Jones Town

Unsupervised

2012-01-25T14:46:00.005-07:00

So my kids, like every other kid I know, like to take pictures with my camera. Lots and lots of pictures. Thank goodness for digital cameras! Anyway, it is often very humorous and insightful for me to go through the pictures.

There is always some train pictures. Here it looks like Ryan has lined most of them up with his brand new Cranky in the background. If he were to look at this picture now, he could tell you the names of each one of those trains.

Pictures also show me what they've been doing while I am doing something else. Here, it looks like Ryan has made his own hot chocolate on the carpet and Hannah is so very kindly documenting it.

My kids like to make tents or forts with chairs and blankets. This time it turned into their very own foto booth-like at the mall. I love that Ryan has his arm around Hannah.

They really do play well together-for the most part.

Now they are holding hands! So cute!

Wonder what is going through their heads right now?

The other thing they are big into is dress-up. Luckily for Hannah, Ryan is a willing participant in this game. Here's what he was dressed in the other day. So pretty!

So, there you go. A little glimpse into the daily lives of my kids. Two of them at least!

Christmas Stuff

2012-01-25T12:00:00.001-07:00

Ok, its almost February so I'll go ahead and post our Christmas stuff. This is my journal, after all, so I need to get caught up.

Christmas morning dawned early and amazingly, the kids had no trouble waking up at the crack of dawn! Garrett had his alarm set and had already been up and 2:00 am asking me if we could get up yet. No way! 6 am is as early as it gets. Blake had woken up just before then so he was awake and fed and ready to open presents!

We had a great Christmas this year. A little lower key than prior years but that is just fine by me. I didn't wrap Blaine's big present because it was so BIG. Here he is waiting for me to drop it in his lap. It was a sleeping bag that goes to -35 degrees. He is in scouts and I guess he is tired of getting cold on their winter camp outs. He hasn't had a chance to use it yet but my friend's hubby has the same one and it keeps him nice and toasty.

Blake wasn't quite sure what to think of everything. He just wanted to eat the paper. He loved his musical toy though. Here he is...5 months old! Growing so fast and so darn cute. And mellow!

Garrett was very happy with his gifts. He got a radio controlled helicopter and a spy gear watch. He was stoked. He has become an excellent helicopter driver, although has learned his lesson about flying it outside, especially if any bit of wind is blowing. Two days after Christmas, Blaine was at work and Garrett took the helicopter outside. Soon he is back in telling me the helicopter is on the roof and he can't get it to fly down. Great. So, we haul out the ladder and I made him climb up there and get it. Glad the pitch of our roof isn't very steep and it was real close to the edge. No more outdoor flying when dad isn't here.

Ryan got a Chuck Truck and was very happy about it, although his favorite present I don't seem to have a picture of. Its Cranky the Crane. If you know anything about Ryan, its that he loves Thomas the Train and all things Thomas. Garrett loved it too at Ryan's age and so we have LOTS of trains. Now we have Cranky too. That's pretty much the first thing Ryan will tell you. "I got Cranky from Santa for Christmas."

Hannah loves all things princess and was very excited about her Magic Rise Oven. Me too. No mixes or mess. Among other things, she got a new comforter and sheets for her room. Much more girly now.

Here is her pretty new bed along with her La La Loopsy doll.

No Christmas morning pictures of me. Way too scary! Here I am the next day, getting ready to go to my parents for Christmas dinner. I made the rolls. They were awesome and my brothers were impressed (I think) that I made them from scratch. I used this recipe. They really are good and worth the effort (not much).

Christmas morning we went to my parent's ward and listened to the choir sing. It was kind of a sing-a-long with the congregation at times and my kids were so good. They sat still, sang the songs and were just little angels. In the car on the way home I asked them why they were so good at Grandma and Grandpa's church and not ours and Garrett's answer was "Our church is boring. All they do is talk. Here we get to sing songs and they read us the Christmas story out of the Bible like we did last night. It was awesome!"

We weren't able to get to Burley until into January but we had a great time there too! Overall we had a wonderful Christmas and are so blessed to have all of our loved ones around us!

Twas the night before Christmas...

2011-12-24T21:53:00.003-07:00

Tonight, (Christmas Eve) we went over to my parent's house to make homemade pizzas with my siblings and their families. My dad swears that this was our Christmas Eve tradition when we were young but none of us remembers it. Oh well, its fun to do it now. While we were there, we had a surprise visitor. The little kids went wild! Santa came and reminded us that Christmas is about Jesus and because he gave us all the greatest gift ever, that's why Santa gives us gifts-because it makes you feel so good to give others gifts.

Blake's first ever experience with Santa. He did great!

Hannah stayed in the protective arms of Grandma Purcell. Hey, at least she is in the same room as Santa this year. Last year, she hid in the car until he was gone. She did accept a candy cane from him this year too. Progress.

Ryan was excited to see Santa and was one of the first on his lap!

Garrett likes to pretend that he is one of the big kids and is too cool for Santa. (Secretly he loves it! The magic still lives on!)

Afterwards, we headed back home and all gathered around the Christmas tree to hear the Nativity story read from the Bible. Afterwards, as per our tradition, the kids each got to open a present. It is always new pajamas. Who doesn't like new pj's?

They were all so excited to open a present!

Even Blake! This is his first Christmas and he loved to grab hold of that paper and stuff it in his mouth, of course.

Garrett was the first to open a present because he was the best behaved during the story. Good boy!

Ryan was very excited to open his present, he didn't have much time to stop for pictures. Ryan, by the way, gave Blaine and I a very exciting present this year for Christmas. He is COMPLETELY potty trained. Day and night! Yippee for me!!

Here is my cute little family in their new pj's! They are so excited for Santa's arrival tonight. The milk and cookies are all set out, ready for the big guy!

Now that we are winding down from the hectic Christmas shopping season and heading into the excitement of Christmas morning, I try to remind myself what this season is all about. I count my blessings and am so thankful for all the wonderful people in my life. I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many friends and family and am blessed to feel their love daily! I saw a quote the other day and wanted to share it with you.

“This year, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and the speak it again.” -Howard W. Hunter

My goal this next year (among others) is to try to remember this quote and live my life accordingly. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas surrounded by those you love!

Merry Christmas!

Deck the Halls

2011-12-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

We finally decorated our tree the other night. Last year we got a smokin' deal on a very nice artificial tree during one of the after Christmas sales. (Thank you Beckie & Chet!).

So, this year, we pulled it out and set it up. Now, you must know I have always been very anti-fake tree but after shelling out waaay too much money for a tree that I just have to remember to water and am constantly vacuumming up after, I was willing to try the fake tree. Guess what? Its nice! Its clean! Its paid for-year after year! This means the tree can go up much earlier too. Yay!

We pulled out our Christmas lights that we have had since we were first married. I forgot last year that the plug on one of the strands had basically disintegrated. Hurray for my awesome hubby who changed out the the plug and saved the day. I think this may be the last year for these strands of lights. Not all of the lights work anymore (actually a good portion do not) but not enough that you notice when they are on the tree. I guess light strands only last 13 years nowdays!

The kids are always so excited to get into the Christmas box and get out their ornaments and the other decorations. Each child has their own box of ornaments, thanks to Blaine's mother, Evelyn. Every year she gives each child a new ornament. Their name and the year are written on iit. The kids look forward to it every year and I know they will be excited to have a set of their own special ornaments to take with them when they have their own families.

Ah, my sweet little man, helping me get ornaments out. So cute!

Blake was so good the whole time, he just hung out in the swing and smiled and giggled at the kids. Such a happy baby!

Here is the finished tree. I think it looks very nice this year. I'm so pleased with it!

One of my favorite decorations in the house...mistletoe!

My four sweeties around the Christmas tree! So excited for Christmas. It helps me have more Christmas spirit and brings back the excitement!

Blake at 4 months

2011-12-09T18:07:00.002-07:00

Blake turned 4 months on November 25, the day after Thanksgiving. He had his 4 month check up (complete with shots!) the next week. Here's how my roly-poly baby measured up:

Height: 26 1/2 inches (97th percentile!)-I think he's having a growth spurt. He is too long for most of his clothes

Weight: 15 lbs 0.5 ounces (40th percentile)

Head circumference: 43 cm (I don't know the percentile but its probably in the 80's based on my boy babies' histories)

A little bit about Blake:

-He loves to sit up and look around (not by himself yet) and loves to interact with the kids.

-He hates to be left alone

-He loves to grab anything within reach and put it into his mouth.

-He LOVES his bottle and gets so excited when he sees it. He will reach for it and try to stuff it in his mouth.

-He will also snuggle against your shoulder or neck and go to sleep.

-He sleeps through the night!

-He has the cutest little sounds and will chatter away to his toys or whoever is talking to him.

-He smiles easily.

He loves the jumper and all the toys on it.

He has funny fly-away hair that stands straight up on top.

He has chubby cheeks that you just want to kiss!

He is super patient (that has really been a sanity saver for me)

When I give him a bath, he does a crunch and wraps his legs around the faucet and tries to eat it.

There is so much more I could say about this little guy but I'll stop here. I just love him so much!!

Ryan also had his 3 year old check up around the same time. Here are his stats:

Height:35 1/4 inches (10th percentile)

Weight: 29.4 lbs (20th percentile)

Head: 50.5 cm (probably 100th percentile! )

He's just a "wittow guy" (thats what porter says if you ask him is he's a big boy-no he's just a little guy) but we love him lots!!

Remember this guy?

2011-11-30T22:57:00.002-07:00

Remember this turkey? Garrett had to decorate this turkey for school. Apparently there was a competition (of sorts) throughout the whole 4th grade. He told me today that he took 1st place. Our conversation went something like this, though:

Me: Garrett, how is your turkey you took to school.

Garrett: Oh fine. I won first place already.

Me: First place? In your class or the 4th grade?

Garrett: *Sigh* In the 4th grade. I told you all this already mom. *walks off*

Actually, he told Beckie all about it, not me. Why am I always the last to know?

Other November Stuff

2011-11-28T08:39:00.004-07:00

I know I've been really bad at blogging this year. I need to be better because this is my family journal. So, lets catch up a little, shall we?

This November had a few fun things happen.

Garrett lost 2 more teeth. On the same night. He came home from school telling me that they were both loose and he had Blaine pull them out later that evening. That is always an exciting event around here and then the tooth fairy gets to come. Garrett was so excited!

It snowed. One day and then was gone. Yay! The kids love the snow and can't wait to go make snowmen and such. I am happy for it to not be here.

Garrett and Hannah went to the moon. Actually we visited the planetarium in Salt Lake at the Gateway. We had some time to kill so we went in. There were lots of fun things to see and do outside of going to the show. They had a really cool gift shop. Upstairs there was a moon exhibit where the kids could walk on the rocks and explore a little.

There was a Mars exhibit too!

Here Garrett and Hannah are standing on a giant scale and finding out how much they weigh on other planets. It was very interesting and fun for them!

Later that afternoon we went to Disney on Ice. Hannah was so excited and loved every second of it. It was almost more fun watching her face and her expressions about everything. Garrett liked most of it but is true boy fashion, was bored by the end and wanted to go back to Bountiful to play with Ryan & Hailey's kids. We stayed 2 nights with them and they were such gracious hosts. The kids had a great time playing with Mazzie and Bronson. Ryan and Hailey even watched Ryan and Blake for us while we went to the show. Thanks guys!!

Blaine's cousin Ryan had suggested that we take the train from Wood's Cross into Salt Lake City and then we wouldn't have to worry about parking. It was a lot of fun and the first time on a train for all of us. The kids LOVED it and were fascinated by every bit of it!

I even liked it which is HUGE because I have a fear of trains. (Unlike my train obsessed children.) It was really nice not to worry about a car or parking. We took the trax train in Salt Lake as well. Lots of fun!

When we came home from Utah, we had to finish Garrett's turkey for school. He brought home this paper turkey and was supposed to decorate it with something. So, we used red popcorn kernels for the feet and head, caramel corn for the body, colored popcorn for the feathers and we even had a bright red wattle hanging off its beak. Lots of fun for Garrett and Mom!

November has been a great month with lots of fun things happening. We are anxiously looking forward to December! We were very thankful for our blessings this month and hope we can continue to appreciate all that we have!

Happy Birthday Ryan! Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-27T21:17:00.006-07:00

Ryan turned 3 on November 24. That was Thanksgiving this year. We went to my mom's house for an awesome feast. Poor Blaine had to work and he said he had the worst Thanksgiving dinner he has ever had. Worse than the year we had steak for Thanksgiving. That wasn't bad, it was just non-traditional. He said this was just bad food. Poor Blaine. He did get a few leftovers, though.

After the dinner, the kids and I came home to frost and decorate Ryan's birthday cake. I really hate making cakes. They give me anxiety. Ryan wanted a dinosaur cake this year. So I made the cake, cut it out and the kids and I proceeded to frost it. Try frosting a cake with 3 other frosting-covered knives trying to help. Lots of fun and messy. The dinosaur ended up being a brown, chocolate frosting, m&m, and mike & ike covered creation. And Ryan could not have been happier!

He loved his presents. All except one. We got him a game called Mr. Bucket. It looked fun and we thought he'd love it. It is a bucket that moves around the floor the tries to cover the top of the bucket with its hands. The object of the game is to try to get all of your colored balls into the bucket before Mr. Bucket spits them back out at you. Well, Ryan is terrified of this thing. Its great. The other kids love it at least.

So, some things about Ryan at age 3:

-he weighs about 30 pounds and still fits into 2T/24 month clothes with ease.

-he is also pretty short for his age. Porter is 9 months younger yet, they are the exact same size.

-he loves Thomas the Train. Anything Thomas. He can name all the trains, their colors and what they do.

-he likes to run. Fast.

-He is a tease and likes to make his sister squeal. How can you resist his big brown eyes and cute cheesy grin?

-he likes to jump. Like Jack be nimble.

-he loves his blanket. He takes it everywhere and sucks on the corners (totally grosses me out!).

-he is day time potty trained. We are working on the night time thing but his bladder still needs a little time to mature when he is sound asleep.

He loves nursery. He walks himself there every week and has been a great motivator for his friend Pierson to go to nursery as well. I'm not sure what Pierson is gonna do without Ryan next year.

-His speech is pretty dang clear and he can pronounce his "R's" really well. This is a good thing when your name is Ryan.

-He likes to play in the sand/dirt/water and be messy but he also likes to pretend to cook like mommy and daddy.

-He is a candy hound. He can sniff out any candy hiding spot.

Oh, I just love this little cutie! Happy Birthday little man! Hope you have a great year!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-13T20:31:00.003-07:00

So now that its almost Thanksgiving, I'm finally getting around to posting Halloween. Halloween was very cold and windy this year (when is it not in Idaho?) but we still had fun. The costumes this year were:

Garrett-some sort of creepy skeleton thing that had blood oozing down its face. The little kids were scared of it!

Hannah-Rapunzel, of course. She even had a long blond wig to boot! (Anybody know how to untangle a wig?)

Ryan-he was a skunk! It was a very warm costume for him and oh, so soft!

Blake-he was a tiger, also a very warm costume for him.

First stop is always to Grandma Great's house. She lets the kids pick their treats (and she gives them lots of candy) and then we have a picture with her. I cherish these pictures. I remember a few years back, thinking that I won't have many more of these pictures with her and I should cherish them. That was 2 kids ago but I still value these pictures of my kids with her. I LOVE that they know her and love her and feel comfortable at her house!

Isn't this the cutest little tiger you've ever seen?

Getting ready for trick-or-treating. Here is Porter (cute little monster with a ghetto booty), Ryan and Hannah. Garrett and Lexie were already out the door, ready to get their Halloween loot!

While the kids were gone, the Brownies came. We love the Brownies sooo much! Thank you Brownies for the new pajamas for the kids and Blake's new rattle. (This is the coolest tradition, in my opinion, and what makes it even cooler is that it was started by my Great-Grandmother and is still going on today!)

I had a brain shaped jello mold so we made a worm-infested, green slime oozing brain for dessert. It looked awesome, this picture doesn't do it justice.

Halloween was great and the kids had so much fun. We always have a great month of October but I'm so glad when its done!

Pre-Halloween Activities

2011-11-05T20:28:00.005-06:00

So, around our house, Halloween festivities begin days (or weeks) before the actual event. Here are some of the highlights of this year.

First up was witches night out! I look forward to this event every year. This year my sister Beckie came with me and we had so much fun. We paraded around Walmart, went on a scavenger hunt and had a great dinner with games and witchy white elephant gifts. Lots of fun!

Hannah wanted to be a girl witch so she got some killer eye makeup and lipstick. So pretty!

Then, we had our second annual pumpkin carving party with my family. Thanks to Beckie for hosting, feeding us and growing the pumpkins for us. Here is Blake's little pumpkin and Ryan's pumpkin. Garrett carved it for him. What an awesome big brother!

I brought some make your own candy necklaces (Halloween themed) and the kids put them together. Here is Jayson and Garrett sporting their new jewlery.

Garrett had crazy hair day at school so we dyed his hair green for the day. Big hit!

Our last party before Halloween was with some of the Jones cousins. They had a scavenger hunt for Halloween goodies and got to eat a donut off a string. This was a big hit and the donuts were jelly filled powdered donuts no less. Talk about dry mouth!

Hannah couldn't quite sink her teeth into the donut for a while so she mostly rubbed it around her face. Silly girl!

We love Halloween around here and have so much fun leading up to the actual event. Thanks to everyone who invited us to parties. We had so much fun!

Blake at 3 months

2011-10-20T15:24:00.001-06:00

Blake will be 3 months old next Tuesday, October 25. Time has flown. He is getting so big!

