The Heiner Clan

Anyone Still Here?

2011-03-29T13:39:00.002-06:00

So I guess it's been a few years since I've been here. I'm still alive. I facebook often. I've had another baby and in the process of moving. VERY BUSY. Just thought I'd check in and see if anyone still visits my lonely little blog. Maybe I should spruce the place up a little, eh?

Wordful Wednesday Fishing

2009-05-06T00:25:00.005-06:00

Parson had a little bit of money saved up and decided he wanted to buy a fishing pole. I am so not into fishing. Matt grew up fishing with his grandpa and was kind of excited about the whole thing. They bought what they needed and headed out on a fishing expedition. Parson caught his first fish within about a minute of his first cast!! He was so excited! He caught two more that day.

Any guesses about what he ate for dinner that night??
He has been talking a lot about it and can't wait to go fishing again!

Helping Kenya and Basa Body Review

2009-04-28T13:07:00.006-06:00

Most of you have probably seen the ChipIn widget on my sidebar. What exactly is it for???? Let me tell you.

Yehu.org works with Basa Body and Coast Coconut Farms to help women in Africa work to support their families and get out of poverty. This company is "for the poor, run by the poor." To read more about this process, go here. Mom It Forward and 12for12k are currently running this fund raiser to help out Yehu.org, thereby helping Moms and families in Kenya to become self reliant.

I was one of the lucky people that got to test the Basa Body products. I have to admit, I was a little nervous when this cute little package showed up at my door. I knew I had to try it and write a review on it. What if I didn't like it? What would I write? Well, I can assure you, that didn't happen!

First of all, look at this soap. Could it be any prettier? And if you could smell it...Mmmmm! It lathers up nicely, it rinses away easily. I really like it!

Next, I tried the Basa Body Natural Coconut Oil Lotion. It has a nice light fresh smell I noticed right away. It's a great every day lotion--not too thick or greasy.

Then there's the Basa Body Stick. This is the heavier stuff. It works great for drier skin like knees and heels. My son has really dry hands. His knuckles get so dry that they crack and bleed. I have tried all kinds of stuff on him and most of them sting really bad and he gets mad at me. He lets me put this on him without complaint. It helps give his hands moisture and it never stings him at all. Love it!

These Basa Body products all have organic virgin coconut oil and they are 100% natural without any artificial ingredients. I think that's awesome! They also donate 10% of their profits back to Kenya.

They have a Mother's Day Kiss Me pack right now where you get two of the soaps (in two different yummy scents) and one each of the lotion and body stick for $29.99. Between now and May 12, you can use the promotion code "momitforward" to receive an additonal 10% off the Kiss Me pack purchase. Also, anyone that purchases any Basa Body or Coast Coconut Farms product by May 12 will automatically be entered into a giveaway and will have the chance to win one of three prizes: 1) a $250 Disney Gift Card, 2) a $150 amazon.com gift card, and 3) a $100 Target gift card. You will also be entered if you make a cash donation of $20 or more.

Easter Weekend

2009-04-14T23:22:00.004-06:00

We had a very busy and exciting Easter weekend.

Friday night, we colored a bunch of eggs with the kids. They loved it and had a great time. Sadly, I didn't think to take any pictures. The kids did a great job and we only cracked a few of the eggs.

Parson, my oldest baby, was baptized on Saturday. It was wonderful. He is such a good boy and I am so very proud of him.

After, we had a big family dinner.

After that, we had a huge egg hunt. We usually do it outside, but the weather here hasn't been that great, so we did it inside. It turned out really well. The kids loved it!

It was funny to watch my girls. Abbie caught on right away to the whole "hunt" idea and was picking things up right and left. She was getting so upset that the eggs were falling out of her bucket because it was too full.

Ellie, on the other hand, wanted to open each and every egg that she picked up. It took some coaxing to get her to keep going.

And as soon as it was over, she plopped herself down right in the middle of the floor and enjoyed the contents of many eggs.

We had a wonderful day on Easter sunday, as well. The Easter bunny came and brought the kids some great stuff. Everyone was happy.:)

Hope yours was great as well!

Encouragement

2009-04-08T22:05:00.000-06:00

Matt and I have been playing on a coed soccer team the past few months. My kids don't get to come to very many of the games, because they are usually too late. They have come to a few, though. When they do get to come, I am yelled at every few minutes, "Mom!" (wave). Once while I was sitting out, Joshua came over by me and said, "Mom. You're losing. But you're still really good, and I still love you." My favorite, though, is when he gives me a thumbs up and winks at me. I get this a lot lately at soccer and at home. It cracks me up. And I love it.

Vent and Puppets

2009-04-01T00:32:00.006-06:00

First of all, thanks everyone for your concern and well wishes for my girls and their awful mouth sores. As an update, Ellie (who was in the picture) is doing SO much better. Her sores are mostly gone and she is eating and acting like herself again. Abbie is in the middle of it and is hating life. Can I just tell you, this has got to be one of the most vicious viruses ever. If I make it through the next week I will consider it a victory. I am so tired of sick, miserable kids! Especially when (like I said in my last post) there's absolutely nothing I can do about it! Holding them and rocking them just isn't cutting it. And I know I am looking at this all wrong--I should be glad I'm the one they come to--but why, oh why, can't daddy be good enough? Why does mommy have to do EVERYTHING?! Matt tries to help and the girls will not let him! And by evening time, I am so frazzled and headached with all the whining and crying that I need a break!

What's that? You're tired of my whining? Yeah, I kind of went off there, didn't I? (Can you hear the fiddle in the background?)

Well, on a more positive note, I did something fun and somewhat crafty with my kids today. Joshua asked if I would help him make some paper bag puppets. I ended up helping him make a few and the girls helped make some, too.

I can't even tell you how long it's been since I've made, or even seen, a paper bag puppet. But it was fun. And the kids loved it! And it provided hours of entertainment. I'm sure there are much better templates available out there, but we just crafted our own--nothing too fancy.

When's the last time you made paper bag puppets?

Miserable!! (Graphic Photo Warning)

2009-03-25T00:06:00.004-06:00

I hate cold sores. It's the worst when small kids are so sick and sad and you can't do a darned thing for them. It's such a horrible, helpless feeling. Luckily the fever has let up, unfortunately my baby girl still looks like this...

Ugly, nasty, mean, miserable cold sore. What'd she ever do to you?
Go away, go away, don't come back another day!!

Photo Story Friday--Birthday!!

2009-03-20T00:42:00.005-06:00

It's hard to believe that my kids are growing up. Hard to believe that my first little baby is eight!! My sweet, shy, heart of liquid gold, Parson turned eight on Saturday.

We celebrated with his friends and had a Star Wars party. It was a lot of fun! We played a few Star Wars games. I think the highlight of the party was making lightsabers for all of the kids. With the help of my friend Google, I found this awesome, easy, and even cheap way to make personalized lightsabers for each of the kids.

I made him a Star Wars cake. I know I am no professional (by any stretch of the word!) but I have to say, it turned out SO much better than last year's cake. And he thought it was cool, so that's what matters.

Later we celebrated with family. We had a pizza party. For this party cake, I decided to make a trifle. It was my first ever attempt, and it was awesome. It was easy, and everyone LOVED it! I think I will definitely be making it again. Especially for feeding a large group. I found it on my Betty Crocker ipod app. I just made it in my punch bowl and it was perfect.

All in all, we had an AWESOME day! Thanks everyone!

Happy Birthday Parson, I love you!!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

You Asked...I answer!

2009-03-09T16:22:00.000-06:00

Melissa asked:

What is your favorite breakfast food? I think I would have to say french toast. Yum. Yet I hardly ever have it. My husband makes awesome breakfast burritos, too.

If you were trapped on a deserted island, what 3 things would you bring? My family, as much food as possible, and a lighter? I have no idea.

What is your favorite 80's song? Well, I have to say I like quite a few 80's songs. When I was a kid, we rocked out to "Wham!" I remember we had the VHS tape of some of their music videos and we would sing and dance. One of them was filmed in the dark and they were all wearing glow in the dark outfits (Jitterbug). Let me tell you, it was awesome. I also remember in pretty good detail the video for "Last Christmas" and "Careless Whisper." And I still like a lot of those ones! (My husband thinks I'm crazy!)

Rachael asked:

If you could go anywhere in the world, money wasn't an issue, where would you go and why? I would probably go to Taiwan or Hong Kong. My husband lived in Taiwan for 2 years (mission) and I would love to take him back there. He always wanted to go to Hong Kong, too.

Sarah asked:

What is your favorite photo of your family? Post it... I am pretty picky when it comes to family photos and I am hardly ever satisfied. Is it too much to ask that everyone be looking in the direction of the camera? And that they smile? I take a lot of pictures, but don't feel like I get a lot of cooperation from my family. Therefore, I don't really have a favorite. I don't really have one that I love. I guess until I can figure out how to decently photoshop, I will probably never get that "perfect" picture. Here is our most recent family picture. It was a spur of the moment thing, so our clothing colors are all over the place!

Melissa asked:

What has been your favorite vacation location? Growing up, my family did some pretty fun vacations. The one we did almost every year was Lake Powell. That will always be a special place for my family--we have so many memories there--some good, some bad. So, I think Lake Powell is definitely a favorite.
In December, 2007, we went to Hawaii and I would have to say that is a favorite as well. We loved it and definitely want to go back some day.

What is your favorite time of year? Fall and Spring for sure!

Are You Serious asked:

If you could have any pick of vehicle what would it be? :) Funny you should ask, since we bought a new car last week! I was previously driving a Mazda MPV and it was honestly a great little van. It was very nice looking (sporty) and reliable. We never had a single problem with it. I simply wanted something bigger. I felt like we were a little cramped in it and the cargo space just wasn't cutting it for me and my double stroller! So we looked around (a lot!) and decided to go with a bigger size SUV. Aside from the gas mileage, it's perfect for us. So far, we love it!

Arizona asked:

Do you have a laptop or a desktop? Mac or PC? I use a laptop PC. My hubby bought it for me about a year ago and I love it! I've heard a lot of great things about Macs, too, but don't know very much about them.

Do all your kids have the same color eyes? (mine don't!!) They are all pretty similar but not exact.

Jaysi asked:

If you could only eat one food everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be? Oooooh, that's a tough one for me...I do like food...probably Mexican food. Yum!

If you had describe yourself as a color, what color would you be? Purple.

If you popped out another kid today...what would you name it? Oh my gosh, Jaysi! I have no idea!! I haven't thought about baby names in a very long time! I do like the name Myla for a girl. Maybe? I like Emery, too, but that would be too close to Ellie. I would have to think for a while on this one, though.

Jocasta asked:

If you could live anywhere where would it be? Honestly, the perfect place for me would only have to have two things: all of my family near, and a great job for my hubby. May sound stupid, but that equates my perfection. I think we could adapt to most things as long as we had those.

Who is your favorite movie star? I don't know that I have a favorite. I tend to like Jim Caviezel, because he looks a lot like my husband. I like Harrison Ford, Will Smith, Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock. I guess it just depends on the movie, more than the star for me. I recently saw "Confessions of a Shopoholic" and thought the lead actress was great (I don't know her name.)

If you could change anything about yourself what would it be? Probably my posture and the way I stand. I have major neck issues and I know I don't carry myself like I wish I could. I have actually stood in the mirror and tried to stand correctly and I think it's physically impossible.

Girly Twins asked:

What is your favorite thing about being a mom? Definitely when my kids accomplish something new and get so excited about it. Makes me so proud to watch the process of learning and achieving. Also the endless supply of hugs, kisses, smiles and laughs.

Straight To Your Heart asked:

Mac or PC? PC (I explained a little in Arizona's question.)

Listerine or Crest mouthwash? Listerine. Way back in Elementary school, my sister did a science project debating all of the different mouthwashes and their effectiveness. Listerine won. I don't know if that still holds true, but my mind always says "Listerine."

Snow or water ski? There was a time when I wouldn't have been able answer that question. However, it has been 10 years since I went snow skiing. Therefore, I would have to say water. Now might I pose a question: waterski or wakeboard? Hmmm...

Stephanie asked:

Describe your ideal date with your husband. I am not too picky here. A whole evening without children!! Dinner, maybe dancing (it's been a very long time since we've been any kind of dancing!) Something that my husband planned just for us. He did this on our recent trip to St. George and I had some very pleasant surprises that he had planned and arranged. I loved it!

If your tv only played one cartoon over and over, which one would you pick? Oh the torture!! I think I would lose my mind!! Maybe Super Why or Word World? That's a tough one.

Laurie asked:

So I was thinking about this today b/c I tend to daydream.. If you had money, I mean like Oprah type money is there anything material you could not live without? I am talking no answer as hubby, kids, food. Has to be material. Got me thinking that if I was in that situation I would MOVE!! But here is my problem. I love our home. I love the memories here, I love that no other person has lived here prior to us, and that my kids and pregnancies took place here, BUT I hate the climate. don't like being cold.. So is that crazy? My house. This house is what I need, but in another STATE! I am actually opposite of you! I love our location, but I could go for a bigger, newer house. We love where we're at, being in a culdesac, and all of our neighbors. I would definitely spring for a house with bigger bedrooms and a bigger kitchen. Nothing too outrageous, though. Oh, and I think if I were THAT rich, I would also buy a cleaning fairy. :)

Watch Out!

2009-03-02T23:45:00.005-07:00

This looks like a broom, right? A cute little sweeper to help mommy out with the chores? Well, someone needs to tell the kids that! They seem to think it's a weapon. I realize, boys can make anything into a weapon. But even the sweetest, most innocent, little neighbor girls come over and when they see this, they want to fight! It's kind of funny, really. Why do they do that? And how do the young ones know to scream "Hi-yaw!!" when they hit or kick someone? I swear my girls started doing that one day and I thought to myself, where the heck did they learn that? It's like they intuitively know that that's what you're supposed to yell. I'm sure they must have learned it somewhere...I still think it's funny.

My Babies Are Growing Up! (sniff, sniff)

2009-02-23T09:46:00.005-07:00

My girls are getting so big, it's crazy! They talk constantly!! Every night I am rushed by two little cuties yelling "Pooprush, pooprush!" What, you don't know what that means? Well, I'll give you a hint, they are toting their toothbrushes when they do this. Heehee. Cracks me up. They also sing a lot these days. They sing "A B C D E B G, a time a sing with me." And they have discovered Barney and like to belt out his song as well, "I love you, I love me!" Repeated about 30 times. They also love Sesame Street, Dora and Diego, of course.
I am debating starting them in preschool. I know they would LOVE it. They pick up on things so quickly. Every day now, after my boys go to school, the girls put their shoes and coats on and tell me, "Bye mom! I go a school!" I didn't do any preschool with Parson and I only did a year with Josh. I already know which preschool I would use and I know it's WONDERFUL! Do any of you put your kids in preschool for 2 years?

