La Petite Famille Folle

Christmas Card?

2012-01-27T14:49:00.002-07:00

I actually knew in October, that we would not be doing a Christmas card...I didn't like that conclusion, but we just couldn't fit it into our budget.... Luckily, I had raided my mothers vintage collection of cards back in September, so I had a TON of cards to use for our "goodie deliveries" :o) It was actually kinda fun using cards made clear back in the 60's and 70's. Hahaha!

If I would have made a card, though, this picture would have been the one we would have used. I wanted to take the kids to the park and do snowy type pictures, but our Christmas didn't bring any snow....at all, so it just didn't happen. Hazel started letting me get more ambitious with her hair and sits quite still for me until I'm done. So, her favorite thing for me to do now is curl her hair up in ringlets. I don't blame her, she looks so darn cute! I only wish Eloise would let me do her hair sometimes... She screams bloody murder when I brush through it! Actually.....come to think of it, Noah hates me touching his hair too. He likes his short, so he doesn't have to worry about combing it. Hahaha!

Eloise demanded to be in matching dresses again this year, even though I was leaning more towards the idea of color matching, instead of dress matching.... it worked out because TJ Maxx had these lovelies, in their sizes, on sale for $15 each. Noah already had his sweater, even though I would have preferred to buy him a new tie to go with his suit. It matched the dresses perfectly, so I didn't have to worry about it anymore. It was a great start to our holiday.

As soon as I get brave enough, I will download the next bunch of pictures and get some more posts caught up. My computer likes to crash dump when I download pictures....A new computer is in our near future....

Thanksgiving

2012-01-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving didn't hold too many surprises for us. Last year it held too many and was laced with a huge snow storm. This last Thanksgiving was just about opposite.....it was borderline boring. No, nevermind it wasn't borderline....it was boring. As you can see from the first picture, the kids were excited about the day! Seriously, the day holds no real memories for me to keep, in the limited space in my head. I honestly don't have many good things to even say about the whole traditional sense of the day.... however, after our day was wasted, Nathan and I decided that we needed to do something with the kids to show them, help them, understand what we are thankful for. So, we took them down to Temple Square (thinking the lights would have been on....they weren't). We expected there to be more of a crowd of people, but there were only a few tourists there besides us. So we walked around the plaza and the square explaining to the kids what we are thankful for and why. We took pictures, froze our butts off and salvaged our horrible day. It made the day worth celebrating again. Which made us feel better. :o) Enjoy the pictures!

Too cute

2012-01-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

Because every little girl needs a pair of monster slippers to accessorize with.

The Bookworm

2012-01-21T16:31:00.001-07:00

My bookworm.

Current Favorite Books:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series

Captain Underpants Series

Goosebumps Series

Next up:

Making up his own account on Goodreads.com so he can write up his own reviews.

My 2 pictures of Halloween

2012-01-18T21:03:00.001-07:00

I should add a disclaimer to my previous post. As much as I dislike Halloween, I do try to do everything I can to make it fun for my children....without over doing it... My explanation of only having 2 pictures? I did have my camera with me the entire time, but the Community Halloween Parade was such a blur of "Where are my kids?!" that I didn't think to take it out. After the parade we picked up Noah and Eloise's friend and headed up the their Grandparents neighborhood to trick-or-treat... by then it was way too dark. So enjoy the two I did get. One of them showing off their pumpkins and the other with a group of their friends after the trick-or-treat parade. Eloise reprised her role as a princess for the 2nd year in a row. Hazel reprised her role as a monster for the second year in a row and Noah became Batman.

School is exciting!

2012-01-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

Warning.... I am one of those parents that finds Halloween extremely stupid and tedious and one heck of a waste of money. So don't take offense to any of this, it's just my opinion. In all my memories of Halloween I only have one reoccurring one and that is, that each Halloween my good friends, grandmother would make caramel apples to hand out, instead of candy. Homemade caramel and everything yummy... I'm pretty sure this is the only reason that my parents ever took us out, so that they could have one as well. And in growing up in the country, it took literally all night just to trick-or-treat 25 houses! I remember the whole dressing up and going to school and having the parade... I remember thinking how stupid it was. I have never been the person to have a displeasing attitude, but I do recall never having liked those parades.

As a parent, I still hold fast to my feelings of Halloween. I hate buying costumes, I don't like buying candy - which I inevitably I eat and I really don't like driving the kids around (although I do it anyway). Thank heaven for the invention of trunk-or-treats! (I do admit, I do like carving pumpkins and decorating) My biggest pet peeve about Halloween is the dressing up at school, so imagine my delight when the principal at our kids' school sent home an announcement saying that dressing up is not allowed. :o) I was so happy and I was relieved for the teachers! Can you imagine teaching 30 kids that are all dressed up and not wanting to be there? Good grief! Not to mention all the costumes that would have been inappropriate and causing issues for the teachers, students and office staff! So, the principal had another bright idea. The Procession of the Species. This is a tradition actually carried on in Washington schools. Each class was designated a Season or Species and then spent each Friday in October with the Art Specialist creating their costumes. On the day of Halloween, or whenever it was, all the classes paraded through the District Offices, singing a song they had learned. The parents were invited to come then and the same night to watch it happen in the gym. It was an excellent option for our school and a lot of parents were thrilled with the outcome. I do know there were some parents still sorry for not having a dress up day, but oh well...

The parade coincided with the Fall Carnival that the PTA puts on every year. This year it was a bit of a downer and there were too many people there tying to promote a political agenda for our city. (which didn't pass by 11 votes, ha!) But there were still loads for the kids to do, including meeting Sid the Science Kid, which Noah was more than excited about! So my rant and update ends here....followed by some pictures. As you can see, Noah's class was Spring and the first in the parade. :o)

Cotton Candy

2012-01-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

Halloween wouldn't be complete if the kids didn't get some huge wrap of cotton candy handed to them by their Grandpa Vest. This particular day was spent at Gardner Village. We took the opportunity to take the kids' Grandparents there to see the witches for the first time. The kids, of course, have been there loads of times and since Eloise discovered the Doll Shop there, we are there at least once a month now. Ha! My parents had a fun time, though and my dad even convinced Eloise to try to kiss a fake frog, to see if it would turn into a prince.... imagine her chagrin when she noticed she was being teased....but you can't stay mad at a Grandpa when he is spoiling you rotten!

Soccer season

2012-01-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

You will all have to excuse the tedious lateness of this post, but for journal purposes, I must have this all written down and shared. Noah started school by the end of July and the Soccer season quickly started up right after. Eloise did Karate with Noah in the early Summer and wanted to join in the fun once again. We signed them both up and enjoyed every practice and game that followed. Nathan and I were both surprised how well Eloise did for her first time playing. She was scared at times, but she did try her hardest and wants to do it again next Fall. Noah did really well for his third year, he was more ambitious and became a good blocker. He would run his little heart out to get in front of the ball than proceed to try to steal it away and usually did. He even got a couple of goals! Eloise is actually a very good dribbler, but rarely got the chance to show that talent. She will grow in the sport, though, just as Noah has. Next year, they won't be on the same team, so this was a lot of fun for them.

And of course, Hazel and I became the most awesome-est cheerleaders ever and the kids were super excited whenever Nathan had the night off and could come and watch them. We invited their Grandma and Grandpa Dipo out to their last game and were very excited having them there as well. I know that my parents were so very sorry for missing their games, but 3 hours drive is a bit much to do in the middle of the week.

Hazel and her Grandpa Dipo are thick as two peas in a pod. They crack me up! So when Hazel saw her Grandpa at the field, that was it for those two. He didn't get to see much of the game, but was there and that's what counts. I just happen to love this picture of them.... it totally shows that they are up to no good and in their own little world.

We, the cheerleaders had loads of fun. We usually sat by very good friends, whose son played on the same team, and enjoyed the company and the game together. And if we weren't cheering or if the cameras weren't snapping the kids playing then, we were snapping ourselves. I actually got better pictures of their son in action, then I did of my own kids!

Processing these pictures has been fun, if you want to know where I'm getting my stuff head on over to www.thecoffeeshopblog.com Amazing stuff. :o)

More of our favorite Summer Memories

2011-11-08T21:37:00.000-07:00

When all of us got back from Idaho, we were beyond pooped. So we tried to relax as much as we could. When Nathan and I got married we had this "thing" where we would celebrate our Anniversary and our Birthday's with "pre" and "post" along with the actual day, just to get some added fun into our lives. When we started having our family, we kept the tradition going. So, Noah had his 6th birthday in July and we had a ball! So, for his Pre-Birthday we went up to Heber and ate at the Dairy Keen, played at the park there in town and went and saw the massive trains. It was a great day to be out of the city as a family. The kids had a great time and we were in no rush to do anything but be together. *We were also in no rush, because we knew as soon as we got home, Noah would have us set the tent up in the backyard and require us all to campout*

I should mention also, that the kids, during the Summer, got attached to He-Man and She-Ra like mad! We bought them each a foam sword and for a good 2 months, Eloise would ALWAYS have hers by her side or tucked down her shirt and at just the opportune moment, she was yell out as loud as she could "For the Honor of Grayskull! I AM SH-RA!" It never fails to draw unwanted attention... (she still does this on occasion, thankfully, not as much)

These last few pictures I'm going to leave in the black and white versions. I like them better and if you want to know what I am processing all my pictures with, I use Photoshop and download The Coffee Shop Blog for all my freebie. Check them out, they are great!

And of course, we had to get some pictures of each child with the steam engine. As much as Noah tries to act grown up, he just loves trains, probably always will. But there is also, just something that triggers the kid in you when you are around such fierce, massive and old trains. It's just fun. :o)

July was a blast!

2011-10-14T13:23:00.000-06:00

We thought June was busy, it held nothing to July! It started out with a visit up to Idaho for my Grandpa's 80th birthday celebration. It was a lot of fun and we took advantage of the time together to get some updated family pictures done. My cousin Megan is an outstandingly talented artist and only a Senior in High School! I am so thrilled with the outcomes of the pictures, especially so, because the location holds so many memories for me. These were taken right by my grandparents home. I must have ridden my bike a million times on that rode, not counting all the times I've driven on it. The homes, neighbors, the canal floats, the horse rides, the walks....oh the memories....

The celebration itself was very inspiring. We had a big potluck grill dinner followed by a "campfire" meeting *minus the campfire* where we were all given some time to share some memories of the birthday boy. It was a very special experience for everyone. I'm getting choked up just thinking about it. There were only a couple of family's missing from that day, so it was pretty close to a reunion. The extended family picture is at the bottom (my Grandpa is standing in back of Nathan).

The Idaho trip was also very bittersweet for me. I sent Nathan home on Sunday and stayed for another 5 days with the kids, so I could help my brother David get his house back in order and help him watch his kids. It was one of the longest weeks I've ever had, but we accomplished a lot and I had a lot of special moments and spiritual growth in the service of my brother.

Summer is over

2011-10-14T12:42:00.000-06:00

Now that Summer is over, and I have taken a small break from blogging, I figure it's time to jump back in. So, instead of a tedious re-cap of all of our doings and lets face it, most of you reading are on facebook and have kept up with it all anyway, I decided to post all my favorite pictures from this Summer. I'll split the posts, because obviously, I have a lot of favorites. :o)

I already posted some teasers from the kids' June photo session, but there are a few more that I want to post, because of the cuteness. Again, these were done by their Aunt Taryn. All her information is on the previous post. June was a busy busy month, this this about take care of my favorite pictures from June. Enjoy!

Suhweet!

2011-06-12T19:43:00.001-06:00

If these pictures don't scream SUMMER! I don't know what does!

More to come, I assure you! These were taken by Auntie Taryn. :o) www.storybookendingsphotography.com

Noah's graduation!

2011-06-06T20:39:00.000-06:00

Noah is officially done with Kindergarten! He graduated as one of the top in his class, with honors and received an award in excellence in reading! Nathan had to teach, but the girls and I went to his program and it was so awesome! They did a bunch of songs - my favorite was them singing and signing to "It's a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong. Louis dominates my iPod....so naturally, it was my favorite, plus the kids did such an amazing job! At the end they showed everyone a slide show of pictures throughout the year and the kids just loved it! I still am in a bit of shock and disbelief that he is going into First Grade!

We took him out for his dinner, with just his us. He loved the alone time and even talked Nathan into ordering dessert and proclaimed it was the best tasting thing he had ever ate! (Cheesecake shooter, Applebee's) We had a good time and I love it that he knew that he was being rewarded and not just spoiled.

We did get his test results back from the Gifted Program Test. As expected he didn't make it into the "Magnet" school. He would have had to have been in the 95% of the kids' tested and we knew that he wasn't quite that. He did, however score very well in the tests, but for whatever reason the tester failed to give him the actual "reading" part of the test. The part of the test that we knew he would have done very well on. After talking to a fellow teacher friend at the school who had her daughter tested as well, she was able to explain to me how the numbers are crunched ect....and also what the teachers actually go by. Because the tester failed to give him the reading part of the test, he wasn't recommended for cluster group reading, but his teacher for next year will be able to determine that for herself and recommend it, if necessary. Out of the 2 other tests, his scores show him at 75% of all the students, his grade level, that were tested for the gifted program. That is extremely awesome! That means, 75% of all the students tested on his level were below him! The test is only given to students that have been recommended by their teachers to take. So, Noah was 1 of approximately 10 students, in his grade level, that took the test at his school. This would be the entire district they put together for scoring. Only 1 student at his school, on his level, was invited to the "magnet" school. I would highly bet his score would have been higher if the reading test would have been administered. But what is done is done.

I now get to be the pesty parent for first grade! HA! Just kidding, most teachers admit they would love to see more involvement and concern from parents than none at all. So, I imagine I flirt with the annoying and pestering line, but stay on the right side. :o) Most people that know Nathan and I, know we are very involved in our childrens' education...so the kids' teachers get to know us quite well. :o)

Now, it's on to Summer and keeping the kids' brains from turning into mush!!

Eloise's Graduation

2011-06-04T22:00:00.000-06:00

Eloise graduated from her first year of preschool last week. She was looking forward to the little program her teachers put on. She very much wanted to show what she had learned....well....the teachers didn't pick the best songs to sing during the program. Not only was Eloise not singing, but the whole class wasn't singing. It was still very special for her and I'm glad that we had a chance to recognize her achievements in that way. It was a busy Thursday, because Noah was running the in Jog-a-thon at his school during the graduation. So we didn't stay and visit after the program was over - that and Hazel was such a pill. oy. Instead we busted over to the school and got there just in time to surprise Noah and cheer him on. It is no easy task for a 5 year old to run a mile. *it's no easy task for a 27 year old to run a mile* Eloise was so excited to surprise him and cheer him on, as soon as we saw him we started yelling and cheering our little hearts out and Noah's face was just priceless. It just lit up. He was so happy and very surprised. We got to cheer him on for 2 laps, we missed the first. We cheered for all the other kids as well, they enjoyed the support, just as much I think. We know many of the children, so it was a lot of fun!

That evening, Nathan and I took Eloise out for her alone time and dinner with Mommy and Daddy, for completion of her first year of preschool and good grades. It was a lot of fun, she enjoyed being the only one with us, but half way through dinner she pronounced that she was bored. HA! It was still great. She is now looking forward to going to school everyday like Noah. She and I take time in the day and have our little school time and she loves it. I hope that her head doesn't turn to mush before school starts again. Enjoy the pictures!

It's done!

2011-05-25T22:14:00.000-06:00

Well, pictures are done with.....let me tell you....I'm glad. LOL! I accidentally made the appointment without looking at my calendar, so I actually double-booked, with Noah's only field trip being today, this afternoon....but in reality it was ok, because the May weather is so unpredictable and our window of opportunity was this afternoon. So I made Noah miss his field trip, so Hazel could have a good nap, for the chance that she would be easy and happy to work with.

That didn't happen.

She napped, but she was a pill the whole time. She actually tried to bite Noah's hand when he was holding hers....she was a pill....terrible two's aren't suppose to hit until they are 2! Good grief.

I put off sewing Noah's hanky until this morning.... I didn't want to whip everything out and mess up the silk that I bought.... but I did it, and it was a hack sew job, but you can't tell in the pictures. :o)

I started trying hair ideas with Eloise last night...with a straight iron flip.... it looked kinda cute until I realized she might as well stuck her finger in a light socket....so I washed it this afternoon and tried some ringlets....think Shirley Temple'esque...it was cute, but Eloise threw a massive fit...so I washed it all out again..... blew it dry and round brushed it....then she was happy and she looked darling.

Then we had to paint toe nails and finger nails....certain colors mind you....because if you're going to paint them, you at least need to paint them a color that coordinates with the outfits....all three outfits... she didn't like the fact that they couldn't be orange....It took me a good 30 minutes to convince her that blue toes were soooo cute and princess like. And having pink nails with sparkles was just like Sleeping Beauty....right...this girl doesn't miss a beat and you'd think that if I was going to compare her nail color to a Disney Princess I would at least remember that the princesses didn't have painted nails *sheesh!* I got schooled by a 4 year old, I tell you what. In the end, mommy won and she was happy as soon as she saw the sparkles....sparkles make everything better, right? Just like bacon?

Needless to say - we were behind schedule and I know those of you with children that have been through this many times, know what that feels like.....unprepared. We left the house forgetting many many things. We made do without, but I was mad at myself regardless.

The session itself was fun, the backdrop to everything was very urban, but still fun and lively. Poor Noah had some eye issues. His tender blue eyes are so sensitive to the sun. He ended up wearing his sunglasses for a majority of the pictures. Eloise, towards the end of the session had the same issue going on with her eyes and ended up putting her shades on too. Hazel was the only one that did without, amazing because she is the one that usually is demanding her sunglasses remain on her head. lol!

I'm glad the preparation is done with. I can relax and worry about preschool graduation, which is tomorrow along with Noah's Jog-a-thon..... Going up to Idaho for a quick visit and then next week worrying about Noah's Kindergarten graduation and ending of school. It's all grand! :o) I can't wait to see the pictures from today. I love seeing the cuteness from our kids in stillness.....plus, they are growing up....I love to see that in print. :o)

They're coming!

2011-05-21T21:05:00.000-06:00

I fret about. I worry. I over analyze. I have panic attacks. I Love.

Getting the kids' pictures done.

And in the end, they always turn out perfect and we have a fun relaxing time. Until that time, I am putting outfits together, making sure the kids stay bruise free, scratch free, blemish free, scissors hid from, ect, ect, ect. Also I had to make a deal with Noah for him to wear his hair spiky..... I now... WE now... have to take the kids up to see Thomas the Train. UGH! What I wouldn't do for a different deal, guess that is another thing I will be worrying about for the next 3 days - how to get out of taking the kids to Heber to see Thomas. That's like $40 in gas just for the trip! oy.

I will gladly take these woes for a distraction from real life. I need a vacation, so I'll just live in the moments that school for the kids and Nathan is almost over, programs will be viewed, nostalgic tears will be shed, the weather is getting beautiful, more showings for our home are being had and pictures for the kids will be done this week. Ahhhh... blissful vacation from the real world worries.... :o)

Another "woe" is finding the perfect color hair bow/flower to put into Hazel's hair.... Tonight we wondered all around town trying to find this:

An Aqua color Handkerchief, for Noah so he could match this:

Now, I need to find something like this:

Or this, with a black headband:

Or maybe this.....I'm not picky. :o)

I never did find the right color for Noah, so we ended up just going to the fabric store and I bought some silk there for $1.40....yeah, should have just done that in the beginning. So, tomorrow I get to sew one up for him. For Hazel's Flower.....Yup, looks like I'm heading to Quilted Bear on Monday. I'm pretty sure I will find what we are looking for there.

Our Sister-in Law is doing the photo-shoot and we are all pretty excited to work with her again. Her talent has grown and it will be a lot of fun for the kids to "play" with their Auntie. Nathan is really excited with the outfits we have picked out for the kids this year. Probably because I made him be apart of the process, he hasn't really cared in the past. So, now that I made him help me, he seems to be into it and understand the stress I go through a bit more. He even gave the kids a speech about not getting bruised until afterwards. lol! It's harder than it looks, matching two girls - two years apart and an almost 6 year old boy.... Blacks, Aqua's, Whites, Yellows, Pinks.....I'm loving what is in store. I'll be sure to post the pictures.

Weezy is now 4!!

2011-05-15T20:49:00.000-06:00

I'm still having issues coming to terms with her aging. We had plans with doing a birthday party, but with dwindling monthly budgets, we decided to not to a friend party for her, instead giving her a day to herself. Which, we believe was the better choice for her, since she was able to choose everything we did and do it all with her family.

So, we started out with pancakes - then moved on to Artic Circle for lunch. Afterwards, Jungle Jims where we basically had the entire place to ourselves. So, they rode and re-rode and rode again....and kept riding all of the rides until their faces turned green. *about 3 hours worth* It didn't take long for Nathan and I to find a bench and just let them take over the place. Bumper cars, swings, carousel, jet ride, mini roller coaster, jeep ride, bounce house, arcade games.... they were in little kid heaven. The plus for us? They didn't charge for Nathan and I. Just the kids. This made us Very Happy! :o)

For her presents, she has been asking for a Leapster2 for ages, not just any Leaspter2, but a PINK one. Haha! She finally received it and now delights in not having to share Noah's. She also received a fun 18 inch Madame Alexander Doll, along with a couple of outfits for the doll, which she has a lot of fun with. It was a great birthday for her and she is very happy to finally be able to tell people she is 4. Happy Birthday to our Eloise. :o)

Cousins and Easter!

2011-05-15T20:30:00.000-06:00

The Annual Dipo Egg Hunt!

