.

2011-10-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

I think we have started a new tradition.

Today was my mom's birthday.

She would have turned 58 years old today. Today also marks 8 years since she passed away.

It was breast cancer. Stupid cancer.

I don't want my kids to forget about their grandmother. So I am trying to find ways to bring her into their lives. I decided that celebrating her birthday was a start. So we headed to the store to get the necessary ingredients. The girls helped me make the cake. They suggested something pink to represent breast cancer awareness. We found pink jelly beans. The girls helped put them on the cake- we just dropped them randomly on the top.

Next year I'm think we should come up with gifts. Not gifts you wrap up in packages, but gifts of spirit. Thinks like treating others kindly, or giving up a bad habit. Something each one of us thinks mom would appreciate. We could plan ahead a bit more and make it a real event- not just a last minute cake.

I think it would be nice to have stories to tell the kids about mom.

Collecting new ones each year would be fun.

Happy birthday, Mom!

ten

2011-09-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

I was working at the Rainforest Cafe in Kansas City. It wasn't that busy in the morning and suddenly everyone was leaving, headed to the break room. I went back to see what was going on. The television was on and there was news of a plane hitting a building in New York. I stood there, watching it all unfold on the tv. Then they reported a plane hitting the Pentagon- about a mile from my husband, who was working that day as a Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. I couldn't get through to him for several hours. I think I left work at that point and headed back to my parent's house where Ashley (then 8 months) were staying- it wasn't like masses of people would be out shopping at the mall that day anyway. The price of gas was going through the roof at several gas stations that morning as I headed home. They went back down later that same day. I remember just kind of standing around in shock at home with my mom. I kept trying to call Jeff. It was killing me, being 1100 miles from him during this tragedy that was right there next to him. It was the next days and weeks that were really difficult. I may not have been there, I may not have lost a loved one, but it affected our family in a very intimate way. Jeff, as were pretty much all the troops at Fort Meyer, was assigned to clean up at the Pentagon. Some people may say that being in the armed forces these boys- because most of them were still boys- are trained to deal with that kind of thing, but it doesn't matter what line of work you are in, what training you are given, it still affects you. I am grateful for all of the people who had to do that devastating work. I fear that they are forgotten when we remember that day. I pray that they can all be healed from the things they saw in the days following.

I will always remember the victims, the ones who lost their lives or their loved ones and the ones who's lives were forever changed by what they experienced.

Party.

2011-05-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

Last month Natalie turned 5. (Remember the rainbow cake?) Well she also had a party with friends. It had a Power Puff Girls theme- well, the cupcakes were that theme anyway. My friend Tiffany made the cupcake toppers. Natalie absolutely LOVED them! Here are some pictures.

It's been a while.

2011-05-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've been ignoring my blogs. I guess life is just busy. Hectic even.

You see, I have this little boy. He likes to get into everything. Wherever he goes, a mess ensues. He likes to open the dishwasher and stand on the door. He likes to climb up and sit on the table. If there is nice stack of anything he just has to knock it over- or sometimes he takes each piece, one by one, and throws it on the floor. Needless to say, it is hard to get anything accomplished around the house.

Then there is this five year old girl in the house. She is constantly hungry. She longs for play dates. I try, I really do. It is just hard when everyone her age is in kindergarten or preschool. So she gets bored- and we all know that boredom in a five year old means creating messes. Or maybe you didn't know that. Well, it does for this one!

Then there is the seven year old pirate loving girl. She just wants to swashbuckle. Which isn't really even a word. It really is just acting like a swashbuckler- which is a swaggering or daring soldier or adventurer (or a novel dealing with a swashbuckler- as in; it was a swashbuckler of a tale). How can you be swaggering or daring (or a soldier or adventurer, much less) without making a mess? Oh, and she also loves art. Art is most assuredly messy!

Last, but not least, is the ten year old bookworm girl. Her messes have changed a bit. She doesn't play with toys so much anymore. She loves to use her imagination. She too loves art (you know-that messy business we were just talking about). She is all about mythology since reading the Percy Jackson series of books. Crazy about it.

Oh, and lets not forget this guy who lives here. He got a motorcycle. He loves it. He has been fixing it up for a while now. He is almost finished. Although, when it comes to cars and motorcycles is anyone ever really finished? There is always more that one can do to them. At least he counteracts all the mess making with some dishes, laundry, and vacuuming. He even cleans the bathrooms. Sometimes he fixes things around the house. Once he even killed a swarm of bees- or were they wasps? Whichever, he is keeping us safe! Oh, and he has a full time job. That one keeps him a bit busy. (One might say that I am really lucky to have a guy like this hanging around. I would be inclined to agree.)

Okay, so I'm pretty sure I add to the mess quite a bit. I mean, I have to cook and bake. With a kitchen as small as ours (and it isn't even as small as some that I've had in the past) it is pretty easy to make a huge mess. My sewing (which is an art - you know, that messy business) is definitely a mess maker. One day I might just figure out how to be organized enough not to make a huge mess when I sew. Probably not, though. (Hey, I'm just being realistic.) Of course, travel adds to the hectic lifestyle. I don't travel on a regular basis- it is usually a last minute thing. Which makes it even more hectic than normal travel. I flew to Virginia to see my grandparents last week. I was able to see her one last time. She passed away last Saturday.

Things are beginning to slow down now. I am settling into a routine again. We set up a new cleaning schedule. Fridays after school (yes, we stole this from my sister). Then we can have pizza and a movie night when they finish. It isn't just them cleaning, I have to clean as well. I think having the movie as a reward for cleaning will really help motivate them. Maybe then when people stop by I won't feel bad when I open the front door! It might also free up some time so I can get some sewing (and blogging) done.
I might even have time to pull out my camera.

Parting shots- artwork via the girls.

All pictures courtesy of the children on my iPhone.

For Betty.

2011-04-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

I was lucky growing up- I had three grandmothers. My dad's dad got married to Betty before my parents got married, so she has always been my grandmother. I lived close to them- even with them for a time- for several years before I was married. I enjoyed getting to know the grandparents that had always lived far away. I have fond memories of visiting for several weeks in the summer as a teen. I enjoyed spending a few weeks one winter when I got to help in the barn with the horses they bred. She was one of the first people to hold Ashley at the hospital when she was born (besides myself and Jeff).

She didn't like having her picture taken, and would probably hate that I put one up here. I even had to sneak the picture (that's why my nephew's head is in there).

She has always been energetic and active. Now she is sick. She has cancer. Please pray for peace and comfort for her and her loved ones at this time. I know we would all appreciate it.

Grandpa with some of the great grandkids.

I love you, Grandma and Grandpa!

I Heart Faces Photo Contest - Wind

2011-04-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

This week at I Heart Faces the photo challenge is "Wind." When we lived in Oregon our favorite thing to do was to drive to the coast. So naturally we went back to the coast when we were visiting. We hiked up to the lighthouse and were met by some pretty strong winds. The kids always run around while I take pictures. It seems she only ever stays still when a camera is pointed at her!

We really enjoyed visiting the coast of Oregon with its lush vegetation, cool weather (and plenty of wind), and beautiful views. The kids could run free and we, the parents, could just relax and enjoy.

Five.

2011-04-06T23:52:00.000-07:00

She picked five layers for her cake.
Fitting.

She picked the colors. It just fits.

My colorful girl. Natalie.

She can't wait to start school. I think she thought she would start the day after her birthday.

She chose these colors.

She lost her first tooth last week. Before she turned five.

She has the best smile. You can see it in her eyes.

This is Natalie. Colorful. Energetic. Determined. Loving. Precocious. Wonderful. MyNatalie (pronounced as one word- muhnatalie).

Happy birthday!

Winner!

2011-03-25T00:25:00.000-07:00

...and the winner is...

Donna

who said

Where did my comment go? I love the fabric, the way it's put together and the bag's size. Laura, you are so talented.

The Giveaway Bag

2011-03-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

I finished the bag for the giveaway on Thursday evening, but I was hoping to take a picture of it Friday morning in the sunshine. Of course, I didn't get it done before we left for the weekend. So here it is Sunday and I am finally getting it done! Because of this, I am extending the deadline to enter til Thursday, March 24th, so go and enter!

Click here to the giveaway post and comment to enter!
Or click the picture to go to the post and enter.

Giveaway!!

2011-03-16T22:09:00.000-07:00

THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Okay, here it is! I am giving away a tote bag. This bag is approximately 13 inches wide, 16 inches tall, 4 inches deep, with 21 inch handles (making it a 10 inch drop). It will have a pocket inside. I was going to have a picture of the bag I made for my sister (same style but different fabric), but I don't have it yet. The bag for the giveaway is under construction at the moment- I just finished fusing the interfacing to all of the pieces. I will post a picture of it as soon as I am done (which will be by Friday afternoon).

This is the fabric. The pieces are all cut out and ready to be sewn together. The blue fabric is the outside and handles. The green is the lining. This bag will be perfect for a myriad of uses; carry your laptop, books, use it for shopping or work, as a travel bag, take it to yoga, use as an overnight bag or diaper bag, or a church bag. It's up to you.

To enter the giveaway just leave a comment on this post OR the giveaway post at my other blog A Make It Yourself Mom's Diary- no need to leave a comment on both, though. If you don't have a blog please leave an email address (you may leave it as address(at)mail(d0t)com if you would prefer). Sorry this is only open to US residents. I will announce the winner right here on this blog on Thursday, March 24.

Blogiversary= GIVEAWAY

2011-03-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Wow! I've been blogging for four years now. I can barely believe it. March 3, 2007 was my the day my blog was born. I wasn't on the ball enough to post on the actual blogiversary date, so we'll celebrate the month and not the actual day. In honor of this, I am going to do my very first giveaway. What should I give to some lucky person in the United States (sorry, international shipping is just not in my budget)? Hmmmm.... Come back tomorrow and I will have all the details!

The other visitors. The ones from my camera.

2011-03-08T22:16:00.000-08:00

Over President's Day weekend we also had some friends from Oregon visit. We managed to get a few pictures at my house.

Kristi modeled for the camera because Jeff had to test the settings. She gave us her sexiest pose!

Some little girls didn't want to be left out so we let them join us for a few pictures. Then I made them leave.

It has been too long. I have to say that we always have a great time together. Can you tell?

We managed to take a normal picture in there as well.

Love you Kristi and Celina!

Family- that's what it's all about!

2011-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Over President's Day weekend we had a big gathering. We had Dad, Uncle Paul and Aunt Katy, Grandma, Rebecca and her family, Joseph, and cousins Paul, Julia, Nicole and Clayton come for a visit. We also had a couple friends from Oregon in town. We had a great time with all of our family and friends. There was more food than we could eat and lots of fun times! Here are many, many pictures (all taken by Aunt Katy) to show how much fun we had.

Cousins chillin on the couch.

Hanging out around the kitchen (not mine).

Drew was blessed while everyone was in town.

The kids loved their mom's cousins. (Doesn't it show?)

Drew and his daddy.

Everyone got in on the reading fun.

My cousins.

My sweet boy.

This is the cutest!

Could they look more angelic?

Maybe they know how cute the are.

My cousin from the area even came with her family to hang out for a bit. Natalie really enjoyed playing with their kids.

I'm cute. You must love me.

Cousins (the ones of my generation).

Grandma and Julia.

We went to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. The kids loved it!

None of the girls wanted to touch the Manta Rays, so we only got pictures of strangers.

The jellyfish were beautiful.

The lion fish just wouldn't hold still for a good picture.

Sharks.

More sharks.

We then headed to the Bellagio to see the gardens and the fountain show.

I really wanted to go on this bridge, but it is just for looks.

I loved this boat.

Drew took a nap. Gardens are just too boring for an active little boy like him.

The mirrored horse.

Paul, Ashley, and Grandma.

The fountains at the Bellagio.

The girls were enjoying all the extra attention (even when the attention wasn't on them).

If there is a camera, Natalie will be there- ready and posing.

And Alona right behind her.

We had a great time with all of loved ones! We hope more of them will come to visit us soon.

Crazy.

2011-02-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

That's how it seems to be right now. Crazy.

With friends and family coming in town for the weekend, we were hoping to get our house clean and organized. Now we are just trying to get the house dry and have hot water again.

Yesterday morning Jeff came downstairs and walked into the living room. A few steps in and water came up over his toes. The carpet was soaked. Our water heater had sprung a leak, water seeping through the walls and soaking part of our living room. We called the property management company. They called the home warranty company. Of course, we couldn't have someone out to fix it til the next day. They did, however, send someone to dry out the place. We have fans in the garage and in the living room, along with a dehumidifier drying it all out. They tore out the pad under the carpet, so our living room floor looks really funny. We are hoping they replace the carpet because it is old and gross anyway!

Today they sent someone to fix the water heater. Of course, it isn't up to code anymore so they said that would cost wouldn't be covered. The property management company finally got things worked out and a new water heater is being installed as I type. I've never missed showers and baths so much!

music to my ears

2011-01-30T17:27:00.000-08:00

I was sitting in my chair and it occurred to me just how lucky I am. I could hear all three of my girls in the kitchen getting along. Not only are they getting along, but they are loading the dishwasher as well. Working together. Not fighting. While my dishes are getting done! What more could a mother ask? The sound of them working together is music to my ears. :)

Thankful.

