LIFE . . . according to ME

Love Notes, a Terrific Kid & a Princess

2012-02-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to find these cute mailboxes in the dollar section at Target -- and even better, they had four different colors for four fab kids! Every day Nate or I (mostly me) write something we love about each kid and put it and a small treat inside for them to discover in the morning. It's been a big hit and it forces me to think about something different for each kid each day that I love about them -- let's face it, sometimes after a long day of loudness, chaos, silliness and such, that's quite the task.

That's right, we officially have a TERRIFIC KID in our family! Jaxton was awarded the honor and I was able to go to the presentation where he was spotlighted by the assistant principal, then told how proud he was of him and then was kissed on top of the head (it was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes). This is what Jaxton's teacher had to say about him: "Jaxton is certainly one of kindergarten's finest. He comes to school each day with a smile and a "let's go" attitude. In addition, Jaxton can always be counted on to help others and he is a great friend to play with at recess. We are delighted that Jaxton is part of our class. What a fabulous Eagle!" I have been nothing but impressed with the teachers and staff at the kids school and I'm so thankful to send them to a place each day where I am confident they are loved and nurtured. Way to go Jaxton -- we always knew you were terrific, but now we have an award to prove it!

Jilli and I had a girl's outing with Jesica and Kaylee where we went and saw Beauty and the Beast in 3D. When I told Jilli what we were going to do, she immediately disappeared upstairs and returned dressed in her own princess clothes. She loves to dress in princess attire, turn in circles with her arms opened wide and sing to her hearts content. She's quite the girl!

Two Birthday Boys!

2012-02-06T18:39:00.000-08:00

Another good year come and gone . . .

How grateful I am to have Nate in my life! He's such a great guy and really the light of my life! My heart still skips for joy every time I see his car pull up to the house or hear his keys unlock the door. Glad to call him mine! Happy Birthday Natey!

Sweet, sweet Mac! My heart holds such a happy special place for my oldest child! It's hard to believe that 8 years ago a 6lb. 14oz., white haired, blue eyed baby was placed in my arms. My life forever changed that day and the love in my heart grew exponentially.

Mac continues to love anything that has to do with competition. He thrives off a good challenge and strives to be the best in all he does. He has a fire inside that drives him and it excites me to see what life has in store for him.

Mac is also the world's sweetest and most thoughtful 8 year old. He can't stand to see someone sad and is always looking for ways to make those around him happy. If I'm upset he is the one who will come and find me, wrap his arms around me and tell me he loves me -- he will NOT leave my side until I'm completely happy again.
Tonight I was craving a treat and nothing in the house was satisfying that need -- when I went upstairs I found a note on my bed with a dollar attached, telling me to go and buy a treat for myself from Mac. Seriously love that boy!

This last year Mac has also developed an even greater desire to be the funny guy. His teachers have told me that he loves to be the center of attention and STILL has something to say about everything. Admittedly, he is pretty funny.

Love my birthday boys! Hoping this next year brings happiness and success to you both!

Prepping for Baptism . . .

2012-01-26T19:03:00.000-08:00

Among other preparations for baptism, Mac and I held a mini photo shoot the other day so that I could get some pics for his announcement.
Mac is definitely my easiest child to take pictures of. We were out taking pictures for just a short while when I said to Mac, "Okay, I think we're done." and Mac said, "Wait! What about if I go like this . . ." (and then he'd strike some great pose). I love this child for so many reasons!

Trouble, with a capital T

2012-01-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

She's reminding us of her brothers more and more everyday.

Out with 2011 and in with 2012

2012-01-10T19:54:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest things I look forward to during Christmas is sending and receiving cards. Like last year, when I took our cards down, I trimmed them up and collaged them into several placemats (laminated as well) that we can use and eat off throughout the year. It's as close as we can get to having dinner with some of these people who live thousands of miles away.

We had a joint friend birthday party for Jaxton and Mac this year. We went swimming at the Sportsplex and the kids had a great time. I also enjoyed being in charge of almost nothing and being able to sit back and enjoy the evening with everyone else.

We spent New Year's with the Peay's again, except unlike last year, I kept my throw-up germs at home this time. This is one night that our whole family looks forward to all year long and we are so glad that Alex and Rachel continue to invite us back. We always have such a great time with them and the other families they invite.

We've found that Jilli likes to dress-up almost as much as Beckam does. They make a great super hero pair and they're pretty much ready to take on the world, or at least they think they are.

Jilli also loves to dress herself. On this particular day she donned her "horsie" pj's, a church dress, brown boots and pink hat and gloves. What can I say except that the girl's got a style that maybe only she can pull off.

Happy 2012! We can't wait to see all the wonderful things that will happen in this upcoming year.

and the countdown continued . . .

2011-12-29T19:45:00.000-08:00

We introduced Eddie the Elf to the kids this year as part of our Christmas countdown. I told them that he was here to watch them and then to report back to Santa each night on their behavior. Their job was to not only be good kids, but they also had to find Eddie each morning and see what he had been up to while they were sleeping. The first evening that we had Eddie with us, Jaxton came crying to me upstairs that he had seen Eddie move, that he had turned the lights on and off and that he heard him whistling to his elf friends to come get him. Mac overheard the conversation and even though he had been questioning the whole "Santa" thing, he began telling everyone that he was pretty sure that elves and leprechauns were cousins and that since leprechauns were known to be tricky, Eddie was going to be nothin' but trouble. Beckam couldn't sleep that night, convinced that Eddie was going to "get" him during the night. At this point I wondered if it was too late to return Eddie to the North Pole a.k.a. Target. The next morning they found Eddie in the fridge and to their delight he had brought them a breakfast of snow-covered donuts, apples and juice -- thankfully they didn't find him so scary after that.

We also marked off the days until Christmas by:

And then came Christmas Eve . . .

We spent the day at the Life & Science Museum

and then happily joined the Kelly family at the Klopfer home for more Christmas extravaganza then we could have hoped for.

To say we are big fans of the Klopfer family, would be an understatement.

We returned home with just enough time to open up cousin gifts before we shuffled the kids off to bed to dream of Christmas wonderfulness.

(But not before putting food out for the reindeer.)

I think everyone's dreams were made in to reality on Christmas morning.

Just look at that face -- his expressions says it all!

After presents it was off to church we went -- what better way to celebrate the Saviors's birth

Our Christmas princess was looking especially beautiful on such a special day.

And then it was back home to lounge in grandma and grandpa's gifts of USU attire.

We had a wonderful Christmas filled with the excitement of the season as well as the spirit of Christ's birth. How grateful I am for His humble birth, His life, His death and His resurrection. Merry Christmas!

SIX

2011-12-22T18:37:00.000-08:00

Let me take a break from our Christmas countdown to celebrate my sweet Jaxton's 6th birthday.

I can hardly believe it's been six years since this little guy made his surprise entrance into the world three weeks early. He made the transition to being a mom of two so easy breezy.

Words can not express how wonderful I think this lil' guy is. Wherever he goes people are naturally drawn to him. I'm not sure if it's his smile, his easy going demeanor, his squeezable physique, his twinkly blue eyes, his contagious giggle or a combination of all these attributes, but there is never a shortage of people wanting to be around him.

I love you, Jaxton James, to the moon and back and beyond.

Christmas Countdown

2011-12-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

There's lots of wonderful things happening around here. Each day we participate in some kind of activity -- it's the highlight of our day.

We've made cookies (my best sugar cookies yet, thanks to my sister's recipe).

We had a sleepover with our cousins in OH. But let me clarify -- we didn't drive 7 1/2 hours each way just for a Christmas activity; our nephew, Logan, was getting baptized and we were so excited to be a part of his special day.

Beckam had his half birthday (4 1/2), so we celebrated with him by taking a trip to the dollar store and letting him blow a candle off a treat of his choice.

We've also been

And we've been to our ward's Christmas party.

Christmas countdowns are the coolest!

Christmas is in the Air!

2011-12-04T19:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Pinterest, I revamped a wreath that I had made last year and after a million gazillion ornaments and glue sticks, this is this year's final product. I'm sure by next year there will be something even more creative and time consuming that I'll just HAVE to try with it, but until then, we'll enjoy this decorative accessory in our home for the next month.

I also brought out this beauty from last year, our official Christmas Countdown. Luckily I put away half of the kids Halloween candy and I was able to use it to fill up the 24 slots for our four kids. I love when things work out as if I had planned it that way all along. Each slot not only contains a treat for each child but a Christmas activity as well. Just when my kids were beginning to think I wasn't a fun mom, the Christmas Countdown has saved me (I just hope the memories made can last six months until I pull out our Summer Adventure bags).

And because Mac decided he didn't believe in Santa anymore, I needed to do something to bring back the "I believe" spirit in our home. I thought Eddie the Elf (named by the kids) would be the perfect solution until I took the kids up to bed and Jaxton (who had lingered a little longer downstairs alone) came barreling up the stairs in full-blown tears claiming that Eddie was doing crazy things. Not only did Jaxton witness Eddie moving his head, but he claims that Eddie turned the lights on and off and that he heard Eddie whistling to the "other" elves to come and get him. Jaxton's experience then led into Mac telling everyone that he was pretty sure that elves and leprechauns were cousins and since leprechauns are super sneaky, he was sure Eddie was going to be nothing but trouble for us. All of this caused Beckam to not want to go to sleep since he was positive Eddie was going to "get him" while he was sleeping. I did my best to reassure them all that Eddie was indeed a good magical elf and that they didn't need to worry about him, especially at night, because that's when he makes his journey back to the North Pole to give his report to Santa. If my explanation didn't do the trick, the breakfast that Eddie brought with him the next morning seemed to mend the relationship -- what problem can't be fixed with a few donuts? Eddie continues to show up in a different location each morning, and while the kids enjoy finding him each day, I also find them "checking" on him frequently throughout the day just to make sure he hasn't tried anything troublesome.

SWEET soccer success!

2011-11-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

As a four year old, Beckam was able to play his first season of soccer. What started out as high expectations from Nate and I, ended up as sideline pleas from us for Beckam to just "GET THAT BALL!" Beckam doesn't lack in energy or ball skills, but for some reason we just could not get him to move anywhere fast when he was on the field. It took everything out of me not to run out on the field and give him a push start. Unlike the other boys, we would find that after he had been on the field for a couple minutes he would tug on the coaches sleeve and say, "Coach, I'm ready for a rest," and then he'd happily sit on the bench finding more joy in sipping his Gatorade than playing the game. We're not quite sure what happened to the 2 year old with the best drop-kick, batters stance and swing than most much older than him. What I do know is that when you're dealing with Beckam it's all about timing, HIS timing. He does things when he's good and ready to do them and not a moment sooner. Until then it looks like I'll have some opportunities to improve on my self-control and patience.

Beckam did score a goal mid-season, which we were thrilled with, so as promised, he earned himself a golden medal. Go Beck!

Jaxton had an awesome season. This is his third season of soccer and it's been so fun to watch him gain more confidence and better skills. He's quick, aggressive and tough as nails. He and another player would collide and the opposing player would bounce off Jaxton, fall on the ground and cry and Jaxton would just look over at us, shrug his shoulders and keep playing.