Thanks for all of your questions on my last post! I am working on getting them answered!

100th Post!!

2009-02-13T07:30:00.003-07:00

That's right- happy 100 to me! In honor of it, let's play Ask Me Anything. You ask the questions and I'll do my best to answer them. Play along! Even if you don't normally comment.:)

St. George

2009-02-10T01:21:00.007-07:00

Hiking fun!

As many of you know, last week was my ten year anniversary! We are hoping to go on a big fancy trip later this year in honor of it, but decided we had to do something on the actual day. So, last Wednesday, we headed south to St. George. Did I mention we went WITHOUT the kids. We did. And we had so much fun! On the 5th, which is our anniversary, we decided to go hiking. I wasn't really dressed for hiking, but luckily I had my gym shoes in the car. We went to Snow Canyon and hiked some of the small easy hikes. Then we decided we were pretty tough and decided to try a difficult hike up an old volcano. Because who wouldn't want to do that? And then we couldn't find the trail head, so we decided to just get moving and hope to come across it. My husband kept telling me we were on some kind of trail, but I wasn't buying it. Needless to say, I got a great leg workout. It was steep! We survived. And honestly, the old volcano really wasn't THAT cool. Did I mention I got a great leg workout out of it? Yeah, and we found the trail head when we reached the top. It went down the back side of the mountain. But we parked on the front side...Aw...who needs a stinkin' trail anyway?

This was it--looking down into the volcano.

This was the trail we blazed. Well, some of it, anyway.

This shows how far we hiked. Can you see our ant sized car in there?

We also ate at a few fancy restaurants. I realized I am not a very fancy girl, except I do love strawberry daiquiris! (Virgin, of course!) I spilled drips of vinegar on the nice WHITE tablecloth at one of the restaurants. Then, when the waitress was telling me about one of the dishes she asked me if I liked oyster mushrooms. I responded that I don't eat seafood. Then I felt really DUMB, when they explained that they weren't seafood, they were mushrooms. I had no idea what half the items on the menu even were, with their fancy names and such. Not that I couldn't get used to it, but I guess it's been a very long time since I have eaten at a really nice restaurant. Or any restaurant for that matter, unless you count fast food with the kids. Which, it's been months since I've even done that. Anyway, it was fun to get all dressed up and go out.

We shopped til we dropped at the outlet stores. Matt was very patient. He hates shopping. I think he was mentally preparing himself for weeks for that one LONG shopping day. I love shopping.

We also had massages at a local spa and went to a movie. It was fantastic. A perfect little vacation.

Oh yeah, Matt also spoiled me with one of these!

I am still trying to figure out how to use all the features. It's a fun little thing!

Tuesday's Tribute

2009-02-02T23:23:00.005-07:00

A Jay and Deb Production.

Well, it seems only fitting that my Tribute today be about my wonderful husband. Especially since it is our anniversary on Thursday, and not just any anniversary, we're talking 10 years. Count them t-e-n!! Just saying that makes me feel old. Oh wait, this isn't about me, it's about my husband.

I met Matt when I was 16. I never could have imagined at that time where I would be now, and how blessed I would be to have him as my soul mate.

Matt is an awesome husband and an equally awesome dad. He is fun. He's a hands on dad. He's an excellent provider and supporter. He is my best friend. He's an awesome cook.

A few weeks ago, some of my friends posted a writing assignment where they asked their spouses to describe them in 6 words. I think if I were to describe Matt in 6 words they would be (in no particular order:)

Strong
Hard-Working
Handsome (or Hot, depending on my mood)
Sarcastic
Smart
Fun(ny) (yes, fun and funny, I'm counting that as one)
Motivated

Okay, I know that was 7 words, so sue me!

Happy Anniversary babe! I love you and I am looking forward to our next 10 years together!!

Tuesday's Tribute

2009-01-27T00:12:00.005-07:00

A Jay and Deb Production.

Many of you might already know these gals, but I know I also have readers who don't. I'm talking about the two gals who have formed Mom It Forward. I was friends with Carissa and Jyl way back before they were famous. I was even there when they had their first "girls night out" on twitter. I think there were only 4 of us. That was in September. Now, only a few short months later, these two motivated mamas have created a monster, with hundreds participating!! And not only are they chatting and networking, they are doing service projects. They are hosting giveaways. They have raised money for worthy causes. They are trying to make the world a better place "One mom at a time." I love their slogan "Mom it Forward."

They recently won a big competition and were rewarded with some really nice prizes. Isn't it fitting that they are now hosting a contest of their own? And you really should go enter it. We're talking NICE prizes, like a laptop, a printer and some software. Seriously. Go check it out and say "Hi!" These are two of the nicest, best, down to earth, fun ladies around. They love to chat, too!

Wii Games

2009-01-20T10:27:00.006-07:00

We have had our wii for a few years now and have bought/rented quite a few games. I thought I would share some of our favorites. Keep in mind the people that play the wii most often in our home are my sons, ages 5 and 7. And of course, my husband and I play sometimes, too.:) I also tend to stick to the multi player games. Life is much easier that way.:) Here are our favorites:

Mario Party 8 (great for the whole family.)

Boom Blox (created by Steven Spielberg. Good for kids and grown-ups.)

Lego Star Wars

Lego Indiana Jones

Lego Batman (my boys love the lego games, can you tell?)

Wii Play (fun, silly short games. You also get a bonus remote!)

Mario Galaxy (We borrowed this one from my brother. Matt and the boys passed the game within a few weeks. It claims to be a 2 player game, but is more like 1 and 1/2 players. Which can be a good thing if you have little ones that want to play, but don't understand the whole deal. In this game they can be the helper.)

Mario Super Sluggers (this is our newest addition and the boys love it!)

Donkey Kong Barrel Blasters (haven't played this one in a while, but it's pretty fun.)

Mario and Sonic Olympic Games (good for kids and grown-ups.)

Rockband (I like the idea of this and it's really fun. However, the song choices aren't great and you can't download new ones. I wish the gamemakers of these types of games would include current rock, or at least some pop rock. Most of the songs are older hard rock songs. A few of them are great. But I think there are plenty of pop rock songs that have good guitar/bass/drum solos that would have been much better choices, and much more popular choices for the average joe. Just my opinion...)

I have yet to try the Wii Fit. What are your opinions on that?

We have also downloaded some of our favorite N64 games that we loved. We have Dr. Mario, which I LOVE. Although the downside to this version is it's only 2 player. We also have Mario Kart. I know they have since released a Wii version of this game which I haven't played. I love the N64 version of it, though. Now, if only they would release N64 007!! I have read that this will never happen, which is sad. Such a great game!!

Which games do you love?

Night Out With The Boys

2009-01-14T00:06:00.004-07:00

Yesterday, I was able to go to the Jazz game with all my boys. Matt got us tickets just a few days prior for our family. We were so excited! Especially Parson and Josh. My sister thought we would be crazy to take the girls and even offered to babysit them for us. We decided that was definitely a good idea (Thanks Joy!!) Since we had two extra tickets, we invited Matt's mom to come and we invited one of Parson's friends to come. We went to dinner first and then to the game. It was so much fun! The boys loved it! And it was a great game on top of that! Go Jazz!! They had an exciting win over the Pacers, and I had a fun night out with my boys. Joshua even got "knux" from Thurl Bailey in the hallway, which darn near scared him to death! And Matt got to shake his hand. Unfortunately the camera missed it.

Don't you just love Joshua's cheeser smile? And Parson's missing half of his teeth!!

I love my boys and this activity makes me want to spend more one on one time with them. The girls demand a lot of my attention right now. It was really great to go do something fun with just the boys.

Wordful Wednesday

2009-01-06T23:38:00.003-07:00

Abbie has independently began potty training. She doesn't go all the time, but she tries at least a few times per day. I haven't pushed this at all. I put her on the potty when she requests, and I praise her when she goes. That's the extent of my potty training efforts. Ellie, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with it!!
I took this picture yesterday. I just couldn't resist with the book and all! I think it's adorable! And I figure I can use it for a future blackmail photo!!

Visit more Wordfuls at

David Bowman Art

2009-01-05T11:32:00.006-07:00

I found this on Straight to you Hart. I think these are beautiful so I am reposting her post!:

David Bowman: has had a passion for art ever since he could pick up a pencil. He loves creating images of the Savior that inspire and uplift. Along with his Christian fine art, David has also written and illustrated a series of scripture storybooks for children titled "Who's Your Hero". Check out his website at http://bowman-art.com/indexFineart.htm to see more of his precious art...
"Innocence"

The Savior tells us we need to become as little children to inherit the kingdom of God. I've often wondered what it is about little children Jesus loves most, and I think its their innocence. They are clean slates, seeing the world and others through untarnished eyes. Their hearts are pure, without the baggage of cynicism and self-doubt. In this piece, I've tried to imagine how a child would act upon meeting the Master for the first time. Without reservation or inhibition, I think he would simply want to play with Him. He would be at complete ease, allowing his pure little heart to soak in the love and laughter of His pure, infinite heart. Its no wonder Christ delights in these little ones and sets them up to be our examples.
"Security"

One of the greatest human needs is a sense of security. In all aspects of life, we naturally gravitate towards anything that makes us feel safe. In this piece, I wanted to convey a sense of complete peace and calm like only the Savior can provide. It's a security that allows us to rest assured, without fear or worry, when we put ourselves trustingly in His arms. Little children have that inherent kind of trust in their parents, so it's fitting that the man and girl who modeled for "Security" are actually father and daughter. They generated the exact feel I was looking for.
"My Child"

This piece conveys an intimate, up-close-and-personal feeling of the Savior's love. Notice how all the lines draw your attention and point towards Jesus' face in the center. I chose the name "My Child" because the only thing that could compare (even remotely) to Christ's compassion for us is the love of a parent for his/her child. This image is also intended to put things in perspective. Above all, we are God's children first. He allows us the privelege of experiencing parenthood for ourselves and we are entrusted to be the mothers and fathers of His children here on earth.

Back to Life...

2009-01-05T09:24:00.002-07:00

Well, Christmas and New Years have passed and now I must get back to life. We had a wonderful Christmas! Christmas is so fun with kids! I loved watching my kids as they sat on Santa's lap, and Christmas morning as they enjoyed all of their gifts. And again at midnight on New Years as we all cheered. I was able to take time off from Bloggyworld and enjoy the time we had off together.
The past two weeks have brought a lot of fun. We've had a lot of family time, a ton of sledding, a trip to Chuck E Cheese, a 4am bedtime on New Years, commitments to eat better and exercise regularly (we'll see if I dare post before and after pictures!:P) All in all, we had an awesome Christmas break! What about you?
I was thinking about the HUGE Y2K scare way back when. Remember how scared everyone was? It's crazy how fast the time goes.
Now, I must try to catch up with all of you and your blogs--I am WAY behind!!

Please help me find this!

2008-12-22T12:50:00.004-07:00

I am looking for a recipe from this old Betty Crocker cookbook. My mom had this growing up and we used it all the time! We had one recipe in particular that we loved! A few years ago, my mom wrote down the recipes she wanted out of it and then threw the book away. Now, as my sister and I look through them, we can't find the one we loved!
Do any of you have this cookbook? Would you be willing to share a recipe with me?

Photo Story Friday--Hawaiian Vacation

2008-12-19T00:15:00.009-07:00

This month marked the one year anniversary to our dream vacation to Hawaii. Are you jealous? That I got to go to Hawaii? Well then, you probably haven't heard the whole story!
As I already mentioned, we went to Maui last December. It just so happened that a storm vacationed there the same week. I'm talking the biggest storm Hawaii has seen in over 50 years! Still jealous?

It rained and rained and rained. There were more than 60 mph winds in some areas. The schools were closed. The power was out. All of the traffic lights were down, which means traffic was a nightmare. We managed to find one supermarket that was actually open, where we were able to buy some food and a few candles (flashlights were sold out!)

This was the only long sleeved shirt I packed. I wore it a lot! Two souvenirs I bought for myself in Hawaii were a rain jacket and a hooded sweatshirt! Is that bad?

This particular stormy day, we decided to drive the road to Hana. This is a very narrow road and you pass a lot of cool waterfalls on your way. Supposedly some of the waterfalls are cute and little and there is one called the Seven Sacred Pools. Well, all we saw were huge, angry, dirty waterfalls. There were definitely no pools. The water was raging! At one point in our drive, we were driving through several feet of water. At another point, there was a huge boulder in the middle of the road and I think it took at least 5 guys to lift it and carry it out of the way. We talked to some of the locals after the fact and they were shocked that we had done the road to Hana in this weather. And even more shocked that we actually made it. Stupid tourists.

The actual storm only lasted a day or two, but the aftermath was bad. Really bad. A lot of restaurants had signs up that said they didn't have any food. The beaches were closed. The Kihei beach was completely washed away. There was a huge drop off where the beach was supposed to be. Some lifeguard stands were toppled over. Cars were smashed, some were washed away. There were tons of buildings completely flooded. There were some mudslides. Really bad.

The day after Hana, the rain had stopped. We decided we would try to find an open beach where we could try body boarding. We did find one and we pretty much had it all to ourselves. We had fun playing and body boarding. My brother went down the beach a bit to see if he could find any good snorkeling spots. He ended up getting slammed into a coral and cutting his foot wide open. Off to the ER with him. His Pauly Shore lookalike doctor wanted to know why the heck he was in the water! Stupid tourists.
At one point in the trip, my brother tried to take us to his favorite snorkel spot. Wouldn't you know it, the whole area was closed due to an old World War II bomb that was found and never detinated. What are the odds, seriously?

We had prepaid to go on a boat out to Molokini Crater. This is supposed to be one of the best snorkeling sites ever. Our first few tries they cancelled it all together. On our last day we could possibly go, they said they would take us. We went and this was my very first snorkeling experience ever. I saw some octopuses and lots of fish. I really liked it. I thought it was so cool! Apparently, it wasn't. I guess it was really bad, in fact. So bad that they refunded our money. Guess I didn't know what I was missing...