2011-01-24T00:09:00.000-08:00

We are all sick. Well, everyone except Ashley so far. This bug is a doozy! Poor little Drew got it the worst. Jeff and I were so worried about him. He didn't even have the energy to whine for two days. He was losing weight. He barely kept any liquids (let alone solids) for four days. Thursday night we decided that if he wasn't showing signs of improvement in the morning we would take him in. Friday morning he woke up hungry! That was an improvement. We had to give him tiny little sips of water every 10-15 minutes for most of the day to help him get a little more hydrated. He actually cried and whined (normally this would not be appreciated). He doesn't have his old appetite back, but he's working on it. I am so grateful that he is recovering.

Natalie was also very sick. I walked in to the house on Wednesday afternoon and could tell just by looking at her that she had a fever. Jeff said she hadn't moved from the chair since I left 6 hours earlier. That is extremely unusual for her! That night I noticed hives on her wrist from across the room. I decided to investigate. I found hives all over her back. They continued to spread. Her eye was even affected- swollen so much she couldn't really see out of it. It was heartbreaking. Her fever broke a little bit later and the hives began to die down. The next day she was almost completely her normal self.

On Monday evening Ashley crashed her bike and sprained her thumb, injuring her wrist as well. On Tuesday it was worse. She had scrapes on the back of her hand, but we hadn't noticed the thumb and wrist the evening before. We headed out to Herbally Grounded to get some herbs for a poultice. She was eager to try it out. She slept with it on her hand/wrist that night. When she woke up in the morning the bruises were gone, the swelling was hardly noticeable and range of motion for her thumb was much better. We did a poultice the following night. On Wednesday morning she was practically good as new!

I am so grateful that God gave us things on this earth to help us, heal us. I am thankful that I am able to learn about them. I am grateful for so many others who are willing to share their knowledge!

Jeff and I got sick later in the week. On Saturday Alona started showing symptoms as well. We are dosing ourselves with Infection Fighter (a tincture). I feel that it is helping and hopefully it will shorten the length of this. Hopefully we will all be back to normal very, very soon.

The big 1-0

2011-01-22T16:38:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling old right about now. I can't believe my little girl is turning 10! Not for a few more days, mind you, but we had her party today.
My friend made her a wonderful cake. She met with Ashley to get ideas for it. Then she met with her again- this time bringing a sketch of the cake. Ashley was thrilled. The theme? Why, Percy Jackson of course! She fell in love with the books this autumn and her obsession has continued to grow and branch out. She knows almost everything there is to know about Greek mythology (ok, maybe not almost everything, but she does know a lot). So she decided that she wanted her cake to feature the symbols of the gods.

The PJ stands for Percy Jackson, with lightning bolts around it for Zeus and the first book of the series. The key is for Hades, the trident for Poseidon.

A dove for Aphrodite.

The bow and arrow for Apollo.

A snake for Hermes. The white fabric is representative of their robes.

Ashley absolutely loved her cake! It was tasty, too. Thanks, Danan!

Irresistible

2011-01-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

Found this on my phone. One of the girls must have taken it. He is just too cute holding his orange!

2010 Review

2011-01-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

2010 was a year of many changes for our family.
It began with us still in L.A. for our Christmas with my sisters. We started the new year off with a day spent with family, followed the next day at Disneyland. What an awesome way to start the year, right? Then we had a long drive home (which was riddled with vomiting - the tail end of the horrible plague of Christmas 2009). Not such a great way to start the year. :(

In January Ashley turned nine. Andrew became known as Drew and started smiling.

February was a busy, busy month. After months and months of waiting and praying, we came to the decision that it was time to move. We set a date- March 1st. Jeff notified the company. The moving money came. We reserved a truck. Packing ensued in full force. I taught a class on making fabric headbands for all my friends. I made skirts for the girls to wear for Valentine's Day. (Yes, when things are crazy and I really don't have time I always sew- it must be my coping mechanism.) I squeezed in as much time with my friends as I could before the big move. We changed the date of our move to the 8th of March to make things a little easier.

March was the big month. We spent the first week of March trying to get everything packed completely. Friends came over and helped us load the truck. We finally found a place to live (the day we were packing the truck). Leaving was hard- our house, which we labored for hours and hours to make beautiful, our friends, our family. We spent two days driving to our new home. We were welcomed in our new place by our new ward. We started the long process of unpacking and settling into our new lives. Ashley and Alona started at their new school. It was a rough transition for them.

In April I started blogging with a friend on her blog. I mostly blog about sewing and crafty stuff. Natalie turned 4. We also drove up to Utah for my sister's senior recital (piano) at BYU. She rocked! We got to see quite a few members of my family while we were there.

In May Drew learned to scoot and roll to get where he wanted to go.

June brought about the end of the school year for Ashley and Alona. I headed to my hometown for my sister's wedding. The whole family was there. I spent a bit of time with my grandmother while I was there. I was so grateful that I was able to go because she wasn't doing well and I felt that I might not see her again. Drew started crawling and climbing.

July was more eventful than I had planned. We headed down to Arizona to visit my sister for the 4th of July. We had a blast! Then Jeff and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. It doesn't really seem like it has been that long. I decided that we should eliminate as much processed food from our diets as possible- a bigger undertaking than you would think. Rebecca came up later in the month to meet her husband and get her kids (as he was working up in Utah for a few months and they were spending time with his family while he was there). While she was at my house we got a call from my dad. His mother passed away. I flew out to Kansas for the funeral. We got to see all of the family again- this time without all the craziness of a wedding.

August was an exhausting month. Jeff worked what seemed like 24/7. It was hard to be stuck inside during the hot summer with no pool or grassy yard to set up a sprinkler while the kids are out of school- especially when it is just you and your husband is working well past the time you put your kids to bed. It was difficult. I thought I wasn't going to make it. Then they finally released the game they had been working on for months and months. Jeff took time off work so we could head up to Oregon for his sister's wedding. We spent just over a week there. We visited with his family and all of our friends. We tried to cram in as much time with everyone as possible and got very little sleep. Alona got strep throat. Good times! We really enjoyed spending time with the ones we love! We even got to go to the coast. Drew started walking. We made it back late on the 29th. Just in time for school to start on the 30th. That day Alona turned 7 and Jeff also celebrated his birthday. He did not turn 7.

By September the kids were settling in at school. We met their teachers. I turned another year older. Made tons of zucchini bread-YUM!

October was the month we cut the girls' hair. They all had crazy long hair. Natalie kept asking to get hers cut so it wouldn't get stuck in the stickers she puts on her shirts (love 4 year old reasoning) so I finally got around to doing it. It is a tiny bit sad to cut all that off, but it is just hair. They absolutely love their new do's. I headed to DC to watch my sister's kids while she headed to Italy, taking Natalie and Drew with me. I even got to see an old friend after 9 years! Got home and headed up to Utah for by brother-in-law's fall opera (he was the lead in The Magic Flute). It was my first opera and it was pretty funny! Came home and made Halloween costumes for the kids- 2 pirates and a Medusa. Switched from zucchini bread to pumpkin bread- can you tell I love to bake?

November was election month. Jeff and I voted. I made tons of pumpkin bread. We are addicted. On Veteran's Day, Jeff called me from work. I was just leaving Albertson's with my haul of brownie and cake mixes (at 49 cents each you would too!). He asked me to come pick him up. They had a company wide meeting where they announced that they were closing. So we started a new phase in our lives. Unemployment. It was initially very shocking. There wasn't much sign of this happening beforehand. Luckily, they were all technically still employed through the end of the month (with a paycheck and all but not working). With severance (ha.ha.ha.) and 2 1/2 weeks of vacation pay, we figured that would take us through January. Natalie enjoyed having her daddy to play with all day everyday! I took advantage of having him home and tried to get out and do as much as I could. We headed down to Arizona for my nephew's baptism. My dad was there too. There was a huge birthday party at the park after the baptism. It was a short trip (we were there just about 24 hours) but it was so much fun. The next day I sang a solo with our choir in church. First time. It was scary, but I survived- and didn't do a horrible job! The week of Thanksgiving was a tough one for me. I think all the stress really weakened me. I was in terrible pain and started getting sick. I also got a clogged milk duct and had a horrible fever. I am thankful for a good chiropractor who was able to relieve some of my pain. I learned that I need to take it easy sometimes. We spent our first holiday (Thanksgiving) without any family since we got married. Drew turned one!!

December has been a month of gratitude. I know November is usually the month for that, but our family has been so blessed this month in particular. Jeff started a contract job. We got gifts from so many people (some were anonymous even). We seem to have all our needs met and then some. Our children are doing well in school (we had parent-teacher conferences). We are all healthy. We have beautiful sunshine! We have wonderful friends and loving family. Why wouldn't we be grateful? I think Jeff losing his job has made us (well at least me) more aware of just how blessed we are. We baked a lot of cookies. We fell in love with gingerbread cookies- I was skeptical, but they are SO good. We spent Christmas by ourselves for the first time. We even got snow, thanks to some friends! We spent New Year's eve with some friends. Best part- my kitchen and living room were clean!

We hope 2011 is a good year with a great job for Jeff, lots of sewing for me, much learning for our children, and lots of great time together as a family!

Christmas Morning

2010-12-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures of the kids opening presents.

Drew with some of his matchbox cars.

(sorry for the grainy picture- bad lighting)

Natalie being Natalie.

Natalie with her favorite toy- a pirate girl from Aunt Katy!

Alona opening emptying her stocking.

Ashley with her books (tons and tons of books) from us!

Alona got a CD player with quite a few CDs from us. She was so happy!

Natalie got a 24 pack of playdough from us.

Drew checking out a card from grandma and grandpa.

The scene in our living room this morning.

Alona with her gifts and eating her slim jim.

Natalie's haul.

Ashley with the majority of her gifts.

SNOW!!!!

In Las Vegas. Can you believe it?

Ok, so it was just imported. Thanks to our wonderful friends for making it a white Christmas!

I hope you all enjoyed your day and were able to spend it with loved ones.

What we did today...

2010-12-25T21:27:00.000-08:00

The kids all got something to ride from Santa. Alona and Ashley got bicycles. Natalie got a big wheel tricycle. Drew got a little toy he can push or ride on (he can't quite get on and off of it himself yet but he loves to push it around). So we took the pedals off the two bikes and went out to teach the girls to ride. Now I know they might seem a little old to be learning to ride without training wheels, but we lived in Oregon- where it was almost always raining.
I searched YouTube for videos on teaching kids to ride. What I found- take the pedals off and let them learn to balance on the bike without them interfering. So we did just that. We made sure the seats were low enough that they could put their feet firmly on the ground with their knees slightly bent when sitting on the seat. Then they started just scooting along with their feet on the ground. They got used to the feel of the bike and then started lifting their feet to coast. It started out with about a half second of their feet off the ground. Eventually Alona got up to 24 seconds of coasting and Ashley got up to about 7 seconds. Ashley got bored and went in while Alona kept at it- that's why Alona has progressed more than her. Then we set up a little course (using old water bottles because we didn't have cones) for them to practice turning. That is as far as we got today. Once they are comfortable with turning and coasting we can put the pedals back on and get to really riding them! It is very exciting for them.

Don't be fooled by the snow in the background, it wasn't very cold out (57) and the snow was imported (a Christmas surprise by some friends).

Cruising down our street.

I'm too cool for this. (not really, but it comes across as this)

Queen of the snow mountain.

Queen of the road.

Not sure how to do this.

The snowman, and yes it is really tiny (maybe a foot and a half).

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T17:56:00.000-08:00

This year things are very different for us. It is strange to have sunshine and 60 degree weather (not that I mind in the least!!!!). This is the first Christmas we will be spending without any extended family (and hopefully the last). Jeff is working a short contract job, so there isn't time for travel. Things are far different than I ever imagined they would be.
Despite all of the changes that have occurred this year I have to say that I am extremely grateful. I am so grateful that Jesus Christ was born. I am so grateful that he gave his life for us. I am grateful that I am able to feel the love of our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ, especially at this time of year. As we receive love, prayers, support, and even gifts from our friends and family I can see just how blessed we really are.
I hope you all can feel the joy of this glorious season.
Merry Christmas!

It made my day.

