Where has December gone?

This has been the fastest month of my life! I honestly can't believe Christmas is over and Lucy is a month old. The time has gone by so quickly and I have wanted to update my blog so many times but the demands of a newborn have taken precedence. Right now Lucy is sleeping, the boys are sledding with their cousins and the house is quiet so I am taking advantage of the time I have!

Lucy is such a sweet baby. I have enjoyed this month with her so much. So many times I have looked into her eyes and had such an overwhelming sense of familiarity. I have known this little girl for a long time and there is no doubt in my mind that she is mine. Having a baby in the house has also reminded me of how much I love my boys. Now that my time is pretty much monopolized by Lucy, I have to find different ways to let the boys know they are special which only makes me love them more. I snapped this picture just a few minutes ago...isn't she sweet?

This week has been really fun. All of my siblings are in town and it has been pretty much a non-stop party. I think this is the first time we have all been together for at least a year and a half. It has been noisy and crazy but lots of fun. This picture is all of the Pett girls together on Monday at my parents' house.
My parents are seriously the best. They love having all the kids together and love us so much! They always have the kitchen stocked with good food for us and welcome our friends into their home as well. On Christmas Eve we had the 1st Annual Pett Family Talent Show. We had funny talents as well as "real" talents. Noah sang the Dreidel song (he secretly wishes he was Jewish), Curtis showed off his building skills, Sam played his guitar, I played a really bad impromptu duet with my sis Suzanne (we hadn't even practiced) nephew Taylor did magic tricks, neice Isabelle played Jingle Bells on the piano. Then the jokesters: Amy and Mat sang and did a little dance to "I think we're alone now", David and Marina did a hilarious take on a SNL skit, and my parents...well, let me just show you some pictures of my parents' talent: You've seen the "Go elf yourself" website? They did a live version of it. It was HILARIOUS. We were all howling with laughter. Oh, they kill me.

Much to the dismay off all the children except Isabelle, we ended the night with the nativity story. They were all really cute and it was the perfect way to end the evening.

Christmas was also very fun. Curtis woke up at 7:00 and was very excited to see the Lego crane that Santa left for him. He then ran and woke up Noah exclaiming that Santa had come. We spent the next 3 hours at home, opening presents and playing with the new toys. Sam's parents came over for a brief visit and then we headed to my parents' house. My parents gave all the grandkids Disney pillowcases and autograph books giving us clues to their gift to all of us...We are going to Disneyland in March! The kids were not very excited at first but I don't think they really understood what was going on. Later as we all talked about it they started to get excited and now can't wait for March!

The rest of the week has been filled with more family activities and playing with Christmas gifts...oh, that reminds me, I have to compliment Sam on his great purchases this year. I told him I wanted a "dressy casual" coat and a new sweater and he did great! He hates buying me clothes because I usually take them back but this time I am only taking one sweater back because I have one already that is very similar. But the coat and other 2 sweaters are perfect.
Today I have spent quietly at home trying to clean things up and get back to normal around here. I havent' completed too many projects but at least have done 2 loads of laundry and put some of the Christmas mess away. My cousin John's 11 year old daughter Olivia is here now, holding Lucy so I can get some more stuff done.

It has been a fabulous week and we will cap it off with a celebration with Sam's family tomorrow...guess I should finish the gift shopping!!!

Here She Is!

Here she is at 3 hours old

Miss Lucy Ann made her arrival into the world last Monday, November 26th at 11:39 pm. I think I took the cake this year for giving my mom the best birthday present...an iPOD doesn't really beat having your granddaughter born on your birthday!

I started the day by going to see my midwife at 9:30. I was dilated to a 2 but the baby's head was still very high. My midwife sent us home saying she would consult the OBGYN that she works with and schedule a c-section for Wednesday as we had planned. By the time she called me at 2:30 to give me the time for Wednesday, I had been having strong contractions for over an hour. By about 4:00 we called my dad to ask him to come get the kids and the boys and I packed their stuff for their sleep-over. Sam and I had decided we would go to the hospital when the contractions were 4 minutes apart consistently. By 5:00 they were about 6 minutes apart and by 6:00 they had pretty much skipped the 4 minute mark and jumped to 3 minutes. Sam was very concerned about my water breaking in the car so in between contractions he put a garbage bag and a thick towel on the front seat. We loaded everything in the car and were on our way. We pulled up in front of the hospital and Sam went to get a wheelchair. He loaded me in and then pushed me about a foot when I decided I couldn't handle the bumpy ride. I got out of the wheelchair just as I was having a contraction and knelt down by a nearby bench so Sam could rub my back just as a group of employees was leaving the hospital. A very concerned man asked if we needed him to get a nurse and Sam said "No, we're just having a baby". Not knowing Sam's sense of humor, he thankfully ran in and got a nurse who knew who I was because my midwife had just called to let them know I was coming. I pushed the wheelchair into Labor and Delivery while Sam parked the car and then they got us all settled in our room. We were assigned a great nurse, Candie, and about 7:15 my midwife Danielle showed up. She quickly thanked me for getting her out of a speeding ticket (she was going about 90 mph since she lives in Park City and knew I was progressing quickly). She checked me and I was 10 centimeters dilated!!! Unfortunately, the baby's head was still very high. She called the OB, Dr. Watts to come in since we knew that c-section was still a possibility. He checked and they decided to break my water to see if she would come down when my water broke. I pushed for awhile until I could no longer handle it. The contractions were about a minute and a half apart, leaving me no time to rest so I consented to the epidural. Almost immediately after the epidural, my blood pressure dropped really low and so did the baby's heartbeat. They lowered my head and gave me oxygen to help the baby's heart rate came up. They also gave me some medication to help my blood pressure. By 11:00 Sam was starving so he left for the cafeteria. Danielle did another check and still the baby's head was very high. Dr Watts also checked and then the three of us made the decision to do a c-section. Since Danielle was aware that I had such a long labor with Noah which ended in a c-section, she didn't want me to go through that again and neither did I. So, I called Sam and said "come back now" just as he was picking up a tray in the cafeteria. He ran back and I told him the plan and he called my mom and sister Amy. They wheeled me into the OR at 11:15 and by 11:39 little Lucy was born. She weighed in at 7 lbs 8 oz and was 21 inches long. As soon as she was born, they cleaned her up and handed her to Sam. He brought her over to me so I could see her and he was able to hold her the entire time they stitched me up. He was also able to carry her down the hall to the awaiting arms of her Nana and Aunt. It was about 12:30 by the time I got back to my room so as soon as I saw my mom I said "Happy Birthday!" and she was so excited to hear that Lucy was born before midnight. I was really shaky from the epidural so I wasn't able to hold Lucy for a little while but as soon as I could, I tried to nurse her and she happily and easily latched on. What a reward for all the discomfort and stress!