Before the season began, they kept sending out e-mails asking for volunteers to coach. Jesica and I talked and decided that we would step up if we could co-coach together. Admittedly I was very timid in the beginning, but soon learned as many rules as I needed to know to coach seven 5 year olds. When the season was said and done, Jesica and had I coached our team to an undefeated season -- go Warriors and go US!
Jaxton insists that he wants me to be his coach forever, but Mac has decided that it's his turn to have me as his coach -- it's so nice to be wanted. :)

Mac also had a great season. He was part of a team that was truly awesome -- each boy could hold their own and they had a wonderful coach who pushed them every practice and every game. Mac enjoyed being part of a team that took the game seriously and was as competitive as he is.

The Raptors went undefeated (with one tie game) and ended up taking first place as well as making a great name for themselves.

At the end-of-season party, Coach Scott said how much he enjoyed working with Mac. He loved his intensity and competitive spirit and said he brought his best game every time. Coach also said that he loved watching Mac's eager smile at half-time when he would always tell the team the same thing, to "turn it up a knotch" -- he always knew Mac would give it his all out on the field.

Now that soccer is over it's on to basketball. Mac's hoping to have a full year of 1st place teams -- only time will tell.

Scrap Skirt

2011-11-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

I spotted this cute idea on Pinterest and knew I had to duplicate. I not only ended up making one for Jilli, but I also made one for a baby shower present for Saturday. So fun and so cute!

But then again, with a face like this, I think she can pull off just about any look!

hAlLoWeEn 2011

2011-11-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Our annual "pick a pumpkin" outing (but do it quick, 'cause it's super cold!).

Jilli followed in her brothers footsteps and dressed up as a chicken for her 2 year Halloween experience. She loved her costume and had no problems putting it on and wearing it around.

Just like last year, Mac took his ninja duties very seriously.

We found that when it comes to being a ninja, Beckam definitely takes after Mac -- all business when the costume is on.

Jaxton on the other hand, can't be serious for an extended amount of time even if he had to. He was the "smilingest" ninja that I had ever met.

On the morning of Halloween I always make "Witches Brew" with oatmeal and a few "other" ingredients. This year I realized (a little too late) that we didn't have enough oatmeal -- good thing witches know how to improvise. Each "little pretty" had their "goblin guts" of choice (cereal), then I added "ghost blood" (milk), "snake venom" (green food coloring) and "bat eyeballs" (mini chocolate chips). I'm not sure if it was my wicked cackle or the "ingredients," but none of my kids finished their brew off this year.

Our Halloween dinner was a bit more successful -- who can go wrong with "Mummy Dogs?"

It was a good thing that I got some good pictures earlier at the trunk-or-treat, because on Halloween Jilli was in no mood. Between throwing up, running a fever and getting a sandpaper rash all over her body, the last thing she wanted to do was pose for pictures. She spent the majority of Halloween being totally pitiful (but not before the whole family went to lunch together and freely passed and shared drinks between all of us).

Here is the trick-or-treating crew, minus the Bush clan. We stayed in the neighborhood and had an awesome turnout.

Our three ninjas and lil' chickadee hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!

What You Probably Don't Know About Me!

2011-10-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of Halloween and all things strange, allow me to share with you something you probably don't know about me.
My mom always hoped to give birth to twins and when she became pregnant with me (her fourth and last pregnancy) she felt pretty certain that she was indeed pregnant with twins. Well, you've probably guessed it -- she wasn't . . . or was she?
Over the years we've discovered a few odd things about this body of mine, let me share.

Exhibit A:
When I was three years old I went in for what was supposed to be kidney surgery, but when the doctors opened me up, they actually found that I had extra tubing of some sort. They fixed it, hooked it all up correctly and here I am today. Extra tubing? Enough for two?
Exhibit B:
Take a look at your hands. Everyone that I have ever known has the same main lines in each of their hands -- everyone except for me.

As you can see my left hand has three significant main lines, while my right hand has only two main lines. Mismatched hands? Hmmmmm, very unusual!
Exhibit C:
Back in high school I had all four of my wisdom teeth extracted, but a few years ago I began feeling something growing in the back of my mouth. I went back to the same dentist who then took x-rays and pronounced that I indeed had an extra tooth with roots growing -- something he had never seen in his professional career. Now that we've moved away I have another dentist who is just as amazed at my "extra tooth." Over this past year the tooth has been chipping away and falling out and just a couple weeks ago it finally came all the way out. Am I growing teeth for two?

Now I'm no doctor or scientist, but I have heard that a woman can be pregnant with twins in the beginning, but that one baby/embryo is stronger than the other and basically "absorbs" the other and you end up with a single birth, which in my case is, ME.

My good friend, Jesica, says she saw a show on this sort of thing. A woman and her children had to have DNA testing so that she could prove paternity and when the results came back her DNA wasn't in her children. After more extensive testing they discovered that she must have indeed been a twin in the womb and that the "other" twins DNA was what passed through to her children. The doctors concluded that this sort of thing probably happened more often, but no one is aware since people don't usually get their DNA tested.

Far-fetched, possibly. Crazy, maybe. Food for thought, sure! Topic of interesting conversation, definitely!

A 1st for Jilli

2011-10-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

After much deliberation, I went ahead and got Jilli's haircut. I had trimmed her hair myself about a year ago, but I wasn't sure I dared do anymore than that. The stylist ended up cutting about 3 to 4 inches off, but I'm completely pleased with the end result. And Jilli says she loves her "ladybug haircut" (I'm still trying to figure out why she calls it that).

october catch-up

2011-10-23T18:24:00.000-07:00

These two are usually the best of friends and have so much fun spending their days together.

I took the kids and Mac's good buddy, Carlo, to the Life and Science Museum earlier in the month. The all-time most favorite activity every time we go is the fossil dig. I'm pretty sure my kids could spend hours there digging away. One of these days I'm going to count how many other children come and go while my kids plug away at perfecting their paleontologist skills.

Gobbling Ghosts

2011-10-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to an idea from my good friend, Lezlee, my kids had a great time making their white chocolate ghosts. Even more fun than making them was gobbling them up.

Next year I hope to poke a hole in the top of each ghost, tie a string through each one, hang them on a branchy tree in some kind of vase, display it on my kitchen table and let the kids nibble away at them.

We also had a good time making Nutter Butter ghosts (you couldn't even taste the burnt pieces of white chocolate -- oops! My bad!)

Our Week

2011-10-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

My dear Grandma turned 96 years old on September 21st. Words can not say how wonderful I think she is. This is the card we came up with this year to send to her.

This weekend also marked the one time where our house divides -- Nate with his Cougs and me with my Ags as they battle it out on the football field. This year I had the bright idea of suggesting that the losers have to clean the bathrooms. Long story short, USU was ahead until the last seconds of the game and before I knew what had happened, I found myself mopping the bathroom floor with Jaxton and Beckam cleaning sinks. We're already looking forward to next year.

Jilli loves her princess shoes. She often comes home, takes of her gym shoes or flip flops and puts on her princess shoes. She can walk, run and jump in them and one of my favorite sounds is the clank clank clank of her walking on the wood floor with them on.

We SO enjoyed General Conference. I had a few ideas of things to keep the kids busy and attentive during these eight hours and luckily they all seemed to do the trick. Mac listened to basically all four sessions and the other kids did pretty good as well. One of the activities was to see who could construct the best temple and in the end they were all winners -- I was pretty darn impressed!

Seriously in LOVE!

2011-09-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Alana Lange Photography, my siblings and I were able to surprise our parents with this beautiful portrait of their 15 favorite people in the world.

Whenever I see this picture I can't help but smile. I think each of the kids personalities shines through beautifully -- you can't even tell that Beckam was throwing up in between shots and that Mac was about an hour away from throwing up about a gazillion and one times.
You've got to admit it . . . aren't they the cutest bunch of kids you've ever seen?

And P.S. I have no idea who paints their entire barn turquoise, but for the sake of our wonderful picture, I thank them!

High Hopes

2011-09-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

Everyone keeps telling me that it's okay if Jilli grows up rolling around in the dirt, playing ball and using sticks as weapons. "She has three brothers, what do you expect," people say. It's true and while I've come to accept the fact that she is rough and tumble most of the time, my heart flutters with joy every time I ask her to show me her "pretty ballerina pose" and she holds onto one foot stretching it out behind her. (And no, I didn't teach her the pose, although I'm very willing to demonstrate any other dance moves she may be interested in.)

And if her poses and pigtails aren't proof enough, I think her physique shouts nothin' but "future ballerina!"

so the truth comes out . . .

2011-09-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

Mac gave me this note and after I read it I gave it back to him and had him read it aloud. Needless to say we got a good chuckle. He insists that he meant "best" and not "beast," but maybe I should take a hint.

BACK 2 SCHOOL

2011-09-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

McCade started 2nd grade and couldn't be happier! He loves school and enjoys staying busy all day long. It also helps that he got the teacher that we've been praying he would get. Ms. Merrill has been a teacher I've admired ever since Mac's first day of Kindergarten when I saw her interacting with her own class. This year is also a big year because McCade made the choice to go by Mac. Even though we've called him Mac his whole life, it's odd to see all his papers and notes from school come home with Mac written on it. I guess we'll see if this sticks from here on out or if he'll switch back sometime down the road.

Jaxton walked into Kindergarten with all the confidence in the world. He acted as if he'd been doing the school thing for years. So far he's had a great year and loves the fact that during Kindergarten assessments he counted higher than anyone else in his grade -- he reminds us of it daily. On the other hand, he despises rest time (he's proving to be more and more like Mac) and just counts down the minutes until it's over.

After much debate, the boys and I were finally able to convince Nate that riding the bus would be okay -- and talk about excitement! The boys now ride it home 3 afternoons each week and it's always a highlight on those days. It's so nice for me to just walk out my front door and greet them off the bus stairs.

Beckam started preschool this year and to be honest, a little part of my heart broke when I left him in class on that first day. Even though he's only gone Tuesday and Thursday mornings, he's just an easy kid to have around and I miss him dearly when he's gone. Beck was quite nervous when I dropped him off the first day, but he knew he wasn't supposed to cry or make a scene, so he plastered on a fake smile and just followed the teacher's instructions. I lingered for a minute or two to see how he would adjust, but when the teacher told Beckam to "wave goodbye to mommy" I took the hint and reluctantly left. When I picked him up 4 hours later, the first thing he excitedly said was, "That was the best thing ever!" When we got home Beck showed me how he could hold his backpack over one shoulder "just like Mac does" and how he can stand on one foot -- he attributes it all to his time at preschool. I guess he doesn't remember how many times he's shown me those same tricks before.

The fact that I'm down to only one child for eight hours each week makes me feel like I can move mountains. The last time I had to take care of only one child for a consecutive amount of time was back when I just had Mac. Think of all the things I can accomplish with just one companion. My heart flutters with excitement at just the thought of it.
We HEART school!

for my dad, the rancher

2011-09-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

The beloved Hat J Ranch! The perfect 500 acre haven for 13 little grand boys and 2 grand girls . . .

including Jilli, who is among the ranch's biggest fans!