Each year at Nathan's parents house, we have a fun little egg hunt for the kids. It's been a fun tradition of brunch and fun. The kids, since they have been multiplying and aging, have been having more and more fun each year. Eloise was able to teach her cousins how to hop-scotch this year, thanks to her Grandma Vest teaching her only a week earlier. She was quite excited teaching them and had a lot of fun.

All of the Dipo Grandkids. Such a cute bunch!

Kenadie, Brielle and Mikaylie

Incidentally, I have been having a lot of fun experimenting with photoshop actions. The actions that I've used on these pictures can be found for free at The Coffee Shop Blog Loads of fun for the amateur family photographer. :o)

First cleaning.

2011-05-15T20:11:00.000-06:00

First cleaning - yeah, I know, we are a bit late, but oh well. Noah's teeth have been looked at each year, but never cleaned up until a month ago. He and Eloise were very excited, even when Nathan and I explained to them what dentist's sometimes have to do - with shots... It didn't phase them and were still very excited. Noah lucked out with 3 small cavities and Eloise....oh boy... 8 HUGE cavities.... Yeah, she is still very excited to have her teeth worked on. Noah and Eloise have always had good dental hygene habits. The only thing they lack in is flossing. But they brush after each meal, religiously. It really makes me mad that they both have cavities. Oh well. :o) Life goes on and I am just very thankful that they are happy children, even when going to the dentist. *Noah's eye was puffy from allergies, he wasn't crying.*

Guinea Piggies

2011-04-27T10:20:00.000-06:00

Noah started bugging us right after Christmas about how much he wanted Guinea Pigs for his birthday. We had no idea where he got the idea from. He really hadn't seen any form of commercial or cartoon with Guinea Pigs on them. We weren't for sure that he actually knew what he meant until we took him to the pet store to have him show us these Guinea Pigs. Well, turns out he did know what they were and he still wanted some. So - the hunt began. Nathan and I knew we didn't want to spend much money on them, especially when they are an ongoing expense. So, we started searching the classifieds and pet stores and even a few rescue sites....yes....people do rescue guinea pigs... Anywho - no luck, but we weren't in a time crunch so we put it on the burner for awhile.

While browsing pictures on Facebook one day, I happened upon a picture of my cousins little girl holding a rabbit. My Aunt then commented under the picture on how she could have their guinea pigs - in a joking manner. This got me to thinking.....did she really want them gone? So an email was sent off and it turns out we were sent by heaven to take these piggies from them. My two cousins had grown tired of them and no longer wanted them and my Aunt wanted them gone so badly - they were free.

I couldn't ask anymore than that, the issue then came up of how we would get them, because they live around 3 hours away from us. Turns out, wasn't too big of an issue, they were headed to Utah for Spring Break and they brought the piggies with them.

Yes, we know it isn't Noah's birthday for another few months, but I couldn't pass up free. So it was explained to him that these 2 little piggies are what he gets for his birthday and that's it. Besides maybe some clothes. He is extremely happy, he loves to hold them and tease them. If you shake a plastic bag by their cage they start to whistle really loud, like they are getting a treat. He will wander around the house carrying one or the other and talking to it. Reading them stories. Guinea Pigs really love to cuddle up and be close. They are quiet social. They have nibbled at the kids clothes a couple of times, but nothing too drastic. Venus, the dark brown one likes to sit "hugging" Noah as seen in the picture above. It's pretty cute. He just thinks they are cool beans. Surprisingly, our dog leaves them alone and they are really low maintenance. Noah even helps me clean their cage, actually so does Eloise. They like to be involved. :o)

Eloise and Hazel love them too, but not as much as Noah. He right now is bugging us to get his own room so the piggies can move into his room with him. lol! Which will happen eventually, but not right now. I read in a parenting magazine on how if your child like to cuddle than guinea pigs are the perfect pet for them. Noah loves Boo Boo our Bassett Hound, but he has really bonded with Annie and Venus. It is totally cute and a good move for us.

One of these things.....

2011-04-21T13:43:00.001-06:00

One of these things just doesn't belong here.... Can you find the picture?

*Random google search easter bunny

*Image entitled "Grey Day Golgotha" by J. Kirk Richards

*The two bottom, stunning photographs are by Travis Lovell. Find his blog here

Find him on Facebook here

A terrible disadvantage

2011-04-16T21:04:00.000-06:00

I was reminded recently of what a disadvantage children have in the world we now live in. I took the kids to Best Buy yesterday to pick up the new Harry Potter - also to play with a few tablets that we have had our eyes on. Anyway, as we were in the check out line the kids unfortunately noticed the girl in front of us was wearing....pretty much nothing and had an eye level view of her butt.....baring it all.... Luckily for me our kids have a knack for pointing out the obvious....and they, when it was noticed immediately started talking *loudly* about it... do kids have a volume control? Honestly? And seriously, this chick was wearing a skirt that reached just below her butt and a tube top. Putting the whole outfit together with 4 inch heals. I really pray she was wearing some sort of underwear, but I just don't know and I didn't want to ask the kids, because I wanted them to quickly forget that this ever happened.... She was obviously trying to make some impression, but more often than not, people that dress that way just embarrass the snot out of the people around them. It's just sick. I don't care if they have the body to flaunt, it's just not right when everything is about to fall out. Anywho......

So, Noah starts saying in a very embarrassed tone "Mom.....I can see that ladies butt......" Eloise retorts dramatically "Yeah, me too....that is just so gross."

I am seriously ~~trying to hide my giggles and~~ trying to distract them, the best I could.

Noah comes back with " I think she needs to go shopping and get some clothes that fit her."
Eloise " Yeah, because I can see her butt."

Giggles from the kids......

Keep in mind the girl can hear everything and has shifted herself a few times aways from the kids, unfortunately for her, they are kids..... lol!

Me: " Yeah, stop looking at her butt please."

Eloise: "Does she know that her butt is showing?"
Noah: " Probably, but she just needs some new clothes."
Eloise: " That is so gross. Poop comes out of our butt."
Noah: "Yeah it does."

At this point other people in line are giggling..

Me: "Kids, stop looking ok?"

Noah: "Yeah, it's pretty gross."
Eloise: "eww....."
Hazel "ewww..."

More giggles from everyone....

I got them distracted finally, but the damage had been done. The kids had seen what they had seen... The girls' face was beat red and she didn't look happy. I would have said sorry to her, but honestly, I was quite perturbed with how she was dressed as well, so I felt she should hear it. I couldn't help but feel a bit proud of my kids for pointing it all out to her. When she was done checking out, the cashier and a few people behind us said sorry to the kids and also thanked them for pointing it out to her, even though they didn't really tell her, she could hear it all and that she was now going to buy some new clothes that fit her. Noah's response to that was "That's good, because she needs some!"

All and all, I'm sorry that the kids had to see all of that, but it did open up a good discussion about being modest and why we wear clothes that fit and cover our body. Noah and Eloise didn't like seeing what they saw and said that it probably wasn't right to mention and talk about it right then, but just to look away. We had a good talk about it all and I count it a blessing that the occurrence did happen. It made me very sad, however, that kids everywhere have such a disadvantage at their height and some women out there, that dress themselves like that, are putting the kids in such an awkward position. I've never really had to watch the kids like that before, but now that it has been brought to my attention, I guess we will be avoiding that stuff the best we can....

Poor kids....

Counting my blessings

2011-04-03T19:38:00.000-06:00

I was reminded, of how much has happened in just a few months and I was counting my blessings at what Nathan and I have been apart of. I thought, too, that today would be a good day to update the blog, I rarely use anymore, of what we have been up to for the last little while. :o)

We put our home back up for sale. Only a few weeks before we did this, we, without consulting the Lord, were resolved to wait a bit and ride out the yucky market.... Then we heard of some recent developments that are taking place very soon in our neighborhood and well.... we didn't feel good about it. We took the matter to prayer -like we should have in the first place- and felt like we needed to do something about it. A few days after we received confirmation I got an email from an agent who I had tried to contact in January, come to find out her no reply to me was because of a typo I had in her email address. Needless to say our friend had given her our information as well and she was able to contact me. I took this as another confirmation and we ran with it. We met with her and Nathan and I felt so good about our meeting that the sign went up that night. The next day we ran to Lowes and bought some sticky tile for our master bathroom, that was unfortunately carpeted. We were planning on taking our time with it, but then realized that we had pictures the next day of the home, so we couldn't sit on it. A phone call was made to our handy friends and they were out in a heartbeat and stayed until it was completed. We are so grateful for their sacrifice in our need. Here are the before and after shots.

Noah and I sat down about a month ago and made up some goals. He is such a smarty pants and just soaks up everything like a sponge. So challenges are necessary for him to feel like he is having fun learning and to also to know there are a lot of things he doesn't know yet, but will know if he keeps going. This was reiterated when we had a parent/teacher conference and he made the honor roll. So, we made up a goal sheet of rewards based on the number of books he reads. Every 50 books he gets a reward. He busted through the first 150 like nothing! The first 2 weeks he got that many read! He then started to slow down and eventually reached 200. So I flipped the reward and we all went to the Zoo instead of a day at the park. This lit a fire under him again and realizing too that the Planetarium was next he quickly reached 250. We are going there tomorrow. :o) Already up to 270, he is only 30 away from going to the aquarium. The number to which we stop is 500 and that is the ultimate prize of riding the Frontrunner train with his Grandpa. He is VERY excited about all of this. We have since started talking about similar goals with his math and spelling, but want to complete the books first. He loves to be quizzed with math and spelling though, it's quite funny. He will sit for - what seems like hours - and digest his new book (or any book, really) on the body and then tell his Daddy or I all about how the kidneys work and everything else. HA! Just a bit ago, he was explaining to Eloise the difference between Hamsters and Guinea Pigs *which we have some now - different post though* - the size and the fact they are nocturnal. Eloise asked what that meant and then he told her. LOL! It amazes me what he can retain and it excites me that he has so much enthusiasm for learning! I am truly grateful and count my blessings everyday. Here he is in front of the monkey exhibit at the Zoo.

Our ward makes a goal every year of how many convert baptisms the ward is to work towards. This year the Bishopric made the goal of 21 convert baptisms. We are blessed to have our very own set of Missionaries assigned specifically to our ward, we don't have to share them at all and that is nice. We are also blessed to receive refugees into our ward and stake. I have spoke quite a bit about our love for them and all the many different countries they have all represented. Most recently, however, we have refugee's from Nepal and Bhutan in our ward. They come to church to learn more about the Gospel, to receive English lessons as well, which is my blessed calling, to help them learn English through the Gospel. They also come to partake of love we have to give them. These are a people that have been cast aside and now are being reminded that people do care about them and more importantly, that the Lord has never forgotten them. It has been an amazing experience watching them grow into our country - culture, but also seeing them grow in the Gospel. Our Ward has already met the goal of 21 baptisms for this year and we are still continuing to add more. I know that some of you out there may think that the pressure is there on the Nepali people to become baptised. I will only say this. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink. There are a few translators that attend our Ward. The wonderful Nepali people travel from all parts of the Salt Lake Valley to attend our ward and hear the Gospel and to learn more of it. It is their choice and often they request baptism and membership before they have even been asked. Their spirits are so strong and very devoted to the Savior. Here are a few pictures. :o)

These next pictures are just silly. We went bowling with our good friends and it was the first time Nathan and I had been for at least 5 years. In the first game, I grabbed at luck and beat Nathan with a 168. :o) The second game, I got a whole 45. lol!!

Eloise can now spell her name and write all sorts of letters. We are constantly working with her to grab at the enthusiasm her brother has and for the most part it seems to be setting in ok, but she is still only in her 1st year of Preschool. She sings the most wonderful songs and dances around the house with Hazel all the time. Nathan and I feel that she will be more inclined to dance and do sports than Noah will, she has so much energy! She keeps this house on it's toes and she is such a good little helper. Never once do I have to ask her to help, she is always right there.

Hazel is now climbing....on everything. She found her way into her high chair today, sat down in it, looked at me and said MORE! *with signing the word for please* LOL!! I love it! Her favorite thing to say right now is "No Way!" and she says it often. She has also reached the lovely point of tantrums....she does those often as well. We have found ignoring the behavior works best, but occasionally time out is necessary. She has such love for her brother and sister and will constantly go to Noah and asked to be held. I love it and so does he.

Nathan and I are still going along. Nathan still works his 2 jobs and it is paying off, we can see a light at the end of the stupid debt tunnel. Now that the house is back up for sale, I have the lovely task of keeping the house clean. It is exhausting and much of the day is spent wishing for my bed. I have worn out 4 of 6 new rags bought just a couple of months ago! Ugh! It is very worth it all though and now that the kids are back to routine with keeping their stuff kept in order, it shouldn't be too bad. I love the feeling though of having Nathan get home from work and know that he can just relax and enjoy his family, because the house is clean. Being that he doesn't get that very often, it is important for me to make sure that when it does happen, it can. That's all with updates, not much else going on and here are the last of the silly pictures. :o)

March 2011 Message Card

2011-02-24T11:49:00.001-07:00

I got this idea from Sugardoodle that I needed to be a bit more creative with my Visiting Teaching efforts. Since my partner and I totally missed January and have yet to go out for this month, I needed to start a fire under my butt. So, I decided to make up these cute 4x6 cards and put magnets on the back of them, so our sisters could hang them on their fridge for the month and see the message. Our Ward Relief Society usually does up 3x5 cards with the message and a recipe on the back, but they aren't that much to look at and they usually end up in the trash or put in a forgotten place. At least mine do. So, hopefully with this idea, our sisters we visit will feel more inclined to keep the message up and think about it often. I'm making myself one too. :o) So, after I made it I thought that I'd share it with you all so you can have it if you want. So, you should be able to right click and save the picture, if you want the full resolution, comment and leave your email address and I will email you that. :o) The only different thing is that on the one I made up, has mine and my partners phone numbers for our sister in case they need us for any reason.

I'm more than willing to make up these cards for whoever and whatever message you may want to share, just leave me a comment telling me so and then give me your email address so we can communicate. I hope to do these each month. If there is a desire for me to keep posting them, I will. Enjoy!

This is part of the Visiting Teaching Message for March.
The Digital Art is from Summertime Designs "Owl Always Love You"

Nathan is 35!

2011-02-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Nathan turned 35 over the weekend! We always celebrate a Pre-Birthday, Birthday and Post Birthday....just to keep the fun going a bit longer. We started this back when we were first married. We always thought it was a let down, to only have one day a year where we celebrate ourselves, so, we made it three. :o)

This year was no different, but a little toned down in celebrations. We were all either sick or getting sick with colds and we were heading up to Idaho on his birthday only for me to disappear in my parents garage for 6 hours and for him to watch the kids.

So, Pre-Birthday: Nathan opened his presents. All his presents have a story behind them. It's like we replaced everything that he once had and loved.... all have inside jokes attached to them too. But he was extremely happy with all his presents and really excited over a few of them.

He uses stainless steel water bottles like crazy - because he works in a part of the city where the water is horrible. So, we got him a new Stainless Steel Steelers Water Bottle with a spout top. He is a devote Steelers fan, so this was perfect for him.

We lent a copy of our Nacho Libre to some good friends of ours, they moved not long after that and have refused to return phone calls....so we lost it......We got him another copy *he was very happy*

His brother Bryan gave him his copy of "The Kramer" a long time ago - Nathan loved it and it hung up in what is now the kids' room, for reasons he can't remember, gave it to his friend and has always regretted the decision....We gave him a new one. It now hangs up in our room. :o)

Last - Before we were married he had owned a Long Sleeve Star Trek Shirt - actual costume wear - He would actually wear it in public, on dates with me - to functions, ect.... *shows you how much I love him* :o) Anyway, after we were married, we were packing up his clothes and belongings from his parents house. For some reason, we forgot to get the stuff from the closet. I purposely didn't grab a specific jacket, but he knew about that. Anyway, we realized we had left somethings behind and went back later the same week to fetch them. The shirt was gone, taken by his mother to the D.I. He was sad, but ok about it. He would talk about that shirt in random conversation and I could tell he missed it. He is a trekkie...gotta love him. So, I found him a Star Trek shirt that is "ok" to wear in public. He has wore it twice since his birthday. I may have to order him another. LOL!!

For his Birthday, like I said I was trapped in my parents garage fulfilling the kids' Christmas present of cleaning it all out and installing shelves. So my Dad being a Peeps lover himself, went out and bought Nathan a whole bag of Peeps. :o) They also gave him a couple of Gift Cards and the gift of chilling out with Hazel and Cable T.V. while Mom watched the other kids.

For Post Birthday I spent another collective 6 hours in the garage with my brothers, we took a break to get my eyes checked along with the kids, then cleaned up and we went out to dinner with my Brother Barry and his wife Rebecca to the Outback. Nathan and I haven't been at all since we have been married... So the cheese fries were heaven, the company was great and we were glad we went there. The next day we celebrated with my family with a peeps cake, Nathan's favorite.

35 years old. It's going to be an awesome year!

10 things

2011-02-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

Here are 10 things you didn't know about Nathan....until now.

He LOVES these:

And can't live without this:

He has been quoted as saying that if it weren't for these two combined, he would not be able to make it through a day teaching junior high students. Once when I took him some stuff to work a student asked me how to get on his good side. I told the kid - Nate only has one side so if you've gone to the dark side, there is only one way back....peeps and Mt. Dew Code Red.

He seems to always be in touch with his inner self....meaning....he is never ticklish. I've only caught him a few times - even then I'm pretty sure he was just humoring me.. Does he even posses the gene to be ticklish? hmm...something to ponder about.

He can fall asleep within seconds...

At the moment he is a honorary pirate - and kinda proud of it. (it's a long story, not really planning on blogging it either)

He really doesn't like this guy:

And he ardently refused to have him in our family pictures....sniff sniff.... But he puts up with him. :o)

He isn't a very good dancer, but to his daughters, he's the best!

He can play the piano, not well, but he does play.

He can't burp....at all. Serious. He can't. He would if he could, but can't. Don't worry he makes up for that in other ways.

He loves taking us on drives... when we can afford the gas. We love going with him to see our world we live in. This is a habit he more or less picked up from his Dad who took the family out on drives every weekend.

He's my man, with all the quirks and insanities that he brings into our lives, he is full of so much more love and service than anything. I love him, the kids love him. We'll keep him and never let him go. :o)

On the First Day of Valentines....

2011-02-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

I thought I would do something extra cheesy....because it is the month of cheese, anyway.....eh, I mean love.

I had a hard choice picking my Valentine this year. Nathan and Noah prove to be equal and loving competitors. I love them both so much. But after I was thinking about it, I realized Noah has two sisters now that he needs to be a Valentine for. (Isn't that a job qualification for being a big brother?) So, I defaulted back to Nathan, which is ok, since he is my husband. :o)

So, since there are 14 days until V-Day and I really don't want to drag this out to a post a day. Here are my 14 reasons why Nathan is my Valentine. I really could go on and on, but I'll narrow it down to 14. :o)

I love him. He always puts the seat down.
I love him. He plays fairies and princesses with his girls for hours without complaint.
I love him. His butt is really cute!
I love him. He works 2 jobs, just for us.
I love him. He eats anything I cook and likes it.
I love him. I melt in his eyes.
I love him. He has really bad jokes.
I love him. He is really funny.
I love him. He can make Noah laugh to the point of tears and hiccups.
I love him. He looks really good in a suit.
I love him. He has a very strong spirit.
I love him. He has so much love for everyone around us.
I love him. He treats me like a woman, more importantly, he treats me as a daughter of our Heavenly Father.
I love him. He loves me.

What to read....

2011-01-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Reading is very important in our home. We have read to all the kids everyday since they have been born. We try to do at least 10 minutes a day, but more often than not, reading time usually dominates a good hour or more of our day. And that is just fine with me! That may or may not be all at once, but combined total of time too. I've been asked a few times what books we like to read to the kids and how come they love reading so much/ what do we do to get them to read and the biggest question - which feels prideful to even repeat - How was Noah reading so young? I thought, huh.... this would be a good post on the blog. Keep in mind I only have 3 kids: 18 months, 3 1/2 years and 5 1/2 years. I can only dish out advice for parents of pre-readers to beginning readers. So, here we go! (We know plenty of other kids that started reading younger than Noah.... all because parents worked with them)

I want to start off by saying, We know plenty of other kids that started reading younger than Noah.... all because parents worked with them. It makes a difference when children see you reading and having fun with it. Children want to be like their parents and emulate their habits.... Reading is definitely a good habit.

Birth-Preschool age: Anything you read them is better than nothing. It is a proven fact that the more you read the quicker a child puts together sentence structure, learns to have conversations better and also to increase vocabulary. Sensory books, board books, animal, color, ANYTHING! Just read!!

Preschool age: My advice here when you are at the library or book store is to keep it simple. ABC books and counting books are awesome for the preschool age. There are a ton in the pre-reader section. Lots of different styles to choose from.

Eloise also enjoys problematic books such as "If I Give a Mouse a Cookie" or "If I Give a Moose a Cupcake" It's a great way to demonstrate cause and effect to her.

Eloise, being a girl loves anything princess related, so instead of filling her head full of more and more princess stuff, we discovered "Fancy Nancy" There are a few regular books of Fancy Nancy and there are a few that aren't really books but a *How to* to put on a tea party. Her favorite is "Bonjour Butterfly"

Eloise loves Mercer Mayer, he has some AWESOME books for little kids. He is known best for the Little Critter books.

