A nice quiet week...

My family LOVES the month of May. We all try to schedule as much into the month as possible. This year was no exception, in fact as the last week was approaching we decided we better cram in a few extra activities. My youngest brother decided to get married on Wednesday. My other brother and his wife decided that moments after the wedding festivities were done that it was time to head to the hospital to have a baby. Not to be left out my sister and I decided that as soon as her family reunion was done that we would have both of our girls baptized. Not too much for a five day period. So, here are a few pictures I managed to snag during our business.

Grandma

How does one begin? Can you ever really understand the memories that run across my mind as I stare at this picture and others like it. This woman gave. That is what she did. She was always giving. I remember asking my mom how I would repay her for her generosity. My mom insisted that neither she or her mom, my Grandma expected repayment. They only expected me to continue sharing all that I have with my children. I can and will do that. I will also try to show them the value of an education, help them see the beauty in the world that surrounds them, and help them to feel the love that comes from spending time with family. I will try to help them understand the excitement she had for missionaries, and why she felt that was such an important work. I will carry on the legacy of love and teasing that she and my Grandpa shared.

Chloe at Costco!!!

Check out my beautiful daughter at a Costco near you!!! (If you live in Utah, and hopefully others.)

While I have NO desire for my children to get into modeling, this is kind of fun. I was able to get some great pictures from Shana Whipple Photography, and I get to brag about how pretty my little girl is.

When I learned they had pictures of her for their new display I had to drag her into the Lehi Costco last weekend. (Even though it will be at our Costco soon.)

Kitchen remodel....

We are getting closer!!!! I can not express how excited I am to have this almost done! We still need appliances, the granite, and the bead board around the island, but it is coming together. It is a lot more of a Country look than I have done in the past, but I do think I will like it. The green looks amazing against the cream! We also raised the microwave because my canning pot only just fit before, but I knew once I get my gas stove it would be too tight. I think that this helped break up the looong line of cabinets we had before! Now if I can just get the painter out of my house!!!! (It has been a month.)

Marriage is a CRAP-SHOOT!!!!

My sister came up with this theory: marriage is a crap-shoot! And I completely agree! How well did we really know the person we married? Being LDS most of us were young (I was 20), we dated only a few months (OK, I surpassed that one with over a year), we never lived together, chances are he was not into his career (Chris had only one semester of school done--much less a career). I knew he was cute, smart, and ambitious (hugh? what's that?) Eleven years later I saw my husband for the first time this morning--this time for who he really is!

Out my frost covered window I saw him as he finished shoveling my driveway. He took a moment out in the bitter cold to pull out the bright orange sled and push our little blond boy down the mountain of snow they had built together. I could only see the giggles that filled the chilly air, but I knew in that moment that I had everything. Five happy, healthy children, and a husband/father that exceeded all of my girlish dreams. I think I won in this game of crap-shoot.

Thankful...

Our family is talking in church in a couple of weeks. (ugh! it was bound to happen with being new to the ward, but I was hoping we could skip it.) I sat down at the computer this morning to start my talk. I read some great talks, and started writing some very profound thoughts. I was feeling very proud of my progress, so I took a break. I checked face book and my usual blogs, then closed the tab to return to my talk. Up popped another document. On the top was Anna's talk, on the bottom was Preston's. I was humbled, each wrote of their love and gratitude for their family and their Father in Heaven. They were written in their own words. Chris and I had told them we were speaking, but had not had a chance to guide them on what they were supposed to speak. They spoke from the heart, they bore their testimonies in a way that I could not. Nothing I wrote could be as profound as their beautiful and simple knowledge.

For children that remind me what true gratitude is... I am thankful...

A few pictures from our last Newport/Disneyland trip.

These must be my favorite girls.

Would you believe it took a little convincing that sand really is a wonderful thing?

Tell me that is not pure joy!

Crazy kids! I guess we will just have to go again next month!

Just a little laugh!

P-Dawg!!!