We are now home and getting adjusted. I am healing really well and feel good and am very glad that the boys are in school so that I am able to rest when Lucy sleeps during the day. Her dad is smitten with her and the boys think she is the cutest thing ever. I am so in love with this little perfect angel and so happy and blessed that she is in our family!!!

40 weeks

Ugh, 40 weeks. I had an appt. today with my midwife and things are not progressing. This baby's head is still floating above the birth canal and I'm still not dilated. Despite all the contractions I've been having, nothing is happening. IF I don't go into labor by Monday (which coincidentally is my Mom's B-day) I will go back for another appt. If the baby's head is still not in the birth canal, we will schedule a C-section for Wednesday. These were not the things I was hoping to hear today and I had a little breakdown while talking to my midwife. She said she still has 90% hope that everything will be fine and I'll go into labor naturally. But we have to be prepared. Also, she doesn't want to do an induction just to have me go through several hours of labor (like the 26 with Noah) and then have a C-section. And, I totally agree with her there. So, the plan is to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and wait and see.

Last month I told you about the boys' pre-school teacher, Kellie. She sent me an email today with a link to a short video. Check it out here http://www.imagehiker.com/Videography/Client/shannon_galloday.html. She is one amazing woman!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Self Expression

Today's high was 71 degrees...in November! It was beautiful! Of course, our huge trees had given us another crop of giant leaves so we all went outside to get them raked. Of course, the pile grew quickly and Noah was buried in a matter of seconds. Curtis decided just jumping wasn't going to cut it. Here's a quick video clip (this is my first video attempt so cross your fingers!)

Noah drew faces on the leaf bags and then took the marker to the leaves and made little love notes for Sam and me. I love that he has such a thirst for learning and finds creative ways to express himself.

Last night, I was helping Noah with homework and Curtis was unloading the dishwasher. He started singing the Primary song "Love is Spoken Here". I was enjoying this sweet moment. Noah joined in and when they got to the part that says "With father and mother leading the way, teaching me how to trust and obey" Noah sang "with father and mother leading the way, TEACHING ME HOW TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES". I about died laughing! And he thought he was such the comedian! These boys keep my life interesting!

In BabyWatch news...yesterday I had a burst of energy. I swept, mopped, raked leaves, dusted, Sam and I took a walk at Gateway and I had several contractions. I thought for sure that labor would start last night but no such luck! I woke up this morning still very pregnant and MAD! Only one contraction so far today. But, I'm going to try to be positive and get some little projects done today. I just have to remind myself that no one has been pregnant forever, even if it seems like it!!!

Thankful...

...for my cute boys and handsome husband who love me unconditionally.
...for my sister who took my boys to Build-a-bear so their baby sister won't be without a teddy bear. (one of Noah's main concerns)
...for my mom and dad (and Amy) who spent a Saturday off at my house cleaning and helping us prepare for baby.
...for wonderful friends and family who threw a sweet baby shower for me (complete with Sonic ice in the punch...how thoughtful was that?).
...that I am starting to have contractions so I can meet this baby girl soon!

38 weeks

Yes, today I have been pregnant for 38 weeks. I had an appointment with my midwife this morning and was really hoping that some labor progress was being made but, no. Nothing is happening yet. That's OK, we still have 2 weeks to go but I have been extra tired and emotional the last few days so it wasn't what I wanted to hear. I met my sis, Amy, for lunch at Chipotle's and when she walked in I started crying. Why? I don't know. Luckily it only lasted a second and I was fine. I also had a little breakdown on Sam the other day, freaking out about childbirth and saying let's just schedule a c-section. He talked me down and reminded me I didn't want to do that again. I've been pretty level-headed this pregnancy, not a lot of emotional tidal waves but this last week has gotten to me. This emotional state also is why there is no photo...just couldn't handle it today.
We have been very busy getting the house ready to bring this little one home and have had some great help from my parents and Amy. I appreciate them so much because with Sam gone so much, we wouldn't even have this house close to ready! I've still got a few odds and ends to wrap up but when don't I?
I have some other family news I've been meaning to post about but I definitely need pictures for that so I will try to get in gear tomorrow and snap a few pics so I can tell some cute stories of the boys and their shenanigans.
It is 8:42 pm and my house has been silent for the last 30 minutes. I think I will take the boys' lead and go to bed early...maybe I'll be able to make it through tomorrow without crying!

Great Way to start UEA

7:12 AM. Why? Why must my children get up this early without any prompting from me or an alarm clock, on a day they don't have to go to school? Yesterday I had to practically drag them out of bed at 8:00 to get ready for church but today...7:12 AM.
By 9:15 Noah was bawling his eyes out(for about 10 min.) because I wouldn't let him have Fresca until lunchtime. Mean Mom.
It's gonna be a long day.

Ramblings

I received an email today from the boys' pre-school teacher. Kellie found out last January that she had breast cancer and she has bravely battled through. She submitted her story to foreverybody.com in August when they were asking for stories from women with breast cancer for a contest they were holding. She found out a last week that she was one of the 12 finalists and then last night got the call that she won the contest! They are having an "Evening in Pink" next week to honor her. Just wanted to share that great news and congratulate Kellie! We love her so much and are so glad she is doing well!

Today I had my 36 week appt. with my midwife. As she was measuring my impressive girth, I asked her to measure me around my waist. She kind of looked at me oddly and I asked her if I was the first person to ask her to do this. She replied that, as a matter of fact, I was. She asked why I wanted to be measured around my waist and I told her "I'm just wondering if I'm as wide as I am tall, yet." Thankfully, I'm not! We both got a little chuckle out of it, though.

She then proceeded to tell me about an anesthesiologist she used to work with that was pregnant and in a surgery. Every time she walked by the patient, she noticed his head would move. So she gave him more anesthesia to stop him from moving. This happened several times before she realized...the guy had PLENTY of medication, she just kept bumping his head with her huge stomach!!! I can totally relate as I have run into several things with my belly in the last few days...doorframes, fridge doors, countertops. It's getting big, I tell ya!