When Noah was in his 2nd year of Preschool he was really showing us strides and motivation for reading so we jumped him up to the Dr. Seuss books and Jan & Stan Bearenstien (easy rhymes and *nonsense words are AWESOME!) *beware, Dr. Seuss books are mini novels, so we always broke up the book into sections. The books range from 100-400 words. Try to keep it around 50.

We also started him on the Step Into Reading books, step 1. No kidding, within 4 months he was reading step one books all on his own. The first book he read on his own was "Bears on Wheels"

The Step Into Reading books are books that keep the subject matter very simple and they have easy words, most importantly they are only about 50 words long. This is long enough for a child to feel encouraged to pick up another book and keep reading. If you are giving a child a book that take them longer than 10 minutes to get through, brake it down for them. Kids have to feel like they are accomplishing something and to know they can do it, to keep doing it. Remember to keep it on their level and something they are interested in.

When he started reading on his own, we then switched to Mo Willems. Oh my gosh. We LOVE Mo Willems in our house. His books are absolutely fantastic. He has amazing characters, easy subjects, funny, easy and yet challenging vocabulary. He started out writing and animating for Sesame Street - could you not expect less than the best from this guy? He is the author behind "The Pigeon" books, such as "Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus"

He also has a huge series out with "Elephant and Piggie" Which are Noah's favorites. Mo Willems uses the emotions of the characters to control the size of the words. So if Piggie was feeling mighty excited the words would be HUGE. If Elephant was feeling sad or lonely the words would be small. So the child reading it also can start animating the characters while they are reading. Which makes reading just all that more fun for the child. The word count is about 50-60 words a book, although it may look like it's a big book, there are no more than 5-10 words for each page. They are extremely fun books for early stage readers. Mo Willems also has a series out about "Knuffle Bunny" that is extremely cute! Noah and Eloise laugh through these books and it is awesome!

Noah is also, very big into Space and Planets, he soaks up everything about them. So we find books that encourage his interests.

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island" - Walt Disney

"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers" - Harry S. Truman

"A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it." - Samuel Johnson

and my favorite:

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss

*Nonsense words are words that have no definition, but require the child to sound out each letter to be able to say, unless they can just say it. For instance: ZEF; NAR, TEB; POK; LUT; This type of exercise was used on the last DIBLES test Noah took.

A Claim

2011-01-20T10:54:00.003-07:00

My claim to greatness in the house of Dipo....this week...

Making 7 potatoes, 16 oz. frozen peas, 2 quarts of water, 5 chicken bouillon cubes, 1/3 of an onion - last for three days. :o)

Now that's conservation.

Even if the kids don't like it for every meal.

Incidentally, I am dieting and exercising at the moment and not eating a whole lot of anything right now. So it is possible that the soup would have only gone 2 days, but as it is, it has gone three..... and because I'm dieting I feel much like this:

yup.

Lets Catch up, Part Deux

2011-01-06T13:34:00.007-07:00

Here are some more...

Hazel found away around our child proof locks and found herself a new hidy hole.

Nathan was working 80+ hours a week during the month of December. So, we tried to do what we could with the kids when he had time off, which wasn't very often. The Lord blessed him with Christmas Eve off, so we were very happy. We've been working hard at making our own traditions as a family. So, Christmas Eve was a very special day for us to all be together. We went out caroling and delivered bread in the morning, visited with some great friends in the afternoon. We picked up a pizza for an early dinner, ate and the went to Temple Square that evening. We've done Temple Square before on Christmas Eve and loved it then. We also knew it was free parking under the Conference Center. It helps put things into perspective again. The Christmas Season has lost a lot of what it should be about. So, visiting the Temple Grounds all decked out in lights with the Nativity up was a very nice reminder and proved to be some very good teaching moments for the kids. The visit really helped to settle the children down too. It was chilly, but it was a lot of fun. We got home later that evening, the kids opened up one present and then went to bed. I haven't uploaded any of the Christmas Day pics, so those will have to wait. Enjoy the rest of the pics!

Lets Catch up.

2011-01-06T13:18:00.010-07:00

Lets play catch up shall we? Sorry - these aren't in any special order.

The cuteness that happens around Christmas. Thanks to Grandma Vest for getting the girls their adorable dresses. (and all the presents behind them...good grief!)

Call me Ishmal... Nathan grew his beard out for a little over a month.... this is what he looked like for awhile. (The beard at the moment was fluffed out) Thank Heaven Grandma Luthy didn't see him in person like this, she would have ripped all his hair out for him! Although, we did hear she saw a picture of him and said he looked like a sex pervert..... Gotta love Grandma's. :o)

We visited the Fat Man. Hazel didn't like him, but the kids enjoyed the 2 minute visit. Truth be told, I didn't like this Santa either. We didn't visit another, although we had plans. We tried to keep Christmas simple this year.

Boo Boo enjoyed his early Christmas present. I made him a new bed. :o)

Noah, Eloise and Barry built their very first snowman ever. We usually don't get enough wet snow here to build one, but the storm around Thanksgiving gave us plenty!

Yup.

2011-01-05T18:07:00.001-07:00

So, this blog needs a total face lift.... and I don't have time to do anything to it. Anyone want to volunteer to do it for me? While you're at it, I could use some help cleaning the bathrooms. :o)

It's Mine I tell you, MINE!!

2010-12-23T23:57:00.003-07:00

Sorry folks, this is a rant. Be warned.

I'm in a mood. This is what happens when I have too much time to think, which has been happening a lot lately because I've been staying up waiting for Nathan to get home... so let me begin and let's hope it doesn't get too long.

I am a stalker of good photography. I visit many different blogs and websites to view photos that choose to inspire the admirer. I am a lover of good music, I listen to good music almost constantly to have it better my moods or more deeply reflect my moods. I am a watcher of good movies and television shows. I view in hopes to be distracted from daily life for a little while. I am an avid reader and choose books that can better my knowledge, understanding and vocabulary or to just be entertained.

I do not do any of these things wishing for, or expecting someone to "lower the bar" or "push the envelope".

I can't count the number of t.v. shows I've stopped watching because the subject matter became too racy, or it refused to be creative and good and take a dive into smut. When in fact I rarely now watch t.v. at all! I can't tell you how many books I've closed and never re-opened because of foul language or subject matter. I can't stand music that has that "get up and dance" beat to it and then the language is nothing but horrible. I HATE. HATE. HATE. following certain photographers work, that used to be inspiring and because they wanted to do more edgy work everything became suggestive and worse and then is defended by being art.

Honestly, did any industry even stop to think about what they are doing to our society and world? Did any producer stop and think that this isn't just a "bar" an "envelope" a "line".... These are peoples values that are decomposing and being flushed down the toilet. A movie made in the 1990's given a rating of R may now, in some cases, actually be seen on television without being censored. Look at the evolution of music. Once music was all about inspiration, to uplift, to cause reason for celebration, for good entertainment. Now listen to it and you're found tapping your foot with the beat until you or your child repeat the lyrics. Do I even need to mention the billion dollar porn industry? Facebook, Youtube and just googling regular stuff will bring up suggestive ads! Billboard ads on the freeway advertizing plastic surgery that has a giant picture of breasts or a butt?! REALLY?! Not only do I see it, but my children do! Does a child really need to have this all pushed into their heads?

I know that everyone is different and live different lives. We all have different values and standards. I understand no one is going to be happy no matter what way it is. I have a feeling though, it's just going to get worse. Why can't industries leave well enough alone and just STOP lowering the bar!! Because it's MINE dangit!! It's mine, it's my children's, it's our life!! I don't believe ever making any of them in charge of what is acceptable for me. I don't have to watch, listen, view or read what the world declares acceptable! However the more accepted everything becomes, soon that's all that is out there!! I may not make a difference in what is out there, but I can hope that my children follow my example and become better people than what our society has made us today. I can hope that they will be people of good moral standings with values rock solid and standards for anyone admire them for. I can hope that they will soon be strong leaders of example to the world around them.

I struggle to think that the world is a place to raise a child, but I do believe that there is hope for good. I believe it is more so in the rising generations. No one is going to push my values down any further. No one is going to push my children's values down any further either. The lower the bar gets less and less people can get under it, so why don't we raise it so everyone can go under. This is one Momma that is fighting back, I have my claws out and kicking boots on and I'm ready! I am ready and I'm teaching our children how to prepare, defend and fight as well. We aren't going to take it anymore!

We can help our children become great too, thanks to our Savior, Jesus Christ. The ultimate example, the perfect example of who we are suppose to be. There is one thing I mention every week in my Sunday School class and that is of the perfect example of our Savior and that through him we are stronger - not perfect, but better people. Look to Christ and believe. Believe that He loves each of us and knows us personally. Believe that we are all children of our Heavenly Father and that He too loves and knows each of us personally. Believe that our Savior helps us, blesses us and never leaves us alone. Believe in His teachings and follow the commandments He gave us. Believe, but also understand and have faith.

Celebrate the season and remember that the Savoir was born, that He did live, He did teach, He did atone for our sins, that He died on the cross and that He did rise again. And that He did it all for us. So that we may have the chance to live with our Father in Heaven again, so that we may be saved.

There is good in our world....we just have to look extra hard to find it, hold onto it and never let it go.

A post...

2010-12-13T15:02:00.002-07:00

I guess I better write something to show that I still have a little interest left in this blog. I love that I had good intentions with finishing out my planned adoption highlighting....but alas....it didn't fall through the way I liked. Crap hit the fan, life got in the way, time went by too quickly, facebook games... however you want to say it, it didn't happen. Anywho, I'm happy to report that I only play 1 facebook game these days and that game doesn't take up half the time I used to waste. Those stinkin' things are addicting! Anywho....

Thanksgiving came and went. We didn't have a very good holiday. Hazel ended up catching the chicken pox, Noah had a nasty stomach flu and there was a nasty snow storm that prohibited our plans of driving to Idaho Falls. Nathan ended up working on Black Friday, fortunatly not the morning hours, just the evening hours. My parents ended up braving the weather and road conditions and came down to spend a little holiday time with us, since we aren't going to Idaho for Christmas either. Their drive was horrible, so we were very grateful they arrived safely.

Now, it's almost Christmas. Noah has been on the count down ever since his Grandma gave him a little Santa chalk board to count down with. We are done with our shopping, everything is wrapped that needs to be wrapped. The tree is up, the snow has melted, Santa has been visited.... Now, we are just waiting around for the Fat Man to come down our non-exsistent chimney. (try explaining that one to a 5 year old) LOL!

It's been difficult to find the Christmas spirit this year, but I think it will get better the closer we get to the day. Nathan and I have made up our traditions for this Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and we are very excited about it all. I think maybe I have a bit of the Hummbugs because Nathan is working so much, but I also don't want to complain about it or feel ungrateful, because he is working so hard for us. His paychecks are making a difference and saving us from the black hole of debt that we were in, even though he is making a huge sacrifice for it all. I guess we learned that lesson the very very hard way. It's not as bad as some though.

Our home still hasn't sold, we went 2 months without a single showing. In the last 2 weeks though, we've had 3 showings. Our contract is up at the end of the month. We'll be taking a break to the end of February if it doesn't sell.

Not much else is going on in our lives. Work, School, Church, Life. That's about it. :o) I hope you are all doing well and I hope that I post again soon with pictures! LOL!

Interview with Barbara, all about Adoption

2010-11-11T09:22:00.002-07:00

In this second part of highlighting adoption I questioned Barbara. She and I have been friends for quite awhile, it really seems like forever! And I can honestly say she is one of only a handful of people, that I know, I would consider totally unselfish. Her story on placing her child into a forever family, through adoption, is inspiring. There aren't as many questions, because I believe her story answers all. If you feel like you need to ask her something, leave me a comment, or email me and I'll forward you a way to get in touch with her. To Barbara ~ Thank you for sharing your story with us. You rock!

What are your feelings with being asked to share your experience?
Thanks for asking me to do this. I really feel in my heart that I need to share my story with anyone if it will help them. I'm not ashamed of my decisions I made, just sad that I had to learn some things the way I did. I will be forever grateful for my experience of being the vessel through which Dallin came to this earth. He was meant to be where he is and I am grateful for the strength my Heavenly Father gave me to help him get there.

What was your initial reaction to your unplanned pregnancy?
Holy crap! My parents are going to KILL me!! This is literally what I thought. Not what am I going to do now or I'm going to have a baby, but I can't believe that I am going to have to see the disappointed look on my parents' faces when I tell them. I think telling them was one of the hardest parts of the whole process. I know that sounds funny, but I love my parents and I couldn't believe that I let them down that much.

Did you find people that knew of your condition generally helpful or more judgemental?
When people found out they were generally supportive. Not necessarily "helpful". The thing that drove me crazy the most was that once they found out that I might be placing my baby that's all they would talk to me about, adoption. They would tell me of all these people that were trying to adopt and that wanted a baby SO bad. I know that they thought that they were trying to be helpful and show concern, but it got to be rather annoying. Like since they told me that someone had been waiting for a long time to adopt that they helped me make my decision right then and there to place the baby with that couple they knew. Like all they cared about was the baby and not maybe what emotional rollercoaster I was on and if I was even sure adoption was the route I wanted to take. I was 20, almost 21, when I got pregnant and it did cross my mind that I was old enough to take care of this baby on my own. I wasn't some young teenager still in high school still living with mom and dad. Even though I did move back in with them when I found out I was pregnant.

How long has it been since you placed your son?
He will be 9 in February, so almost 9 years. I can't believe that it has been that long! It seems like yesterday since any time that I think about it the tears seem to come quickly. Not tears of sadness necessarily, just tears of emotion of it all.

What was the one thing you sought solace in and eventually found your way through? In other words, what thing/person/idea helped you the most?
I think that my family was the biggest thing that helped me through physically. But my Heavenly Father helped me through all the tough decision making and all the hard days since. I never would have been able to choose a couple for my son if I hadn't prayed for help. He gave me strength to know that this child had chosen me to make it to his family. It was such a comfort to know that even though I had not made the best choices in my life at the time that He forgave me and was there for me when I needed Him the most.

You were not a teenager when you became pregnant. What were some deciding factors, being that as you said you were capable to raise the child, why did you decide to place him?
I think that the main factor in deciding to place him for adoption was his birth father. I really got to looking at him and thought, "Do I want this influence in my child's life forever?" He was 19 at the time (and we know how immature boys are at that age), he was abusive, and we were both doing drugs and drinking. I think that everything that I was taught growing up really came to the forefront. I wanted my child to have everything that I had. A mom and a dad, the gospel, good examples of being a gentlemen, a chance at a better life. When we told his mom that I was pregnant she said, "So when is the wedding?" (Since that's what she did and let me tell you it wasn't the greatest decision.) This voice in my head went, "WHOA!! Wait a minute!! Who said anything about marriage?!" I decided since I wasn't going to marry him and I really didn't want his influence and, to be honest, I really didn't want to be a single mom that I better decide what is best for the baby.

After your decision to adopt your child, where did you go from there? How did you find Dallins family?
Well, first I told my family and they were relieved. Sad, but relieved. I then went to my bishop who got me in touch with LDS Family Services. The case worker I had was an awesome guy. I remember one of the first meetings we had and I will never forget what he said. He told me that I might be told by people that I am being selfish to place the baby for adoption, like it was the easy way out (just get rid of the responsibility). He then said that adoption is the least selfish thing that I could do. To give up my connection with a child of my own flesh and blood to make another happier than they've ever been, to give them a gift that they could not get on their own. He said, "If that is selfish then I guess they don't know the real definition of the word". I will never forget that because it really solidified my decision.

He then had me fill out a form to let him know what I wanted in an adoption couple. I couldn't believe that I got to choose! I thought they were just going to pick the next available couple (little did I know about adoption then). I'm not really sure exactly what I put on there. I wanted them to be musical. I didn't care if they had any other kids, but I thought it would be nice to have a couple with no kids. Anyway, he took my list of things I wanted and gave me the profiles of what matched them the most. I think that I first got about 10 profiles. I remember being so overwhelmed! How could I choose just ONE? I finally narrowed it down to 3 and then got on my knees and asked for help. There was one couple that really stood out to me. I wanted to be really sure so I asked my parents and some of my other family members to pick which one they liked too. I asked them one at a time so no one knew who I picked or who anyone else picked and they all chose the same couple as me. That was my answer!

So since I finally made my choice I called my case worker and told him and he contacted them. We set up a time that I could meet them at our ward building where I lived. I guess that I should let you know that I was 7 almost 8 months pregnant at this time. I was a little worried that they would freak out a little since it was such short notice. (She, the mom, later told me that she was thrilled that she didn't have to wait that long after they were chosen. She said she might have died if she had to wait like six months or so after being told they were going to get a baby.) Well, the day came to meet them and of course they were early (excited I guess) so it was a little nerve racking to walk in the room with all eyes on me. They were BEAMING! Smiles from ear to ear! I'm not sure of the whole conversation, but I do remember them asking me if there was anything I wanted from them. I told him, the adoptive dad, that I wanted him to show this baby how to be a gentleman, how he should treat his mother and all women he comes in contact with. The last thing I wanted was for him to be like his birth father.(It still makes me wonder what I saw in the guy! Sheesh!) Then she, the adoptive mom, asked if they could touch my belly. I told them "Of course!" and they were so funny. Like I might break if they pressed too hard. Then the baby kicked and the tears came all around. It was an awesome day!

Well, the day finally came for the delivery and it was a long one. I won't talk about that though. I called the case worker and told him I was in labor and he called them. They came as fast as they could get here. Since they lived in a different state they missed the delivery, but we were all ok with that. I remember that when the nurses at the hospital found out that I was placing the baby it was almost like they were walking on egg shells around me. They didn't really know how to handle the situation. They kept asking me if I wanted the baby with me or in the nursery. It was a little strange, but I don't think they have ever dealt with an adoption before. Of course I wanted Dallin with me the whole time. I knew that I only had a little bit of time with him and if I just spent one more moment with him then maybe he would remember me.

The day after he was born the adoptive couple came to the hospital. I wanted them to. I have never seen such happier people. I handed Dallin to his new daddy first and it was like the rest of the world just disappeared and I got to watch this new family from outside their own little bubble. They couldn't stop looking at him and kissing him. I think that about 5 minutes went by and then his new mommy tapped her husband on the shoulder and said, "Can I hold him now?". It was like a spell was broken and he suddenly realized that he wasn't alone. It was hilarious! But when she held him it was the same thing, like the world just disappeared. I knew then that no matter how hard it was going to be for me to let Dallin go that he belonged with them.

I had Dallin on a Friday morning and I didn't place him until Sunday morning. They placement took place at a seminary building since the church was being used for, well, church. I remember that my sister, Mara, held Dallin while his birth father and I signed all the paper work. There is A LOT of paperwork! I guess that they wanted to make sure that we knew that we were signing all our rights away as legal guardians. After that I got to carry him downstairs to where everyone was waiting. I don't think that we drug it out for very long. His birth dad said his tearful goodbyes and then I said mine and I placed him in his mother's arms.

This was the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life, but I also feel that it was one of the best things I have ever done. It taught me how strong I can be (with the Lord's help) and it gave me a glimpse of maybe how Heavenly Father felt when He had to let His son go through the atonement. That even though it was deeply hurting me at the time that it was the best thing for everyone in the end. I still get letters and pictures and I send them as well. Just a few years ago they sent me their address so I could mail directly to them and not have to go through the agency any more. He is a handsome and happy boy and is now a big brother as well. I love him still with all my heart!

Barbara is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If you want to know more about it, please visit www.lds.org or www.mormon.org
Barbara used LDS Family Services as her agency. Click on the following link to learn more and also to browse families in waiting. www.itsaboutlove.org

Interview with Rebecca, all about adoption

2010-11-08T14:29:00.003-07:00

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Since this is something close to our hearts, I thought it was only appropriate to dedicate our blog to the cause. My Father and his siblings were adopted by my grandparents. Nathan's mother was adopted by her Aunt. My brother and his wife, Rebecca, adopted their son, Owen, and are currently waiting for another baby, to grow their family with. Several Cousins of mine have been through the adoption process as well and not just the receiving end. Many of our friends have grown their family through adoption and several friends and some have been on the giving end as well. And in every instance, it has been a blessing. In this respect I want to dedicate a little time to the cause.

In this first part I interviewed my Sister in Law Rebecca. Initially excited both of us continued with our conversation, having to take many breaks to wipe our own tears. Links to everything she mentions will be posted at the end of the post. Enjoy the discussion and leave your own comments and feel free to share with others. This is a longer post, but won't take you too long to read through. Other discussions, by others affected by adoption, will be posted throughout the week and hopefully into next week.

Rebecca, Owen and Barry (Fall 2010)

You've been waiting on the list for another child for 2 years and 3 months and are using LDS Family Services as your adoption agency. What are your feelings on waiting? You kinda of expect to have to wait, being that a pregnancy is 9 months long. The hard part is that, when you are pregnant, you're pregnant, but when you're adopting, there is no set time period. So it is hard not knowing when it will happen. Any day could be the day.

What things are you doing to keep your hopes high? Staying involved with our adoption support group. We try to focus on the "finding" rather than the "waiting". We pray a lot and we know the Lord will bless us, when the time is right.

You say focus on the finding, what are you doing? Asking people to support us. We ask those we know and people we don't know to do things like, putting a button on their blog and keep up with our Facebook group. We also ask those to support us by carrying pass along cards and to hand them out, if an opportunity comes their way. I volunteer for the Family Supporting Adoption Organization. I work on the blog for the Idaho Falls, Idaho Chapter and just recently I passed our candy at our booth at Boo at the Zoo.