My first snorkeling adventure

We went snorkeling the next day at a different spot. I got to swim with turtles! I really liked that! I think that was my favorite part of the whole trip! I've been told that the clarity that day really sucked, but once again I thought it was great. (Maybe it's good to not know any better? Then you won't be as disappointed!)

We did have one more mishap. We stayed in a condo amongst hundreds of condos. It just so happened that some lady had trouble with her unattended washing maching and her unit and the two below hers flooded. Could our luck get any worse? Yep, 3 condos out of hundreds, and 2 of them were ours (not the one with the washing machine, though!)

Some of the group

Just so you all know, these types of problems are not uncommon with my family. Our vacations usually bring rain. Luckily, we are the type of people that make jokes and laugh about it all. We laugh about this all the time! And we all hope to go back some day and have a much better experience!

You are all wishing you could come on vacation with us right about now, huh?!

We did have a lot of fun, too. We did some great shopping. We went to a show in Lahaina and it was awesome! It was called "Warren and Anabelle's Magic" and I highly recommend it if you're ever in the area. The magic was awesome, but so was the comedy. I laughed the whole time! I will totally go to it again when I go back.

We actually flew to Oahu for the last few days of our trip and there we were able to go to the temple, the Polynesian Cultural Center and a Luai. We also did a shark excursion where we went out in the ocean and got into one of those big metal cages. That was awesome. I am deathly afraid of sharks and it was crazy! There were sharks everywhere!!
Oh, the memories. Wow, this ended up being a long post. Is anyone still with me?

Meanwhile back at the ranch, or rather back at my house, things did not go well. I had my sister in law babysit my kids. Her week was filled with chaos and puke. You can read her side of the story here and here.

Want to play along?

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

The Blog Frog

2008-12-15T23:43:00.003-07:00

Have you noticed my new widget? I've had it up for a week or two now. I like it. It shows who visited last and most per month. It's from this site called The Blog Frog. They have a few more widgets to choose from. They also have an online directory and can help you find some of your friend's blogs. You should go check it out, especially now. Why, you ask? First, because it's cool, and second because they are giving away $200 to Target! And just in time for Christmas.

Oh, the things I have learned...

2008-12-07T23:05:00.006-07:00

I had a very eventful day on Friday. Ok...lets cut eventful and just say BAD! (Someone needs to teach me how to do that strike through word thingy).

Anyway, through it all, I learned a few things. I have decided to share with you what I learned.

I learned that if you get a message in your inbox on Facebook from a friend and you open it, it might really be a blast of viruses waiting to devour your computer.
I also learned that it is awesome to have a husband who knows enough about computers to remove more than 30 viruses and have my laptop up and running again by Saturday night. (Thanks babe!)

I learned that it is possible to flood your entire kitchen floor using only the water dispenser on the fridge and a small plastic cup.

I learned that 2 eggs can actually make quite a HUGE mess on the kitchen floor. And although it was only two eggs, I thank my lucky stars there weren't more to be found.

I learned that a very small tube of sunscreen found in the diaper bag can make quite a mess as well.

I learned that all of these previously mentioned messes can be made in a very short amount of time. I think you can move especially fast when you have an accomplice.

I learned that it is possible to close the van door on your pinky finger and have it completely smashed flat, without actually breaking the bone. I also learned that the doctor will put a splint on it for weeks anyway. (That was Parson, if you're wondering.)

I learned that you cannot leave your dvd player going and your car lights on for 5-7 minutes while you run in the house without having a dead battery. I also learned that following the colors on the battery and jumper cables is not always the best choice when hooking them up. You might need to take a closer look than just the colors.

That was my Friday's events in chronological order.

I learned a few things about my girls as well. I learned that Abbie is the instigator. I learned that in the phrase "fight or flight," Abbie is definitely my fighter and Ellie is my flighter. When in trouble, Ellie wants to do what I tell her to and get the heck out of there. Abbie will just sit and glare at me very stubbornly, with a look that says, "So, what you gonna do about it?"

Both of my girls have the two year old tantrums mastered as well. Joy. I have yet to learn how to deal/react to those in a way that makes them stop. But I am still learning. One day at a time, right?

Wordful Wednesday. Butterfingers!!

2008-12-02T23:44:00.005-07:00

I have been very unmotivated lately. With everything. Not writing much, not feeling like I have much to say. Dealing with sick kiddos and not feeling 100% myself. Behind on housework and laundry...none of you all really want to read this, right?
I did, however, manage to get all of my Christmas decor out, my tree up, and my lights on my house last week. Yeah for me. And I went shopping. That's always a highlight for me.
Okay, onto something more fun. Or rather something more delicious. I'm talking possibly the most delicious thing ever. Seriously. Scrumptious. Butterfingers. Have you ever made them? Everyone I know loves them. LOVES them! I have tried others, but still think this recipe is the best. My sisters and I make these all the time and they are everyone's favorite. (We have been making them for years and I honestly don't know who to credit this awesome recipe to.) They are highly requested. They are perfect for every and any occasion. Have I talked them up enough yet? Maybe this picture will help.

Great! Now I am totally craving one of these!

You want the coveted recipe? Just because I love you all so much, I will share.

1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. peanut butter
2 eggs
2 cubes butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 c. oats
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt

Spread in cookie sheet. (it will be really thick. And speaking of that, if you ever decide you want to double this recipe, make sure you have a really good, strong mixer. A few mixers have perished with this one!) Bake at 350* for approx. 15 minutes. (you don't want to overcook this yummy goodness!)
When cool, spread a layer of peanut butter on top. Then spread chocolate frosting over the top.

You will probably want to taste them immediately, and I don't resist that temptation. So...go ahead! Let me know if you try them!

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Wordful Wednesday

2008-11-25T22:40:00.004-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! From my little Indian and pilgrim to yours.
May your company be wonderful, and your belly be full!

Visit more Wordfuls at

Do you Black Friday?

2008-11-24T22:31:00.004-07:00

I do! I love hunting out the ads for the best deal on Thanksgiving night. I love going out well before the rooster crows and getting the best bargains! (And that's saying something, because I am NOT an early riser by any stretch of the words!) Very few things in life give me greater pleasure than getting something I really want for a great deal! I LOVE it! I love telling my hubby, "and this would normally cost $XX, but I found it for $X!!"

I think part of why I love shopping on this day is because I have money to spend. I am almost expected to spend. I am not just spending frivolously. It's for Christmas, so it's ok. I think of everyone on my list and what great things I will find at a great deal. I started going out years ago and think of it as a tradition now. Sometimes I go by myself, sometimes I talk my sisters into going with me.

Don't worry, I'm not one of the crazy people that will steal the Wii out of your cart as I run you down with mine. Nope, not one of those. But trust me, I've seen them. I know a lot of people that hate this kind of shopping. My mom and my husband, for example. I think they would each take a bullet before they would brave any store on this dreaded day. I, on the other hand look forward to it. It gives me some kind of strange high.

I have to admit, there have been years that I have been disappointed with the black Friday (lack of) deals. I am hoping this year retailers will have some great stuff, making us want to spend.

So, do you Black Friday?

Twilight Craze!

2008-11-21T13:33:00.005-07:00

Okay, so I went to the Twilight movie last night at the midnight showing. Holy madness! 14 screens sold out weeks in advance, masses of people, people completely decked out in prom attire, with tattoos and glitter on their faces. No big deal, right? For some of these people, it was definitely a big deal!
Not for me. I haven't read a word of the books. (I know, probably one of the only people that haven't. I haven't read Harry Potter, either, for the record...) I haven't seen a movie trailer of any kind. I would have to be dead to not have heard about any of it, but honestly I knew very little. I knew there was a girl named Bella and two boys named Edward and Jacob. I knew Edward was a vampire and there was some type of love triangle going on. That's pretty much it. My sister got tickets to this midnight showing weeks ago for my mom, my 3 sisters, and two sis-in-laws. Oh, and me, of course.
I have to say, I enjoyed this movie a lot! I really liked it. I almost want to know more of the story. There were definitely moments in the movie where everyone started laughing, or reacting in some way which didn't make sense to me. I had to lean over and ask my sister what I had missed. Is it too late to start at this point? Seems kind of late to jump on the bandwagon now. I am definitely intrigued... Maybe you'll see me in my prom dress at the next midnight premier...ok, probably not...

Spreading Some Love

2008-11-18T08:40:00.003-07:00

My friends over at MommyGossip-Gno are doing some great stuff! Especially today! Go see what's going on, you might want to participate!:)

Happy Brithday Dad!

2008-11-17T16:08:00.005-07:00

My dad. Grandpa, or Crappa as my boys called him early on. Fixer of everything. Answerer of all my medical questions. Pitcher of our softball team. Awesome boat captain. Teller of jokes. Sweet roll maker, Mmmmmmmm. Hard worker. Teacher of many. My personal tutor, growing up through all my school years. My personal nurse and chauffer in my trying and complicated pregnancy. Lover of sports, biking, hiking, and nature. Supporter and fan of all his kids/grandkids.
Growing up, I thought my dad could do anything. (Sometimes I still do!)
Love ya dad! Happy Birthday!:)

Wordful Wednesday

2008-11-11T23:49:00.003-07:00

Who gave my babies permission to grow up?

And get into my lip gloss and bras?!!

Photo Story Friday

2008-11-06T23:53:00.002-07:00

Some of you may remember this post. Well, I think it's about time for an update in status. That's right friends, there's nothing like a California vacation to help you go right up the ladder! While in California, this is what Joshua told me: "Mom, you've squeezed into first place and now you're tied with Grandma!!" Add in as much enthusiasm as you can possibly muster, and that's probably still not as enthusiastic as it was said. Somehow I have remained in that tied position for a whole month and Joshua reminds me of this often. I'll take it for now...we'll see how long it lasts.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Wordful Wednesday

2008-11-04T23:45:00.003-07:00

We were able to go on vacation last month to California! It was so much fun! We took literally hundreds of pictures! And here they are. Just kidding, here's a few of the highlights, though.
First up, Disneyland and California Adventure.

Silly Joshua!

Cute Parson.

The 3 and 4 D rides were a hit! We especially loved the Toy Story ride in California Adventure.

Stick bug in California Adventure. We walked right by him 3 times before we noticed him!

I have to tell you, my favorite rides were the Toy Story and the Soarin California in California Adventure. Of course, I didn't get to do any of the grown up rides like Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, or any of the big roller coasters.

We then went to the USS Midway Museum. This was pretty cool. The kids got a little bored after a while, though.

We got to see the San Diego Temple. Beautiful!

We went to Sea World! And we all LOVED it!

The highlight for Josh was talking me and Parson into going on this raft ride and then blasting us with the huge water cannons. We were soaked!

Lego Darth Vader and R2D2.
Legoland was very cool. I was absolutely amazed at the things they had built out of legos! They also have a water park and some really fun rides. We loved it!
We managed to squeeze a lot into the week we were there and we had a great time!
Play along at

Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-30T22:09:00.008-06:00

Happy Halloween everyone! Here are some of my favorite 2008 Halloween pictures thus far.

Giant candy corn in California Adventure

This is made out of legos! At Legoland, of course!

Ellie with vampire teeth

Scary me and my little butterflies

Ready for the party!

Train ride with the butterflies (they really were happy!)

Pirate Parson

Cowboy Josh

All the cousins at Grandmas big annual Halloween party, complete with carnival games, a train ride, awesome food, and of course, a Frankenstein pinata!!

We have been to some great places and parties this year and had some great fun!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Wordful Wednesday

2008-10-29T01:55:00.004-06:00

I think I have mentioned before how I love to watch my husband play and interact with our kids. He is an excellent Father and our kids adore him. Here are a few pictures from our recent trip. We were at California Adventure and it was closing time on our last day there. They allowed just a few people on for one last ride.

I love the expressions on their faces! I love to capture moments like this!

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Tagged!

2008-10-26T22:29:00.006-06:00

I was tagged for this fun little meme by Jaysi, who is such an awesome gal! I have only known her a couple months (through blogging), but it seems like a lot longer. You've got to check out her blog if only to see her adorable boys!

Anyway, random/weird facts about me, eh? Just what you've always wanted to know!:) Hmmm...I know I can come up with a couple...might have to enlist Hubby's help!

I am very picky about the length of my pants. I don't like my socks to show. Ever. (and I buy cute socks, too! Is that weird?)
I hate meat with bones in it. I would rather do without than have to pick at a bone.
I hate raw meat and eggs. More so with the meat. I avoid touching raw meat at all cost! I am paranoid about getting salmonella or food poisoning and am always freaked out about having to cook meat. I tend to overcook it just to make sure it's done. And I use lots of sanitizers and cleaners in the kitchen just to be sure.
I don't eat anything sea-related. I have no desire. Just the thought of eating seafood makes my stomach turn. It drives my husband crazy because I haven't tried much of it. He tells me I can't not like something I haven't tried. I don't care.
I chew gum a lot. A whole lot. Some people might call me a gum addict. The weird part? I typically like minty gum. Or even cinnamon. But when I am at all nauseous, I have to have the fruity kind. Seriously, I am telling you, it makes a big difference!
I like everything to have a home. I like things to be put where they're supposed to go, in the same place. Things may not be spotless or dust-free, but for crying out loud, put it where it goes! My husband and kids are not on board with this idea. It drives me crazy!
I don't like feet. I could never do a pedicure on someone. EWE! I think they're dirty and I hate it when people touch me with their feet. There is an exception to this rule. Baby feet. I love baby feet.

Now, to tag. I think this one has been going around for a while, so I apologize if you've already had it! I tag Katie, GirlyTwins, Stephanie, Amber, Jocasta, Heather, Jyl.

Meet Navi

2008-10-21T22:17:00.004-06:00

Friends, I would like to introduce you to Navi. She was adopted on my birthday, back in August. She started out being very helpful around town. She has just recently been to Texas and California and truly earned her place in our family. She is a very hardworking gal and we took advantage of her a lot in California! She definitely likes to be in the know as to what's going on and where we're going. She gets very annoyed when we have unexpected/unplanned potty breaks or have to get gas.

Thanks to her, I didn't have to navigate with a map at all. In fact, we didn't even take our Atlas on this trip. And we didn't miss it, either. And there was no arguing or getting frustrated as to which way to go. No, "Jaime, which way am I supposed to go?" "I don't know, give me a second..." "I don't have a second!" And no "Wake up, Jaime. I need you to look at the map and see..." Nope. None of that.

