Thursday, January 29, 2009

Sun & Warmth

After the most recent snowfall I was out shoveling snow, mainly because I was so tired of having to gun it to get out of my driveway and so the poor mailman could get to the box. As I heaved each shovel of snow, I craved the warmth of sun and brightness that milder weather brings. I kept thinking of the pictures my sister-in-law had posted of her and my brothers most recent trip to Maui. I was daydreaming of soft warm sand and the suns hot beams caressing my face. That was until, with each shovel full of wet heavy snow, just enough would blow back into my face awaking me from my daydreams and reminding me that old man winter upon us and just may stay awhile if that darned groundhog sees his shadow on Monday!
Then last night I received a email from a friend and in it she said,"Heck, it's January we all feel blah!" I felt like screaming AMEN!!! I think January is a hard month. The newness of snow is long gone. Christmas is over and you have post holiday let down. New years is over and if you are like me, you are usually failing on your resolutions. So you just have cold snowiness left. I was so blessed to be born in this month. Lucky me!

So I came to the conclusion that we all just need some sun! So Father in Heaven obliged and gave me a sunny day today. But about half way through I thought the sun is just not cutting it. You know me- never happy. Always asking for more. I determined the sun was great, but the warmth was missing.
So since I know the warmth will not be coming as soon as I would like it to, I thought I would share with you some sun (through my sister-in-law's pictures of Maui) interspersed with my top 10 reasons I am anxious for sun & warmth.

Sorry, you'll have to provide your own warmth, so scoot closer to the fire, sit on your heat vent, or cuddle closer to a loved one!
#1- Melons are in season. I'm tired of eating apples and oranges!
#2- The kids can go out and play. And the house can stay cleaner longer than 5 minutes!
#3- Socializing. I love hanging out with my neighbors while we watch the kids play.
#4- I can go out and walk around the neighborhood for exercise without the risk of slipping on ice and falling on my heinie. (Especially since our exercise equipment has disappeared in pieces into the oblivion we call the garage.)
#5- Three letters, B B Q!!! I don't care what anyone says any meat tastes better grilled.
#6- Getting rid of white, pasty skin. Even 20 extra lbs look better with a hint of color.
#7- Not having to get up and rush kids off to school!
#8- A change in wardrobe. I must need some new winter items cause I'm getting very tired of my sweaters and sweatshirts, and I LOVE sweaters & sweatshirts.
#9- Vacation!!! And hoping not to have to share my husband with work!
#10- The smell of freshly cut grass and working in the yard with Richard.



Smurfette?

So this morning I was changing Dallin's sheets for the 3rd day in a row (for reasons we will not discuss, but I am sure you can guess) and this is so small task. His is the top bunk and his mattress is one of those cheap foam ones on the wood base, so it does not give or bend. Needless to say, I was not enjoying this task- again. So I was haphazardly throwing stuff off the bed so I could get the sheets off, including Dallin's box of "treasures". I put the sheets in the washer and headed back upstairs to find this.....
...Smurfette personified in Emma. She had blue ink everywhere. Face, hands, bib, shirt sleeves....

...even her tongue, teeth and gums were blue. And yes, I had just gotten her out of the tub and all dressed right before all this happened. So I tried washing it off, but it doesn't wash off so well. So if you see Emma in the next few days and she looks cyanotic, she doesn't have a respiratory problem we are just waiting for the ink to wear off.

Apparently, the culprit was this cute little stamp that Dallin had in his "treasure" box. Someone had given these out for Halloween instead of candy. I'm sure they thought they were being clever and creative, but given the choice I'll take the candy, Thank you. Wrappers are a lot easier to clean up! And even more yummy, I'm sure!

Monday, January 26, 2009

10 Years Ago...

Ten years ago today, January 26th, Richard brought me home from McKay Dee hospital with our first bundle of joy, Ashton. I still remember the careful way Richard drove home, like we had the worlds most priceless posession that would break at the slightest bump. We were the paranoid parents who took every precaution. I had made it through labor and childbirth, but the real test was still to come. Did Father in heaven know what he was doing trusting that perfect little being to my care with all my imperfections?
It didn't matter though, because we thought Ashton ruled the world. And truthfully, he did (atleast, for 4 years until Dallin made his debut.) And he acts likes he still does and sometimes I believe it! Some things never change.

One thing that hasn't changed, look at his handsome face! He has always been handsome. Take a look.

Messing up that handsome face hasn't changed either. After 10 years you think he would be coordinated enough to keep his birthday cake on his fork and make it into his mouth, but what fun would that be! Some things never change. See.....
NOW.....


THEN.....
One thing that has changed... my baby has gotten big. The other night I needed to go outside and couldn't find my shoes. Ashton's were sitting by the front door so I decided to try to slip them on.....
...yes, those are my feet. As comfortable in Ashton's shoes, as though they were my own. I was sad, felt old and thought where did my baby go!?!

The one thing that will never change, no matter how big he gets, is how much I love him and how glad I am that Heavenly Father trusted me to be his mom. Happy Birthday, My Ted Bear.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Girls at Lunch

This weekend I was lucky enough to have lunch with 2 of my oldest friends, Tresa & Trisha! Just to clarify, oldest means, having been my friends for a long time! Since I am in Provo and Trisha lives in Syracuse, we met in the middle, in SLC where Tresa lives. We ate at Chili's and had a great time catching up, talking about old times and people we knew. It's nice to have remained such good friends for so long. Friends who seem to know everything about you and that have laughed and cried with you over the years. I'm sure there will be more tears, since Tresa will be moving to Nebraska this Spring so her husband can continue with dental school. Guess, that means we will just have to have more lunches before she leaves and when she comes back to visit!
My Bridesmaids & Best Friends
From L to R- Tresa, Shawny, Me, and Trisha (Not shown, at least not that well, are Trisha and Tresa's baby bumps, Taylor and Tyler.) You know that they are true friends, when they will stand in your wedding line when they are both 8 months pregnant!
The girls at my wedding including my sister in law and Maid of Honor, Shaleece.
I wish I would have remembered and got a picture of us at lunch so we had a "now" picture

Man, am I short or is their hair just really big?!?!

