00.000-06:00

But no pictures yet. I have been putting off blogging because I keep leaving the camera at my mom's house but I'm just going to have to catch up on pictures later.

We had an awesome Christmas. "Practically perfect in every way" to quote a smart lady. Not too much and not too little. I already used up two of my presents from my mom. I read the second and third books in the Twilight series in 2 days. I hate that I've read them already because I'd love to KEEP reading them but I'm too busy to spend all day reading now anyway. I'm probably going to start them over for another read after all the hoopla is over and done with.

Almost all of my siblings are here now (miss you Dave and Keri!) and we are having a great time so far. The boys are all of riding bikes this morning leaving us women folk at home- unless Laura decided to go- go Laura! Dad says they won't be long but I really wonder what "long" means to him. They are always at least 3 hours. I think the problem is that I look at the time when Peter leaves and he look at the time when they actually start on the trail. So, I don't expect them back until a bit before noon. Let's see if the surprise me, lol.

I will be making more caramel today.

I MAY be getting my haircut, although I think I will still keep it long. Not sure though- suggestions would be nice.

I was in a real funk last night. Probably because my usual good natured baby would not go to sleep. I think he wasn't feeling all that well though. He was knocked over on the tile and got a bloody nose and I think swallowing some of it gave him a bit of a tummy ache. Try pinching an 8 month old baby nose. They hate it and it's not easy!

I lost at the extended family Mario Kart tournament- not too surprising and I was in good company with my soon to be sis-in-law Shea.

That's right! I met my future sil Shea the other night. She and Robert came over and we played Chicken a few times. (It's a fun dice game.) She had some great beginner's luck going on and won every game! The kids love her and so do the rest of us.

Grandma will want black-eyed peas tonight I'm sure. Blech! It's a southern New Year's Eve tradition. Good luck and all that. She doesn't even really like black-eyed peas but she has them every year. No one else likes them either. Maybe I'll get a can and she can have her own little bowl. Yuck. Now, if she LOVED them, I might find a good recipe and fix it for her, but just for good luck? I found a broken mirror yesterday so I think we're already ruined on the luck front. Guess we'll have to rely on prayer ;)

I'm going to think of some New Year's Resolutions this year. I'm sure I will finally put the weight one in there. I'm actually already losing so I just need to keep it up for another 20 pounds and then I'll be at what is probably my ideal weight now. I know better scripture reading will have to be one as well. Maybe if I make Christmas cards one, I'll actually get them out in 2008...

School starts soon! I'm a little excited. Not as much as I was. Part of my wants to scrap it because it's just one more thing to do. I think it's really important though so I won't. I'm sure I will be more excited once I start. I think it would be more fun if I were GOING to class instead of taking internet courses but that would also be more overwhelming since Joseph is still so little.

I'll be back later in the week with pictures and firm resolutions!!

A First

2007-12-19T07:30:00.000-06:00

A few years back we bought one of those boxed gingerbread trains and put it together. It was really cute! I had never ever made a homemade, from scratch, gingerbread house- or man for that matter- until this year! I went to good ol' Martha Stewart's website and got a recipe and a template and got to work. Unfortunately I ran out of molasses but thanks to the world wide web found a way to substitute enough brown sugar and water to make it work. So on Sunday when the whole family was sick and stayed home from church we did the decorating of the houses. Peter and I did it all to the kids' specs. Not bad for a first timer eh?

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy!

2007-12-14T17:36:00.001-06:00

Oh my goodness- this is just too precious. If we all had the wisdom of this little boy. He is a 13 years old, in Texas. I guess this was a Christian radio station.

The Incredible Shrinking Woman!