He is filling out and has fly-away hair. He is super smiley and happy most of the time. So mellow and content. Oh, he giggles too! The best sound in the world! Love it! These pictures were taken around 2 months. He has filled out even more since then!

People say he looks like Ryan but he looks a lot like Garrett's 3 month picture too! He must belong in this family somewhere.

He is sleeping mostly through the night too, which makes for a happier, saner set of parents. Here are his 2 month stats:

Length-23 inches (55th percentile)

Weight-11 pounds, 14.5 ounces (55th percentile)

Head circumference- 41 cm (75th percentile)

My boys sure do have big heads! Haha! Oh well. Lots of room for lots of brains (I hope!).

Blake is such a good baby and I'm so thankful for that. Especially during August. Blaine had a kidney stone towards the end of August/first of September and was not feeling well at all. I was so thankful for a sweet, mellow baby that just went with the flow during that time. Oh, what a huge blessing that is! Love my sweet baby Blake!

New Haircut!

2011-10-19T08:11:00.000-06:00

Here is my cute little Ryan last month. So sweet with the longest lashes ever!

Here is my sweet little Ryan man this month.

Still has the longest lashes ever!!

And the cutest spikey new do! He loves it! I love it. He looks so different to me. More grown up in some ways, littler in others! Love my little Ryan man!

Blake's Blessing Day

2011-10-18T08:06:00.002-06:00

We blessed Blake on September 18, 2011. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and crisp outside. Lots of family members came from both my family and Blaine's. As we walked to church I wondered where I was going to seat everyone for the dinner afterwards. It was feeling a little too chilly to eat outside as I had originally planned. By the time church was over, it was warmer and we were able to eat outside as planned. I know, I stress over little things. Although I have to say that I was way more laid back for this get-together than I have ever been. My friend asked if Blaine had secretly slipped something in my food to make me more relaxed and if so, could she have some too? Haha!

Here is the cute little man in his (borrowed) blessing outfit. So big and smiley. Thanks Terresa for letting us borrow the tux!

My cute littlest boys all ready for church. Ryan wouldn't be ready without a couple of trains in hand. And trains on his tie! (Side note: I don't like trains and have a irrational fear of them. My boys LOVE them!).

Family picture after church. Hannah is a good helper and loves holding Blake. She is the little mama.

Normally Hannah is surrounded by all boys-brothers and cousins. She gets so excited when girls come to play. Especially to play dress up. Here is Isabel, Hannah and Taylor in their dress up clothes. Hannah is wearing her blond Rapunzel wig. I like her better with her brown hair.

The babies like to play too. Here is Blake and Jayden just hanging out after everyone had left. Both are sooo mellow and smiley. Easy babies. I hope they stay that way.

Thanks to everyone who came and helped out. Huge thanks to my mom and Beckie who helped me TONS with the food! Love you all!

Stealing Angels

2011-09-15T17:21:00.003-06:00

So last friday, September 9th my sister Beckie won an "Eat & Greet" contest from a local country radio station. She and a couple of other people won the opportunity to meet the girls from Stealing Angels, a band that was opening at the fair for Ronnie Dunn that night.

Beckie got to invite 3 people to join her so she invited me, Blaine and Kara to go! It was very exciting. We went to the radio station, ate pizza and met the girls.

They were so cute and energetic and funny! They sang a few songs for us and I must say, their vocals were TIGHT! The conference room had great accoustics and the girls' voices were awesome. The harmonies were right on and even though they were standing just an arms length away from us, they blended so well it was hard to tell who was singing melody and who was singing harmony.

Afterwards they signed autographs and took photos with us. They were all so sweet and gracious.

Here is me and Blaine with Stealing Angels. The one next to Blaine is Loretta Lynn's granddaughter. The one next to her is John Wayne's granddaughter. (We were a little starstruck by her because of who her grandpa is).

Here is Beckie with the girls. The radio station took these photos for us. I didn't bring my camera with me cuz I didn't know what to expect but Beckie took some pictures for us and I took a few with my phone while they were singing.

Here is sweet Kara with the girls. I have to admit that prior to this day I had never heard of them. Since then, I have listened to their songs and love them! These girls have talent. It was such a fun opportunity to meet them! I hope I have more opportunities like these in the future.

Check out their website!

Happy Birthday Hannah!

2011-09-11T22:23:00.002-06:00

Thursday September 8 was Hannah's birthday. She turned 5 this year! Wow! How did she get to be so old? She is such a sweetheart and a little bummed that she is not going to kindergarten this year but I am enjoying one more year of her at home.

Good Morning Mary Sunshine! Hannah is definitely not a morning person and we obliged her by letting her sleep in as much as we can. This morning she woke up and came out to see me and sweetly told me "Today is my birthday!" She even let me take a first thing in the morning birthday picture of her.

Later that afternoon she got to open her presents. This one was probably the most exciting to her (until Rapunzel arrived the next day thanks to a very kind and generous person). This is her bag of goldfish. She wanted a kitten. One that would stay in the house all the time and never poop on the floor. Goldfish are much better. And cheaper. Welcome to the Jones household goldfish. I have named them Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe and Tiny. (Although as I type this on Sunday night we are down to 3 goldfish. Alas, such is the life of a 25 cent goldfish).

How old are you Hannah? How many goldfish did you get?

Hannah was born the same day as her cousin Liam. They were born 15 minutes apart and are much like twins...separated at birth. They are inseperable when they are together. We had a combined birthday party for them at my brother's house. His wife Terresa made their birthday cake. She is so talented when it comes to making the cakes and always makes the cutest ones! This one is a crayon cake with crayon candles. I LOVE that it says "COUSINS" instead of "CRAYONS". So sweet!

Here is Hannah with Liam. They are so cute together and had a great birthday party together. Thank you to everyone who came and who showered my little girl with love and gifts.

Here's to you, Hannah girl! Love you!!!

One Last Hurrah!

2011-09-08T08:37:00.002-06:00

The last Friday before school started, we decided to go to Rigby Lake with the Hopkins family. It was a gorgeous evening and the kids had a great time. Blake loved being outside as well and was very content to hang out in his bucket or lay in your arms.

I never did get a very good picture of Garrett. He and his friends spent most of their time at the slide on the middle of the lake. Thats him climbing up the ladder out of the water.

Its real shallow at the edge of the lake and the little kids are content to splash around on the water's edge. Makes for a lot calmer and less nervous mommy.

Hannah was interested in taking a mud/sand bath. She promptly smeared that mud all over her legs. Yay!

Speaking of sand and mud, here is Ryan with his buddy Pearson. These two are trouble waiting to happen. Just look at those cute grins! Trouble, I tell ya.

It was nice to get away for an evening and let the kids play. We didn't get to do any big trips this summer so its nice to have something close by that makes the kids feel like we went somewhere and did something fun!

First Day of School...and an E.R. visit

2011-08-31T21:45:00.005-06:00

What a good lookin' kid! Monday was the first day of school for Garrett. He started the 4th grade. I can't believe he is that old. 4th grade! He was excited to start school (NOT!) but was looking forward to his new teacher, Mr. Jones.

I like taking side view pictures of the first day of school. Their backpacks are loaded down with school supplies and weigh almost as much as the kid themselves. I walked Garrett to school and carried his backpack most of the way. Heavy sucker!

So this day started out awesome. The weather was warm and sunny, perfect for walking to school. I got Garrett off to school without a hitch and came home. That's when the fun began. The morning took a little unexpected turn and I had to make a quick trip to the hospital to talk to my boss. OK, crisis averted for now. I got home, got a few things done when Blaine tells me his back is hurting and he thinks he has a kidney stone. So, off we go for another hospital visit. This one to the E.R. And yep, he's got a kidney stone. In fact, he has 2. Twins. Lucky Blaine.

After getting loaded up with pain medication, we finally headed home for him to tough out the night. And tough it was, even after lots of pain medication and anti-nausea medication at home. He is starting to feel better now and probably passed the little stone. He still has a big stone in there causing some discomfort. Hopefully it will either pass or settle down so it will stop hurting him. Otherwise, the urologist will have to go fish it out. Sounds pleasant, eh?

Luckily I have some awesome friends that helped out with my kids during the day and awesome family that helped out with them in the evening. Thanks for all you do!

A few things about my kids

2011-08-19T17:52:00.004-06:00

Because I use this blog as a journal of sorts, I thought I should jot down some things I've noticed about each one of my kids lately.

Garrett:

He is 9 and will be in the 4th grade this year. He wears glasses and has blue eyes and is learning to play the piano. He loves to ride his bike. He loves to go work with Grandpa and has a pair of work boots, irrigating boots, and a pair of gloves to take with him when he goes. He is such a good kid and works hard to do the right thing. He helps out a lot around the yard and the house. He is strong and can lift heavy things and open lids (especially for Grandma Great!). He is getting big and independent but still likes to sit close to mom or dad and have a story read to him.

Hannah:

She is turning 5 in September but won't go to kindergarten until next year. She loves to write letters and words and loves to type on the computer. She loves to draw pictures of our family. Her pictures make me laugh because everyone has a bellybutton. She has dark brown eyes and long hair that she lets me braid. She loves anything princess and loves to sing. She has a loud voice. Very loud. We have to remind her to use her "inside voice". She likes to play house and has just discovered that her doll can go potty...for real. She is a meat eater. She is very dramatic. She loves to have stories read to her and likes to snuggle close to mom and dad.

Ryan:

He is 2 right now and will turn 3 in November. He has huge brown eyes and tons of dark brown hair. He needs a haircut more often than anyone else in the family. He is working on using the potty instead of diapers. He loves to play with Hannah and likes to do whatever she does-including dressing up like a princess, wearing high heels and using makeup. He sits on the counter when I put on my makeup and puts some on too. He knows where everything goes. He has just started telling me that "me too little" if he doesn't want to do something or if he is scared. He also tells me "that makes me sick" if he doesn't want to eat something. It makes me laugh. He loves nursery and church and will take himself to nursery most days. He likes to "jump high" on the trampoline. He also likes to be read to but won't wait until you are done with the page before he is turning it!

Blake:

He will be 1 month old in a few days. He is getting bigger but is still a skinny little guy. He still has his dark hair but I'm thinking his eyes will be a dark blue. He is a mellow baby. Doesn't cry unless he needs something. He tolerates his pacifier. He loves his bottle and drinks 4 ounces at time. He just started taking tub baths and is still trying to decide if he likes them or not. He is a good sleeper and loud noises don't bother him much. He wakes up at 3 am every day. Usually its the only time during the night that he wakes up. He is more alert, focuses on you better and has started to smile. He has a dimple in his left cheek and his smile lights up his whole face. He likes to lay on the bed and just stretch and kick. He also likes to snuggle. He still curls up into a ball when you lay him on your shoulder. He fits perfectly against me this way.

I love my kids so much! They are the highlight of my life and I'm glad I took the time to write down some things about each one. I'll appreciate it later.

Its that time of year again!

2011-08-14T12:23:00.004-06:00

Its that time of year again. Time for canning! This weekend we did beans. Blaine and the kids and I went to Burley to visit Blaine's family and to pick beans. Blaine's dad grows them in the field and is kind enough to let us pick all we want. Blaine's mom and sister JaNene helped us pick the beans on Friday evening. Thanks guys for all your help!

Bright and early Saturday morning the crew came over to help us snip and bottle the beans. There is Blaine, my Grandma Purcell, my dad, my mom and my sister-in-law Kara. Beckie was there too. Last year my grandma came over and helped us all day long. I thought we had done her in with the long day. So this year I didn't ask her to help, just asked to borrow her huge dishpan bowls. She said that was fine but then Saturday morning she called and said "Nobody invited me to this bean cutting party but I'm coming over anyway!" That totally cracked me up! She came over and snipped beans for an hour or so and then we were done snipping. Yay!

Here is Beckie and Porter. As you can see, it was a rough day for Porter. He took a nap shortly after. We did about half as many beans as last year. Makes for a much nicer day. This year we bottled 40 quarts and 90 pints in one day.

Now, beans are not my favorite food but my kids love them. Also, I like to have my shelves full of food. It makes me feel prepared. Safe and secure. It makes me feel like I am on the right path and doing what I should. If you wonder what path that is, read THIS.

Thanks to all my family for helping with beans this weekend. I hope you enjoy them all year long!

10 days old

2011-08-05T09:58:00.002-06:00

Yesterday my sister Beckie came over and we took some pictures of Blake. He was 10 days old. He pretty much hated every minute of it. See that look on his face. It says "Somebody save me!"

He just really hates to be naked. He is so skinny that he gets cold fast. Get a little food in his belly and a warm snugly blanket and he goes right to sleep. But first he must pee on mom. Twice.

We did get some cute shots of him just being content. Like this one. He is very strong and wiry, though so you have to move fast before he wiggles himself out of the spot.

He was pretty content for this picture. My little angel baby checking out his fingers.

Blaine was a good sport and took care of the other two hooligans while Beckie and I posed Blake. He even did Porter's hair in two pigtails. Very cute!

Thanks Beckie for coming over and bringing all your cute stuff with you!

Its a boy!

2011-07-29T16:38:00.003-06:00

Blake Reese Jones

After just under 41 weeks of waiting, our baby boy is here. (Just under 41 weeks=6 days overdue!). Blake Reese Jones made his grand entrance into this world on July 25, 2011 at 6:36 pm. He weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces and was 21 inches long. He has lots of dark hair and looks a heck of a lot like his big brother, Ryan.

The kids are so excited to have him here. Garrett is an especially good helper and loves to sit and hold Blake. This is a huge help to me and I really appreciate having my big boy around to help.

Although she wanted a sister, Hannah is so excited to have a baby brother. She also likes to hold him and is so helpful to get things for me. She told me she can't wait until Blake can get up and play with her!

Ryan has been moderately disinterested in Blake. He always lets me know that "it is crying!" While he can say his name and knows who he is, Ryan prefers to call the baby "it" and not have too much to do with it. He was really involved with his crackers in the picture above and was not happy I was holding the baby while sitting by him.

We are so happy to have Blake in our family. He is such a good little baby and is trying to be patient while he and mom work out the feeding thing. Poor Blaine has been so patient with his hormonal wife. Love you babe!

In the meantime, we have been so blessed by friends and family. Everyone has been so good to us, taking the kids to play, bringing meals, bringing support and encouragement. A huge thanks to all of you. I will never be able to thank you enough.

Our Summer Fun

2011-07-13T09:24:00.003-06:00

Since I have been "grounded" until this baby arrives, we have been trying to do fun activities that are very close to home. (Only 10 days until due date in this picture.) One of our favorites is taking the kids fishing at the pond. Its shaded there, has a picnic table and relatively little bugs. No mosquitoes, at least.

The kids are never bored there. The fish are so active and take the bait quickly. Here is Blaine, helping Ryan fish with the Barbie pole. The little kiddie poles seem to always do the best. There is no shame in fishing with Barbie.

Garrett is quite the little fisherman. Because we just do catch and release right now, when we get a fish on, we just cut the hook off. The hooks are tiny and will rust out of their mouths within days. We have never caught a fish with a hook still in its mouth. Garrett is able to re-hook, bait and cast his own pole. Very handy.

Hannah doesn't care too much for reeling in fish, although she did catch 2 with the help of her daddy. She would rather hand you power bait, lures (like above), and pull the gross moss monsters off your line. Don't ask me why she hates to reel in the fish but will grab a huge, dripping wet chunk of moss, roll it into a ball in her hands and throw it in the bushes. Weird child!

We are glad we have the pond so close to take the kids to. Makes them feel like they aren't missing out on any summer activities. Happily, we will be able to go all summer long-even with the baby!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T23:15:00.003-06:00

While some people were slaving away at work (Moi), others got to play. And get 4th of July tattoos.

Here's Popeye's-er, I mean Garrett's holiday tattoo. Hope everyone had a great Independence Day!!

Happy Birthday Garrett!

2011-06-29T13:16:00.003-06:00

Garrett turned 9 on Monday. I can't believe he is this old. I wanted to do something fun for him with his friends so I agreed to take him and 4 friends to see Cars 2. The boys loved the movie and afterwards, we headed out to the pond for some fishing. It was an ideal time to fish and the fish were VERY willing to take the bait. Luckily Chet and Beckie were out there with us to help man poles.

I think the boys all had a great time and everyone caught at least 2 fish. We just catch and release right now so there was lots of re-hooking and re-baiting poles going on but nobody was bored. There was always something going on as well as Beckie and Chet's dogs splashing in the water. Garrett was so excited to get a new and already stocked tackle box from Beckie and Chet.

Look at this bunch. They are a good group of boys but I smell mischief in the near future!

Haha! I'm glad Garrett has such a good group of friends.

After the pond, we went to Beckie's house where she graciously provided hot dogs for the boys. Garrett opened up his gifts from his friends and Grandma & Grandpa Purcell and then we had ice cream and cupcakes. Because I am not incredibly creative in the cake decorating area, I used Cars 2 erasers as toppers for the cupcakes. They were a hit with the boys.

After dropping the boys off at home, Garrett got to open his presents from Mom & Dad. He was so excited at all his gifts, especially his Angry Birds t-shirt.

Garrett is such a good kid and we love him so much. He is a huge helper to me and plays so well with Hannah and Ryan. He loves to go work on the farm with his Grandpas, even though his allergies make him miserable on the farm at times. He is going to be in the 4th grade this year. He is a great student and an awesome reader. We cherish every moment we have with him and are so proud to be his parents! Love you Garrett!!

Rock Climbing

2011-06-14T21:22:00.002-06:00

In May, Garrett and Blaine went to our ward's Father-Son camp out. They went to Heise and had a great night. Our friend Tyler was up there with his boys too. Me and Jessica (Tyler's wife) spent an evening with our daughters and toddlers. We went to the river (running so high it was scary), picked up McDonald's for dinner (hey, they have a play area so the adults can talk) and then went and got ice cream at Reed's Dairy. Everyone had a good time.