I love you navi! Welcome to the family. I hope we all live a long happy life together!

I'm home!

2008-10-20T22:43:00.002-06:00

That's right, home! And glad to be back. We had an awesome vacation.
I am WAY behind on everything, but hope to be completely back, soon. I just have to sift through and respond to emails, catch up on "Chuck" and "Heroes," and catch up on all of your blogs! Not to mention dealing with sick kids and hubby and unpacking!

Photo Story Friday

2008-10-16T17:00:00.003-06:00

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Last year we went to a Halloween party and Joshua decided he wanted to enter the pie eating contest. They say a picture can tell a story...I'm going to let the pictures tell this one.

(I think he might have got one of the nasty sugar free pies!)

Wordful Wednesday

2008-10-14T21:00:00.004-06:00

Crikey! No worries mate, I've got it all under control! (insert Australian accent)
Play along at

Brothers? Really?!

2008-10-13T05:30:00.002-06:00

Isn't it amazing how people raised in the same family, in the same environment, with the same parents, rules, discipline, praise, etc. can be so completely different?!

Parson and Joshua are SO different!
Parson is my more reserved child. Very tenderhearted, very connected with Mom. He cried almost every day of kindergarten and 1st grade. His first grade teacher would literally peel him off of me every morning while he bawled his eyes out. She would call me daily and update me on how he was doing. His reasoning for all the tears was always "because I miss my mom." It took him a while to make friends. Not because he isn't a great kid, with a great personality, but because he was too busy missing me to let himself have any fun. Things have improved greatly now that he's in 2nd grade. He has lots of friends and he actually likes school. I still worry about him. Because he is so sweet, I think sometimes his friends take advantage of that and I have to remind him to stick up for himself and that he doesn't always have to do what they want to do. He is a money saver. In real life, on Webkinz...a saver. It doesn't take much to punish him--all I have to do is give him a certain look and he will burst into tears. He doesn't get away with much because he wears his guilt on his face.

Joshua, on the other hand, RAN to school from the very first day! He speaks very loudly and constantly and to everyone! He is in no way reserved and definitely likes to be in charge. He is a spender! He wants to buy everything! I have to give him the opposite speech that I give Parson and tell him that he doesn't always get to choose everything. And that if he wants to have friends, he needs to let them choose sometimes and not always get his way. He is always making jokes and tends to tell a lot of fibs. He also tends to sit in time out a lot and it doesn't really faze him all that much. He is equally loving. He has a stronger confidence about him. He is also very much a salesman. And a good one, at that.

These are a few of their differences. I recently read a post by Octamom talking about birth order. I was a little surprised how well my boys fit the profile for oldest and 2nd child.

They amaze me every day. I love their differences, I embrace them. We all have things we need to work on, of course. As different as they are, I love them so much-- differently, yet equally.

MIA

2008-10-11T09:15:00.000-06:00

I am going to be gone for the next week. I do have a few posts set to automatically post, but don't be surprised if I don't respond to you right away. Just know that I am living it up on vacation in sunny California!!:)

Photo Story Friday

2008-10-09T17:29:00.006-06:00

I am on a fall kick this week, I guess. I have posted quite a few fall/Halloween pictures already, might as well post a few more, right? I do LOVE the fall, after all...

These pictures were taken in 2001, when Parson was only 7 months old. My friend invited me to go with her and her son to try and get some good fall photos. Here is a sample of some of the best ones:These have always been some of my very favorite pictures. Time goes so fast, I hardly remember my oldest baby looking like this! If only I'd had a better camera! Some of the colors don't look quite right to me and the picture quality isn't perfect...it was a really nice camera at the time.
It was an experience that inspired me to continually upgrade my camera and take more and more pictures of my kids.
Play along on
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Wordful Wednesday

2008-10-08T00:00:00.006-06:00

Today, I thought I'd take a stroll down Halloween memory lane.

This was Parson's first Halloween (the bear). He is only 7 months old here. He was such a chunker!

Here is Parson, my little monster with his Aunt and Uncle. This is one of my favorite pictures. Ever. I have no idea how Katie convinced Trevor to wear that costume, but it cracks me up every time I look at it!

Loved these little Chinamen costumes! I don't know if you can see the long braids coming out of the hats. So cute. My husband taught them to call them their Ee Foos. I have no idea how to spell that, but if you know Chinese, you can probably figure it out!

I even managed to get in on some of the fun on this particular year!

Yeah, real creative, huh?! And yes, they totally enjoyed it. What, you can't tell?

That brings us to last year. My cute little chickens!

These were way fun! My clown and my knight.

Such great memories! And many more to come, I'm sure!

Play along over at

Awards!

2008-10-05T23:28:00.005-06:00

Ok, so I've gotten a few awards and I have taken them and displayed them, but I never did pass them on. That's what you're supposed to do, right? Pass them on...I best get to it!
The concept of blogging awards does seem kind of strange to me. But, it does make you feel good, I have to admit. And of course I don't want to be ungrateful. Yes, must be gracious! Thank you, thank you, thank you!:)

This first one, I got from Tonya@A Day in my Life. My first ever blog award.
I am supposed to pass this one on to 5 people. I have decided to give this one to some of my family members, most of who are pretty new to the whole blogging scene. Maybe it will help motivate them to write more (hint, hint!):)

Chelsea is my sister. She is very new to blogging. She has an adorable little family.
Seasons of Stevensons. Amber is also my sister. Also new to blogging. She is very active and good at most things.
Michele is my sis-in-law. She has actually been blogging for quite a while and also just started a cooking blog.
Melissa is my sis-in-law. I posted a while back about her recent foster/adoption.
Basically Bailey. Katie is my sis-in-law. She also recently started blogging. She has 2 very active little ones that keep her on her toes.
Candise is my sis-in-law. She is just getting started. She loves soccer.

Sorry, I just had to do six! Wouldn't be fair to leave one out, right?

Next, I got this awesome award from Jyl@mommygossip. I am to pass this on to 5 bloggers that rock!

Baby Dolls and Soccer Balls. JP's mom is such a hip mama! She is getting ready to have twins very soon!
Seven Clown Circus. I think she already has every award, but I love her anyway. Angie, you rock! (She was one of my first bloggy friend and taught me about bloglines and things like that!)
i, wright. She doesn't know me or read my blog, but if you get a chance, go over and check her out. She will have you laughing, I promise!
The Princess and the Peas. Jocasta is a cool mama. She is so fun and we like to chat on twitter! It's fun to hear her different words for things and I am still waiting to hear her say them in her New Zealand accent!
The Calender Zoo Review. Stephanie is a bit new to the "stay at home" scene. I think she's doing an awesome job with her little cuties! (And you should see her boys' curls!)

Next, I got this award from Jocasta@The Princess and the Peas.

The rules for this one are: You may choose 5 awardees

Choose 4 faithful readers of your blog.

1 should be someone new or someone far away.

In Birds Nest. Jaysi is so fun and a genuinely nice person. She has two adorable little boys. (And I think I got them all hooked on Scentsy?:))
The Craftivist. Arizona is so creative! She is talented in so many areas! You'll definitely want to check out her blog.
Better Leite Than Never. Jenny seems like such a cool mom. She has the most adorable family and she even gets to go to the Emmys!
The View From Our House. Laura is a busy mama of 4. Her kids are always all dolled up so cute! We are also state-mates and need to meet up sometime!:) (She was one of my very first bloggy friends!)
And for my new reader, I'm going to go with Hope Floats... Melissa is quite adventuresome! She just got back from Cancun and she's got some great stories. And girls night with her and her friend? Crazy!

I also want to have an honorable mention here. My friend Carissa doesn't like awards. Or memes, for that matter. The thing is, she deserves all of the awards. She is funny and very snarky. She's quite smart and is always willing to help people and share in her knowledge. She's getting quite a collection of tutes on her blog that you should go check out!
Anyway, no award for you Carissa, just a little shout out because I think you're awesome!:)

Photo Story Friday

2008-10-03T00:26:00.010-06:00

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Yesterday, I went with my sister to try to get some good fall pictures of her family and my kids. We drove out to where she had seen some awesome fall colors a few days previously.
We started our little photo shoot and were able to get some cute shots. The ones she took of her kids were absolutely gorgeous! My kids weren't cooperating so much. I had been on the run most of the day and had some very tired little girls!

Here are a few of the shots I took of my kids:Parson with a cheeser!

Joshua with a robot smile!

I actually got a few half-smiles out of Ellie!

Abbie wanted no part in any of this!

Can you tell I had very little cooperation? We had potential to get some really good ones, but nobody wanted to participate! That is usually the way it goes for me. I really need to learn to use good software so I can just combine the good faces to the good poses. Especially in the group/family pics. That would be very helpful!
Anyway, back to the story. After about 45 minutes or so of taking all kinds of pictures, my niece starts screaming. Not even 10 seconds later Joshua starts screaming. Only seconds later I see a bee on my sisters arm and realize we are under attack! Everyone starts running back towards the cars, swatting at bees as we go. In the minute it took us to get back by our cars, we had 8 stings! And a lot of hysterical kids! For my family the casualties were Joshua and Ellie. Joshua had been stung almost right between his eyebrows. Ellie had two, one on her eyebrow and one on the side of her face. It was crazy! They seriously came out of nowhere and just attacked us!
This morning Joshua got out of bed and his face was all swollen up and he was nauseous.

He came to me and said, "Mom, I am very sad." I asked him why and he told me, "because I just looked in the mirror and I don't look like me anymore."
I had no idea he was allergic to bees, or that a reaction would happen a day later. After a dose of benadryl and a trip to the doctor, I am now equipped with an epipen. And I hope with all my heart I never have to use it!

Wordful Wednesday

2008-10-01T00:29:00.007-06:00

I just realized I never did blog about our Hawaii trip from last year. It was one crazy adventure, I'll tell you that. I did manage to get some beautiful sunset/beach/flower pictures, though. Here are some of my favorites:

Enjoy more Wordful Wednesday over at

Yum!

2008-09-28T21:10:00.004-06:00

This is an awesome recipe that I love! Every time I make it to share, I have people wanting the recipe. Last time I made it for a potluck for Matt's work, he had 4 different people email him for the recipe. Anyway, it's really good!

2 ripe avacados (FYI, darker in color means more ripe)
4 tomatillos (nother FYI, pick the ones that are wrapped most tightly)
1 or 2 serrano peppers (you like it hot? Or not?)
1/3 or 1/2 orange pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 green onions
1/2 clove garlic
2 Tblsp. lime (I always do way more than that, because I love lime!)
2 Tblsp. cilantro (I always do way more than that, because I love cilantro!)
3 Tblsp. olive oil

That's it. I have a little chopper/mixer that I use to make this. After I have everything chopped up and in the bowl, I add the salt, lime, and olive oil. Then I just finish mixing it with a spoon. And I immediately have to get out the chips and taste it! Mmmmmmm...
Keep it in the fridge, and you will need to stir it up good every time you get it out to eat it.

This is one of my very favorite recipes. I love it alone with chips, or with any kind of mexican food. If you give it a try, let me know how it worked and what you think of it. Enjoy!:)

Wordful Wednesday

2008-09-24T01:25:00.005-06:00

These are some of my favorite "Ellie" pictures from this summer. On this particular day we had just had lunch and headed to the park. Oh how we loved those lazy days!
Notice the necklace and bracelet! Ellie is the accessory girl, you know.

More Wordful Wednesday at

The Mind of My 5 Year Old

2008-09-22T23:08:00.001-06:00

I know I have posted a lot about Joshua lately, but this is just too good.

Joshua: Mom, I love Grandma the very most of everyone.
Me: Oh really? You love Grandma more than you love me?
Joshua: Yes. She's in first place. (Pause) Mom, I'm going to tell you something, and it's probably going to make you really angry.
Me: OK...
Joshua: Grandma is a lot cooler than you are...
Me: Oh yeah?
Joshua: Yeah, and I like her face a lot better than I like yours.
Me: Thanks, buddy.

Don't you wish your child was as honest as mine?

Photo Story Friday

2008-09-19T08:03:00.008-06:00

When we bought our house 4 years ago, it was what you would call a fixer upper. It was completely trashed! It was nasty, disgusting, foul. We spent 3 months working on it--cleaning and remodeling--before we even moved in. We had to remove a few walls, completely redo electric work and some plumbing, build a pantry, and of course paint.We also put in all new flooring, doors, light fixtures, and kitchen cupboards and counter tops. We also put a salon in the basement for me. It was a whole lot of work and we spent hours and hours every day working on it. (Thanks be to my family and to Matt's dad for helping us get it done!)

The rooms that were totally neglected in the whole process were the bathrooms. We ran out of funds and just weren't able to do them. Well, this year, I was able to do the main bathroom. Yeah!

Just a little background for you, I am very much a do-it-yourselfer. I hate paying someone any amount of money for something that I think I could do myself. I was raised that way. My dad was the fixer of things around our house. And if he couldn't figure something out, Grandpa was called in. I was also raised to not be afraid to get my hands dirty. In our house, it wasn't just the boys who were mowing the lawn, or helping with car repair. The oldest 3 kids were girls, and we helped with all kinds of projects. Just a few weeks ago we were helping my dad build his huge garage shed. And me and my sisters were just as involved as my brothers.

I like learning to do new things. And being involved, whether the task is big or small. I love the satisfaction of knowing I did something myself (or with help, but without "professional" help). When I look around my house, I see the handiwork of myself, my husband, and various family members. And I think for the most part, we did a dang good job.

Okay, enough rambling. Here are the befores. I know you will all love the pink!

Wasn't she lovely?!

Here are the afters:

I love how it turned out! And I love having an all new bathroom. Matt did all the demo. And with the help of his dad, the electric and plumbing got done.

Who did all that beautiful tile work, you ask? That would be me. Yep, all by myself. And I'm just a little proud.

I have a little bit of advice for any of you that might be using a tile saw in the near future:
1. Stand to the side of it unless you want your shirt to be completely soaked!
2. Safety goggles are a good thing! Especially if you end up needing to use a grinder.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Joshua Tag

2008-09-14T21:33:00.006-06:00

My sister-in-law Michele tagged me, or rather Joshua, in this fun little meme.