2010-12-11T21:37:00.000-08:00

Things were getting rowdy in the living room. Drew was all wound up and running on the tiles around the fireplace. He came over and leaned on the table next to my chair. I didn't realize what he was doing (even though I had been watching him carefully just minutes before to prevent this from happening) and he leaned a little too much. The table started to move and he slid right off. He fell, cutting his lip. I told Jeff I needed a damp wash cloth. He brought me a wet wipe (not disposable, but a cloth wipe we use when changing his diapers). I didn't really want to put it in his mouth- even though it was completely clean. It would just be wrong. I am sure he didn't realize what my intentions were for the wash cloth, so it really wasn't his fault. I refused the wipe and told him I needed a wash cloth. He rushed to find one. Unfortunately, I think the concern for Drew made him tense and he was crashing doors into toys in a rush to get the wash cloth out of the cabinet upstairs. Of course, I got upset and told him to calm down (more like I yelled at him- because he was upstairs and I was downstairs). So here I am, cleaning up Drew's mouth so I could see exactly what the damage was. Jeff sitting on the couch, looking less than happy about all this ruckus going on and the miscommunication and all that. I am holding Drew trying to comfort him. All of a sudden I hear Ashley playing the piano. Silent Night. The piece she is playing at the recital in a week. Then I hear Alona start singing along. It suddenly all became clear. Drew was fine. It was just a tiny cut on the inside of his lip. The bleeding stopped. He was happily nursing. If I was really going to tell Jeff to calm down, maybe I didn't need to be upset myself. Imagine that! (Now everybody already knows that I am nowhere near perfect- maybe even farther from it than most.) So I sat there, humbled by my daughters who were in the other room making music together. Getting along perfectly. Ashley had to pause in places, but Alona would figure it out and wait for her. The way they worked together was wonderful. I remember growing up someone would go to the piano and start playing. Others would gather around and sing. It was spontaneous. Nothing stands out more in my mind than the memories of our family making music together. For me, this is what its all about. Music is one of the greatest joys in my life, after family and God. So when it all combines (Silent Night being music sung/played by my family together, music about the birth of our Savior), I have to say it is an awesome thing to me.

With all that we have been going through recently, I am really trying to focus on all that is great in our lives. We have each other. We are all healthy. We have food and shelter. We have friends. We have SUNSHINE!!!!! (I am especially thankful for that every day, as it really makes it easier to deal with all the trials when the sun is shining.) I am so grateful to everyone who keeps us in their prayers. Jeff is starting a short term contract position on Wednesday. We are so grateful for this. We will at least be able to make it until our lease is up at the end of February. Hopefully Jeff will have a permanent job by that time. Of course, we don't know where this will take us. We are hoping to stay where we are (Jeff and I both dislike moving), but will end up wherever he has a job.

I feel so blessed right now. That may seem strange, but it is at times like these that you can really feel the love and support of those around you. I am so grateful to have a wonderful husband who works so hard to provide for our family. I am grateful for my wonderful children, each one of them brings something unique to our home and are such a joy to us. I am so grateful for the little things in life that make you stop and savor the moment.

What makes your day?

Happy first birthday, Drew!

2010-11-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

Today is Drew's first birthday. It is hard to believe it has already been this long. We are so grateful to have such a wonderful little boy in our family. Drew is quite mild mannered. He has a love of music. He loves to sing and dance. He is all boy. We went to Phoenix last weekend to visit my sister and he found a broken toy gun. He immediately was attached to the thing and even started making shooting noises. Boys must just be born with it! He started walking at eight months, just days before he turned nine months really. He gets around like a pro now. He is absolutely adored by his older sisters (and mom and dad, of course). He loves to make clicking noises with his tongue (and getting others to do it with him). He isn't talking yet but knows how to get exactly what he wants anyway! We are definitely blessed to have him in our family.

Loving his presents.

Testing the waters...

First taste.

It was good enough to keep going.

This is fun!

Forget the hands!

The end.

Why must they grow?

2010-11-27T11:45:00.000-08:00

We are switching to winter clothes at our house today. The girls are "shopping" in our living room from the many bins of clothing we keep in our garage. They LOVE it. So, while I'm watching them try on even bigger (which really equates to longer) clothes than I expected, Jeff pulled out the tape measure and started seeing how much they really have grown. Ashley is 4 feet 6 inches. Alona is 4 feet 4 inches (I'm pretty sure one of these days she will pass Ashley in height). Natalie is 3 feet 8 inches. Natalie is the most surprising- as she is only 4 yet has to wear size 6 pants for length. They are all growing up way too fast!

In my dreams...

2010-11-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

If money were no object, this is what would be on my Christmas wish list this year. Alas, due to the lack of employment for anyone in our home I am quite sure it won't be happening. I am excited, however, to say that we have acquired the main gifts for two of our four children- the two oldest. We are still on the hunt for Natalie's main gift (a tricycle like she rode at Aunt Becca's or bike- which we have but needs a little work). As for Drew, he'll be happy with anything. Poor boy has practically no toys, so any inexpensive toy would work but I'm hoping to find a versatile toy that can be pushed around and then eventually ridden on. Craigslist here I come!

Anyway, here is the "in my dreams" Christmas wish list!

Threads Magazine Archives DVD
Oh, the things I could do with this! So much information, tips, how-tos. Fitting. Sewing. Sigh.

A bigger SDHC memory card for my camera (so I can take more than 177 pictures at a time). Ok, so I'd take a 16gb or even a few 4gb or 8gb cards to switch out when I fill one up.

Wood and Supplies for this craft table (it would be my cutting table). I'd even take it already built, but am willing to do the work myself.

A Playstation 3. Yes, you read that correctly. I know this has nothing to do with anything craft or hobby related, but I want one all the same. You see, I love Rock Band. I miss Rock Band. It was a sad day when our PS3 died. The kids miss it. The husband misses it. I miss it.

Silhouette Machine Giveaway

2010-11-22T09:47:00.000-08:00

Silhouette Machine Giveaway

I love a great blog. This blog is wonderful (if you love to sew). Sometimes they have giveaways. I love that!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-04T10:38:00.001-07:00

This Halloween was our first real time trick-or-treating. In Oregon, it was always cold and rainy. There also weren't very great neighborhoods to go out in where we lived- not without driving. So we always stuck to the church Trunk-or-Treat night. We did the church Trunk-or-Treat here on Saturday night. On Halloween night we headed to Alona's friend's house to go out as a group. They live over in the other side of our development. It was so much fun. The kids had a great time going around the neighborhood. They had a blast playing with the other kids after trick-or-treating. I am so grateful for all of the new friends we have been making here in our new home.

Alona and Natalie wanted to be pirates. They are obsessed with pirates since riding the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland last Christmas. Ashley has been barreling through the Percy Jackson books and is obsessed with Greek mythology, so she chose to be Medusa. Those are snakes in her hair (but not real ones). I ran out of steam and didn't make a costume for Drew. He is too young to understand anyway.

Andrew in his stroller, ready to go out for his first Halloween.

Short trip to Utah

2010-11-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

Back in October (when we seemed to be constantly on the go) we went up to Utah to see my brother-in-law, Jubal, perform as the lead in The Magic Flute at BYU. This was 1 1/2 days after coming home from Virginia. Of course we went up to SLC to pick up some fabric while we were up in that area. While in SLC I thought it might be fun to go to Temple Square. I may have been there once before, but I'm really not sure. The kids and Jeff had never been there before. It is absolutely beautiful there.

Here the girls are in front of one of the statues.

Natalie was having a great time posing for me!

Drew decided to get in a little nap.

Alona lovin' the flowers.

The kids stopped to see this non-Monarch butterfly.

Beautiful plants and flowers.

More flowers.

We just couldn't get enough of them!

The girls under a tree.

I love Natalie in action.

The architecture of the Salt Lake temple is amazing. The girls loved running up the steps.

They had so much fun running around and exploring.

Part of the Salt Lake temple.

After our day in SLC, we headed down to Provo. We got to spend time with my sister Aurelia and her husband Jubal as well as my brother Joseph and his girlfriend Julia. We went to the opera on Saturday evening. Jeff and I had never been to an opera before. It was surprisingly very funny and quite enjoyable. Jubal was fabulous in it. My favorite part was when the three witches fight over him and ooh and aah over him while he is "unconscious." We also got to visit with some friends while we were there. Our good friend Josh came to see us and we all went bowling with our friends Esther and Thad. (Are you jealous, Kristi????)

Back East

2010-11-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting to blog because I lost the cable for my camera. I had to get a card reader so I could finally get my pictures onto my computer.

Last month I had the opportunity to go back to Virginia to watch my sister's kids while she and her husband were out of town. I have only been back to Virginia twice now since we left 10 years ago. I didn't realize how much I miss Autumn in the East. The trees are beautiful when the leaves change- and there are copious amounts of trees in that area. It is nothing like the trees in Oregon. Oregon was very green with many trees, but they were mostly evergreens. In the east, you have such a variety of trees. There are still evergreens, as well though. It was crazy how I forgot where everything is and even the names of all the roads I used to drive regularly, but then I was driving and it all came back to me. I have to say, I do miss the East Coast. Of course, I didn't realize how much until I was there!

Just an example of the trees. They were everywhere. They even came out over the roads so it was almost like driving through a tunnel. I remember driving through those in the fall when I lived there. I loved it!

My cute boy.

These two were inseparable. (Natalie and her cousin)

Love her winks.

Cuteness.

While in the area, I absolutely had to stop in to see my grandfather. They own a larger piece of land in the country. It even has a pond. Here he is with the inseparable cousins.

Natalie is quite the ham- especially in front of a camera.

They had a blast collecting nuts in the yard.

Happy cuteness.

My nephew (1 month younger than Drew) being loved by the dog.

Natalie loved the wide open space where she could just run and run and run and run...

See? Totally and completely inseparable!

Me and my grandpa!

My niece. She was such a great help. I am grateful that she is such a beautiful, smart, and loving young lady.

Look at these beautiful girls.

Another niece. She was having fun collecting nuts from around the yard as well.

At the pond.

Someone was excited.

Maybe she wants to be a cheerleader?

My grandparents' beautiful land.

More of their property.

More acorns and nuts.

We went to the park to meet up with my friend. I hadn't seen her in 10 years. The boys were hanging out in the stroller eating their crackers. The two of them are quite the pair- cousins that are 1 1/2 months apart. They were a lot of work together, but it was so much fun and I just love them both!

More cracker eating.

I did get to see my sister for a few hours when I arrived, before I dropped her at the airport to head out of town. I'm glad I got to see her (even for a short time).

2010-10-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is the best thing I think I've read since having children:

"It’s not about the mom you were today. It’s about the mom you’re FIGHTING to be."

This is from Passionate Homemaking. I struggle quite regularly with how I feel as a mother. I often feel I am just not doing a good job. I feel like I yell far too often. I don't pay enough attention to my children. I am not compassionate enough. The list goes on...
I am sure that many mothers must feel inadequate at times. Surely I can't be the only one. So if you are struggling with this as I am, remember- "it's not about the mom you were today. It's about the mom you're fighting to be."

Do the best you can. If you feel you aren't the best mom, at least it means you care!

New 'dos

2010-10-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

The girls had ridiculously long hair. Way too long to manage. The knots in the back of their hair were crazy. I could comb it out and the next morning it was back again. So this weekend, I cut their hair. They each chose how long (or short) they wanted it. They were pretty much all the same!

Natalie was first. I cut her hair on Saturday. She wanted it just below her shoulders so that her hair won't catch when she puts a sticker on her shirt. Kids' priorities!

Ashley as next. I cut her hair on Sunday. She wanted it really short. I asked if she was sure and she said no. She decided just below her shoulders was good as well.

Alona got hers cut on Sunday right after Ashley. She wanted it as short as Natalie's, but it ended up being just a bit longer.

They all LOVE their new do's. They were excited to show everyone at school today.

Missing...

2010-09-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

I miss this:

and these:

Don't get all upset if I left you out. I was using the picture that I have on my MacBook and i don't have everyone!

Things you find on your children's camera...

2010-08-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

(If you are getting this via email the videos may not work.)

The kids' camera memory was full, so I plugged it in to see what I could find. Here are a few of the interesting things we saw. Oh man! Kids sure are silly. Of course, so is Charles!

Featuring: Aunt Rebecca

Featuring: Uncle Charles

Featuring: Grandpa Andrews, Aunt Aurelia, and Ashley's hands and feet

Featuring: Natalie and the Pampered Chef pitcher lid/mixer

Featuring: Backyardigans Tale of the Mighty Knights, the kitchen counter, and Natalie (just watch the first 15 seconds or so)

Featuring: Ashley, Alona, Natalie, Kristi's hair (for a split second), and the voice of Chase

Featuring: Natalie, Alona, and Ashley

Featuring: Ashley

This picture of Aurelia and Charles:

Natalie's out of focus silly face:

Someone's feet in the car:

A car we are passing:

Natalie with Drew's pacifier:

The Summer of Travels

2010-08-31T17:40:00.000-07:00

Warning: This is a long winded one. There are a few cute pictures, though.

This summer has turned into the summer of travel for me.

In June, I headed to Kansas for my sister's wedding.

In July, I headed to Kansas for my grandmother's funeral. Traveling to Kansas more than once a year has only occurred one time before. I believe it was the year after Jeff and I were married. Three siblings got married in just a few months, so I was there 3 times that year!

In August, the whole family drove up to Oregon for Jeff's sister Kari's wedding. Of course, since Jeff has so many weeks of vacation saved up, we decided to go up there a week early and visit all of our friends as well. We left on Friday afternoon, picking Jeff up from work on our way out of town. We arrived at 8 in the morning on Saturday. I think we surprised his parents. I never know what Jeff has planned, but knowing him there were probably no arrangements made! I had arranged for us to stay with my friend Celina for part of our trip (because no one wants house guests for 8 days, and I was also guaranteed some time with her if we were stay with her). We stayed with his family until Thursday afternoon.