The next morning, the husbands called Jessica and I and asked us to come up to Heise for a picnic. So, we packed up the kids and went. Tyler is an avid rock climber and had brought his rock climbing equipment. Garrett was so excited to climb the rock wall. After his first climb he told me I should try. Ya, no. Pregnant ladies should not be rock climbing. Plus, I'm pretty sure I weigh more than Tyler does and he's the one doing the belaying. Ya, I'll pass. No need to fling him into the air while I'm dangling above or falling rapidly below! Haha!

Garrett is on his way up the rock wall. He was loving every minute of this.

He's getting higher. He did really well considering this was his second climb ever!

A better perspective of how high the rock wall is and how high up Garrett is.

Coming down. He didn't weigh enough to be able to repel very well so Tyler had to do most of the work of getting him down (I think).

It was a fun day and everyone was exhausted afterwards. Sun, wind and rain will wipe out your energy. Thanks to Tyler for bringing the rock climbing stuff and helping Garrett. The next day Garrett asked me when we could get some rock climbing stuff. I suggested maybe we could just go with Tyler again. That seemed to satisfy him...for now!

Big 'Ol Pile

2011-05-25T18:27:00.002-06:00

When you have a big pile of sand dumped in your driveway, there is no way you can keep kids out of it. Garrett and his friend, Topher went out to play basketball. The last thing Garrett asked me was, "Can we play in the big pile of sand?" I said "No." Little good that did.

"Hi Mom. We got in the sand." I see that.

"Mom! Look at these huge holes we dug in the sand. This is awesome!"

Hey Ryan, whats in the trunk of that Barbie bike? Sand, of course!

I knew there was no way to keep them out of it. They will be sad to see it go. Not far though, just tilled into the garden. I hope we can get that accomplished before the cats look at it and think "That's a huge litter box!"

Mommy's little helper

2011-05-15T18:40:00.002-06:00

Check out my little helper...running his tractor through the bread dough!

Happy Birthday/Mother's Day-to me!

2011-05-11T08:22:00.004-06:00

Last Friday was my birthday. I had to work unfortunately but I had a great day and a great few days leading up to it. On Thursday, the sun was shining so I went to the park with my kids and our friends. We walked and I pulled in kids in the wagon. It was great! We even got sunburned! Not so great, really but after 8 months of winter, snow, rain and gray skies, we are not complaining. (Especially since we haven't seen the sun since that day!)

Later that night, we went to see the Bodies Exhibit at the museum. It was very interesting and fascinating to me, being a nurse. It was a private showing hosted by the hospital I work for so it was a lot of medical people there. I highly recommend going to see it. I do NOT highly recommend taking kids, though. I did not take mine and have no plans to. Its pretty straightforward anatomy and I do not want to explain some of it to my 8 year old-yet.

The next day after I got home from work, Blaine had made an awesome stroganoff dinner and then we had birthday brownies and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Yum! See my birthday candle? It was a big hit and all the kids had to take turns blowing it out.

Garrett was especially into lighting and re-lighting the candle for the other two to blow out. He is becoming a little pyro (just like me!).

Sunday was Mother's Day. I had to work that day too but came home to a lovely clean house, yummy steak dinner, flowers and cards from my kids. I feel so blessed and loved this last weekend and enjoyed being showered with love and attention from friends and family.

I am so thankful for my husband and kids. They are a huge support and blessing to me and I'm thankful to have them in my life.

Hope you all had as great a Mother's Day weekend as I did!

Egg Head Update

2011-05-05T08:33:00.004-06:00

So here is a little update on our Egg Head People that we made prior to Easter. They had a slow start because of a little over-watering problem from some helpful children. Also, I blame no sun for weeks on end. They are getting going now, although I have sprinkled a little more seed in them to give a boost.

Some eggs are going strong, others are just getting started, some are still waiting. Its been fun for the kids to watch and check them each day!

Ironically, the "baby" egg has the most hair and Ryan's egg (my child with THE MOST hair) has none. This little guy has a small crack across the front, which is the only egg that does. These egg shells are incredibly strong.

Note to self: Use waterproof markers to draw faces next time. If you spill the water at all, their face wants to run. The kids have to re-draw their faces on the eggs.

This has been really fun for the kids and they are just waiting until they can "cut" the hair. "Baby" might need a trim soon!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-05-02T13:25:00.003-06:00

My mom's birthday was on April 24th. Easter Sunday this year. I had to work so we surprised my mom a week earlier with a birthday dinner after church. Beckie planned most of it and we had it at my house. Conveniently, all my family has 9 am church so they could all be there by 1 pm.

We tried to plan the menu around things my mom liked. We made Coconut Shrimp with a Pina Colada dipping sauce and we also made this shrimp recipe (per my brother Doug's request-he doesn't like coconut). Both turned out amazing! We had funeral potatoes and cheddar biscuits.

My family are fans of Red Lobster's food, obviously. Since there is not one in this town, we make our own stuff! We also had chicken nuggets for the kids. Poor Kara is allergic to shellfish so she brought her own burritos! It was all good!

After eating until we were stuffed, it was time to break out the birthday cake. It was an ice cream cake in my mom's favorite flavor, mint chocolate chip. My dad hates this flavor so he opted out of dessert in favor of a nap. We told him he could have the flavor he wants when it was his birthday. Hehe!

The cake was awesome, made by Reeds Dairy, a local dairy that has, hands-down, the best chocolate milk and ice cream ever! The ice cream cake had a white cake in the middle. It might have even been pound cake, I'm not sure. But, it was awesome.

All the effort of stuffing yourself was tiring and soon the men found a soft spot to perch and fall asleep. My dad was asleep before we were done eating our ice cream.

Brent followed shortly after. Sunday afternoon naps with full bellies are glorious. And a good way to get out of doing the dishes, eh boys? Haha!

We had a great day for my mom's birthday and hope she enjoyed it. She is truly the greatest person in the world. Love you Mom!!

Eggcellent FHE

2011-04-18T21:37:00.004-06:00

We aren't very good at having consistent FHE around here, mainly because of work schedules and getting home near or after bedtime but tonight everyone was home. I had been wanting to do a little project for a while and NOW was the time to do it. Everyone was home, happy, dinner was done and I had all the supplies. I knew my kids would love it and they did. And we haven't even gotten to the good part yet.

Earlier today I lopped off the tops of some eggs, dumped the innards out, washed and dried them. I filled these little eggs with potting soil and then we let each person in the family decorate their little egg how they chose. They drew faces on them, which are so cute, and then we topped them off with some grass seed. Kentucky Bluegrass to be exact. The grass seed is blue so you can see exactly how much you put in there. In this case, Ryan tried grabbing it by the handfuls and filling each egg. Lets just say there was little blue seeds everywhere! We watered them and have set them near the window to grow. Those little egg folks will soon have a full head of hair!

Here is our little egg family. In back is: Jodi, Hannah, Ryan.

Front: Garrett, new baby, and Blaine (obviously the only one with facial hair!)

The kids were so excited to do this and can't wait until the "hair" starts growing. Then they can cut the hair. They better not get any ideas about cutting other types of hair, though. The scissors will disappear again! This was so fun to do with the kids. Depending on how the week goes, we may or may not get any eggs dyed. This will be a fun, less messy substitute if we don't.

HAPPY EASTER!

Graduation Day

2011-04-15T07:58:00.002-06:00

Hannah's preschool is officially done! We had a cute little graduation ceremony for them. One of the moms made these awesome graduation caps for the kids. So cute!

The kids were all very excited and more than ready to be done. (Or was that just me?) They were eager to show us all they had learned this year.

Hannah is the only one of this bunch who won't be in kindergarten next year. She doesn't really realize what that means, yet, but she will be that much more ahead the next year. She is super close to being able to read already and loves to write words on paper and play "school".

They all stood up, recited the pledge of allegiance, the abc's and a nursery rhyme of their choice. Then they got a graduation certificate and then we had snacks. It was a fun day to finish preschool with and its good to be finished. It was a great experience for Hannah both academically and socially.

Pinewood Derby

2011-04-06T10:05:00.002-06:00

Garrett got to participate in our ward's pinewood derby. This is something I was dreading and couldn't wait to get over with. Garrett and Blaine, on the other hand, were looking forward to it. This is Garrett's car that he and Blaine made. He was so proud and so excited to race it.

Remi and Jayson came to watch. The scout leaders set up the heats so everyone got to race everybody else. Lots of racing but it was fair that way. They kept track of who won the most races and those were the winners. Everyone got an award anyway. Garrett won "most realistic." The bottom of his car had weights on it that resembled the bottom of a real car.

Way to go Garrett! Glad you had so much fun. I'm glad its over!!!

Happy Birthday Blaine!

2011-04-05T15:49:00.003-06:00

Ok, I know I am late posting this. March was busy and I was out of energy. Now its April, raining like crazy outside and I'm spending a lazy day at home with my two youngest kids. What better thing to do than update your blog? I thought so...

This year for Blaine's birthday, we had planned to go away for the weekend. We planned this a long time ago and so we were bummed when circumstances changed and we couldn't afford to go anywhere. So instead, we stayed home. Just Blaine and me. My mom took the kids Friday night and we had the evening, night and all day Saturday to ourselves. It was heavenly.

Blaine didn't want to go out to eat so we stayed home, cooked steaks and watched a movie. It was so relaxing. We rarely watch movies (we get so far behind on new movies its almost not worth it to try to catch up). We watched this one for free (Yippee!) and just had a really relaxing night. The next day we had an appointment with our accountant (I know-not on the top of your birthday to do list) but it was over quickly and was painless. We spent the rest of the day doing basically nothing, went to a home and garden show, watched another movie and just rested. AND THE HOUSE STAYED CLEAN!!

Later that evening, we went to my parent's house for a birthday party for Blaine. We had dinner and cake/ice cream. Blaine got to light all 35 candles on his cupcakes. The kids had made them especially for him and were excited to help him blow out the candles.

Happy Birthday Babe! Glad we got to spend a wonderful 24 hours together!

Thanks to all who helped make this happen. It was a great gift for both of us.

Dancing girls

2011-03-06T19:22:00.005-07:00

Hannah had her first dance of the season yesterday. I love watching the little girls dance and I am usually just laughing. Her teacher, Janelle, is so patient with them. Its really like herding a bunch of sheep out there.

They did two dances in a row. Hannah did so good and she knew her dances very well. We are so proud of her for doing this. She loves it!

(Hannah is on the center court line if you weren't sure!)

There was a little bit of a wardrobe malfunction for one of the little girls at the end of this song, thus the delay at the end. (Her hairpiece was falling out!). FYI: Hannah did not wear a hairpiece. I just couldn't stomach the cost of it.

The end of this second one cracks me up. They were supposed to skip in a circle and then off the floor. Guess they forgot that last part!

New Specs

2011-03-03T15:36:00.005-07:00

Garrett got his glasses today. This is the first time he ever had them. He had been telling me for a while that he couldn't see but the bad mom that I am, I just kept forgetting about it. No surprise, when we went to the eye doctor he needed glasses. My poor kids have no chance with me and Blaine as their parents. I have had glasses since I was about Garrett's age. Blaine hasn't had them for as long but has lots worse vision and eye problems.

Blaine has keratoconus in both of his eyes and on August 24, 2007, he had a cornea transplant on his left eye. Unfortunately keratoconus is highly genetic so we will be watching closely for that.

In the meantime, Garrett is loving his glasses. The first thing out of his mouth was "Wow! I can read that sign way over there!" While I was sad for my firstborn to have to get glasses, he was excited to see again. Vision is a wonderful thing.

Brought to you by the letter V

2011-02-24T13:13:00.004-07:00

Hannah has been in a neighborhood run preschool this year and is having a blast! The moms (me included) each take a week and teach. We usually work on a letter, number, color, etc. Lately we have been including nursery rhymes. This week was my turn to teach. We talked about the letter V. There are lots of fun things to do that start with V like:

Play the violin. One of the moms is a violin teacher. She brought her violin and taught the kids about it and played some songs. She also brought an itty-bitty violin for the kids to play. Here is Hannah playing her heart out on the little thing. Lots of fun for the kids!

Make a vase. I took this picture first and decided there was not enough light to see the vase. You can see the pretty flowers though. And the huge icicles hanging off the house behind. (Side note: I am SO sick of winter. Spring hurry up!!)

Here is Hannah, still in her dance clothes, posing with her vase. Still kinda dark. Sorry. Anyway, the kids glued tissue paper to glass jars and then we pained glue over the top and let it dry. Kinda like a stained glass effect and lots of fun. The kids each got to take them home with some real daisies in them. The mothers were way more excited about the flowers than the kids were!

Hannah and her preschool friends posing before we get ready to make our snack. Our nursery rhyme this week was "This little piggy" and I thought a fun snack would be to make pigs in a blanket. I made a quick bread dough with their help and then we put hot dogs (cut into thirds) inside pieces of dough and baked them. Big hit!

You can't have a "V" week without a volcano! We learned about volcanoes and then made one. This was a show stopper. They wanted to do it again and again. It was a fun preschool week and letter V has lots of fun options. I always try to do more hands-on stuff than busy work if I can and I think the kids had fun. So glad its over...for 5 weeks at least!

Changes

2011-02-06T20:47:00.003-07:00

There are lots of changes coming this way for the Jones family this year. Some are scary, some are exciting.

First-Blaine is changing jobs this year. Not by choice but the hospital he worked at closed its doors last Monday. Pretty unexpectedly for the employees. I am always nervous about changes that effect our income. So, Blaine will be searching for a new job. I don't always love change-especially this kind. I am trying to remember that everything happens for a reason and there has to be something better coming our way.

Second-the exciting changes. We are excited to announce there will be a new addition to the Jones family. We are expecting a baby at the end of July. We are happy about this change and the kids are really excited. Garrett wants a baby brother, of course. Hannah wants a sister. Ryan doesn't have a clue that his world is about to be turned upside down!

So, there you have it. Its barely February and already there are two major changes for our family. It will be very interesting to see what the rest of this year brings. Wish us luck!

Children Unattended

2011-01-27T12:26:00.002-07:00

Check out what my youngest two did while left alone for like, 5 minutes! Blaine was home with them and though they were just in their room playing.

Yep, they were playing alright. In the bathroom. With lipstick. And a doll apparently.

Sledding in the Dark

2011-01-24T08:54:00.002-07:00

We were invited to go sledding the other night. The kids were so excited. (Actually, we were invited to sledding twice that day but for some reason we turned down the first offer-in the daylight!) Instead we went to a park just up the street from our house and did a little sledding. It was very dark! All the kids loved going down the hill in the tube.

Hannah is riding down on Garrett's back, who is on Blaine's back. She was a little scared at first and would only go down the hill on her bum but after a forced ride with dad she was hooked! This picture was taken just prior to the last ride of the night. The tube popped on the way down the hill. It just couldn't take all that weight anymore! Haha!

Ryan was so excited to just be outside in the snow. It wasn't very cold, luckily so it was very enjoyable for all.

Here we are, just before one last ride. See how dark it is? Doug and Kara were with us and Kara took the picture. It is very difficult to take pictures in the dark. Never quite sure what you are going to get. Doug and Kara invited us sledding with some friends but their friends stood them up. So we went without them!

Hannah couldn't leave before making a snow angel!

Back to the Blog

2011-01-10T08:27:00.005-07:00

So, I took a little break from blogging. We have been busy through the month of December and January until now. Things have started to slow down and return to normal. But because I use this blog as a journal of sorts-you readers are going to get to see our December happenings now. Yipee!

On January 11th, Blaine and I were in charge of our ward's family Christmas party. We had a great committee that helped us so much! We had a sit-down dinner, family style with the food on the table, and had potluck desserts. The other ward in our building served us and we did the same for them the night before. We sat places for 250 people and every seat was filled! There was a short program and then Santa came.

Ryan was excited to see Santa until it came time to sit on his lap!

Garrett felt he was "too cool" to sit on Santa's lap but knew the only way to get a candy cane was to get up there. Hannah on the other hand, ran out of the room when Santa came. She actually stayed out in the car, watching a movie, for a little while until Santa was gone. Apparently he is "scary".

On December 13th, we farmed out our kids and took a quick, but relaxing, trip to Farmington Utah to see Blaine's cousin perform with his band Herod the Fink. It is just a 2-man band but oh so cool! Jason (left) and Jesse (right) put on a great show of very un-traditional Christmas songs.

Jason is sitting on a Rock Box (I'm probably not spelling that right). Its a box he sits on and depending on where he hits it with his hands, it makes the sounds of a drum set. Its much more portable and compact than a drum set and works really well in the in-home settings of the concerts these guys did. Thanks to Blaine's Aunt Renee for inviting us and letting us stay with her. It was great to have a night away from kids and real life!

December 18th was my 12th anniversary! Blaine, my dad, and my brother Doug worked hard to give me an anniversary/early Christmas present. It was exactly what I had asked for! New lights in my kitchen!!

I was at work and didn't have to see the mess. Just the clean kitchen and new awesome lights! Thanks guys! I love them!! My old lights in the kitchen were just 3 bulbs and the light socket had started to make the bulbs burn out every few days. Very annoying!

Christmas came to our house and it was great. The kids were excited to see their presents. I was excited that they slept in 1 1/2 hrs longer than they said they would! Shortly after opening presents, we got dressed and packed and left for Blaine's parents' house in Burley. The weather was gorgeous-clear and sunny! The roads were good too which was nice because then I could relax a little on the way down.

