Here I Go!
Frusterated.
Keep trying.
I give it a week...two at the most.
Time to start putting everything up one shelf higher.
This Is Where It All Begins
Monday, January 31, 2011
Almost There!
Here I Go!
Frusterated.
Keep trying.
I give it a week...two at the most.
Time to start putting everything up one shelf higher.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
When all else fails...
We break out one of Mary's favotire Christmas presents, ignore the amount of sugar the children are sucking down their throats, and the bright blue color on everything, and enjoy the smiles and shouts of excitement.
Although I stayed true to my Sugar Sunday goal, and didn't partake, it smelled great! It is so cool to watch the machine turn the sugar into a cool spider web type pattern. I am so glad that Santa decided to give Mary such a fun gift.
Even William knew that it must be something yummy. He sure wanted a handful himself!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Sometimes Even Superman Crashes
Yesterday, preschool was here at our house. The baby is teething, so he wasn't exactly allowing me to get much done. I was busy carrying him around (all 22 pounds of him) while trying to help 6 preschool children do a craft. It wasn't working very well at all. He was screaming his head off and the kids were losing attention fast. Dang.
So, I decided that it would be "break time" for the kids, so I could make the baby a quick bottle and calm him down. I told the kids that they could play downstairs in the toy room for just a few minutes.
Just a minute later I heard a big bang downstairs, followed by Sam's full blown, filled with absolute shock, scream, at the top of his lungs. The scream was followed by his usual holding his breath until he almost (or sometimes does) passes out. I ran down there as fast as I could. Sam would not calm down. After this, he continued to cry and cry and cry. He was holding his foot and wouldn't let go. He refused to walk.
After questioning several "witnesses," I learned that Sam was showing everyone that he can fly. And he did so from the VERY TOP STEP. Probably 9 steps high.
Unfortunately, Sam didn't quite clear the very last step, where his foot caught the brunt of the crash landing. You see, Sam is sure that some part of him is Buzz Lightyear, Superman, Batman, or some flying superhero. He is also pretty sure that he can fly, if he can just get up high enough.
He cried for the rest of preschool, which was over an hour. Between Sam and the baby, it was very chaotic, but we made it through somehow.
By the end of the day, Sam was walking, kind of. He has a very strong and very weird limp. He kept on asking me why it was STILL hurting. Sam bounces back really fast when he gets hurt, so this was new to him, and me. I wasn't sure what to say.
We went to the doctor today, where, when asked what happened, Sam told the doctor that he was flying. I filled in the blank by adding that Sam "flew" from the very top stair and "had a hard landing" at the bottom step. The doctor smiled and nodded. He was a trooper through the X-Ray stuff and even got two dinosaur stickers. He was told the the light from the X-ray machine was like a lazer beam, and that is all it took. Superman now was shot with a lazer beam and it "didn't even hurt." He must be sooooo strong!
The X-ray didn't show a clear break, but the doctor is pretty convinced that he has a hairline fracture on the side of his foot. She didn't cast his foot, and depending on the next few days, he may or may not get a "special power shoe that heals bones," a.k.a. a walking boot. We will see.
Sam has ALWAYS been a jumper, and I figured this day was "bound" to happen. No pun intended. hehehe I am grateful that it wasn't anything else worse, and I am really hoping that Sam has learned a good lesson.
On the way home from the doctor today, Sam said, "Mom, you know that even Superman crashes sometimes." And that was that.
So, I decided that it would be "break time" for the kids, so I could make the baby a quick bottle and calm him down. I told the kids that they could play downstairs in the toy room for just a few minutes.
Just a minute later I heard a big bang downstairs, followed by Sam's full blown, filled with absolute shock, scream, at the top of his lungs. The scream was followed by his usual holding his breath until he almost (or sometimes does) passes out. I ran down there as fast as I could. Sam would not calm down. After this, he continued to cry and cry and cry. He was holding his foot and wouldn't let go. He refused to walk.
After questioning several "witnesses," I learned that Sam was showing everyone that he can fly. And he did so from the VERY TOP STEP. Probably 9 steps high.
Unfortunately, Sam didn't quite clear the very last step, where his foot caught the brunt of the crash landing. You see, Sam is sure that some part of him is Buzz Lightyear, Superman, Batman, or some flying superhero. He is also pretty sure that he can fly, if he can just get up high enough.
