Seventeen Weeks Old

Uh oh... I have discovered what really happens when I leave the room after putting him down to nap. He usually cries for a minute and then drifts off to dream land. Though I had no idea he had a companion. His thumb. I snuck in his room while he was sleeping to put something away. And I peeked at him and saw him sucking away in his sleep!! Well. I hope it doesn't last. Or at the very least, I hope it doesn't start happening in the day. What is worse. The binki, or the thumb? He doesn't like the binki any way. He's like Sophie in that respect. I tried to make him like it, but the older he has gotten, the more he would refuse it. So we finally put it away all together. Sophie too. And I would find her sucking her thumb in her sleep too. Not once has she ever done it durning the day. And then she finally stopped all together. I hope the same pattern follows with Gavin.

Gimme 5

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Just finishing my first semester at Rick's College (BYU Idaho). Having just moved there in September without knowing any of my roommates, anyone in Rexburg, the state of Idaho or anyone in the USA for that matter (besides family in Arizona). What an exciting time in my life.
2. Walking everywhere. I didn't own a car.
3. Loving taking the backseat on campus. In high school I was ra-ra-involved in everything from drama to band to student counsel to yearbook. Call me a nerd or whatever. I loved not being involved in anything. But at college no one had any expectations of me and so I didn't live up to them or fall short of them. I was a new me. It was a nice break. Now, as it turns out, I would like to be a little more of my high school self and be more involved in everything going on around me again.
4. Eating like a college student. A lot of cereal, rice, frozen pizza and brownies. Not all together in case you were wondering.
5. Dating? Yes. And of course I thought I would marry everyone I dated. Turns out I settled down and dated the same guy for over a year. That was the longest relationship I'd ever had. And no, it wasn't Rich. We didn't date that long.


5 things to do on my to-do list today:
1. Laundry
2. Mop the floor
3. Make layered jello with 12 layers. For dinner tomorrow. We are having Thanksgiving early tomorrow.
4. Make 6 pumpkin pies. I love pumpkin pie!
5. Take Sophie to tumbling and pick up the kids Halloween pictures from Target. Finally!


5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Apples
2. Cookies/cake (no frosting)/brownies
3. Raw almonds with bittersweet chocolate chips
4. Warm homemade bread with homemade jam on top
5. cheese sticks


5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Buy a house
2. Invest in Rich's business so it can be all that he wants it to be
3. Save money for the kids college/missions and weddings. So their wedding can be the ones in their dreams (and my dreams)
4. Take a Disney trip with my family and visit all the Disneyland's in the world, and do it with no expense spared.
5. Do service missions in South America where you get to build houses, schools and churches for those that need it.


5 places I have lived:
1. Canada
2. Idaho
3. Iowa
4. Pennsylvania
5. Utah


5 Jobs I've had
1. Sales girl at a shoe store
2. Domino's pizza delivery girl
3. Blockbuster
4. Waitress
5. Apartment Manager


5 Holiday Foods or Traditions I Love:
1. Pumpkin Pie!!! One of my first memories of me and Rich together is Thanksgiving 8 years ago. We weren't dating, but I spent Thanksgiving at his house (another story for sure). We ate a whole pumpkin pie between the two of us for breakfast one morning. It must have been love...
2. St. Nicholas Day. December 5th. We leave a shoe outside of our bedroom door and St. Nicholas leaves a small gift that fits in the shoe (earrings, toy cars, candy) if we've been good. Or coal if we've been bad. I did it all growing up, and we have carried it on with our kids.
3. Dressing up for dinner. We've always worn next to our Sunday best for all special holiday meals. No jeans and T's allowed. I think it makes dinner taste even better when you treat it so special. You go to all that hard work to prepare delicious food and have a beautiful table. The least we can do is dress the part. I can't believe some people actually wear super casual clothes to those dinners.
4. Valentines Breakfast. We pull out our hand wash only fine china. Do up the table all fancy like, and make a gourmet breakfast. And of course cupid leaves his little gift on everyone's plate.
5. Not a real holiday. But we always go out to ice cream when the first snow of the year falls. We love ice cream!!!

Thanks for the tag. I love tags too. You always find out interesting things about others, and even yourself when you do them. And when I'm in a blogging lull they help break the ice.

Logical Laundry

I'd like to think of this drawing as directly relating to my life. But I'd entitle it "the reality of my life" And I'll tell you why...

Me & Rich, happily married. 2 people = 2 - 3 loads / week. No sweat.

Me & Rich & Sophie, a new family. 3 people = 3 - 4 loads / week. Bring on the challenge.