It makes my dad happy to see his grandkids sporting rubber boots, especially his sweet Jilli!

UTAH -- Part 3 of 3

2011-08-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

After we said our "goodbye's" to Logan and my family, we headed south to hang out with Nate's family. The kids loved seeing their other cousins and enjoyed every minute with them.

While we were at the park, my mother-in-law, Elaine was happily greeted by many of her 8th grade students who were there for a conference. They squealed with delight when they saw her and it was very clear to me why she was awarded Teacher of the Year in her district -- Elaine is truly loved and admired by her students.

We did all kinds of activities -- one of my favorites was the back massages that my niece, Camdyn, provided for only $.10 (and that was after she gave you a free one so you could try it out). It could easily be the best money I've ever spent.

One of my favorite things to do during our visits is getting together with friends. We talk, reminisce and laugh so hard we cry. I easily have the best friends E.V.E.R.

Miss Jill will always hold a special place in my heart and I was so thrilled to see her after 4 years! We taught first grade together for two years -- we learned a lot working side-by-side and I'll always be thankful for her!

And some of Nate's a.k.a. Hash's bff's.

Mac celebrated his half birthday while we were in Utah! It's good to be 7 1/2, especially when you get to celebrate by eating cookies and ice cream.

And then we drove home . . . 36 hours is a very long time to be in a car, but it's also a small price to pay considering we got to spend the last 5 weeks with totally awesome people.

But, it's also not too shabby coming home at 2:00 am to a Welcome Home sign on the front door from Angela and the neighbors, breakfast on the doorstep from Jesica and a message from Kristi saying she's already got our Sunday dinner covered. Seriously how lucky can we get?

Until next year . . .

TWO

2011-08-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

Two years have come and gone and we have SO enjoyed having Jilli around. She makes us laugh every time she says, "What the heck!" "Oh gosh!" or "He buggin' me!" Jilli can basically say anything and she's very inquisitive. You can't drive very far in the car without her asking "What was that" and someone can't be gone from the house long before she wonders "Where(name of person) go?" Not only do we think she's funny, but she thinks she's hysterical as well. She'll call for someone to get their attention and then when she has it she'll roll her eyes, stick out her tongue or do something else that she thinks is funny. I especially love her "bless you's," her "sorry's" and her "love you's."

We had some neighbor friends over Sunday evening for an "Ice Cream Sundae" party. Our plan was to have it outside, but that only lasted about 5 minutes before the rain came down and all 30-something people came running inside. We still had a great time and I think Jilli enjoyed all of her extra attention.

Jilli had a stained white shirt, so I decided to turn it into a birthday shirt that would match her skirt.

When we (or anyone) would ask Jilli what she wanted for her birthday, she'd stretch her arms out and say, "lots and lots of babies!" We couldn't disappoint!

For Jilli's cake I kept with the Ice Cream theme and made cake-filled ice cream cones.

That night Jilli let me cradle her and we rocked together for a while. Naturally my mind went back to a time two years earlier when I sat in a quiet hospital room, just me and my baby girl. I cradled her the entire night and in between little cat naps, I thought about what it was going to be like to have a little girl in our home. I never could have imagined then how much joy she would really bring.

While I didn't cradle her all night long, I did hold her hand until she fell asleep. I love those sweet, quiet moments with my baby!
Happy Birthday Miss Jilli! You bring sunshine to our lives and we can't wait to see what this next year has in store for you!

Growth Stats: 34 inches tall (50th %) and 28 pounds (50th %)

The Entitlement Trap

2011-08-22T05:02:00.000-07:00

"NYTimes bestselling authors, Richard and Linda Eyre have written an exciting new book called The Entitlement Trap: How to Rescue Your Child with a New Family System of Choosing, Earning, and Ownership and they invite you to join them in the cause to stem the tide of entitlement that is causing so many problems in today’s world."
Check out this link to find out more. I can't wait to get my copy of the book.

UTAH -- Part 2

2011-08-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

While we were in Utah, my dad was honored at the Mendon 24th celebration. We were so happy to be there and to be a part of honoring such an incredible man!

This picture was taken in front of the airplane that my dad worked on when he was in the Airforce.

As part of our reunion, we also decided to hit Lagoon. I L.O.V.E. Lagoon! We were there before the doors opened and left when they were shutting the gates. Us, Olsen's, do love us some rides!
And check out the entire slew of grandkids. Are they not precious?

After the reunion, we headed back to Logan to finish up swim lessons and to say our "see ya next year's."

Stay tuned to see what happens when we visit with Nate's family . . .

my relationship with RuNnInG

2011-08-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

Running and I have a relationship. We go back about 7 years and while we may not love each other, we do put up with each other.
We began our relationship back in Denver when my friend, Aly, who had been a runner was looking to get back into it. Not only was she going to start running again, but she wanted a running partner and guess who she wanted it to be? ME! I immediately declined and told her I hated to run and that just the thought of it made me feel sick to my stomach. But something happened to me that night as I laid there in bed -- I decided that there was no reason I couldn't be a runner. I was only 24, I didn't have bad knees, I didn't have asthma and I really had no excuse. So the next day Aly and I went on our first run. We only made it up to the end of the road and back, but by the time I got to my apartment complex I wasn't sure I could make it up the flight of stairs to our door.
It was a huge deal when I could finally run 2 miles without stopping and I was happy doing that a few times a week after both Mac and Jaxton's pregnancies. After I had Beckam, my body decided that it needed a little more, so I began running 2 to 5 miles a few times a week and kept this up after Jilli's pregnancy as well. I even decided to enter a couple 5K's, but mostly for the t-shirt you got for finishing.
Then this past April my sister, Michelle, called me and asked me to run a half marathon with her in July, while we were in Utah visiting. My immediate response was much the same as I had given Aly years before and I found myself feeling slightly sick just at the thought of it. Being the encourager that she is, she kept at me, promising me that I could do it and by the time we hung up I had committed myself.
Leading up to the race I began hearing from people that the race was "very hard." We were told that a good portion of the 13+ miles were up hill and that you should automatically add a half hour to your regular time to finish this race -- not really encouraging news to me.
July 16th came much faster than I wanted it to, but I felt as trained and ready as I was going to get. The first three miles were hard, really hard and when I reached the top of the three mile hill and saw my other sister and her husband standing there cheering us on, my eyes filled up with tears because every part of me just wanted to go home with her. I didn't. I kept running and running and running, up, up, up, down, and up, up again. I tried to fool myself by saying prayers over and over of how thankful I was that I had a healthy body that could run -- I actually think it helped. Mile 12 finally came and while my sister started talking about how we could better train for next years half marathon, I could only think about how I was going to finish this one. We turned the final corner into the parking lot and I gave it all I had left. I felt like I was sprinting, but I wasn't sure since I couldn't actually feel my body. When we crossed the finish line together, I saw my dad waiting there, cheering us on and taking pictures (bless his heart). I was proud of myself for keeping my 10 minute per mile pace, even through the endless hills and I was proud that I had finished even though my body was begging to stop. I did feel better about the race when the newspaper quoted an experienced runner, who placed 17th in the Boston Marathon, saying it was the hardest half marathon he had ever run. I was glad to know it wasn't just me who thought it was incredibly challenging (PHEW!).

Will I ever do it again? I surprise even myself when I say, yes, and that I actually look forward to it.
Seven years ago I never ever would have thought that I'd run (or want to run) 13 miles -- just goes to show what some encouragement, some training and lots of prayers can accomplish.
I hope that even though I don't love running, the fact that I do love the way it makes me feel is enough reason for us to have a continued long and healthy relationship.

UTAH -- Part 1 of ?

2011-08-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

Six weeks is a long time to be away from home, no matter how much fun your having. Eventually no naps, no bed times and no routines catches up with you -- and if that wasn't bad enough, you also soon remember that you still have to travel 36 hours home with these people. AND not to mention catching up on 6 weeks of non-stop pictures is kind of a drag as well.

Jilli refused to sleep in the crib at my parents home, so her other option was sleeping on a full-sized bed. You can see how she had to work a little to get the hang of that one.

Here's the whole Olsen clan with a few extended clan members.

The 2 lone girls in a sea of 13 boys. It's a good thing they like each other!

Here's Beckam with his new best friend, Cecil Cago Bagley.

If your son ever locks your keys in the car, the best city to do it in is Montpieler, ID. There's no such thing as a locksmith, so instead they radio out to the sheriff who comes apologizing to you for making you wait an extra few minutes since he had to get out of a meeting to come save you. Bless you small-town sheriff! You were our hero for the day!
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And that was only the first 2 weeks . . .

Summer Adventures & Goodbyes

2011-06-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

Our Summer Adventures have officially begun! Instead of the jar that I went with last year, I decided to do things a bit different this year. Each day has a Summer Adventure, but the kids have to accomplish all of the above tasks before we can do it -- talk about motivation to get your bed made.

Our adventures range from making homemade juice to going to the pool to doing service for neighbors.

Any time I start thinking my kids are a handful, I see them do something like this and it reminds me what easy children they really are. My kids have always been so good to entertain themselves. I've had all their toys locked up for the past month (that's a whole other story), but they still find things to do. Who needs a million lego pieces laying around on your floor when you've got dirt and a Happy Meal toy?

Here's Mac and his friend, Ariel, solving the world's problems.

Jaxton celebrated his half birthday. He's already lost two teeth and is counting down the days until he heads to Kindergarten. Love this kid so very much!

My dearest NC friend, Kristi, is moving to Indiana. We held one more girl's night in her honor and celebrated what a wonderful person she is. I wanted her to leave NC with something special, so I had those closest to her write what they admired most about her and then I decorated a jar and put the messages inside. I think it turned out to be something Kristi will cherish for a long time.

We're headed to UT for quite a while, so we'll see you on the flip side of summer!

Fabulous & Four

2011-06-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

Even though I told this little guy that he had to stay three forever, he went ahead and turned four anyway. I sure think he's just as wonderful as a four year old as he was as a three year old.

The best surprise of the day was when these three teenagers showed up at our door with cookies and blowpops for the birthday boy -- talk about one happy kid! My deepest "thank you's" to Anthony, Makenzee and Madison -- what other three teens would take the time to surprise a four year old on his birthday?

Beckam didn't hesitate when I asked him what kind of birthday party he wanted -- a Green Power Ranger birthday party was the only option for him.

When the kids showed up we made Power Ranger masks, then we played "Pin the Badge on the Green Power Ranger," followed up with some cake and ice cream. After all their bellies were full we went outside to play "Capture the Bad Guys" (colored army guys that were hiding all over in the grass -- like an easter egg hunt) and then we came inside to open presents. Afterwards we headed to the neighborhood playground until parents came for pick-up. Party success!

And for the record, Beckam's growth stats are 36 1/4 inches tall (75th%) and 41 lbs. (50th%). He also received his Kindergarten immunizations and giggled through the entire process -- he's a tough guy.
We love you Beck! We think you are SO wonderful! We love your imagination, how you love to be cuddled, rocked and sung to, your stubbornness, your ability to make us laugh, your mischievousness side and your kind heart. Happy Birthday Baby Beck!