Saturday, Jeff and I tried to get some sleep. Drew didn't want to cooperate. So we went to our house to see how it was holding up. There were no signs of squatters, so that was good! Natalie cried because she misses our house. I miss it too! We looked around in the garage and found a few things we had forgotten. That night, Jeff's parents made kabobs and both of his sisters and families were there. It was nice to hang out all together and I know our girls sure love playing with their cousins!

Sunday morning we got up and headed to church in our old ward. It started at 9 am and we actually made it on time! I don't think that ever happened when we lived there. It was so nice to see all of our friends there. We socialized with all of our friends instead of going to Sunday School. I know my dad would not be proud of me for that! We went to dinner with the Daltons. It was just like old times. I have really missed them.

On Monday we met our friends, Bridget and Louis (and Saya too) for lunch. We got to spend most of the afternoon with them. We had a picnic dinner at the park as a family. That night I went to my friend Alysha's house for her sister's baby shower. Jeff and the kids got to hang out with grandma and grandpa.

On Tuesday we headed out for some errands. We got the girls some shoes for school at Fred Meyer. I think Fred Meyer is one of the things we miss the most about Oregon. Not a week goes by that Jeff and I don't say how much we miss it. It has everything! We took the kids to the old house so they could see it. Alona cried. She said she really misses Oregon. That night, Bonnie planned a girl's night out. So, Jeff bathed the girls (after eating some yummy spaghetti grandma made for them) and put them to bed while Drew and I headed over to her house. So many friends were there. I really have missed the social life I had in Oregon. Of course, Alysha didn't show up til at least 10 (she had a good excuse, though) so we ended up hanging out until almost 1 am.

Wednesday, we headed over to the coast, but not until Jeff got a haircut. I love the Oregon coast (or any beach or coast for that matter). It was in the upper 90s that day in Eugene, but the coast was 53 degrees! The ocean mist/fog was ridiculous and it was really windy. We decided to skip the "beach" area we usually go to and headed up to Heceta Head. We hiked up the path to the lighthouse. This is a very popular spot for us. We have been there many times. We have many, many pictures of the kids at the coast. Of course, I wanted to get new pictures of them at the coast for our living room to replace the ones that are now 2 years old. I don't think Drew liked the cold wind. The girls ran around and enjoyed it, posing for the camera. Then the battery died. :(

Thursday morning Alona woke up not feeling well. She went back to bed for a bit while I got the kids ready to go to a play group with our friends. When it was time to leave, she jumped up and said she felt all better. So we all headed over to the park to play. Kelsey brought Griffey and I cannot believe how big he has gotten.   It seems like he was just born (that was a year ago!). It was fun to watch him get dirty in the water and sand (but I don't think Kelsey thought it was as funny as I did). We got to see Ashley's piano teacher Christy and her kids. Alona met up with her friend Miriam (they were in the same class at school and church). Natalie played with Abrianna. She had been begging to see her since she found out we were going to Oregon. She was so excited to see her. (Abrianna came up and hugged her as soon as she could at church on Sunday.) After the play group, Natalie went to her house for the afternoon. She had a blast! Michelle (her mom) said Abrianna told her that Las Vegas needs to move closer. That was just too cute!

Our brakes were in need of some work, so Jeff replaced the pads that afternoon (exciting stuff!) while we hung out at his parent's house. Then we packed up the car and headed to Celina's house. We got there and I helped her make cookies to take to dinner. We went to the Raven's house for dinner with the Daltons, Ziolkowskis, and Marianne and kids (her husband wasn't feeling well). The kids ran around and played. Then decided to watch a movie (while running around and playing. It got quite chilly that night. Drew took his first steps at their house!    It was so nice to visit with Naomi and see her new home.

Friday was the last day of the kid's free lunch program, so Celina suggested we take the kids. We all headed over to the park nearby. The kids got their lunches and sat down to eat. The wind was blowing pretty hard and it was COLD. They normally make the kids eat the lunches in the area where they serve the food, but they let them leave so we could sit in the car. The poor kids were freezing. I have to say, I do not miss Oregon weather one bit! After lunch we headed out to some thrift stores in search of jeans for the girls.   We found Gap and Old Navy jeans in great condition for $1.99. We headed over to Kristin's new house. They have been working hard to get it ready to live in. It is really cute. I am excited for them to have a place of their own again.

That night we had dinner with Celina's family and the Daltons. Alysha and Ian came over after dinner and we all played Rock Band. I really miss playing Rock Band with friends! We stayed up way too late and ate far too many cookies. Spotted dick was talked about all too frequently (thanks to Greg). Of course, all he knew was that it was some type of food. So I looked it up to see exactly what it is. Some sort of dessert that has currants (thus spotted) and is custard like???? Still not quite sure and I don't think it sounds appetizing based on the name or description, but it was funny to hear him use that word as many times as humanly possible in one evening (I guess it was the word of the day at work).

Saturday we planned to run more errands. We met up with Alysha and shopped at Costco and then searched for giant marshmallows (or smarshmallows as Natalie calls them). We didn't have any luck in our search. We headed back to Celina's to clean out the car so it would be easier to pack up after the wedding that night. Alysha helped Alona clean the back of the van. It was pretty bad! It was nice to see the car looking a little cleaner. We hung out and talked until it was time to head to the wedding. We dropped Alysha off at home on our way.
The wedding was really nice. The reception was at Jeff's parent's house. It was quite cool out, so we brought jackets and jeans for the kids to wear once the sun started going down. Alona started to get a fever and really slowed down (this was the third day of a fever with no other symptoms- to our knowledge). I guess her throat was hurting (although she only mentioned it once and said it only hurt a little). Jeff's sister had strep throat (not the one getting married), so we decided to take Alona to Urgent Care to get her checked out. She really wanted to stay for cake, though, so we waited a bit. She was pretty miserable. It was sad that we didn't really get to enjoy the reception. At Urgent Care, they looked at her throat and tried to get a culture, but she didn't cooperate well. What kid likes having a long swab stuck down their sore throat? The doctor said it was definitely inflamed and gave her an antibiotic. What a fun night!

We had to leave early Sunday morning to make it back for school to start on Monday morning. We got up just before 7 am and started loading the car. We walked out to find our car decorated.

The windshield has "smarshmallows" (there was even an "s" added in front of marshmallows on the package. The yellow sign says Sunshine in the Soul.

The back side of the yellow sign.

The driver's side.

The back side of the orange sign.

The back window on the driver's side. (from Rock Band-Motley Crue's Without You)

The back of the car. (from Rock Band- Modest Mouse's Float On)

We love you, Alysha!

It was obviously Alysha's doing.

We got the car loaded and headed to Jeff's parent's to pick up a few things and say goodbye. Our goodbyes the night before were cut short because of Alona's illness. She woke up feeling like herself again, for which we are grateful! It was nice to be able to spend a little more time with them before we left.

We made it home at 1 am. Luckily, it was nice a cool (a rarity even at night here) so Jeff and I cleaned out the car right away. I think we finally got to bed at 2 am.

Ashley and Alona started school today. They even made it on time. They slept in the car, so they weren't as tired as us. We celebrated Jeff and Alona's birthday this evening with presents and cake. Alona wanted an ice cream cake with mint chocolate chip. I know Jeff doesn't really like mint, so I made the cake with half mint chocolate chip and half cookies and cream. It is just a chocolate cake in a 9x13 pan with ice cream on top of it, but it seems to be a favorite. Alona got a few items in the mail from family, some Littlest Pet Shop toys, an iTunes gift card - because she LOVES music, and a scooter. She rode around the kitchen and living room to try it out.

What's cooking?

2010-08-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have been a bit busy lately and have neglected my blog. Here are some of the happenings over the last two weeks.

Everyone at our house loves pancakes. These pancakes were made with whole spelt flour and home made buttermilk. They were so delicious. The kids had some friends over later in the day and they all ate the leftovers- plain!

Want to make some for yourself?

‎The Best Pancakes (this recipe came from my sister, who got it from my other sister- not sure where she got it)

2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 Tbs sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk
4 Tbs (1/2 stick) butter-melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

beat the eggs on medium speed til frothy
add remaining ingredients and stir just until the batter is
smooth and no lumps of flour remain, do not overbeat.
(I think there were still small lumps when I stopped stirring.)
Ladle batter onto griddle heated to 350 F.
When bubbles come to the top in the middle of the batter, flip and cook until browned.

I've been looking around the world wide web for good whole food recipes. I am taking some ecourses from the GNOWFGLINS website. There are recipes on the blog that looked quite good. The one that stuck out the most was these Arabic Meatballs. The kids gobbled them up! We made them with ground beef, but I would love to try some ground lamb.

On the side, we served summer squash with onions sauteed in butter. The kids didn't really love them, but Jeff and I sure did. Fresh sauteed summer squash is so delicious!

We also had roasted brussel sprouts. I have never seen such small brussel sprouts as these. We cut them in half and tossed them in olive oil. They were a bit bitter. I am not sure if they were too young or too old, but I've had much better tasting in the past.

One of the reasons life has been so busy lately is the passing of my grandmother. I wrote about her in a previous post. She was 90 years old. Drew and I flew out to Kansas City for her funeral. It was nice to see everyone again- we were just there a month ago for a wedding! It was fun to look through all of the pictures she had. There were pictures of my dad and his sister when they were young- some with their parents and grandparents. I only got to meet one of my great grandparents- my dad's grandmother. She lived into her 90's as well. My grandmother also had pictures of Europe at the end and right after WWII. Those are really great pictures to find. My dad and aunt were actually born in Germany after the war. We got to rifle through all of her things trying to decide what to donate, sell and keep. She had the biggest collection of post cards. My sister Rebecca was always surprised to find another large stack of them in box after box. We wonder if they are from all of the places she has been. She traveled more than anyone I know. She lived through the Great Depression, survived Polio, served in the WAC during WWII, got a bachelor's degree as a single mother in the 1950's (which today would be no big deal, but back then it was practically unheard of), and traveled the world throughout her life. Lucky for us, my dad recorded her telling stories of her life and had them put on CDs for all of us. She saw so much in her lifetime.

My inheritance was some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (apparently she had quite the candy stash and my dad wanted us to inherit it) and a CREPE PAN!!!!! I know, it seems like such a simple thing. My mother had the same crepe pan when I was growing up. I have searched for a similar pan. When we were going through her belongings, one box was labeled "crepe pan." I was all over that! I was so excited when I found it to be the ONE I have been searching for all these years. I asked my dad if I could have it, as my kids are crepe fanatics as well. So here is our first time putting it to use! It took a few tries to get it right, but once I had it figured out it was the easiest thing ever.

Dip it in the batter and cook. You don't really have to flip it because they are so thin, but sometimes I did.

I didn't get pictures, but we spread homemade strawberry jam on them and rolled them up. The kids like theirs sprinkled with powdered sugar (or doused). I also like fresh whipped cream, but didn't have the cream on hand. I think we will be eating crepes more often around here!

My Grandmother

2010-07-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

This is my grandmother. She served in the Women's Army Corps back in WWII. She was a young girl during the Great Depression. She worked hard to raise her children. She was a loving mother to two children. She has eleven grandchildren.
As a teen, I spent some time visiting with her several summers. I really enjoyed getting to know her and hearing the stories she would tell. She told me stories about my father as a young boy. She told stories of her time in the WAC and the experiences she had in Germany in a post-war era. She once told me how, as a young girl, she had two outfits. One was for everyday use and the other was for church. (No stories about walking two miles uphill in the snow or anything like that!) She was full of energy and spunk.
I am grateful for the upbringing she provided my father. She raised him to be a wonderful man. I am so grateful to have been blessed with such a beautiful, loving, faithful grandmother.

What do you eat?

2010-07-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

If you have read all of my posts (way back in the beginning), you probably know that I have been trying to change our eating habits and lifestyle to become more healthy. I got the Yoga Booty Ballet DVDs and did those for a bit (I still intend to use them but it interferes with my running program so it will have to wait until after the race in November). Along with that, I was trying to cut back on sugar and introduce more vegetables into our diet. By diet, I mean what we eat, not a period of time when I starve myself. After a long bout with post partum depression, I decided to try an alternate means to combat it than taking pills. I went to a Naturopathic doctor. The main thing that I was told would help was my diet. I could control depression with what I ate. I was introduced to eating foods based on blood type. The biggest thing I got from the blood type way of eating was that you avoid ALL processed foods. It also suggests that certain foods should be avoided, but it doesn't cut out yummy foods.
In moving to our new area, I met someone who is, in many ways, a lot like me. She introduced me to the Weston A. Price foundation and the book Nurturing Traditions by Sally Fallon. I have looked into it a bit on my own, not having read the book. Based on what I know from previous dieting, nutrition research, and the eating for your blood type experience, I think the best thing for myself and my family is to eat healthy foods we prepare in our home from whole foods.
I will have to really focus on learning new recipes. I am no longer going to be buying boxed cereal (or bagged for that matter) for my kids. Who wouldn't want pancakes, muffins, waffles, or eggs and homemade toast for breakfast every morning? Maybe one day my kids will even come to love oatmeal! No more cheap sandwich bread from the store for their lunches. Instead, they can have filling, wholesome sandwiches made with real meat (not salty, processed lunch meats) or homemade peanut butter (because I know that is all Ashley will eat) on homemade whole grain bread.
I am making a sourdough starter and am going to learn to make all sorts of things with it. Did you know you can make sourdough waffles, pancakes, muffins, english muffins, and even cake? Crazy! Once my starter is ready, I am going to do it- it takes 2 weeks to get it going but will last for generations (that would be my kids and their kids, and their kids...) if you feed it properly.
Of course, Jeff is such a trooper. He told me he will eat anything I make! I promise I won't make lima beans, though. I know how much he does not like them.
I think all of this means that I will probably be spending a lot of time in the kitchen. It probably also means I will be spending a lot of time on the computer finding recipes! Add that to keeping up with one very active baby and I think I will be pretty busy. I will share recipes as I make them, as well as how we are enjoying (or not enjoying) this new adventure in becoming a healthy and happy family!