Me & Rich & Sophie & Peter, family of four. 4 people = 4 large loads / week. Not willing to stretch any further.

Me & Rich & Sophie & Peter & Max, bring on the new baby. 5 people = A necessary 5 - 6 stuff the washer to the brim loads/ week. One load a day with no weekend laundry. Down pat.

Me & Rich & Sophie & Peter & Max & Gavin, add the sweet little baby 6 people = Throw a wrench in my wheel. Unwilling to accept the inevitable. Picture me in diagram #7. Must figure out 7 loads/week!! What does a girl do??

I refuse to do regular household chores on the weekend. Rich gets the weekend off, and so should I (as much as possible). We leave the weekend for family fun or big projects (like the garage!). So somehow I need to figure out a new laundry life. I have accepted the fact that I can no longer get by on 5 loads a week. No matter how full I fill the washer. My system has been squashed... How do you out there do more than one load per day? I am baffled.

Sixteen Weeks Old

Gavin is my jammie baby. I have always been big on dressing my cutie-pie's up in real clothes from a young age. But with Gavin the jammies seem to lag on. He goes out in public and even to church once in just his jams. He thinks they are super comfy. And why take a good thing away? Really, I can't decide if I am lazy, smart, busy or just tired and I don't dress him up. Maybe a combo of them all. I think he is in jammies 80% of the time. Wonder when that will end??? But on a different note. He has changed his all night sleeping pattern. He used to sleep 10 hours straight. Not now. It's more like 7 and 4. Midnight snack attack is calling!!! I want my full night of sleep back... But his day pattern is great. Up for 1, down for 2 1/2. Up for 2 down for 3. Up for 1, down for the night. Predictability. Ahh...

I conquered the problem!

About a month ago I was totally fed up with the toy problem in our basement. I was just about ready to throw them all away. Then I had a lightbulb moment! And now to back up a step. For since ever and ever the toys in the house have been kept on the shelves of our food storage room (behind the door at the bottom of the stairs). Random I know - but it seemed to work... Toys were always pulled off the shelves and dumped right there at the bottom of the stairs always being steped on and kicked. And then being shoved into the food storage when we had to do a mad clean up. I HATED IT!!! I did some surveing of the basement to try and think of a solution. I have a rarely used craft room in the basement. And voila!! The solution was as clear as mud. A little clean up of my Monica's closet, put up our stored toy shelf. Buy new toy buckets and I can breath again... It only took a weekend, a little blood and some needed purging and we are a toy happy home. There is enough room for the kids to dump buckets out and for me to not care! The clear and mtaching and labled buckets make for super easy clean up too. The new buckets are the perfect size for the shelves, and they all match. Perfect organization for me, happiness for everyone. And now that it is a month later, I can safely say that this was the best thing I have done in a long time.

Pinewood Derby

So Rich has two callings at church. Executive secratary, and cub scout master.

It really is a miracle this pinewood derby was pulled off in light of the changes in his life lately. Turns out this is the last thing he had to do with scouts.... for now.

Fifteen Weeks Old

I lost Gavin's binki this week. I searched everywhere. Even went to the store to buy a new one. They didn't have the kind I wanted. So... there goes his binki. At 3 1/2 months old he's done. Cold Turkey. He's not quite the addict with it, the way Max is. So it wasn't that traumatic. And I figured it's ok. We'll be better off without it, right?
Gavin likes to sleep in his bed, right? He doesn't like to sleep in my arms. So during those 3 hours of church, you can catch me in the hall most of the time. Just follow the sound of the crying baby. That's Gavin and me... And I don't know what to do. All he wants to do is lay down and sleep. The other week I actually did that. I went in the foyer and laid the blanket down and put him to sleep. Well, he's also a light sleeper. Today Rich took him for a few minutes and he fell asleep for him doing laps around the halls. But he woke up when all the warm womanly chatter began when Relief Society was starting. And then during Relief Society a friend left the meeting and found me (in the hall). Took my dead-tired-can't-do-anything-other-than-cry-my-eyes-out baby and told me to go in and take a break. I was so grateful to her. Gavin really is a wonderful baby. When he's rested and fed.
Speaking of feedings. There is no problems there. Check out those mega thighs!! Gotta love it...

Disney On Ice

Surprise!!

Rich called me Friday afternoon and asked what we were doing the next day. I was a little annoyed because he KNEW the long and tedious list of things to do on our one day off together. Especially since his parents were coming back on Monday and there were some outstanding projects that needed our attention. He shortly interrupted me and blurted out "I GOT TICKETS TO DISNEY ON ICE!!!!!" So let's drop everything...