I don't know which brother to blame, but that is the nick-name that he got stuck with.
Yes, this is a pregnancy picture, taken just a week before he was born! (The things my mother can talk me into...ugh!!)
Perfection!!!

I can not believe what nine years has brought!!! When he was born, I had no idea what my life was turning into. I knew that there would be a few sleepless nights, a couple of stinky diapers, a cute boy to cuddle, a new name for me...It was going to be great! I had no idea!

I now know you don't ever sleep--even if they are. A clean diaper does not last more than a moment, but potty training only takes a day if you wait until he is three. He does not snuggle unless he is sick, but he gives the greatest hugs, kisses, and knows just the right moment to say, "I love you."

I never really understood how wonderful it would be to be a mother. (Don't get me wrong, it is hard, it hurts, and it NEVER slows down.) When I see this kid help his brother build a train, or pick up his sister after a fall, or feel my burdens lightened by his helping hands, then I am grateful for him. He has been a constant comfort when my life seemes very dark and confusing.

I am rambling again, but I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite NINE year old. (Just a couple days late, but...)

Off to School!

My baby girl started school today. I am 100% OK with this. No, really, I am! I only cried a little bit! OK, maybe I am lying. I am going to miss having her around. She is what keeps me going on so many days. The girl is full of energy and crazy ideas. She is always bouncing around the house, blond curls flying every where. Sigh... now it is just me and the boys.

But who is going to remind me to put on my lipstick?

so slow...

I am a little slow getting a picture posted of his bright green cast. (Just blame it on the food poisoning!) Everyday it gets a little less bright green. How do you keep a two year old clean? We have been keeping a bag on it when he eats, but the kid is two, which means he is into everything.

Did I mention this CHILD is trouble?

We had a nice long visit to the doctor today. I guess it was bound to happen to one of my kids eventually. His arm is broken (two bones just above the wrist), it is in a splint until the swelling goes down and then a cast. I kind of wish they would cast it now. I don't think the doctors understand how busy a two year old can be. How am I going to convince him to keep this one? Is it strong enough to really protect him from the life of a two year old boy that has three busy older siblings?

I guess this is what I signed up for when I chose to become a mother.

He is trying to teach me...or trying to break me!!!

I love this kid. Really I do, but...he is pushing me to the limits. I have never really experienced the terrible twos. Usually it does not hit until my kids hit three (I swear it was never this bad)., but this child is made for destruction (see those broad shoulders).

His thought process:

Everything is meant to be chucked across the room, down the stairs, or at your brother (the one that can't even try to catch)!

Find something to color on: wall, floor, furniture, anything but the paper Mom gave me.

Don't eat anything that Mom requests, wait until you are ignored and sneak into the pantry.

'NO' is the favorite word, and it is meant to be shouted with more attitude than Mother ever imagined.

When I don't shout NO, I make this terrible shrill sound that causes my Mother to shudder uncontrollably.

Pull my sister's hair if I feel she might be ignoring me (perhaps quietly preoccupied by anything else).

ALWAYS do the opposite of what Mom requests; get out of the car on the opposite side she opens for me, run upstairs if she says come here, scream when she asks for quiet, etc.

I REALLY LOVE this child, and I will learn:

He does better if I let him chose.

He will never obey if I command.

He has his own agenda, and I would do well to follow it.

Don't argue, or try to reason: he is TWO.

Hope he will outgrow this!

My little Beauty!!!

My new four year old got the chance to do a little modeling for a hair accessory company. Who wouldn't kill for blond curls like hers? I am excited because we got some great pictures. I will post more when I can figure out how to dummy the size down.

Just a few baby pictures...

After...and...Before

We are slowly making a few changes to our home. This one is my favorite!!!!

I really HATE all the peach walls we have in our house, and for the record, the before picture is from the previous owners.