Arizona

2010-07-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

We headed down south for the 4th of July weekend. It seemed everyone was escaping the heat and heading north, but we didn't mind- less traffic for us! We visited my sister Rebecca and her family. While in Arizona, we headed up to Sedona. It is beautiful up there! It is also much cooler at that elevation. We found some water to play in and had a barbeque. It was a great visit!

Kids getting wet!

Drew loves the water

the rocks under water were very slippery- we had to help the kids get across

you'd think they owned the place

my girls

proof that I was there

Rebecca and her boys (her daughter was off somewhere else)

just chillin'

my boys

too cute!

my sis

her daughter

being shy

teenagers!

Cathedral Rock

windblown

For the 4th of July, I made the kids patriotic outfits.

Hope you enjoyed the 4th of July! I am so grateful for this country and all of our freedoms. Let's do our part to keep it great!

10

2010-07-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, Jeff and I were married. We have had our ups and downs, but we hung in there! I am so excited for the next 10 years (and many, many more after that).

exchanging rings

wedding picture taken later that afternoon

My little climber...

2010-06-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

Drew is always trying to climb up on everything. This morning I caught him trying to get up the stairs! I don't know where he gets this. None of the girls dared climb. Luckily, he was wearing his footed pajamas and couldn't get up on the first step. Guess it is time to buy a baby gate.

The Flash

2010-06-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

This boy is going a mile a minute! At 7 months, he crawls, scoots, and rolls. He climbs. Yes, you read correctly. He climbs. He climbs up anything he can so that he is standing up. He also falls when climbing and hits his head. Does that stop him? NO!! Crazy boy. I am having trouble keeping up with him. I just have to say, boys are so very different from girls! None of my girls could roll, scoot, crawl, climb, or stand holding on to things as early as this little boy. He is determined. As much as it wears me out, I love this active, chubby little bundle of joy!

I made this onesie out of an adult T-shirt. I posted about it on the other blog. It turned out quite well- I was surprised. I have 2 more shirts I intend to use for onesies. I am trying to keep up my sewing- branching out to sewing with knits! I am making red, white and blue skirts for the girls for the 4th of July. I am excited about them. I think they are going to be adorable! I will post pictures after this weekend.

P.S. To all of my Oregon friends- I MISS YOU!!!

She's All Grown Up

2010-06-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Last week my sister Aurelia got married. She looked so beautiful! I am so glad I was able to make it to this wonderful occasion.

The happy couple.

The happy couple and my grandmother. Isn't my grandmother a beautiful woman?

My cute little niece Ellie. She was so adorable in her pink. Her mother is so talented and makes beautiful things for her daughters!

Look what Drew can do!

2010-06-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

My little man is now sitting up on his own! He just turned 6 months. He is almost crawling. He can scoot and roll to get where he wants to go. He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks. He even moves one knee forward. Then he drops down and scoots! I can't believe how quickly he is growing. He is working on his first tooth, too! Oh, the sleepless nights. Hopefully it breaks through quickly!

I'm in love...

2010-05-20T22:16:00.001-07:00

Drew at 5 months

2010-05-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

I have been slacking on my blog posts lately. Things are busy here in Nevada. We are still getting settled in the house. It is taking a while, but things are coming along. We love the sunshine here!

Here are some pictures of Drew to help make up for the recent blog silence!

This is the first outfit I got for Drew- before we even knew we were having a boy! I love it.

The hat got many compliments today. I couldn't believe he kept it on the entire time we were at church!

We just love this cute little boy.

The other day I was trying to capture his big, beautiful eyes.

The girls just couldn't resist! They are in love with this little one.

Ashley with her new hair clip that she made.

Alona with her braids all a mess!

The cheeks! Oh, how we love the cheeks!

I was sad that half his face got cut off in this one. :(

I guess I took too many.

New Blog

2010-04-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

I am now contributing to a new blog. My friend Kristin started this blog. The blog is for all things crafty. I will mostly be putting my sewing creations on that blog. Come and take a look at a Make It Yourself Mom's Diary! Feel free to follow it!

Why??

2010-03-31T18:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had my first Peeps. You know those brightly colored sugar coated marshmallow chicks and bunnies? I am kind of wishing I hadn't. I took one bite, looked at my husband, and made a face. He said he wished he had the camera because of the look on my face. All I could say was, "Why?" in a disgusted voice. They have less taste than an actual marshmallow. I may as well have just eaten a spoonful of granulated sugar! Needless to say, I did not finish the green bunny Peep. I had to stop. Thank goodness I was not subjected to eating these tasteless sugar bombs as a child!

(For anyone who loves Peeps, let's just agree to disagree.)

By the way, my kids seem to love them! Me, I think I'll stick to this kind of Peep.

Alona

2010-03-31T15:15:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July a few years ago, we went to the coast. We took some of the best pictures that day, one of which is below.

This is the original.

This is with a color boost and edges blurred.

This is color boost, antique, and edges blurred.

This one was done in Photoshop CS2 and it kept the yellow in the second picture while changing the rest of the picture.

What do you think?

Hands

2010-03-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

So I started out with a picture of Drew's hands.

Then I added a vignette.

I then decided to try it in black and white with the vignette.

Which one do you like best?

The cutest thing...

2010-03-24T21:38:00.000-07:00

Drew was actually in a good mood tonight (he hasn't been very happy in the evenings lately). He was making noises and smiling. One of the things he was doing was almost like he was trying to blow raspberries, but his lips weren't moving. So I did it so he could see what it was like. He stared at me for a moment, looking as though he was concentrating. All of a sudden, he was trying it again. His little tongue stuck out just a bit and he did it! It was so cute to see him concentrate and actually try to copy me. I've never seen any of my children so obviously copy us before. It was the cutest thing!!

Family Pictures

2010-03-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

Before leaving Oregon, my friend came over and we took some family pictures. Here is a little sample:
The Whole Family

The Grandkids

Just us

The Kids

The Guys

Little Toes

The 'Rents

Thanks for taking them, Marianne!

The Drive

2010-03-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

We wanted to document our trip in photographs for our friends. We wanted to stop when we got to Nevada and get a picture with the Entering Nevada sign, but it was raining and there wasn't really a sign. Oh well.

So here we are in the car. Jeff was driving. The kids were watching movies.

These mountains were beautiful! We had just crossed the California state line from Oregon.

As we drove through California, there were these awesome rolling hills.

The kids still hanging in there on day two.

Just before we got into Nevada there were some gorgeous white clouds.

What Drew has been doing...

2010-03-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

Drew is growing up way to quickly! Being my last baby and my first boy, I am trying to savor every moment. Of course, it is difficult to do that when things are so crazy around here- but we are settling in so it should be better soon! Drew is now three and a half months old. Oh how the time flies. I guess I'd better get a pediatrician lined up before he is due for his 4 month check up!

This week Drew has grown by leaps and bounds. He found his hands! He now tries to grab things and brings them to his mouth. He is still learning, so he misses more often than not. He also started laughing this week. It is the cutest thing ever! He is such a happy little boy. We feel so lucky to have him in our lives. He didn't stop with that this week- he started trying to sit up. So we put him in his bumbo seat. He loves it for about 2 minutes. It is good exercise. If he is in his swing or bouncy seat he will start to lift his head and shoulders up in an attempt to sit up. He is also sticking to the new 11pm bedtime. I am so grateful it isn't 1-3 am anymore! I need to find our little red camera so I can take some video of him.

Vegas, Baby!

2010-03-09T22:17:00.000-08:00

Warning: Long Post. Read only if you have some time to kill. It might also make you cry in parts if you are one of my dear Oregon friends.

So here we are in Las Vegas. It has been some ride! We started out in July when it was announce that the company Jeff works for would be moving. Some to Portland and some to Las Vegas. Jeff and I were not excited about Portland- which was his team. Many people wanted to go where they weren't slotted to go. Luckily, they were asking how everyone was feeling about it and gave them options. Jeff was approved to move to the Las Vegas team. Now, any move is disheartening. I mean, who wants to leave the house they were almost finished remodeling into what they LOVE and all of their friends who love and support them? Not me. Especially when the options are more of the dreary Oregon weather where you still get to see friends once in a while but have to leave the home you made or far, far away in a new land with sunshine and hot weather where you can swim all summer long. Both had their pros and cons. For me, the weather was the biggest factor. I needed to get out of the depressing rain (thank goodness for friends who made it bearable). Of course, it was really up to Jeff. He was the one who really wasn't looking forward to Portland. He really wanted to be on the Las Vegas team, doing the kind of projects he has dreamed of since college (which really was only a few years ago).

So the decision was made. We started finishing up our remodeling as soon as we heard about the move. We started cleaning out our belongings, paring down and packing what we didn't need for time being. We put our house up for sale. Then we waited. We waited and waited. We waited some more. (All the while enjoying the time with our wonderful, supportive friends!) The waiting, anticipation, the unknown- they are so stressful. I am the type of person who just needs to get on with it once I know about it. So this was definitely a test of my patience, which I failed miserably.    After much deliberation, pondering, and prayer, we felt that March 1st was the time to go ahead with our move. We were the last family to leave. Everyone else headed to Las Vegas moved at the end of November. Once we had a moving date set, it was a huge relief. I am NOT good with the unknown. Although it was a relief, it was also very hard for me. I have some really awesome friends.

We started packing, and I thought I was doing so well. It seems that no matter how early I started or how prepared I thought I was, there were always more boxes needed and more stuff to pack. It is especially hard when you are trying to pack with a 2 month old baby. It seems that I could get in about 15 minutes of packing at a time. Then there would be a baby in need of milk or a diaper change, or a 3 year old in need of something.   Luckily, some of those awesome friends were there to help. I am so grateful to all of them for helping me pack. We also got in a girls night the weekend before the move and another smaller one in the night before we left.

Moving day rolled around (and all too soon, I might add). We picked up the truck (I cried while I followed Jeff home in the van because getting the truck meant it was really happening). Men from church came over to help us load the truck. Then more people came. Friends stopped by to say goodbye. More friends came to help pack up and say goodbye. I was overwhelmed with all that still needed to be done (and I thought I had been staying on top of it all). My back (which is not recovered from the strain of pregnancy) couldn't handle all the bending and lifting I did that day. It got to the point where I could barely even walk because the pain would suddenly shoot down my back and leg and I would just about fall over. Jeff's dad called to say they could take the kids and put them to bed at their house- for which I am so grateful. We had so many friends helping us pack up all of the leftover things that somehow didn't have a box to go in. Jeff and our friend Ian kept loading the truck. It seemed that Ian could find a way to fit anything in there!

It got later and later and friends had to start leaving. It was so hard to say goodbye. Kelsey and Alysha stayed till the end. It was SO hard to say goodbye. (I know I am repeating myself.) Alysha was the last to drive away. Jeff got in the truck and started off. I got in the car and bawled. Yep. I'll admit to that. This was the second hardest thing I have ever done. Saying goodbye to my mom was the hardest. We started to drive away. We turned onto 5th Street past the Fred Meyer (my beloved Fred Meyer how I miss you). I noticed a car in the exit. It was Alysha. She waived as we drove away. I cried again. How could I be leaving such wonderful friends? I kept telling myself I would make more friends in Las Vegas, but it seems horrible to think that anyone could ever be as awesome as my friends in Oregon.

We headed to Jeff's parent's house to sleep for the night. They were coming with us to drive the truck and we were leaving in the morning. I didn't really sleep well between the sadness, anticipation, horrible back pain, and the 3 month old that woke up every two hours to eat. We got up and left around 9 in the morning. The kids were unusually cranky. The stress of the move was getting to them. I cried off and on all day- I know, I am a big baby. You try leaving your house and friends to go to a totally foreign place! It was a long day in the car. We tried to enjoy the beautiful landscapes as we traveled. There were beautiful snow capped mountains, rolling green hills, and high desert. Okay, so the high desert isn't so beautiful, but it was a landscape we went through, so I thought I'd include it. We stayed just outside of Stockton in an EconoLodge. Not the best accommodations, but it was a place to sleep. Again, I didn't sleep well. Same reasons. We got up and finished our trip on Sunday. We decided to stay in a bit nicer place this time. We spent the night at the Red Rock. It was the nicest hotel I've ever frequented. The kids enjoyed it. It was nice to be done traveling.