Family Supporting Adoption is a group that does what? The general public thinks that they know about adoption, but their knowledge is outdated, so the group works on getting the correct information out there. Adoption has changed so much over the last two decades with the advent of open adoption. Some people think these girls and women "give-up" their babies. They have dreams and plans for their childs' future, they are "placing" them in a family that can make those dreams come true. Birthmothers today can be a part of their child's life if they so choose.

Besides having yourself out advocating and anxiously finding your next baby, how do you help yourself internally? Well, spiritually, we fast and it helps. By doing this we grow closer to the Lord and our Heavenly Father. Fasting helps us re-focus our priorities and thoughts. We read scriptures daily. We attend the Temple and wish we could attend more. The peace we feel there helps us greatly. Recognizing the blessings the Lord gives us, even though we are struggling, and being thankful for them. I try to keep up with my gratitude journal as well.

What is a Gratitude Journal? Basically I write 5 things I am grateful for everyday. It could be something very obvious like, "My Home", or when we have an especially hard day I might say, "I'm thankful for breathing". A lot of my entries are about our son, Owen. I'm very thankful for him and every little moment with him is such a blessing. From the walks we take, to the snuggling we do. He is my light right now. When I sit down to write, it's my time to think about the positive. There are so many people that have been waiting much longer than us and have gone through more than us. It's a way for me to focus and put things into perspective.

You have had it rough for the past 3 years. Especially rough in two seperate occasions. Do you want to elaborate on this? The first time it was a very fast decision for the birthmother to place her child with us. She had 8 weeks until her due date when she started looking at adoptive couples. It was my Step-Grandmother who got us in contact with her through her hairdresser. Networking does work! Owen was 15 months at the time and we got the call that she would like to meet us. She choose us. About a month later the baby cam, a little girl, and the birthmother was emotionally not ready. She was easily talked out of the decision by her friends and became convinced that even though she was a teenager she could do it on her own. Her family had been 100% behind adoption and didn't stand by her decision to keep her child. We greived and then we picked ourselves back up, with time, prayer and a lot of love from the people we surround ourselves with. The Gospel si our rock and foundation. I still think about her. It's hard to describe, but when you are chosen by a birthmother you start carrying that baby in your heart. You have the same excitement and dreams you experience in any pregnancy. It's very tangible so it makes the grieving more difficult.

The second time is not something I want to elaborate on. Because the situation was extremely painful and the wound is still fresh. It started off fine, even us fying out to her state to meet her, but as time went on things just took a wrong turn. The birthmother abused us mentally and emotionally, drug us along until it became too much. The two instances are different, but both times we got down to the very end and the decision was made not to place the baby with us.

How far along in the pregnancy was Owen's birthmother when she choose you and Barry? She was about 5 months along. At the time, she was a very young teenager.

What was it like working with her? She went into our agency and after going through dozens of profiles, decided to choose us. She loved us before she even met us. She told everyone, it seems, about us and showed them our picture. She'd read the letter in our profile every night until Owen was born. When we finially met her, she was scared that we wouldn't like her, but that was a shared feeling, we felt the same way. It wasn't an easy process, adoption never is, but it was a wonderful experience. She invited us to the hospital the day Owen was born because she wanted to share those first moments of life with us. She is still very much apart of our lives. Owen has met her a couple of times and letters and pictures get exchanged a couple of times a month. She doesn't interfere with our lives and we don't interfere with hers. She respects our space and decisions on how to raise Owen. There are a lot of misconceptions about open adoption, because people think there is never a release....a break, but it has been a blessing for us. This is another instance where the group I help, Family Supporting Adoption, helps to educate the public on. Open adoption is not scary.

We aren't able to get comment from Barry right now, but how has he been dealing with the wait? He is a typical man! HaHaHa! Men, seem to internalize things a bit more and shut off their minds more easily than women. When Barry is relaxing, he can shut his mind off and just "vegetate" it seems. That is how he gets through it. However, it is hard on him to watch me go through the process with a little more grit on my teeth. It seems like I struggle a bit more openly than he does, but he is a great help with everything in our lives.

So there are people you haven't met, you don't know of, that are reading this blog that are a result or may be in the future, a result of the happiness and struggles that adoption bring. Either being adopted themselves, or placing their child through adoption or going through the process of waiting for a child through adoption. What do you want them to know? To those that are waiting, or may end up doing so in the future: Adoption is definately a rollercoaster. You have to focus on your foundation, on the good in your life. For us, it is our Faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Also to find your support group and surround yourself with good. I've never heard of an adoption couple that has never found their baby or child. The wait times vary, but if you don't give up, your dreams in having your own family will come true. Keep on going, it will happen.

To those that are just reading this, I would encourage them to be supportive to though of us out there that are growing our family through adoption. Ask us what you can do to help, be sensitive, don't question our decisions, just love and support us. It doesn't necessarily take getting out of your bubble to do it, either. Put a button on your blog, of the family, or families you are supporting, join a Facebook group dedicated to the cause. Pass along cards to those people you know. You'd be surprised how many adoptions happen with just word of mouth. So when you know of an unplanned pregnancy and plan on approaching the lady or relation, be sensitive, not pushy. Tell them, in your own words, about the couple you are supporting and hand them information on how to find their profile or agency. It may be awkward, but at least you supported the cause and you just never know what is going to happen.

November is National Adoption Awareness Month? Yes, it is.

What does that mean to you? November is the perfect month to recognize this cause. It is a month were people focus on their blessings and express gratitude. Because anyone that has gone through adoption or is affected by it in any way knows how wonderful it is that adoption is possible. Adoption always seems to come at the end of the list, behind abortion, single mothering/fathering and raising up by grandparents. Adoption isn't just giving up a baby. It's about placing a child with a stable, loving, willing home and giving that child a chance to live a life, that at the time could not be had. Adoption has blessed our family so much. Our decision to have children, to have a family is a very hard a different road than most, but it is worth every moment, every breakdown, every tear, every bad day. Because there are so many good days, so many smiles and so much happiness. Who would trade that? Not us. Not ever. Not for anything.

Rebecca and Barry are currently with LDS Family Services - http://www.itsaboutlove.org/
Their Website is http://www.barryandrebecca.com/ There, they have a more personal look into their lives along with letters to potential birthmothers. They also have a family blog http://www.barryandrebecca.blogspot.com/ that document everyday happenings.
Barry and Rebecca belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. To learn more about the Gospel visit http://www.lds.org/
To join their Facebook Group page follow this link: Barry and Rebecca: Looking to Adopt here you can request pass along cards that they have made up.

~Thanks Rebecca for sharing your thoughts with us all. Goodluck with the oncoming struggle and remember we love you, Barry and Owen.

Then and Now

2010-10-21T11:46:00.005-06:00

OK, so going to Gardner Village last night to walk around and see the witches kinda hit me that a lot has happened in a year. We got home that night and I uploaded the pictures and sat and browsed through pictures from a year ago. It was kinda fun, looking at the kids and how they have grown, but mostly I was sad that they are growing up so fast. A lot has happened in their growth in one year. I love it, but it's sad to see such fun stages go so quickly as new "fun" stages enter in. So, while I was biting off the nostalgic piece of gum called life, I happened upon one picture that made me cringe. (It was of me) I sat and looked at it, wondering why I didn't delete it and then realized that I kinda wanted to share it with ya'll, because a lot like the kids, I've made some huge strides too.As much as it pains me to post this picture, I also know, that most of you already knew what I looked like then. Granting the fact that I just had a baby 2 months before this picture was taken, I still look puffy, big and just awful. *I love those glasses though*

This picture isn't exactly recent, but since I'm the one normally behind the camera, I don't have many pictures of me. So, this picture was taken in July of this year. I'm 6 pounds heavier in this picture than what I am now. I still have a bit of a muffin top, but nothing quite as bad as the top picture. And of course, gotta love the haircut. There is a 25 pound difference in the 2 pictures. That is something, for me, to be happy about. It has taken a year for me to get there, but that is just fine. I'm doing it the right way and making life changes instead of quick fixes. I really hope by this time next year I can show another updated picture with me another 25 pounds or more under what I am now. A big shout out to those of you out there that have supported me along the way. *you know who you are* It makes a huge difference in my weight struggles when I have people that are pushing me to do more with it and be a better me and to also know, that I am not alone. Regardless that the weight was pregnancy weight, it would have not come off if I didn't work for it. Believe me, I was paddling up stream. So, thank you, thank you to all of you in my life who believe in me. :o)

Atleast he said please.

2010-10-19T15:33:00.002-06:00

Like most girls Eloise's age, she is obsessed with Disney Princesses. More recently Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She would watch that all day long if I let her and not only watch it, but act it all out and sing all the songs. She actually will make us dance with her and try to coax Noah, her daddy or I to kiss her at the end....ya know... cause Belle and Beast are kissing.... anywho... this morning at breakfast the kids were talking and as if Noah and I were expecting it, the conversation turned to Princesses and girly things. Noah usually finds this funny and will look at me and give me the "really, mom? Do I have to listen to this again?" look. After awhile Eloise could tell Noah wasn't really listening to her so the following is said:

Eloise: "Noah, do you love me?"
Noah: "Yeah."
Eloise: "Well, then that makes you a prince!"
Noah: "Please don't make me kiss you."

I was laughing to hard to hear what Eloise said back. It just made my day. :o)

Frustrations and Joys....facebook.

2010-09-20T13:05:00.003-06:00

I really hate facebook and wish I could end my account with it. Here's why I won't....right now.

Relationships are very important to me. I'm not so much of a social butterfly, really, but just enjoy the company of others. I take the good out of people and use it to lift myself up. If you surround yourself with the good of others, then good comes out of you. That is the theory, right? Family and Friendship is what held me up in some of the most difficult times in my life. Love and support come from sustaining a friendship. Giving up or letting go of what is had only loosens whatever bond was had until there is none.

I really wish I had the energy to keep in touch with everyone I do now, without the aid of facebook, but it is near impossible - for me- to fathom that, right now. Facebook allows me to be surrounded by those I love, even if virtually.

So, the love hate relationship that facebook and I have now.... will continue to exist for awhile.

Some good news: I've lost 4 pounds, Hazel is walking - kinda- now, she also cut a tooth, Eloise and Noah both love school, Nathan is working hard for us, our real estate agent is going to be adding some new "umph" to our home this week and we are all healthy and happy.

MmmmKay?

2010-09-15T13:20:00.004-06:00

So, Nathan is officially off his rocker. I love that man, but I am prepared for him to have a crazy person breakdown any day now.

Last night, Nathan got home from work and promptly got himself ready for bed. It was late and having 2 jobs is never fun. So, he crawled into bed and I did the same not too long after that. He and I were talking and then finially started to drift asleep when he started laughing so hard he was crying! I honestly don't know what goes on in his head.... Anywho, I ask him what is so funny and he proceeds to tell me that he used a shark finger puppet today in his class, to help with conversation techniques..... And the kids thought he was hilarious (in his mind). So, he's laughing while telling me that he gave the shark a name and made him a little chair to sit on his desk with. He informed the kids to ask the shark questions, which the shark would then talk to Nathan (he has super hearing I guess) and then answer them that way.... The next class the shark did the talking because the students were more well behaved. I think it finially hit him of how weird it all really was, when he was laying there.

OK, correct me if I'm wrong, but I already thought Nathan has a strong resemblence to Mr. Mackey from South Parc.

But now, I'm thinking maybe he resembles more of Mr. Garrison......hmm....

8 years!

2010-09-10T14:22:00.002-06:00

8 years with the love of my life! I remember *nearly* every moment we have had together, from the very first introduction to what he said to me last night. He is my very best friend and after 8 years I can still say that I am truely and madly in love with him and he says the same towards me. I can tell exactly what he is thinking and he can tell exactly what I'm thinking. He makes me laugh everyday, even though his humor isn't as swell as he thinks it is. (part of the funny-ness) He makes me smile everyday and he gives me butterflies everytime he kisses me. We are a perfect balance for each other, we have made each other better people, we have taught each other lessons that we would have never learned else where. We are so happy with life, even though we have our afflictions to deal with, we are still happy.

It has been a fast 8 years, but at least we have comfort in knowing we have an eternity together. If you want to know what I'm talking about click here. Everything in our life makes sense when we are sharing every moment together. We can't be more thankful for our Heavenly Father blessing us with each other and our thankfulness is said day and night. - Love. Love. Love. All you need is Love. - words to live by.

No T.V. Day

2010-09-01T12:41:00.002-06:00

I have been called crazy by more than one person for having a "No T.V. Day" I, in my turn, call them crazy for not having one themselves! So, let me explain to all of you why we do this, because I'm kinda getting annoyed with the same question every week. Usually the comments following my explaination are anything but kind. So, if you are reading this, you know why and don't have to ask me. This is what we do in our home. I'm not in any way saying you have to do this in your home.

We get a channel called Qubo. It's based out of Quebec and it plays only cartoons that have uplifting messages and/or teaches problem solving and good manners and habits, i.e. Babar, Vegie Tales, Zula Patrol, 321 Penguins and ect... We also received PBS Kids and of course all the shows on that are educational..... Between these two channels and the overflowing amount of DVD's we have, our kids find themselves in tube heaven a good part of the day, if we aren't careful.

So, I limit their t.v. watching throughout the day. There is absolutly no t.v. before school - at all - and they are fine with this. I allow them to watch it after they eat lunch, if they eat all their lunch (This helps Noah wind down from school) and I allow them to veg at night when we are done with homework. On Sundays they aren't allowed to watch t.v. before church - at all - and they are ok with this. I put on music and they love to sit quietly listening to the church songs they know. Nathan has issues with it being all day on Sunday because of football season, so we usually will watch a game on mute and let the kids watch a movie too, before bed.

There are sooooo many reasons why we do a no t.v. day, including many studies that I've read that show children are more likely to be obese if they watch more than 3 hours of t.v. a day. That children miss out on real life scenerios, they don't learn conversational patterns and words and that too adults if watching more than 4 hours a day are 96% more likely to have heart disease. None of these studies are new and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Google "studies found with too much television - or watching television", and you'll know what I'm talking about. I really don't want the television raising our children.

Another question I've received from interested and also judging parents is this: Do you let your child play video games or get on the computer during thier no t.v. day? The answer is: Yes. We do. Why? Because our children aren't as interested in video games as most kids are, we have a Leapster 2 and all the games are educational, so I don't mind if they play this, but they usually don't play for very long. And if they are on it longer I simply ask them to put it away and they do. We have a Wii with 2 games. One is a dancing game for the family to play and the other is a game for Nathan and I to help the kids with. I don't have issues with them playing either because it gets their bodies moving and allows them to not be idle. Also, the computer, the only site they play on is PBSKids.org - Once again, this is educational and they usually don't play for long intervals. If they happen to be on it for a long period of time, I ask them to wrap it up and they do.

So, what do we do? We read, we color, we do puzzels, we go to the park, we play in our yard, we dance, we bake cookies, we work on their chores and homework, we just stay busy! Since we started - last year - we noticed a dramatic difference in their interests and hobbies. They are able to find things to entertain themselves with without having to bother Nathan or I with boredom. Some days are hard, I won't lie, but we stick it out though and each week, Wednesday comes around and they tell me, it's no t.v. day. I love that!

We are working towards having a few days a week with no t.v. now, slowly but surely, we will be there. So I don't consider myself crazy with having a no t.v. day, I just think it makes sense.

Father and Son Campout

2010-08-30T11:00:00.006-06:00

I'm still playing catch up from this Summer. So, I'm sorry these post are not current, but really, there isn't much going on in our life right now that is "blog worthy"

Noah looks forward every year to the annual Fathers and Sons campout that our Stake does. It's usually held in June right whent he weather starts to get nice and warm, but still chilly at night. He makes sure that Eloise and I know we aren't invited and that Hazel isn't either. He makes his preparations by finding our emergency whistle that he has to wear at all times - there is a flashlight on it too. After he finds that he is set, literally to go. I pack Nathan and He with our tent and sleeping bags, extra blankets and some food and water. I usually pack them both a change of clothes and really warm pajamas....but.... Nathan just brings both of them home in the same stinky clothes they left in. He says that it's camping, you aren't suppose to change your clothes... (I just think that's gross)

They go on hikes up there, the stake provides dinner and breakfast and there is usually a fireside given by the Stake President. They sit around the campfire and listen to the music others play for them and have just a great time. Both Nathan and Noah come home just exhausted but loving the outing. Noah couldn't stop talking about what they did and how much fun they had. I have to admit, I was jealous. I love camping. We'll have to make more time for it in the future, I suppose. :o)

Hazel's First Birthday!

2010-08-19T09:32:00.006-06:00

Seriously, where does the time go? Nathan and I are still in disbelief that she has actually turned 1! She isn't a baby anymore! It seems with all of our children, so far, they get sick on their first birthday. Noah got sick with "Hand Foot and Mouth Disease" Eloise had a huge Staph infection. Hazel, got a cold and started teething. Not fun - 9 days later, we are still teething. These top two teeth of hers are so swollen, but just won't cut. Anywho - We had a little family party for her on the Sunday before her birthday where we did presents and cake. I really wanted to order a fun cake from our friend Brittany who does such a great job with awesome cakes, but we ran out of money fast due to me having to have a root canal. So, I made a simple strawberry cake and topped it with strawberries. She loved it!!

We had a dance off with the family afterwards, the adults even dancing too! It was a lot of fun. Her birthday was actually the the following Tuesday. We had a really busy day planned out, so we tried to play as much as possible with a sick little girl. I'd also scheduled her well child check up and Noah's 5 year check up on that day as well.... I know, I'm a mean Momma. Noah didn't have to have any shots because he got them last year, so he was really happy. Hazel had to have three. Noah watched and was so scared for her! He was getting teary eyed because of it, he really didn't like watching his sister get hurt like that. So, after I calmed her down and we got back out to the car, he demanded to sit next to her and hold her hand... and he did all the way home. It was precious and shows what kind of a brother he is, even if he teases his sisters to the brink of tears, most days.

Hazel, of course was oblivious to the fact it was her birthday, but we gave her her toys anyway. All she wanted to do was cuddle and cry, so her presents got played with by her brother and sister. We didn't get much for her, because our budget was shot. And what we did get her was more of what we need for her... like clothes and sippy cups....but we did a pretty resourceful job, making her birthday fun. My parents trekked down here the following Friday and were able to spoil her a bit, by then her cold was gone, but still teething... so she was a grumpy girl for them. Still.... we are in the year, now, where she will start walking and talking and eating by herself, possibly being potty trained, ect, ect... Nathan and I are excited for it all, but we are so sad that the baby in her is gone, we miss it... good thing we have brothers and sisters that are still procreating, so we can love on their babies! :o) *The pictures were taken by our cousin Megan in Burley, Idaho. I might add that she is only a Junior in High School... She has such promising talent!*

Noah is 5!!

2010-08-18T09:55:00.005-06:00

Noah had a great birthday this year. We were able to buy him some new school clothes and find a really good deal on a MP3 player and scooter. All he wanted for his birthday was a scooter, so he was really excited when he got that, but technology has won and he rarely now, takes the MP3 player out of his ears. LOL! That's ok, because there is nothing funnier than him singing along to music we can't hear and him putting his own spin on the lyrics. :o) I need to get him on video one of these days. *The pictures were taken by our cousin Megan Graham, in Burley*

For birthdays we try to make the day all about the child. So, for Noah we woke up and had a good breakfast, opened presents, played in the backyard then went to lunch at his favorite place. After we ate lunch we asked him which movie he wanted to see and it was Toy Story 3 that won, so we all went to the movies and it was very worth it. After we got home from seeing TS3 we chilled out and played board games, ate an ice cream cake and then had a picnic in the park where the kids were able to ride their scooters afterwards. It was a long day, but it was so much fun being together as a family. It was great. I don't know if our lives are going to keep allowing us the time to have a whole day for celebrations, but I hope so. Nathan and I can't get enough of them and spending all of our time together, just makes us want more. We love it!

I still can't believe that Noah is 5, though. He has started Kindergarten and he, of course, loves it. His teacher is great, even though we were hoping for full day, half day is fine too... I'm still pushing and hoping that they will take him into full day. He needs the challenge and he drives me nuts at home. He passed all his tests with flying colors and even did extra credit for the teacher. Soccer is starting up soon, so he will have that to keep him busy in the late afternoon, but I'm going to have to think of something to keep him busy between 12:00 and 5:00. We are just so happy he is turning out to be such a great boy!! It's nice to know that I have a few years left where he will still kiss me goodbye, next to the playground, I don't want him to grow up too fast!

The last Days to document

2010-08-14T11:16:00.002-06:00

OK.... this is it... the LAST 2 days of our vacation. As I previously mentioned, our camera's battery decided to die the day we arrived into Tahoe, so no pictures, except for what my camera took for the next day.... We will have to do without pics, for now. (the ones I got on the camera are super-duper cute, but I don't have time to upload them here)

OK, so we had heard a lot of a certain train museum in Carson City, we also had heard a lot of the State museum in Carson City as well, so we decided to head there for the morning and then spend the afternoon at the beach on Lake Tahoe. So, we took the 20 minute drive down the mountain into Carson City... can I just say... I LOVE Carson City, it is so pretty!! (And so close to Tahoe!) The Train Museum wasn't open, which was a bummer to the kids, but not to us. It didn't look very big, in fact the other Train Depot we were at was much bigger, so we weren't too put out. The other museum was open and it was great! They had a built in Ghost Town, TONS of exhibits on Nevada and to boot - it is housed in the old Carson City Silver Mint! Nathan and I had tons of fun there, the kids - not so much, but oh well. After we were done, we were ahead of schedule so we thought we go find a few ghost towns, but quickly decided against it when the kids started pulling attitudes. So we ate an early lunch and headed to the beach.