2007-12-13T06:44:00.000-06:00

Yes folks, that's what I am. Celebrate with me! I entered a weight loss contest before Halloween in an attempt to keep us all from gaining weight over all of these holidays. Well, I couldn't remember what I started at but I knew that I had been slowly losing weight. My pants were all baggy and I don't have a belt so it was very annoying. Someone told me my total was at 10 pounds! Not bad. So this morning, because I was tired of my pants sagging, I thought I'd try on some of my pre-Joseph jeans. I had a GREAT pair that I just loved and after he was born I couldn't even pull them up all the way, let alone get them zipped. I went for the smallest pair I have. You know what? I'm sitting in them. Right now. Yep, they are zipped and yes I am still breathing. Comfortably I might add. Yes! I was so happy and proud of myself! Then I heard a crinkle in the pocket and checked it. $20. Another wonderful surprise! It's like I paid myself for the contest, lol. Now I need to go check all of my other pre-Joseph jean pockets... So which is better, the size or the money? Hmmm, that's a tough one.

Cooties

2007-12-11T11:53:00.001-06:00

Have you had your shot?

What's in a name? and Library Fines...

2007-11-30T14:12:00.000-06:00

Well, I did it. I registered for 2 classes! I'm taking a math class- should be easy shmeasy but I want to start at the beginning so I don't miss anything- been WAY too long. The second class is a macro econ class. Peter graduated with a BS in Econ so he should be able to explain things if I need it. I start in January! I am also trying to apply for a grant but it turns out I still need to change my last name on my SS card. I still have my original with my maiden name on it. I have totally procrastinated doing this for so long. I guess it's about time.

I decided to finally go and return my overdue library books. They were due at the end of OCTOBER. Yep, October.... I will probably not be checking anything out for a while as I save up to pay the monster fee. 8 books. Ouch... The kicker? They have been sitting on my desk all nice and neat waiting to be returned and when I gather them up this morning, one is missing. It's a book on disk. So, I didn't go. I spent all morning looking for it and I still haven't found it. I don't know where it could be- no one even listened to it. SO I may have to replace it if I can't find it. Double ouch. I've never had to do that before. We really should become more regular visitors and then this wouldn't happen!!

Onward, Ever Onward!

2007-11-28T06:55:00.000-06:00

I couldn't think of a good title- sorry 'bout that. Christmas is coming! I just LOVE Christmas. I love the music, the lights, the decorations, the happy people, the giving, and yes, I love the getting too, lol. We have all the presents we need for the kids except for Joseph. I'm sure we'll pick up something for him, at least so the kids don't think we forgot him. Not that he needs anything- except a baby book! He does need one of those. I'm sure he will love eating the wrapping paper on Christmas morning, better make sure it wasn't made in China...

We used to just get the kids whatever. There wasn't a certain amount we spent or a certain number of presents, we just did the best we could. Now that there are more of them though we had to figure something out. So, now the kids each get 3 presents for Christmas. One from Santa, one from Mom and Dad, and one from their siblings. It keeps the cost manageable and they don't end up getting a lot of junk that they won't play with in 2 weeks. At least we hope that's what happens. We managed to keep it in budget this year so far. We didn't want to spend more than $200 on all presents for everyone. We still have money left and only a couple of more gifts to buy for extended family. It feels great! Thankfully, I have wonderful kids who don't really notice that other people get a ton of presents. They know what to expect and know that sometimes Santa knows what they want better than they do so they may not get exactly what they ask for. I think they will absolutely love what they are getting this year.

Do your kids write Santa? We follow a tradition I saw in a movie once- I can't even remember what movie it was... You write the letter and then burn it and the smoke carries it to the North Pole. It's so much fun! The kids (well, really their dad) burned their letters last week when we started having fires in the fireplace. We also love all the Charlie Brown specials that have been on lately. We missed the one that was on last night. We didn't notice it until the kids were already sent to bed. Too bad, we like to have hot chocolate and popcorn while we watch. I had intended to send out Christmas cards this year too but I don't think it's going to happen so Merry Christmas to all who read this! We haven't even taken a picture yet! No family picture with Joseph yet, that's just wrong. I don't think we even have an entire family picture with Eric in it. We have one with all of the kids but not mom and dad in it too. It's time isn't it? We'll do that this weekend.

So this post was just a ramble- you'll have to come back another day if you're looking for something more wacky or thoughtful ;)

If you don't know me by now...