The kids had fun playing with cousins and we had fun seeing everyone there! Garrett had a great time playing with Christopher and his science kit. Here they are burning different elements to see what color it burns. I think these two will like chemistry class!

Ryan commandeered Grandma as always!

We headed back home the next day in stormy weather. The roads were not as great as they had been and I was nervous all the way. I've become kind of a nervous driver this year where before I never was. Its annoying. Anyway, we went to my parents' house and had dinner and opened presents. All my siblings and both my grandma's were there along with my aunt and uncle from California. Hannah pretty much commandeered Grandma Cook the whole time. Thats OK, though cuz they are two peas in a pretty pink pod together. (They have many of the same interests).

We had Doug and Kara's name this year. Doug got a survivalist book and some peanut M&M's and Kara got what you see above. She is wearing the apron that Beckie made for her. It is so cool and I'm jealous. I want one. I compiled all my recipes (easy to do thanks to my OneNote program), copied them with color pictures and organized them into a binder. Kara had asked earlier for my recipes and so I opted for the nerdy Christmas present and gave her my recipes. I couldn't think of any cool name so Blaine and I thought "Secret Family Recipes" was funny. We gave Blaine's sister Jolynn a copy as well along with another cool apron made by Beckie.

We had a great December and great Christmas. I am so glad they are done and we are well into the new year!

Ryan's stats

2010-12-15T11:16:00.003-07:00

Ryan turned 2 on November 24th. He's a funny kid. He thinks he is sooo big just like Garrett and Hannah. He is a tease and a lover too (when he feels like it!). He is a big helper too. Just as I'm writing this he spilled some sugar on the floor and then said, "Trouble." Yep, he knows he's in trouble but he ran and got his play vacuum and is trying to vacuum it up. Can't be too mad at that, right? He likes to ride Hannah's little Barbie tricycle around the driveway when its warm. He likes to ride at full speed right up to Porter and then skid to a stop and scare Porter. He just smiles and laughs.

He recently had his checkup at the doctor and here are his most recent stats:

Height: 33 1/2 inches (20th percentile)

Weight: 25 lbs 3 oz. (10th percentile)

Head Circumference: 50 1/2 cm (90th percentile!)

He is talking a lot! His speech is really clear. He says funny things to us like, "Stay there!" "Just a minute" and when you change his diaper he will wrinkle his nose and say, "Phew! Stinky! Bum!" He is loud too. When he talks, he yells. Its lovely.

He's a funny kid but we love him!

Bringing the Outdoors In

2010-12-08T14:17:00.003-07:00

My house smells like pine. Yep, we got our Christmas tree last night and its a live one! I love the pine smell, though. It really gets me in the Christmas mood. I've already started vacuuming pine needles and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Last night was Garrett's 3rd grade Christmas concert. It was combined with the 4th grade. The place was packed. They did great. It was short and sweet. It was awesome. My parents came and afterwards we went to a new ice cream place called Kiwi Loco. I didn't even know that it existed (although its right up the street from my house)-shows you how much attention I pay to things. My parents know the manager, he lives in their ward. They invited him over for dinner last Sunday. Anyway, we went there and had some really good frozen yogurt. Its really fun because its all self serve.

Next, we went to find a Christmas tree. We went to Lowe's. Partly because I like their trees and partly because my brother-in-law Chet was working and I was secretly hoping he could get us a killer deal on our tree. He did! Thanks Chet! You rock!

They cut the ends of the tree and wrap it in this netting stuff to get it home. Its easier to tote around that way. Here is Blaine and the kids snipping the netting off-unleashing the beast.

Here is our gorgeous tree! It smells awesome. It is now a blank canvas for us to decorate tonight. The kids can't wait. I'm excited too! It will finally feel like Christmas at my house!

Happy Birthday Ryan!

2010-12-02T12:41:00.003-07:00

Ryan's birthday was last week. The big number 2! We didn't make a huge deal out of it but tried to make it a fun day anyway. It was the day before Thanksgiving and there was a lot to do. Hannah always makes sure to put up the Happy Birthday banner on anyone's birthday. That got Ryan excited!

Because I'm such an "on the ball" mom, I didn't even make Ryan a cake. I figured nobody would eat it because Thanksgiving was the next day. So, we went out to eat as a family and my parents watched the kids so Blaine and I could go shopping for a present for Ryan. (Really on top of things, I know but it had been snowing and blizzarding for 3 days continuously and I hadn't been out!) Anyway, I picked up some brownies and we sang to Ryan. He was so excited to blow out his two candles!

Next Ryan got to open his present (still wrapped in the shopping bag it came in, of course.) He loved it. He is very into tractor and trailers right now, along with Thomas the Train.

He wanted to take his tractor to bed that night. Even though it was low key, he still had a fun day and was very happy. Thanks to all our family members who gave him gifts! You are awesome and we appreciate it!

Laughing so hard...

2010-11-28T20:48:00.002-07:00

OK. My plan was to post something else today but I ran across something that I want everybody to read. I read it and laughed so hard I was crying. Then I tried to read it to Blaine. I'm sure he couldn't understand a word I was saying because I was laughing so hard. Ahh, I needed to laugh like that. I hope you have a good laugh too.

CLICK HERE to have a good laugh.

P.S. If you don't laugh, you must not have kids. Or your kids aren't old enough. Just wait...

Cabin Fever

2010-11-23T21:59:00.003-07:00

I have only been home from work 1 day but already I have cabin fever. Part of that was being cooped up at the hospital for the last 4 days and the other part is having horrible blizzard weather coupled with sick kids today. Knowing that I can't go anywhere even if I needed to. Not that I really want to brave the nasty roads. I just don't like the feeling of not being able to go anywhere. Oh well. What would I do if I was really snowed in??

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. My dad. He came over this morning to have me do something but he took Garrett to work with him. Garrett loves going to work with grandpa. I don't know what they did today but Garrett had a great time. Plus, my dad brought back cat food. We were totally out.

2. For warm house. I know I've said that before but I mean it more than every today. I am thankful that it was warm in here while it was blizzarding outside. Plus my car stays free of snow and ice in the garage.

3. For friends that I can help and who help me. Last night the hospital was really cracking down on people not being able to make it to work. They offered beds to those who needed to go home, get a bag and come back to stay. I am thankful that I was able to help my friend D'Ann. She stayed at my house-on the couch. Which, I might add, she says is very comfy. I didn't sleep well last night worrying that she might not sleep well. She probably slept better than me.

4. I am thankful for TV. Tonight anyway. Blaine is working all night and I don't sleep well when he is gone. The TV is a nice distraction for me. He always tells me to go to bed early. Yeah, right. I don't relax well without him.

5. I am thankful for my cell phone. I can keep in contact with my hubby and my friends and know that they are safe when they are out in this miserable weather. With just a quick text message to them, I know they are OK. Or I can tell my hubby goodnight with just a quick note. Technology is wonderful when used correctly. I am very thankful for it. Plus I'm thankful it still works after I dropped it in the tub the other night.

Its really here.

2010-11-21T22:03:00.004-07:00

Winter is really here. For real. Yesterday it snowed and snowed. At one point in the afternoon, we watched it snow huge soft flakes. It seemed really quiet and peaceful. Tonight as I was leaving work, it was like a blizzard. The snow was light and powdery but blowing and drifting. My friend D'Ann helped me clean off my car. I was scraping windows on the drivers side and she was brushing off the trunk. Right as she pushed off a huge mound, the wind caught it and blew it right into my face! Whew! Talk about a wake up call. That was cold!

TONIGHT I'M THANKFUL FOR:

1. That I live as close to my work as I do. My drive home is not very long and I am thankful that I can get to and from work safely every day. Blaine too. I am even more thankful when the weather is as bad as it is. I worry about my friends with long drives home.

2. I am thankful for a garage to park my cars in. I am thankful that I don't have to scrape my windows in the morning and that I can just get in and go. I was especially thankful this morning because it was so cold outside.

3. I am thankful for my belief about what happens after this life. I am thankful to know that I can live with my family again after my life on Earth. I feel sad for people who think that this life is all there is. I can't imagine how sad that would be to think that when someone dies, that's it. Show over. I am thankful for the peace and happiness my knowledge and beliefs give me.

4. I am thankful to have health insurance. Even though it is expensive and I feel like I'm only working to pay for benefits, I'm still thankful for it. I am thankful for the peace of mind it gives me to know that if we get sick, we are covered. It will be OK.

5. I am thankful for a hubby that is willing to get up with sick kids in the night and let me sleep (if I'm working the next day). Hannah was coughing like crazy last night and he got up with her, gave her medicine and rocked in the rocking chair with her until she settled down again. He let me sleep so I would not be too grouchy for work. I am thankful for that sleep that I got. Too bad it didn't help the grouchiness! Ha ha!

Its Monday...again.

2010-11-19T21:57:00.002-07:00

So, its Friday. Thats my Monday at work. I work 4 days in a row and the 1st day is always Monday. Then the last day is Friday. It doesn't matter what day of the week it really is. But, for me Friday is Monday and Monday is Friday. Confused yet? Anyway...

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. Alarm clocks. I would never wake up on time. Ever. So, I am very thankful for the little alarm that goes off every morning to get me where I need to be on time. Plus, now that I use my cell phone as my alarm clock, I have way better sounds to wake up to than the old buzzer.

2. A husband that cooks. Blaine loves to cook and I am so glad that when I get home from work, I know that my kids have been fed and there is food waiting for me too. It has always been our unspoken rule that whoever gets home first makes dinner.

3. I am thankful that my ears did not hurt today. Because I didn't get a flu shot this year, I have to wear a mask at work. Fine. But it gets really miserable when the strings on your mask are making your ears hurt. Not today, though. So much more pleasant. And I was too. I'm always in a better mood when I'm not hurting.

4. I am thankful that I have a great boss who is able to come out of the office and help at the nurses station when things are crazy. Today was crazy at work. My boss spent most of the day helping us regain control. Not that we ever regained control but it was so nice to have her help. That is not the norm for most places in the hospital. I am very lucky to have a boss like that!

5. I am thankful for hot baths. I am such a bath person. At the end of the day, nothing relaxes me like a hot bath and a good book. In fact, I'm headed there now. I'm in the middle of a great book and I'm cold. Baths warm me through and help me sleep better. (Sounds like a baby, right?). Well, it works for me and I'm thankful that I can just turn on the tap, have hot water, soak for as long as I like and sleep great that night!

Getting behind...

2010-11-18T16:42:00.004-07:00

I know that I missed posting yesterday. I got busy and had company and then I wanted to watch the Pioneer Woman Throwdown against Bobby Flay. So those are my lame excuses as to why I didn't post anything yesterday.

So today I am thankful for:

1. Lazy days. Ones where I don't really have anywhere to go or anything to do. And my hubby is home today which makes it even better. I am thankful for days like this where we just veg. Watch movies or whatever. We have plans with friends tonight which makes it that much more fun of a day!

2. Clean laundry. I like doing laundry. I really do. Just not the folding or putting away part. I especially hate folding the whites batch. Sorting socks is always at the bottom of my "to do" list. But, I do love having clean clothes in my closet and drawers. I am thankful too that when I run out of laundry soap, I can just make some soap and still have clean clothes. Besides that, fresh out of the dryer laundry smells so good!

3. I am thankful that my family lives close enough that I can use them for last minute babysitters for my kids. Lately I feel like I have used them a lot and I am thankful that they always say yes. Plus my kids love them!

4. I am thankful for sweet, innocent things my kids say to me that make me laugh. The other night I said something about a "New Hampshire accent" but Garrett said, "A new hamster accident, what?" That just made me laugh. He still didn't get it after I explained it. Hannah sometimes looks me in the eye and says, "Mom, I'm just a little kid." Yep Hannah, you are. But when she says that it makes me laugh. Ryan is so sweet. I say to him "guess what?" He always says "what?" Then I say "Love you!" and lately he says "love you" back to me but it comes out sounding like "woo woo". I am thankful for these small things that make me happy.

5. I am thankful for friends who make me try things I don't want to do. We went to dinner with friends tonight. Then, we played laser tag. I didn't want to play at first but it was a BLAST! Very fun and quite a good workout as well. Plus we were laughing so hard that it hurt to breathe. Thanks guys! I'm glad I went.

I am thankful

2010-11-16T21:19:00.002-07:00

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. Variety. It really is the spice of life and living in Idaho, you get plenty of spice. You will never be bored with Idaho weather. Today (all before noon actually) we had wind, rain, snow and sun. This afternoon was mild enough that Garrett and friends went out to play without coats. (What a bad mother! Its November after all!)

2. Friends with skills and talents that are willing to share with me and my family. My friend Lorna came over yesterday and cut both Hannah and Ryan's hair. It is so nice to have friends with skills to share. I paid her with a new recipe and most of the ingredients. She told me today that it was a big hit. I am thankful for all my friends who are willing to share all of their skills and talents with me, especially things that are hard for me that come easy for them. I hope that they feel that I share with them as well. (Mostly, I just try to bribe people with food!)

3. I am thankful for a reliable car to get me where I need to go. Earlier this summer, the vehicle wasn't so reliable. It made me scared to drive it, in fact. But, with some help (and divine intervention) the car runs great. For this I am truly thankful.

4. I am thankful for Thomas the Train. Weird, huh? Well, yesterday while Lorna was cutting Ryan's hair, we set him up in the booster chair with a Thomas movie playing. He held stone still. No tears. This is the first time EVER! Usually I have to hold him as he buries his face in my neck while Lorna tries to cut one side, then the next. In the end, the job is done, we are all exhausted and Ryan and I both have to take a shower.

5. I am thankful for medicine. Hannah had a little fever tonight. Not enough to worry about but enough to make her cold and uncomfortable. I am thankful for Tylenol and Motrin. Without them we'd be in world of hurt (literally) and I am thankful they help my babies feel better.

Smiles and Rosy Cheeks

2010-11-14T21:48:00.003-07:00

We took a little trip to the Great Frozen North, otherwise known as Island Park. We went to stay with friends at their cabin for a couple days. We borrowed a 4-wheeler from my dad and headed North. The trip there was uneventful. (Other than Ryan crying the whole way.) We got to the cabin and it had been snowing a little. To get to the cabin you go uphill, then around a curve and straight downhill. To get in the driveway, you take a quick left up a hill and you are there. We came around the curve, down the hill and just kept going. There was no stopping us with the trailer behind. We slid the whole way down. Ok, we'll try again. Slower. This time, we were sliding a little but much more controlled. Turning into the driveway was another matter. No turning. Just crashing. We screeched to a stop just before hitting some trees and falling off the hill. (I am probably making it more dramatic than it was but it was a little nerve wracking!) We screeched to a stop and all the kids yelled, "Get me out of this car!" We got out and let the guys deal with getting the car in the driveway and what to do with the trailer.

I took this picture from the window of the cabin. I didn't want to watch. Here the guys have the car backed up and on the road, 4-wheeler unloaded and are ready to park the trailer at the bottom of the hill. Look closely (or click on the picture) and you can see our skid marks where we originally stopped. It doesn't look like we were close to the trees but it sure felt like it.

So, while the guys were taking care of the car, the rest of us went in and started warming up the cabin. What an awesome cabin it was!! It takes a long time for wood to warm up, though. So, we just stayed in coats and snuggled on the couch!

It wasn't long before Garrett and the other kids wanted to go out and go sledding. I was content to stay in for a while longer so Blaine and Tyler went out with Garrett, Christopher and Creedence. Good snow clothes are a must here!

The boys slid down the hill and then hooked up to be pulled behind the 4-wheeler the rest of the way. They loved it and were crazy on the sleds! It was snowing lightly as you can tell.

The next day was cold. Not too cold to go sledding, though. Here is Hannah and Creedence sledding down the hill...heading for the trees and a wreck. Hannah was freaked out.

See how happy she looked after that? So, I took her down the hill on a sled. I think she hated it even more. She just rode on the 4-wheeler after that.

It really was a nice day-as long as you were bundled up. We took a ride on the 4-wheelers with the kids pulling along behind. It was sunny with no wind. Awesome!

We took some pictures along the way. And so did Tyler and Jessica.

Ryan loved it too! What little kid doesn't love playing in the snow?

The boys played out there a lot. Lots of rosy cheeks this weekend.

We headed home on Saturday night for an uneventful drive (except the part where we came down Ashton hill sideways.) It was foggy and we were driving slow. We could see brake lights up ahead and so we started stopping. It was slick, though and although we weren't going fast, we were skidding all over the place. (Again, the trailer does not help anything). There was a truck creeping down the hill, almost stopped. There were 2 cars in front of us trying not to hit the truck and then us trying not to hit the cars. Thank goodness for Blaine's great driving and 4-wheel drive. We were able to get control and make it down the rest of the hill safely. We had an awesome weekend and it was great to get away. Now, back to business...

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. The power of prayer. I know that we were kept safe a number of times this weekend because of the power of prayer. It is comforting to me to know that I can take any problem or worry to the Lord and he will help and comfort me. I know that I have been blessed in my life at other times as well because of the power of prayer.

2. I am thankful that today is sunny. Although it started out foggy, the sun is shining and the weather is mild. I do realize that the snow is important but I love it when it is sunny. It improves my mood immensely. Plus there is no wind today (a rare occurrence in Idaho).

3. I am thankful for being able to visit with my family this week. My aunt Darlou and her family are here visiting from New Hampshire. My aunt Natillie will be flying in today from California. How exciting to have everyone around to see. Although I get to see Natillie more often, I haven't seen Darlou for 4 years! I am thankful to see them whenever I can.

4. I am thankful that I was able to go to church yesterday. Sundays are not always the most restful day but I appreciate being able to go when I can. I am thankful for the things I learn there, the Spirit that I feel there, and the great people I get to associate with there.