It was a breezy day probably 75ish degrees and the water was freezing, but we layed out our blankets and just chillaxed! The kids had so much fun, it was great. We spent a good 4 hours there, just doing nothing it was so nice! When the kids had had enough, we trekked back up to the Condo for our last night of vacation. The kids went to bed later - which was our plan, so they would be tired and sleep the next day in the car.

The next day, Nathan and I were able to get the kids packed and everything loaded by 6:30 a.m. and then we were on our way home. We pulled into our driveway around 4:00. This was amazing considering 3 children and only 2 stops!! We all stopped for a bathroom break 4 hours in at Winnemucca and stretched our legs for a bit and then 2 hours later in Elko to eat and break for a good hour before we headed the last 3 hours home. The kids were VERY happy to be home. (we were too)

We had a great time and even though it was A LOT of driving, I think we would do it all again. It was fun being in the car, taking the slow way there. The kids got to see a lot of the countryside, they wouldn't have been able to see if we flew. Nathan and I went to places we had never been before and made new memories and friends a long the way. The vacation, even though it was a crazy idea, with 3 kids, was awesome!!

Day 5 - To Tahoe!

2010-08-01T22:31:00.007-06:00

One thing I love about our ownership with our condos is the nice amenity of having washer and dryers in the units, along with functional kitchens. This makes vacationing SOOOoooo much easier. We buy food to cook up at our condo, most of the time, the unit has a grill on a patio, making that much more fun. BUT healthier - cheaper - more convenient! We usually ate our lunches while we were out, but dinners were always figured out and easy to prepare, as the same with Breakfasts. So I did our laundry the night before after our day with the Big Trees. I didn't have to pack a lot either, knowing I'd be doing the laundry, and I didn't have to bring along any supplies to clean with, because that is all provided for us. It isn't the best detergent, but it works. I just had to put that in there.... I love the fact that we don't have to pack a HUGE amount for a weeks stay.... 3 kids and 2 adults really adds up fast in the dirty laundry pile. We love it. :o)

Anywho - I guess I put that in there, because there really isn't much to input for this day's journey. We got up and headed towards Lake Tahoe. When we left Angels Camp in the morning it was already 98 degrees (SLC hadn't hit that yet) So it was h.o.t. We drove on a 2 laned Highway in some of the most beautiful parts of California. Seeing that we were making awesome time, I had Nathan pull over at a lookout point so I could get some pictures and we could all stretch our legs. I got out of the car and it was 30 degrees outside!!! It was C.O.L.D.! LOL! So, I snapped a few pictures and promptly got back in the car and we resumed our driving. Noah especially loved this drive, he kept his eye out for bears and deer. Nathan and Noah had very animated conversations about the bears and deer that lived in the woods. We kept thinking we'd see a Moose or two... but we didn't. We saw plenty of lovely deer though. We arrived in Tahoe a little before noon. Way too early to check in, we thought. But we headed WAY up the mountain to Summit Village, as it's called, because it literally is a little village on the very top of the mountain.... we had thoughts of earthquakes and tumbling down in a rock slide.

Anyway, we got up there and Nathan went in to see if there was a chance we could get checked in and they did that for us. So we unloaded our crap put up our feet, turned on the fireplace (because we needed it!) and relaxed a bit before we headed back down to the lake to do some eating and exploring. We found a cute little play area/ park right on the shores of the lake. We let the kids play there and that's where I found out my battery was dead on the camera. The rest of the pictures from our trip were taken off of my phone. Gotta love technology. We played around until the kids had had enough and then we headed to the grocery store for some food for dinner and breakfast and then headed back up to the condo for some R&R. And we all veg'd the rest of the night.
(The last picture is of our view from our condo, that isn't Lake Tahoe, but another lake nestled up in the mountains... I don't remember the name of it.) It wasn't too exciting of a day, but it was a beautiful drive and the lake is absolutely stunning. It was a bit colder when we were there, but it honestly felt so refreshing! Nathan and I both agreed we would be coming back to Lake Tahoe, in the near future. The next day we had big plans in Carson City, NV! :o)

Day 4 and the BIG trees!

2010-07-28T14:29:00.003-06:00

OK, I'm seriously slacking on updating this blog. I blame facebook for taking away what little free time we actually have. It honestly feels like we are either cleaning the house or getting the kids out of the house... our Summer has been interesting, to say the least. Anywho - let's go on with the vacation summary, because for our own benefits of having a log of what we did will help me out in the long run when I put all the pictures together in a book. Take time to look at the slide shows, there are tons of pictures from this day.

Day 4 - We got out of the condo early that day. We knew our agenda and our goals. We wanted to stop off at a few towns, do some historical sight seeing and some hiking... we had a BIG day planned with all the last minute stuff, because we were heading to Tahoe the next day.

Stop #1- The Movie Railway! Definately google this place, it is AWESOME! This is a working Train Station, much like Heber Valley Railroad except on steroids and HUGE. They do roundhouse tours with the walking tours and also have TONS of movie memorabilia of the 200+ movies/t.v. shows/commericals that have been shot there. The same locomotives that were used in movies like High Noon to Back to the Future 3 to Little House of the Prairie were all there. Signs that hung above the station to state where in the movie the characters were. There was honestly soooo many signs it was hard to get them all. Noah played on a push cart that was used by John Wayne in a movie shot there. Nathan and I thought that was pretty neat. OK, seriously I could go on and on about the place. Nathan and I were a little sore about not spending more time there. Eloise was having definite little drama girl issues.... so our stay was short.

After we got out of station, we passed through Sonora and once again were very sad we couldn't stop and enjoy a day there. It was soooo pretty and all the shops just begged for Nathan and I to window shop. You wouldn't think Nathan enjoys doing that, but he does. Both girls had fallen asleep in the car and we were trying to make it to the town of Murpheys for lunch. So, feeling a bit sullen, we continued up the road for a bit more fun and a bite to eat, before we hit the climax of the day.

Stop #2 - We stopped and Murpheys and figured out quickly that the town was basically a tourist trap for wine tasters. So, we didn't fall in love with the town, even though it was a fun place to walk around. There just wasn't much for us to do there. We ate at a historical hotel - claiming to be a 4 start restaurant, but really.... We have had better food at a Mom and Pops sandwich shop. We ate and let the kids chill out a bit and then moved on up the road to Big Trees National Park.

Can I just say....put this place on your "bucket list" Every person should see this park. There is a sense of spiritual-ism that engulfs the trees and the overall feeling of being in their presence. I know that sounds incredibly corny, but it is so true. There were several times Nathan and I were overcome with emotion and were just plain overwhelmed. The trees - some of them - have been there since before actual historical dating!! You touch the trees and the bark is so soft.... seriously, I could go on and on, but nothing I say does the place justice and our pictures show nothing of the true majesty of the trees. This just isn't my opinion.. ask anyone who has been there... heck we saw several Buddhist monks there, feeling obviously, the same way!

Stop #3 - So we arrived at Big Trees National Park and ventured in. We obtained a map and planned on doing just the 2 hour loop. We were all wearing flip flops and Hazel was in our backpack on my back, so we decided against a hike. Well, we got going and we saw some pretty amazing trees and then came to a fork in the trail.... the trail was marked (we later noticed, in a weird spot) but we didn't notice any sign at the time - so we thought taking a turn would take us on a more direct path to the center of the tree activity. WELL... the turn we took.... ended up taking us up the mountain for 3 miles. Yeah... we figured out half way up that we were obviously not on the right trail and figured out quickly where we were on the map. Looking at our trail, we saw we were headed to an overlook and that we were almost there, so we went ahead and finished the hike and took in some beautiful vistas at the top. Noah hiked like a true outdoors man, he never complained - not once - about it. He loved it! Eloise had already started off having a bad day, so she wasn't a very good hiker, but was fine if Nathan carried her. I had Hazel on my back and she was loving every minute! We hiked the 3 miles back down and were REALLY tired. Nathan mentioned just going back to the car, but I was stubborn and said no. Who knew when or if we would ever make it back there. We were seeing those trees dangit!! So, we marched on. Luckly the trail is boarded up there, so it was smooth walking. Noah and Eloise both enjoyed themselves. I switched off carrying Hazel with Nathan... which wasn't a good idea because the sweat had pooled up where the straps crossed on me.... I didn't care though, she was getting heavy. We really enjoyed our time there. We spent a good 4 hours in the park and Hazel and Noah were still smiling when we left, Eloise wasn't ornery, but not exactly happy either. That isn't to say that all 3 kids downed some major liquid on the way back to the condo. HAHA! We all enjoyed some pool and hot tub time when we got back and all of us slept really well too.

Lets continue -Day 3-

2010-07-08T21:10:00.011-06:00

Day 3 started a bit later in the morning. We needed to have a late start from the extremely long day of driving the day before. We played around the condo until we decided it was time to get moving. First stop, Angels Camp - Gold Panning!! It was awesome, hot, but awesome. Noah said his eyes were burning out of his sockets! (Yes, I have a picture of that! And is the reason why our kids are ALWAYS wearing sunglasses outside.) The kids actually panned for semi precious stones and Nathan and I took on the challenge of finding the little flakes of gold floating around. We spent $5 for the adventure and came out with maybe 10 cents worth of Gold and a lot of great memories.

After we were done panning for gold, we drove down the road a bit and "hopped" out of the car to start the "Jumping Frog Walk of Fame" Can I just say, that this was one of the most interesting things Nathan and I have ever done!? There is so much history in this small town, seriously, when you have time, google Angels Camp and the Jumping Frog history will be seen. It was made famous by Mark Twains book "The Jumping Frog of Calveras County" Mark Twain spent 81 days in Calveras County, even building himself a Cabin. Granted - Angels Camp does not hold a strong tourist-y hold on Mark Twain as say Hannible, MO (been there too, WAY awesome) but he was there and he did immortalize the town in his book. It was fun being apart of more of the Mark Twain history as Nathan and I have been to Hannible and seen the fun birth places of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. The kids enjoyed walking around looking at all the plaques and eating lunch in Angels Camp. It is a fun place to be.

After we ate lunch, we took a scenic drive up to Columbia, CA... only 25 miles-ish from Angels Camp.... but we milked it, because Hazel needed to nap. Columbia is a working Ghost Town. The 49'er history in this County is so rich (excuse the pun). It was so interesting learning about all the cultures the flocked there, just for the yellow rock! Scientists say that the Gold Rush only uncovered about 12% of the gold that is in the County!!! Columbia actually was once the richest city in the world at the height of the gold rush. Everything is still very well preserved. So, we wandered around the town, almost bought some bonnets for the girls and a hat for Noah and I, but decided to spend the money on an authentic stage coach ride instead and getting ice cream afterwards. The stage coach was an experience. We weren't pulled along that fast, but it was kicking us around like crazy and the dust was awful! I couldn't imagine traveling in that style, it was humbling to imagine it. While on the ride, we got "robbed" by a very bad actor.... the kids were scared for a moment, but then caught on that it wasn't serious. They still talk about it and I hope that they will always remember the stage coach ride. :o) We visited the old school house there too, which neighbored the cemetery... and of course... I meandered in there as well. I love grave stomping!! Especially in old cemeteries!! I had a funny "haunting" experience at the school house, but my instincts from being a faithful watcher of Ghost Hunters taught me to find the cause, rather than jump to a conclusion.... the weird eery knocking turned out to be a woodpecker... LOL! It was funny... guess you had to be there. After we were done in Columbia, we went back to the Condo, ate dinner and swam... we were pooped so the kids slept really well.

Road Trip - Day 2

2010-06-14T20:51:00.004-06:00

(The start of HWY 49)

Day 2 - We woke up at the butt crack of dawn and drove..... and drove..............and drove....... We stopped in Reno for lunch and to let the kids stretch their legs, then we drove...... and drove...... and drove....... We saw some of the most prettiest mountains and passes. We went over Donner Pass and encountered snow. We dropped down into Auburn, California and took Scenic Highway 49 over towards Angels Camp. We had yet to figure out that we were taking the VERY long way there. The GPS made it seem like it was the quickest route, because it was a straight shot there, but what the GPS didn't say was that every 50 yards was a 70 degree turn through mountain passes and foothills on a 2 lane highway.... with a max speed of 40 mph, with very few towns along the way.... Noah and I ended up watering the trees... and Nathan and I got carsick and had to pull over for a bit. It was a beautiful drive, but torture on us. We are talking about 80 miles that took us 2+ hours. The kids handled the day of driving very well, hardly a peep out of them! They actually think driving through the mountains is pretty fun. We eventually pulled into our Condo at 5:00 and after a brief relaxation period, the kids' pestering came to a boiling point and we all went swimming to finish off the day. We all slept a lot better that night.

Road Trip - Day 1

2010-06-14T20:39:00.004-06:00

The Plan: Drive 10 hours across the Nevada Desert to Angels Camp, California and hang out there for a few days. Then, pick up and drive 100 miles East to Lake Tahoe and hang out there for a days before driving the 9 hours back. Yeah.... we were crazy.

(Nathan infront of the Thunderbird Hotel in Elko our first night... I don't know what he is doing...)

Day 1 actually started on a spur of the moment "lets just go!" Saturday afternoon from Nathan. We chatted about heading to Elko (a good 3 hour drive) and have a good head start for the next day of driving. So.... we chatted.... thought about it... and called our designated house/dog/cat watchers left them with the keys and took off. It proved to be one of the best choices of the trip. We arrived in Elko about 7:00 at night, checked into a fun hotel, ate dinner and went to bed.... and holy crap... we had a rotten night. The kids' excitement was horrible enough they didn't sleep. The funny part was, we arrived at the hotel and discovered that the kids' shampoo accidently opened up and emptied all over the suitcase and the contents inside... so the car and the hotel room smelled really nice afterwards. :o) Noah, unfortunately met with the first accident of the trip with a good bonk on his head. :o(

Whoa... did I miss something?

2010-06-04T13:01:00.002-06:00

Ok, so the internet and phone lines are finially fixed at our house! YEA! So, I get on to read blogs and holy crap..... I guess I missed a lot, because I don't have the time to catch up with all of them! LOL!

Really, I should be cleaning....we are leaving for vacation *ahh* in a few days and this house must be in spik-n-span order.

So, I have a huge HUGE something to say, but I think I'll say it when we get back... and then I will post all my favorite pictures of our kiddos :o)

Weezy

2010-05-20T10:03:00.006-06:00

Since I neglected to write about Eloise's birthday, I will start off showing some of my favorite pictures that Morgan took of her.I love this picture....Not only does it show her growth, but it's clean....fresh looking... Yes, our kids are albino, but that's ok, because they have great skin. This picture is so her.... I love it. This would be the picture going up on our wall of her.

I LOVE this picture. I am having this one gallery wrapped and I am going to find the perfect spot for it. This looks so vintage. The lighting is so soft, the colors are wonderful! You wouldn't be able to tell that Eloise was being a snot right at that moment in time. LOL! Seriouslly, though...She is dressed like a princess, but wearing cowboy boots... and doesn't that say everything about her? She's not afraid of bugs or getting dirty, but she wants to sit with me every morning to have her hair done like a princess.... and if she's picking out her clothes, she is wearing dresses everyday. lol!

If you've been around Eloise and she's wearing a dress, you know that she likes to pick up the edges and twirl around like she is a princess....while she is singing. This picture caught a perfect moment of her doing just that. She wasn't posed or asked to do that, this is 'her'. Real moments... love it. There is something about a white dress on a little girl, dancing around on a farm. :o)

Only one reason why I love these so much.... She is a total Daddy's Girl....and because Daddy hasn't been home much lately, she is even more so now.... I love it, that she has so much love for Nathan. Of course any picture with Nathan in it, just makes it better. He is an awesome man, with way to much cuteness and handsome-ness about him... he makes my world spin....and my head! :o) OK, this post isn't about him....Seriouslly, though, look at how happy Eloise is with him! I love it!!

Eloise is 3 now... I am having a hard time believing it.... time has a way of playing tricks on us like that. She is blooming into such and beautiful girl. She has drama, yes, but she also has manners. She is the first to remind us to say thank you or please....after saying it herself. She is heading into preschool this Fall..... I don't know if I like that, but it has to happen. I guess she'll only be asking me once a day to go to IKEA instead of 5 times a day, like she is now! LOL! She is definately a big part of making my everyday happy and sometimes challenging. :o)

Family Pictures

2010-05-17T14:00:00.003-06:00

Ok, those of you that know me... like know me, know me (not bibically...sicko's, that would only be Nathan)... I LOVE to get our pictures taken. I especially love to get the kids pictures done, because, dangit, they grow up too fast!! I grew out of Kiddie Kandid pictures a long time ago, because we were spending the same money there as what we would have with an actual photographer. I always have my camera ready, battery charged, ect.. because I love taking pictures. I'm a nut! Really, I am! Photography is great, I love the different unique perspectives each artist brings to the lense and editing process. So, I was so intrigued, so delighted, really when I found Morgan Trinker. I instantly fell in love with her style, it's very vintage looking....so fresh and soft! I emailed her and we got a date set up.

Last Friday we met up with her at Wheeler Farm. The forecast called for sunny skies and upper 60's.... yeah... it was pouring when we arrived! We didn't dress for the rain... we didn't bring jackets for the kids... luckly I packed Hazel's blanket. Heck I'd packed a change of outfits that were Summer-ish! The kids were freezing, heck I was freezing and I think the geese there were more irritable because of the weather... they chased poor Morgan a good 3 times and Eloise was chased too! Ahh... good times to see your kid chased by a hissing goose..... lol! It really was funny....after she got away, thanks to Morgan lifting her up and away!

Noah and Eloise were having fun, but unfortunately, they had their drama....because it was cold and well.... Eloise was just a drama queen, lol! Hazel was totally opposite, smiling, giggling, coo'ing.... the perfect little baby she always is. :o) She did have a good poop before we left... I'm sure that helped her relax and have fun... ahh... gotta love Hazelnut. We did a few family group shots, because we desperately needed some done, and I'm so grateful I've lost 20 pounds since February. I am really anxious to lose another 20 and get more pictures done!! After we wrapped it all up and called it good.... or the kids called it good for us, because really, I could have spent more time with Morgan if the kids' would have allowed.... She gave me a hug and told me to watch for the pics in just days.... Her prices are so reasonable, she worked with the kids' drama and chaos so well, and then promised the pics in days! I don't know if she does that all the time, maybe her busy season doesn't allow her to get the editing done within days, but good heavens, I'm thankful it did this time around.... Pictures are like Christmas for me!! Love her.... love her.

So.... I'm guessing you want to see some of the pictures. Here is the link : Morgan Trinker Photography take a gander and at the end of the post is a slide show with more pics.... I'd love to know which are your favorites... because I'm going to have a hard time picking which ones go up on the wall! As soon as I get the disk, I'll post my favorites. I'll try to be a bit more focused on this blog... I've become a bit lazy with it... Here's to trying again! LOL! :o) Enjoy!

Your Child.....

2010-04-22T14:41:00.002-06:00

We were heading to church a couple of Sunday's ago and I commented on how Eloise looks just like a princess.... This isn't news to her, she actually thinks she IS a princess.... So, the following was said... and Nathan still gets a kick out of it.

Me: Eloise you look just like a princess! So pretty!

Eloise: Yes, I know... I'm Daddy's Princess. Noah...... he's your child.

Hmmm.........

Oh Dear!

2010-04-16T22:24:00.003-06:00

My deepest apologies to those that participated in my AVON contest/giveaway for failing to update on the very last post. I have no real excuses for you except that life got in the way more than once.... I'm sorry. I hope you all forgive me!

To announce the winners of the Lip gloss, My congrats go out to:

Marilyn V.

Sarah F.

YEA, for you two!! I'll be sending those out tomorrow or Monday. I hope you like them!

To announce the winner of the Eternal Magic Perfume Set, My congrats go out to:

Tracy H.!!

Congrats Tracy! I'll be getting that out to you too! No one qualified for the skincare product and no one qualified for the Bubble Bath, so I have no winners to announce for those. So, to recap:

I had fun, I hope you all did too, except for the waiting for this post part. Not nice, I know. Anywho, pretty much everyone that entered won something and that makes me happy. I gave away products that together totaled around $200 in value. :o) All for you my dears! Here is a list of the winners of the fun week!

Tracy H. won the Extended Lengths Mascara and the Perfume gift set
Halli H. won the Extended Lengths Mascara
Lindsay B. won the skincare trial kit
Stacie T. won the Bath Time Body Paints
Chelsea G. won the Bath Time Body Paints
Marilyn V. won the Lip Gloss
Sarah F. won the Lip Gloss

I do plan on doing this again, possibly closer to Mothers Day... To give you all the edge on a great gift! Thanks to all of you for participating and supporting me, it really does mean a lot! Until the next contest this blog is going back to normal now... which probably means me neglecting it and not doing any posts, lol!

Winner and another Freebie!!

2010-04-02T09:55:00.004-06:00

Hello Everyone!

I'm a bit sluggish today, so I'm sorry if my post today comes across that way. Spring Break is obviously not our favorite holiday around here... The kids are going bonkers! Lesson learned, next year we are going away from our house during this Loooooong week.

As for yesterday's freebie, I'm betting you all want to know who won, eh? I used http://www.classtools.net/ to determine a winner, it's all fair people! I'm really excited about the product I introduced yesterday, it has to be my favorite thing about AVON. :o) Besides the makeup. :o)

And the Winner is!

Lindsay!!