Spring Ball

2011-06-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

Both Jaxton and Mac had very successful Spring baseball seasons. Mac enjoyed getting into a league that was more competitive and Jaxton enjoyed being on a team with his two best buddies.

Jaxton isn't SUPER competitive with others, but he is with himself. While most of his team was just "there," Jaxton was there to play and be serious about it. When his team headed outfield he was always the first to grab his glove and yell out "Where do you want me, coach?" He hit great and was such a hustler. I had so much fun watching him play.

At the beginning of the season we had to sit down with Mac and explain to him that he needed to "let his game do the talking." In other words, he wasn't shy about letting everyone know that he was the only consistent hitter they had. :) Mac definitely is an emotional player and put everything he had into every game. He loved the step up in competition and enjoyed making friends with his teammates.

The most exciting part of Mac's season was the last three games where they beat the undefeated team twice to secure the title of "League Champs."

Nate was the head coach for Mac's team and if the fact that their team went from the losing underdogs to the winning champs says anything about his coaching abilities, then I think he has a bright future -- too bad he say's he needs a few years off to recuperate. :)

And what did my other kids do during the 90+ degree, ultra humid back-to-back ballgames? They did their best to keep cool under shade, poured water over their heads and took breaks in the van with the air on. Bless their hearts -- I have good kids!

Can't wait for Fall -- all three boys will be in soccer, Mac will also play baseball and he'll start piano lessons, (I can't help but think I'm already setting myself up for failure . . . I guess only time will tell.)

My 1st Born & 1st Grade

2011-06-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

I can remember everything about my 1st grade year -- in fact, I could talk you through an entire day in Mrs. Gunnel's 1st grade class even to this day. My teacher, Mrs. Gunnel made a huge impact on me -- she filled me full of confidence and love, which is exactly how anyone should begin their education experience. Mrs. Gunnel and my mom are the two biggest reasons that I chose to teach 1st grade and looking back, I hope that my own students came away from 1st grade with not only added knowledge, but knowing that their teacher loved them and worked her tail off for them.
As Mac got ready for 1st grade I could only hope he would have a similar experience.

And guess what . . .

I'm pretty sure that even though his last day of school was Friday, if he was given the choice, he'd go back to school tomorrow.

Now if that's not the sign of a successful year, I don't know what is.

Thank you Ms. Kirby and Ms. Scott for allowing my child to learn, grow and expand.

Now on to 2nd grade . . .

Sunset Beach -- need I say more?

2011-06-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

Beckam was super cautious the first time we got in the pool. He insisted on having not only a life jacket on but also that he needed to be hanging onto someone's neck to keep from drowning. But by the end of the trip he was confident enough to swim and paddle around on his own (with a life jacket).

Last year Jilli wasn't a huge fan of the whole beach scene and I was beginning to wonder if she was actually my daughter. This year she put my worries at ease by proving that she was indeed a fan of the sun, the water and the sand -- she's definitely my girl!

This picture could very well go down as one of my favorites. Love these three best buddies!

The Thole family came and stayed with us Friday to Saturday. We had so much fun spending time with them and getting to know their family better. We can't wait to do it again!

The Thole's brought the kids some books and Jilli especially took to hers. For a good portion of the day we found her strolling around the pond, pausing long enough to read a page or two out or her book -- quite a thinker!

Jaxton loved the pool! He was determined to learn to swim underwater on his own and sure enough by the second day he could do it -- and by the third day he was an ole' pro at the underwater front stroke.

Here's my handsome enjoying the beach life -- he prefers to relax out of the sun and under an umbrella.

My kids have always been pretty easy to entertain, take for instance this tree. It wasn't uncommon to find Jaxton or Beckam with two leaves in their hands make believing that the leaves were warriors and they'd make them fight by tearing the leaves up (they did this for hours). I couldn't be happier that they all have such active imaginations.

Who can resist sandy baby feet with painted pink toenails? Not me!

Unlike Beckam, we found that Jilli was a water daredevil from the get-go. That girl doesn't have an afraid bone in her body and frankly it worries me a bit (check her out ready to head down the 5 ft. ladder on her own).

Check out the alligator in the pond just outside our patio doors. I think a sign warning unsuspecting people of large biting animals should be a must, don't you?

I'm amazed at how Mac's swimming continues to get better and better. He jumps into the deep end and swims to the other end of the pool with ease -- I love seeing the independence and confidence in my children grow!

Thank heaven's for this pond and the turtles living in it! My kids loved feeding them, touching them and watching them take care of their eggs.

1 3/4

2011-06-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

The definition of sweetness is JILLI! We are so in love with this little girl. Everything she does seems to make us smile.

We love the way she pushes her hair out of her face.

We love the way she asks where someone is and then when she's given an answer she always replies with a satisfied, "kay."

We love her straight-armed and proud-faced run.

We love how she wraps her babies up in blankets, sings to them, rocks them, reads to them, takes them on stroller walks and puts them to bed.

We love how she is such a character and how she finds joy in seeing what other's reactions to what she does are.

We love her hugs, her kisses and her sweet pleas like, "Up, please," when she wants to be held.
WE LOVE YOU MISS JILLI-V (runny nose and all)!

On To Kindergarten

2011-06-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

This very well could be the cutest little pre-K graduate.

Jaxton has loved his last two years at preschool. Not enough good things could be said about his teacher, Ms. Andrews. Jaxton has grown in every way and is now ready to enter Kindergarten as a confident, smart and social 5 year-old.

Love every inch of this sweet sweet boy!

Our Very Own Medical Mystery

2011-05-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that this cute smiling boy was actually so miserable when this picture was taken.

Poor Jaxton was covered with all kinds of blistery, itchy spots like these . . .

He started out with 5 to 10 black, tar-like spots that we were told were chemical burns from some kind of fertilizer or spray. The doctors said not to worry, there was nothing we could do about them and that they would go away in a week or so.

Fast forward a week and half and all of a sudden Jaxton started complaining about his skin itching. Upon taking a closer look, I could see that his itchy spots were actually pussy blisters that were popping as Jaxton was itching them and then they were scabbing up. GROSS! and talk about major mom panic!

We immediately took him to the doctor again and after the first doctor was unsure and went to go get the senior doctor's advice, they finally decided that Jaxton definitely had some kind of skin infection and that because of it he also had a secondary infection, which manifested as double ear infections.

The doctors sent us home with an antibiotic for the inner infection and a steroid for the outer infection. We gave it a try but when a few days went by and nothing looked better, only worse, we took him to see a dermatologist. She took one look at him and said that the majority of the spots were from either poison oak, poison ivy, or sumac. The remainder of the spots, well, she didn't really know. She seemed to think we should try a stronger steroid and see if that did the trick.

The doctor said that because Jaxton's body was fighting so much infection that his immune system was in hyper-drive, which was causing him to break out in hives (all the new spots that were continuing to spread).

Long story short, after 5 doctors, lots of blank looks, questions, itching, different medicines, baking soda baths, lots of well-wishes and what could be the toughest little 5 year old EVER, he is almost completely better. Jaxton has some purple blotching/bruising, but other than that he is as good as new.

It's always a little scary when the doctors don't know exactly what is wrong with your child, especially when his symptoms are spreading quickly. How grateful I am that he is doing better and that everything seems to be under control!

S to the T to the RAWBERRY!

2011-05-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

Much to Nate's annoyance, the kids and I have been chanting this ever since we went strawberry picking last week. What can I say, once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader.

Here's Jilli frolicking to the strawberry patch.

Beckam was quite serious about the whole thing. Both he and Jaxton thought it was a good idea to wear their rain boots since farmers wear boots when they work too.

Jaxton dove right into the whole experience and went right to work.

"My basket has more strawberries than yours does."

The strawberry pickin' clan -- my good friends Kristi and Rachael and their little one(s).

This girl is still a little hard to get a picture of, but she LOVED the whole experience.

Jaxton's expression describes perfectly how yummy these strawberries really were.

But just in case you needed a closer look . . .

And if you weren't sold yet . . .

Just one last time (sorry Nate), altogether now, "S to the T to the RAWBERRY!"

My Two Youngest

2011-05-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

Nothing sweeter than a sleeping child! (And I just love to kiss everyone of those sweet little freckles.)

Love this picture of Jilli, especially her little tan arms, complete with three rolls on each one.

Words can't express how wonderful I think this little face is.

Beckam, summed up in three pictures.

Mother's Day

2011-05-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

While my husband spent Wednesday to Friday out of town, Saturday moaning about a sore throat and Sunday at the urgent care being diagnosed with strep throat, I spent my Mother's Day with these four . . .

and it was an absolute pleasure.

I made it through three hours of church solo (a feat in and of itself), giving a YW's lesson, putting up a bulletin board, holding a class presidency meeting and driving an hour round trip. I came home to a husband on the couch, but by 5:30 he had mustered up enough strength to make fish tacos (my request) from scratch, enough for our family and our neighbors -- bless him!
Successful Mother's Day indeed!

A Mother's Day Gift for YOU

2011-05-03T04:54:00.000-07:00

In honor of Mother's Day, I'd like to share an article that I found on "The Power of Moms." I joined a "Power of Moms" group, but even if you don't join there are great resources, articles and opportunities on the site for every mom out there.
Click here and enjoy the article and feel free to browse around the site for other great motivating and inspiring words from other "every day moms."
Happy Mother's Day!

Easter EGGStravaganza!

2011-04-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

My favorite giggle!

2011-04-07T18:25:00.001-07:00

thirty 1

2011-04-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

I now consider myself deep into my 30's. It doesn't matter now if I'm 31 or 39, I feel like it's all the same and I think I'm okay with it.
I began my day by opening up the gifts that the kids picked out for me. Jilli gave me a king size milk chocolate bar, Beck gave me chocolate and peanut butter eggs, Jax gave me a large chocolate bunny and Mac gave me a bouquet of blue silk flowers. These kids do know their mommy -- give me some flowers and chocolate and consider me happy. Nate also threw in some Reese's eggs, the Tangled movie and a year pass to the Life & Science museum.

The kids also sent me on a Birthday Scavenger hunt. I was super impressed with the clues Mac came up with and thrilled with all of my treasures!

Since my birthday fell on Sunday, which was also General Conference, my wonderful friend, Kristi invited my family and the Brehler family over for brunch.

We ate some delicious food (I brought fruit on my new homemade platter -- check me out), chatted and let the kids play before we headed back home in time for conference.

I really enjoyed Elder Cook's talk on the role of women and mothers and how divine that calling is. But when I heard someone yell from the other room, "Mom, can you come wipe my bum?" I was quickly brought back to MY reality and even though it didn't seem very divine at the time, I'm choosing to believe that Elder Cook knows a thing or two more than I do. :)
During the two hour break between conference sessions we went outside and enjoyed the beautiful day as we played some family basketball -- good times, nothin' but good times.
The day before Nate asked me what I wanted him to make for dinner and I requested salmon, broccolli, potatoes and rolls. Since my Nate aims to please, that's exactly what he made and he did a darn good job -- he's quite the guy. We also had cake and ice cream, which was definitely a crowd pleaser.