Monday morning Jeff's parents watched the kids while we went to look at the house we had picked on the internet. We also headed over to get the keys and sign the lease. I cried. I just wanted my house. And my friends. What is up with all the crying? We got the kids and Jeff's parents and came to the house. I was planning to unload some of the things from the truck and then wait to do the boxes and piano until the men from church could come in the evening to help (especially since I couldn't really help much with unloading due to the back pain and the baby I needed to care for). I wanted to vacuum the carpets and make sure everything was clean. I also wanted to get some colored paper to put up in each room to show where to put boxes (we used colored tape on the boxes to make unloading easier). Instead, we unloaded everything (thank goodness we had one man from church who was able to come over and help during the day) and they returned the truck before 2pm. I spent some of that time calling to set up water, electric, gas and trash service. Jeff's parents took off to visit his mom's sister who lives a couple hours from here. I called the school to see about getting the kids enrolled.

Once all that was done I was feeling pretty alone. Here I was in a strange city, in a strange house, with no friends. I was quite sad. I called a friend and she helped me feel a little better. I started getting really cold. The house was 59 degrees. That may not sound all that cold, but my nose, fingers and toes were so cold and I was shivering. Because we didn't find out where we were going to be living until Friday (due to unforeseen circumstances) the gas won't be connected until Thursday. This means we are without heat, a stove and oven, hot water, and a dryer.   The Elder's Quorum President stopped by with his son to see how we were doing and find out what help we needed. We asked if he knew of anyone with extra heaters we could borrow and some men to move the piano from the garage into the house. The Relief Society President was already planning to bring dinner that night (yes, I thought ahead and contacted the ward leaders to let them know we were coming because I just can't come to a new place totally without some support). She brought 4 heaters with her when she came. A little while later we had one more heater, a hot plate so we could boil water, and a microwave. There were also people from the ward to help move the piano, make the beds and unpack some of the kitchen. I am so grateful to all of them for welcoming us! I no longer felt so alone. Don't get me wrong- I still miss my friends like nobody's business, but I have to jump in if I'm going to keep from getting overrun with depression.

Some of the women told me they get together to work out and also to play volleyball. So this morning, we headed to the school and filled out all the paperwork for the kids. They start tomorrow. Then I dropped Jeff off at the house and headed to the church for volleyball. I didn't actually play, as my shoes and clothes are not unpacked yet. It was nice for the kids to be able to play with other children. I got to meet lots of new people. We went out to lunch at a fabulous taco shop. Well, at least the carne esada burrito was fabulous. I brought one home from Jeff. One of the ladies had the girls come over to her house to play for the afternoon so we could get some work done at the house. Somewhere in the morning Jeff's parents flew home, but we weren't able to see them before they left. Jeff and I spent the afternoon work on stuff around the house and securing the modem so we could have internet access. The RS President had us over for dinner. She had also offered to let us bathe our kids there. We totally took her up on that offer! The kids felt so much better after their baths.

We came home and put them to bed. Natalie tried to sneak out of bed to get a coloring book and colored pencil. I took it away and told her it was bedtime. She started crying and yelled that she wasn't tired. Five minutes later I checked on her and she was out! Oh, the joys of moving. There you have it. Our adventure in a nutshell. I will get pictures up soon. We are still busy unpacking, but I plan to take pictures of the house and there are a few pictures of the landscapes on our drive here and the kids in the car.

For my friends in Oregon, don't forget to really make the new people feel welcome. Remember to invite the people who aren't on facebook to girls nights. Don't forget to have girls nights! And keep in touch with me. I miss you all!

Arrival

2010-03-07T22:40:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Las Vegas today. It is going to be a busy week. We are in a hotel/resort tonight. We will be in the house tomorrow. Internet should be up and running sometime Tuesday. I will post more when we are settled! We miss all of our Oregon friends.

Umm, I'll be back when I'm not buried anymore.

2010-03-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

I am kind of buried under a sea of boxes at the moment. So much to blog about, so little time. Busy, Busy, Busy. And all that stuff.

We are moving on Saturday. Like- packing up the truck Friday and driving away first thing Saturday morning! I know! That is ridiculously soon. So I might be away for a bit, but I will be back to catch you up on how it all went when it is over. Maybe then it won't be all doom and gloom!

See ya soon from our new sunny home!

The Hojnackes

Ready?

2010-02-25T16:24:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, I made these cute skirts for the girls. The wore them for 4 days! They wore them to their school parties on Thursday. They got up Friday morning (no school day) and put them on again. Then Saturday I insisted they not wear them all day (but they got a few hours of wearing time in) and they got washed. They wore them again on Valentine's Day to church. I also made matching headbands! They are the headbands I will be teaching how to make on Saturday. The girls absolutely LOVE their skirts and want to wear them every day. I am glad that they turned out so well. They are quite simple and I am thinking of making a tutorial to post here on my blog!

I have a picture of Jeff with each of our babies like this one- both sleeping. I think it is the sweetest thing!

I have been busy packing. I am so grateful to my friends for helping. It is extremely difficult when you have a baby. He needs to eat or have his diaper changed, or just wants to be held. With the help of some friends, we have managed to pack most of Jeff's and my clothes as well as 3/4 of the kitchen. I seem to always think I will only need so many boxes, only to realize I need twice as many. Why do we have so much stuff??? Probably because I love to bake and cook! I am very sad to be leaving my beautiful kitchen. We have just one week and one day before we move. I cannot believe it! This just seems like it is happening so quickly. I feel that I am not ready to leave everyone. I am trying to stay calm for my children. I know this has to be difficult and confusing for them. We were packing the kids' clothes on Friday and Saturday. When we got in the car to leave during the Open House, Natalie asked where the box of clothes was. She wasn't sure where we were going, but she wanted to be sure her dresses were going with her! I am afraid that loading up the truck and then getting in the van will make her think her things will end up somewhere else. I wouldn't be surprised if she wants to ride in the back of the truck with all of her things! (she won't be able to, of course) Alona and Ashley seem to be taking it okay. They are sad that they are leaving their friends, naturally. We will see if the strain on them shows more as we actually move. Andrew doesn't really care. He may not even notice that his surroundings will be changing.

We found a few houses online that we like. We will be renting for awhile. We were trying to decide between 2, but I went to look at them again and one had been leased. It had a smaller kitchen, but was less expensive. The kitchen is sort of the important thing for me. Surprisingly, it can make it or break it for Jeff, too! Of course, we don't want carpet in the living areas and we have to have at least 3 bedrooms. We will be downsizing, but will have a much bigger garage. The garage will actually be used to house a vehicle so that it doesn't get too hot in the summer, but there should also be room for some storage. We sent in the application for the house today. It has black granite tile floors downstairs. I am not loving that. Dust will show like crazy and it will hurt when Drew starts falling over (attempting to crawl, stand, and walk). The kitchen is very nice (other than the tile countertops- what are people thinking? how are you supposed cut out sugar cookies when the dough gets stuck in the grout lines?) The paint colors aren't our first choice, but its not like it will clash with our white furniture! It is in a housing development with a community pool. One of Jeff's co-workers lives there too. We are hoping we get it! If we do, next week I can get in touch with the school there. I am not sure I am ready for this!!!!!

Teaching

2010-02-23T16:06:00.000-08:00

I get to teach a sewing class!!!!!

My friend Kristen set this up. I made a couple of headbands using this tutorial from thelongthread.com for a nickel auction I was attending. Kristin got both and wanted more! They were the highest selling items (I was quite shocked by this). So Kristen sent me an email asking if I would do a class before we moved (one week before me move, no less). I have never taught a class, but I am sure it will be okay. It is not a difficult project. We are holding it at our church building. Anyone is welcome to attend. We even have extra fabric scraps if you don't have any on hand. Hope to see you there!

What's new?

2010-02-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

Umm, so many things! We've had a lot going on here recently, but I couldn't blog about it. Now I can (well, most of it anyway).

First, we are moving! Finally. It's only been about 8 months since we first found about the company moving. It is finally happening. We will be moving in 3 weeks. Only 3 weeks!! I am sad and excited at the same time. I am sad that I will be leaving all of my wonderful friends and family. I am sad that I have to leave the house we made into our home. I am excited to be moving to a sunny place. I am excited to take the kids swimming- ALL THE TIME!!!! The kids are so excited about the swimming too. I am sad that I have to pack my kitchen. Really, who enjoys packing?? Not me! I am excited for this new adventure on which are about to depart. I hope we will make many new friends and enjoy being tan. (hehe- I am trying not to think of all the sad parts because I don't want to cry.)

Next, I have been trying to run a half marathon. I started training just a few weeks after Andrew (who we are calling Drew) was born. Unfortunately, I had to have surgery two weeks ago. I was unable to exercise. Now my doctor has told me that I have to take it really slow if I start up again as I am not healed as much as she expected (although I am healing well). This is very frustrating to me. It seems that I am not meant to run it again this year. I am hoping to run as much of it as I can and walk the rest.

Ashley was on the Battle of the Books team for her grade at her school. They beat the 4th graders, but lost to the 5th graders. I suppose it is for the best since we won't be here for anymore of the battles. She enjoyed going to he library with her Dad to get the books for the battle. She also enjoyed reading the books til 8 every night instead of going to sleep right at 7:30.

Alona is learning how to read quite well. She loves it! We are so glad we have great readers in our home. She is all about the pirates right now. She had to write something at school and this is what she wrote:

When I grow up I want to be...
a swash buchler.
My parents
always call me one.
Alona

She is too cute! She picked a Pirates of the Caribbean book at the public library and then brought home Pirate Girl from the school library. One night she was told to get dressed for bed. When she came back to the living room she was wearing Jeff's T-shirt (the girls' favorite thing to wear to bed. It has a pirate logo (jolly roger) and she was wearing her pirate head scarf and her pirate sword. Oh yeah, and a HUGE smile!

Natalie is getting very tall. She is all muscle! She only wants to wear dresses and skirts and she only wants to wear what she wants. She loves watching the 80's cartoon Astro Boy and the newer Danny Phantom. She loves the Netflix "magic dics" (that is how she says it). It allows her to watch streaming movies on the PS3. I think she is addicted to the TV. I am trying to correct that. It is difficult because I get no sleep at night. Which leads me to then next child...

Drew is getting huge! I picked him up the other day and he seemed to be so much heavier than the day before. He loves to smile and coo. He seems to catch every girl's eye when we are out. All of the women at the salon loved him when I got my hair done yesterday. He is a good baby. He doesn't cry very often. He is still keeping us up at night, but it seems to be getting a bit better. Last night he fell asleep at 1 am! It was nice to get in bed at the same time as Jeff. We are trying to get Drew on a better sleep schedule. Hopefully he will go to bed a bit earlier each night until he starts going to sleep by 11 pm.

That is all the news for now.

Andrew at 2 Months

2010-02-08T17:03:00.000-08:00

Andrew went in for his 2 month check up recently. He weighed in at 12 lbs 5 oz. He is 23 inches long. He jumped up in the weight percentile drastically. The doctor was pleased. He has such a hard start with jaundice and trouble latching on, so it took him longer than the norm to get back up to his birth weight. He is growing by leaps and bounds now, though! He is the biggest 2 month old I have had. We sure enjoy his coos and smiles. He holds his head up well and will push up on his legs if we hold him up on his feet. He loves to sleep all day and party all night- just like a teenager! We love having this little boy in our family and wonder how we ever managed without him.

Ashley Turns Nine

2010-01-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

Ashley had her ninth birthday this week. We had Jeff's parents and two nephews over for a small party. I can hardly believe she is 9 already!

This is the decorate a mug set she got from her cousins. She made one for herself and one for her teacher.

We gave her a fashion design set to go with the things she got for Christmas from Santa and Great Grandparents.

All of the kids.

Getting ready for cake.

Bathtime Fun

2010-01-21T23:33:00.000-08:00

Andrew LOVES bathtime. As soon as he hits the water his legs start going. The smiles and coos are aplenty. And then he smells SOOOO good. Can you tell how much we adore him?

I just love all the cute faces he makes!

Chubbiness = Cuteness

2010-01-21T15:20:00.000-08:00

Andrew is growing so much. He is huge! Well, at least to me. I am used to my skinny little girls. Andrew is so different. He eats and eats and eats. I love it! His cheeks are getting fatter and fatter. He is almost too big for his clothes. Unfortunately, the chubbiness just doesn't show as much in pictures. And maybe it is because he isn't all that big, but it sure seems that way.

Those cheeks are bigger in real life.

Andrew

2010-01-19T15:30:00.000-08:00

Last week Andrew started cooing and smiling! What fun it is to see your little one smiling. He is getting so big. We got out the playmat that our friend gave us. He loves to watch the big sun that lights up and plays music. He moves his legs to the music. It is too cute! We sure love watching him grow and learn new things. Hopefully I will get a picture of him smiling soon!

Here are pictures of him on his playmat.

TAG: "This picture has a story..."

2010-01-14T11:41:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by Stephanie.