Congratulations Lindsay! I'll be emailing you soon to connect with you! I hope you like the skincare as much as I do! :o)

OKdohkay! Let us move on with today's freebie and also an idea for what's HOT right now with AVON. I have given out Lipgloss before, and I'm doing it again, dangit! Every gal I know has some lip gloss! It's quick, it's easy, it's fun! I have 2 that I'm going to giveaway, because it's always more fun when I do 2. :o) These Lipglosses are AVON's #1 lipsgloss. They are really a hot item and if you've owned one before, you know why. There are so many colors and different shines, it's just plain fun!! Do you want one free? Here's your chance!

Full Rules and Guidelines HERE. As always, leave me a comment, so I know you want to be entered.. include your email address (if you know I don't have it) and Answer me this: If you could pick up and leave on vacation right now, expenses not an issue, where would you go?

Yes, I know, another cliche question, but always fun to answer! I ask, because I have stated that we learned our lesson with staying home during Spring Break. It's not very fun..... at all, to have 1 very rambunctious boy who loves to tease EVERYONE relentlessly and a little girl who enjoys having her quiet time undisturbed... and of course a baby who is very used to her schedule.... If we could pick up and go and not worry about the little things, we would be heading to Cabo San Luca, Mexico with the kids... to enjoy the Beach, the Pool and the fun! I'm actually planning this out for next year's Spring Break. We are heading down there, if I have anything to do about it... it's only a bit depressing to think that is a year away..... *sniff*

Maybe with your comments, you'll give me a better place in mind to vacation with the family!

OK, enough of that, I'm getting depressed thinking about the Beach and the Sun....Lets continue. OK, so yesterday I told you I popped a clue in the text about what my thank you gift to you will be if you buy $100 or more in my store. Did anyone guess it would be the Bubble Bath? 2 actually!

If you spend $100 or more in my store, you will be:

be entered into the daily freebie twice
be entered into the weekly drawing once for every $10 spent. The prize being... oh wait... I haven't told you yet... I will, give me a second. :o)
be entered into the drawing for the spending $75 or more. (We already know that the prize for that is the AVON rejuvenate trial system, that Lindsay just won).
get 2 Bubble Baths of your choice!

This is an awesome chance to get some great products for free (Over $80 in product value). So combine orders with a friend(s) or neighbor(s) and enter yourself in! There are some great deals on eye makeup right now and the Ultra Impact Lipstick is on sale now too! Have I mentioned that I'm a lipstick junkie? ;o)

I also mentioned yesterday about the Mineral Makeup Starter Kit for just $25! A steal!! Ok, I know you all want to know what I'll be handing out for the Weekly Freebie. Here it is!

Ignore all the writing, It's the only picture I could find with everything I'm giving you, including the bag! (To clarify the free gift with purchase is this: When you buy the Spray, you get the body lotion and shower gel free with the bag!) The Eternal Magic Fragrance is brand spankin' new. It's a very fresh floral scent with a touch of woodsy in it. I can't describe how it smells, but I promise you, it is a great perfume, it makes me smell happy! The introduction price to the spray is $24, as it says and the Shower Gel and Body Lotion are valued at $10 each. (keep in mind AVON very rarely charges full price for anything) I have 1 of this gift set to give 1 person who buys something from my store. Every person that buys from my store this week and leaves me a comment saying that want to be entered to win this, will be! Once for every $10 spent! Mothers Day is coming up and it's a great way to spoil yourself or someone you know! The Weekly Freebie Winners will be announced on Sunday morning, so you have all today and Saturday to wander in my store and see if you want anything. :o)

I hope you all win something! Goodluck with the Daily and the Weekly Freebies!

My store: www.youravon.com/adipo

Free Shipping over $5 Code: SPRING2010

Winners and Another Good Chance!

2010-04-01T10:37:00.004-06:00

Hey Everyone!

So, I have a bit of a surprise for you all... a couple, actually a few. I might as well spill the beans! I actually have 2 of the Bath Time Body Paint! Hehehehe! So, 2 people won again!!! I love that!! The winners were chosen by using http://www.classtools.net/

And the 2 lucky winners are!

Chelsea G.!!
Stacie T.!!

I will be contacted you ladies very soon and getting your mailing addresses so I can get these lovely body paints to you! Congratulations! Spring Break has started here at our house and I tell you what I was gunning for a bubble bath last night and it didn't happen... I sure hope for one tonight! It's good to give our mind and body some time to soak up the R&R.... which brings me to introduce our next giveaway... no it isn't Bubble Bath, although I L.O.V.E. Avon's BB! Like any aspect of a beauty regime, a good cleansing, soaking and rejuvenating is great for our face! Who wouldn't want a facial right now, honestly? OK, the Avon Rejuvenate doesn't give you a facial, but it helps make you look fresh and new again. I personally love this line, I use it myself, night and day, my husband uses the Revertalist eye cream and he even likes it too. Proof that men can use these products too! We wouldn't keep using it, if it didn't work. It works. My face looks so light, it feels fresh too! I have given this away before and I felt like I should do it again, because it is a great opportunity to try something out, that maybe you wouldn't have tried before.

This is the full 2 week trial kit that I'm giving away today, yes that's right GIVING. No purchase required, for this. Although if you do purchase something from my store you are entered twice, plus the weekly BIG drawing and other prizes if you spend over certain amounts. Shopping my store, this week, has great advantages, seriously. Anywho, this regime has the cleanser, eye cream, day cream and night cream. Use it how it directs you too and you'll be seeing your skin lighten up and look fresh within 2 uses! ANOTHER surprise! I do have 2 of these!! However, I'm not giving away 2 today, nope. If you spend over $75 in my store this week, this is what you might have a chance in winning!! This is valued at $38 and right now is this trial kit is NOT available in my store. Avon only sold these trial kits for a month, that's how HOT they are. I do expect them to bring back the deal though, because they were very popular.

Anywho.... There is your 2 surprises for today! The 3rd surprise is actually in my text, but I'll let you read in between the lines to figure that out. :o) Maybe a clue will be given tomorrow about the "thank you gift" from me, that will be yours if you order $100 or more.

Official Rules are on THIS POST Leave me a comment telling me you promoted the giveaway and Answer me This: How many times a week do you wear makeup?

I know, it's a cliche question, but I'm honestly interested... you know the saying "Do yourself up, see no one, Don't do yourself up, see EVERYONE!" I have to say that I thoroughly believe fate has an evil working mind... It's so true. I can't tell you how many times I've ran into old acquaintances and have looked awful, homely and not well kept! And on the days I take pride in my appearance, I see no one that really cares. I usually wear makeup, now days, about 4-5 times a week. It all depends if I'm going out of the house, but I've found recently that I'm doing my make up regardless of my daily schedule. I spend about 5 minutes in front of the mirror on my make up and this is possible because I keep it very low key. I love being natural, I love feeling my skin and I love it that when people look at me they can SEE my skin, instead of caked on foundation.. So, may I recommend something from AVON, that you might like as much as me? Right now it's on sale, too. Which is really nice!

The Minerals Make up Starter Kit! This is what I use and L.O.V.E. it! Even the lipstick is great, it goes on feeling like chapstick, but of course isn't. I am a bit of a lipstick junkie right now, :o) I have a fetish for Mineral Makeup, I really do, so I got really excited when this showed up and is now on sale. We are talking about over $75 in value (AVON very rarely charges full price for anything...) and it is being sold for $25! Pick your skin tone, Light/Medium/Dark and that's it! One thing about AVON: 100% Guarantee, if you don't like it, or for whatever reason, send it back and get your money refunded!

OK, this turned out to be a longer post... oops... my bad... I'm a bit excited about all of this! Can you tell?!

My Store: www.youravon.com/adipo

Free Shipping over $5 Code: SPRING2010

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Winners and New Giveaway!

2010-03-31T11:14:00.003-06:00

OK! As promised the announcement of the winners from yesterday's give-a-way and also the next item I'm handing out!

2 Winners were generated from a random name pick on www.Classtools.net So, you know that I am doing this fairly.

And the Winners of the Super Extend Black Mascara are:

Hallie Jo!
Tracy H.!

Congratulations you two!! I will be emailing the both of you and will be getting your mascara in the mail soon!!

I apologize, I wasn't able to get a good picture of the product I'm giving away today, so instead I have a link. Not as good, I know, but it's something!

Kids Bath Time Body Paints

For all of you out there that have some kids to give these too, this is a perfect chance to win some! I have 1 of each color that I'm going to give-a-way! Avon isn't just about makeup and skin care, although they have a great line of each. My daughter and I will sit down together and go over the kids' section in the catalog and she will tell me she wants everything! Such a cutie! Most of the time, I do order Eloise and Noah something. They especially like the bubble bath, but who doesn't like a good bubble bath, right? Avon does a great job making sure that when you are purchasing items for yourself that it's still affordable to spoil your kids too and I love that about Avon! The Bath Time Body Paints are selling right now for $1.99 each, not shabby at all! However, you can save yourself the $8.00 you'd be spending on them and try to win them today!

As before, leave me a comment letting me know you promoted the contest and answer me this... How often do you take a bubble bath for a little R&R? This is a requirement in our house. I must have a bubble bath at least once a week! I take my Diet Pepsi and a Book with me, I lock the door and I totally escape into my little world. Regrouping my sanity and putting myself back together, so I can feel like me again!

The full rules are on the previous post, remember, if you purchase something you get entered in twice for the daily drawing, plus the end of the week drawing. I will showing you all what that is tomorrow! Thanks!

My store: www.youravon.com/adipo

Free Shipping over $5 Code: SPRING2010

*If you would like a catalog mailed to you please leave a comment telling me so and also your email address, so I can get in touch with you. They are a blast to look through and you can still do your ordering online or go through me! Thanks!

GIVING IT OUT! Let the Contest begin!

2010-03-29T11:11:00.008-06:00

OK, I have been putting this off, because I have been buying up product to giveaway. Sorry to all of you that have been waiting, oh so patiently, for me to do this again. Here it is! Lets get started!!

I have a ton of stuff to give out. Some of which will be given out only to those that buy in my store, but still, a lot of which will be handed to you, without any purchase requirement! I will start off with some rules and then announce the first giveaway!

To be entered into the daily giveaways you must:

Promote the giveaway
leave a comment and include your email addy so I have a way to get a hold of you
If you purchase from my store, your name will be entered again. for a max of 2 entries.
Giveaway drawings will be held the next morning via random computer generated program. Winners will be announced in the next blog post, followed by another chance to win with another giveaway.
No limits to entry during the week. If you win one day, you can win the next too!

To be entered into the weekly big prize you must:

Promote the giveaway/contest
leave a comment and include your email addy so I have a way to get a hold of you
Purchase something in my store any time during the week.
Your name gets entered once for every $10 you spend!
I know who buys stuff and who doesn't, when I manage the website, so if you buy something there, just know that I see that, but leave me a comment here saying you want to be included in the drawing, so I know you were directed from this blog.

I'm a simple gal, I grew up on a farm with three brothers, around cows, horses, pigs, harvests, ect.... My mother was brought up the same way. So, even though her world delighted in having a little girl to dote on, she passed down the blessing of being low maintenance. Thank Heaven! I went through High School being myself, not worried about makeup and hair, but having total self confidence in being me! Although I did secretly envy those that knew how to take pride in that aspect of life. Since I've grown up a bit, Makeup and Hair have begun to take a front row seat with me. I still have a lot to learn, it is a process, but at least I know how I want to look and can achieve it. So, now when someone asks me; "What is one piece of makeup you have to wear everyday?" I can answer them and I can tell you too!

Mascara.... my eyes... I love my eyes. They are the one part of my body that I've always enjoyed. They always look the same regardless of body changes or age. I love my eyes. So, I've always been a fan of mascara, dressing up my eyes is so much fun! AVON recently came up with "Super Extend Mascara" I ordered me one and tried it out... and I have to say it is the BEST mascara I've ever worn! I love it!! So, that is the one thing I have to wear everyday and I am giving out the "Super Extend Mascara" for 2 lucky people! (Since we missed having a giveaway yesterday) May I mention that women don't have to be the only ones that enter... Men, what a fun little gift to give your wife, girlfriend, mom, sister... right?

My question for all of you is this: What is the one piece of makeup you have to wear everyday? Or for men, what is one piece of makeup you enjoy seeing on women? Answer in the comment section, remember to include your email address and tell me too, how you promoted the contest! :o)

A Post Script......

I have a pretty big surprise waiting for the end of the week.

Those of you that purchase in my store have the chance to win a prize not yet available to the public and is valued at $50. Your name goes in once for every $10 you spend!
Those of you that spend over $75 will be entered to win an additional item valued at $38.
And those of you that spend $100 or more will automatically being getting a thank you gift from me, along with being entered into the other two drawings!

That's some pretty nifty stuff. :o)

My Store: www.youravon.com/adipo

Free Shipping over $5 code: SPRING2010

*This is a contest done independantly by Amanda Dipo, Avon sales representative

Victory!

2010-03-18T15:06:00.003-06:00

I have lost the equivalent of a 10 pound bag of bird seed.

The equivalent of a New Zealand 10 pound Note...

Which ever way you want to see it, it's still 10 pounds.

Since I've been gone...

2010-03-09T13:47:00.002-07:00

OK, it hasn't been that long, but it seems like a life time since I've actually blogged....

Life is busy and that's ok. It's the way it should be right now. School is in full swing, AVON is in full swing, which by the way is a lot of fun! The kids are getting bigger and demanding more social time with me. Hazel has been sick, it seems like, for the last 3 months. Don't worry, it's contagious. :o) She's just piggy backing on colds, like all babys do. Anyway, the point is, I just haven't had the time to brood over blogging, infact I haven't read many blogs for quite some time. I'll be better, promise.

It isn't necessarly a bad thing to spend less time on the computer. :o) So, besides doing everyday stuff, I have managed to finish a blanket (thanks to my mother for helping me!), I have read 8 books (mostly at night, when the kids are asleep) and I managed to clean my room.... yeah, it needed it in the most terrible way. I've also started concentrating on my weight again. My brothers and I are in a contest and I need to do better. So this weeks mini goal was to lose 5 pounds by Sunday. I only have 3 more pounds to go and I have 5 days to do it in. I will make it and then I'll make another mini goal for myself. It's easier that way. So, when I do have a few moments I try to use them to my advantage.

ANYWHO..... Everyone is doing well, we can't complain. We had PTC with Noah's teacher and all of his testing came back great, he's ahead in a lot of areas and perfectly normal in the other subjects. He struggles with being a quiet one, but it hasn't become a problem. He is just quiet, it doesn't mean he isn't learning, because he is. Piano lessons are moving along. He isn't a Mozart and I am getting sick of people telling me he is going to be one... guess what, he isn't! I have talked with his teacher and we are moving slowly, so he doesn't get frustrated or overwhelmed. So, right now, we are doing scales and different songs, infact Love one Another is a song we are working on. He is about 4 measures into it. Eloise is still our little girl. She has stopped waking up as much in the night, which is lovely, but Hazel seems to be waking up more. Eloise knows her birthday is coming up, so it makes for interesting conversations. Hazel is rolling all over the place and sitting up by herself now too. She is a totally Daddy's girl. It's really cute! Nathan and I are anxious for Spring, but who isn't? Our niece Brielle got baptized last Saturday and it was wonderful to see her make that choice. The kids love going to baptisms. I remember when she was born, it was only a few days before Nathan and I became "unoffically engaged" I feel old....

I'm gearing up to do another full week of giveaways and contest on this blog. :o) AVON is awesome. :o) I am getting everything together to make it as fun and worth it as possible. It will be awesome, I'm sure! That's about it! I hope all of you are doing well and are happy!

A Lesson on Honesty

2010-02-26T10:45:00.002-07:00

Last night:

Eloise starts screaming and crying (not uncommon in this house)

Eloise- MOM!! Noah hit me!!!!!
Me- Noah! Did you hit Eloise?
Noah- No.
Me- Noah...
Noah- I didn't hit her! I pinched her!

At least he told the truth.

Whatever...

2010-02-24T11:34:00.002-07:00

I had a post written.... venting... complaining...not very good things to say.. about anything.... then I stopped, erased it and realized that I need to go count my blessings and re-focus. I believe we need Spring here... NOW! These gray days are starting to annoy me!

You're how old?!

2010-02-22T09:37:00.006-07:00

Nathan is now 34 years old! :o) In our family, we celebrate Pre-Birthday - Birthday - and Post-Birthday. Just to keep the celebration going. We received a pretty nice tax return this year, and it was very nice to help payoff some debt... however, it's been SOOooooo long since we have spoiled ourselves with anything with the exception of having children, because we are spoiled having them. :o) So, anyway, I had been wanting to get Nathan something a bit more grand than a watch or a shirt.... he still got a shirt... So, I splurged and bought him a Wii. :o) He received the Wii on his Pre-Birthday while the kids were asleep, so he could get it all set up and played with, without the kids breathing down his neck. On his birthday, he received all the accessories, some games and an early bed time because he became suddenly ill while we were shopping for shoes for him. He also got a new shirt and some PEEPS! :o) On his Post-Birthday, the kids and I surprised him at work with some Peeps, Mt. Dew Code Red and Balloons. If you haven't caught on yet.... He LOVES Peeps and Mt. Dew Code Red. If you think I have a problem with Diet Pepsi, you should see Nathan with his Code Red. He also used a gift card from my parents to buy him some new shoes and then we went out to dinner. Hazel started rolling from belly to back and back to belly on his Post birthday too, it was a nice surprise. It was a great 3 days. :o) Happy Birthday my dear! We love ya!

Some funnies that the kids said:

Noah- Mom.... How old is Dad?

Me- Well, today he is 34 years old.

Noah- WHAT?!

Me- Yup

Noah- 34?! huh......that's a lot older than me!

LATER

Noah- DAD?! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Nathan- Thank you Noah!

Noah- You're how old?

Nathan- 34 years old.

Noah - OH yeah... You're old.

We had been joking so much about his age that Eloise came up to me and asked:

Eloise- MOM!

Me- What?

Eloise- What does 34 year old look like?

Me- *points to Nathan* Like Daddy.

Eloise- OHHHHHhhhh... Like Daddy?

Me- Yup

Eloise- OK!

Ready... Set... GO!

2010-02-16T14:11:00.005-07:00

Hey MOM! Look what I can do with my belly!

READY?!

SET!

GO!

HEHEHEHE!

Behind

2010-02-11T16:15:00.002-07:00

Yup... I'm behind. On everything! I have so many projects sitting half done that it isn't funny anymore. I hate that too!! So, I better take some time from doing projects to updating our blog... LOL!

This last weekend my parents came down from Idaho for a quick visit. They brought Andrew Kay down as well (nephew). So the kids loved playing with him and the grandparents. We really didn't do too much, Mom is still recovering from surgery. We did however take the kids swimming out to their hotel and burned off some energy that way. It was a nice pleasant, non-busy, visit. :o) Unfortunately, Mom didn't do too well on this trip down and now she's in the hospital again, recovering from blood loss.... from where, we'll find out tomorrow. I don't like it when she is not feeling well and I can't be there to help her out. No use taking the kids up, that causes more stress. She is doing better, but won't be released from the hospital until tomorrow sometime.

While the folks were down, Mom taught my how to crotchet granny squares, so I finally got started on Hazel's baby blanket... yeah, I'm a good 6 months behind schedule on that... lol! I did however accomplish one thing! I was able to finally purchase a hanger for a frame and get it hung up in Hazel's room! Check that one off my list, it's been sitting on my list for 3 months. lol!

It's been busy this week and I'm very excited for the long weekend to get caught up on some things. Hazel is sick yet again, with an ear infection and yucky cough. She weighed in at 16 pounds at her well child check up! She's a chunk! She is officially 6 months old too! I can't believe how fast time can go! Noah is doing really well at Piano, his teacher started him on scales, so we are working with him on that now. Eloise is still Eloise. :o) We are trying to get her to pronounciate her words better and also to know her alphabet and numbers better too. Not much else is going on, I don't have any updated pictures, I know... I'm horrible! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the almost Spring weather! :o)

Haircuts and stuff

2010-02-03T18:09:00.009-07:00

Pretty much pictures for this post. There isn't much going on, except we have Spring Fever... bad... We've been teased with this nice sunshine for a week now... and tomorrow we are suppose to have rain and snow again... Dangit... oh well. Anyway, it was nice taking my workout to the park this afternoon and seeing the beautiful blue sky and pretty snow dusted mountains. It was nice to get some fresh air in my lungs. The girls enjoyed the walk too, Hazel so much so, she fell asleep. :o) We started teaching Noah simple math awhile back and today he was playing his Leapster and I noticed that the questions were math related, so I went into his room to see what he was doing with the questions. He was actually answering the questions right, using his fingers! It was an absolute "YES!" moment! :o) I was pretty happy with himself after the game announced that he won. :o)

Hazel is rolling over now. It's clicked in her head, finally. She gets the biggest grins on her face when she rolls... It is pretty comical to watch. We got the kids' hair cut over the weekend. Both needed one REALLY bad. I caved and we went to cookie cutters. I was not pleased with the last time we went, but as we walked in, I saw none of the ladies that made our experience horrible, so I am ok with it. Eloise and Noah both got great cuts, so we are happy. It was the first time in over a year that Noah got his haircut by someone other than me, and Eloise... it has been 9 months! I really wanted to let her hair grow out, but as much as she doesn't enjoy having her hair done right now, I figured we will just let it be bobbed and cute, less maintenance! LOL! Enjoy the pics!!

The Winner is......