He cried for the rest of preschool, which was over an hour. Between Sam and the baby, it was very chaotic, but we made it through somehow.
By the end of the day, Sam was walking, kind of. He has a very strong and very weird limp. He kept on asking me why it was STILL hurting. Sam bounces back really fast when he gets hurt, so this was new to him, and me. I wasn't sure what to say.
We went to the doctor today, where, when asked what happened, Sam told the doctor that he was flying. I filled in the blank by adding that Sam "flew" from the very top stair and "had a hard landing" at the bottom step. The doctor smiled and nodded. He was a trooper through the X-Ray stuff and even got two dinosaur stickers. He was told the the light from the X-ray machine was like a lazer beam, and that is all it took. Superman now was shot with a lazer beam and it "didn't even hurt." He must be sooooo strong!
The X-ray didn't show a clear break, but the doctor is pretty convinced that he has a hairline fracture on the side of his foot. She didn't cast his foot, and depending on the next few days, he may or may not get a "special power shoe that heals bones," a.k.a. a walking boot. We will see.
Sam has ALWAYS been a jumper, and I figured this day was "bound" to happen. No pun intended. hehehe I am grateful that it wasn't anything else worse, and I am really hoping that Sam has learned a good lesson.
On the way home from the doctor today, Sam said, "Mom, you know that even Superman crashes sometimes." And that was that.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Gem
A small little fact that I didn't know, and that you should know:
Strep throat, untreated, CAN or MAY lead to infection of the ears and/or sinuses.
Sure, it felt just like strep throat. My toes curled every single time I swallowed, I was up for hours at night, tossing and turning from the raging burn and ache in my throat, BUT, I didn't have those nasty white spots all over my throat that almost always accompany strep when I have it. I also had no fever. hhhmmmmm
So, I didn't go to the doctor. Not smart. After three days of the sore throat, that wasn't getting better, I woke up at 1:00am and I could have sworn that the side of my face was going to explode. It looked like it, felt like it, and I knew my ear was infected. At the time, both of them were screaming. One more than the other. I sat up in bed holding my ear for the next three hours. Every time I laid down, the pain was too much. I have had ear infections as an adult, and they kill, but this one was in a whole different dimension. It was TERRIBLE!!!
I was also coughing a ton, and I am sure you can guess how wondeful that felt on my throat and ear. oh yeah.
I got into the doctor that morning, and he explained to me that I not only had strep throat, and a bad go of it, I also had an eardrum that was going to burst any given second and a whopper of a sinus infection. I think the doctor patted me on the back about 20 times in complete pity.
Thank goodness Ben was able to be home a lot this week. I have been good for nothing but keeping my spot of the bed warm and well used. Oh, and I did a nice job of depleting the house of all kleenex.
Yesterday, after 7 days of being sick, and two days of antibiotics, I finally felt pretty good. Once I started feeling good, I started remembering that I hadn't been to the gym at all this week. A good run sounded so wonderful at the moment, but there is no way I should be going to the gym for the next few days. I think I would snot all over everything and spread all sorts of germs to everyone. Not the best way to make friends.
Then I remembered this video I bought, but had tucked away in a drawer, recommended by my mom. She couldn't stop talking about it, and I had wanted to try it, but just hadn't gotten around to it.
Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred
Yup, that beasty, ronchy ,Biggest Loser Lady.
I see her in a new light now.
She rocks!
I was very sceptical, but after two days of this, I am completely sold!!!
This video is an absolute gem! And the best part, it is only $9.00 at Walmart.
There are several other videos that she has made, and you better believe I am getting my buns back there to get more of them.
It is only 20 minutes long, and when I am done, I am pouring with sweat and I am S-O-R-E for a long time. She does it perfectly. Mixes cardio, abs, and weights, for maximum calorie burn and maximum toning of the body. You are constantly working several parts of your body at the same time. It is incredible! There are three different levels, so anyone can do it. Did I mention that it is only 20 minutes long!
I do two levels a day right now (40 minutes total) but when I get back on the treadmill next week, I will just do one 20 min workout each night after the gym. It is great for those upper body muscles that I never work, but wish were more toned. Her leg workout is a beast, but I go easy on it, because I already work my legs when I run. If you go all out with the video though, your legs, and everything else will tone up fast.