2007-11-26T11:41:00.000-06:00

Okay, I really dislike that song BUT for those who don't know me enough by now here's another fill-in-the-blank meme for you to enjoy:

I've come to realize that my ex is: Uh, I don't have an ex husband but my ex boyfriends- I have no idea what most of them are doing. I know that one is married to a wonderful gal Julie though!

I am listening to: Word World (a cartoon on PBS)

I talk: a fair amount. I have what I call "Lena logic." If you could only see in my brain, you would understand exactly why my arguments always make sense and would completely agree with whatever I say.

I love: chocolate. Okay, that really is the first thing that popped into my mind. I love you too honey.

I lost: part of my brain when I had my last baby. I am working on getting it back though. It is true- a woman's brain shrinks 3-5% when she is pregnant and can take 6 months or more to get back to normal. It's true- google it.

I hate it when: my kids are sick. I really feel bad for them AND for me.

Love is: sharing

Marriage is: AWESOME! At least when you are married to someone as wonderful, caring, faithful, hot, intelligent, ambitious, kind, and funny as my guy.

Somewhere there is: hmmm, nothing coming to mind... that perfect haircut. I'm still searching...

I'll always be: young at heart. I really think I will. I am 30 now but I still have the spirit of a 20 year old. I don't think your spirit ages at the same rate as your body.

I have a little crush on: Orlando Bloom. Do I really need to explain this?

My cell phone is: happiness! When it rings it means Peter is calling me!

When I wake up in the morning: it is usually too early and still dark for a couple of more hours. I check my email while it's quiet and write to Kathleen who is usually up (I don't know why!) and writes me back. I do like getting up when it's so quiet but I'd really love to sleep in a tad more too.

Before I go to sleep at night: I say a little prayer.

Right now I am thinking about: the forex

Babies are: addicting. I wish I could have a bunch more. I have noticed they tend to grow up though... ;)

I get on MySpace: only when I get an email saying I have a message or a comment.

Today I: Schooled my kids, fed them lunch, and did some housework- fun fun!

Tonight I will: decorate the Christmas tree with my kids for Family Night.

Tomorrow I will: Same as today except with an ortho appt in there.

I really want to: Have a master bedroom and bathroom someday soon (not like yours Sue...).

The person who is most likely to repost this is: Marcy?

I tag all of you!

Newsies - Seize The Day

2007-11-24T21:49:00.001-06:00

Oh Man! I LOVE this movie. I can't believe I don't own it. I'm such a goof, but I used to love watching this scene over and over. Sigh.

Wordless Wednesday 5 Generations

2007-11-21T06:35:00.000-06:00

A Touching Evening

2007-11-20T07:59:00.000-06:00

Last night we went to eat at IHOP (International House of Pancakes). We don't go out to eat very often but we decided to go for Family Night because I was just not feeling like cooking last night for some reason. So we went there because we always have a coupon and there's something every single person likes. On the way in, I reminded the kids to use their polite manners and told them that people would be so surprised to see a bunch of little kids act so well in a restaurant. They really did great last night! Usually a few of them end up under the table at some point or just being extra noisy, but not last night. Right after we all sat down a woman came up to our table and told us how much she admired our family and that we had beautiful children. How nice! Yes, we got quite a few looks last night. I think there were only a couple of other children in the whole place. I heard a little boy, maybe 8 years old and looked like an only child (I'm assuming this since he was the only child there), tell his parents "Look, they have 6 kids, no 5 kids! The reason I want a lot of kids is so they won't get bored and can play with each other." Then he said, "They could play video games that I like and I could slaughter them at Halo!" LOL! I think that's a fair reason to want a lot of kids. So then when we had finished an hour and a half later... we were getting in line behind an elderly man and his wife stopped me and told me how well behaved our children were and that hers were never like that when they went out. I thanked her and then her husband finished checking out, turned around to Peter and shoved a $5 bill into his hand and said "buy something for the kids." Well, we were just shocked and Peter tried to decline but the man wouldn't have it so he said thank you and they left. It was really very strange that he would give us money but I started thinking about my Grandparents and that's totally something they would do. I think that they probably got some enjoyment out of watching us last night and I'm grateful for that. The world is so full of genuinely nice people and I ran into a few last night!