5. I am thankful for warm snow clothes. In Island Park, although it was cold we were warm while playing in the snow. I am thankful that I have been able to provide my children with the snow clothes they need to make playing in the snow enjoyable. I am also thankful for my hubby who helped me pick out appropriate snow clothes for myself a few years ago. Each time I go out fully dressed in the boots, hat, gloves, snow pants and coat, I mentally thank him. I don't like to be cold and with my stuff on, I don't. Not even fingers or toes!

The Great Frozen North

2010-11-12T08:28:00.001-07:00

No time to blog...we are headed to the Great Frozen North for some R&R.

I'm very thankful for that!!

Veterans Day

2010-11-11T13:27:00.008-07:00

I have vowed this year to be finished with Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving. It would be the first time in history that I was done that early. I would really like to spend December doing things with my family instead of worrying about getting gifts. Not to say that this time of year isn't busy as well. Tonight we have parent teacher conference with Garrett's teacher. I am looking forward to it. From our end of things, this is a different child. I'm curious to see what his teacher has to say.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. The people who volunteer their time to be a leader for my son for scouts. I am not in love with the scouting program but my son and husband are. I am softening towards it and trying to keep a good attitude. Garrett's leader, or Akela as he calls her, does an awesome job with the boys. Garrett is so excited for scouts each week. I am so thankful for them and their service to my son.

2. I am thankful for the people who serve our country to keep us free and to help other be free. Garrett's scout leader just sent her husband off to Iraq for the 2nd or 3rd time. I am very grateful to him and his service for our country. I am also very grateful for her sacrifice of letting her husband serve. Thank you to all who are now or have served this great country.

3. I am thankful to live where I do. I am thankful to live in the United States. I am thankful to live in Eastern Idaho. I am thankful to have grown up on a farm. I am thankful for my home and my neighborhood. This is where I am supposed to be.

4. I am thankful for all of the freedoms I enjoy in this country. Freedom of speech and religion are huge for me. I am thankful for the opportunity I have to vote as well. I am thankful that I have a part in choosing who represents me in the government. Sometimes things don't always go as I would like (last presidential election) but I am thankful, nonetheless, that I have the right to vote in the matter.

5. Finally, I am thankful to have the opportunity to serve others. When I am wallowing in self pity, service is just the thing I need to boost my spirits. It takes my focus off myself and forces me to care about others. I am thankful for the people I can serve.

Gratitude

2010-11-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

Posting every day is a lot of work. At least I am not used to it. I am liking it, though and especially liking the topic I've been posting on. It focuses my thoughts for the day and I find myself a lot happier. I am also grateful that anybody reads this blog. Thank you to all of you who do. I consider it my journal and appreciate your comments!

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. My dishwasher. And garbage disposal. I can live without both. I have done so many times. But...they are such nice conveniences that I uses multiple times a day. They speed up the process of doing dishes so I have more time to spend with my family.

2. I am thankful that my husband is not a picky eater. I tried a new recipe tonight. Two new recipes, actually. I don't think my kids ate any of it. I thought is was mediocre at best but Blaine never said a word. He ate everything on his plate and told me it tasted good. I don't think he was lying but I guess you'd have to ask him. I have ideas for how to "fix" it if I choose to make it again but I am so thankful that Blaine doesn't complain. He just eats what I fix and is happy to have it.

3. I am thankful for people who are in tune enough to call me when I most need it. And let me cry on their shoulder when I'm not even sure what I am crying about. And to make me laugh so I'll stop crying. (What a bawl baby!). You know who you are. Thanks for the phone call.

4. I am thankful tonight that I was able to find some scrubs that fit. The hospital where I work is changing our dress code and the nurses will all wear navy blue now. The hospital is assisting us with purchasing some new scrubs and the scrub company reps were here this week. Monday I went and tried some on and left very disappointed. I went back tonight with Blaine and we were both able to find scrubs that fit. I am very thankful for this and it is a huge load off my mind about what I was going to wear to work.

5. Finally, I am thankful for this. I makes me cry every time I watch it. It reminds me of what is important and to not take anything for granted. It helps me re-prioritize my life. It reminds me of what I am thankful for. Thank you. I cry when I watch this, not because I am sad about what happened to them (I am) but I cry for myself and my own selfishness. I hope you watch it and I hope it touches you like it has touched me.

White Out

2010-11-09T16:14:00.002-07:00

No, we didn't have a blizzard but the white stuff is staying. My kids love it. I still like it. I get tired, though, of putting boots, hats, mittens, coats and snow pants on and off, on and off, on and off. I do miss the days of just herding the kids out to the car and jumping in. Now we have to get bundled up. The roads are clear, though. In the end, thats really all I care about. I'll take as much snow as comes. As long as it stays off the roads!

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. Leftovers. Funny thing to be thankful for, right? Well, I don't particularly like leftovers but if we have leftovers, it means we have enough to eat. More than enough, actually. I know we are blessed that we have enough for our needs-and then some. I am doubly thankful for leftovers because that means I have lunch tomorrow at work (or home). And it usually means my hubby packed my lunch (which I love!). And it means that whatever is in my lunch bag tastes a heck of a lot better than whatever I would scrounge up at work!

2. I am thankful for warm coats. And hats, mittens, boots, and snow pants. I am thankful that each of my children and my husband and myself has all of these things. I am thankful that we can stay warm and dry when we are outside working or playing in the snow. Again, I know we are blessed to have these things.

3. I am thankful for recipes. Recipes that help me make tasty food, or fun things for my kids, or even help me be resourceful at home. For instance, I ran out of laundry soap the other day. I am thankful that I have a recipe for homemade laundry soap and that I had thought ahead to have the ingredients on hand. I have recipes for lots of homemade things like, soap, window cleaner, bisquick, cream of something soup, etc., etc. I am thankful that I have these things available to me. It helps me continue to take care of my family in a way that doesn't break the bank and still gets a satisfactory job done.

4. I am thankful for the 4 walls that surround me. I am thankful that I have a shelter from the elements and it just happens to be one I love dearly. I am thankful that I can make my house a home; a sanctuary from the world and that when the tempest is raging outside, my family and I can feel peace inside.

5. I am thankful for a good work ethic. I was thinking about this tonight as my kids were helping me unload the dishwasher. It is something I am trying to instill in them. That if something is hard, you probably don't have a choice to quit, just work harder. Get the job done and do a good job regardless. This is something I was taught by my parents, something that was taught to them by their parents and so on and so forth. It is one of the most important things I learned from my parents.

Monday=Friday

2010-11-08T22:08:00.002-07:00

I am always happy when Monday comes around when I have been working. The way my schedule is, Monday = Friday! Even though it is my 4th day, I am usually pretty happy and energetic because I know it will be a whole 10 days before I go back!

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. Snow. Yep, that nasty white stuff. I am thankful that it falls and fills the reservoirs and aquifer and the rivers and lakes. I live in a mountain desert and it would be pretty brown around here most of the time if we didn't get snow in the winter time. Plus, without snow how would I be able to make snowmen and snow angels with my kids?

2. I am thankful for the priesthood and that it is in my home. I am so thankful that I know I can access it at any time.

3. I am thankful for children who make life so much more fun and exciting. I am thankful for the tooth fairy, the brownies, Santa and the Easter bunny. It is so fun to see the kids get excited with the anticipation of what might come. Garrett lost a tooth tonight and for the first time he actually put his tooth under his pillow. He is so excited! Its fun to watch him get that way! What is the going rate for the tooth fairy these days?

4. I am thankful for the internet. It has been a huge blessing in my life. I can quickly access information and recipes as well as stay in better touch with friends and family. It lets me share my journal (blog) with all of you!

5. I am thankful for my friends. It is interesting to look back on your life and see the types of friends you have had. Different friends for different stages of your life. After high school, it doesn't matter so much if you have older or younger friends than you; you seem to stick with people who are at the same stage of life as you. I am so thankful for all of my friends, past, present and future. I love spending time with them and thank them for their friendship!

Day of Rest

2010-11-07T21:52:00.002-07:00

Sundays are never a day of rest around here. Too much to do. Meetings to go to, shoes to find, meals to prepare, kids to wrestle and even shifts to work (every other Sunday). Some day, when I'm real old (or something) maybe it will be a restful day. Poor Blaine has to take the kids to church alone. He is such a great dad for them and great example too!

Today I am thankful for:

1. My sense of hearing. And my ears. Besides that fact that I think I'd look pretty funny without them, I'm so glad I'm able to hear. I love hearing my children's voices and love hearing the little songs they sing when they think nobody is listening. Ryan has started to do this and its so sweet! I'm thankful that I"m able to hear my patients at work when they thank me for caring for them. I'm even thankful that my ears hurt after wearing a mask all day because it means I have ears and they work!

2. I am thankful that I was born when I was. I would not have made a good pioneer. Well, maybe I would have but not one of the ones to travel across the prarie. I'd need to have been settled but I am so thankful for modern conveniences like electricity, telephones, running water, flush toilets, etc.

3. I am thankful for soft tissues and soft toilet paper. This may seem silly but after a few nose blows when you have a cold or bum wipes when you have diarrhea, you will really appreciate soft stuff. I wish the hospital that I worked at had softer tissues and toilet paper. After a while, toilet paper=razor blades. Or at least it feels like it. I am really thankful for the tissues with lotion or aloe and the extremely soft toilet paper. Kudos to the smarties to come up with those ideas!

4. I am thankful for disposable diapers. Again, the bad pioneer woman thing. And the born when I was thing. I know I can do cloth diapers. In fact, I should do cloth diapers. But, the modern convenience of disposable is so nice. Quite a luxury, in fact. Oh, and I'm thankful for baby wipes, too!

5. Now, this last one sounds selfish, but I'm thankful for bedtime. I mean my children's bedtime. As much as I love my kids, and I really do, I am thankful for the time of night that we get to say prayers, tuck them in, get drinks, go potty, turn on the music, say "Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite" and then give them kisses. THEN, I close the door and they stay put. In their own beds. And Blaine and I have some time together. I am thankful for all of that.

Changing Time

2010-11-06T22:00:00.007-06:00

*click on the picture above to read the whole thing*

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. The extra hour of sleep I'm planning on getting tonight. Although I don't really understand the need for daylight savings time now, I do enjoy the falling back part of it. I am thankful for that extra little hour of rest to help my body and mind renew for another day of work in the morning.

2. I'm thankful for running water. The other day my water was shut off by the city because of some construction they were doing up the street. I felt like "well, there is nothing I can do today because I have no water." Ridiculous, I know, but thats how I felt. Can't do dishes, can't wash clothes or scrub toilets. I felt slightly panicky when I came to the realization that if my water were shut off, the only way to get any would be through what I have stored. Scary!

3. I am thankful for my sense of sight. I am so thankful that there is modern medicine that can help me see better with the help of glasses or contact. I am thankful to be able to see the gorgeous fall colors that are all around me right now. I am thankful to be able to see my kids smiling faces when I walk in the door at night.

4. I am thankful for a sense of humor. It helps me to laugh when I really feel like crying and to help someone else laugh when they want to cry too.

5. I am thankful for chocolate. Sometimes when laughing won't keep you from crying, chocolate will. At least thats what I tell myself! Haha! Its my therapy.

Hard Work

2010-11-05T21:27:00.002-06:00

I want to be kissed like this someday. My husband knows this. I want to look as pretty in my nurse's uniform with shapely legs like hers someday too! Dream on, Jodi. Dream on!

Today I am thankful for:

1. My job. I am happy to be a nurse and I am very thankful to have a job. I am thankful to work at a place I like, with awesome friends to work with. I am thankful that I get to help others and use the knowledge I obtained in school. My job is a challenge to my brain every day. I love it!

2. My husband's jobs. Yep, I said jobs. Plural. I know we are lucky to have 3 jobs between us when some people don't even have one. I thank my Heavenly Father everyday that Blaine and I have such great jobs and that we work with such awesome people. I am thankful that Blaine works hard for us to help support me and our children.

3. I am thankful for my health. And sanity. (Whats left of it, anyway! Haha!) No really, I am so thankful that I am healthy enough to get up everyday and take care of myself, my kids, any one else's kids that come over and even other people. I am thankful for a body that does what I want it to (most of the time). I am thankful for a sound mind and a healthy body!

4. I am thankful for the people who stop to let me cross the street when I am coming or going to work. Thank you for not running me over. There have been times when I was sure the people weren't going to stop. To those of you who do, Thank you! My husband, children, family, friends and co-workers thank you too! It may seem like a small thing, but I don't like risking my life every day just to cross the street so I can go to work.

5. I am thankful for my vehicles. I am so thankful for two cars that work properly, that get me to where I need to go. I am thankful to those people who have fixed my cars when they don't work properly and I am thankful to those people, seen and unseen, who help keep my vehicles running. I know who you are and I am so thankful! It is a huge weight off my shoulders to know that when I get in the car, it will start and I will get there and back safely.

Digging carrots

2010-11-04T21:23:00.003-06:00

These are not my carrots. But I did dig up a big bucketful this afternoon (with the help of my hubby) and got them washed. They are resting on my counter. Drying. Waiting to be placed in bags so they can stay fresh in my refrigerator all winter long. Crisp and tasty! Mine looked amazing! A lot like those pictured above!

Things I'm thankful for today:

1. I am thankful that I have the space, motivation and excitement to garden. It was a rough year for our garden. We replanted some things once, some things twice! In the end, though, it is so worth it. I am grateful to have this time to "practice" gardening and hopefully figure out what works for us so that when the time comes "to do it for real" I'll be ready. Plus, gardening is almost free. Just a little sweat equity needed! This year I used two empty flowerbeds for my squash and cucumbers. It worked out great. I am grateful that I can plant tiny seeds and end up with delicious food for my family.

2. I am thankful for the knowledge I have of canning. I have canned and canned and canned AND canned this year. I was very blessed to have a plethora of fruits and vegetables come my way and be able to preserve them. I am still learning and consider this book my canning bible. It was lost for a while but I found it again and I feel so much more secure when I have it to use as a reference. I am thankful to all those people who have helped me can this year and to those who have taught me what I know. Thank you!

3. I am thankful for teachers. Especially elementary teachers. (I only have a child in elementary school, but I'm sure once he is in middle and high school I will greatly appreciate those teachers too!). I helped out in Garrett's class today for an hour or so. His teacher is awesome. She teaches and runs her class with what she calls "Love and Logic". Basically the kids learn that there is a consequence to every action, whether good or bad. Garrett is a different child this year. He is the student we knew he could be. It is wonderful to see his good grades come home, to not have a knock-down, drag-out bawling fight each night over homework, and to see him happy and excited for school. Thank you Mrs. Wheeler! No words can express how thankful I am for teachers like you!!

4. I am thankful for warm November afternoons. This day was gorgeous and I will enjoy it as long as I can. I love being able to send my kids out to play without a jacket on. It was 60 plus degrees today, sunny with no wind. Perfect! The fall colors are gorgeous and the leaves are falling. My burning bushes are on fire! I do not take these kinds of days for granted.

5. Finally, I am thankful for books. And for the people who write them. I am able to immerse myself into a story or a topic and either relax and escape or learn and grow. I am thankful for those people who take the time and effort to research topics so that I can be educated or entertained. I am thankful for authors who make their characters seem so real that I wonder what those characters are doing right now. (I know they aren't real. But they could be!). I am thankful for an author that describes a character so vividly and with such passion that I am almost shocked when I realize they are describing a real person-someone that I knew existed but didn't think much about-someone that I know exists and I work my hardest to avoid. If you are wondering what I'm talking about, you should read this book. And the 5 others that follow it.

Ok, enough for today. Can I tell you that I really love doing this? I am thinking all day of things I'm grateful for. I am grateful for that!

The Thanking Month

2010-11-03T18:15:00.004-06:00

Ok. My sister-in-law Kara posted this post the other day. I thought is was awesome and I'm going to copy her and try to do the same. I totally agree with Kara, though. I started reading NieNie Dialogues after stumbling across it from another web site. Wow! I was bawling my head off for days about my own selfishness. So, this excercise of thankfulness will be wonderful for me! So, the plan is for every day of November, I will post 5 things I'm grateful for. (Thanks Kara! Imitation is the best form of flattery!) Since I'm already 3 days behind, I'll just start with today.

November 3, 2010

1. I'm grateful for my husband. I can't imagine my life without him or with somebody else. I can very literally say he is my soulmate. When we first met, I felt like I had known him forever. I think we both knew, without saying anything to the other, that we would get married. He is the love of my life. He loves me and takes care of me like nobody else ever could! I love that he will wake me up before he leaves in the morning to kiss me goodbye and tell me he loves me. He always says "Love you!" before we hang up the phone too! He is one of the most important things in my life. I'm grateful to have him for eternity!

2. I'm grateful for each of my children. They are a gift from God to me. They make me laugh, they make me cry and sometimes they make me want to pull my hair out but in the end, I'd never given them up. I'd be a mama bear if anybody tried to hurt them. They say the funniest things. Just the other night I was clipping Garrett's toenails (gross, I know) and Ryan was kinda jumping on me at the same time. Garrett got all nervous and said, "You know, if you cut me with those things (clippers), Ryan owes me a toe." I totally busted up laughing. I love my kids!

3. I am grateful for my family. I love that I live close to them and that I get to see them all the time. It tears my heart up when we aren't getting along, which luckily we get along most of the time. I know that I can call on my family at any time and they will be there for me. I love them very much and hope they know it.

4. I'm grateful for Blaine's family. Bet some of you are surprised to hear that. I am really not quite the "outlaw" that I used to be and I really love and appreciate Blaine's parents and siblings. I know I can call on them at any time as well. I love you guys too!