1. Open your first picture folder.

2. Upload the 10th picture in the folder (if you don't have ten pics, then go to the next folder.)

3. Tell us the story behind the picture.

4. Tag 5 friends to do the same.

This was our wedding! I was trying to get Jeff's ring over his knuckle. He has really skinny fingers and big knuckles. It took some work. I guess I had to prove how much I wanted him to be my husband. :)

Now, I tag: Heather B, Kelsey D, Kristin C, Emily A, and Naomi R.

A Little Bit of Politics

2010-01-12T11:48:00.000-08:00

I usually try not be political. Lately, I have been seeing some ads on the television for Measures 66 & 67. These are for the state of Oregon, but anyone in any state can still read this as it might affect them one day as well.

These measures would increase taxes on business and individuals who make more than $250,000. These ads have people complaining about banks taking bailouts and credit card companies raising interest rates and then has the gall to say that it is time to make the rich pay- and that these two measures will do just that. Well, how many of the really really rich are really going to pay that much more. They will find loop holes. And how many of those banks that took bailouts and credit card companies are here in Oregon and will really pay that much more. Think about it, $250,000 for a business is not really all that much. And for an individual, it is marginally well off. Its not like someone who makes that amount in 1 year is really really rich. These measures will only hurt small businesses, create job losses, and increase state spending because more people will rely on state assistance.

Our state government is increasing spending continually. They can create more funds by decreasing spending. THESE MEASURES WILL NOT BRING IN MORE MONEY FOR SCHOOLS!!!! Do not be fooled by the commercials they are airing! Research the measures on your own. Be sure you are reading unbiased information. Increasing taxes for anyone will not help our economy.

For more on these measures you can visit my friend Kristin's blog. She posted about these measures and did it very eloquently. She explains in greater detail the effects of these measures.

My Friend

2010-01-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

I have this friend. Her name is Kristin. She has a blog. On her blog, she sometimes gives things away.

I know. Free stuff. How awesome is that? Believe it or not, I actually won something. It is a really nice calendar with pictures that she took. She also gave away a bag that she made. Sadly, I didn't win that one. Maybe next time.

You should go and check out her blog. Maybe you too can win one of her giveaways.

California Adventure (Disneyland Day 3)

2010-01-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

Saturday was our last day at the Disney parks. We headed out early so we could go on Its a Small World. The line for it was always so long, but Alona really wanted to ride it. It would have been really fun to go on it at night. It was all decked out for the holidays and there were so many pretty lights. We rode it first thing in the morning, though, and it was still fun! Then we rode several more of the roller coasters that we could get fast passes for. Around 11 am we headed over to California Adventure. Soarin' over California was pretty awesome! It felt so real. Ashley and Alona rode California Screamin'. That really surprised me. But they enjoyed it. We went to the Playhouse Disney show. Natalie loved it. I think it was a bit boring for the older kids, though. We watched the Pixar Play Parade while we ate our ice cream. The kids liked seeing all of their favorite Pixar characters. Then we headed over to see

Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular. It was awesome! Genie was HILARIOUS!!!!! It is a must see if you go there! After that, we rode a few more smaller rides and headed to the lego store in Downtown Disney. We rode the Monorail back into Disneyland and headed over to ride Pirates of the Caribbean. The Fantasmic show was going on right there, so it was a zoo. When we got done with the ride, we were ready to head home. Of course, Fantasmic had just ended, as had the fireworks on Main Street. So it was a total mess getting out of there. 2 hours later, we were back at Catherine's house and in bed. What a night! We were so exhausted.

In line for It's a Small World.

Alona could hardly wait!

They got to meet Mater and Lightning!

Sophie ran up and hugged Lightning. She couldn't take her eyes off him!

She finally looked away.

The Golden Zephyr.

Click on the picture to enlarge and see all their faces.

Coming to a stop.

At Playhouse Disney- Live on Stage!

Alona was enjoying it.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Handy Manny.

Natalie dancing.

At the Aladdin show.

The stage.

Natalie in the bumper cars.

Alona with Lego Vader at the Lego store.

We are so grateful that we were able to spend the holidays with our family. Catherine was so hospitable- she is due to have a baby in early January and I know just how hard the last few weeks of pregnancy can be. There were about 25 of us there at one point. It was especially nice to see Dad and Anna there. I am sure the kids will remember this Christmas for many, many years to come!

New Year's Eve (Disneyland Day 2)

2010-01-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

We decided to go to Disneyland every other day (Tues, Thurs, Sat) so we could recover after each long, tiring day. So New Year's Eve day we went to Disneyland. Natalie and I stayed home in the morning to be sure we were recovered from a second bout of stomach flu. We joined up with the rest of the family at lunch time. Jeff, Ashley and Alona were having fun without us. Ashley was finding new rides to call her favorite. She loves roller coasters! Alona is a little hesitant, but she loves them too.

We got to meet Pooh, Eyeore, and Tigger! The crowds got bigger and bigger as the day wore on. That evening there were lots of different areas around the park with dancing and things to entertain for the New Year's celebrating. There was one area with a DJ playing music and then Goofy and Pluto showed up to help in the celebrating. They were giving out hats and noisemakers, so we got some for everyone.

We watched the fireworks at 9:25 and then headed home for the evening. No one stayed up til midnight. We were just too exhausted!

The entrance to Adventureland.

The girls on the train.

Pooh.

Eyeore.

Tigger!!!

In line for the boat ride (I think it might have been a Pinnochio ride).

About to exit the boat ride.

Out of focus, but it shows everyone in the boat.

Dancing at the area with the DJ. Alona wasn't feelin' it!

Uncle Noah, Sophie, Megan, and Uncle Jason.

The DJ's stage.

More dancing with Natalie, Aunt Anna, Ashley, Ashton, Megan and Andrew (cousin Andrew that is).

Uncle Noah and Chloe.

Adam, Natalie, and Aunt Anna.

Ashton and Adam doing the Macarena.

Ashton, Adam, and Megan doing the Macarena with Aunt Anna and Natalie dancing.

Miley Cyrus' song See You Again came on and Alona started singing and dancing!

She just needed the right music!

The group at the end of dancing.

The kids were having a blast!

Uncle Noah and cousin Adam with the hats and noisemakers.

Waiting for the fireworks.

The group (minus me).

Great Grandma Lil and Uncle Grandpa

2010-01-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

While in the LA area, we visited with Jeff's Grandmother. Of course, his Uncle Gary was there. He is known as Uncle Grandpa to my children (because he looks so much like Jeff's dad and the kids kept calling him Grandpa). It was so nice to visit with them, but it was too short. We were looking forward to visiting them on a second day, but it got canceled due to illness. We were quite sad.

Uncle Grandpa and his great nephew Andrew.

Great Grandma and Andrew.

The girls were so excited to play Sorry! with Uncle Grandpa.

Alona picking oranges.

Ashley and Natalie picking oranges.

Taking a break from picking oranges.

Great Grandma has an orange tree and an avocado tree in her back yard. The avocados were done for the season, but the oranges were in great supply and oh so delicious! We picked a bunch and took them back to Aunt Catherine's to share. Everyone loved them! We also took home quite of few of the popcorn balls that Great Grandma makes. I also made sure to get the recipe from her so we could continue her tradition of making them each year at Christmas.

Disneyland

2010-01-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was our first day at Disneyland. The kids had no idea what to expect!

After riding on the Buzz Lightyear ride, Natalie found Wall-e and Eve and knew that was what she wanted as a souvenir.

My little sister Anna and Ashley on Autopia.

Alona driving Jeff and Natalie.

Aunt Catherine and cousin Sophie.

Natalie got a turn to drive, too!

Oh, the lines!

At least they had their cousins to entertain them!

Natalie's favorite ride.

Purple girls in the purple teacup.

Cousin Anthony and Natalie. They are inseparable!

Ashley on the carousel.

Natalie riding the carousel.

Snow White's wicked stepmother.

Ashley at the end of Day 1.

Alona at the end of Day 1.

Natalie at the end of Day 1- ready for more!

More of Christmas Vacation

2010-01-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

Because of the stomach flu, Disneyland was put on hold for an extra day. So we headed to the beach to visit a small aquarium. It was so warm compared to Oregon weather.

Alona just loves her little brother!

Alona thought the waves crashing on the shore was awesome!

Ashley wave watching with Aunt Becca.

The birds aren't afraid of us.

All of the kids watching the waves (oh, and Jeff too).

Alona checking out the marine life.

Ashley looking blasé.

Alona touching the marine life. Only touching with one finger was allowed!

Natalie found a friend in the kids area at the aquarium.

So many starfish, so little time.

I love how they were so enthralled.

Cousin Chloe.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the aquarium and all of the kids wanted to know why we couldn't swim in the water on the beach. Maybe because it was only 65 degrees that day!

Christmas Day

2010-01-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

This year we went to LA for Christmas. My sister Catherine is living there for a year (her husband is in the Army). This is the closest we will probably ever live to each other, so I thought we should go for Christmas while we have the chance. As soon as I found out that she was moving there, I told her we should go to Disneyland for Christmas. My sister Rebecca, who lives in Arizona, thought it was a great idea, too. So there was an informal plan. Of course, as it got closer, we found out that another sister, Erin, wanted to come as well. She would bring my dad and little sister Anna with her as well. Everyone else wouldn't arrive until after Christmas, though.

So Christmas day was just my family and Catherine's family. It was a nice day. The kids loved their presents. Disneyland was the present from the parents, so they only had stockings and presents from each other. They gave each other jewelry and head bands.

Alona and Natalie got 2 legos in their stockings- along with some candy.

Natalie got a necklace from Ashley and headbands from Alona.

Ashley got a bracelet from Alona and headbands from Natalie. She also got fashion design stuff in her stocking along with a pack of 50 colored pencils.

Alona got a necklace from Ashley and bracelets from Natalie.

Natalie found this tiara and wore it everywhere!

Pictures of Andrew

2009-12-16T16:45:00.000-08:00

Here are more pictures of Andrew. The second picture was taken about a week ago. The last picture was taken last week. He was holding himself up like that on his own! It was so cute- he was just staring at his daddy. The rest of the pictures were taken today.

He's Here!!!!!!

2009-11-29T19:20:00.000-08:00

Andrew Jeffrey was born on Saturday at 10:42 am. He weighed in at 8 pounds 8.8 ounces (.8 ounces bigger than Ashley and Natalie) and is 20 inches long. He is adored by his 3 big sisters (and mom and dad). Mom and baby are both healthy and were back home by 5 that evening.

At the hospital with daddy.

At home with Natalie.

At home with Alona.

At home with Ashley.

Almost There

2009-11-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

Today I am 38 weeks!!!!! I am so ready to be done with this whole pregnancy thing. It is not easy for me (with sickness and then ridiculous amounts of pain). I can hardly walk anymore. I am, however, keeping my eye on the prize- a cute baby boy I can dress in all those stripes! My doctor will induce me at 39 weeks, so I am hoping we can do it next Saturday, although I might have to wait a few days till she is the on call doctor at the hospital. I am hoping I won't have to wait. I can't have this baby soon enough at this point! The girls are so excited for it and so are Jeff and myself.

The hospital here has taken extreme (in my opinion) measures and banned children under 18 and then under 12 and then back and forth and whatever...! I want my girls to be the first ones to meet him. With them not allowed to visit, this just makes it more difficult. I did hear yesterday that the ban was lifted for healthy siblings. We will see if this is still the case when I deliver. My plan is to only stay at the hospital the very minimum time I have to (just like I did with Alona and Natalie). If they aren't allowing my children to visit at the hospital then I will come home, Jeff will pick them up from wherever they are staying and we will spend some time together as a family. The girls are just so excited and I am so happy about that! Then others can visit. If they allow my children to visit at the hospital, (again) Jeff will pick them up and bring them to the hospital so we can have some time together as a family. Then I will probably head home before anyone can visit, but if people really want to visit after the kids have been there then go ahead!

Jeff is cleaning the treadmill so he can put it in the office! Then I can walk a lot (without risk of falling down in the rain) and hopefully get this little guy to come out sooner! I can hardly wait!!!!

Too Cute! (Part 2)

2009-11-21T11:09:00.000-08:00

I found the progress report that I mentioned in the last post. It is so cute to read the exact words she wrote (and in her handwriting). I just love it! Double click on the picture to read it!

Too Cute!

2009-11-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

We had parent teacher conferences a few weeks ago. When we met with Ashley's teacher she showed up some of her work. She had a paper where she wrote her favorite subject, least favorite subject, what she was good at and what she needed to try harder at. She wrote that she liked Math and Reading the most. For things she needed to try harder she wrote "nothing." For what she liked the least, she wrote recess- because she isn't learning and she likes to learn! The teacher whole heartedly agreed that she didn't need to try harder at anything as she already tries her best in everything she does. I loved the recess comment!

She also made a picture one day about a month ago. She brought it to me and asked if my friend could print it on a huge banner at her work so she could hang it up outside. It had a picture of a dinosaur and she had written "buy Ashley Hojnacke's house." It was just so cute.

I love that she is so thoughtful and so eager to learn!

Stripes!

2009-11-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

I washed all of the baby clothes and blankets! I am really on top of things this time around. I guess I am just a little too anxious to get this pregnancy over with. Maybe I was hoping that getting everything ready would make him get here sooner? Oh well. He hasn't shown up yet.
Seeing all the little clothes hanging on my drying rack made me really want him here even more! Look at all the cute stripey outfits!