My First Award!

2007-11-19T12:49:00.000-06:00

My good friend Kathleen gave me this award the other day. I've never gotten a bloggy award before! I do try and have a good attitude about things but it is much easier when you have such great people in your life. Kathleen is a gem that I found by chance and I am so glad that have been able to get to know one anther through this thing called the internet!

I would love to pass this award on to my friend Jen. You can't visit her blog anymore- because she recently made it private but she still deserves this award. She is always full of spirit and always sees the glass as half full! Love you Jen!!

Mom My Ride

2007-11-17T09:43:00.001-06:00

If anyone needs this done- my kids know how to do it for free...

Eric says

2007-11-14T13:55:00.000-06:00

Every naptime and bedtime that I put Eric to bed he climbs up onto the side of his crib and I count down 3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF! Then I swoop him up and into his crib. After that it's:

Me- "good night, sleep tight, don't let the..."

and he chimes in with his version...

Eric- "Bed bugs die!"

So they can bite- just don't let them die okay?

My Funny Fam

2007-11-14T09:46:00.000-06:00

Sorry, all I had was this tiny thing of my mom
This was all of sibs in summer'06
This is my little bro strangling my dad.

I have the greatest family. We get along really well now that we are all such mature adults (As you will soon see). We have these funny email conversations once in a while. I thought I'd put our current conversation on here so you can all see how much fun my family is. It's still ongoing...
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From Amy to all of us:

My friend sent this to me...it's a quick little word game that helps donate rice. Weird, but kind of fun. I'm sure mom will whip us all on this one. I donated 520 grains of rice (probably about 1/2 cup :) ) in about 5 min. I'm going to try again though. I was suprised by the words I actually knew!
Amy

Check out this web site

www.freerice.com

it is fun

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Later that night from my brother Dave (I totally agree with this one by the way)

Ok. I spent 10 minutes doing this thinking that something would stop me- nothing did. Anyway, I helped donate 1600 grains of rice, apparently. I thought there would be a competitive nature to this little "game", but I was fooled. Blast you Amy! You and you're shenanigans! lol

Have a good one! :-)

-Dave
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Then my dad chimes in:

I got sucked in too. I thought it would at least tell me what percentage I was getting right or just say "thanks, you've done enough", but it just kept on going. Finally after I gave 2000 grains and my lunch hour was gone, I just quit -- like I don't have better things to do -- thanks, Amy. Actually, I did better than I thought I would. Hey this is fun talking to everyone at once. Love, DAD

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And my other sister Laura

hmm, i think i have ADHD because i donated like 20 grains of rice and i was done. hey, at least i helped feed a very small child? (a very very very small child....)

a million dollars to whoever can guess what movie this is from: "you wanna get nuts? lets get nuts!"

laura :)

ps. the winner will be payed in increments of 1 dollar a year until the amount is payed off.

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Dave:
I think it's Bill Murry in something...him, or Indiana Jones...lol [that means (l)augh (o)ut (l)oud Mom and Dad!]
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Then Laura again:

nice try... but EEEEHHHNNN (annoying buzzer sound). i will give you another clue. if none of you get this, i'm just going to have to keep my million, and that's embarrassing. here is the clue: "ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?"

laura :)
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Amy:

Batman!! The joker, I think, said that. I think Batman said the quote before...Let's get nuts...

Am I right?? I could really use a million dollars!
Amy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Me:

I think she guessed it. Man nice to have a couple of millionaires in the family.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dave:

Uh, Amy? You're answer doesn't count because you need to address the previously numerous concerns put forth by the people who used "your" rice donating website. Very disappointing to say the least.

OK. Now that you're disqualified...the answer is Batman! heh heh heh.