When the day came to a close, I couldn't help but feel truly blessed. I had been the recipient of many phone calls, facebook messages, hugs and kisses, compliments and gifts. How grateful I am to family and friends who took the time to think of me on my special day. My 30's are looking better and better and yes, I really am okay with being 31.

Getting to Know My New Life

2011-04-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm done with the pregnancy and new baby phase of my life, I'm getting to the know the new phase of my life. Unlike my first phase that lasted almost 8 years, I think this new phase is going to be around a bit longer -- I'm thinking at least a good 15 or more years. I think I'll call this new part of my life the "Accidents and Athletics" phase.

Exhibit A: Sports Training Arena

I came home to this new addition to my home decor a couple weeks back. Nate and the boys had screwed some kind of hangy-thing from my ceiling, attached a ball to the end of it, taped off a home plate and were working on their baseball swings.

My wood floors have become an indoor basketball court, my front door doubles as throwing/target practice and my furniture is moved around daily to accommodate the latest soccer game. This last Monday a prayer was answered and Nate bought an outdoor basketball hoop for the kids to take their shots on, allowing my crown molding a break.

Exhibit B: Accident City

How many times can one little boy split open his eye in three weeks? Not once, not twice, but three times! (And this doesn't count the two other prior incidents where he split open other parts of his face, giving him a grand total of five accidents in a year and a half.) Need I also remind myself that Mac had staples in his head not so long ago?

Sadly cuts, bruises and looking a little banged up is a new fashion trend in our home.

Exhibit C: No Exceptions for Little Girls

Even Jilli gets her fair share of training and accidents around here.

With my new phase of life, there's sure to be excitement lurking around every corner and I think I'm okay with that. Looks like I'll be trading in my diaper bag of sippys and wet wipes for a duffle bag filled with gatorade and bandaids.

Bring it, new phase of life, I'm ready for ya.

Being an Olsen/Peterson

2011-03-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

It's good to be an Olsen. I've always known it was, but it becomes more and more clear the older I get. Living all the way across the country I don't get to be immersed in Olsen times as much as I'd like, but rest assure I'm doing my best to bring the Olsen way of life to my little family.
Jilli and I were able to go home last week and join in on the good times that can always be found where the Olsen family is. We enjoyed visiting with family, eating out, a birthday party, a baby shower, shopping and letting Jilli bond with her sweet Olsen family (we also got the opportunity to have lunch with some of the Peterson clan as well).

Don't get me wrong, I love being a Peterson as well. Belonging to two wonderful families is something I've always been grateful for. And even though leaving my Olsen family behind in Utah was hard, there was something so sweet about being greeted at the airport by four excited and grinning Peterson boys.
This is the message that I found written on our chalkboard wall when we got home (thanks Kristi for sharing your b-day cupcakes with my family, allowing them to double as a welcome home treat as well).

9 Years, an Artist, a Party & St. Patty's

2011-03-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

Nine years ago today, I became a Peterson and I find myself even happier today than I was then about that decision. How wonderful it is when you marry someone that you absolutely adore!
To celebrate 9 wonderful years we had a "romantic" candlelight dinner of tacos with our four awesome kids. At the end of our dinner I asked each of the boys to make a wish for Nate and I before they blew out one of the candles. Mac wished that Nate and I "could be together forever;" Jaxton wished that we would "have a happy life;" and Beckam wished that Nate and I would "be best friends forever." It makes my heart happy to know that I can guarantee those wishes are granted!

I was always told that while boys love sticks, wrestling and balls, that girls love dancing, art and dresses. I wasn't a complete believer until just lately when I came across sweet Jilli putting so much concentration into her work of art. She worked and worked at it and I think the result is definitely a masterpiece.

I hosted a party to celebrate the finale of the latest season of "The Bachelor." Instead of calling it "The Bachelor Finale Party," I called it the "I'm SO Glad I'm NOT a Bachelor(ette)Party" (catchy title, egh?). A bunch of delightful women gathered at my home, we ate food, we chatted and chatted and chatted some more and caught bits and pieces of the show in between chatting. I think I may have just began a tradition worth carrying on.

St. Patrick's Day came and went while Jilli and I were visiting in Utah. Thankfully I put a lot of thought and preparation into getting everything ready for the boys and instructed Nate on what he was supposed to do the night before (i.e. help Mac with the leprechaun trap, set up the treasure hunt, put out the treasure). When I excitedly called Nate on St. Patty's Day to find out how the morning went he said, "Is that today?" (deep breaths and count to ten . . .) Apparently he tried to make up for his blunder by putting it all together while the boys were at school. He insists that the boys didn't know the difference and that they were still thrilled -- I'm still trying to believe him.

The Small Moments

2011-03-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

". . .the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of [my children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4, and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.
Anna Quindlen

I read this quote last month and it has stuck with me ever since and I hope it will forever remain with me. It seems as long as my motherly mind can remember, I've concentrated a lot on the "I can't wait until . . . (s)." I can't wait until Mac goes to school, I can't wait until this morning sickness is over, I can't wait until Beckam learns how to walk, I can't wait until Jilli is sleeping through the night, I can't wait until Jaxton doesn't ask me for a snack every other second." My new goal is to seize the small moments with my children. They need me now and even though there are many days that I feel more like pulling my hair out than filling up one more sippy, I LOVE being needed and dread the day when my children ~~won't need me~~ will need me less.
These pictures are from our rain storm that we had today. My kids wanted to go outside and play and even though my mind went immediately to the thought of dealing with muddy, wet laundry, I remembered and decided to enjoy this small moment with my kiddos.

Jilli loved being a part of her first puddle stomping experience and the boys enjoyed just as much watching her discover it all.

Beckam insisted on wearing his bike helmet, absolutely sure that even though it had holes in the top, it was still going to keep his head dry.

Jaxton giggled through the entire experience and came inside more wet than anyone else -- I think he literally rolled around in the water.

As the kids were jumping puddles Mac exclaimed, "This is the BEST day ever!"

And to think that I could have missed this face if I wouldn't have made the decision to enjoy the moment.

Jilli's shoe came off in a mud puddle and so she used it as a bucket to fill up with water and then dump out -- she was quite pleased with herself.

I could have missed this . . .

or this . . .

but I didn't, at least not today. And I'm hoping I miss less small moments in my children's lives from here on out.

"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disapear all too soon and that you will - to your suprise - miss them profoundly."
President Thomas S. Monson

Sports Enthusiast!

2011-03-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

Mac just finished a super successful basketball season. I was amazed at what a difference just one year did for him in this sport. This year Mac was immediately pinned as the main shooter, making several baskets each game. He was also much taller than most of the other kids on his team so he played Center and loved being right by the basket so that he could get his hands on all those rebounds. Mac loved taking the ball down the court and driving it in and there wasn't a shot he wouldn't take. After this year, I can't wait to see what next year will bring.

As soon as basketball season ended, Mac (and Jaxton) started right up into baseball. Even though Mac generally uses a metal bat, Nate picked up a plastic/foam one for practice around the house. Mac took it outside and on his very first swing, he hit the foam ball so hard that the bat broke in half. Baseball is a sport that Mac has always been fairly good at and I guess even after his "off season" he's still got it. Here's to the end of a great basketball season, to the beginning of an awesome baseball season and then looking forward to swimming and soccer.

My Girl!

2011-02-26T20:14:00.000-08:00

My baby turned 18 months old on Wednesday.

I love everything about this little girl from her hip-swingin' run, to the "shh, shh, shh" she says as she's rocking her baby dolls to sleep or quieting her brothers.

I love seeing her smile each morning, her squeals of delight when I come home and the fact that she's a momma's girl.

I love the way she repeats words that she hears, finds such joy in her brothers chasing her around in circles and attempts such a cute version of push-ups.

I love the way she says "NO," her ability to say lots of words, especially any that begin with "B" and the way she pats your face or head when she thinks you're sad.

I love the way her leg warmers roll down at the top from having such juicy thighs, the way she rolls her eyes in disgust and the way she pushes her hair out of her face.

I love my Jillian Venice!

18 month stats: weight: 25 lbs. (65th%), height: 32 in. (70th%) and head 75th %

We've Been BUSY Around Here!

2011-02-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

Shell Bell came to visit for five days and we were so thrilled to have her. The kids loved bonding with her and when we dropped her off at the airport, we hadn't even pulled away from the curb before Beckam said, "I miss Shell Bell." Thanks for the visit Michelle -- we love you lots and lots!

My dad's birthday is this week and I'm the appointed person to be in charge of his birthday this year. He mentioned that he needed a new watch, but wanted to pick it out himself and since we live across the country from each other, I had to come up with something. I didn't necessarily want to just put some money in a card or get him a gift card, so I came up with this, which I wrapped up and sent home with Michelle to give him on his birthday. Happy Birthday Dad! I wish I could personally deliver this gift and give you a big hug -- love you lots!

I saw this cute idea from the Tatertots and Jello blog and decided that's what I wanted to make for teachers, my kids and my visiting teachers for Valentines Day. My kids were thrilled with their Love Juice and I'm hoping it was a big hit with the others as well.

This was from last weeks FHE. The kids each took turns standing on the heart as we all told that person what we loved about them. For our treat we dipped vanilla wafers into melted red frosting and then we refrigerated them for a bit -- super tasty!

We made personalized Valentines Day cards again this year and I think they turned out great. The boys were happy to channel their inner rockstar long enough for me to get a good picture to use.

I love this picture of Beckam -- I think it captures him pretty perfectly!

February (so far . . .)

2011-02-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

The real meaning of "CHEESE!"

Parenting Lessons #563, #564, #565, #566, & #567

2011-02-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

DON'T JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS!
DON'T THREATEN!
DON'T TEAR UP YOUR CHILD'S ARTWORK!
RESOLVE ISSUES IMMEDIATELY!
ALLOW YOUR CHILD SUFFICIENT TIME TO EXPLAIN THEMSELVES!

Wednesday Mac came home from school and as always, I sat down to go through his backpack. There were the usuals, homework, books, and his daily work, as well as a groundhog puppet since it was Groundhog's Day. Mac was busy eating his snack and working on his Math homework, so I continued sorting. As I picked up his groundhog puppet to move it aside I noticed something that Mac had drawn on his puppet. I didn't believe my eyes, so I looked again and again. What the?!? Is that a cigarette coming out of MY child's groundhog's mouth?

I immediately panicked and thought very quickly about the best way to handle this. Threaten! That always seems to work. (I know, I know I've got a lot to learn.) "Mac, come here, please. What is this?" I asked holding the puppet up and pointing to the cigarette, all the while using my best stern voice. Mac hesitates and I immediately take that as his guilt, so I continue, "Son, I send you to school trusting that you are going to make good choices and when you pull something like this, it makes me think you don't deserve my trust." (I'm on a roll, so I keep going.) "If you don't know how to make good choices, then I'll keep you home ALL day EVERY day and you'll do school here at the house with JUST me. How does that sound?" And then came my grand finale, "This is garbage McCade and garbage does not belong in our house!" I said as I ripped the puppet into two. Mac's shocked look let me know that he knew I was serious and I was pretty sure I had gotten through to him, but just to be positive I added, "Do you understand?" Mac's head bobbed up and down and I felt pretty successful. Way to go, Mom, high five!