5. Finally, I am grateful for my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I find a huge comfort and relief to know that I am never alone and that I can dump all my stress, fear, heartache, and pain on my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They comfort me and calm my wildly anxious heart. Again, cannot imagine my life without that knowledge.

Ok. These sound like really generic things to be grateful for. But everything I list comes from the deepest part of my heart. I have so much to be thankful for!

Halloween

2010-11-01T09:10:00.004-06:00

The day before Halloween we were going to take the kids to Trick-or-Treat street in town but the line was literally 1/2 mile long! We decided to go out to Beckie's house on the farm and take some pictures.

We loaded up the kids and took a 4-wheeler ride down the road to visit the neighbors. Bill & Janna were surprised to see us! The kids thought is was awesome. Kara was a good sport and rode in the trailer with the kids. I think we got some weird looks from the cars passing by.

The it was off to see Grandpa in the field. The little boys liked to trick-or-treat him because he had ice cream!!

All the kids with Grandpa. Ryan was obsessed with the tractor and would only hold still there.

It was getting dark so Doug followed us home in his pickup. He would rev the engine and the kids would scream, "Go faster! He is going to get us!"

Saturday was when we actually celebrated Halloween. We were in charge of the trunk or treat for our ward. We combined it with the other ward in our building and served hot chocolate and cider. It was a hit. People dressed up and decorated their trunks. Here is our friend Tyler. He is a hippie/Rasta sitting in the back of his VW bus. It has a mural painted on the side. Very cool!

I took the kids around and had to lead them in a parade. Very much out of my comfort zone!! It is fun to dress up, though!

Next, we went to my grandma's house to trick or treat her. I love that she lives so close and I have these pictures with her and my kids. My kids love going to her house.

Blaine wore this old man mask when he walked in. Grandma looked up and she wasn't expecting to see him like that. She jumped and screamed! Haha!

Blaine is giving her a kiss.

I think she liked it!!

Next, it was off to my parent's house for trick or treating with cousins and the brownies came. Jonah was superman, complete with the curl in his hair!

Beckie was a sexy, spidery witch thing!

Doug, Kara & Karston all dressed up like Shaggy, Velma and Scooby Doo. They even won a costume contest. So cute!

Halloween was so fun but I am so glad it is over! In between all of this I helped with Garrett's class party and Blaine, Garrett and I helped in the spook alley for the school carnival. Blaine was a very scary scarecrow and although I was just there to keep people from falling on their face after being scared by Blaine, I think I scared a few too. I was in the shadows, all dressed in black! Haha! Fun times!

Pre-Halloween Festivities

2010-10-31T09:31:00.005-06:00

The couple of weeks prior to Halloween are filled with lots of fun stuff for my kids.

We went to the pumpkin patch with friends to pick out the best pumpkin! Hannah, Ryan and Pearson are riding in the wagon as we collect pumpkins!

Porter came too! Hey bud, I think that pumpkin might be too heavy for you!

They had a straw maze and another smaller straw maze for the kids to play at. Here's T.J., Creedence and Hannah being silly.

The pedal tractors were a big hit with my kids, especially Ryan. He didn't like having to take turns to ride.

They had this cute spot to take pictures. Unfortunately, it was facing west and the sun was shining right on it. The day was gorgeous, warm and obviously sunny. The kids could hardly look up for a picture.

Last weekend, while I was a work, Blaine took the kids to have a party with the Jones cousins. Blaine's sister threw a very fun party with lots of games and candy. In the picture above are:

Back: Gavin, JaNene, Jolynn, Shawn, Christopher, Jordan

Front: Brandon, Taylor, Hannah, Isabel, Ryan, Garrett

Hannah has powder all over her face from playing a game of eating a donut on a string. Next came bingo with candy pieces.

They carved pumpkins earlier in the day and I was told it was a VERY fun time!! Blaine's sister JaNene wrote a Shirlock Holmes mystery theatre type story for the adults to play. Blaine said it was very fun. What a talented sister!!

A few days before Halloween, we got together with the Purcell cousins to carve pumpkins. Here is Jayson and Garrett cleaning out their pumpkin.

Cute Kara hard at work cleaning out her ginormous pumpkin. Doug's was even bigger!!

Brent used a power tool to carve his pumpkin. Smart.

Ok. Very unflattering picture of myself. I obviously used a knife to carve my pumpkin.

Here are our cute glowing pumpkins. Mine is the little vampire to the far right. What a fun couple of weeks with family and friends. Lots of stuff to do leading up to Halloween. I'm exhausted by the time it gets here but we really have so much fun!!

Slave Driver

2010-10-29T10:32:00.003-06:00

Here is a picture I took a few minutes ago. It is my kids washing walls. They were both given sponges and sent to work on the artwork that has appeared on my walls. I believe the culprit is someone a little younger but these two were happy to do the work *wink wink*.

This one helped a little too but seemed to be more efficient when he was sent to vacuum with the play vac. I'm just sick of a messy house. My kids love Halloween and there are lots of fun things to do this weekend...if the house is clean. Slave driver, I know, but its the same with every holiday. Or if we go to grandmas. Or a friend's house. The house has to be clean first.

That way we can get on to more fun things. Like making this guy!

My loves

2010-10-26T21:16:00.002-06:00

My loves...freshly bathed kids and freshly baked bread!

Late night snack

2010-09-25T23:12:00.002-06:00

Not even 1 hour after we finished dinner, Ryan wanted a before-bed snack. He even brought the snack to me that he wanted. Any guesses as to what a 22 month old wants for a snack? Its definitely not what I would choose...green beans.

Who's kid is this, anyway? He ate two bowlfuls of those beans. He was actually asking for more when I cut him off and made him go to bed. As much as I just wanted him to go to bed, I didn't have the heart to nip his good eating habits in the bud. Haha! He is actually our little candy man. He can sniff the candy out of any hiding spot. But if he wants green beans, by all means, baby, its green beans you shall have!

Canning fool

2010-09-22T09:01:00.005-06:00

I feel like I've been canning like crazy this summer and fall. And its not over yet. I have raspberries. So, I made jam. Earlier in the year, I made strawberry jam and syrup. (The syrup was an accident but it will taste awesome anyhow.) During the end of August, I bottled a total of 84 quarts of peaches!! That was divided by 4 people, who all helped, but still!

My sister-in-law Jenn went to Washington and brought us back boxes and boxes of peaches and pears. The peaches were huge! And so yummy! Here is one of the peaches in the box. It was ginormous!

It was dang near the size of my friend Lorna's head. Well, not quite but it sure seemed like it when we took it out of the box!

Our peaches turned out gorgeous. I love looking at my store room shelves and seeing bottles of yummy fruit to eat this winter. I especially love peaches and their season is short when you are eating them fresh.

One week later, I bottled 64 quarts of pears and made a batch of pear jam too! The pears were tasty and gorgeous as well. I love it when they are so white in the jar. The jam is divine as well. If you have never had pear jam, you must try some. It tastes like fresh pears. When my friends told me to try some, I thought it sounded gross but I have had a change of heart. Pear jam is my absolute favorite!

I'm not done canning, though. I was canning applesauce yesterday and have plans to do more. I bottled some mangoes earlier this summer too. I love the feeling of looking at my full shelves and seeing my hard work. It is really rewarding for me. So call me a canning fool. Yup, that's me. But, I'll be thinking of you as I eat my awesome fruit this winter!

Happy Birthday Hannah!

2010-09-19T21:50:00.004-06:00

Hannah celebrated her birthday a couple of weeks ago. She is the big number 4 now. I can't believe she is 4 already, although sometimes it feels like she is much older. When she was 2 or so, I took her in to the pediatrician's office for a well child check up. She looked up at him with her all-knowing eyes and he told me, "Wow! Look at her look at me with those all-knowing eyes. Makes her seem older than 2." I totally agreed with him. She is still that way most days.

Her birthday started off with a meowing surprise in the garage. My friend and neighbor had brought this little kitten over the night before as a gift for Hannah. I had no intentions of giving her a cat. We have 2 already. But, the second she saw this kitten, she knew it was hers. Forever. It is a little boy kitty. Hannah named him Jenny. I tried to tell her that this is a boy kitty and needed a boy name. Like Patches or Wolfie. (I really thought she'd go for Wolfie because she is really into the princess scene right now and that is the name of the boy cat on her Barbie Princess & the Pauper movie. No go.) So we now have Jenny, the tomcat. Although today as I write this, Hannah tells me that kitty is named Seraphina. (The girl cat from the same movie.)

Hannah went to dance and got to hand out treats to her classmates. She thought that was great fun. Then we came home and I had plans to bake her cake. My plans were to just do a simple 2 layer cake with pink frosting and candles. (The thought of decorating a cake gives me anxiety.) But in the end, we ended up with this princess crown cake. Its sad, I know. Thats what I get for a last minute idea. And whatever possessed me to place it on a plate that has edges with an incline, I'll never know. But, in the end, Hannah loved it and that is all that matters. I am not a professional baker and never will be but as long as my kids are happy then I'm happy. Those are sugar cookies around the edges decorated (with help from the birthday girl) with M&M's and Jolly Ranchers.

My family came over for Hannah's party that evening and she got lots of great presents from everyone! She is now well dressed and has lots of makeup and fingernail polish (thanks Beckie!) to go with it. Is giving a 4 year old makeup a good idea? We'll soon see! Anyway, Hannah also received this doll from Mommy & Daddy. She was one happy little girl that day. She has slept with that doll every day since. She got some awesome toys from Grandma & Grandpa and made a haul in money as well. Thanks everyone for the gifts and for your love and support on her special day!

Preschool's Cool!

2010-09-09T08:27:00.004-06:00

Hannah started pre-school last week. Its a neighborhood/mom run affair with only 6 kids. We moms take turns teaching for a week at a time (2 days a week only). Hannah was so excited to start "school" just like Garrett. Each week focuses on a certain letter, number, shape & color among other things. Above is Hannah's painting on her first day. If you look closely, you can see they worked on the letter "A".

When Garrett came home from school that night, he asked Hannah what she did at pre-school. She told him they learned about letters, sang ABC's, learned about numbers, snipping (cutting), and did painting. Garrett's immediate response was, "Hey! No fair! We don't get to paint at all this year!" And this is probably true. There were no paints in his school supplies. Apparently there is no painting in the 3rd grade. I'm sure there will be lots of other fun things to do.

I really never thought I'd put my kids in pre-school. Garrett didn't go and he has done fine in school. I feel a little bad because Hannah will miss the school deadline by 7 days. I'm secretly a little worried that she'll be more than ready to go and by the time she does go to school, she'll be bored. I guess we'll just see what happens. For now, she is loving pre-school, loving the activities and the social fun. I am loving the 2 hrs a day with only Ryan and he usually naps during that time! Yes, preschool is cool!

Garrett's baptism

2010-09-06T16:12:00.002-06:00

Garrett was baptized on Saturday September 4th. It was a gorgeous day with lots of family there. Blaine's family was all able to be there as well as my family. It was an exciting day for Garrett.

Look at that big grin! He was so excited. I felt bad because there was one little boy there who is so scared of water that he didn't want to get baptized. He finally decided to be brave and go ahead with it. Poor kid!

Family picture afterwards. Hannah did not want to cooperate. Ryan has no shoes and socks on because he felt the need to run around and be wild afterwards. Garrett is just happy to be there and have it overwith!

Thanks to all who came and to all who helped! It really was a great day!

1st Day of School

2010-09-06T15:14:00.004-06:00

School started for Garrett on August 30th this year. He is in the 3rd grade. His teacher is Mrs. Wheeler (and we are thrilled she is his teacher!).

Last year was rough. Blaine and I were exhausted by the end of school. We were tired of trying to pass the 2nd grade!

This year will be better! Garrett's friends are in his class this year and his teacher is calm and organized, caring and firm. This will be a great year!

Good luck, Bud! (Doesn't he look thrilled?)

Summer Fun

2010-08-19T20:30:00.004-06:00

This summer has been fun. Lots of water activities. Beckie and I took the kids to Rigby Lake last week (for the 2nd time, actually). We wanted one more trip before winter sets in! Ok, fall then. But it feels like winter! Garrett found this huge rock on the edge of the lake and was trying to pry it up. I only envisioned bloody, broken toes. That child is tan, though!

My little man, Ryan. Look at those tan arms and that white chest! He usually wears his swim shirt but I couldn't find it and I was kind of in a hurry. Oh well, thats what they made sunscreen for. Here he is eating cheese crackers. Later, he carries them down to the sand and liberally sprinkles sand in the box. There is still crackers in the box now. It is in my pantry. Eat them at your own risk. Taste good...a little sandy.

The last time we went to Rigby lake, we took Terresa, Remi, Jayson, Liam & Jonah with us. They couldn't make it this time. I forgot my camera last time so I have no pictures of them. *Sigh* Anyway, it was really warm last time. This time-breezy and cooler. The water was cold. See Porter? He is not enjoying the water. He didn't ever enjoy the water this time!

Hannah has become my little poser. She won't just smile for a picture. If she knows you are taking it, she has to pose. She's a funny, burpin', fartin', princessey girl. She'll make you laugh.

That kid is tan too!

Me, hanging out in the water with my kiddos. Ryan was none too happy right then, although he was trying to be tough. Just minutes before, I had been standing in the shallow water, taking pictures and I looked down and he was floating face down in the water, kicking his feet and flailing his arms. I reached down and yanked him out of the water. His eyes were wide open and he was sputtering. He had been standing right next to me in about knee-high water (for him) and I'm not sure what happened. Either he leaned over too far in the water and fell, or a little wave knocked him down. Oh well. He is fine and my heart was pumping. Scary! But, he was a trooper and went back out in the water with me.

Overall, we had a fun time. Glad we did it before summer was over. The kids had fun and keep asking when we can go back. Next summer, kids!

Beans

2010-08-09T13:52:00.009-06:00

Beans, beans, the magic fruit.

The more you eat...

Oh wait, wrong kind of bean. Hehe...

This weekend, Blaine and I went to Burley to pick beans from his dad's farm. His dad is growing Blue Lake green beans for seed. These beans are grown as you would any garden green bean, then let go to seed and harvested for the seeds.

At the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, Blaine's mom, Evelyn, and his sisters Shareese and Rachelle were kind enough to get up with us and go pick the beans. Shareese stayed home with my kids, got them dressed, fed them breakfast and even made breakfast for us! Thanks guys!!

We picked around 5 1/2 bushels of beans in 2 hrs. Speedy!! There were lots of mosquitos and dragonflies in the field. I have more than my fair share of mosquito bites around my ankles! I have never seen so many dragonflies as were in this field. Swarms of them!!

After picking the beans and eating some breakfast, we were on our way home. We had a full day of canning ahead of us!

My Grandma Purcell came over to help snip and cut beans, along with my sister, Beckie. You can see by this picture that its early in the day. There are still smiles.

Hannah and Garrett were good helpers as well. Hannah washed bottles and Garrett snipped and cut beans. While Garrett does a great job, I don't trust my (almost) 4 year old with sharp knives just yet.

Hannah improvised a stool so she could reach the sink. She is standing on her little bathroom stool atop our overnight bag that we took to Burley.

Doug and Kara came by later to continue to help snip and cut beans. Thanks guys!

Later as the night wore on, Doug became the babysitter for tired kiddos.

18+ hours and just under 200 pints of beans later, we're done! Whew! Thanks to everyone who helped get this huge process finished. Its a lot like the corn we did last year but I'm glad we'll have it to eat this winter, although I don't think I can look at another bean for a while.

Mommy & Me

2010-08-02T21:28:00.004-06:00

Hannah and I had a girls day last week. We went and got mommy/daughter pedicures. The nail place we went to had a special kid's chair for pedicures. They played a Barbie movie while Hannah got her nails done. She got her fingernails painted to match her toes. It was very fun and very relaxing for me. (Click on the picture to check out our awesome toes!)

We came home and put "fae-wees" (fairies) up on Hannah's bedroom wall. A while back I bought these wallpaper cutouts that you stick up on the walls and can remove whenever without ruining the paint. Hannah thought it was very fun to stick them up all over her room. Definitly gives it a more girly feel in there. Hannah put these three together over her bed because "they are friends."

What a fun time Hannah and I had together! I hope that as she get older, she will continue doing mommy/daughter things together. Right now, at least, she still thinks I'm cool!

New Pictures

2010-07-26T21:50:00.002-06:00

We got new family photos taken just after we returned from Bear Lake. For a peek at some of them, go here. Enjoy!

Funny Feet

2010-07-17T21:48:00.003-06:00

Ryan is in copycat mode. He copies whatever anyone is doing. His other little quirk right now is that he likes to wear Hannah's dress-up shoes. Its funny to see this little man clip-clopping around the house in pink high heels!

Flip-flops and feet pajamas! Excellent!

Super cool glasses and those light-up flip flops again!

He even manages to get the shoes on the right feet!

Its a cute phase. I'm enjoying the laughs!

A Little Family Vacation

2010-07-12T13:07:00.009-06:00

Last week my family took a little vacation to Bear Lake. We reserved a campsite just down the road from Minnetonka Cave, borrowed some jet ski's from a family friend, and headed to the Utah/Idaho border for some family fun!

This event is noteworthy for many reasons, mainly because we had so much fun! Secondly, though, my family has not taken a vacation together in 15 years! Thats right!! 15 years. Our last big trip together was to San Diego California and my sister was in the 7th grade back then!!

Anyway, there was lots to do at the campground. We got set up and my children immediately set out to see how dirty they could get. And they were DIRTY! Oh well, camping, right?

There were a few mosquitoes at the campground. No problem, though. Brent and Terresa brought their handy-dandy hand held bug zapper. Fun for all! Just don't put your tongue on there!

While both my brothers brought their campers, we stayed the old-fashioned way. Here is our home sweet home.