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Poor pitiful Amy:

So, the rice thing...well, the idea was to time yourself for 5 min. (or some other set time) and see how much you could donate in that time. I guess I didn't make that very clear. I, however, feel good inside when I think that I donated a whole tablespoon of rice to those starving people...wherever they live. Did you check out the total amount of rice donated so far? It's like 100 billion or something. That's got to be 2 cups! Jk

Seriously, don't take this movie quote win from me!! I never win these!! I just happened to be on my computer when she sent out the "easy" clue. I knew you people had probably already gone to bed!!!

Amy
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And lastly, Laura

ding ding ding! amy wins. however, dave does prove a point, so in lieu of having a sibling conflict, i will just say that no one gets the million. better luck next time.

laur :)

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Okay, maybe you had to be there to get it but trust me, it's funny. Oh, and beware if you do the rice thing- it can suck you in if you let it!

Look at the Purty Colors

2007-11-13T07:58:00.000-06:00

We don't have the spectacular autumn colors here as seen in other parts of the country. A few years ago I was in Illinois during the fall and it was just breathtakingly beautiful! Most of our leaves go from green to a brown fairly quickly. It probably doesn't help that it's still getting up to 80 degrees here in NOVEMBER! We do have SOME color though and I'm grateful for that. Here are some of the hues found in my yard today.

My two oldest are still sickies today. Now Robert is the one who can't keep his food where it belongs. And Sarah is still where she was yesterday. We'll get through this!

I do have some happy things to report! Yesterday I received a couple of things from generous freecyclers. One HUGE bag of yarn- various weights and colors. When she said huge, she meant huge. Peter brought it home after picking it up on the doorstep. It is one of those zippered plastic QUEEN size bedspread bags filled to the brim with yarn- much of it unused. Now I just need some knitting needles and a good website and I can learn how to knit!

The other thing I received was 2 huge black garbage bags full of Robert-sized clothes. One of just pants (Old Navy and gap jeans and cargos with the adjustable waists in pristine condition). I think there are probably 15 pair- way more than we need but I'm setting some aside for Eric too because Robert isn't as easy on his jeans as this kid was. The other bag was full of pristine shirts. Long sleeved, short sleeved, button-up, sweatshirts, sweaters. Some really nice clothes. Much nicer than I would have bought at Walmart. Now we just need to fill in the wardrobe with socks, underwear, shoes, Sunday shirts and pajamas and he'll be set.

Yay Freecycle!

Sick day

2007-11-12T10:56:00.000-06:00

Thankfully I'm just about over the cold now but everyone else decided that since I was okay, they could go ahead and get sick now. That was so considerate of them wasn't it? I'm giving breathing treatments, throwing away tissues, and emptying throw-up buckets today. Robert and Sarah are the ones that are sick at the moment. Their asthma kicks in only when they get any kind of sickness that involves their upper respiratory system. Sarah also always throws up when she gets like this. We haven't figured out yet if it's from the difficulty breathing and air swallowing, or the breathing treatments, or the phlegm that she swallows- probably a combination of all of those lovely things. So she hasn't even gotten out of bed yet. We moved a TV in there so she can be comfy and stay put. Robert is on the upswing and just needing treatments throughout the day to stay in good shape. His cough hasn't loosened up much yet but I think it's getting there. Luckily (or unluckily?) we've had tons of experience with this sort of thing. Kaela doesn't seem to be affected yet and Joseph hasn't had anything yet either. We ask a special blessing on them at every prayer so they won't get it! I do not want to have Joseph go through this mess! So I don't have a lot to write today. Just think of me in my bucket emptying, tissue throwing, treatment giving day today.

October Artsy Essay Winner Announced

2007-11-10T07:37:00.001-06:00

Remember the Artsy Essay Contest from Judith?
Well, I didn't win, but Josi's entry really is awesome. Hers was one of the first I read and yes, I felt like I was there. So go check it out!

I was however the runner up! Isn't that great? I can't tell you how excited I was that I was a runner up! Wow, it feels really great! If you missed it, you can read it here. This is what the judges had to say about mine :

2. Lena- We thought this entry was so different from Josi's, in that events were more central to her ideal day than her ability to lose herself in the moment. In fact, the energy and excitement of this entry make us wonder whether there would be time in her day to serenely appreciate and lose herself in her senses.