Name and meaning: Joshua Matthew is his name. Joshua means God rescues. Matthew means Gift of God. (I didn't previously know these meanings. I just looked them up about 2 minutes ago!) So, how did he get this name you ask? Well, we had been debating a few names (Joshua was not one of them.) and hadn't made a full decision. I pretty much had a name picked out for him, but Matt wasn't sold on it. We went to the temple one day and after went to lunch. When we were eating lunch, Matt told me that he knew what the baby's name would be. He then told me that the name Joshua had come to him in the temple. Honestly, I didn't like the name. It wasn't something I had ever considered. But, come on, how could I argue with something that came while in the temple? He remained nameless for a few hours after birth until I gave in and we named him Joshua Matthew. (Matthew obviously came from Matt). If I'd had my way, he would be named Max (after my dad) Allen (after Matt's dad.)

Age: If you ask him, he is 5 and a quarter.

Nickname: Joshy boy

Favorite Activities: He loves to color. He is constantly making pictures for people and loves to deliver them to anyone and everyone. I cannot tell you how much paper and envelopes we go through because of this child. He makes them for all the neighbors, family members, his doctor, his church and school teachers, and sometimes just gives them to complete strangers. He is very enthusiastic and can make you get excited about pretty much anything. He loves to play with his friends, play the wii, watch movies, and be very noisy.

Favorite Foods: Corn, watermelon, popcorn, popcicles, cake, spaghetti, and whoppers.

Least Favorite Foods: Tomatoes and mushrooms.

Favorite Music: I don't know that he really has a favorite. He does like Ryan Shupe and the Rubberbands song "Hey, hey, hey!"

Favorite Toy: This definitely changes from day to day. He rotates through them on a regular basis and puts them in his "secret place for toys that I love."

Favorite Book: This also changes daily.

What makes him happy: Everything makes him happy! He is excited about life. He gets excited about the little things, which is one thing I adore about him.

What makes him sad: Being told that he can't do something.

I tag anyone that wants to do this tag! It's kind of fun to analyze your kid and be able to share the wonderful things about them. So, consider yourself tagged!

And since we are talking about Joshua here, let me just tell you how our Saturday went.
Saturday is soccer day for my boys. Joshua couldn't find his soccer shirt and I was getting very frustrated trying to get everyone ready and out the door. He looked for it for a half hour and I finally went in his room and found it in about 30 seconds. Then he couldn't find one of his cleats. Again, I went right in and found it. Like I said, I was frustrated and knew we were already going to be a few minutes late. I said, "Go get in the car, now!" And I continued getting the girls in the car, along with my purse and the diaper bag.
We hit the road and we were about 3 minutes from the soccer field.
Parson: Mom. Joshua doesn't have any pants on.
Me: What?!
Parson: Joshua doesn't have any pants on.
Me: What does he have on?
Parson: His underwear.
Me: Are you kiddin' me?!! Joshua, why don't you have any pants on?
Joshua: I forgot.
Seriously, how do you forget your pants? So we turn around and head for the nearest store where I run in and buy the kid some shorts. At the check stand, I grab a pack of gum and a pack of crackers, thinking the girls can eat them at the soccer games. We started to go back to the soccer game but decided it wasn't worth it since the game was going to end in about 5 minutes. Later that day Joshua preceded to tell Matt that he had missed his game because, "Mom bought gum and crackers and wasted all my time." Uh-huh, suddenly this is all my fault.

Wordful Wednesday

2008-09-09T23:14:00.004-06:00

"Mommy, I want to look just like Grandpa Craig!"

Go see who else is playing Wordful Wednesday at

Best Money I've Ever Spent

2008-09-07T23:39:00.007-06:00

I got glasses when I was in the second grade. I remember my parents taking my sister and me both to get our very first pair. I picked out some pretty purple ones. On the way home, I remember my sister and I reading all of the signs, completely in awe. I remember saying to my parents, "You mean to tell me that most people see this good ALL the time?!" And thinking, "Wow, the trees really do have leaves on them!" Isn't that sad?

Well, from there my sight just went downhill. I got my first pair of contacts when I was in the 5th grade. I totally loved wearing them over glasses. Over the years my eyes continued to get worse and worse. I think I probably tried every kind of contact over the next 16 years.

My glasses were coke bottles and let me just tell you, they weren't pretty. I never liked wearing them. I always felt dirty when I had to wear them. I'm not really sure why--maybe because usually if I was wearing them it was early morning before I was ready for the day, or just before bed. I heard someone say once that wearing glasses was like looking out a window your whole life.

When I was about 18ish, I went on a camp out with a bunch of my friends. Some of them were seeing me in glasses for the first time. It was on this trip that one of my guy friends referred to my glasses as my "birth control glasses." Nice.

My husband likes to tell people he saw me walk into a wall once. Hahaha. Sadly it's true. My dad likes to tell the story about me failing the "how many fingers am I holding up?" in the doctors office and hearing the doctor and nurse laughing about it in the hallway. My mom reminds me often of the time we were boating and I was assigned to be the flagger. As she recalls, she was on the water weiney with some of my siblings and was doing the "STOP" signal over and over. Unfortunately, I missed seeing it at all. Or there's the embarrassing story when I went boating with a friend and her dad asked me to video tape her doing tricks on the knee board. Well, when we got home and played it back, there was about 10 minutes of blue sky recorded, and that was it. (I remember struggling to see, but thought I could see an outline of something?...maybe not?) Well, the list goes on and on...you get the point, right? I was basically blind!

I had been dreaming of having lasik eye surgery as long as I could remember. Unfortunately, with my perscription and the shape of my eye, I was not a candidate. And yes, I cried the first time they told me that.

Three years ago, I went to the office (where my husband, father, and sister all had lasiks done) just to have a free consultation and see if I had any hope at all. A few days later I had PRK surgery done. It is done with a laser (like lasiks) but it is a little more invasive and your sight takes a little longer (a few weeks) to fully improve. I completely jumped at this chance and have never looked back.

I went in for my 3 year post op last month and I still have nearly perfect vision. It is truly a miracle to me. I have asked a lot of my bloggy friends "what's the best money you've ever spent?" I figured I would answer this question myself. This is absolutely the best money I have ever spent--worth every penny! And I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Wordful Wednesday

2008-09-02T23:00:00.005-06:00

Wordful Wednesday is brought to you by Angie at 7ClownCircus:

This is what can happen if you let your 2 year old jump on the trampoline with your 7 year old.

And trust me, you do NOT want this to happen!

(As a sidenote, because I know you're all wondering, I was standing about 4 feet away from her when this happened. There was no collision whatsoever. She got bounced, her legs buckled, and she went down. That's all it took.)

Contest

2008-09-01T18:16:00.003-06:00

That's right people, another contest entry. This one is for jewelry! And it's taking place right now over at 7 Clown Circus. You don't want to miss it! What are you still doing here? Go on over there!

GirlyDos

2008-08-29T16:31:00.003-06:00

Girly Dos is having a pretty cool giveaway and I would love to win! Go on over and check it out and don't forget to tell her I sent ya, alright? Yes? Great, thanks.

The Mind of My 7 Year Old

2008-08-28T09:59:00.003-06:00

Me: Parson, hurry and put your crocs on, it's time to go to school.
Parson: Mom, I really don't think that's a good idea. I always get bark in my crocs (from the playground) and then when I empty them out, I lose my friends and I have to go find them.
Me: I see.

A few hours after school is over. He is going out to play.

Me: Parson, why don't you wear your crocs to play outside? (thinking we might be able to keep his new school shoes in good condition for a while)
Parson: No mom. I want to wear my sketchers. They have air technology. They send a puff of air to your toes with every step you take.
Me: Oh yeah?
Parson: Yes. The tv said that, and the tv KNOWS!

Easy Dinner

2008-08-25T22:37:00.008-06:00

I have been making this quite often lately. It is very easy! Preparation time is usually under 20 minutes, depending on what you add to it. And it's pretty good, too. My kids even like it, so that's definitely a bonus.All you do is get the Bear Creek Creamy Potato soup mix, and make it according to the directions. (I know what you're thinking, but this one is really pretty good.) Then I just add a few things, depending on what I have. On this particular night, I added sausage and mushrooms (I chopped the mushrooms into small pieces and my kids didn't even know they were there, haha.) In the past, I have done sausage, hamburger, peas, mushrooms, cheese--really whatever you want to add. Our personal favorite is turkey sausage. It's a lot less greasy but you still get that spicy sausage taste. Then my favorite part of the meal is the yummy asiago cheese bread loaf from the Walmart bakery. Mmmmm! It is so soft and tasty. I love to dip my bread. My mom uses garlic bread and that's good, too.
And that's it. I know it's nothing fancy. It's very basic and practical. A good, somewhat healthy dinner that's very quick and easy to make. The soup literally takes about 17 minutes to make. Browning my meat is what takes the longest.
Let me know if you try it and enjoy!

Looking Back.....4

2008-08-13T23:38:00.010-06:00

Carissa was nice enough to remind me that I haven't finished my twin pregnancy story, so here it is.

A peek into my journal...continued.

31 weeks finally came! We were getting closer! My doctor came in early that morning to talk to me, as she did every morning. At this time, she informed me that she was heading out of town in a few days and wouldn't be around on our planned delivery date. We discussed all of our options. 1-We could deliver a few days earlier than planned. 2-We could deliver a few days later than planned. 3-We could have another doctor do the delivery on our original planned date. We made the decision to deliver the night before she was leaving out of town, which was Monday, May 22, 2006. This put our delivery at gestational age 31 weeks 4 days.

When Monday, May 22 finally came, I was so excited! Mixed with nervousness! I was so glad that this pregnancy was finally going to be over and that I would be able to go home with my family. I was so excited to meet my sweet little girls and be able to hold them in my arms and know that they were both healthy.

I was so nervous about having a c-section. In addition there was so much uncertainty as to whether or not both of my girls would be healthy and ok.

Our delivery was scheduled for that evening and it was a very long day waiting.

This was right before surgery.

For me, the surgery went very quickly. I didn't feel any pain. A few minutes into surgery, I was told that baby A was coming out. Then the assisting doctor held her up so I could see her for about 2 seconds, before whisking her away to the adjacent room where several NICU doctors and nurses were waiting. Abbie was born at 6:46 PM. Exactly one minute later, they held up baby B in the exact routine as they had done with Abbie. Ellie was born at 6:47 PM.

The window shades were open, and I could see my girls being worked on in the next room as my surgery was being completed. We were told that they were both doing very well for 31 weekers. We were also given their weights, Abbie weighed 3 lbs 1 oz and Ellie weighed 3 lbs 14 oz. It wasn't until 2 days later that we found out we had been misinformed. Abbie had actually weighed in at 3 lbs 10 oz which was quite a difference. This was good news to us.

An hour or two later, they wheeled my hospital bed into the NICU so that I could see my sweet little girls. I just kept saying "They are so small! I can't believe how little they are." They had a bunch of wires attached to their stomachs and chests. they also had IV's and were on ventilators. It was very hard to see them like this. I was so glad that they were getting a good start. Throughout my pregnancy, I was told by doctors that by 32 weeks, we might not have 2 live babies. Yet here they were. They were very, very small. But I knew that they were in good hands and that they were going to have a fighting chance to live. I was overjoyed. And exhausted. And proud of myself for making it through this amazing day without crying!

This is a different angle to my famous "twin heads" picture.
This was the very first time they put the girls in together.

The girls were only on their ventilators for a couple of hours and the oxygen a day or two. The main reasons they needed their NICU stay was to learn to eat and obviously to grow. It was very difficult to come home without them. At the same time, I knew they were much too small to come home. It was also difficult juggling my recovery, my 2 older kids, and twice a day visits to the hospital. It was definitely a roller coaster ride of emotions. Somehow we managed it all.

This was the 1st time I got to hold them together! I was thrilled!

The girls were in the NICU for 32 days and they came home together. Finally, our family was all together!:)

Fun Stories

2008-08-08T08:00:00.005-06:00

I have noticed lately that Parson asks Joshua which girl is doing something. He'll say "Josh, which girl is that?" or "who is this one?" So I was asking them, "Parson, you can't tell who is who?" And he said he couldn't. So I asked Josh how he could tell them apart and he told me, (very matter of factly) "Because their faces don't look the same. They look different."
Here is a recent picture of them. What do you think?
I was thinking about another funny story today, so I thought I would share. It was probably a year ago. We were picking up my sister in our minivan to go somewhere with us. My boys sit in the back seat of the van on each side. My sister was going to have to squeeze in between them and sit in the middle. Joshua sits on the passenger side, the side that my sister was entering. It is a tight squeeze, as you can imagine, getting in. My sister starts backing herself into her seat.
Now imagine if you will Joshua sitting in his chair watching her backing herself past him. He says, "Whoa! You've got a big fat butt!!" And of course, my sister says, "Joshua that isn't very nice! You shouldn't say stuff like that. You really think I've got a big butt?" And Josh says, "yes." My sister replied in a quick, sassy voice, "Well, I think you're annoying sometimes."
Hehe, I still laugh when I think of this story. Maybe you have to actually hear my sister's response to find it funny?
Oh well...here's another pic, just for fun!:)

Birthday Fun!

2008-08-06T14:33:00.010-06:00

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes. You are all very nice! I had a great week. Monday, we celebrated Matt's birthday. Can you guess what one of his presents was?

Wii rockband!! It's super fun. Although I wish they (the game makers) had picked some better songs.
Wednesday, some of my neighbors threw me a surprise barbeque.
Friday, one of my brothers and one of my sisters and their families came over and we played some games (Wii Rockband, Mariokart, and Boomblox). Oh yeah, and look what Matt gave me for my birthday! I will never be lost again!!
I still haven't messed with all of it's features, but let me tell you, it is cool! I also got clothes, cards, and a cookbook from my siblings. (interesting cookbook--I'll save it for another post!)
Saturday my other brother took me and Matt four wheeling for my birthday. It was so fun!:)

Sunday, my whole family had a cake and sang Happy Birthday to me. So this year I got to celebrate over a few days, which was fun. Doesn't this cake look delicious?! My sister in law made it for me, and yes, it tasted as good as it looked!!:)
All in all, we had a great week! Maybe 30 isn't so bad, after all...

30 for my 30th!

2008-08-01T09:57:00.000-06:00

That's right, I'm 30! I am officially old! And that makes Jaysi the winner of my very first giveaway!:) Yeah Jaysi, you are going to love this prize! Go ahead and start browsing the catalog on my site and I will email you later today!