We went to Parent Teacher Conferences last week and got good reports from both teachers. They both are doing well. Noah is doing awesome with learning how to read and write and Curtis is a spelling whiz! He has got 100% on almost every spelling test! I really like both teachers and am grateful for their care and concern towards my sons. I told Sam that was the first PT conference I've been to for Curtis that I haven't cried. He has come a long way and I think we have too!

Along those same lines, Sam and I were asked to speak in church this Sunday. My topic? Parenting. Great. Not looking forward to that.

I cashed in my Service Auction certificate and had my kitchen and bathroom deep cleaned on Monday by a sweet lady in my ward. Get this, she said she thinks cleaning is FUN. What? I don't understand. I like the reward from cleaning but I certainly wouldn't call it fun! Anyway, she did an awesome job and I appreciate her so much! Thanks Dorothy!

Was "Ramblings" an apt title or what? Nothing profound to say, just wanted to share!!!

HO-LY MO-LY

I was talking to my brother this morning when he told me about this baby born in Siberia. He then sent me this link. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/09_04/BabyNadia2R_468x243.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html%3Fin_article_id%3D484097%26in_page_id%3D1811&h=243&w=468&sz=26&hl=en&start=11&tbnid=q4eJ2kA_rz7MTM:&tbnh=66&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3D17%2Blb%2Bbaby%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den
You have to see it to believe it!!! Mat said this baby went straigt from the delivery room to the Maury Povich show!

Service Auction

About 6 years ago I was called to be the Enrichment Counselor in my ward Relief Society. This made me laugh because I had been a sporadic attendee to this ward's Enrichment meetings. But, this was what I was supposed to do and I realize now what a growing experience it was for me. At one of our stake training meetings I was given a bunch of great ideas for Enrichment meetings; one of them being the Service Auction. It was a big undertaking but decided to go for it. My committee and I made paper money, put together about 70 bidding paddles, came up with a questionnaire and made dinner for about 70 people. Of course, any time you are in charge of a big event, you are worried things might not work out the way the are supposed to but the whole night was a success. Everyone that attended brought either an item that they had made or filled out a service coupon to auction off. Then everyone filled out a questionnaire that gave them points towards "service money". Some of the ways to earn "money" were "5 points for each load of laundry you have done this week" or "15 points if your Visiting Teaching is done" "20 points if you've been married for 25 years or more" "10 points if you've had FHE every week this month". You get the picture. So after all your points are added up, you trade them in for "money" and then the bidding began. Our RS Pres was the auctioneer (Karen, who is one of my greatest friends now) and people really got into the bidding. Everyone left with at least one or two items and a great memory. So, the next year, we held the 2nd annual Service Auction.

Saturday night I attended the 5th annual Service Auction. This is still one of the favorite activities for the sisters in the ward and we all look forward to it. I took some Christmas Cards that I made and a board with vinyl lettering that says "Believe". I ended up coming home with a plate of cookies, homemade salsa (with chips), a cute pink baby blanket and, my favorite, a coupon for a sister in our ward to clean my house!!!! I also came home bouyed by the friendships I have with the women in my ward and the love they show to me. I'm so glad that this has become a tradition in our ward, despite all the changes in the RS presidencies, everyone knows that this is an event that can't be missed! I'm already looking forward to next year's auction!

I have a Blog????

I think I forgot that I have a blog...actually, I have thought about posting almost everyday but for some reason could not work up the words to post. Lame, I know, but that's my story!
So, lots has been going on. But I'm not going to go back and do a whole month recap. Maybe just a few highlights.
Last weekend, Sam took off for the annual Elk Hunt with his dad and brother, Troy. I prefer to call this event "camping-with-guns-in-case-an-elk-attacks" because in the 11 years we have been married, not one of the participants in the event has shot an elk. Sam's nephew Garrett is actually the only one that I know of that has even shot his rifle. Anyway, I digress. While Sam was away, the boys and I played. My parents were staying in Park City at the Mountainside Resort and invited my siblings and I to come stay the weekend. Suzanne, Amy and I all made the trip and had an enjoyable time (aside from the fact that I wasn't able to sleep Friday night and my kids had a few bouts of disobedience). It was fun to spend time with Suzanne and co. since I really haven't spent time with them for several months. We all learned how to play Rook (which Suzanne and Amy rocked), did Karaoke and carved pumpkins in the activities center, swam and also watched Conference. Probably my favorite part was Saturday morning when the boys woke up, they opened the curtains and saw that it had snowed. My dad and I took them down to the pool where we found a nice, bathwater temp. hot tub that was safe for me to sit in. It was still lightly snowing and there was about an inch or two of snow on all the lawn chairs. The boys started making snowballs and throwing them at us in the hot tub and then joined in a massive snowball fight with a few other families and an employee that was caught in the crossfire. The snow was perfect, lightweight packing snow and the kids made some of the biggest snowballs I've ever seen. A fun time was had by all!
I had my 34 week appointment with my midwife today. She has been concerned that the baby was breech so at the end of my visit, she did an ultrasound and we saw this little girl's head down, exactly where it should be! Danielle (my midwife) and I both cheered and were very relieved to see her head down because if she hadn't turned, most likely I would have to have another c-section which we DON'T want to do! So, good girl...she is already obedient!!!
We are still trying to come up with a name for this bambina...funny how when I was having boys, I had plenty of girl names that I liked. Now that I am having a girl, we are really struggling for names. I guess we have 6 weeks to make a decision...any suggestions are welcome!
OK, my back is hurting from sitting here typing so I'm going to end. Hopefully there won't be as much time between posts as these last two!

Let's go Cougars!

For the past 2 Saturdays, my family and I have joined my parents in cheering for the BYU Cougars Football team. Much to our dismay, the Cougars have come up short both weeks. Fortunately, my love of college football far outweighs the disappointing losses.

I LOVE watching football...specifically when either the Cougars or the UTES are playing. But, I have been known to turn on a random game just because I have the itch for football. As soon as the temperature drops and Fall is in the air, I get football fever. A few years ago, I had a game on as I was scrapbooking and a friend of ours called and asked for Sam. He wasn't home so we chatted for a minute and he asked what I was up to and I told him I was just watching the game and he said "by yourself?" "Yep, I love football." And he said, "Man, that is so sexy!" Ha ha.