But! The joy expressed through the simple, concise words and phrases is the main sentiment we saw in the piece. We liked the one-by-one entry of the young kids at the beginning of the day, and, again as in Josi's, the ordinariness of the day still being the context for an ideal day. It has the youthful energy of the kids, it shares their pace and their ability to jump from one activity to the next without losing momentum or excitement.

You can read what the judges had to say about Josi's and Heather's (the other runner up) here.

100th Post!!!

2007-11-08T12:58:00.001-06:00

So I recently heard here that it was tradition to do some kind of 100 things about me for my 100th post. I don't know if I can tell 100 things about me, but why I don't I give it a shot since you are all so interested in MORE about ME! You know you want to read every single one...

I was born and raised in Texas.
I was almost named Sally.
We almost named our first daughter Sally.
I met my husband 4 weeks before we were engaged and almost 3 months before we were married.
I was homeschooled (well, took classes from a correspondence school) all through high school.
I have never had a job at a fast food place.
I have been to Mexico.
I have been to England.
When I was a teen, everyone's parents would let their kids go "if Lena will be there."
They probably shouldn't have thought that.
I have been to 2 concerts in my life. John Michael Montgomery and Barry Manilow.
I love Barry Manilow.
I know all the songs from the Smurf record albums.
My kids think I am so weird.
I still love 80's music.
I am 30.
I used to watch Days of Our Lives.
I don't like any caffeinated drinks (until they put it in A&W Cream Soda that is)
I've never tried alcohol.
I've never taken any drugs I wasn't supposed to.
I'm slightly (maybe a little more than slightly) claustrophobic.
I get dizzy in elevators.
100 is a lot.
I have never colored/highlighted my hair.
I found some white hairs so #24 may not be true for much longer.
I love Mario Kart- the original on the SuperNES
I love the Oakridge Boys (Elvira, giddy up a mmm bop a mmm bop a maow maow)
I know what N.C.M.O. is and practiced it in high school and college on a number of occasions.
That doesn't mean I think it's a good idea.
I dip my corn dogs in applesauce.
I put Miracle Whip on my hot dog buns.
When I was a little kid, I used to bite my toenails (EW!)
My siblings and I have prank called random people from the phone book before (One time we called to say "Is there a John in the house?" they were supposed to say "No" and we would say "then how do you go to the bathroom?!" Instead we asked and the lady said John was at soccer practice. We weren't sure what to do so we just said okay and hung up, lol)
I still remember my first phone number.
I still remember my first crush- his name was Timmy Diven (I have no idea if I am spelling this right) It was in Kindergarten and I think he moved after that.
I met my first best friend in Kindergarten too- I asked her if she needed a tissue because she was crying (Hi Staci!)
I have a horrible, rotten, no good cold right now.
I've already used up one bod of tissues today.
I've never cleaned behind my fridge or behind my oven.
I probably never will.
My kids might someday, lol.
I LOVE to read good books.
I don't like to read books that aren't so great.
I wanted to be a judge when I was little.
I also wanted to be a singer
I have a lot of medals from singing competitions when I was young.
Pretend I wrote something interesting here.
And here.
Lena means "Temptress"
I'm halfway there.
I love unicorns and dragons
I wish I was magic sometimes (like when the remote is on the other side of the room)
I used to dream that I could fly all the time.
I'm reading October Sky right now.
I'm also reading Ghost Soldiers.
I have a stack of library books that are at least 2 weeks overdue.
I won't be checking anything out from the library again for a while...
My 94 year old Great Grandmother lives with us.
She is awesome.
I've been online since I was 14 (hi Jen!)
My sister and I had the same wedding dress only I didn't realize it until I bought mine. I actually didn't like hers all that much, lol. I had the largest petticoat in existence with mine so it kinda looked different...
We've made chili for a chili cook-off 3 times and stayed home to eat it ourselves every time because it was so good.
I can turn my hands all the way around.
I can't stand the movie "Whale Rider" and don't see how everyone just "loved" that movie- barf-a-rama!
I love the movie "Troop Beverly Hills"
I used to have nightmares about the mix master (a merging of highways and turn-offs in Dallas). I didn't know what it was. I just remember my mom saying "We're going through the mix master" and I thought someone was going to mix up my brains. I never said anything until I was an adult though, lol.
I used to think the words to the song were "I went to the danger zone" (Highway to the danger zone)
I learned the correct words at a BYU football game.
Here's a neat one of Peter's (what's his is mine right?): He went on a mission with Sigorny Weaver's niece.
Why would you order french fries if you don't have a chocolate shake?
I have never remembered to send in for a mail-in rebate. Never.
I don't buy things based on discounts of mail-in rebates anymore.
I should really be taking a shower right now.
Seriously.
I'm almost there though!
I need to lose 30 pounds.
Seriously-at least 30.
Peter is still the man of my dreams.
I even dream about him sometimes!
My favorite color is yellow.
My favorite Restaurant is (fill in any restaurant)
I am so tired of Tamigachi
I wish I could throw clothes away instead of washing them, lol.
And yet, I wash diapers instead of buying the kind I could throw away... go figure.
I make really yummy bread.
I also make an awesome turkey for Thanksgiving.
I miss the Food Network
I miss summer when nothing was on TV and I did Yoga in the evenings.
I LOVE pumpkin cheesecake.
I also love pumpkin ice cream.
Pumpkin pie is pretty darn good too.
You see why I need to turn the TV off and do yoga instead...
I can't believe I just did this instead of taking a nap.
I have a birthmark in the shape of a "K" and my mom's name is Kathy.
I loved the show "Get Smart." Anyone remember this show?
I've never broken any bones.
I've never been stung by a bee.
I have ridden a camel.
I have never made soup in a microwave.
I have just done 100 blog posts!!