Even though I felt like I had "handled" the situation, I was still in shock that MY child would do such a thing. I needed to tell someone fast, so I dialed my sister and she was as surprised as I had been. "Where did he learn about cigarettes from?" Michelle asked me. "I have no idea," I told her. She suggested that I talk to him more and find out WHO he's learning such things from. I agreed and told her that I would get to the bottom of it. Later, much later, like the next afternoon (nothing like resolving the issue immediately :), Mac and I were walking in from outside when I remembered to ask him, "Hey Mac, where did you learn about cigarettes from?" "What's a cigarette?" he asked, completely innocent. "You know, one of those smoking things . . . you drew one out of your groundhog puppet's mouth yesterday." "Mom, that wasn't a smoking thing, that was a SWORD behind the groundhog's back. I made my groundhog into a warrior!"

Imagine my horror, not to mention embarrassment! I dug through the garbage, pulled out the two puppet halves and sure enough, there was the handle of the sword at the top, and the point of the sword at the bottom. I apologized again and again and again and then asked Mac why he didn't explain that to me yesterday. His reply was, "Well, I didn't really know what you were talking about and then you just ripped my puppet up."

Today (another day later), as Mac was gluing and stapling his puppet back together I suggested he use tape since it would be easier. He quickly replied with, "You know what would be easiest, is if you wouldn't have ripped it in the first place," and when I looked at him with the look of "really, do we have to go there?" he added, "I'm just sayin' Mom."

I don't see any Mother of the Year nominations coming my way anytime soon . . .

Take it from me, allow your children the opportunity to explain their actions and DON'T jump to conclusions. I find that my immediate reaction is to assume the worst, but if given the benefit of the doubt, my children usually pleasantly surprise me.

And just for the record, for about the 10th time, I am so sorry Mac! Mom was wrong and I'll try to do a better job of understanding from now on. Thanks for loving me no matter what!

SEVEN

2011-02-01T18:07:00.000-08:00

I took Mac to the store with his birthday money from grandparents and he picked out some Ninjagos and then decided to save the rest. On the way out of the store there was a donation container for sick children; Mac paused, asked me what it was for, I explained, and without any hesitation, he dropped his change inside it. He didn't look to me for a pat on the back or a "way to go Mac," he knew what the kind thing to do was and he just did it, happily and without another thought about it.
I love everything MAC! His drama, his sweetness, his sincerity, his hard head, his drive, his wisdom, his curiosity, his wonderfulness!
Happy 7th Birthday big guy! You make my every day AWESOME and I love you more than words can say.

happenings . . .

2011-01-30T19:32:00.000-08:00

Beck and Jax just after their haircuts. And for the record Nate does a much better job of cutting hair than any salon we've ever taken our boys to -- good to know in case the hospital administration thing doesn't work out. :)

Jillian turned 17 months old last week. I'm still trying to wrap my head around where the time went and how my baby girl grew into such a busy, demanding, sweet, dramatic, and nurturing big girl.

We've been taking advantage of this 60+ degree weather. We are SO ready for spring, warmer weather, and getting outside more (without freezing).

More material flower crafts (and I'm still not tired of them).

Beckam is quite the little guy. The other day he took the handvac upstairs to vacuum up some chips that Jilli had dumped. He was very meticulous about this job and insisted on doing it himself. It took him quite a while, but when he was finished, he had done a great job. After I thanked him and gave him a big hug he said to me (as he arched backward to stretch his back out), "I think I've got a crink in my back." Way to take one for the team Beck!

Nate and I headed to PF Changs for a little post-birthday dinner. Super. Yummy.
And let me just say that this world would do well to have a few more "Kristi Kubik's" in it -- much thanks to her for taking on our four kiddos so that Nate and I could eat in peace.

someone's SpEcIaL day . . .

2011-01-25T18:48:00.001-08:00

It's Nate's special day today. The interesting thing about Nate's special day, is every year when it comes around Nate likes to celebrate his special week -- he also thinks that when my special day comes around that it's his special day too . . . funny how that works. He's a smart one, I tell ya.
This is one of our very first pictures together, almost 10 years ago. I knew he was special then and that hasn't changed. And actually I think he turned out more special than I had ever dreamed.
Happy special day Nate. I love you more than words can say.

(I asked Mac and Jax if the picture above still looked like me. Their response, "Yeah, except for the lipstick and girlie hair." :)

We had the Dyreng's over for cake and ice cream since Chelsea's birthday was yesterday. The kids had a great time playing "war" and it's always good to spend time with Scott and Chelsea.

I was especially impressed with the boys this year. They insisted on using their own money to each buy dad their own gift. They all put a lot of thought into what they ended up buying and honestly I think they did a great job.

No Catchy Title For This Post . . .

2011-01-23T17:31:00.000-08:00

These are the Valentine decorations that I made using a tutorial from the Tatertots & Jello blog (I think). I was thrilled with how they turned out.

The Next GLEE Stars

2011-01-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

Funny how the boys have started picking up on songs off the radio lately. They don't always get the lyrics right, which honestly I'm sometimes glad, but they've definitely got the beat down. I especially love how Mac is so serious in his solo song -- he's been working on his vibrato voice and is happy to perform for anyone willing to listen. I also love the cute little back-up singer in back -- Beckam's just coming into his love for the performing arts. Love these little performers!

this, that, and the other

2011-01-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

One of my new loves is making these material flowers for either hair clips, headbands, pins, or necklaces. Is it possible to overdo the material flower? I guess we shall see.

If anyone's interested in knowing how to make either flower, check here.

Here is Miss Messy Face. We are convinced that her face is irresistible no matter what.

Jaxton's preschool Christmas Program was cancelled because of weather conditions so they rescheduled for this past week. I loved watching him bounce up and down to the rhythm as he sang his little heart out. He's confided to Nate and I that what he really wants to do when he grows up is be on the stage with lots of lights and have people watch him sing and dance. I think it sounds like a great plan and I'm pretty sure I'll be his #1 fan.

Beckam's first week of primary was last Sunday, which means that I now have 3 of my 4 kids in Jr. Primary and Jilli is quickly approaching nursery age next month. Is it really possible that I will be child-free for the last 2 hours of church? I can hardly believe it!

After Christmas is over each year I have the hardest time parting with the cards that our friends and family have sent. In years past I've saved them for a few months, thinking that I'll do something with them, but let's be honest, nothing ever happens . . . that is until now. This year I was determined to make something with these cards and after coming up with a few ideas I decided on placemats. How fun will it be to eat off something each night that holds such beautiful faces and wonderful messages? This is something I'll definitely continue to do.

The End of 2010

2011-01-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

These are the last of our 2010 pictures . . . and now on to 2011!

I had never tie dyed anything before, so we decided to go ahead and give it a try over Christmas break. Total success!

JILLI

2011-01-04T18:22:00.000-08:00

love my girl!

30 year-old outfit

2010-12-30T19:04:00.000-08:00

Luckily my mom kept some of her favorite outfits from when I was a child and I have had so much fun dressing Jilli in them. She's worn my blessing dress, she wears my snowsuit and coat, she's worn one of my Sunday dresses, she's worn my old baby doll dress, and the latest was this cute little ensemble.

This was especially sweet to me since my grandma Pearl made this outfit and took this picture of me not long before she passed away. My heart swelled with joy each time I caught sight of my wonderful daughter in this outfit and I could imagine it was making her great grandma in heaven smile as well.
FYI: Jilli is 16 months old in this picture and I am 9 months old -- I'm hoping the outfit was a bit big on me :)

December & Christmas BLISS!

2010-12-28T18:58:00.001-08:00

Our beauty!

Nate took the two oldest boys up for their first skiing experience and it was a complete success. Both Jaxton and McCade thought it was awesome and can't wait to get back up to the mountain.

If you take a close look at Mac's mouth, you'll find three front top teeth, yes, three. That baby tooth just wouldn't let go of it's comfy home inside McCade's mouth and so it dangled there by just a "thread" for a few days. Needless to say, Mac's not much of a tooth wiggler, it brings out the best of my gag reflux, and he wouldn't let Nate anywhere around it, so there it stayed until it fell out in his sleep Christmas Eve night.

Here we are ready for our Christmas Eve activities.

Mac worked hard Christmas Eve day to make Nate a special present. In the end he made a drum complete with drumming sticks. One of my happiest moments of the holiday season was watching Nate graciously receive Mac's gift. They sat together, both thrilled, drumming away -- priceless!

Here the kids are on Christmas morning. It's a tradition (ever since I was a child) to sit on the stairs for a picture before going down for your first look at the gifts.

The Final Countdown

2010-12-25T18:01:00.000-08:00

December 24th -- Attend Mudrick's annual Gingerbread House Extravaganza
I don't know what we are going to do next year when the Mudrick's move away and leave us with nothing to do on Christmas Eve. We, as well as several other families, have spent the last 4 years at their home eating good food, socializing, and making gingerbread log cabins. Nothin' but good times when the Mudrick family is involved and their family will SO be missed!

December 23rd -- Sleep under the Christmas tree
What better way to bring in Christmas than by having a family sleepover under the kid's Christmas tree?

December 22nd -- Read Christ's birth story from the Bible
This year we also had the kids act the story out impromptu and it definitely kept their attention more.
December 21st -- Have a Christmas movie marathon
Last year we received a DVD with four church produced Christmas movies on it including my childhood favorite, Mr. Krueger's Christmas and my adult favorite, The Nativity. The kids loved each of the movies and it really set the mood for a wonderful Christmas.
December 20th -- Buy a tree-topper
I had my eye on a special FHE that talked about the meaning of the "star" and then you placed the star on the top of your tree. It went over well and hopefully the kids will at least remember what the lights and star represent.
December 19th -- Feed the missionaries
We had the opportunity to feed the missionaries, which is always fun to do, especially during the holiday season. This year we also decided to fill a stocking for each of the elder's with food and yummy treats.
December 18th -- Make gingerbread cookies
I do have to say that my cookies have not turned out as well this year as they have in past years -- I guess it's more about the "experience" this year.

December 17th -- Write "thank you" cards to grandparents
What better way to show gratitude to such wonderful people and the gifts that they give us then with some homemade notes?

Until next year . . . 365 days and counting!

Countdown -- Part 2

2010-12-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

December 9th -- Celebrate Beck's 1/2 birthday.
In our family, a 1/2 birthday gets you a trip to the dollar store where you get to pick out something just for you and a treat to share with the family (believe it or not, 1/2 birthdays are a BIG deal around here). Happy 3 1/2 birthday Beckam! It's a privilege to spend every day with you!

December 10th -- Church Christmas party.
I couldn't help but make Jilli a Christmas candy cane tutu to wear to the party. According to me, she was the hit of the party :)

December 11th -- Drink hot cocoa.
Who knew that such an "ordinary" thing as hot cocoa could be so "extraordinary" when you add some Christmas marshmallows and a candy cane to it!