I think I can attribute this love for football to my dad. He has always been a Cougar fan. I believe this is the first year since we moved to Utah in 1982 that he does not have season tickets to the BYU games. I always loved going to Provo to the games with him (when I was the lucky one to get the extra ticket) because there was such a buzz in the air at the stadium. He also has so much enthusiasm for the game and really gets into it. I can remember him watching re-runs of games when I was a kid. When I was in 7th grade, my dad took me to get my Military ID renewed and on the way home he handed me the BYU game schedule and said "Kath, do you want to go to the next game with me?" I looked at the schedule and said "It's in Hawaii." My dad said "I know. You wanna go?" Let me think about that for a second..."YES!" We flew over on a military cargo plane and stayed at a friend's house (my parents lived there before any children were born). We spent a little time at the ocean but our main purpose was the game. We sat in the nose bleed seats with not a spot of Cougar blue anywhere around. I cheered my little heart out, my dad was a little concerned because of all the huge Polynesian men glaring at me but that didn't deter me for cheering for my team. BYU won and I even got to have my picture taken with Cosmo (the mascot). If I had a functioning scanner I would include this priceless gem. This was an experience with my dad that I will always cherish!

So don't be surprised if you call my house in the next few months and I tell you I'm watching the game...it's part of who I am!

Service and Small world

So, for several months now, I've had this perfectly good scrapbook room in the basement just waiting to be organized and I just haven't had the energy (ok, let's be honest, I haven't had the desire) to get it done. Well, Friday night, my cute sister Amy came over to go on a Sonic slushee run. Of course, I jumped at that and when we came back we ate the dinner I had made earlier. Then I took her downstairs to show her some of Sam's handiwork in our never-ending construction and she walked into the dreadfully disorganized scrapbook room.
A: "So, Kath, what's in these boxes?"
K: "Um, I really don't know. I just need to get someone to help me go through them and get this room organized."
A: "Let's do it right now."
K: "Seriously? You want to? OK."
Little did I know that Amy was going to help me Hitler-style. "Do you want to keep this? Ok, what are you going to do with it? Hang it? No, don't put it down and wait, hang it right now." She was relentless! We cleared out 5 or 6 "keepsake" boxes in a matter of 20 minutes and kept only a few items that had really sentimental value (like my diploma and wedding certificate). I even parted with old letters from college and Oakcrest, AND my decaying wedding bouquet. Amy didn't pressure me into getting rid of anything, she actually questioned me a few times when I threw stuff away. But she did keep me working for a few hours and we accomplished so much. There is still more to do but we got a huge chunk of it done. Thanks, Amy, for your service. It was just what I needed and guess what? I actually made a card Saturday in my scrapbook room at the table! It was so great!

Sunday, more service was rendered to me, this time by my hubby. I noticed my toenails were looking pretty hammered and I tried to touch up the polish. Unfortunately, this big belly makes toenail painting near-impossible. So I asked Sam to help me, and he obliged. Now, you have to understand how huge this is. Sam HATES fingernails and toenails that are painted, especially toenails. I don't know why, he's never really explained his disgust, he just hates it. So, I knew it was a long shot when I asked him but he actually did it, and did a better job then I have ever done! Now, that, I tell you, is true love!

Now on to small world...a month or so ago, a man walked into my dad's office at church and told him he and his family were moving into the ward. He said his name was Phil Banza and my dad immediately recognized his last name as an Elder's that I served with on my mission. So, he asked him if he served in the Johannesburg mission and Phil replied that he hadn't but his brother had! So, Sunday, Phil and his sweet wife spoke in church and then Phil, his brother Junior (who was my first zone leader and someone I love dearly) and two other men sang "I need thee every hour." Sam and I attended with the kids and had a little reunion afterwards. It was so fun to see Junior and his family. I just can't believe what a small world it is, especially when you are LDS. Imagine an Elder from the Congo goes to South Africa on his mission and meets a Sister from Salt Lake City and 13 years later, the Elder's brother is in the ward where the Sister's father is the bishop! Crazy!

Baby update: Today was my 30-week appointment. The same girl weighed me and put my weight down as 19 pounds less than last time!!! My midwife came in and looked at it and said, "that's not right" No, it isn't. The girl doesn't know how to read a scale!!! She put down that I weigh 10 pounds less than I actually do. Normally, I wouldn't complain about losing 19 pounds in 2 weeks but at this point in my life, weight gain is critical. I swear that girl needs weighing lessons!!! Aside from the weight loss, everything is looking good with this wiggly baby girl!
Oh, speaking of weight loss...Curtis was watching "The Biggest Loser" premier with me last night and he suggested that after I have the baby that I go on the show. What is it with my kids and my weight?!?

Week Re-Cap

I have so much to blog about but haven't had the desire to do it so I'm finally making myself sit down and type!

First, and most important:Noah's 1st day of Kindergarten!

He was so excited to start school and go to the same school as Curtis. He was really happy that the cold front hit so that he could wear his new Hot Wheels shirt for the first day! He didn't seem nervous at all, just marched right into the classroom, found his name tag, his table and his locker and didn't bat an eye when Sam and I left. He was already immersed in the school experience and was ready to learn! I thought I would be emotional sending him off to school all day but when Sam and I got to the car, I gave a little squeal and said "I'm so excited!" and then we went and had a fabulous, quiet breakfast (just the 2 of us!) at a cute little diner in Sugarhouse, Finn's. I figured I had a long, quiet day ahead of me but it actually went really fast and I didn't even get half the things on my list done! I'm going to have to organize my day a little better!

When I picked Noah up, he just ran to me and gave me a big hug. I asked how his first day went and he exclaimed, "Good!" "Did you learn a lot?" "Well, we did learn some stuff but not a lot."

By 7:00 that night, he was so exhausted. During our reading time, he kept flopping back and forth and groaning. When I asked him what the problem was, he said "are we almost done? I want to go to bed." Poor kid, he isn't used to this all day stuff! We are going to try bedtime a few minutes earlier to make the transition a little easier.

Second: Sam's 40th Birthday!
I hadn't planned anything for Sam's birthday because we were going to go to St. George with some friends of ours but they ended up moving that week so things were a little crazy for them. Sam had school in the afternoon so the boys and I went and bought 12 black balloons and some window paint and went to the school parking lot. We tied the balloons to Sam's truck and wrote messages on the window. Unfortunately, before we finished, the wild W. Jordan wind either blew away or popped half of the ballons! Needless to say, I was a little miffed by the time we were finished. Sam called before we were even home to tell us he discovered it and said there were only 2, TWO!, balloons left when he came out of class. Argh! It's the thought that counts, though, right?