Here is the pile of blankets, socks, mittens, and hats!

Learning the alphabet

2009-11-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

Because Alona is the only left-handed person it our family, she gets confused easily. When I hand her a spoon, fork, pencil, etc. it is always with my right hand. She naturally takes it in her right hand. And then tries to use her right hand with the tool. I have to remind her to use her left hand quite often- especially when eating. I cans see she is struggling and it is strange to me that she doesn't just switch hands. My mother and my sister are left-handed so it is not unusual to me. I can feel for left-handed people who have to use right-handed scissors. I had to use my mom's left handed scissors once and it hurt!
Alona has difficulty when it comes to writing. She often writes backwards. Because the whole world probably seems backwards to her, she has an especially hard time remembering which way letters and numbers should face. Mind you, she is only in first grade so I am not too concerned, but I do want to make it as easy for her as possible. So tonight we were doing her spelling homework and it had the words dark and bark. She could not remember which way the d and b went. So I came up with a great way for her to remember:
in "bad" the b and d beat up the a! I drew bad with an arrow pointing to the a under both the b and the d. She totally got it! She is so excited to have a good way to remember how b and d face- and I would imagine this is a difficult one for all children, not just the left-handed ones. Now if I can just come up with a way to help her remember which way 6 and 9 go. Hmmmmm.

SURPRISE!

2009-11-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

My awesome friends threw me a surprise baby shower this weekend! I have to say that I have the best friends, ever. Ever. I am not sure what I would do without them! I am so grateful for their support and friendship. You guys rock!

Here are some pictures from the shower. They were taken with a cell phone, so they aren't the best.

The shower was at Celina's house (seen here in a Ducks shirt). Thanks to her husband for missing the first part of the game for us!

A pregnant belly is the perfect place to put clothes together to see how an outfit will look!

Here is Bonnie. She did all the games and lied to me repeatedly to keep up the surprise!

As you can see in the following pictures, there were several babies in attendance. I think we had 4 babies and one 3 year old. I think they all enjoyed it as well! I loved seeing all of my friends and really appreciate the surprise!

Homemade OREOs

2009-11-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

These cookies have been a favorite of ours since my friend Heidi introduced us to them almost 4 years ago.

For the cookies:
1 box devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together.

Roll dough into small balls and place on baking sheet. I used the small Pampered Chef scoop just barely overfilled to portion the dough.

Bake for 10 minutes (the tops will crack). I usually get between 30 and 34 cookies (but you will end up with half that when you put them together).

I flatten the cookies just a little with my spatula.

Cool completely.

For the filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream the cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat. It is best to refrigerate the filling so it won't be soft, but you can also refrigerate the cookies after putting them together to let the filling set up.

Take two cookies and frost the wrong side of one with filling. Sandwich the two together and enjoy!

Heat: its a Good Thing

2009-10-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Our house has ceiling heat as our primary (and only) source of heat. I had never heard of ceiling heat until we moved to Oregon. Each room has its own thermostat. Last winter we replaced all of the thermostats with new digital ones to better control the temperature in each room. The heat stopped working in the dining room, office, and laundry room. We were unsure if it was something that occurred during the remodel of the dining room or the thermostat replacement that caused it to stop working. The Alona's room also stopped working when we replaced the thermostat in there. We were just using little oil filled radiators that we bought at the store. When we found out we were moving (back in July) we thought we would be gone before the cold set in. So we gave our heaters to a friend. Well, here we are, still in this house and now it is cold. I have been thinking about it a lot. There has to be a way to fix the heat. I kept praying that it would miraculously start working again. Yesterday I realized that sometimes you have to help miracles along a little. So I started researching problems with ceiling heat on the internet. I couldn't find much, but it sounded like wiring could have so many issues. I talked to Jeff about it when he got home. He said he had reset the breaker several times in an effort to get it to work again. I asked him to turn the breaker off, completely reinstall the thermostat, and then flip the breaker back on. He was a little reluctant, but I insisted it was worth a try to get the heat working in the Alona's room. So he got his tools, turned off the breaker and started taking the thermostat off. He also took a look at the wiring on the thermostat in Ashley's room to see if it was the same (hers works). The wiring was the same and he hadn't done anything differently. He did say that when he originally installed the thermostat in Alona's room the wires sparked (yes, he should have turned off the breaker before messing with it, but hind sight is 20/20). That is why I was all about flipping the breaker- maybe reset it. Well, something worked. Alona's room now has heat. No more worrying about our kids freezing at night. We are thinking there is a fuse for the heat that requires a reset with no power for longer than it takes to flip a breaker back and forth. I know nothing of electrical wiring and ceiling heat, so I couldn't really say. Whatever it was, it now works and we are so very grateful.

As for the dining room and that side of the house (all part of the converted garage and on a separate breaker) we don't know what happened. We thought we heat the heating cable in the ceiling with a nail when we installed the crown molding in the dining room and it cut the cycle of power to the other rooms as well. We removed the nail and don't see a heat cable anywhere near it. So that isn't the issue. And if it was, you just have to crimp the cable back together to fix it. Simple. But not the issue. So we are going to try the breaker reset again and see what we can find. I guess we could have someone come look at it, but there aren't many people around who fix ceiling heat and the one guy I found charges $100 per room and he charges you to come assess the problem. If we can fix it ourselves I would really prefer that. I will continue to pray!

Halloween

2009-10-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

I finished the kids Halloween costumes on Saturday- just in time for the annual church trunk-or-treat. The kids were so excited to get their costumes! So here they are:

Ashley is Scarlet the Garnet Fairy (from the Rainbow Magic book series), Alona is Buttercup (a power puff girl), and Natalie is Cheetara (a Thundercat).

For their shoes, Jeff took them to a thrift store. Alona needed black shoes, but Ashley needed red and Natalie needed orange boots. So they got whatever they could find that worked and then we spray painted the two that needed to be different colors. Regular cans of spray paint. It works really well. They don't want to take their costumes off! We went to the mall today and got all sorts of looks with Natalie in full costume. Of course, some guys recognized her character and thought it was the coolest thing ever! Geeky thirty-something guys (and Jeff would fall into that category). That's what happens when you choose an 80's cartoon character for a Halloween costume!

The Flu

2009-10-21T14:26:00.001-07:00

All the girls at our house got the flu. Its H1N1. It is not fun. We are all surviving, though. I have a whole week with my kids! Poor Ashley is missing the 3rd Grade Program she was supposed to be in this week. She probably has it the worst of any of the kids. Due to pregnancy, I am taking Tamiflu to keep from getting too sick. I wish my kids could've taken it too! At least we will be done with this and won't have to worry about it anymore. Luckily, Jeff is not sick and we are praying that he stays healthy! We look forward to being better by the weekend!

Thoughts of Cosette

2009-10-16T10:29:00.001-07:00

Here are comments, stories and thoughts about my mom! Most of these were comments on the blog so you may have already seen them.

NaDene (one of her best friends) wrote:
She was a wonderful Wife, Mother, Daughter and Friend Faithful daughter of God. I miss her so very much. No on can replace her.

Your Mother was the nearest too perfect I have ever seen and even My children use her as there examples in the way they are raising there children! Your Mom truly loved you all unconditionally!

I remember talking to your Mom when you were older, I think Morgan had been born, She had been reading her Journals trying to get insights how to help her children and she read about how at age 4 or 5 (I think that was the age) of how "Laura had cleaned out the dish washer" She said I would never think of the younger ones I have now doing that at that age. ( I know she was wondering if she had been too tough sometimes which is what I wonder about my own oldest children?)

My word was Shoot and your Mother would look at me and say "NADENE" I never realized it was bad till she showed me.
PS I still struggle with it but everytime I say it I hear her.

Patients was your mother's gift from God. But even she had to work on it till she perfected it. Why do I know that because I tested her patients too sometimes.

Your Mother was always kind and Loving even if she was busy she always a listening ear or a stool for me to sit upon to visit. The only home I felt comfortable to stop into anytime.

Your Mom often reminded me that I was a daughter of God and working with her in the Primary, every Pres. meeting she would bear testimony of her Knowledge of that for herself as well as all the Children.

I loved your Mother dearly and love all that her children are doing to bless and honor her name by the way they are living their lives.

On this 56th Celebration of your Mother I would like to share with you how much she means to me. She was the greatest friend I have ever had or have hope to have in my life time!  She laughed with me and cried with me, she taught me how to cook, bake, and gave me great recipes, she increase my knowledge of sewing, and how to work in a Church Pres.and strengthen my testimony. She brainstormed with me on every calling or assignment I ever had. She taught me how to parent and showed me by example how to do it unconditionally,  She was the first person to introduce herself to me when we first moved here and the first person in the ward I dared called. She taught me how to put on a wedding and to sew a bow tie and make corsages and boutonnieres.  We sewed together and shopped at fabric stores together. Once when Kris Harris had come to visit I stopped in and she reminisced about how when she would be pregnant and would tell the Bishop she couldn't do a calling she realized that they would ask your Mom who was also Pregnant and she would always say yes.  Your Mom taught me many things but most importantly she taught me how to show that she loved our Heavenly Father and lived by the Testimony He had blessed her with and to Truly take the name of Christ upon her and to walk in the paths He walked. I miss her so much and look forward to the day I will see her again because I know she will be there waiting to see me with that wonderful glorious smile of hers.  I know she is so proud of you and the things you are doing to honor her in the way you are living your life and are continuing to progress in everything you do. I honor you for how you honor your Mother and say "Happy Birthday Cosette" 

Rebecca (my sister) wrote:
Since we share the same mother I feel confident in saying that most of these things are things she DID do and thus it is an honor to try and emulate her. For example: cleaning up our vocabulary--I still remember her saying: lets come up with something else to say instead of "that pisses me off". Of course being teenagers, we immediately started listing all kinds of alternatives such as "that really chaps my hide" etc. It wasn't quite what she was hoping for. Anyone else remember that?

Maureen (one of my mom's best friends):
I loved your mom so much. She was one of the kindest, dearest people I know. I remember very clearly the week that we moved into our house that your mom brought over a yummy pan of lasagna so I wouldn't have to cook while I unpacked boxes. Through all the years, even after I went back to work, she was always there when I needed her. It has been six years that have been bitter-sweet. Every anniversary that I am cancer free I think about Cosette and wish that I could share that with her. I am looking forward to the day when we can see each other again. I know that she is very proud of you and would be thrilled about your new baby boy soon to be here. I know that she knows him now and is excited for him to come to your family. So from my family to yours - Happy Birthday, Cosette. We love and miss you.
I loved your Mom so much. She was one of my very dearest friends. It is so hard to believe she has been gone six years. I still miss her so much.

Jared (Maureen's son) wrote:
Your mother was one of the kindest and patient persons I've known. One of my mother's best friends. And a great cook!

Donna wrote:
I will always remember and admire your patience, talents and love.

These are my thoughts:
I am sure my mom struggled as she tried to find ways to help me find happiness. I know I was extremely difficult. She loved me despite all that and I could (most of time-if I wasn't just being obstinate) see that she was trying. She cared deeply for all of her children. Her greatest worry when she was battling cancer was her children. She felt that she needed to be there to raise them (my youngest sister was 5 when she passed away). Even on her last day, she seemed to be thinking of her children.
I went to girl's camp as a teen, and one year I was having a particularly difficult time (I struggled with depression as a teen and found it hard to fit in). I got a letter from her while I was there. She wrote about how much she loved me and told me a story about myself as a baby. I still have the letter. It really made me feel her love for me and I have never forgotten that.
I think I talked to her every day for the last few months of her life. Every time I asked how she was she would say "better today." She didn't want me to worry about her. Her death was a very difficult thing for me, as I am sure it was for everyone. This is the first year that I have been able to celebrate her life and not just mourn the loss. I love her dearly and miss her. I am so grateful that I had her as my mother and hope that I can teach my children about her. Thank you to everyone who shared their kind thoughts! It is wonderful to hear how she has impacted all of our lives.

2009-10-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

In honor of my mother:

I will gain as much knowledge as I possibly. There are so many wonderful things to learn that can enrich our lives, make us healthier, and bring us closer together. Mom was a wealth of knowledge. She was always learning and loved to share what she knew with others.

2009-10-13T10:03:00.001-07:00

In honor of my mother:

I will go out of my way to get to know people who are new. I will try to make them feel welcome and accepted.
I have noticed in the past that because my situation was different from the norm I wasn't as welcomed and accepted in new places and situations. I see people sitting alone (mostly at church) when they are new. It is probably intimidating to walk into a place where everyone else already knows each other. It is probably even worse when no one walks up and introduces themselves to you. If the person is already feeling a little less than normal or different from the rest of us, it makes it even more difficult.
Talking to new people is difficult for me (yeah, its not very obvious) but I have really worked at it and feel it is very important to make everyone feel welcome, wanted, and important- especially when they might be a little different!

2009-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

In honor of my mother:

I WILL stop biting my nails! (She tried so hard to get us all to stop biting and sucking on our fingers and nails.) I know this is a little more light-hearted, but that is how I am feeling today!