December 12th and carried over to the 13th -- Delivering goodies and Christmas caroling.
The kids had so much fun with this on Sunday, that we decided to continue it the next evening as well. My children have never shied away from being the center of attention or performing, so you can imagine how thrilled they were to have a captive audience as they sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" at each home.

December 14th -- Celebrate Jaxton's 5th Birthday!
Jaxton turned 5 years old and I can hardly believe it! We celebrated by opening presents, going to McDonald's for a play date with some friends, playing arcade games, eating at a pizza restaurant, going shopping with birthday money, eating cake and ice cream, and finishing off the festivities by taking cookies to school the next day.
Jaxton is a champ in every way. He brightens each day with his contagious giggle and the sweet way he goes about life. We are SO grateful for him and the joy he brings to our family. We love you Jaxton, to the moon and back!

December 15th -- Make paper snowflakes.
I wasn't sure how excited my boys were going to be about this, but I was happy to find that they LOVED making paper snowflakes and hanging them in the windows. There's just something magical about unfolding a cut up piece of paper to discover your snowy masterpiece!

December 16th -- Play outside in the snow/sleet. Today's plan was actually to attend Jaxton's preschool Christmas program, but since school was cancelled today because of the weather, we had to improvise.

Stay tuned for Part 3, the Final Countdown to Christmas . . .

The Countdown Begins

2010-12-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

I found this advent calendar on one of my new favorite blogs eighteen25 and knew I had to have it.

In our calendar, each pocket holds 4 chocolate candies (one for each child) and a Christmas activity for that day. Such fun!
Dec. 1st -- Write a letter to Santa.

I love that Beckam says "I want to be a good boy" instead of "I am a good boy" -- at least we both agree that we've still got some work ahead of us.

A shirt, pants, underwear, scissors, paper, and glasses -- if this boy were any sweeter I'd have to cry.

The Kung Zhu pets and pair of jeans Santa can handle, but an almost $100 BigFoot seems unnecessary to this Santa (hope this doesn't crush our 6 year-olds Christmas dreams).
Dec. 2nd -- Make marshmallow snowmen.
I wasn't sure how this task would work out, but my kids loved making the snowmen and loved eating them even more.

Dec. 3rd -- Watch the "Birth of Christ" movie.
This movie is always a great way to remind us of the true "reason for the season."
Dec. 4th -- Visit Santa.
Santa came to our neighborhood's grand opening of our new playground (how exciting is that?).

Dec. 5th -- Make sugar cookies.
Sugar, frosting, sprinkles, happy kids (need I say more?).

Dec. 6th -- Watch family home movies.
In my life, there's nothing like watching old home videos to get you in the Christmas spirit. I'm famous in my family for pulling out the old videos (even one without sound) and making everyone sit down to reminisce for a while.
Dec. 7th -- Make ornaments.
Thanks to Grandma Vicki for the snowman foam kits (sure saved me some time).

Dec. 8th -- Talk to Santa on the phone.
Santa called the boys on the phone and talked to each of them. The boys were thrilled and Mac was amazed at how much Santa knew about them -- such magic!
Stay tuned as our family continues to countdown to the big day!

Snowy Surprise!

2010-12-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

The boys were THRILLED about the snow we got yesterday. They couldn't wait to put on their snow stuff and head out in to the cold. They lasted for longer than I thought they would, especially Beckam, but when they did come in they were FREEZING and exhausted!

And what did Jilli do while the boys played out in the super cold snow? She ate Doritos! Like momma, like daughter -- eating Doritos inside where it's warm is so much better than being uncomfortable and freezing outside!

And this picture, just because it's my favorite! Is it even allowed to have a face that cute?

Nervous and/or Scared

2010-12-03T18:15:00.000-08:00

Jaxton: Mom, Bailey told me that she's my girlfriend.
Me: Well, what do you think about that?
Jaxton: It made me kinda . . . nervous.
(And then he thought for another second before saying . . .)
Jaxton: Does nervous mean scared?

Wall + Head = Staples

2010-11-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday night Mac karate kicked, got his foot caught, lost his balance, and fell backwards into the corner of the wall, splitting his head open. So, at 8:00pm Nate found an urgent care to take him to, they stapled him up and they returned home just after 10:00. Mac insisted on going to school the next day and when I picked him up at the end of the day he informed me that "it was the best day ever!" According to his teacher Mac was just like a rock star with those staples in his head, plus it helps that they're so visible in his white hair. He was such a tough kid through the whole thing, but we'll see how the unstapling goes this Friday -- that probably won't be so cool.
* Wouldn't you know that the head incident happened the same week as Beckam's 2 night sickness, Jaxton's 2 night/day sickness, and Mac's 1 night/day sickness (all different days and nights). Is that pouring rain that I hear?

Fall Family Pics

2010-11-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

Not bad for a 15 minute photo shoot in the backyard AND a good friend (thanks Kristi).
After a serious pep talk and a few silly shots, we finally got some fairly good pictures.

Vintage?!

2010-11-13T19:23:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday when Nate saw Jilli after I had dressed her for church he said, "Whoa! Looks like she just stepped from the 80's." And, he was right on. Jilli was wearing my dress from when I was a baby. I'm fairly sentimental and always have been, so my mom kept some of my extra cute stuff around in hopes I'd be able to get some use out of them again. So, Jillian might in fact have looked like she should be sporting a feathered bang look to go with her dress, but I still thought she looked darling and it tickled my heart every time I looked at her to think that we were sharing the same dress.

My super brilliant friend Kristi suggested that instead of calling the dress "out of style," that we could just consider it "vintage." (I like the sound of that, so I think I'll go dig out some more of my old stuff -- Nate can't argue with "vintage.")

And just one more thing. These pictures were taken after church was over and Jillian had pulled out her hair accessories. (I just didn't want anyone to mistake me for loving old 80's clothes AND messy hair.)

Sweet Soccer Success!

2010-11-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

Both Mac and Jaxton had another great season of soccer. It's been so fun to watch their athletic confidence grow and their skills expand.
After taking more than a year off from soccer (to do basketball and baseball), Mac jumped back into soccer as if he'd never taken a break. When Mac plays sports there's never anything but high gear -- he just go, go, goes the entire time. He made lots of goals, was a great defender, and made great friends with his teammates. Mac's now on the countdown for basketball which begins next week.

It was amazing to see what a difference another season's experience gave Jaxton. He started this season acting as if he was a seasoned soccer veteran. He was always right where the ball was and always had a big smile on his face (unlike Mac who is all "game face"). Jaxton made several goals each game and was one of the few players who understood how to defend. He's totally bummed that he has to wait until spring before he plays another sport.

Adios Fall soccer! Thanks for a great season!

2010-11-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

Little Beck insists on dressing as a different character each day. Cowboy, army guy, warrior, you never know what each day will bring . . .

Isn't she a little young to be getting into trouble? I guess three big brothers have helped speed up the process . . .

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

Crazy. Sugar High. Busy. Fun. Tired. Exciting. Great Halloween!

2010's trick-or-treating crew! Bring on the candy!

Great Wolf Lodge

2010-10-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

We headed to Great Wolf Lodge on Thursday and Friday in celebration of Nate having a fabulous job. Unfortunately I was so preoccupied with remembering to bring the kids' toothbrushes (something I usually always manage to forget), I didn't remember to pack up the camera. Nate was able to get a few pictures with his phone, but its battery died within the first hour we were there, so we have very few snapshots to remember the fun we had.

Our room was wonderful. It had "adult headquarters" with a T.V., bed and couch and then there was the "kid cabin" with a T.V., bunk beds and a twin bed all set inside a look-a-like cabin within the room.

Jaxton was totally a daredevil and was willing to go on any water slide. Mac was quite hesitant in the beginning, but once we were able to talk him into going on a couple, he warmed right up and loved them all. Beckam went on one slide and came out on his belly and said "no way" to anymore slides. Jilli was happy sitting in the kiddie pool buckling and unbuckling a life jacket. Good times!

P.S. If anyone has interest in a vacation at the Great Wolf Lodge, I have a thing a two to suggest for your stay -- just let me know.

2010-10-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Who can pull off wearing a leopard print mini-skirt accessorized with blue bows?

Jilli can . . . and she pulls the look off well!

Accident Prone

2010-10-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

a little sympathy, please . . .

Fall with Grandma & Grandpa

2010-10-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

My parents came to visit last week and it was an absolute joy to have them. We enjoyed the Fall weather, went to three soccer games for the boys, watched a women's UNC soccer game, took a visit to Mr. B's Pumpkin Patch, shopped, and just loved every minute we spent together.
We left for the airport at 5am the day my parents left and when Mac woke up at 7am, he said he sat in his bed and cried because he knew Grandma and Grandpa were already gone.
My parents are so fabulous and I'm thankful every day for them. Every. Day.

Wish Granted!

2010-10-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

So ever since I was little, I've always wanted a black eye. There's just something about a black and blue, puffed, swollen eye that screams TOUGH! I can remember sitting across from Rhett Perrett in 4th grade and being so envious of his big swollen eye, which by the way was actually from a bee sting, but hey, I'm not picky.

Fast forward 20 years and my wish for a black eye was actually something that was almost forgotten, that is until Sunday. Picture this, Nate and the boys wrestling on the floor and me, sitting on the couch, minding my business when all of a sudden they get the bright idea to bring me in on the fun. Before I knew it, I had the back of a 4 1/2 year olds head coming straight for me. After impact I held my eye and immediately felt it swell beneath my fingers. Before this incident, I couldn't remember the last time I had cried out in physical pain, but here I was, sobbing indeed.

Painful story short, after the swelling went down, I found myself with a nice black eye. I guess what I didn't realize all these years is the amount of pain that comes with getting a black eye and the amount of pain that remains on that side of your face (including your teeth) for days later.

Now that my childhood wish has come true do you know what my next wish is? It's between getting pregnant with twins or feeling a squirrels tail -- but since Nate's already been to the doctor to ensure the first doesn't happen, it looks like I have an up close and personal visit with a squirrel to look forward to. I'll keep you posted . . .

P.S. Both Mac and Jaxton were beyond concerned for me through the whole eye process. Mac insisted on sitting by me after I was hit and he rubbed my leg, tickled my face, patted my arm, held my icepack and continually asked if he could do anything for me. At one point he looked up at me and said, "Mom, I'd do anything for you!" What sweet kids I have!

Breast Cancer Walk

2010-10-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of my part part part-time job is that I get to meet some fabulous women. One of whom is my dear friend Deborah. I was 34 weeks pregnant when I had my first conversation with Deborah and after she found out that I still had 6 weeks until my due date her response was, "You have no more room to grow -- there's no way you can go 6 more weeks!" And a beautiful and honest friendship grew from there.
Unfortunately Deborah was diagnosed with breast cancer in August. When she asked me to walk with her at the Breast Cancer Walk, I was honored. Deborah has been a shining example of courage and faith while always keeping a positive attitude. She has reached out to many and continues to be a strength to all who meet her.
Thank you Deborah for allowing me the opportunity to walk with you. I am touched by those who are battling this disease, those who are survivors of it, and those who have lost their life to it -- all who are heroes in my eyes.
Thank you Deborah!

what a treasure!