Since Sam had to work that night, the next night I got a babysitter and Sam and I met his parents for dinner at Johnny Carino's. We had a very enjoyable dinner and then a little shopping at Target afterwards. A low key 40th but I think just what we needed!

Third: Curtis's Speech Therapy

Curtis has been receiving Speech Therapy since his first year in pre-school and has made a ton of progress. I spoke to his Speech Pathologist at the school Open House and she said she would be evaluating him the first week and would then call me. We met with her and Curtis's teacher and the principal for his IEP on Wednesday and the only thing she feels she needs to work on with him is the "th" sound. She was very pleased with his progress and said she would be surprised if he needed Speech after Christmas! Way to go, Curtis, you are awesome!!!

Fourth: Labor Day

Sam really wanted us to go fishing for his b-day so on Labor Day we headed up to the Uintah Mountains for some cooler weather and fishing. Sam took the boys there a few weeks ago and they really wanted to go to the Fish Hatchery again so we stopped and did a little tour. It was kind of cool and there were a ton of fish.

Then we stopped at Provo Canyon Falls. It is so beautiful there. The Falls are amazing, the rock looks like it was carved out by a machine but it wasn't, it is just God's beatiful creation! The boys had fun climbing the rocks and we all enjoyed the cooler weather by the water.

We then settled at Teapot Lake for a very unsuccessful fishing trip. Sam got the boys set up and he kept having to re-cast for them and by the time he got himself ready, the boys were done. We hung out there for a little while longer and then packed up. Sam had seen a spot on the river that he wanted to try fishing so we stopped there and Curtis and Sam took off walking down the river. Noah was content to sit in the shade next to me in our camp chairs and he talked my ear off! He was so cute. I wasn't very talkative but he kept the conversation flowing just fine. My favorite was when he said "Aaah. This is relaxing. I love to relax in the shade by the river, in my chair, in the quiet, just the sound of the little waterfall. Do you like to relax here, Mom?" Sometimes, he is just so grown up! It kills me.

After awhile, Sam and Curtis came back (sam caught 4 fish) and we made the trip home. It was a nice, relaxing day but Sam realized that if he really wants to fish, he's going to have to go without the boys!

Fifth: Funny things kids say and do

Noah walked into my room on Sunday just as I was picking up my dropped towel (my back to him) and said "Mom! Does your tummy getting bigger make your butt get bigger?" "No, why?" "Because your butt looks huge! It is bigger than Dad's!" Thanks, buddy, you know how to make a girl feel good about her ever-expanding body.

Curtis had planned to wear his camo pants to school on Wednesday with a cute long sleeve shirt we got to match. Wed. morning came and he decided he didn't want to wear the long sleeve shirt, he wanted a short sleeve shirt and the perfect choice was his camo shirt. I told him it didn't match his camo pants and that he needed to change. He was throwing a fit so Sam said he was going to call the Fashion Police and picked up the phone and pretended to call. Curtis FREAKED! He quickly decided to wear a short sleeve white shirt and his olive green hoodie. Who knew a Fashion Police threat would work on a 7 year old boy!!!

Well, this is turning into a novel so I'm going to wrap it up...The End

First day of School!

Yesterday was the long awaited day...first day of school! For Curtis at least. He was so excited. He wasn't nervous at all. We decided to walk him to school with our friends and neighbors, the House family. Halfway there we met up with another friend, Seth. Curtis, Noah and Seth pretty much ran the rest of the way to the school. When we got there, Curtis immediately found his class lined up and ran to his friends from his class last year. I'm so happy that he is in the same class as some of these boys again, they are good kids. When I picked Curtis up, he happily exclaimed "No homework!". As I questioned him about his favorites of the first day, he said "Having three recesses. Oh, and the lunch you packed for me!" Ahh, how sweet. So far, 2nd grade seems to be serving him well. Noah starts all-day kindergarten next Tuesday. Not really sure what I'll do all day without having to referee two boys!







On a baby note, I am 28 weeks today. I had to do the Glucose test for diabetes, which is never very enjoyable. So far, I haven't heard anything back but I don't really know how long it takes to get the results. Get this, though...I gained a WHOPPING 12 pounds in the last 2 weeks! How is that even humanly possible? There was a new girl training today who weighed me so I'm hoping that is was her mistake because seriously...that is a ton of weight to gain in 2 weeks! My midwife wasn't too concerned as that only brings my total weight gain to 19, but still! Ridiculous. I guess we'll see in 2 weeks if that was correct or not. Curtis took this belly shot of me a few minutes ago...I'm huge but that's what happens when you're only 5 feet tall! YIKES!

Edited to Add: I stepped on my scale at home and it was 10 pounds less than what I weighed at my appointment...I'm going with my scale and blaming the 12 pound gain on the new girl that weighed me!!!

Scrapbook Retreat

Just wanted to let all you scrapbookers know that my business, Alphascraps, is hosting an overnight scrapbook Retreat on August 24-25. All the information is on http://www.alphascraps.com/. You can register right on line...just click on Crop Registration. Registration is only $25 and includes lunch on Saturday. Hotel charges vary, depending on the number of guests in each room. I believe that the room rate is $69 so split 4 ways, that's only about $18 with tax. The retreat is at the Cottontree Inn in Draper. I have hosted on event there before and it is a nice place with a great conference room with plenty of table space to spread out. Hope to see you there!!!

Park City Recap

We just got back from a week-long vacation in Park City and boy was it great!

My parents have a Marriott time share and had an extra week that was about to expire so they practically begged us to use it for a little family get-away. So, we did!

The boys and I went up Friday afternoon (Sam had to work Friday night so couldn't come). We basically just chilled out in the condo that night: ate, watched TV, read, took a jacuzzi bath.

Saturday morning, we headed back down the canyon as our dear friend, Karen, was getting married. My mom picked up the kids (thanks Mom and Dad!) and Sam and I went to the luncheon and wedding at the Bountiful Temple. It was so special to be there with Karen, she has waited a long time (and dated a lot of Mr. Wrongs) for Mr. Right to come along. We are so happy for them...Congrats Karen and Jim!

After the wedding we headed home and met up with my parents, sister Amy and sister Suzanne
and niece Isabelle. Suzanne and her family are moving from Omaha to Las Vegas and had just rolled in to town so it was nice to see them for a few minutes. We then headed back up to Park City. The Kimball Arts Festival was going on right down Main Street and we got up there just before it was ending so we were able to go to it for free. We saw some amazing art and heard some fantastic musicians.