Changing of the Guard (I mean rooms)

This weekend we did some rearranging at our house.

Before Emma was born, Dallin and Ashton shared a room and Ben had his own. After her arrival, Ben shared his room with Emma. We decided that it probably wasn't good for him to share a room with a girl after some funny remarks he made such as "I'm a girl, in a boy costume." Um No, gotta nip that one pretty fast! So it seemed logical that all the boys could share a room, so we bought a new twin over full bunk bed for them, painted the room and put up Jazz Fatheads (Vinyl stickers). It looked good- very boyish. And for Emma's 1st Birthday we painted a pink feature wall and "girlified" her room in pink and brown. We were set.... or so we thought.

Ben and Dallin didn't like the idea of sharing a bed, so in October, Ben took up residence in the playroom sleeping on the couch. It worked and we thought it was just a phase he would grow out of , until Richard asked him what he wanted Santa to bring him. Ben Replied "A bed." Richard asked, "Don't you want any toys?" "No, just my own bed." Oh, how bad we felt. What bad parents we were! Santa did bring Ben a tent and a blow up bed. But after some discussion we decided this was not good enough.

Ben is the third child and will probably have enough problems without feeling like he doesn't have a place in our home or that he isn't important enough to have a place of his own like the rest of the kids. So our Office/Guestroom has now become Ashton's room and Dallin has claimed the honor of the top bunk (and ruler of the room he says) and Benjamin now has his very own double sized bottom bunk. It is a good thing it is a double size because he still fits even after he gets all the stuffys he likes to sleep with in it.

This morning I woke up next to Richard! No, children filtered in during the night kicking him out onto the couch. And I found everyone in their own BEDS, not couch, not floor, just like they should be. Miracles do happen because that is something that hasn't happened in a LONG time.


Dallin Ruling the Roost from the top bunk.
Ashton enjoying the solitude of his own room.

Mr. Ben fast asleep in his own bed.I'm sure it will be a while before we are all settled. We still need a dresser and a bookcase so everyone's clothes and stuff can be organized and put away. Plus, we need to figure out where to put the workout equipment, since that room is becoming the new office/guestroom. But until then here's hoping to many more happy sleeps!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Christmas Recital

Many of you know I started taking piano lessons last June. I had taken lessons when I was younger, but quit after I broke my arm. When I got married and we moved to Cedar City my parents gave me the piano, hoping I would be able to take lessons again. I didn't. Which was really dumb of me, since the majority of the time I lived there, I only had one child and my best friend taught piano lessons. In my defense I did finish Nursing school and tend children. When we moved to Canada the piano took up residence in my brother's unfinished basement, just waiting patiently.
I have always admired those who play so effortlessly and wanted to get back to learning the piano. So the piano came with us to Provo, but our furniture was too bulky for it to fit anywhere in the house. So it sat in the garage. Until last January when we purchased a new sofa and we were finally able to get it in the living room.

But my dilemma still remained of trying to find a teacher. Of course, cost, time, and what do I do with my children during my lessons were the biggest factors. Well, my prayers were answered when I came home one Saturday and found a flyer on my door about piano lessons being given by Nathan Giles. I was so excited. He lives just around the corner so I knew I would only be gone for half an hour (Ashton can watch the kids for that long) and he only charged $32 per month, not the $100's I had heard about elsewhere. So I signed up. And Nathan being the good guy he is, said that when Richard wasn't able to watch the kids he would come to my house to give the lesson, so I wouldn't have to leave the kids. How do you beat that!?!
Even my teacher, Nathan performed for us at the recital.
I have really enjoyed it and have been amazed at how much more I understand now as an adult. It is my little escape to go practice when I get stressed. Which is probably the reason I'm not very good and can't seem to concentrate worth a darn! Not to mention that I have all these little fingers who like to put "grace notes" into my songs!Me with my best "grace note" placer.

Anyway, December 19th was our Christmas Recital and my piece was "O Little Town of Bethlehem". Let me tell you, I practiced, but when I get in front of people there is a big disconnect between my hands and head! That will explain my big mess up. Pretty embarrassing when you are the only adult playing at the recital and the kids do better than you.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Communication Cutie

Emma has been slow to talk. Yes, she is only 15 months old, but she's advanced in everything right!?! (Doesn't every mom think that.) She jabbers a lot and makes it known when she is unhappy with things, but has yet to say any real words...until we started putting up our Christmas decorations.

While I was pulling things out of the totes, whenever I came across something with Santa on it I would show it to Emma and say, "HO HO HO." The next morning, as I was carrying her out to take the boys to school, she pointed to the "MERRY CHRISTMAS" plaque on the door that has picture of Santa Clause on it, and said, "HO HO!" The boys stopped in their tracks, turned around and we all made a big fuss over her, that she was very pleased with herself and continued to say it throughout the season.

Maybe she is a smart and advanced child afterall, since she knew exactly who to "butter up" during the month of December!

It was also about this same time that she started to answer our questions by shaking or nodding her head. It is amazing how much they understand before they can actually talk! The cutest thing about it, is that her her whole body moves when she does it.