30 things about me you probably never wanted to know:

I am the third of six children.
I never had any wisdom teeth.
I love lip gloss. And I have to put chap stick on every night before bed.
My left big toe is quite small in comparison to my right.
I swam in a triathlon last year. And survived. And didn't come in last.
I LOVE a looooong, hot shower.
My first job was working at Dairy Queen.
I love sports.
I love my shark vacuum.
I love to go shopping and I love a bargain even better.
My arms are shaped funny.
I am late 9 out of 10 times.
I HATE spiders more than I can even say.
I shop online a lot.
I faced my fear of sharks last year.
I was not a very good student.
I have never had a professional pedicure.
I want to buy an xrail.
I never wear pantyhose or high heels.
I will not eat anything out of the ocean.
My husband is a much better cook than I am.
Aside from my c-section, the only surgeries I've ever had were for a bone spur and bunion on my right foot, and eye surgery.
I have seasonal allergies.
I cut my own hair (and have for the past 6 years).
I love to rock in my rocking chair (my parents actually gave me my first very own one when I was about 5).
Last year I found out I love to snorkel.
I love to go to Lake Powell.
I am NOT a morning person. I can stay up all night, but don't expect me to be up early.
I am left handed.
I have never seen the movies "Greece" or "Wizard of Oz" (and probably never will).

Happy Birthday To Me!

2008-07-31T07:00:00.001-06:00

Don't you hate it when someone asks you how old you think they are? And then you start to get all nervous because if you say too young they will know you are lying but if you say too old they might be offended. That can be so awkward!

So...it's my birthday tomorrow. How old do you think I will be?
And just to make this more fun, how about a little give-away? I've never done one before, but heck, it's my birthday, so I can if I want! I actually won my first giveaway a few weeks ago on Laura's blog, and it was fun. So, here it is: The first person to guess my age correctly wins a prize. A good prize.

You know I sell Scentsy, right? And that I love it! I love my house/car to smell yummy! And since this is my blog and I can do what I want to here, how about a little scentsy plug? Just to let everyone know, in the month of August, everything is 10% off. You can visit my site here. Or if you happen to be in my area and want to do a party or anything, just let me know. I am so not a pushy salesperson, I promise! If you want any more info. or have any questions about scentsy or any of their products, please feel free to email me. Plug now done, back to the contest!

So, whoever guesses my age correctly first wins a Scentsy warmer of their choice and 3 Scentsy bars! That is over a $39 value people! So get guessing! Also, I must specify one guess per person.

PS- If you know me in real life and know my true age, you are officially disqualified!

Happy Birthday Matt!

2008-07-29T09:59:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was my husband's birthday. As you can probable guess, this post is for him.

Matt is such a great guy! He is very fun. And funny. He jokes a lot. He is very sarcastic. He is a very big tease to everyone. He is not shy. He has no problem meeting people or speaking in large groups. (which terrifies me!)

Matt is an awesome cook! He doesn't care for baking or for sweets, though. He can make things that I would never think to make. He enjoys finding new recipes and trying them out, sometimes putting his own twist on them. And let me tell you, most of them are delicious! He also enjoys doing themed meals. For instance German night, or Greek night, or Hawaiian night, or Mexican night...and every dish in the meal goes along with the theme. He knows a lot more about cooking than I do and I have actually ruined a few of his creations by trying to help (for instance, 2006's Thanksgiving gravy!) There are a lot of spices in our cupboard that I never would have thought to buy, (some of them I'd never even heard of!) but now I know how to use some of them. He also loves to barbeque and is very good at that, too. I reap the benefits of this often.
Matt enjoys sports and is very good at them. He really loves to play volleyball. And trust me, you don't want to be on the other team digging his spikes. It also sucks to be trying to spike with him on the other team trying to block you. He also likes basketball and can hit a lot of outside shots. A few years ago he tried his hand at indoor soccer as our goalie and was surprisingly really good at that as well. (I only say surprisingly because he's never really played soccer before.) He likes to be active and work out a lot. (I get to reap the benefits of this as well, hehe.) He also likes to go camping, hiking, and biking.
He is a wonderful husband and an amazing father. He works hard to support our family. Our kids love to play with him. I think I fall in love with him all over again every time I see him playing with our kids and how he interacts with them, sometimes looking like a kid himself.

I could probably go on and on about him, but you've probably read enough.
Happy birthday baby, I hope it was great!!

Foster Parents

2008-07-25T12:32:00.003-06:00

I have been thinking a bit about people that are foster parents. I think it takes special people to be able to do this. I can't imagine taking in a child/children and giving them everything that a parent gives a child--shelter, security, food, love, and so much more--knowing that that child/children can and probably will be taken from you at any moment. Wouldn't it be hard to put your heart on the line like that? On a regular basis?

Matt's brother and his wife have been foster parents for a few years. They have taken in many children over the years. I know that there have been a few that they have wanted to keep in their family. Only to have them taken away. I think this would be so hard! You would have to get so attached. And then to not know what kind of situation YOUR kids will be placed in next. Like I said, I think it takes special people to be able to do this.

They brought Olivia into their home on November 1, 2006. She was 3 months old. She had just been released from a hospital stay that lasted more than a month. The reason she was in the hospital is because she had a severe skull fracture courtesy of her biological father. They loved her from the moment they saw her. The doctors have always been unsure of what kind of long term problems this injury would cause her. She continues to see many specialists, including neurology, neurosurgery, opthalmology, and audiology. All of them say she is a miracle baby with how well she is doing, given what happened to her.

Olivia is a very happy, active girl, full of energy. She loves music and dancing. She also loves to play with her babies and read books. She is very much a momma's girl.

We were thrilled last month when we heard the news: They were finally going to get to adopt Olivia!! She has been their daughter in every sense of the word for almost two years. Now nothing will change, except that she is legally theirs and cannot be taken away. They came to Utah early July and were able to have her sealed to them in the Bountiful Temple. I was lucky enough to take some pictures for them. They also have a foster baby right now, so we'll see what happens in the future. Congratulations Dan and Melissa! You can visit their blog here, if you're interested.

Ten Things I Could Not Live Without

2008-07-19T08:05:00.003-06:00

Laura did this tag and passed it along to everyone, so I thought I would give it a shot.

Ten things I could not live without (excluding hubby, kids, religion, and anything else that's REALLY important.)

My cell phone
My laptop (I only got it a few months ago and now I am in love with it!)
Paper towel
My shark cordless sweeper
My rocking chair (I have loved to rock since I was just little)
My washer and dryer (although I would love to upgrade!)
Clearance sales
Pants in a 34 inch length
My camera
A nice hot shower

Now to add my own twist, I am going to do another list. Ten things I could totally do without!!

Spiders
Weeds
Litterbugs
Dust
Ignorant, rude people
Allergies
Skyrocketing prices (on everything!)
Ear infections
Body hair
Pushy salespeople

I had to add one more!

Early mornings

Tag! You're it!:)

Bows Galore!

2008-07-14T07:00:00.003-06:00

Saturday night I decided it was time to make some more bows for my girls. I always try to make my girls bows/flowers/hair things because I am too cheap to buy them. I feel like if it's something I can do myself, why should I pay someone else a lot more to do it? I am a do it yourselfer (and yes, that's totally a real word!) I feel that way about a lot of things and sometimes get in over my head because I am sure something can't be as difficult as it seems. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Anyway, back to the bows...

These are the types of bows I usually make. I guess they aren't really bows, but flowers. I think they're darling and I have quite a collection that I use in my girls' hair every day. Here are a few that I've made:

Well, this time I decided I was going to try my hand at the ribbon kind of bows. I found some cute ones online and some of them had plans. These are the ones I made.

Tada! I think they turned out quite well. Especially for my first time. I love the red ones because the ribbon I used for those was a little bit wider and thicker and they seem to hold their shape a little bit better. I found instructions for those here.
I love the butterfly and dragonfly ones because they are more unique. This site also had a bee and a ladybug that were pretty cute.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2008-07-13T07:30:00.001-06:00

Today is my Mom's birthday. Therefore this post is going to be all about her.

My mom has six kids, 12 grandkids, and one on the way!

My mom has a lot of health problems. So many, in fact, that doctors run the other way! Nobody wants to treat her. She lives in a lot of pain daily. This is something I wish I could take away from her. Her 2 most recent surgeries have caused her death, in which she was brought back both times (thankfully!) She is not on any kind of disability and she doesn't have a handicap sticker (although I keep telling her to get one!)

My mom has so much compassion for others. She is the most sympathetic, empathetic person I know when it comes to someone being injured or sick. She took care of me and my family during my twin pregnancy. She took care of us again last month when I had back/shoulder issues, even though I know she was in pain, too. She is the first to help any of us out when we are sick or injured. I am very thankful for this.

My mom is such a great mom and grandma. She baby sits several of my nieces and nephews every day. She tends my kids when I need her to as well. She gets down and plays with them and they all absolutely adore her. She is concerned for each of their well beings. She is active in her kids and grandkids lives. We are quite an active family. She and my dad make an effort to come to all of the sporting events that we are involved in--whether it be me and my siblings, or my kids. My mom loves her family. Of this, I am certain.

She takes a lot of crap from her kids. We joke and laugh at, ahem, I mean with, her. She puts up with a lot from us.
Happy Birthday Mom. I love you!

Poop. Lots of Poop.

2008-07-10T17:33:00.005-06:00

If you didn't like reading that title, you probably shouldn't read this post. (Hey, don't say I didn't warn you!)

So I've had a pretty rotten day. And just when I think to my self how crappy things have been...they get worse!

Imagine, if you will, two little cuties going down to nap. Sounds great, right? They were even asking for "night night," even better. A few nice quiet hours go by. And then they start making noise. Cheerful noise, so it's ok.

I happen to be on the phone at the time, so I send Parson in to get the girls out of their beds. Only seconds later, he returns telling me that one of the girls doesn't have any pants or diaper on. "She only has a shirt!" he tells me.

As he's walking away, I notice the trail of poop footprints from the bottom of one of Parson's shoes. Are you kidding me?!

As it turns out, neither girl had a diaper on. And apparently both had decided to throw around their poop. A nice little poop party. How about that. And now it's not only in their room, it's all down the hall and living room, too. UGH! And I am short on sanitizing cleaning supplies and have to borrow from the neighbor. Wonderful. Dis.Gus.Ting.

Don't worry, it's all cleaned up now.

One day at a time, I tell myself. Here's hoping for a poop-free tomorrow!

I am Superman!

2008-07-10T10:40:00.000-06:00

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman		80%
Spider-Man		65%
Green Lantern		65%
The Flash		60%
Robin		50%
Wonder Woman		50%
Supergirl		50%
Hulk		50%
Batman		40%
Iron Man		40%
Catwoman		20%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

Worlds Oldest Mom

2008-07-07T10:22:00.002-06:00

Did you hear about this? Can you imagine having twins at 72? I think it's totally insane! I can't imagine wanting a son THAT bad. Totally different culture, I guess...

World's Oldest Mom
A 72-Year-Old Indian Woman Gives Birth to Twins
By KAREN RUSSO
MUMBAI, India
July 4, 2008

A 72-year-old woman who has two children and five grandchildren has given birth to twins, making her the world's oldest mother.
Omkali Panwar gave birth to twins.

Omkari Panwar delivered twins, a boy and a girl, by Caesarean section last week.

"I am very happy," Charam Singh, 75, the father of the twins, told ABC News through an interpreter.

Singh was reluctant to speak because he has received negative publicity for his wife's having children at such an advanced age. Even many people of his village in India's state of Uttar Pradesh haven't supported the decision. Still, he and his wife are happy.

"The desire for a male child has always been there, but God did not bless us with a male child," he said of the son who is a product of in vitro fertilization. "Now, we are very grateful to God, who has answered our prayers."

Late Happy 4th!!

2008-07-06T10:03:00.003-06:00

Sorry this post is just a few days late. You go out of town for 4 days and everything gets so backed up! You'd think I'd been gone for a month!!

Anyway, we had a great 4th of July and I hope you all did too! We started the morning by going to our city parade, which we do every year. I set out a few chairs the night before to save our spot, as I do every year in the same spot. (Everyone does this!) Well, Friday morning as we walk out to our spot, there was a chair missing. My favorite chair! A nice Coleman rocking camping fold out chair. Stolen! I know, I know, why would I put out my favorite chair? Honestly I wasn't worried about someone taking it. Like I said, everyone lays out chairs and blankets every year and it's never been a problem. As I asked around and talked to some of the people around us, I found out that at least 2 other groups had blankets and chairs taken as well. How rude! It angers me that people have the nerve to take something that doesn't belong to them! I guess it could have been worse, though. I can always buy a new chair. I was ticked, none the less...

Around noon I took Parson and Josh to the carnival over at the park. We had a lot of fun. The weather was perfect. We had some cloud cover and just a light breeze. The kids were able to play a bunch of games and win some fun prizes. We also came home with two little pet frogs!

Then we had a relaxing afternoon just hanging out together. As the evening came, we ate banana splits on the front lawn and waited for the fireworks to begin. We did some snaps and sparklers and the kids loved it. Then we watched some fabulous fireworks. Then Matt gave us a little firework show.

Then the kids were off to bed.

Lake Powell Fun!

2008-07-03T16:17:00.010-06:00

We were able to go on a little vacation this week! WooHoo!

We left Saturday early in the AM and arrived at Lake Powell that morning. We stayed until Wednesday mid-morn. My family has vacationed there every year as long as I can remember. It's so much fun! Although it can be pretty scary, too, if the weather is bad. This trip we endured some pretty strong wind at bed time every night, but that was the worst of it. It caught us off guard the first night and actually broke one of our tent poles. (Did I mention that I just bought this tent for Matt for Father's Day? Piece of crap!)
After that we were ready for it, though.

We had a lot of fun! We swam a whole lot. We also jumped some small cliffs, rode the hotdog and tubes, and wake boarded. We even had a King of the Hill contest. We didn't go out and see a lot of sites or canyons like we usually do, due to gas prices.
The kids love to go camping and sleep in a tent. They all loved the water, too. Their worst complaint was always sunscreen. They hate sunscreen! The boys loved riding on the hot dog. We actually even got the girls out there on the hot dog. Ellie loved it! She was all smiles and she kept saying, "Whee!" Abbie was less enthusiastic and cried the whole time. Oh well.

We shared our campsite with a few toads, tons of fish, dozens of lizards, and a scorpion. On day 2 my brother-in-law came across this unexpected visitor.
Yep, it's a rattler. In all our years at Lake Powell, we've never come across one of these until this year. Scary!