Most of our time in Park City was spent in the pool and the boys really honed their swimming skills. Noah has been pretty hesitant in the pool but I think it really helped to have Sam there to help boost his confidence. By the end of the week, he was jumping in without his floatie and swimming to the side. Both boys are little fish! I enjoyed floating in the pool because it made me feel weightless so whenever my back was hurting, I headed to the pool. We unfortunately didn't get any photos of the pool because all of us were always in the pool and didn't want to leave our camera unattended.

Sam went fishing Tuesday morning then came back and took the kids for a little adventure. When they were coming down the hill on their scooters, Noah got going a little too fast and instead of using his brake, used his foot and ended up crashing. Curtis pounded on the door and was frantically telling me that Noah crashed and got hurt really bad. Luckily, it wasn't too bad, just a little road rash on the arms, tiny bit on the nose and forehead (thank goodness the boys never ride their scooters without helmets!). When we were patching Noah up, he exclaimed "Now my day is ruined!" He forgot all about this later when we were swimming.
Curtis and Noah scootering pre-crash

On Wednesday, we did some Park City touring. There is a free trolley tour up and down Main Street so we caught the trolley and cruised around a little. We then went to the Territorial Jail which is actually pretty creepy. We walked down the steep stairs into the Jail and Noah exclaimed "it's spooky down here" and it was! When it was in use it was nicknamed "the Dungeon" and I can't think of a better name for it. We then walked back down Main Street to ride the ski lift. The Town Lift is right across the street from the condo and everytime we looked out the window that is what we saw so we had to go on it. It was actually quite a long ride and there was a cool breeze which made it very enjoyable.

When we got to the top we started to explore. I have only been skiing at the Park City Resort once and never got up quite as far as this lift took us so I was unaware that the old Silver King Mine was still standing. Sam and Curtis had fun exploring the old mining buildings while Noah and I waited safely outside. We then headed back down the mountain and Curtis rode with me, pointing out every single old tower that used to haul buckets of ore down the mountain. He would point them out to me and then yell back to Sam "Dad, there's another tower!" "I see another one camoflauged in the trees!" I had this yelled in my ear approximately 27 times. Not quite the peaceful ride as on the way up!

We then wentover to the resort area and the boys rode the Alpine Slide. Curtis was so excited when we measured him and he was tall enough to go on the Slide by himself.

They all had a lot of fun although Curtis was a little disappointed because he wanted to go faster but was a little scared so he didn't. Next time, buddy.

That evening, we caught the trolley again and strolled down Main Street and stopped at Cows to get some yummy icecream. Then we went back to the condo to change and hit the pool!

Thursday we swam pretty much all day. At 5:00 pm we finally dressed (in something besides swimming suits) and headed out for dinner. There is a great Mexican restaurant at the resort called Baja Cantina. The have yummy chips and salsa and we ordered chicken flautas (which next time I will just get for my entree instead of an appetizer) the boys had quesadillas, Sam got a beef fajita salad and I got the "Claimjumper" which is a massive pork burrito. I was stuffed by the time I was only 1/4 of the way through the burrito!

After dinner we went to check out the Alpine Coaster. It is a new mountain "roller coaster" that pulls you up the mountain and then you quickly wind down the mountain. Sam couldn't resist and Curtis desperately wanted to go with him. So they bought tickets and Curtis was so excited that when he was walking back up to the coaster he was yelling "Can you feel the love?" "oh yeah, oh yeah!" They loved the ride! Noah didn't want to go so we let him choose what he would like to do instead. He decided to go on the trampoline with the bungee cords. You have to be at least 40 lbs to do this and he is only 44 so it was a little difficult for him. He tried to do a flip and couldn't get enough momentum so only went halfway...he ended up being upside down, bouncing (softly) on his head for a full minute! Sam and I were laughing so hard that unfortunately we weren't able to get a photo of this...it was too funny.

We ended the night with more swimming and were exhausted when we finally turned in for the night. We had such a great time together and cherished the time that Sam was able to be with us. Thanks Mom and Dad for giving us this opportunity! We had a wonderful time!

Good news!

Why is it so hard for me to take the time to post? I don't know...just lazy I guess.

Yesterday we finally went to have our ultrasound and guess what? We are having a GIRL!!!
I'm still a little in shock...Sam is from a family of 4 boys with 8 of the 11 grandchildren being boys so I didn't think we had a chance of having a girl. But, we got a very good look and it is definitely
not a boy! Noah was so excited, he just started jumping up and down saying "I was right! I was right! I was right!" It took Curtis a minute to warm up to the idea but then he was very happy.
Sam is already stressed thinking about having to deal with a teenage girl*(see paragraph below) but I told him he has several years before he needs to worry about that...of course, as soon as she is born I'm sure she will have Sam wrapped around her little finger!

Two weeks ago Sam and I both went to Girls Camp. Sam went on an overnight hike with the older girls and came home saying "Girls are so weird! The talk and scream and giggle all the time! They were putting on lipgloss before they went to bed!" Before his trip to camp, he was hoping our baby was a girl but he got a little glimpse of what our future could hold and changed his mind! I went up on Wednesday and stayed till the end on Friday. The camp we went to is owned by the Church and is called the Heber Valley Camp. It is beautiful and has great facilities. They discourage pregnant women from coming unless you are able to participate in all the activities and I knew I wouldn't be able to handle the hike so I went up the day after. I really didn't want to miss camp, my counselors worked so hard to plan and execute Camp and I wanted to be able to be there to help and support them. It was a lot of work but the Young Women were so appreciative of everything and were so cute and fun. Our theme was "Daughters of a King" and at the beginning of the week we gave them a charm bracelet with a charm for Virtue on it with the scripture reference D&C 121:45. Then everyday, we did a little devotional and gave them another charm to add to their bracelet. They loved this! The charms we gave them were Virtue, an oil lamp, Salt Lake Temple, a Sheild, a Crown. I got all the charms for so cheap from http://www.charmingldsgifts.com/. Each charm was only .69! I've seen several of the Young Women since camp and most of them have been wearing their bracelets. Hopefully they will treasure it and remember their importance and worth as a daughter of God.

Well, dinner is ready so I better wrap up...I have starving kids!

I have to share this yummioso recipe. I found it on the web somewhere and thought it sounded good so made it...twice. Some day I will become a real blogger and actually take pictures of yummy food I make but until then, just use your imagination to picture this savory meal.