Now, if you were able to get through all of those, bravo!! You now know more about me than you ever wanted to!

Bad Days

2007-11-07T10:57:00.000-06:00

Yes, I have them too. I don't have too many of them though. I really do love my life and some days can be SOOOO tiring but at the end of the day, I always have more blessings than not. Today is one of those days that I'm trying to not let it get to me. My poor little guy Eric has had terrible double ear infections this week- probably last week too but we didn't catch it until Monday. He is a pro at NOT taking meds so he was the unwilling recipient of a shot of antibiotics on Monday. We went back today for a re-check and he needed another shot. We get to go back on Friday for another re-check and possibly another shot. Fun for him. It's actually so much better than trying to force feed him medicine 3 times a day for 10 days though. Problem is that we have the kind of insurance that you have to pay the deductible for everything. So they charge us the fee for a sick visit up front at each of these visits- ca-ching$$. Then we will get a bill for the remainder. I bet that shot is not a cheap thing. Ca-ching$ again. What keeps me going on days like this? Quite a few things today.

-We have a little secret stash of $125 of cash back from our bank that we can use for Christmas this year!
-This month is a month of one extra paycheck that isn't in our average budget. Thank goodness!
-A great dad who took Joseph for me so I could concentrate on Eric at the Dr office. He works in the same complex and pushed Joseph around in the stroller while we were busy.
-A great mom who took the other 3 kids and played with them this morning.
-A great husband who works hard and is working harder to better himself and his career.
-Eric is doing 100x better today than he was over the weekend. I'd pay so much more to make that happen.
-Two boys sleeping soundly at the same time so I can do this and then go fold some laundry! I do love a break.
-An early bedtime- again, I do need a break now and again and since they go to bed at 7 and 7:30 for Sarah, it gives me a break AND time for Peter and I to spend together.
-I have good insurance and a great doctor's office who cares about us and knows us well.
-Relatively healthy kids. They may see us a lot but that's just because there are a lot of us, not because we get sick often.
-Good friends IRL and online.

Okay, Joseph is starting to squawk so I need to go get him to take a REAL nap, lol. That will have to do for now!