We had a great trip! And fortunately, we made it home without any major sunburns or injuries!!:)

We've Got Bugs!

2008-06-26T17:33:00.005-06:00

So I noticed a month or two ago that our nice big tree in our backyard had shiny leaves. I honestly don't know a whole lot about plants or trees, but I was pretty sure they weren't shiny last year. I left it at that and didn't think too much more about it.

I went out back the other day to put my girls in the swing set, which is partially under the tree. This is where I notice that the grass below my feet is a little sticky. Also there is a sticky build up on my girls' swings. Yuck!

So I get taking a closer look at my tree and the bottom branches are just not hanging right and the leaves look awful! I call my neighbor over to have a look and we notice little black bugs all over. Then we take an even closer look and see teeny tiny little white(ish) specs on the tops of the leaves. Like I said, I don't know a lot about plants. I honestly had no idea...

(See how the leaves look wet? And sticky? And those little whitish yellowish things?)

But I do now! They're called aphids. And they are sucking the life out of my tree! It's kind of like lice only for plants. Ewe! A lot of people think they only attack rose bushes but that's not true. And they are easier to control on rose bushes. My sister says she sprays them with a solution she bought to get rid of them. Someone else told me he puts something in the soil by his rosebushes and keeps them under control. I don't know if that would work with a big tree, too??

Anyway, I am glad I don't have to lose my tree. I was a little worried about it. Apparently all I have to do is spray it (with a good amount of water pressure) with a dish soap/water solution. This will definitely be a pain in the butt since this tree is monstrous, but like I said, at least I get to keep my tree.

So, beware the aphids! I definitely let mine get too bad before I took action. I will be more tree observant from now on!

Amazing Blogger

2008-06-25T16:12:00.002-06:00

This post is completely different from any I've done before. I want to send you all to a blog I came across a few weeks ago.

This family is amazing to me. They have just experienced a horrible, tragic accident. They got a hot tub. 5 days later, they found their sweet little baby/toddler drowned. This is what my nightmares are about. You've got to read this blog.

This woman is obviously hurting and grieving, she keeps it real. And at the same time she is so strong. Her testimony and her faith is amazing. Truly! Sorry to keep saying amazing, but that's the word that comes to my mind every time I think of her.

She posts often. And every time I read, I have to fight back the tears. And every time I leave her blog, I feel uplifted. I do not know this woman. She doesn't know me or read my blog. But my heart has been touched by her and the things she shares through her blog.

I wish I had an award laying around here; I would totally give it to her!
You can visit this blog at A Daily Scoop.

Ouch!

2008-06-23T00:50:00.006-06:00

That is how my weekend played out. I don't know how. I don't know why. But for some reason I woke up Friday around 6 AM in agonizing pain! I could hardly move! I was able to get in to my chiropractor at about 10. She told me that every rib on my right side was out, along with everything from my mid-back up on my right side? She also wanted to know what I had done the night before. I assured her I had done nothing strenuous. (Although I did visit her the evening before? And I only go in every 2 weeks and have been fine. Hmmm...I'm not actually accusing, here, but it makes me wonder.)

Needless to say, I spent the rest of the day on my mom's couch. Down. And. Out. And my mom is so wonderful, she catered to me and my kids the whole rest of the day. (Thanks mom! Love ya!)

I spent the rest of the weekend being pretty lazy. My right shoulder is still hurting a bit, and aching a lot. It is bearable now, so I think I will survive.

Now, a question. Anyone else go to chiropractors? What is your opinion? Good or bad, I want to hear it! I am on the fence here. What do you think about chiros?

Ewrney & Elmooo!

2008-06-17T01:15:00.006-06:00

Well, it's official. My girls LOVE Ernie and Elmo! They actually want to watch tv once in a while. They get so excited! Until now, they didn't care about watching anything. My boys watched the Baby Einsteins early on.
I know, I know, it's bad for kids to watch tv. But that may be the only 30 minute chance in my whole day that I have to:
have a shower (without little screamers at my door)
make dinner (without little screamers hanging on my legs)
blog (without little screamers on my lap)
nap (with or without happy little Sesame Street watchers on my lap)
work on my on-going home improvement project (without little helpers)
or any number of other things I could possibly have to do.
So thank you Sesame Street! We love Ewrney and Elmooo!

(This post has been brought to you by the number of the day and the letter of the day!)

Mmmmm Good!

2008-06-10T23:29:00.005-06:00

I. love. taco. soup.

It's so good! I love that it is so easy to make. I love that you can throw it together in a crock pot and not have to worry about it until you're ready to eat. I love that for how easy it is, it still tastes delicious! And I love that there is enough left over that I can have it again for lunch tomorrow! WooHoo!
This is nothing new. In fact, I think there are tons of ways to make it. And quite honestly, I've never tasted one I didn't like. Today I just threw this together:
kidney beans
pinto beans
cooked hamburger
tomato sauce
stewed tomatoes
corn
taco seasoning
and let it cook on low all day. Then when we dished it up we added cheese, sour cream, and fritos. So easy. And delicious.

Looking Back.....3

2008-06-08T23:29:00.007-06:00

A peek into my journal...continued.

I was hospitalized at 28 weeks. It was very boring and sometimes very scary. I worked a whole lot on a cross stitch I had started a few years earlier. It has 2 snowmen on it. Maybe I'll finish it this year!:) (I did finish it that year, by the way.)
I also brought Matt's laptop computer. This is nice, because I can chat with people via instant message. I also was able to find a website called monoamniotic.org. It is so awesome! Everyone there is either having momo twins, or has had them. It is a wealth of knowledge on a subject that no one seems to know much about. I have become much more educated on twins-especially momos. I also learned that the 50% mortality rate is outdated. We are still in a very scary situation, but there is hope. It is nice to be able to converse with people all around the world who know what I'm going through.
Monoamniotic twins make up only 1% of all twins. No wonder nobody seems to know much! There is a newer study called the Heybourne Study. It is very interesting. They studied many women pregnant with monoamniotic twins- half of which were hospitalized and half were outpatient who went in several times a week for tests. The outcome of the study was that of the women who were hospitalized, they didn't lose a single baby. Of the ones who were outpatient, there were quite a few babies that perished.
I am so glad to be sitting in this hospital bed after reading this! It is so hard to be away from Matt and the boys, but so, so worth it for my girls.

Some of the days were really tough. I had a few emotional days. The first days were especially hard, just getting used to the hospital and having to say "Goodbye" to my boys. Some of the nurses weren't exactly helpful, either, because they didn't understand my situation or why I was there. Overall, I think I did pretty well. I had to stay in bed with monitors on my stomach constantly with the exception of the bathroom, and a quick shower. Matt also brought the boys to see me every day. They would take me on wheel chair rides outside around the pond. This is something I looked forward to every day. I think I was on the monitors probably at least 22.5 hours per day.
Somewhere between 29 and 30 weeks, we went and took a tour of the NICU. This was very hard to take in. Seeing such small little bundles, fighting for their lives- it was quite an eye opener for me. A few hours after the tour, we had a major decel in baby A (Abbie). I was just sitting in my bed when a nurse came in to reposition my belts. Nothing out of the ordinary, I thought. She was rushing and not being very gentle and I still had no idea the seriousness of the situation. When she found the heartbeat on the monitor, I heard it go from thump, thump, thump to thump......thuump...........thuuump. I can't even explain how scared I felt at that moment. Within just a few minutes, my bed was surrounded with nurses and a scrub tech, I had oxygen put on my face, an IV put in my hand, and pills shoved down my throat. Next thing I remember was a nurse's face right close to mine, saying, "You're doctor is on her way, you need to be prepared. This could be IT!" At this point, tears started flowing and a very scared mama started to panic!
A few minutes later my doctor arrived and Abbie's heart had stabilized. (Thank goodness!) My doctor, her partner, and my peri continued watching my monitor for a few hours. They finally decided that things were going to be ok and that I would continue to be watched closely, but that today was not the day for me to meet my babies. Needless to say, my wheelchair rides were outlawed that day.
My sister and her kids came and visited me at lunch time on the weekdays. My parents also came several times per week. Matt's parents came a few times and played games with me (Settlers of Cattan). It was always nice to have visitors.
This hospital stay was tough! (wait a minute, did I already say that?) Some days my feelings were torn. A part of me wanted to have my babies early. That way there could be no cord accident and I could be done being pregnant and get out of this hospital and go home. Another part of me would then kick in and tell me to quit being so selfish. I knew I needed to stick with the plan to give my babies a good start at life. The best possible start I could give them.
To be continued...

Goodbye "Days"

2008-06-05T13:05:00.000-06:00

I am hesitant to admit this, but I starting watching Days of Our Lives when I was in sixth grade! I have continued watching for about 18 years! This sounds stupid, I'm sure, but I tried to quit several times--only to get sucked back into the story line. Until now, that is. I am proud to say I have not watched a single minute since the beginning of December last year. And now I have a whole extra hour in my day that can be spent on other things like cleaning my house, playing with my kids, blogging...

Happy Birthday Joshua!

2008-06-02T23:14:00.007-06:00

I can't believe he is 5! He is growing up so fast! Let me tell you a little about Joshua. Josh is my funny child. He definitely keeps me guessing. And laughing. He talks loudly and constantly. He is a sweet talker and a charmer. He has adorable little freckles and a dimple, too. He doesn't like to be tickled or kissed (ewe!). He can be a very big help when he chooses to be. He loves his family. He loves his extended family, especially his cousin Alyx and his Grandma Carmae. He loves to color and play games. He absolutely LOVES to be bald! And if you talk to him about it, he will try to convince you to be bald, too! Every time I do someone's hair, he comes in to tell them how amazing they look. He tells me I'm pretty and beautiful on a regular basis-especially when I wear a dress or skirt. Last year on my birthday, Matt asked him what they should get me and his answer was immediate, "a dancing dress!" He was popular with all the kids (and teacher) in his preschool. He is always talking to people everywhere we go and considers everyone to be his friend. Last week at the park he said, "look mom, there's my friend!" I asked what his name was and Josh had no idea. He had just met him. He loves everyone. He reminds me regularly that "We have to love the bad guys and strangers, too". He has energy and enthusiasm that would make anyone smile. He uses the words "sweet" and "oh snap" on a regular basis and I have no idea where he picked these up. Last night, he said "Look Dad, I ate all of my dinner!" and Matt said "Good job, buddy!" And Josh said, "Dad, you could have said you're excellent or you rock!" (insert an extreme amount of enthusiasm!) I love you Josh!
Today for his birthday, he wanted to ride the train to breakfast again, like we did for the girls' birthday. We actually pulled up just as the train was leaving and missed it. We gave him the option of going somewhere else, or waiting the half hour for the next train. He wanted to wait. All morning he had been talking about ordering a scone for breakfast and he was dead set on getting that scone!
We had a party for him on Saturday with my family. It was a lot of fun. He wanted to have a swimming barbeque party. We set up 3 little swimming pools and a slip n slide and had water balloons, while Matt did barbeque duties. Joshua's parties are my favorite of all my kids because I love doing backyard parties! I never really wanted a summer baby, but now I love it! I love that all the kids can just roam and the parents aren't constantly worried about them. We can just sit back and relax and visit, while watching them run and play. It just works for everyone! Anyway, back to the party.
I don't know if anyone noticed, but in my girls' birthday post I didn't mention much about the cake. Well that's because I made it and it was a disaster! And after such a cake nightmare, I have to admit I wanted to buy one for this party. But Carissa inspired me to try again and look what I created!
Yes, it's a snake! And yes, it's the easiest design I could find but let me tell you something, Joshua LOVED it! And he wanted a chocolate cake and a banana cake, so depending on what side of the cake we cut, we could choose our flavors. How's that for fancy? Ha ha.
Anyway, Josh had a great birthday. Thanks to everyone who came!

Fun Pictures

2008-05-26T08:25:00.001-06:00

Two of my sisters and I got a little crazy with the camera a week or two ago. We were laughing so hard while doing this! And after viewing our pictures, we laughed pretty hard all over again.
All you need is a digital camera, and a few willing participants. Actually your camera doesn't have to be digital, but it's nice if it is so you can just delete the boring ones and keep the better ones. It is fun to take jumpy shots like this:

Yes, I know we are easily entertained! I love my camera!

You don't have to be drunk for this to be funny--it's just good clean fun! Go on and try it! I promise you will laugh! We laughed until we cried!:) (I am in the black shirt)

Birthday Fun!

2008-05-22T22:24:00.008-06:00

As I've already mentioned, it was the girls birthday today. We had a great day, so I decided I would post again...I know, I know-twice in one day that's just crazy!:) This picture is proof to me of a good day because they are sitting willingly and smiling for the camera. That NEVER happens! This is totally a first! Usually when they see the camera they run away or scream or cry. I have been able to get maybe one of them smiling, but not both.
Anyway, we started out by going to breakfast. I guess it was more like brunch. We rode the brand new front runner train to a mom-and-pops diner type restaurant. Matt rides this train every day to work, but it was a new experience for the kids and me. It was pretty cool and the kids loved it. I don't imagine it would be very fun if it was crowded, but today it was perfect. There weren't many other people and the kids could explore and be as noisy as they wanted. (I forgot my camera, dang it!) Brunch was yummy! I think we all ate too much!
After that we came home and the girls took a nap, while Matt and I cleaned house, wrapped presents, and made cakes.
Tonight we had a party with my family for the girls. We started off with some pizza. Then we all chatted for a while. After that we were ready for presents. Unfortunately the girls weren't very into this idea. They each opened up a present from my brother and his wife. They were baby dolls. After this, all they wanted were those babies and they didn't care about any of the other presents. (Sorry everybody!) But thanks to everyone that came and for the gifts you brought, too.
After I finished opening their presents, we talked and laughed hysterically (my family tends to do that a lot. We always laugh until we cry! Do any of you do that?) Then we had cake and ice cream. MMMM...Good. I made the cake and it really didn't turn out very well.....Let's just say it tasted a whole lot better than it looked...