Pork/Apple Kebabs
1/2 cup apricot jam
2tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoon olive oil (plus more for grilling)
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin halved lengthwise and cut into cubes
1 medium red onion cut into wedges
1 Granny Smith apple cut into wedges
1. Heat grill to medium high. Make the sauce: combine jam, vinegar, tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Assemble skewers alternation pork cubes with onion wedges and apple wedges on each skewer. Roll skewers in remaining oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place skewers on grill turning occasionally and basting with sauce until pork is no longer pink and the kebab is nicely glazed.

Seriously, so yummy. The onions turn so sweet and good and the apples are tangy. Don't get me started on the glaze...just trust me, you need to try this recipe!

Gratis

Over the past month I have been blessed to attend several free performances. The first one was in the newly restored Mormon Tabernacle and who do you think performed? None other than the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! This was a Thank You performance to all those who worked on the restoration project and their families. My dad's cousin is a builder for the Church and was able to get 100 tickets and invited my parents, my sister Amy, and me to go along. (poor Sam, he works evenings and hasn't been able to attend any of these performances) I don't think I even need to tell you how wonderful it was. The Choir performed their tour line-up which consisted of a few patriotic, spiritual, show tunes songs. It was beautiful and moving. Even though I only live about 3 miles from the Tabernacle, I rarely have taken the opportunity to see the Choir perform live. It is an amazing experience, one that I plan to repeat again and again.
The second event was of a slightly less caliber but equally exciting. A friend of mine in my ward decided to have a backyard play so for 3 mornings last week invited any kids interested over to her house to rehearse a play and then on Friday evening, they performed the play for the parents. "The Half-Pint Cowboy" made it's backyard debut and all the kids had fun dressing up as cowboys or Indians. A few times I was distracted by the noise coming from off-stage...my children wrestling with each other over a chair...sheesh. But it was cute.





Right after this play, I hurried downtown to Abravanel Hall where The Sterling Singers were performing. My mom has been a member of this choir for about 10 months and it is a volunteer choir formed for the purpose of a love for singing and spiritual upliftment. The choir was commissioned by composer, Crawford Gates, to perform many of his compositions for a group of professional choir people (sorry, I can't remember the name of the convention). On Friday night, they gave a performance for all the family members and anyone else who wanted to attend. Crawford Gates has composed over 800 pieces of music in his lifetime, including the well-loved LDS hymn, Our Savior's Love. And the scores for the Hill Cumorah Pageant. It was really an amazing show. I'm so proud of my mom for her dedication to learning this difficult music and pursuing one of her passions...music.

Last night was perhaps my favorite show. The Utah Symphony was performing at the West Valley Multi-Cultural Center in the amphitheatre. My parents, Amy and my boys and I all loaded up and went. It was so much fun. Most of the selections were patriotic, including Souza marches and Yankee Doodle Fantasie. They also did an Armed Forces Salute where they played all the songs of the Armed Forces and had those that served in the particular branch, stand to be honored. For some reason, my dad had a lapse in memory and stood during the Air Force Song, totally dissing the 22 years he served in the Navy!!! He was really embarrassed when he realized his mistake and would NOT stand during Anchors Aweigh. We all got a good laugh at his expense. Our favorite of the night, however, was a selection from Star Wars. Oh, the look on Curtis' face when Darth Vader's theme started! He was grinning from ear to ear. It was such a fun evening and the atmosphere was so great, the orchestra backdropped by the Wasatch Mountains. I love that I have the opportunity to expose my kids to this music and help them acquire a love for it. Nana has already promised that next time they come over, she will get out her violin and let them play it. They are so excited!

"Diet" poo and Little Chef

A funny conversation between Noah and Sam.

Noah: "Dad, I have a little diet poo in my underwear."
Sam: "Diet poo?"
Noah: "Yeah, diet poo?"
Sam: "What are you talking about? Diet poo?"
Sam: (lightbulb) "Oh, you mean diarrhea?"
Noah: "Yes, that's diet poo."

Then, as Sam is washing out Noah's underwear in the toilet:
Noah:"Dad, do you like sticking your hands in the toilet?"
Sam: "Oh yes, I love every minute of it."

I know, I know, a little gross and maybe too much information but I just had to share. I love it when kids try to use big words and make up their own...so cute.

Now, on to the Little Chef. Last night I wasn't getting dinner ready fast enough
and Curtis was "absolutely STARVING" so he decided to take matters into his own hands. He got out a box of mac & cheese and wrote down all the ingredients and directions on a piece of paper. He then brought me measuring spoons and measuring cups to make sure he was getting the right amount. Aside from me doing the things that would otherwise make me an irresponsible parent, Curtis made Mac & Cheese all by himself! He and I were both so proud! And of course, I had to take pictures of this great accomplishment.




Sorry about that first picture, I am still learning and don't know how to rotate photos!
I love these boys! They sure make my life entertaining!

Summer

I really had high hopes for this summer...I remember when I was a kid and my mom would be so organized with chores and "homework" for each of us before we were allowed to play. I'm sure I complained about it more than once but I also remember enjoying the feeling of schedule and accomplishment.
The first 2 weeks of summer vacay the boys had swimming lessons every morning so that was part of our routine. Now, we have no commitments. So, I made some chore charts with the boys and got out their workbooks and this week we started our new "routine". Is it really a routine if it only lasts one day? I think not. But, we will try again. Today, as I visited with my friend Emily, we realized we still have at least 8 weeks of summer...plenty of time to establish a routine. I know the boys would really enjoy having some sort of routine if their mom could just get it in gear!
We have been able to do some fun things so far this summer. Last week my sis-in-law Rachel and I loaded our 4 kids up and went to the Ogden Dinosaur Park. The park has an inside museum and an outside park with huge statues of different dinosaurs. We all enjoyed it but probably would have spent more time there if it hadn't been 100+ degrees! Rachel's 4 year old Chase is a dinosaur expert and told me the names of several dinos I had never heard of. My boys never went through a dinosaur phase (trains and trucks in this family)so I learned a lot from Chase. Rachel has a picture of our boys on her blog but I haven't figured out how to copy pictures yet so please visit her blog to see a photo!
We have also taken advantage of my sister Amy's "hotel" pool. She lives in a condo about a mile away from us and has an outdoor pool. We love being able to go over on a hot afternoon to cool off (although my legs got extremely burnt the other day)and plan to take advantage of the pool several more times through the hot summer.
I have plans to visit some of the city's landmarks and historic sites but will have to wait for a cooler weather forecast. The heat plus carrying a baby equals a lot of exhaustion for me so I'll have to wait for cooler days.
Well, I think I've rambled enough. Not a very exciting post but a post nonetheless. I better sign off before Noah finds the matches again and sets the backyard on fire!!