We didn't tell the kids until we were driving to Salt Lake in the car. It was so awesome and they were thrilled with the excitement of a good secret and then the bursts of cheers were priceless when we finally told them where we were going! We went out to dinner at the Gateway after turning ourselves away from Build-A-Bear where there was a 35 minute wait in line... But that's really another story. But to interject a side story. Max, our wanderer, was happily walking beside our stroller. I didn't want to rock the happy mood in our family and let him walk. Well, when we entered the food court Rich and I looked at each other and asked "where's Max..." My heart dropped to my shoes. He was totally gone. What happened? Rich bolted off in the direction we had come pushing past the crowds of people running and scanning the outdoor mall for our little boy in his red winter coat, carrying his little fire engine. I was frozen for a minute, thinking, do I stay here with my 3 other kids, do I follow, do I ask for help. What do I do? I took the kids and we followed, at a much slower pace, behind Rich. In probably 90 seconds, but what felt like hours, we were reunited with our whole family again outside of a jewelry store. Someone found him, all alone, and took him in. We had to wait for security to come, and then we were off. Shaken beyond belief, but ready to continue. I'd have to say this was below the bottom of the totem pole in good parenting moments in my life. We feel blessed that things turned to our favor so quickly. The kids barely knew what happened, and Max wasn't phased at all. I should have put him in the stroller. I didn't want to share this experience. Embarrassed that we could have done this. But I didn't want to forget. You hear that this happens to everyone. Rich was actually left at a store once, and his family went home unknowingly. But until it happens to you, you just don't think about it in the same way. It was scary because Max is so little. He can't even say his own name. But as strange as it may sound. This was a bit of a spiritual experience for me too. I could feel my Heavenly Fathers love for me and my children. I could feel His trust in me as a parent. I could see answers to my quick and pleading prayers in my heart. I felt so deeply bonded with each member of my little family. I am so grateful for my family... It is the most important thing to me in this world. And we all returned to our happy family and had the best time in our back row seats at Disney on Ice. At first I was a little bummed, but soon realized they were rockin' seats for us. Because I had to get up and stand with Gavin a few times, and was still within range of my family. I'm surprised my kids didn't get frost bite on their eyes - they were glues to the ice!!! Max especially. And when Timone and Pumba came out (from the Lion King) Max couldn't stop with his little and loud 'snort snort'. We let the kids get cotton candy and a snow cone. We had SO MUCH FUN!! The whole day was just the way I wanted it (minus the loosing Max in the mall part). Everyone was happy, and we were just hanging out - doing the family thing. I loved it.

(This was Max, through the whole show)

She is ONLY five years old...

Today when picking Sophie up from school she was telling me a little about her day she was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. A quick exchange of flowers from his hand to hers, and he was off. Sophie was so confused... I asked who he was. Cameron. But she wasn't really paying attention to me. Her attention was on the scenery of dead leaves all over the ground around her and in her tender innocent voice said "I don't know where these came from, I don't see any flowers anywhere..." She thought he must have picked them. I had to explain that they were a gift from Cameron because he thought she was a special friend. I had to admit I was a little jealous... My special friend hasn't given me flowers in quite some time. And no, left over flowers from the office don't count.

Turns out, Sophie has more than this one admirer. In parent teacher conferences last week her teacher told us about them. There is another one that likes to take care of Sophie. And she said Sophie is a really good friend. Always watching out for others, especially those that need friends. She is so sweet and thoughtful. It was so nice to have another grown up notice the same thing I do about my darling daughter. She had a good report.

The New Me

I've tried a few times to take a picture of myself. Maybe it's that I feel self conscious or something, but I didn't like any of them, even this one. Really, who wants to say. Here I am, Look at me, I'm so beautiful, or something like that. But I thought I should just put it out there. So now it's done. This is my new haircut, in the dark.

Remembering the good old days.

Dan, Katie, Kristin, Christin, Jon, and me and Caleb in the front. Taking pictures at Polson Park before heading off to Prom, 1998. What a blast!
me, Jon, and Krisitn. The night we toilet papered Maria's house, then the guy who lived in the house we parked our car infront of came out, scared us to death, and made us go to the police station and tell them what we did!! (1998)

Maria, out on the church lawn after YW or church or something. So hot! (1998)


I have the best memories from when I was a teenager. I had the best of friends and we did the coolest things. Things like going to the beach, driving way too fast in my mom's car, eating french fries or mac & cheese at my house for lunch with everyone, stake dances, church choir, EFY, and so so so many more. Some unmentionables of course!