2010-01-30T12:19:00.002-07:00

First, I have to thank those of you that participated in the giveaways! This was a fun week! Just to recap a bit:

Total value of products given away: $100

Melissa B. won the pink Breast Cancer Awareness drop earings, she was one of two people that entered! YEA for Melissa!!
Barbara M. won the lip gloss on the second day, for promoting and commenting, she was one of 7 people that entered! YEA for Barbara!
Melissa B. won the rinestone heart necklace on the third day, she was the only one that entered for that. So, YEA Again for Melissa!! (can you tell she loves AVON just as much as me? I love this gal!)
Jessica C. won the lip gloss on the 4th day for promoting and commenting, she was one of 4 people! YEA Jessica!!

Yesterdays giveway ended this morning at 10:00. There were only 3 people that entered, Jessica, Melissa, and Halli. A big thanks to each of you, seriouslly. You all supporting me by buying your AVON through me is greatly appreciated and all the promoting that everyone did was so awesome!! I used www.classtools.net to randomly pick a name and.....
The winner of the ANEW Rejuvinate system is: Jessica!!
Congratulations Jessica!!

This blog is now going back to normal for the next little bit. I do plan on doing a weeks worth of giveaways once a month. I hope to be able to do bigger items, or more demanded items. What products would you want me to giveaway? Leave me a comment and give me some ideas. :o) Thanks again to everyone that promoted my store and the giveaways, it really was a lot of fun. Now, I've gotta go get these way cute items in the mail to the winners. Have a great day!!

LAST CHANCE! Giveaway #5!

2010-01-29T16:23:00.004-07:00

Okdohkay! I know this is getting posted a bit late.... I lost track of time swooning over Mr. Darcy.... I had a bee in my bonnet and had to watch that this afternoon... LOL! So, Congratulations to Jessica for winning the Lip Gloss! :o) I'll be sending that up to you tomorrow, my dear. I'm sure you'll love it! OK, so here it is.

Anew Rejuvinate, yummm..... :o) This is selling, right now, for $34. ($17, if you purchase $10 in makeup or skincare) It is a $58 value, which means it won't be this price for long. I am giving it away free. If you have bought anything at my store this week including today, leave me a comment, and I will enter you into the drawing to receive this. I have ladies swear by this stuff and I can't wait to try it out myself. There is no minium purchase requirement and the code that I have been giving out all week is still good. So far, 2 people are entered into the drawing. Good odds for either of them if no one else enters! I will close this giveaway tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. This is the last giveaway I will be doing for a few weeks. Leave me a comment with what products you want to see me giveaway for the next time!Goodluck!!

My site: www.youravon.com/adipo

Free Shipping over $5. Code: WINTER5

Giveaway #4!

2010-01-28T14:55:00.003-07:00

Congratulations to Melissa AGAIN! For winning the necklace, she was the only one who entered, so there was no need for the random name picker! Congrats Melissa, you'll look great in it and the Mineral Makeup you ordered, I believe, you are going to love!

So far there are only 2 people entered to win the Anew Rejuvenate morning and night pack. Hmmm.... only 2... Well, there is plenty of time for everyone to enter into that giveaway. Just purchase something from my online store, leave me a comment and viola. The details of the Anew pack is in the previous post. Goodluck with it!

OK, the giveaway today is once again LIP GLOSS! (I told you I had 2) So, today, if you want one of these:

Please promote via email, FB, or blog about today's giveaway and tomorrow's too, since it ends tomorrow. Leave me a comment too and I will put your name into be randomly picked and if you buy something from my store I will put your name in again.

in your comment, I need advice.... We have 3 children, 1 boy and 2 girls. We are in love with them, of course, but just wish that they would sleep better. Our boy, 5 in July, suffers from Nightmares. Our girl Eloise, 3 in May, just doesn't sleep well... at all and our littlest Hazel is still a baby, so understandably wakes up because she's hungry. So, my question to you is: Have you dealt with children having nightmares before, and what did you do and if you have the same sleep issues in your house... how do you cope? I'm looking for Mommy/Daddy advice here. So Please do spill your secrets, in the meantime, I will close this giveaway at 10:00 p.m. MST tonight. GOODLUCK!!!

My Site: www.youravon.com/adipo

Free Shipping over $5.00 Code: WINTER5

Giveaway # 3!

2010-01-27T14:32:00.005-07:00

First off, Congratulations to Barbara! She won the lip gloss yesterday. I'll be getting that in the mail hopefully this afternoon for you, Barbara! For those of you interested, I'm using http://www.classtools.net/ the website has a random name generator, so it is all done fairly. :o)

I bet you've been wondering what I am giving away today eh? Well, it isn't makeup. Because AVON is more than makeup. So, I'm going to be giving away some more jewlery. :o) I have this, in silver:

Isn't it pretty?! Right now it is selling for $20.00. I am giving it away free. What's the catch today? Well, of course, promote my giveaways. :o) Also, because this is a bit more pricey for me to hand out, I can't afford right now to just give it away. Hopefully the next giveaway week I do, I won't have to be asking you to buy anything and we can all just have fun with this. So, if you want this necklace free, from me, you need to log onto my store and spend atleast $15.00. Those that do spend $15.00 at my store and leave me a comment saying they did so, I will have that nifty random name generator pick a winner Thursday at 3:00 p.m. MST! I will announce the winner when I post Giveaway #4. The necklace is a perfect gift for V-Day coming up, don't you think? And it's $20.00 regulary, so no one has to know you got it free. :o)

So you don't feel like you are spending and not winning I am introducing Friday's giveaway a bit early. I have this:

This is the Anew REJUVENATE Skin Revitalizing System, your morning and night regime. This is a value of $58, it is selling right now for $34 ($17.00 if you buy $10 in skincare or makeup). I'm going to be giving this away free. To qualify for the drawing which I will do Saturday morning all you have had to do is buy something in my store this week. Doesn't matter how much, just something. This counts for the entire week, so if you bought something on Monday or Tuesday it counts too. Also, I ask that you either promote my giveaways via facebook, email or blog. :o) I have ladies that swear by this stuff and it is a great way to test it out, free! My district leader thinks I'm absolutly crazy giving this away free, but I think you are all worth it. Goodluck!!

P.S.- There is no purchase required to win on tomorrow's giveaway!

My site: www.youravon.com/adipo

Free Shipping over $5.00 Code: WINTER5

Giveaway #2!

2010-01-26T14:48:00.004-07:00

OK, so... did anyone guess what I'll be giving away today? It is definitely a must have for my makeup bag and I know in many others. Lip Gloss.... oh yeah... that's right. plump and juicy.... tasty, glossy.... getting those looks from the opposite gender.... getting those compliments from our own gender.... oh yeah... lip gloss. :o) I like lip gloss, can you tell? So, I have 2 of these.....

Both are Sparkle, shades are Rave and Apple Cinnamon. Right now this gloss is buy 1 get 1 free and $6.00... So you save $6.00 when you purchase 2.

This is how it is going to work today. Promote my blog-giveaway-week on either facebook, or your own blog, email some friends of yours if you are not on FB or don't have a blog. Leave me a comment that you have done so. And also tell me what your favorite AVON product is. If you don't have one, tell me what product you would like to try! I get a lot of feedback from ladies and I want to start tell you all about what us normal, everyday-women, like. For instance, I have had ladies tell me they really like the brow pencil in brown and the Mineral Makeup (I'm also a HUGE fan of Mineral Makeup). I also have had ladies tell me they LOVE the Anew product lines. Personally, I'm a fan of the lip and eye products, it's what I order most of. Considering that 4 AVON lipsticks are sold every second, they must be good right? I love a good lipstick. :o)

So, do a bit of promoting, leave a comment with your favorite product or a product you want to try and the shade of lip gloss you would want me to send and go snoop around my store... order something, make a wish list, try the virtual makeover. I will put everyone's name into a computer program and it will randomly select a winner for one lip gloss. There is a bit of a catch.... Each person that comments will receive one entry. If you order something on my website I will put your name in again. So it would make it two entries. Because I am doing a Giveaway everyday this week, I am going to close this opportunity at 9:00 p.m. MST tonight and I will post the winner on tomorrow's giveaway at 3:00 p.m.

Reminder- If we do not know each other, or you are not sure I have your email. Leave it in your comment, so if you win, I can notify you. Goodluck everyone!!

Free Shipping over $5.00 CODE: WINTER5

My site: www.youravon.com/adipo

Keeping it going, all week long!!

2010-01-25T18:57:00.005-07:00

Congratulations to Melissa Brunson for being the first to win my first contest! The necklace and earings are going to look great on you, Melissa! Thanks!!

To keep the fun going, I've decided to do a contest everyday this week. I will post the contest at the same time everyday, so look for tomorrow's contest at 3:00 p.m. MST. The following guidelines are the same below. THANKS!

A clue for tomorrow's prize : A must for every makeup bag.

My First Contest!!

2010-01-25T15:06:00.004-07:00

As an indepedant AVON representative I am able to have a little fun with the products. So, to kick off my second campaign as a Rep. I am giving away some darling earings and I'm offering free shipping on my online store. I obviouslly can't afford to give away anything right now, without a little encouragement from you. I have a friends and family that are ordering from me, but I need my client base to grow larger and a good way to do that is over my site. With time, I hope to give away without a catch, but for right now, there is a catch. Sorry, if you are dissapointed.

On the flip side of the catch there is a good reason to participate. That one reason is: Breast Cancer Awareness. AVON is the largest company to support this cause. So, they sell Awareness products and all proceeds go directly to the cause. Gotta love supporting a good cause right?

Here is the contest: Here is the Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Drop Down Necklace. Do you like it? Would your daughter like it? Valentines Day is coming up, do you have a Friend, Sister, Niece, Grandma, Aunt or Cousin that would like it? It is $10.00 and can be found in the fashion section on my site, under jewelery.

I have a pair of these that I am giving away:

The first person to post this contest on their blog (a mention is ok, as long as there is a link to this blog) order the necklace on my store (remember it's free shipping with the code I will give you) and leave me a comment saying you did both, will get the matching earings. If there is a tie and the person who ordered first cannot be determined, I will send both persons the earings.

When you are ordering you fill out a profile, make sure you input your address, so I can send you the earings. Also when you fill out the profile and place your order it gives me the time you did that, so a winner can be easily determined. Here is the Free Shipping (with an order over $5.00) Code: WINTER5 The contest is open to everyone, but only for online shoppers... so no phone calls please. Remember, although I am having you buy something to get something.... the cause is very worth it. Good luck to everyone and have fun shopping!! I will be doing another contest on Wednesday and another on Friday. One is a rhinestone heart necklace (very, very cute) and the other is a surprise and worth up to $50. So if you don't win this time, check back on Wednesday and Friday. I will post the winner to this contest as soon as there is one!

CODE: WINTER5

My Site www.youravon.com/adipo

Hazel :o)

2010-01-22T11:52:00.006-07:00

It's her turn. :o) Here are some updated pictures of the little squirt. Did you get a load of her lashes? LOL! She is definately chunckin' out. She has an appointment coming up in a few weeks, but just a few weeks ago she was at 15 pounds. To me, she looks tons bigger, especially in her head. She is working on sitting up by herself still. She isn't a big fan of belly time, but mostly because she's been sick and being on her belly constricts her breathing a bit. She ended up with a double ear infection and some congestion a couple weeks ago. She's off medicine now, but it seems like she never stopped being sick. She still coughs and she still has crappy nose. Despite it all, she is such a happy baby!! She is always smiling!! I love it! Enjoy the pics!

Her daddy was getting her to freak out in these pics. :o)

Noah... Just Noah...

2010-01-20T10:46:00.006-07:00

He's excited to grow up.... but I'm not... however, it's going to happen, so I guess we'll let it happen. He is already giving us his birthday wish list... also trying to trick us that he has 2 birthdays a year.... yeah, he likes birthdays! LOL! He always has a book in his hand, he loves to read to his sisters and he loves to be read to. We've been working really hard at his reading skills and now, to break up the monotony, we are working on addition, which he has caught on to pretty well. That is, we work on that when he allows us to stray from the topics of Outer Space, Volcano's and the States.... LOL, he is so funny! He had his second piano lesson on Tuesday. For some reason he was being shy, but he managed to get through the lesson really well. He likes being able to get up to our piano and play the songs he has learned. I will have to record it and post it soon. :o)

Some have asked us how we get him to sit and focus for us to teach him. I'll tell you what works for us and him. Every moment is a learning opportunity. If we were to sit down and work work work, he wouldn't be as excited about knowledge as he is now. We do sit down and practice this and that, but not everything and not for very long. Children only have an attention span of about 15 minutes, so when the conversation changes, you go along with the flow. Noah just has a zeal for wanting to learn more and know more. So naturally that makes him ask a lot of questions. We are happy that he wants to know, so we encourage him to ask. It rubs off on Eloise, so that helps!
In otherness, Hazel has another cold... yup... and Nathan too. I threw my back out picking up Hazel in her carseat last week. It was definately an "uh oh" moment.... and so I'm in pain, all the time. Eloise is going through weirdness at Church, she doesn't want to go to nursery anymore, so we end up taking her to class.... not fun. She is a typical 2 year old, with all the terrible and sweetness that comes with the age. I believe Nathan and I are very much looking forward to her turning 3. LOL! I'm really liking being an independant AVON rep. I just submitted my first order yesterday. I estimated my earnings at $50! (not bad for my first 2 weeks!) I will be doing some contests on here pretty soon. I have some goodies to give away to you all!! So look for those posts, probably starting next week! :o) Have a great day!!

Oh yes! We Have No Banana's!

2010-01-18T18:25:00.002-07:00

Gotta love having an alto in the house! Hehehehe!

Piano

2010-01-13T12:00:00.002-07:00

Pennie: Noah, can you find middle C?

Noah: Yeah... it's right here. *plays middle C*

Pennie: Oh WOW! Good job!

Noah: Here is another C, *play a higher C*

Pennie: Yes! Good!!

Seriouslly..... So happy that he caught on to what his teacher was teaching him in his first lesson! He played a song even!! He surprised her with what he was able to understand, surprised me even. Now comes the everyday practices, recitals and frustration that comes with learning.... and of course the happy moments when he realizes he has accomplished something he couldn't do before. We are so very excited for him. :o)

Oh dear....

2010-01-11T13:15:00.002-07:00

Overheard last night....

Noah went up to Eloise and tried to give her a hug while saying he loved her... this is what ensued....

Eloise: GET AWAY FROM ME! STOP IT!
Noah: But Eloise I'm trying to love you!
Eloise: *running away into the kitchen* NO!
Noah: But Eloise! I want to give you a hug *by Eloise running away, Noah's "Dipo gene" kicked in and started the "lets bug her" activity*
Eloise: *screaming*
Noah: ELOISE! Choose the Right and let me hug you!!
Eloise: NO! You choose the right! Stop it!
Noah: Eloise, come on! Let me hug you! Choose the RIGHT!
Nathan: Noah, I think it's best if you stopped....
Noah: Ok... OK..... I'll stop.....

*Nathan and I were busting the entire time... seriouslly.... I don't know where they put it together!! LOL!*

Ding Dong! AVON Lady!

2010-01-09T16:06:00.002-07:00

Yes... it is true! I am now an AVON Lady! I've been getting the "why" question a lot, so here is why. We could use the extra money, who couldn't right? So, I went up and talked to a district sales lady and I got all signed up. I'm excited about it, especially excited about the new challenges and adventures I'll be making. I'm the type of person that likes to do something well, so I'm going to be putting a lot of "me" out there. I've also had the questions "why not Pampered Chef or Mary Kay, Scentsy, Salt City Candles?" One reason, I don't like to do selling parties. I don't like to go to selling parties and I don't like to have them... So if you invite me to one, don't be surprised if I don't show up and if I do.... I most likely won't buy anything.... why? One reason.... We don't have $$! I really don't like to feel pressured either, so invite me, if I do come, I'll just eat your food and chit chat. Sorry. Anyway, AVON does offer those parties and if a customer of mine prefers to have one, I will oblige, but it really isn't my cup of cocoa. So I won't be doing parties unless I'm asked to, instead I'm pounding pavement, calling everyone I know, handing out catalogs and I set up a AVON website. I've already had one sale from my site!! It truly is a very non-hassle way to go about ordering AVON products. You order, you pay, it gets shipped directly to you. Avoiding me entirely. :o)

So, don't be surprised, if you are a friend or family close to us, that I ask you if you want a catalog. I'm not going to hate you if you don't want one, be honest with me, if you don't want to order AVON, tell me, it won't hurt my feelings. If you know of anyone that does like AVON that isn't getting catalogs or knows how to browse and use the internet, I'd appreciate the referral! :o) Let me know! :o)

So, that is what's new with us.... I'm excited, I'm motivated, I'm kinda freakin' out! LOL! My site link is at the top of my blog or you can click HERE. Thanks everyone!

Working it all out

2010-01-07T11:43:00.003-07:00

Not much has been going on, besides the fact that we are back to schedule and routine in our house, which is very much appreciated. I like having my timeline through the day and the kids do to. They know when they are able to play, go to school, nap, eat, ect... It helps them be structured as well as it helps me keep some sanity. I do miss Nathan though, but he is doing what he has to do.

Since the new year started up, my brother Barry started a collective group on Facebook for people that wanted the challenge to lose 10 pounds by February 18th. I joined as well as some of my friends. My other brother, Steven, decided it was time for some sibiling rivalry and started a biggest loser competition between us.... I guess he's telling us all that we need to lose weight. ;o) That starts up on the 1st of February, so I have some time to chill with that one, but I'm still trying to lose the 10 pounds by Feb. 18th. It's a good goal. I don't know if I'm more focused on the weight or how my pants fit, but either way, I believe I'm doing good.

Instead of working out every other day, I'm working out everyday and then in a couple of weeks I'm going to introduce a stricter diet/calorie plan to help. I decided I needed to make the excersise a habit and then add in the rest.... I seemed to be overwhelmed putting them both together. So, so far it is working. I'm sore and I desperately need a new mattress, but oh well. lol!

Last night Nathan finished blowing up my pilates ball and I was able to work with that a bit. It's a lot harder than it looks and Nathan just sat there and laughed at me, so I made him get down and try what I was doing.... he didn't laugh at me after that. So, he is going to work with me every night, so his health will improve too. It is a lot more fun to work together and keep each other motivated then have him just watch me and gauk.

Step 3, after I add in the calorie and diet plan for a good 2 weeks, is taking away my beloved Diet Pepsi.... I have to prepare myself to do this.... I've done it before, I have no problem stopping, but I need to be able to find something to replace it with, because we all know I'm not getting a good 8 hours of sleep right now. I can alreay feel the headaches coming on....

So, that is about it... Nathan is back to work, teaching.... Noah is back to school, learning, Eloise is back to taking a nap everyday at the same time, and Hazel is slowly getting over her cold.

Looking Forward

2010-01-04T09:29:00.002-07:00

I'm excited for this new year. A lot of things are going to happen that I am WAY excited about. And I love that I can look forward right now and think of everything about to happen and sit in anticipation. I'm so thankful that I can't see the bad, which I'm sure there will be some bad with the good. Nathan and I were sitting last night, talking, counting our blessings in a way. We started putting a mental list together of what to expect this year, so let me share that with you. :o)

-Our niece Brielle will be baptized in about a month and a half.... I can't believe she is already 8!
-Our niece Lilly will be baptized in October, I can't believe she is already 8 too!!
-Noah will be graduating from Preschool and moving into Kindergarten, He is going to be 5! With the strides he is making with his reading, we expect him to be reading by himself by the end of the year. Mind you, we will still be reading with him, though.
-Eloise will be starting Preschool and turning 3 this year! Holy Crap! We also have a set expectation that she will be spelling and writing her name by the end of the year and able to recognize and put the sounds to each letter of the alphabet.... not too far fetched considering Noah was able to do this at 3 years old. Preschool will definitely be a big help with this expectation. It's easier to supplement the kids when they are excited to learn and Eloise hasn't hit that yet.... preschool will definitely help her motivation.
- Hazel will be making the big strides from rolling, to crawling, to walking this year and turning 1! It's hard to realize that my baby will be saying the words Mama and Dada before this year is up!
-Noah is starting up Piano lessons in a few weeks, or maybe this week, I have to call the lady, but holy crap, piano lessons!
-Another year for Noah playing Soccor and his introduction to playing T-Ball.
-Putting Eloise in dance or tumbling, so she can release some energy.
-Nathan and I celebrating our 8th year married! Always a reason to smile! :o)
-Nathan turning 34 and me turning 27! EEK!
-Celebrating all the many birthdays in the family, always a treat!
-VACATION! but where? We don't know yet, we just know we are taking one! LOL!
-BABIES!! Loads of babies coming!! So excited that Nathan's brother Bryan and his wife are expecting their 4th child, but their 1st boy!! Blankets here I come! :o)
-We (the kids and I) are crossing our fingers that Nathan will give in and let us have another pet. LOL! :o)
-Starting a garden! I am way excited about getting my garden on and enjoying all that comes from it. I'm hopeful that this happens, but I'm realistic in knowing that it will be only me that does this and without help from Nathan, it might not happen.
-Many...many...many parties :o) Oh yeah!!
-A New mattress?! MAYBE?! Oh PLEASE let this one happen! We need a new mattress!! :o)
-TAXES! I am always pretty excited about tax season and we're hoping for a nice return to help us get out of a little debt, which is another thing to be excited about this year, a little more out of debt. :o)

Nathan had some more things on our list, but they are more like personal goals and expectations for ourselves. And I'm sure we have left a few things out that will be remembered later, lol! What things are you guys excited about to happen this year?