ERASURE!

I have loved the band Erasure for over 20 years so when I heard they were coming to town with Cyndi Lauper and 3 other bands, I knew I had to go. A local radio station had tickets on sale one day for $10.19 so I jumped on the chance. My sister Amy and my friend Emily and I all planned on going. Amy got sick the day of so sadly she wasn't able to go but that was probably a good thing since I'm sure she would've been embarrassed to be seen with me! Have you seen the movie "Music & Lyrics"? If so, picture Drew Barrymore's sister played by Kristen Johnson when she heard Drew's character was invited to a performance of 80's band "Bam,Pop". That was pretty much me at the concert. OK, maybe not to that extreme but I told Emily that I was 99% sure that when Erasure came on stage I was going to freak out. And freak out I did! When they started playing "Oh l'amour" I started screaming. Yep, screaming and jumping up and down! It was seriously so much fun. I loved seeing this band and hearing my favorite songs live...a teenage girl's dream finally come true 20 years later!

Perhaps the best part of the concert was the man about 5 rows in front of us. He was probably mid-40's, kinda chubby, spikey hair with an Erasure concert shirt on. His wife and 3 young kids were with him-all wearing Erasure t-shirts. So cute. Anyway, not only did he know every word to every song, so did his kids, AND he had the 80's dance moves down to a science. Emily and I (and the people around us) were cracking up the entire time.

I have never been a concert-goer but after this concert, Emily and I vowed to go to Erasure together every time they come to Salt Lake. Hopefully they will tour for 20 more years!!!

PreSchool Graduation,Cephalopods and High Tea

I always hate it when I read blogs and the author hasn't posted a new entry for over a week...and now I am that person!!!

Lots has been happening and I need to catch up. First of all...
Pre School Graduation. My baby is moving on...how did that happen so fast? I honestly can't believe he is 5 and done with pre-school. It is mind-boggling how fast time goes as you get older. Anyone else feel this way? Noah was so cute at graduation. The did a little play about a mermaid and her brother the merman on a search for a birthday present for their mom. Noah was the merman, Sam. They asked several sea creatures for birthday presents but it seems their mom is as hard to buy for as my mom (the woman that has everything). They finally met with the scary octopus and he gave them a great idea...a great big hug. It was a really cute play and all the kids did a great job. Noah knew every line, including the other parts. They then sang some sea-songs. Including "there is a cephalopod". Have you ever heard of a cephalopod? Not me, that is until my 5 year old explained to me what a cephalopod is. (a squid) How is that my 35 year old brain doesn't know this but my 5 year old son does? I figured it wouldn't be till junior high that I would feel like my kids are smarter than me but, it looks like it may come a lot sooner!

Sam and Sophie the Merman and Mermaid and Carlos the Octopus


Noah the Graduate with Teachers Sue, Shea and Merrie

In other news. My sister Amy and I took treated our Mom to High Tea at the Grand America Hotel. Amy brought her camera but unfortunately we were all enjoying ourselves too much to remember to take pictures. Live and learn. Anyway, it was delightful. We all had raspberry herbal tea (which is the best raspberry tea I've ever tasted)and were given 5 little finger sandwiches, a scrumptious scone with strawberry jam, clotted cream (oh, to die for!) and lemon curd (again, to die for). If we hadn't been at such a fancy place, I might have licked the plate clean!!! Then they bring the dessert cart and you can have either a piece of cheesecake or your choice of 3 small french pastries. And to top it off, they throw in 2 huge strawberries with an enormous dollop of whipped cream. OH MY. We thoroughly stuffed and enjoyed ourselves. I recommend this for a great afternoon outing with your mom, sisters, girlfriends. Call ahead because they only serve it at certain times.

Tomorrow is the last day of school...what are we going to do all summer? Any suggestions?

breathe

For Christmas, my sweet husband Sam gave me a gift certificate to Breathe Day Spa. Today I finally got around to using it. I received the Ultimate Spa Facial which was 90 minutes long and included hand and feet exfoliation/massage. It was pure bliss! If I had a lot of disposable income, I could see myself doing that about every other week! It was so nice and relaxing and I just felt so at peace when it was over. Thank you, sweetheart, for treating me to this pampering, relaxing time! I enjoyed it so much!

In other news, today we got a sneak peek at the little Preslar growing inside me. I had an appointment with my midwife and she couldn't get a good read on the heartbeat so she did an ultrasound. It was really fun to see this baby moving around...and boy did it move around a lot! No wonder she couldn't get the heartbeat! It was doing barrell rolls; she could barely get it to hold still long enough to snap a picture. So, our little avocado (the size of the baby) looks good and looks like it's in training to wrestle with it's big brothers!!!

Last Night's dinner conversation

Curtis: Mom, me and Noah can help change the baby's diaper.
Me: That will be great!
Curtis: Will we go to the hospital to visit the BABIES?
Me: Of course.
Curtis: And then the BABIES will come home when they're big enough.
Me (perplexed): Babies? You think there is more than one?
C: Yeah, how bout 3 or 4!
Me: No, that is way too many!
Noah (piping in excitedly): How bout a hundred! That would make you really tough!
Me: (sigh)yeah, it would.

Yummioso!

My darling son, Noah says the funniest things. He has a vocabulary way beyond his barely five years of existence. About a year ago, Dora and Diego were hot in this house and Noah used Spanish words left and right. One night at dinner, I tried a new recipe and, much to my surprise, the kids actually loved it. After his first bite, Noah declared, "Mom! This is YUMMIOSO!"
This made-up "spanglish" word is now a favorite in our home, but reserved for only the most delicious food!

My Sweet blog!

I started reading blogs about 2 years ago when my best friend started her own. I thought from time to time about starting one but thought "what would I write about?" and "is my life interesting enough?". Well, what I've discovered from reading many a blog is that you don't have to have an interesting life to have a blog! On occassion I catch myself thinking, "oh, that would be funny to write about." But where? I have tried keeping a journal several times and haven't been very successful...I think it is that elusive reader that trips me up. But now, I have the world wide web as my audience and will hopefully get a comment or two along the way. So, without further ado, I give you, my blog!