What a great day!:)

Happy Birthday! x2

2008-05-22T01:27:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet little girls! Can they really be turning 2 today? They are growing so fast!
I have loved them from the moment I found out about them. Getting them here, safe and healthy was a very long, hard process. Yet as a mother, I would do it over again in an instant. The hard times are/were definitely 2x's harder. The joys and love are also 2x's stronger! I get double the love, double the smiles, double the laughter, double the hugs and kisses. And that outweighs any of the bads for me. I love having 2 of everything. It wasn't something I asked for or planned for, but it happened to me. And I can't imagine life without my Abbie and Ellie! I wouldn't want it any other way. They are special girls who had to come in a special way--together! Although they fight a lot now (they've already mastered the 2 yr old attitude!), I am hopeful that they will always be close and have a special bond. And I am excited to witness this and be a part of it.
Isn't it amazing how much a baby can grow in two years time?
From this

To this

Happy Birthday Abbie and Ellie! I love you!

Looking back.....2

2008-05-19T08:22:00.004-06:00

A peek into my journal...Continued. (This was written after I was feeling a little better and could function. Some of it was written in present tense and some in past tense)

7 Weeks Pregnant. We have all moved in to my Mom and Dad's house. Matt goes to work at 5:00 AM and I am still so sick! I can't function. I can't take care of myself or my kids. Life is very hard right now. I am very lucky to have good parents that can take care of me and my family. Some days I don't think I can survive this. Most days I don't even get out of bed, except to go to the bathroom. My mom and dad bring me food and medicine and anything else I might need. They are like my own personal nurses. All I need now is a little bell to ring!
They are taking very good care of all of us. We are very lucky. We could not make it through this without them.

16 Weeks Pregnant. Things are still horrible. I am feeling worse than ever. This week has been so awful. I don't think I can survive much more of this pregnancy. I went to see my perinatologist today and we discussed the possibility of getting a feeding tube. We talked it over and decided to hold off another couple weeks and hope things will start to get better.

17 Weeks Pregnant. This week I am actually able to keep a little bit of food down. I am glad we didn't do the feeding tube. The nausea has let up some, and I am actually starting to feel somewhat human again! Yeah!

18 Weeks Pregnant. I got my pic line out a few days ago! Yeah!:) I am so glad to be feeling better!

By the time I was 19 weeks pregnant, we had moved back home. We continued to see my doctor weekly for ultrasounds as we had been doing since week 7. We also started seeing the peri because we are considered "high risk." Having one placenta with two sacks is the middle risk category for twins. We are monochorionic diamniotic. Our biggest risk/worry is twin to twin transfusion-where one baby gets more blood and nutrition than the other and you end up with one baby a lot bigger than the other. You also get two very sick babies. So far there is no sign of this for us.
We also found out we are having girls! We are evening out our family all at once. And doubling it, too!
I know having two babies is going to be very challenging, but I am so excited!

February 27, 2006
About 20 Weeks Pregnant. We had an appointment with MFM (peri) today. As the tech was doing our ultrasound, she noticed something floating somewhat freely. After looking at it for a few minutes, she came to a very unusual conclusion. Somehow, the membrane which was separating the babies (which is about the thickness of saran wrap) has ruptured. We could see the membrane just floating around.
This changes everything!:(
Then our peri came in to talk about our new diagnosis. Our babies are now in the same sack, which makes us monochorionic monoamniotic, or momo. This also puts us in the highest risk category because now we have to worry about the babies' cords getting tangled and cord compression. Our peri informed us that I will be hospitalized at 28 weeks and that, considering we still have live babies, we will deliver them at 32 weeks.
I think my head was spinning!
Then I came home and did some research online and read some horrifying articles. They quote a 50% mortality rate. This makes me REALLY scared.
I can't lose these babies now. I can't even imagine what I would do. Reading these articles made me cry.
My peri was baffled by what has happened to us. He said he has never seen this happen before. He said, "This just doesn't happen." He said we are in our own category and he doesn't really know what to do with us. Therefore, we ere on the side of caution and treat us as if we've always been momo. I am glad he is being cautious.
Hospitalized for four weeks? I don't like the sound of that. However, I do want healthy babies, so I guess we better start preparing.

To be continued...

(By the way, those of you that aren't familiar with momos, the 50% mortality rate is NOT current. I will get more into that in part 3. Just want to make sure I'm not giving out bad info here!)

Tagged!

2008-05-13T09:38:00.001-06:00

I was tagged for this by Jocasta. Here it goes:

Ten years ago (1998), I was:
*Enjoying the single life (not knowing I would be married less than a year later!)
*Managing a Supercuts
*Living at home
*Driving my first NEW car that I'd bought myself, a Mazda Protege

Five years ago (2003), I was:
*Pregnant with my second child
*Quiting my part-time job at Supercuts to be home full time
*Remodeling our family room
*Getting ready to sell our first home

Four things I did yesterday:
*Babysat my adorable 6 month old nephew (as I do every Mon, Wed, and Fri)
*Rocked my sad little girls who aren't feeling very well
*Watched my son's very first coach pitch game
*Gave my Mom a haircut

Four shows I love to watch (in random order): (even though none of them are currently on)
*Chuck
*Heroes
*The Amazing Race
*The Biggest Loser

Four things that make me REALLY happy: (I had to list five!)
*Spending time with my hubby
*Each one of my children's smiles and laughs
*A nice clean house
*Game night
*A great sale or bargain

Now it's MY turn to tag! I tag Michele, Chelsea, Carissa, and JP's Mom.

2008-05-11T10:51:00.004-06:00

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day! Mine was great! Hope yours was too!:)

Looking back.....1

2008-05-10T09:02:00.000-06:00

(I was WAY too sick to write this at the time it happened, but I was good to remember dates and conversations and feelings. I wrote this when I was able)

Here's a peek into my journal:

November 28, 2005
I have been very sick for the past 4 weeks. At first I thought I had the flu. Then, 2 and a half weeks ago I found out I was pregnant. I have been down in bed the past 5 days. I feel SO sick! Thanksgiving was a few days ago, but we stayed home because I couldn't get up.
Today, my mom and dad came and got me from my house. My dad took me to the hospital. I am very dehydrated and I still can't keep anything down. I feel horrible. I am happy to be pregnant, but I hope this sickness doesn't last too long.

November 29, 2005
I got out of the hospital today and went back to my parents house. I still feel really crappy, but at least I am a little more hydrated. I don't know why I am so sick?! With my other pregnancies I was really sick--but not so early and not this bad. The medicine (zofran) helped a lot with my other pregnancies, but with this one, I can't even keep the pills down! I'm afeared this is going to be a long, hard pregnancy. My mom says it must be a girl.

November 30, 2005
Today I went in to the hospital and had a pic line put into my arm. Now I will be able to take my medicines through IV. Also, I am taking 2 bags of saline per day to keep me hydrated.
After I had my little surgery, I had an appointment to see Dr. Boheen. She decided to do an ultrasound to see if she could see anything that would indicate why I am being so sick and so soon. She started the ultrasound and after just a few seconds said, "oh, OK, now I see why you're so sick. (pause) Are you ready for this?" Then she repeated, "Are you ready for this?" At that moment, I knew! I said, "Is there 2 of them?" She confirmed.
WOW!! What a shock! I can't even believe this is happening! TWINS?!! How exciting!
I told my doctor that she'd better print me a picture, because nobody was going to believe this!
I went to the waiting room where my dad was patiently waiting and told him the news. I think I was in shock at this point. My dad said, "No way! Are you serious?!" Then we went back to my mom and dads house and told my mom and some of my siblings. My mom started to cry. (happy tears, of course). Nobody saw this coming.
I told Parson and Joshua the news. Then Parson called Matt at work. He said, "Guess what, daddy! Mommy has two babies in her tummy!" And Matt said, "Pars, are you teasing me?" and Parson said, "Yeah dad. I'm just teasing you." At that point I grabbed the phone and said "No, he's not teasing you! We are having twins!"
Wow! I still can't believe it.
Matt and I are very excited to be having twins! Well, actually I think everyone is excited about it.
I am only 7 weeks along and it is early to tell, but my doctor said she thinks we have one placenta but 2 sacks. Because we only have one placenta, we know that the babies will be identical.
What a day!:)

Photo Contest Update

2008-05-09T21:16:00.002-06:00

Well, it is over. And I definitely didn't win. My husband said I should have written more about my trials and hardships about my pregnancy. After reading the comments left on the contest site, I realize I definitely should have. (I hate it when he's right!) I wanted my post to be short and sweet, thinking the picture said enough. People related as much to the writing, I think, as much as they did the pictures. Coulda, woulda, shoulda...
I took 4th place, and in my own little brain have chosen to see this as a victory. So, yeah for me. And yeah for those who voted for me!

Holy Cow!

2008-05-09T10:44:00.005-06:00

Parson told me the other day that he couldn't see the board very well at school. This surprised me a little since I just got him glasses 6 months ago. I called the school and had the nurse recheck his eyes. She called me back and said I needed to get him in to the doctor.
I took him to the doctor and this is where the Holy Cow comes in to place-his sight is 3 times worse than it was 6 months ago! They are 2 full points worse than they were! The doctor put his hand about 3 feet in front of Parson's face and said he wasn't seeing anything beyond his hand clearly.
The poor kid. He didn't get a single thing from me except his eyesight. Ain't that the way it goes...

Voting Update

2008-05-05T09:03:00.004-06:00

The 5minutesformom site continues to add new posts. This has made it difficult for a lot of people to find the photo contest and be able to vote. I have tried linking to the exact page of the contest, but it keeps kicking me back to the home page. The easiest way I can find to get to the photo contest is to go to 5minutesformom. Then click on contests from the categories across the top. Then under May 3, 2008 it says "The finalists in the $1000 Mothers Day photo contest." Click on that. Then it will explain the contest. Scroll down to see all of the photos. After the photos they have set up a polling box where you can place your vote.
I am seriously lagging in the vote department. I am only behind by like 300 votes! Ha ha:( I know it's a long shot, but help me out if you can!
Thanks!

No Way!!

2008-05-02T23:47:00.009-06:00

I just checked out the results for the Mothers Day photo contest over at 5minutesformom.com and guess what! I am a finalist! Woohoooo!
I am super excited about this if you can't tell. So vote for me,

vote for me!:)

Photo Contest

2008-04-30T10:11:00.016-06:00

They are having a Mothers Day photo contest over at 5minutesformom. I have decided to enter this picture. It is a picture of my girls in their isolette in the NICU. It is the first time they were put together. I think it is a great picture. It reminds me how precious they are and that, as a mother, you do whatever it takes to give your children everything they need to have a good shot at life. And that's only the beginning...

Goodbye Ear Infections!

2008-04-27T22:10:00.008-06:00

That is our hope, anyway. The girls have had so many over the past year. And especially the past few months! Between the two of them, we have been in the doctors office weekly. Any of you that have experience with ear infections know how miserable life can be, x2 no less! Not to mention how the copays have added up with all the visits and prescriptions!
Wednesday morning Abbie and Ellie had tubes put in their ears. The doctor also looked at their adenoids and decided they needed to come out. It was a long day, but we all survived. Now we are just crossing our fingers that they will have healthy ears for a while.

Another Joshua Moment

2008-04-18T14:44:00.004-06:00

Josh is totally being a blog hog! He is just so funny and at a good age that I have to write some of the things he does. Last week it was my nephew Maxwell's birthday. I was telling the kids to get ready and in the car. Josh asked me where we were going. I told him we were going to the Dinosaur Park for Maxwell's birthday. Josh said, "aw mom, I don't want to go to the Dinosaur Park! I thought we were just going to a party." I told him that it was Maxwell's birthday, so he got to choose where we went. And that when it was his birthday, he could choose. Our conversation ended and we continued to get in the car.
We got to the party and about 30-35 minutes later, Josh went over to Maxwell's dad and said, "me and my mom thought this was going to be a really stupid party, but I'm having fun and I'm glad I came."
So he totally dragged me through the mud in a conversation that was completely different!
I can't even imagine what kind of things he is going to tell his kindergarten teacher next year!

Long Lost Brothers??

2008-04-14T15:49:00.020-06:00

Over the years, I have had quite a few people tell me that my husband looks like actor Jim Caviezel. I thought it might be fun to do a little picture comparison. Jim is on the left, Matt on the right. What do you think? I set up a poll in my right column.

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My First Runaway!

2008-04-09T12:23:00.005-06:00

That's right, I said runaway. Friday, after a very long and awful day for me, Josh told me that our house was BORING and he wanted to live somewhere else. He then proceeded to pack his backpack with the necessities- his favorite blanket and a pillow- and asked me if I could deliver his bed to him. Then he walked to a neighbor's house, knocked on the door and asked if he could live with them. No big fight or argument-he wasn't even in trouble. It was just because he didn't want to live in a boring house. I guess I'll have to try and make things more eventful around here...

A Whole New Look!

2008-04-08T18:49:00.008-06:00

My blog just got an extreme makeover! I am very pleased with how it turned out. I think it looks fantastic! So I must give credit where credit is due. I was searching endlessly online trying to find a 3 column template that suited my likings and having a very hard time. I stumbled upon one of Ali's designs and made my way to her site. Here, I learned that she has made quite a few and that she is very willing to help people out. I simply left her a comment on one of her posts and the next day she emailed me. Now, a week and a half later, I have a whole new blog! She doesn't charge for this service, but she does have a donations button on her blog for people to leave however much they choose. She was extremely patient working with me and my indecisive self.

Her site is called Mission Field Designs and her button is on my right side column. If anyone needs any help designing their perfect page, I definitely recommend her.
THANKS ALI!!

BabyGirls

2008-04-02T00:10:00.010-06:00

Today, I just thought I would tell you a little about Abbie and Ellie. Abbie was born one minute before her sister and that trend has continued. She is very slightly taller than her sister, Ellie. She rolled over and crawled just a couple weeks before Ellie. She has also been walking for a month and a half. Ellie is just starting to take off. They are both a tease. Every time I think I've figured out who's going to be the trickster, the other one surprises me with something that she thinks is absolutely hilarious. Ellie is my accessory girl. If it is wearable, she must have it on. She loves hats, gloves, socks and shoes (of any size), necklaces, her coat. She even loves her brothers wrist sweatbands! In the past few days they have figured out that they can get the garbage can out and empty it all over the place, or better yet throw miscellaneous things away. They've also realized they can reach the kitchen drawers and scatter silverware and cooking utensils throughout the house. Looks like it's time for cupboard latches.;) Just this week, they have started giving each other high fives. It is so cute! They have been giving 5's to other people for a long time but just barely to each other. They started doing this by themselves, without anyone telling them. I find this absolutely adorable.

I stayed up til 2AM the other night making a very cute little video of them. It turned out great! Unfortunately, I can't for the life of me figure out how to get it to post on here. I have tried for hours and for now I give up.