Hannah wasted no time getting cozy in the tent. Liam was there to give support. They both thought it was very cool that our tent had 2 rooms. Ooooh...

There was a creek that ran through the campground and there was fishing not far away. Chet and the boys went everyday, twice a day. Here is Jayson with his trophy catch. (Covered with dirt and leaves). We cooked this fish in the fire and the kids ate it. My kids love fish, luckily!

Little boys + fire = a crazy light in their eyes and an awakening of their inner pyro. Garrett is holding Brent's fire starter. It looks like a long rifle or shotgun. The little boys couldn't wait to start burning things. They even boiled an egg in a cup in the fire.

Poor Ryan. My little wanderer. He would not stay in camp and I was constantly saying, "Where's Ryan?" Then everybody would have to go look for him. He followed anybody anywhere. We put him in the stroller, the playpen, the tent and still he would wander. He is just a little explorer. Finally, we could not take anymore worrying. The campground was starting to get busier and more cars were driving by. I was scared he would get hit by a car, so we tied him to the pole in camp. He had 50 feet of rope to walk with but as soon as he knew he was tied to something, he started whining and saying "stuck". Thats right buddy. You are stuck.

We went to the lake on Thursday and Friday. So much fun! My family had never been there. It is a really under-advertised place where we are from. Most of the people I know from Idaho Falls have never been there. We love it. We will be back! Here is Hannah and Liam in their "bathtub" as they called it.

Garrett enjoying a snack. Playing hard makes one hungry.

Not the most flattering picture of me but proof, once again, that I was actually there.

Hannah and Kara working on their sand castle.

The water was a wee bit chilly but not too bad once you got used to it. The babies preferred to stay on the beach, though. Here is Ryan and Karston playing in a mud puddle. Any tips on getting ground-in sand out of swimming suits?

Ryan got filthy and had to be washed off periodically. We borrowed 3 jet skis and they were a blast. Friday the water was a little choppy and you got a hard, bumpy ride. Fun! I felt it the next day, though!

See those dark clouds behind them? They weren't kidding. We got rained out Friday evening. At first it was a gentle rain but it soon turned to high winds and hard, pelting rain with sand. OUCH! We had already started to pack up but the rain really got us moving.

After we got back to camp and got cleaned up (kinda), we ate S'mores and sat around the campfire. Beckie made a double decker S'more. I think she is really enjoying it.

My dad brought his guitar and sang songs for us. The kids loved it. Hannah sang with him and danced to the music.

What a dirty kid! She was so filthy!

Who are those tired, dirty, sore people?

What a blast! My family had a great time. It was fun and relaxing for all, I think. Must be cuz my family is already talking about coming back next year! Yay!!!

Girls (Late) Night Out

2010-06-30T17:16:00.003-06:00

Last night my sister and I went to the midnight premier of the new Twilight movie, Eclipse. We are not die-hard Twilight fans. Beckie had not even seen any of the movies or read the books when we bought the tickets. It was a sweet set-up, though. We bought our tickets through a local charity and part of the ticket proceeds go to that charity. That got us reserved seating (no waiting in line!) and t-shirts. We picked up a friend and headed to the movie. Our theater had a raffle of awesome prizes (massages, facials, gift certificates and Twilight stuff) and my friend Lorna won a cool hat! It was good fun and nice to get out, even if it was at midnight!

My sister had to work this morning and I babysat her kid. She brought me this present this morning. I'm happy to say I haven't had to drink it today. I feel great! I might need it tomorrow, though...

Garrett is EIGHT!

2010-06-29T09:50:00.007-06:00

Garrett turned 8 on Sunday, June 27th. He is such a sweet boy! Here he is all ready for church. You can't really see it but I got him a CTR pin for his tie. He was very excited about it.

Instead of birthday cake, he requested brownies and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Yum! We made brownies on Friday at the reunion and he requested the same thing again on Sunday at my parent's house. This is definitely my kid...brownies over cake anyday! Here he is with his cousin, Sean (sorry if its misspelled), picking candles out of his brownies.

When we got home Saturday, we went shopping for his present. He got to pick it out. He knew he was getting a new bike. He chose it. We went in the bike shop and the guy asked what he wanted. Garrett told him he wanted a bike with gears and shocks. The guy asked if he liked the color red. (Red is Garrett's favorite color and he told us on the way to the store that he hoped he could get a red bike!). Garrett's eyes got wide and he grinned and nodded, "yes". He took this baby for a test ride and it was love! Haha!

He is one cool kid in his sunglasses. His 2nd front tooth is almost grown in too! He is such a good kid and a good helper too. He is quite the tease (like his dad) but is so good with Hannah and Ryan. He is pretty easy going and is willing to try anything...once.

He begged me and begged me to mow the lawn. "Dad lets me do it all the time!" he tells me. Ok, I think. He's gotta learn sometime, eh? He drove our other one all the time. So I mowed the edges and let him go on the front lawn (under my close supervision, of course).

He did great! He was cautious and did a perfect job! He wanted to listen to the ipod while he was mowing, like Blaine does, but I told him until he had been mowing lawn for 30 years and he knew his mower inside out and all its little sounds, that he could not wear the earphones and listen to music. He said OK. Anything to get on that mower! Then he asked me how old dad was. Hmmm... Smart kid.

After he had mowed the whole front lawn, he got off the mower, came up to me and said, "That was awesome! Dad never lets me mow that much!!" Thats right, mom's the cool one!! Haha!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUD!

Jones Family Reunion

2010-06-26T17:37:00.008-06:00

This week we went to Burley for Blaine's family reunion. It was such a fun time and the weather was great! The night before the "official" start date of the reunion, most of the family had gathered at Blaine's parent's home. The kids were roasting marshmallows and the adults were enjoying the nice weather (for a change). Ryan found his favorite toy on the deck. A jumping horse! I put him on and he went to town on that thing! No fear baby! Ride 'em cowboy!

Ryan even took his cousin, Taylor for a ride on the horse. Ride 'em cowkids! She is a lot more hesitant on the horse than Ryan is. He is all boy!

Garrett had fun roasting marshmallows and eating them but found out later what happens when you eat one or four too many. Marshmallows revisited! :( Garrett felt better after that but spent the night on the couch. Blaine stayed in the house with him and ended up sleeping on the floor. Not a comfortable option. I stayed outside in our tent with Ryan and Hannah and spent a very chilly night out there. It wasn't until the next day that I realized our "moon view" window was open and was letting the breeze blow right through the tent. BRRRR!! I didn't sleep much that night. I sent a text to Blaine at around 2 am that said: I'm cold. Hannah crawled in bed with me around 4 am and together we got warm. So, not much sleeping was done that night. Oh well, cuz the next day was so much fun!

We reserved an awesome place called Harris Pond in Burley. It is a man-made pond/play area that was developed by a sweet family. It is right in their back yard! They have canoes, paddle boats, a fountain, an island in the pond with a walkway to get there, swings into the pond, a slide and even a zip line over the pond! They built an awesome shelter with picnic tables, counters, sink, refrigerator and even speakers built in for music. This place was truly a little bit of heaven. Blaine and Jason wasted no time getting on the water!

Here is a picture of the zip line tower and slide into the pond. That is Clifton and Reagan getting ready to zip over the pond. I think Reagan dropped into the pond that time. Sorry about the pictures. I don't have a SMOKIN' camera like my sister-in-law, Jenn. Her pictures rocked!

Here is Garrett and Jordan in the canoe. I took the picture from the walkway that goes to the island in the pond. Garrett spend a lot of time on the water. He loved it!

They had kiddie toys and pools set up for the little ones. It was so nice knowing that Hannah and Ryan (for the most part) were on the grass, playing in the water or in the playhouse.

Here is the swing. They are getting ready to give Christopher a push over the pond. Those guys could really get swinging high! That swing is held up by two telephone poles! It was impressive.

After lunch, the owner of the pond brought out his kiddie train. The kids thought this was awesome. Hannah would only ride with Blaine but Ryan jumped right in. He rode once with Reagan and once with Garrett and then cried and cried when he had to get out!

The train was pulled by a golf cart. He took them all around and back. You could see those kids smiling from far away! Very cool!

Because I'm usually the one taking the pictures, there are never any of me in them. So, I took this one of myself to prove I was there.

Friday, after another not-so-great night (air mattress gone flat) we went to the mountains south of Twin Falls and rode 4-wheelers. Blaine took the boys for a ride up to the lookout on the mountain. They loved it. Garrett can't wait until he is big enough to ride the 4-wheeler by himself.

My men, back from their ride!

Jolynn took Hannah and Isabel for a ride as well. Hannah loved it too! It was such a fun time and the weather was perfect. Not too hot, although the back of my neck did get a little burned. Oh well. We had such a great time at the family reunion! Thanks to Shareese and Tyanna for organizing it. Until next time...

Bear Lake: A preview

2010-06-11T12:32:00.002-06:00

Because I get a little neurotic about details and because we needed to get away, we took a little trip to Bear Lake yesterday. I wanted to check out our campsite that I had reserved for my family (parents, brothers and sister along with myself). I wanted to make sure all of our "stuff" would fit in the space allotted to us. I loose sleep over parking spaces and such...

Anyway, we drove to Bear Lake through Wyoming. It was a gorgeous drive that takes you through Star Valley. It seems weird to start traveling north to end up south, but oh well. It rained the entire way. We got to our campsite just in time for a terrific hailstorm and a huge downpour. The weather did give us a break long enough to get out, look around and snap a few pictures. The kids loved it. I did not love the mud.

Ryan did not want to pose for any pictures. That would slow him down from his muddy pursuits.

Next we drove around the lake some, just looking and getting an idea of what was available. The kids were restless, so we let them get out at the North beach and run up to the water. There is probably a quarter mile of just sand before you get to the water. The wind was blowing very hard so the water was really choppy. It was COLD too! Not just the water, the wind. Needless to say, we didn't stay very long.

Around the east side of the lake, there are some private properties mixed in with the park. This is a cute playhouse we saw at one of the properties. The Old Woman's shoe and her children too!

Have you ever had the realization that you have lived somewhere your whole life and never knew something existed? That was me yesterday. We stopped in Soda Springs and saw the geyser. I never knew it was even there. Granted, I don't live there but I've lived in Idaho my whole life. You would think I'd have a clue. Anyway, the kids thought it was awesome and you can walk around the whole thing. They have capped it and put it on a timer so it goes off every hour.

Hannah and Garrett were not fond of the sulfur smell. They both told me, while pointing to the stream that runs under the boardwalk, "It smells like fart over there!" I couldn't help but laugh. I told them thats what geysers smell like. They weren't impressed.

The Princess Party

2010-06-02T17:21:00.002-06:00

Hannah was invited to a Princess Tea Party given by my sister-in-law, Kara. Hannah was sooo excited to go and had been looking forward to it for a while. She got all dressed up and on the way she said, "There is no boys at this party." Yup, princesses only! Anyway, she had a great time and loved her prizes! Thanks Kara! Check out the pictures here.

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T10:48:00.004-06:00

Memorial Day weekend this year was full of lots of family time. Blaine's sisters, Rachelle and Shareese came to visit. On Saturday it was raining like crazy but we went shopping instead. We went to the Prepared Pantry in Rigby, we stopped off at the D.I. and went to the Army Surplus Store. Obviously we were shopping for random items!

Sunday we went to a BBQ at my Grandma Cook's house. The weather was great (not super warm, though) and the kids played outside. Garrett and Jayson shot BB guns. They were getting pretty good with that thing!

Hannah and Liam rode around in the wagon as long as someone would pull them. Ryan even gave it a try. Hannah wasn't too excited to get her picture taken, though.

Ryan had a good time as always!

Monday, we went to the Ammon Cemetary and saw the American Legion raise the flag and do their presentation. This is the headstone of my older brother, Jayson, who died before I was born.

My Grandpa Purcell's grave is just in front of Jayson's. This is the first time in about 11 years that I have not been working on Memorial Day. It was really nice to go visit the graves and spend time with family.

Here the American Legion is just getting ready to raise the flag to half mast.

Afterwards we had a BBQ at my parent's house. It was nice enough that the kids ate outside and then played out there most of the day.

Later, my dad and Doug played their guitars and sang. The babies were dancing and clapping. After each song, Hannah would say, "Play another one Grandpa!"

Hannah and my mom in the rocking chair, listening to my dad.

Overall, it was a great weekend spent with lots of family. I'm so grateful that I could spend the weekend, safely with my family.

Backyard fun!

2010-05-25T12:32:00.002-06:00

A few weekends ago my Dad told me he had a surprise for my kids. So, on Saturday Blaine and Garrett went with Doug and my Dad to get the surprise. There was some assembly required (well dis-assembly first). They brought it out to the back yard and we started spray painting.

Then the assembly part started. Its taking shape and my kids were ecstatic!!!

Yay! A swing set! My grandma's old swing set to be exact. The swing set needed some repair but my handy Dad welded a few places and with some paint, its good as new. Only one of the original swings was salvageable. The other was torn. (They are made of conveyor belt material and can support even the heaviest rear end!). We got another swing and a baby swing so all three kids can swing together. Thanks Dad for getting the swing workable again and thanks to Grandma for letting us have it!

The kids all love to swing high. Even Ryan. He just laughs and laughs.

Its a good thing he is belted in or I'd be nervous that he'd fall out. When we first bought our home, the back yard was not very kid friendly. No toys. Then we got a trampoline. Then a basketball hoop, now a swing set. We got a hand-me-down playhouse as well and now our backyard is the place to be!! My kids want to be outside every second of the day. Hannah's new phrase is "Swing me high, mom."

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-05-16T21:27:00.002-06:00

I had an awesome birthday this year. Usually I'm happy to get my birthday over with and move on with my life and last year I could have done without a birthday all together but his year was different.

First, Blaine threw me a surprise birthday party the day before my actual birthday. Yay me, I showed up late to my own party. In my defense, I was doing something that my husband encouraged me to do but I don't think he thought I'd be as late as I was. Also, he told my family to show up at 6:30 pm and to everyone's surprise, they were ON TIME! Haha! Yup, my family usually trickles in for events.

Anyway, I got there and everyone was wearing party hats and they started singing Happy Birthday to me as I walked in the door. It was awesome. My family sings Happy Birthday with 4 part harmony. Its a wonderful sound.

Blaine got me this special crown with pink feathers. It says Happy Birthday and lights up in the middle. Hannah was jealous and only let me wear it for a few pictures!

This is as I was just walking in the door. Ryan ran to me and couldn't wait to get rid of his hat. I started bawling when they all started singing to me.

Everyone had a party hat. Even the babies. My sister made me a wonderful cake called an Eclair cake. No cake, just Graham crackers, pudding and frosting. It was delish!

The next day was my birthday and I started the day out right with a trip to the dentist for a cleaning. What was I thinking when I scheduled that?? Oh well, no cavities! The day was great, though. I went to lunch with my Grandma Purcell, went shopping for clothes with my hubby (what a good sport!) and then went to a concert. It was the Teton Chamber Orchestra with guest performer Jon Schmidt. It was a very cool concert. Blaine was worried it would be all classical stuff and that he would fall asleep but Jon Schmidt was very good and catered to all the husbands that got dragged to a "piano concert". He even had his dad come up on stage and tell jokes.

No, this is not how we dressed for the concert (although I was surprised and how casual most people were. I must be of an old school mentality that tells me to dress nice for concerts and other things.) Blaine and I went to the 2nd chance prom with some friends a few days before my birthday. Fun, Fun, Fun!

OK, I know you are sick of hearing about my birthday but I just had a really good day and wanted to tell you all about it! Thanks to my sweetheart, Blaine, for making the day so awesome. Also, thanks to my mom for keeping my kids so much that weekend. Thanks to my family for all you do for me. Love you all!

Night at the E.R.

2010-05-04T21:18:00.003-06:00

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DISCLAIMER! MEDICAL-TYPE PICTURES AHEAD! NO BLOOD BUT PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!
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I had to put that first bit up there in case any of you get queasy when it comes to medical procedures. Anyway, last Monday night, Blaine was out in our shed, working on our rototiller and he accidentally splashed gasoline in his eye. He came into the house and flushed it out but we thought it might be a good idea to have it checked out in the E.R. The gas splashed in his right eye luckily. I say luckily because he has had a cornea transplant in his left eye.

Anyway.....

They tested the pH of his eye. It should be a 7. His was about a 6 1/2. That meant he had to have his eye flushed out some more.

He layed down on the stretcher and they put a bunch of towels under his head. The plan was to put a Morgan's lens in his eye and run saline in it until it was sufficiently flushed out. They were very nice and numbed his eye first.

Blaine thought he could put the lens in himself but its really big so the nice nurse had to help. I was taking picures on my phone the whole time and she probably thought it was really annoying. I couldn't help myself. I wanted to document the process!

The saline is running into his eye and flushing it out. Blaine said it felt really cold and wished the fluid was warmed. Oh well. After this bag of fluid, they would retest the pH of his eye and he might have to have another bag of fluid. We would get them to warm it then. Luckily, the pH was right on and he could go home. After some antibiotic ointment in his eye, we were on our way home.

This is the Morgan's lens. It looks like a great big contact lens but it is very rigid and sits right on your eye. After being checked out with his eye doctor the next day, all is well and his eye will be fine. I'm very thankful for that!

Ryan @ 15 months

2010-05-03T12:17:00.008-06:00

Ryan is almost 18 months old. We had his pictures taken in March. Our photographer was Lindsey Briggs. I found out about her from my sister. She did an amazing job with Ryan and was so patient. He didn't really want to hold still, so she followed him around and just snapped pictures the whole time. She got some really great shots of his "real" facial expressions. I plan to have her take our family photos in May (if it ever warms up!). You can take a look at some of her other work here.