I kind of like the decorating thing, but I am not sure my husband is very confident in my abilities. He looked at me cross eyed when I suggested painting a main room (and not a baby room) in powder blue. Then he got really conserned when I said I wanted to add bright orange accents to the room. I ordered some black and white chairs, but they did not work, so I will be waiting for something else to catch my eye. I am also waiting on a black chest. I am not usually a very contemporary decorator, but I wanted something unique for our music room. Any suggestions?

Two Weeks

Welcome Baby Creighton

A week ago Creighton decided to make his grand entrance into this world. Not quite perfect timing considering my parents were at girls camp, my best friend/on call babysitter was out of the country, and my doctor was in Alaska. But, thankfully my sister in law met us in the hospital parking lot, and I was blessed to have a friend from my old ward happen to be my labor and delivery nurse. (Thank you to a familiar face.) After 3 1/2 hours of labor (1 at home and on the way to the hospital and the rest in the hospital trying to convince him we needed just a couple more hours.) My labors come quickly, but I needed antibiotics so we needed more time. He was as patient as possible but...he still came in less than four hours.

After a couple of scary hours where the NICU was threatened for at least a week, then 3-4 days, then just a day or two. They finally just observed him that evening and let him come to the regular nursery that night. What a fighter!

I continued my fever for a couple more days and earned myself a few extra nights in the hospital--which is a joke if you have kids at home. They released Creighton Sunday night, which meant he could not stay with me--unless we had another adult in the room with us. Do I send Dad home to be a single father of five, including a nursing newborn? No, my parents stepped up and took the kids for the next three nights, so Chris could stay with Creighton and me. I am so grateful for them. I know they were exhausted from the week before, and to chase my four children around is not a low intensity job.

Finally Wednesday night the doctors (and I had many) decided my fever was finally under control and they let me go.

I would like to say, "I HATE hospitals!!!" Being crammed in a little room, while my family is somewhere else is not my idea of fun.

Again, we had so much help this week. Dinner, babysitters, visitors, and so much more. I feel blessed to know my family was WELL taken care of during this crazy ordeal. So many new neighbors that do not know my family well were willing to step up. I really hate to feel like a burden, but I do love the feeling of knowing what type of people surround me and my family.

Starting to settle.

It has been a crazy couple of weeks, but I think we are finally starting to calm down.

One crazy experience we had during the move included me realizing just hours before picking up the moving truck that I had actually booked it for august 28th instead of may 28th. Usually this would not have been a big deal, but everybody moves on Memorial Day weekend. So after calling six or seven truck companies we found one with a cancelation. It actually turned out to be a blessing, because it was a lot nicer than the truck I originally ordered through U-Haul.

Again we were blessed with a ton of help from neighbors on both sides of the move. People were so generous with their time on a holiday weekend that it really did amaze me. Especially coming into a neighborhood that does not know us at all. We had two families that specifically stayed through the entire process. The children (all ages) were even caring some of the smaller boxes. (This was hard on my pride because I had been benched--being 8+ months pregnant--blagh, blagh blagh...) My brother and dad worked all day on both sides, while my mom and sister in law took the younger two for the day. (Again I don't know what I would do without my family.)

Well, we got all of our physical belongings into the home, but did not have much of a chance to unpack last week. I promised the kids I would commute them up to school for the last four days. This turned out to be a little more work than I originally thought. I hate driving (for obvious reasons), but rush hour...let's just say my blood-pressure is still struggling. Then we had baseball games and parties in the evenings, so by the time we got home, it was time for bed. I was exhausted and no help unpacking. Saturday was spent in Farmington for a double header baseball game--luckily both games were lost, so we are out of the tournament. YEA!!! No more commuting...

So, yesterday was our first day of summer and my chance to help unpack (gratefully I have a husband with a lot more energy than I have, so a lot has been done after I have gone to bed). I am still a little overwhelmed at this home. It is a lot bigger than our last one, but I think in the long run we will appreciate that. For now I am trying to see past a lot of the little/big things that I want to do to make it MINE. (like maybe take my own pictures, these are from the listing)

Close...but not quite

Did you notice it looks familiar?