The Burro

2009-12-30T17:21:00.002-07:00

On Christmas Eve, early in the morning, a bunch of us headed out to the farm to see the new addition. My Grandfather aquired a Burro (a small donkey) and the animal is very calm and gentle, so of course the kids LOVE to go out and take rides on him. So, we all headed out to the farm and took about a hour exchanging turns with all the kids and then went back to my grandparents where my Grandmother made us all soup. We were all very grateful because it was freezing! It was so nice to be able to spend a little time with the family this way. The memories these cousins are making are priceless and the memories we are making for our children are priceless... for instance, when our nephew Owen gets bigger.... we will all be there to remind him when he picked up a frozen cow turd bigger than his head and threw it. LOL! Or the fact that the Burro slipped and fell on it's butt with Eloise and her cousin Emily on him and then Eloise didn't want back on him again. Or when the Burro was being put back into the field and our Nephew Taylor screamed because he didn't want to leave his new friend. LOL! Or my personal favorite, when Sarah didn't wear good shoes or a good coat out to the farm and after about 10 minutes proclaimed that maybe she should have worn something more warm, hehehehe! It was just an awesome way to spend time with each other. :o)Enjoy the pics!

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-29T21:39:00.003-07:00

Since we went up to Idaho for Christmas, there was no way we were going to attempt Santa up there, being that we have limited room in our car. So, we had Christmas come a bit early at our house before we headed up there. Santa, aka my brother Steven, came to our house and gave the kids their own t.v. to go in their room. He also gave them each a DVD except Hazel, she received a learning toy. Then about a week passed and Santa left them gifts under the tree. Noah and Eloise were pretty annoyed that we only let them open one present up before we headed to church, LOL! But we did that, so Nathan could be apart of the fun when he got home from church later that day. They were way excited to open everything up. I wrapped everything, which I think I will do every year, because it slows everything down a bit, to appreciate each thing a bit more.... in a way. Anyway, Noah got two board games and a buzz lightyear along with two new leapster games. Eloise got some princess dolls, a learning toy and clothes and Hazel got a glow worm doll, a piggy bank and clothes. Nathan got an early gift, a DVD from the kids. We ended up being right on budget with the kids, but next year, we are downsizing the budget a bit, because we won't be doing a "together gift" like the t.v. was this year.

We headed up to Idaho the next day and enjoyed a lot of everything up there.... I will do a seperate post on some fun highlights. The Christmas party was a blast, the cousins love playing with each other and my parents made sure everyone was spoiled.....too much. Nathan and I, in hopes of finding an add on to my mothers gift, went to Walmart Christmas Eve, the day of the party. We walked back towards the kids section and spotted a giant 48 inch Sock Monkey... just sitting there! So I grabbed him, did a price checker thingy on him and we both just HAD to buy him for my mom! It was such a good buy and Walmart obviouslly didn't know what they had. We payed $20 for the sock monkey when it sells for $100 on Amazon! Nathan loved walking around the store holding it and having it pet my head.... making noises with it.... it was embarrassing.....but fun. Mom loved it and the grandkids loved it more.... which made us happy.

The kids ended up having stockings sitting out for them on Christmas morning.... books for Noah, lip smackers for Eloise, both a toothbrush, an apple and a orange and that was it. I was able to find Nathan the perfect gift and went over our budget a little, but I don't care. It was the perfect gift for him and very unexpected. A Steelers hoodie, official NFL wear, not cotton, the good stuff. He LOVES it and wore it twice within 3 days while up there! LOL! I also got him some nice leather driving gloves and a Steelers lanyard for his badge at work. He gave me some cultured pearls (he let weezy break my other ones), candy (which weezy ate), some new ear phones (which I really needed!) and a spice rack (which I really needed too). It was a nice small Christmas for us and actually this was the first Christmas in 4 years that we have actually exchanged gifts for one another. So it was a nice new beginning. We are going to keep our budget small for Christmas, we don't like to feel spoiled... honestly, we don't. We spent the rest of Christmas visiting my brothers homes' and seeing what everyone received, letting the kids play with their cousins, ect... Then spent the afternoon visiting with my Grandparents and after they left, visiting with the family. It was a nice Christmas.

That is about it, on the Christmas side of things. I will do another post regarding the Burro ride and the swimming, ect... Enjoy the pics!

We're home!

2009-12-28T20:22:00.003-07:00

OK, we're home from a week long Christmas vacation in Idaho and regular posts will resume shortly. Lots of fun with Santa, presents, family, swimming, burro's, movies, toys, ect... Oh we filled up the week with lots of fun and very little sleep. Nathan and I are looking forward to tonight and sleeping soundly in our own bed. With the children sleeping soundly in thier own beds. :o) I will post more tomorrow and get you all caught up. :o)

Friday's Fat

2009-12-18T12:00:00.003-07:00

Don't ask me about it.

Favorite Christmas Songs

2009-12-14T18:40:00.002-07:00

I've seen a few people do this and I want to join in the fun. What are your top 5 Christmas Songs? Here are ours... It's kinda hard narrowing it all down, but these ones always put us in the Christmas mood. :o) Enjoy!

Hazel can't really choose, so we all voted on this one for her....

Noah loves this one...

Eloise couldn't decide if she liked Frosty or Domique more...

Nathan's favorite was a hard choice too...whatever....

And My absolute favorite.... They didn't have the version on Youtube with her singing it with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square... bummer, but this video has the translated lyrics, which is a plus. It never fails to give me goosebumps.

On a side note, The Spirit of the Season, featuring The Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Sissel is possibly the best Christmas CD out there. We have the DVD and watch it a lot during the Christmas Season. I always end up in tears watching it. :o)

4 months old!

2009-12-09T19:53:00.008-07:00

At the Hospital, born 8-10-09

In between her 2 cousins that were each born on 7-16-09, Hazel was about 4 weeks old. (Lola, Hazel and Oliva)

A little over a month old.

Around 2 months old.

Around 3 months old.Now at 4 months old. Wow..... 4 months.... you blink and you miss it..... She isn't an infant anymore, which is bittersweet... she tries to pull herself up when she's in her bouncy seat and carseat! She is a definate giggler.... Noah and Nathan are the best at getting her to crack up. She just gives me smiles and tell me stories. Eloise is always able to bring a smile to her face too. She blew her first razberry the other day and now won't stop. lol! I'm loving this stage of life, because she isn't very demanding right now, she just loves to snuggle when she's tired or bored and when she's awake and alert she wants to be explroing her world and watching her siblings. Noah and Weezy keep her entertained a lot. She just focuses on them and won't let them out of her site. She has them wrapped around her pinky and of course, she is wrapped around theirs too. She is a pretty good sleeper, only waking about once a night if that. It depends on how the other children do, because if they wake up, they are usually loud and wake her. I count my blessing everyday that she is in our lives. Enjoy the pics!

Life kicking my butt

2009-12-08T14:36:00.007-07:00

It has been a roller coaster of a week for us... mostly me, but us in general. We've been passing around colds... I can't seem to jump back on my diet... (stupid holiday treats)... We have had issues with the kids sleeping at night... which I think contributes to a lot of emotional and physical stress....(duh) We had fun times with the family, both Nathan's and my own.... We heard of some tragic news from a friend of mine in Idaho.... It has just been a very long roller coaster ride of emotions.

I will start at the beginning and quickly make my way through it all. We have all been passing around yucky colds and fevers, yucky enough that I ended up canceling our annual Christmas Party.... we weren't happy, but oh well. We entertained my parents for a few days last week and the children loved seeing them. While they were here we went downtown to take some Christmas Pictures. That turned out to be a lot of fun and we got some good pics.

Noah has nightmares, we went through a bad phase of this in the Summer, we thought he was done with it, but they've returned. When he wakes up from them, his asthma kicks in and he can't stop coughing..... which in turn wakes up the rest of the house.... Weezy has always had issues sleeping through the night.... she just loves to snuggle... So it isn't uncommon that Nathan and I are running on a combined 5-7 hours of sleep. Which in turn.... makes for some boring Dipo's.....

We hosted Nathan's family over for Sunday Dinner, it was a lot of fun, I tried a new glaze recipe for a Ham and it turned out great (Thanks Sarah!) And then on Monday, Nathan called in sick to work because he was having his 3rd day of fever. Also, I was able to watch my brothers' kids while they went shopping. Noah and Eloise were sooooo happy to be be able to play with their cousins. They all have very active imaginations. :o) We don't get very many opportunities of one on one with my brothers and their families because they live in Idaho, so we do grab at those moments, even though they temporarily create chaos. :o)

Like I mentioned above, I'm finding the holidays a little more than a temptation... Like my brother Barry said a few days ago to me...."I think that life conspires against me to be fat" I totally agree, although we both have different reasons why life is conspiring, his reason being a better one than mine. I am not gorging, but I'm finding it hard to stay away from the complex carbohydrates. So, I find myself depressed a bit, but it's my own fault, so oh well. A jumpstart is all I need.

While most of our happenings were "happening" through the blessing of Facebook, I learned that a good friend of mine had her baby boy and then 30 minutes later, he passed away from heart complications. I cannot begin to tell you my heartbreak for her. We aren't best friends, we aren't close friends, we haven't seen each other for a good 10 years, however, I do consider her a good friend. We converse through facebook and blogs, we catch up with each other and lend each other support, advice and love when needed. I have known her a good part of my life.... since I was in 3rd grade. She has a wonderful family and friend support group where she lives and many others who live far enough away that all we are able to do is send our love and condolences. So I do not worry that she isn't being watched over, in fact I'm pretty certain that there are angels walking with her and her family right now.

She and her family have been in my thoughts and prayers since we found out. I cannot fathom what she and her family are going through right now, I can't. I know that it has to be one of the hardest things for anyone to go through. It has been hard for me to have to watch a good friend go through this trial, being so far away. It has also been a blessing seeing their testimony of the Gospel shine through their actions, words and strength. I've learned lessons through their sorrow and through their faith. My own testimony has grown just from being able to know them, their struggles and their faith.

Besides being a roller coaster of a week, I know it hasn't been as bad as it could have been and I'm thankful for that. Most of all, I am grateful for the very sad reminder of how fragile life is, how wonderful motherhood can be and how comforting it is knowing the Lords plan for us all.

It's contagious...

2009-12-02T11:20:00.007-07:00

I need to be paying bills, folding laundry, tending to 2 sick girls, but I thought I'd post some recent pictures of some lovely smiles. :o) On Monday we went downtown to do some Christmas Pictures with a great friend and her sister, who let us have their time. I'm super excited to see how they turned out and put them on our Christmas Card. I have been a bit camera snap happy as of late. Gotta love the candids. :o) Enjoy!

Friday's Fat

2009-11-27T14:55:00.002-07:00

Not much to report, I did well this week, even though I've been off my diet for 2 days. I haven't blown up and ate everything in site, infact I get full really quickly eating these other foods that I normally can't while dieting. So, it's encouragement to me knowing that my stomache has shrunk a bit. I haven't worked out at all this week either, and I'm feeling it. Every minute I have to myself I'm on the computer trying to finish up a project for Christmas. I had plans to walk a 5K on Thanksgiving morning, but we ended up staying out too late the night before and when the time came for me to wake up and leave.... yeah... it didn't happen. Oh well, there are plenty more 5k's coming in the future.

Thanksgiving was great. We had dinner at some really good friends' home. They made too much food!!! We did our best to make a dent in it though. Or I should say, Nathan did his best to eat for the both of us. I didn't eat much because I got full really quick. I'm looking forward to jumping back on the diet and working out again. I had more energy and I believe I was more pleasent. It's nice to know that someday soon I can buy myself some smaller clothes. Nathan and I changed up a prize for goal meeting. Instead of the first 10 pounds lost I get a new pair of shoes, we decided I need a hair cut more, so at the first 20 pounds lost I am getting a hair cut and color. :o) That will be really nice. At the next 10 pounds, I'll probably end up buying some clothes instead of shoes, so I'm putting my "wants" on the back burner for awhile. lol!

No change in the scale this week and I am happy with that, since I haven't worked out and I have had two cheat days. I will report again in a week. :o)

It's the little things.... The Season

2009-11-24T10:51:00.003-07:00

One thing that lights my life up is the fact that around Thanksgiving and Christmas there is a tremendous oppportunities of service out there. The Food Bank usually has a big push, Primary Childrens Hospital usually has a big push, The Christmas Box House, The Road Home, ect... Nathan and I are blessed to live where we live, we have a lot of opportunities to serve the members of our community and especially the refugees that call this area home. Refugees from Burhma, Thailand, Nepal, Middle East and many regions of Africa. These people come over with very little, sometimes just the clothes on their backs and they throw themselves into our society to start earning a living, knowing very little to no English. They are the most gracious people I know of. They rely souly on the service of others to make their way and they try their hardest to make their thanks known through the language barriers. If any lesson is to be learned, by me, it is to follow their example and be more gracious and aware of all those that serve me.

I have been called to serve, in our Ward, to teach English to the refugees that come to learn. I absolutely love this calling, I'm certain it is the funnest calling I've ever had. I'm not the best teacher, but the people I teach are so fun and are so anxious to learn that it makes the lessons flow so easily. There are many times during and after the lessons where praise is given to their accomplishments and without fail a smile spreads across their faces, sometimes they bow, most of the time they grab you by the hand, give you a hearty shake and start to tear up and thank you... literally from their hearts. The feeling that follows afterwards is so special, it makes every second spent preparing, studying, teaching, loving them, so very worth it.

I absolutly love going about my daily errands and happening to run into a refugee we know. And I love it even more when they recognize me too! It really does make my day and I love being able to show the public of which they are around, that there is more to them just an employee that doesn't speak English well. I've noticed several expressions of onlookers, when this happens, the look of surprise, of acknowledgement and of acceptance. We are all children of God, we all deserve His love. “When we are in the service of our fellow beings we are only in the service of our God” (Mosiah 2:17 from the Book of Mormon, click on the link to order a free copy or leave a comment with your name and address and I will send you one for free). This is the time of the year where we see more people doing more service, I only wish we kept the feeling all year long.

So, while I sit and eat my turkey and make eyes at the mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie I will be remembering the service that others provide to me and my family and I will be thankful, I will be remembering the service of the men and women in the armed forces and I will be grateful, I will be remembering the opportunties of service sitting infront of us and I will be grateful, I will be remembering the blessings The Lord has given us throughout our lives and I will be grateful. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Friday's Fat

2009-11-20T10:00:00.002-07:00

Being silly for the camera....Can you see my double chin? The lack of cheek bones? Yeah..... This is one of my motivational pictures that I keep up for me to see. lol! I do have a before picture, one that I actually starting crying when I see...... I will probably let you all see that one when I get to my goal.... for comparison. It isn't pretty, even though I'm dressed up.

On to the results.... As I said last week, I had a doctors appointment this last Monday in the afternoon. So, I had my "afternoon" weight on the scale, plus all my clothes. But it is a more reliable scale then the one I have at home, so I took it with a grain of salt and did my own calculations. The scale at the doctors said 204 lbs., when I weight myself that morning it said 201 lbs., so I actually think there is some accuracy in my scale at home. I weighed myself this morning before breakfast and the scale said 196 lbs.!!

I have been more active this week, besides sticking with the diet plan. I can't find a good 30 minutes to jump on my bike or do a workout video, so instead I sprint (or just peddle hard) on my bike for 10 minutes at a time, whenever I notice I have a good 10 minutes to do that. I do this throughout the day, so I usually do get a good 30-40 minutes total on the bike. I also have a workout video with 10 minute routines. I haven't done that as much, because it requires a clean living room, but it's my other option too. This has turned out to be easier for me to do... 30-40 minutes at a time can be really hard for me, so this way I am actually doing something. lol! I try to read a Health Article everyday, for encouragement and I found one regarding sprints in workouts actually move the process along better. I tried in vain to find the article, but couldn't instead there is this one: HERE That is really informative.

Also, I didn't post this last week, but I think I should, because it is another way to measure my goal by. My BMI.... ugh... right? I found a calculator at MSN Health (most health websites have a free one) My BMI (not surprising) is a 32, to translate that, moderately obese. When I can get it to under 30 is when I become just "overweight" The goal weight would put my BMI between 18-24 which is normal.... these numbers look smaller to me, but really.... 30 and under starts at 174 lbs.... which is a WAYS off for me. I'm working on it though... obviously. lol!

Also, I'm posting my Blood Pressure.... although I don't think I really should... My BP is always really good, even through pregnancies. Which makes me feel really bad for others who really struggle with their BP. I've done nothing to deserve my good BP, except be the daughter of wonderful genes. So, the nurse at my appointment did that for me. 120/72 was my result. :o) That isn't my best, but I'll take it. I'm usually 115-120/ 60-72. I would love to have it be the same or a bit lower.... We'll see if I can keep it that way.

So, that is it... really.... I believe this week flew bye without any major "grr's" from me.... I'm obviously struggling, but I have been doing it. This next week however..... I'm not looking forward to. We have a pie night party we are going to and following that up with Thanksgiving the day after. We'll see how good I can be. I might end up working out for 4 hours on Thanksgiving just to keep myself good. lol!

Here are the quick stats:

Starting Weight: 200 lbs. BMI: 32 BP: 120/72

Current Weight : 196 lbs. BMI: 32 BP: 120/72

It's the little things.....milestones

2009-11-17T22:08:00.003-07:00

I probably shouldn't write a post right now.... I'm grumpy, however, it is getting my mind off of the fact that I am grumpy, even though... I am writing about being grumpy.

I have been grumpy... all day... and I have been monumentally making a great effort to be happy in life. By the time 4:00 comes around in the day, I've usually given up and want to crawl in my self made hole, but since I have been consciencely making the effort to fix my attitude (wow.... those words came back to bite me in the butt.) I've noticed that my family has been happier and that it is easier to get through the day. I'm trying hard not to let the little things get to me and with 3 children and juggling their mood swings all day long along with the mess they make, that is easier said then done. Today however, it's been horrible. I've not been feeling the best, thanks to my Doctor Appointment yesterday, I have been cramping.... plus I think there is a full moon out. Can you guess what I suffer from? Yup.

The day started out like any other, me up way too late trying to finish things that should have been completed a looonnngg time ago. I got to bed around 2:00 in the morning and was up with Hazel at 7:30 soon to follow were Noah and Eloise climbing in our bed. That's ok with me, I like having their cold toes on my legs....... :o) The morning was fine, until Hazel decided that she was in a bad mood and she promptly made the morning and afternoon a big poopy mess..... that is the best I can describe it. From what I hear from the people that watched her today, she wasn't all that bad..... (I co-oped at Noah's preschool today...double fun, LOL)

OK, so enough of my bad day details....there are too many. As I was laying on the bed this evening with Noah and Hazel listening to the conversation between them I decided it was time for Hazelnut to have some belly time. So, I rolled her over and let her go to town working those neck muscles. Well.... she didn't like that and she promptly rolled back over... (Why this didn't click the first time, I don't know....) So, without really thinking about it, I rolled her back over onto her belly. She was there for a bit and then rolled back onto her back..... Then it clicked. SHE ROLLED OVER! I don't know why (ok I do) I started to cry. It was just a little bit of a good thing for me to remember how good I have it, we have it. The evening started to turn around after that..... I'm still grumpy, but I imagine a good nights sleep will handle that, maybe I will dream about twinkies or zingers.... yeah... that might help. :o)

Friday's Fat or Fat Friday?

2009-11-13T09:29:00.003-07:00

So, I'm sorry if you all think you were getting out of my ramblings of dieting... but you're not. Of course you can always choose not to read. :o) I've decided, once again to journal my progress. Not too extensively, but enough that I can track myself and really if I've done poorly one week, I want to be accountable and have to write it here. Visa/Versa if I've had a great week! So, here we go..... again.

I started up the South Beach Diet Plan with the added help of Green Tea HP and exercise a few days ago. I weighed myself on our very unreliable scale (it's all we have to go by) and the scale gave me 200.... not surprised, really... I kinda knew that. I have a doctor appointment on Monday and they will weigh me there... so I'll get a better reading. However, 2 days in and I couldn't keep myself from trying out the scale this morning. It showed a 2 pound difference, whether or not this is a flewk, I like seeing progress, it gives me hope.

My decision on South Beach was fairly easy. When we were trying to get pregnant (before Noah came along) My doctor advised me to lose weight and then we'd most likely see some results. He wanted to try this before putting me on clomid, which ended up happening. Anywho, I asked the doctor which diet to try and he pointed me to South Beach. I went directly to Barnes and Noble and bought the book. I lost 15 pounds in 2 months on it.... with no exercising. After Noah was born I tipped the scales at 210 pounds, I used South Beach and walking to get me back down to 165 in a year. After Eloise I was at 210 pounds and then got myself back down to 180 pounds before getting prego with Hazelnut. I had a better pregnancy with Hazel, more problems, but less eating issues. So when she was born I was 210 pounds, but with a 20 pound difference in the last two pregnancies, It was better.

So, now I'm giving it another go, along with atleast 30 minutes of activity a day and 2 servings of Green Tea HP. The Green Tea is a supplement to a diet/workout program. I haven't heard of anyone personally that has lost weight with just drinking it. I'm mainly drinking the crud because it gives me a dramatic boost in energy (more so than Diet Pepsi) and it curbs my appetite, which is really good, because I'm a muncher...... to the max. It is awful stuff to drink though, some people like it, but to me it tastes like I'm drinking sand mixed with the numbing stuff a dentist uses on you before he gives you a shot. It really isn't pleasant stuff.... who knew 16 oz could be so hard to drink? LOL!

Wish me luck! If any of you want to investigate South Beach or Green Tea HP, here are the links. I have the book, if anyone close wants to borrow it. :o)

South Beach Diet

Green Tea HP