2010-10-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

What Happens When a True Aggie Marries a BYU Cougar Fan

2010-10-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

So what does happen when a True Blue Aggie meets, falls in love with, and marries a BYU Cougar Fan? Well, you have some competitive bantering and teasing, but most of all, you have an intense General Conference weekend -- the weekend that BYU and USU meet and play every year. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blind -- I know Aggie's football does fall short year after year, but no one can deny that they bring a great game when it comes to playing their southern rival.
I come from a family that is all about Aggie pride. My siblings and I are all USU graduates and my family has held season basketball tickets for as long as I can remember. Part of being a Utah State fan is also have a major dislike for BYU. When I asked my dad what would've happened if I had decided to attend BYU he said, "Well, you're capable of making your own decisions, but I wouldn't have paid for your education." I can also remember after my brother graduated from highschool that he applied to Brigham Young University. This surprised me until I found out that his only reason for this was to say "no" to them. And when my dad was asked about a certain player leaving USU and going to BYU last year, my dad's reply was a straight-faced, "I hope he breaks a leg."
Am I making my point?

So, tonight is game night. I've prepped all of my children and we've all worn Aggie attire all day long to show our support. Here's to hoping my Ags can pull through and give those Cougs a run for their money, sending them home with a dose of humility.
Go Aggies Go!

Beckam, the Wise Guy!

2010-09-28T19:43:00.001-07:00

We are in a preschool carpool with the Kubik's. A couple weeks ago on our way to preschool the boys were having an interesting conversation that went something like:
Connor: I threw up.
Jaxton: You did? Yuck!
Connor: Yeah, yuck.
Jaxton: What if when you threw up you turned into a girl?
(lots of giggles)
Connor: That would be disgusting!
Jaxton: Yeah, sick!
(more laughing)
Connor: And then we turned into bugs.
Jaxton: Gross!
(more laughter)
And then Beckam, who up to this point had participated in the conversation with only his giggles, piped up and said,
Beckam: 'Cause then you'd be a LADYBUG!

Beckam totally cracked me up. Pretty smart for a three year old. He's hilarious, but he's very careful and thoughtful about his jokes. Love that kid!

Jilli Billi Poke-a-nilli

2010-09-23T18:50:00.001-07:00

My baby turned 13 months yesterday. She is growing so fast! I saw a picture that we snapped of her and for just an instant I saw her as a 12 year old and it scared me. Jilli is working on standing on her own and just 2 days ago she took her first wobbly steps to our neighbor Angela. She loves her babies, which she calls "dadas," trying to stuff her chubby little feet into any shoes she can find, putting on and taking off her sunglasses, and crawling up the stairs. We're all amazed at her every move and the boys compete all day for her love and attention.

95 years of total WONDERFULNESS!

2010-09-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my Grandma Venice (whom Jillian is named after) turned 95 years old.

Unlike most 95 year olds, yesterday my grandma was found making zucchini bread in her own home, writing down memories, visiting with loved ones, and going out to dinner. To say she is amazing would be a complete understatement. Grandma's life has not been without trials -- she lost a son when he was in his teenage years, she's lost siblings as both an adult and a child, and she lost her husband 24 years ago. But, she's raised a wonderful family, served a mission for our church, wrote poems, researched thousands of names for her genealogy, served in the temple, and has exemplified beautifully unwavering faith, humility, and charity.

In our family, if there is ever a problem, we immediately tell grandma, knowing that she will instantly be on her knees praying for us and if any one's prayers are going to be heard, it's grandma's.

While her health has been wonderful, this last year she has struggled on and off with shingles. During one awful episode of it, my mom took my grandma to the hospital and as she went to park her car she could still hear my grandma in horrific pain. The shingles were affecting nerves inside her chest and causing her excruciating pain. At one point my mom went to check on her when she thought she was sleeping, but my grandma called to her and said, "Vicki, come in, I'm not sleeping. I'm just laying her counting all of my many blessings." What an example she is to our family.

When my mom and her siblings told my grandma that they'd like to put her picture and a write-up in the newspaper for her birthday her reply was, "If you're going to do it, make it short. I don't want you to say everything, because then what will you say in my obituary." Her humor and love for life has put a smile on every one's face who knows her. I can still remember things she'd say to me as a child like "Go chase your face," or "Itch it if it itches, even if it's in your britches." She would also sing songs to us and one that I particularly remember well goes,
Jami, Jami, pudding in the pie.
Kissed the boys and made them cry.
When the boys came out to play,
Jami, Jami ran away.
I find myself singing a slightly different version of this song to my kids a lot. But instead of them kissing the boys/girls and making them cry, my song specifically says that they DON'T cry -- I think this is a little easier on their self-esteem and unlike me, they won't have to wonder every time it's sung, why in the world their kisses are making people cry, which in turn makes them run away.

I love you grandma! This world is such a better place because you're in it. Happy 95th birthday to the person I strive to be more like each and every day of my life.

15 Tips for Surviving a Road Trip with Kids

2010-09-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

Our Relief Society activity this month was a "Talent Fair." Each sister was in charge of bringing a "talent"/"something they had accomplished over the summer" to the activity and display it (somewhat like your 5th grade Science Fair). Well, I thought to myself, "What in the world have I accomplished this summer?" My answer, "I survived taking four kids and three adults across the country in three days and actually enjoyed it." So, just in case you are planning a road trip soon, or are wondering if you should take a road trip, let me share my tried and true tips.

1. Try to keep your luggage in the back or in a roof storage, not under your feet. You’ll already be fighting feelings of claustrophobia, so try to keep around you as uncluttered as possible.
2. Buy all snacks ahead of time and have them put in baggies by individual servings -- this cuts down on spills as well as one person getting more than you want of one thing. Don’t bring any snacks that you wouldn’t mind you or your children eating large amounts of. I found that string cheese, blueberries, crackers, grapes, granola bars, dried fruit, chex mix, crackers, gogurt, and almonds worked great. I had one small bin and one small cooler that kept all of the snacks and waters. This was the only stuff kept up front.
3. Bring a large case of water bottles and freeze some to use as the ice for your small cooler. Each night you stop at a hotel, freeze more waters for the next day.
4. Don’t bring any candy. If needed, use a treat as an incentive for your kids to behave in the car and when you stop to get gas, if they’ve earned it, then they get to choose an item.
5. Buy movies ahead of time when you find them on sale and put them away. Watch for deals at movie stores like Blockbuster where you can buy 5 moves for $20. I didn’t worry about my kids watching movie after movie – I just kept telling myself that I don’t do this on a regular basis, so three days of it won’t ruin them.
6. Bring books on CD. I recommend “The Treehouse” series. The author reads the book and can get through the entire book in 40 minutes. The kids loved it and it was even tolerable for the adults to listen to as well.
7. Always have a grocery bag or two handy in case someone gets sick or to gather trash in.
8. Attaching a roof storage of some sort is very useful. But only store things you won’t need to get at until you get to your destination.
9. Bring as little into the hotel each night as possible. I carried in two duffel bags – one with the whole family’s toiletries and one with everyone’s change of clothes.
10. Dress comfortable and do away with pj’s for the nights you’ll be in a hotel. Each night we spent in a hotel we would eat dinner, shower, and dress into the next-days clothes. Sleeping in next-day clothes was also one less thing we had to do before rushing out in the morning.
11. Stop every three to four hours while driving. It makes long days seem not so long and keeps your gas tank around half full in case you run into some kind of emergency.
12. At every stop make sure everyone gets out and everyone uses the bathroom. Be sure to run around, play follow-the-leader, tag, or do jumping jacks. Remember, you’ll never see these people who are giving you funny looks again.
13. Have a plan, but also be flexible. If your kids are doing well, keep driving. Also be sure to have a route planned and an atlas handy. Following a map makes it fun to see the progress you make each hour.
14. Don’t book hotel rooms ahead of time. You can get a great deal by just negotiating at the front desk and this also doesn’t limit how far you travel each day.
15. Put as much planning into your return trip as you did on the way out. (We learned this the hard way.) Take the time to replenish snacks, drinks, and movies.

So what it all comes down to:
Don’t be afraid to make that long road trip. It’s not bad and very cost friendly. Our “across-the-county trip” cost roughly $400 one way including gas, food, and hotels. Considering it costs that much for one airline ticket, it made it well worth it for our family of six. It was also so nice to have our own car when we arrived at our final destination.

Happy Road Tripping!

berry pickin'

2010-09-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

A friend recommended that we take advantage of the great local blueberry patches before it was too late, so we took the recommendation (picked 6 pounds worth) and made dessert out of it! Good times and super yummy!

School Days, School Days!

2010-08-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Jaxton had his first day back to preschool today and he was pretty excited about it. It was hard for me to feel sad or abandoned by my little Jax when he was such a bundle of happiness to be headed back as PreK schooler. When I picked him up he said, "I had a GREAT day at school with Connor." (Connor is his best buddy who has now moved to our neighborhood and they get to attend preschool together.) I think Jax's in for an awesome year!

Mac started 1st grade last Wednesday. After he left for school I had an empty, lonely feeling inside -- all summer long Mac has been my "go to guy." If I needed something done and done right, I asked Mac to do it. He has grown up so much and become such a wonderful oldest sibling and example to his three younger admirers. His help was definitely missed all week long. When I picked him up that Friday after school and asked him how school was he said, "Kindergarten was a BLAST! It was the best year of my life! All we do in 1st grade is listen and LEARN!" I told him he better get used to it, 'cause he's got a lot of learning ahead of him. On a happier note, he's totally stoked about being in the same class with his best buddy, Carlo and getting to sit right next to him.

P.S. I just got back from picking Mac up from school and today he said school was GREAT! When I asked him why, he told me, "Because it's a new week and I got homework!" Looks like my school lovin' learner is officially back from summer vacation (phew!).

More of the Birthday Girl

2010-08-25T19:31:00.001-07:00

I took Jilli to the doctor today and she is now weighing in at 20 lbs. 9 oz (50%) and is 30 in. long (75%). I can't get enough of those tan lines inside her little skin rolls. She has 12 teeth, including her molars. Jilli started crawling at about 10 1/2 months and now she's really good at pulling herself up to things, but she hasn't attempted walking yet. She also loves interacting and socializing with others by pointing, motioning for more or to come here, grunting, squealing, and dancing. Words can't express how much we love this little girl. Every day is a little more fun (and slightly more dramatic) because she's in it.

365 days of J.O.Y.

2010-08-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

My baby is one year old today. Her face alone makes my every day better. We are so very thankful for the joy she brings to our lives.
As a family we talked tonight about what we love about Jilli and we came up with some wonderful things.
Dad: Loves getting her out of her crib in the morning.
Mom: Loves her snort face and her dancing.
Mac: Loves her panting noise she makes when she crawls and when she pulls herself up to play with toys.
Jax: Loves her kisses, her hugs, and how she plays.
Beck: Loves the way she crawls (he actually said he loves when she falls down and we made him think of something else -- do I sense some sibling rivalry?)
Jilli is everything wonderful and has been every 365 days since she came into this world. We love you Jilli -- happy 1st birthday!