I love this picture. It makes me laugh and gets one his "mean" faces. He's a pretty happy boy most of the time but when he is cranky, look out! That usually means it is time for a nap (like in the picture above!)

He is getting so big and has the longest eyelashes! At his last checkup he weighed in at 21 pounds, 6 ounces. (15th percentile). His height is 30 1/4 inches (also 15th percentile). He is my smallest of my kiddos. But, don't forget the huge noggin on this kid! Haha! 49 1/2 cm = 97th percentile!!

This is a view of him I see everyday. I love it! His communication skills are growing daily. His first real word was "Hannah" and his vocabulary includes but is not limited to, Garrett (hard to say), mom, dad, cat, up, more, woof, banana, no-no, car, yes, that, grandma and grandpa. He also says, "here kitty, kitty" and curls up his fingers to call the cat. He is pretty consistent at signing "please" and "thank-you" (the only two signs I have taught him). He will say phrases that will make you say, Did he just say that? I think he did but I'm not sure! Haha!

Ryan is up and running everywhere. He thinks he is as big as Garrett and Hannah. He has discovered the outdoors and begs to be out there every minute. He is a runner though, runaway that is. Our back yard is not enclosed by the fence and he has figured out ALL the escape routes (even the small opening on the edge of our shed). This little boy is going to make me finish the fence! He loves books, balls, or anything with wheels. If he can push it around, he's a happy camper! He's a fun, busy little guy and we just love him!

Better Late Than Never

2010-04-29T20:23:00.003-06:00

For the entire month of April, I had some really cute things to post. Then, our computer started acting up and wouldn't charge and ended up in the shop for some minor surgery and a new part (which was back ordered, of course). Anyway, I finally got my computer back and decided to

post our Easter egg pictures. Better late than never, eh?

We colored eggs the week prior to Easter because Garrett was spending the week of Easter (his spring break) with Blaine's parents in Burley.

Instead of boiling eggs and keeping them in the fridge, we blow the middle out and color the shell. You just poke a small hole in either end of a raw egg and blow.

And blow some more.

And you just keep blowing until all the yolk and white are out. Its easier if the yolk is broken before you do this. Also, try not to burst a blood vessel in your forehead (as Garrett looks like he is about to!)

Even little kids can do this. My kids had a great time! They had an even better time dyeing the eggs. We like to write our names or cute messages on the egg in crayon before you color it and then you can see who did which egg.

Growing up in cold Idaho spring, we used to dump our used dye in the snow drifts at our house. There was no snow this year when we dyed our eggs. The blizzard came about 6 days later! Gotta love Idaho!!!

Blaine's Birthday

2010-03-31T09:52:00.005-06:00

Blaine's birthday was March 19th. (I know I'm slow at posting this. We've been having computer issues-but all is well today!) Anyway, Blaine's cousin Jason and his wife Sarah and their 3 kids came up for the weekend. We were so excited to have them visit. Their kids' ages almost exactly match our kids' ages so they had a great time playing together. For Blaine's birthday dinner, Blaine requested to have steak and baked potatoes. I made this recipe. It was sooo good! We had beans and corn with it. I was so happy to have someone over who likes corn. My kids won't eat it. Remember how much corn I did last fall?

Blaine requested Dr. Pepper cake for his birthday. It doesn't look like much but it is quite yummy and very moist. It is a chocolate cake and the icing is a lot like ganache-you just pour it on warm. It oozes down the sides and is quite a gooey wonderfulness!

Saturday we took the kids to the river to feed the ducks and geese. Sadly, Sarah had to stay home with their baby, who was not feeling too well. The kids and I made popcorn to feed to the ducks. Making popcorn this way is fun. The kids are anxiously awaiting the first pop of kernels!

Here is Hannah, Garrett and Lucy. I must say, Hannah and Lucy could be sisters. They have the exact same hair color and consistency and from behind you probably couldn't tell who is who (other than Lucy is taller!)

The kids were so excited to feed the ducks. There are hundreds of them and when you start throwing food, they come swimming right to you! Here is Lucy, Colin (hiding behind), Garrett & Hannah with their bag of popcorn.

The ducks and geese have quite the refined palate. They really preferred bread over popcorn and luckily we brought some of that too. There were seagulls all around too so Blaine thought it would be great to see if they would catch the bread out of the air. He started throwing pieces of bread up in the air in front of the bird's flight path. There was one seagull that caught on. He would fly in a large circle and come back around and catch the bread in the air. Kinda exciting. (Cheap entertainment!)

Here is our view across the river. Beautiful!

Here's the little twins, Hannah and Lucy. The great part about the river is you can get right to the edge to feed the ducks without too much anxiety about falling in.

We had a great time at the river (even if it was a little chilly)!

We had a fun weekend our kids were so sad when Jason and Sarah left. Blaine's birthday weekend was filled with lots of food, fun and great friends/family!

The Sweetest Thing...

2010-03-06T22:01:00.012-07:00

Today was Hannah's first dance recital (of sorts). They performed at the Eastern Idaho Dance Showcase at Shelley High School. There were lots of different dance studios there to perform. Hannah's class (they called them mini's) danced very first. It was their jazz dance and they performed to "Footloose". Thanks to Beckie for letting us borrow your video camera and super thanks to Rachelle for doing the filming for us!! It was just so cute and I was laughing the whole time because those little girls are just so cute!! They worked so hard and were giving their all.

Hannah is in the back row, center court in this video:

The second dance was literally The Sweetest Thing! The girls danced to "Dancing with Cinderella". Their dads danced with them. I had seen them practice and watched from the side but this was the first time I'd seen it from the front. This routine was definitely a crowd favorite. Not a dry eye to be found. The girls were so cute and sweet and so happy to have their daddy there to dance with them. Listening to the words to the song makes it all the better. Blaine was such a good sport about the whole thing. Thanks sweetie!! So, without further ado:

What goes on in the mind of a 7 year old boy?

2010-02-22T14:29:00.003-07:00

Ever wonder what is going on in the mind of a 7 year old boy? Me neither, until now.
Garrett came down the hall the other day, asking for tape to put up some signs he made.

This is the sign on his door. "No girls allowed" is what it says. Then he tells me, "Except that doesn't mean you, mom. Only Hannah." Hmmm....

Here is what he put on Hannah and Ryan's door. "No dogs allowed." You can tell its a dog because he drew it saying "Woof!" We don't have a dog. Wonder what this sign means?
I'll have to say, though, these signs made me laugh. I can only imagine the sign he would put on my door. Maybe it will say, "No kids allowed!" Haha!

The Sickness Chronicles

2010-02-12T21:29:00.005-07:00

DISCLAIMER: I am not whining. I am just journaling. Cuz heaven knows this is the only sort of journaling I do with any sort of regularity.

2010 isn't starting out to be a very healthy year for me and my family. We started the New Year off with a bang! Ear infections for both Hannah and Ryan! They both also had some sort of respiratory illness that caused them to wheeze. Neither one has asthma but I'm not really surprised about the wheezing. Garrett used to wheeze whenever he got sick. SO-that means 10 days of antibiotics for both kids along with 7 days of steroids for the wheezing. Now, if you've never had a kid on steroids, well, its like having a kid on steroids. They get hyper and grouchy and MEAN! (At least my kids do).

Well, we got through that and just as I was envisioning sailing through the year without any more illness, I got laryngitis. This malady, although relatively painless, is quite annoying. When you try to speak louder, less sound comes out. I had to take a class for work where you have to take turns running codes (being in charge of a code blue if someone stops breathing or their heart stops beating) and my group kept saying "Speak up! We can't hear you!" Annoying, I tell you!!

After coasting through a couple of sickness-free weeks, here were are again. Kids have colds (to be expected this time of year) but I am sick once again. First its just a scratchy throat, then its headed to be a cold, but my illness turned ugly last night. Can I tell you how lovely it is to wake at 4:00 am with your left eye swollen to the size of a golf ball with the added bonus that it is matted shut. PINK EYE! Yipee Skippy! So yet another doctor's visit for the Jones family-and to top it off, my cold has turned to bronchitis. Cough yourself silly, Jodi!

Blaine had swine flu in October. Today he just blows a kiss in my general direction. He has stayed healthy since October. Garrett has stayed healthy too. Mostly its just me that is sick. Maybe I should start wearing a mask too. Hannah won't wear one anymore. She says, "I don't want to be the doctor!"

Can you see why I called this the sickness chronicles? Never in my life have I been so sick as I have this winter. (Had strep in December). The year has only begun...

On the upside, though- I just burned my tongue on a really delicious batch of homemade pudding. I don't think I'll be able to taste anything for a really long time.

Baker's Man

2010-02-09T21:06:00.005-07:00

While making Valentine's cookies with my kids tonight, Ryan thought he'd get in on the action as well.

(I thought I'd closed the lid tight on the flour. Guess not.)

I had to vacuum the floor and the baby. He thought it was hilarious and laughed the whole time.

The kids had a great time making cookies.

Cutting heart shapes was great.

But even more fun was making snakes and snowmen and cakes and whatever! Better than playdoh 'cuz you can eat this stuff!

Go Baby, Go!

2010-02-05T09:09:00.003-07:00

So, this morning I asked Garrett to get Ryan out of his crib. He did and I continued to go about what I was doing. I looked at Ryan running around and thought, "Hmm...his tag on his pajamas is sticking out" and then went back to whatever I was doing. Just before going out the door to take Garrett to school, I figured what was sticking out of the back of Ryan's pajamas. And why he made a strange clicking sound when he walked.

Its a pedometer! Garrett put it there to see how many steps Ryan takes in a day. When I took this picture the pedometer read 105 steps. He had been out of bed for maybe 15 minutes.

I'm going to leave it there a little longer. Lets see how far my baby can go!

What's for lunch?

2010-02-02T09:01:00.003-07:00

I was wondering the other day...what do stay-at -home moms eat for lunch. I know what I have. I make my kids mac & cheese or ramen noodles or possibly leftovers and then I might pick a little at their food or just not eat lunch at all. I am pretty good at making dinner every night. I've been better at my meal planning (Thanks Natalie!) and that has taken a lot of the stress off of "Whats for dinner?". I've even started cooking one meal a week with my friend Lorna. We get together at one or the other's home and cook dinner for both our families. Then, we can take the dish we made back to our respective homes and Voila! Dinner is served. Its been really fun to cook with a friend. We are trying new recipes and just having a great time visiting while we cook.

Here is my new red pot. I LOVE it! It is so functional and beautiful. Food cooks quickly and evenly and I got a smokin' deal on it. And its RED!

I had seen these enamel coated, cast iron pots for a while and had been drooling over them. My husband even wanted one. So when a deal I couldn't pass up came along, I snached one. Two actually!

Lorna and I made garlic potato soup the other day. It was snowing and blowing and just looked like a good soup day. It was and so was the soup. Yummy!

But back to my original question. What do you eat for lunch? I'm tired of Mac & Cheese (although Hannah asked for it for breakfast today!) and I'm tired of ramen noodles.

So, tell me, What's for Lunch?

Happy Birthday Grandma C!

2010-01-11T11:01:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was my Grandma's birthday. She is my mother's mother. My mom and her sisters have lunch together for each other's birthdays so on Saturday, we had a lunch for my grandma's birthday and also my cousin Lesa. Their birthdays are on the same day. It was a great day with just the girls. Hannah got to come with me and be one of the "big girls".

My grandma is so awesome! She is very fun l0ving and can be a tease. When we were growing up, you could be sure that you would get your allotted birthday spankings on your birthday. They were filled with love...but they hurt too! Haha! Grandma C. always sends a birthday card. She sends them to me, to my hubby, and to my kids. They are always dated and have a sweet message written by her. Slow learner that I am, I should have been saving these cards throughout my entire life but sadly, I can't say that I have. I do have most of them, though. These cards mean more to me now than most anything else. I know I won't be getting them from her forever and I cherish the ones I have. Love you Grandma Cook!!

Here is Grandma and Ryan on Christmas Eve. She was giving him a horsey-ride on her lap. He looks so serious about it but he was loving it and laughing!

Grandma and my boys.

Hannah and Grandma-getting ready to blow out the candles.

I absolutely love this picture. Hannah went right up to Grandma and told her "Happy Birthday Grandma Cook!"

My cousin, Lesa (0n the left). Happy Birthday Lesa!

Her sister-in-law (my cousin-in-law) Marjorie on the right.

Favorite kind of day

2010-01-07T21:53:00.004-07:00

We had a great Christmas and New Years. Santa was very good to us this year. But I am so happy to have it past and be starting in on a New Year. I look forward to this year. Especially if I have many days like today. But first, some Christmas photos.

Here is little man (Ryan) on Christmas morning. So excited!

Hannah showing off her "maskic wand and tatoo". (Magic wand and tutu).

All of us on Christmas Day at my parent's house. I think its a cute picture. Too bad I look like my eyes are about to roll back in my head.

But about today:

I love days like today. Blaine didn't have to work and neither did I. We had no obligations other than trying to get control of our out-of-control house and towering pile of laundry. It was too cold to even think about going outside so we stayed in. The kids (who have been sick) are feeling somewhat better today. We all made dinner tonight. Together. My kids love to cook and were so excited that we were cooking shrimp. Our dinner was divine! We had fettucine alfredo with shrimp scampi. We had a spinach salad with poppyseed dressing. And for dessert we had molten lava cakes. (Don't think for one minute that we eat like this every night.) The best part about dinner was that we made it all from scratch and we made it all together. Everyone was happy. No fighting. No bawling. One happy family. At the end of this day I feel content. And very full.

Here is Garrett. Licking the bowl from the molten lava cake batter. Mmmmm....

Seeing Santa

2009-12-18T20:39:00.003-07:00

Tonight was our 11 year anniversary. To celebrate we went to dinner (with all the kids). Not very romantic, I know, but eh, we didn't mind. The kids were well behaved at the restaurant and I was happy I am feeling like I might not die this week. (I've had strep throat and today there are only 1000 knives cutting my throat each time I swallow-versus the 10,000 earlier this week. Antibiotics work wonders...) Anyway, at the restaurant, there was an elderly gentleman eating his dinner. He had a white beard and a Santa hat on. I told the kids, "Look! Santa's having dinner here too!" The kids had to jump out of their seats and look. Hannah was sure it was Santa. Garrett was pretty skeptical.
After dinner, we drove around town to look at the Christmas lights. We went past a house that was extremely lit up-lights were flashing, music playing, lots of movement. There were also people lined up in front of the house. We soon found out why-Santa and Mrs. Claus were there! So, we stopped and got in line. Tonight was a windless, mild evening with the temperature around 28 degrees. Quite pleasant by Idaho in December standards. Anyway-Hannah was so excited to "tell Santa what he is going to bring me." She heard him "Ho Ho Ho-ing" and said to me, "He is so happy!" She wasn't afraid at all. She got right up on his lap and told him all the princess things he would bring her. He gave her a big hug and a candy cane and then shook hands with Blaine and I and told us that Hannah just made his evening. Garrett and Ryan were less excited about Santa. (I think Garrett was but just wanted to be "big". Ryan wasn't so sure about the whole thing but did like the lights and music).
I haven't had much of the Christmas spirit lately but tonight kinda got me back in the mood for Christmas. The kids are so excited and are trying to be so good. Guess we'll just wait and see what Santa brings. Only 7 days to go!
Merry Christmas!!
p.s. Sorry no pictures of Hannah with Santa. It was just way to dark for my poor phone camera tonight!

2009-12-10T19:01:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Happy Birthday Ryan!

2009-11-24T11:16:00.004-07:00

I can't believe its been a year already since Ryan was born! He turned one yesterday, November 24th.
Here is a picture of my little man the day after we brought him home (Thanksgiving 2008):

He sure liked to be snuggled up and warm!

Now that he is a year old, I'm going to borrow an idea from my friend. Her daughter turned one yesterday as well! She listed things about her daughter and I think its such a good idea. You forget quickly. Thanks Natalie!

Here are a list of things about Ryan:
Stats:
Height: 29 1/2 inches (just under the 50th percentile)
Weight: 20 lbs 4 oz (15th percentile)
Head Circumference: (drum roll please) 48 cm-which is just under the 95th percentile! ;)

Foods: He likes most anything. He especially likes to feed himself. No baby spoons for him, please. He loves green beans and potatoes, muffins, mac & cheese, noodles of any kind, and water. He loves his sippy cup full of water. He doesn't care too much for really sweet things or juice.

Activity: Ryan started walking the night before his birthday. He is getting faster and before we know it, he'll be running. He is my climber. He will climb into or on anything he can. He likes to climb on to the lower mantle by our fireplace. He really thinks he's big stuff there. He likes to play with a ball and loves to be chased by his brother and sister.

Temperment: He is a pretty happy, easy-going kid. He is going into a shy phase and will lay his head on your shoulder and cuddle a little. I love it! None of my kids have been cuddlers as a baby and Ryan is no exception. He is too busy looking around and doing things to sit and cuddle. He loves have songs sung to him. He is also a tease. Loves to tease Hannah. Gives you a huge, cheesy grin as he is doing something he knows he shouldn't.

Words he says: He says mama, dada, and Hannah pretty consistently. The rest is jibberish to me but he puts infelections into what he says, so you know he must be telling you something important. He follows directions pretty well unless he is in a mood to tease. He points to things he wants or places he wants to go. He makes it very clear when he doesn't want something-he bats it away or throws it off his tray. (The last trick we are working to have him not do).

Ryan has more hair than any of my kids. He has huge brown eyes and long lashes. He has 4 teeth with 2 more on the way. I call him my little man. Happy Birthday, my little man!

Here is his first long-distance walk. Look how excited he is!