So when I had the chance on Sunday to get together with some of my great friends I jumped on the chance. I took my family to Jon's house and we had a great time being grown ups together, remembering when we weren't. I am so glad I have kept in touch (a little bit anyway) enough to see them again. I love you guys!!!
Dan, Maria, me, Jon, and Kristin

2008, 10 years later

Just another blog post

I love to blog. It is one of my favorite things to do. To post my life, and to read your blogs. But I seem to be on a downer when it comes to blogging. I would blog everyday if I could. But I can't. It feels like the same old thing just isn't that interesting, not to mention the fact that my spare time is not so spare anymore. I don't want my blog to be a complaining log, or just a list of current events in my life. My creative juices must be being sucked out of me by my darling children. And that's ok. So as much as I'd like to tell you about my 4 piles of clean clothes in baskets in my laundry room that keep calling my name, and the fact that at Albertson's last week I paid $6.88 - saved $53 and they gave me $15 of instore credit for the next time I shop, I am just not in the zone for it right now. But I'll keep reading about you and then sooner rather than later I'm sure, I'll snap out of this and be able to tell you just how excited I am that there are only 45 days left until Christmas.

Fourteen Weeks Old

How fun it is to watch Gavin change from week to week. He is now loving to be part of everything going on around him. I can no longer eat without him. He wants to be with us and I have to hold him while standing and eating at the same time. It makes for some tricky meat cutting! I carry him around a lot lately. And boy is he getting heavy. I weighed him on our bathroom scale (me holding him and deducting my weight) and it looks like he weighs around 15 pounds!! He is a heavy weight champ...

During those short periods where he still likes laying on the floor under his little toy, he has realized he can control his hands a little. He swats at the little rattle ball that is just within his reach. So cute to be in the kitchen and hear 'rattle rattle' from the family room.

Reading Fun

While I was doing laundry this morning Sophie came in and said "I can read this book mom..." I told her to go ahead, not really thinking she could do ALL of it. So she started and went and went on reading the whole thing!!! I only had to help her with three words. EIGHT, NINE, and VERY. She got the rest on her own. Sure some of the pictures helped her figure out the words, but she still did it and I am one proud mama today!!! Way to go Sophie, I love you!!

Rest at last

What a crazy week!!! Party after party and then some. I haven't had a chance to do any blogging or anything for myself all week. We were lucky to have clean underwear I was so busy!!! But now it's over. And I have caught up on my blog, so scroll down to see how it all went.

And on another subject. Last week Rich and I were called in to meet with the stake presidency. He was called to be the executive secretary for our amazing bishop. He was sad to think about being released from his cub master calling which he loves. So the good news there was that he gets to have both callings for a little while. That just means he'll be twice as busy for a while and then just super busy after that. Now he'll have more meetings to attend and more phone calls to make. All after getting home from work around 6:30-7:00pm on a good night. We are excited for this new opportunity in our lives, and the chance he has to work so closely with some truly inspirational and spiritual men in our ward. He had this calling for 4 years in Iowa, and looks forward to some of the same blessings he had there. The opportunity to really get to know the ward members on a different level, and the opportunity to become so close to the leaders in the ward. I also know that in any calling we have ever had that our family has been richly blessed as we strive to serve diligently and faithfully. The Lord loves us and gives us chances to grow and stretch our wings in a variety of different ways. In our families, callings, jobs, and trials. I love this gospel and have a strong testimony of the truthfulness of it.

Thirteen Weeks Old

For several weeks Gavin has been sleeping 8 + hours every night. It has been wonderful for me, and is much earlier than I am used to for my babies sleeping through the night. Well against all hope, he has stretched that out even more. For the last week or so it has now been a reliable 10 - 12 hours of straight sleep every night. I'm in heaven!! So all I have to say now is..

SLEEP, BABY SLEEP

The Hair Cut.

I went to get my hair colored and cut on Saturday. I have a lot of grey hair it turns out (a lot of it thanks to Gavin. I think I left the hospital with twice as much as I went in with). And it was finally time to do something about it. I kept the natural dark brown color and added a few lighter brown highlights. Then came time for the cut. She asked me what I wanted and I didn't really know. She did her thing, and now it's short with lots of layers. The longest layer reaches my shoulders, which is what I wanted. The rest was a surprise to me when she spun me around in the chair to look at it in the mirror for the first time. I loved it. It is so different from anything I've ever done to my hair. So you are probably asking where the picture is? Well, it's late and therefore not picture worthy. I'll have to hit Rich up for a picture tomorrow and post it then. Just wanted to share my adventure....