My mom has been doing it, along with running, for a while now and she says that the results are amazing! She said that once she started the video, the weight started dropping and she is toning really well! You are not required to run or do anything else along with the video, that is just something that my mom and I are doing. It is a way of life for me. I run because I love it.
I am not one to promote work-out videos, and I have done a lot of them, but this one is a-mazing. Did I say that it is only 20 MINUTES!!
The video boasts that you can lose up to 20 pounds in 30 days. I, for one, do not believe that, but I do firmly believe that in 30 days, if you are faithful to it and eat smart, you will see some serious results.
So, go to Wal-mart, get some cheap hand weights, get the video (in the sports section) and go for it. Seriously! It is great.
I dare you!
Strep throat, untreated, CAN or MAY lead to infection of the ears and/or sinuses.
Sure, it felt just like strep throat. My toes curled every single time I swallowed, I was up for hours at night, tossing and turning from the raging burn and ache in my throat, BUT, I didn't have those nasty white spots all over my throat that almost always accompany strep when I have it. I also had no fever. hhhmmmmm
So, I didn't go to the doctor. Not smart. After three days of the sore throat, that wasn't getting better, I woke up at 1:00am and I could have sworn that the side of my face was going to explode. It looked like it, felt like it, and I knew my ear was infected. At the time, both of them were screaming. One more than the other. I sat up in bed holding my ear for the next three hours. Every time I laid down, the pain was too much. I have had ear infections as an adult, and they kill, but this one was in a whole different dimension. It was TERRIBLE!!!
I was also coughing a ton, and I am sure you can guess how wondeful that felt on my throat and ear. oh yeah.
I got into the doctor that morning, and he explained to me that I not only had strep throat, and a bad go of it, I also had an eardrum that was going to burst any given second and a whopper of a sinus infection. I think the doctor patted me on the back about 20 times in complete pity.
Thank goodness Ben was able to be home a lot this week. I have been good for nothing but keeping my spot of the bed warm and well used. Oh, and I did a nice job of depleting the house of all kleenex.
Yesterday, after 7 days of being sick, and two days of antibiotics, I finally felt pretty good. Once I started feeling good, I started remembering that I hadn't been to the gym at all this week. A good run sounded so wonderful at the moment, but there is no way I should be going to the gym for the next few days. I think I would snot all over everything and spread all sorts of germs to everyone. Not the best way to make friends.
Then I remembered this video I bought, but had tucked away in a drawer, recommended by my mom. She couldn't stop talking about it, and I had wanted to try it, but just hadn't gotten around to it.
Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred
Yup, that beasty, ronchy ,Biggest Loser Lady.
I see her in a new light now.
She rocks!
I was very sceptical, but after two days of this, I am completely sold!!!
This video is an absolute gem! And the best part, it is only $9.00 at Walmart.
There are several other videos that she has made, and you better believe I am getting my buns back there to get more of them.
It is only 20 minutes long, and when I am done, I am pouring with sweat and I am S-O-R-E for a long time. She does it perfectly. Mixes cardio, abs, and weights, for maximum calorie burn and maximum toning of the body. You are constantly working several parts of your body at the same time. It is incredible! There are three different levels, so anyone can do it. Did I mention that it is only 20 minutes long!
I do two levels a day right now (40 minutes total) but when I get back on the treadmill next week, I will just do one 20 min workout each night after the gym. It is great for those upper body muscles that I never work, but wish were more toned. Her leg workout is a beast, but I go easy on it, because I already work my legs when I run. If you go all out with the video though, your legs, and everything else will tone up fast.
My mom has been doing it, along with running, for a while now and she says that the results are amazing! She said that once she started the video, the weight started dropping and she is toning really well! You are not required to run or do anything else along with the video, that is just something that my mom and I are doing. It is a way of life for me. I run because I love it.
I am not one to promote work-out videos, and I have done a lot of them, but this one is a-mazing. Did I say that it is only 20 MINUTES!!
The video boasts that you can lose up to 20 pounds in 30 days. I, for one, do not believe that, but I do firmly believe that in 30 days, if you are faithful to it and eat smart, you will see some serious results.
So, go to Wal-mart, get some cheap hand weights, get the video (in the sports section) and go for it. Seriously! It is great.
I dare you!
Friday, January 14, 2011
And The Winners Are..
The Thanksgiving Point Half Marathon.
I will be running this with my mom, ON HER BIRTHDAY, April 30th. I absolutely cannot wait to do this with her. It will be a very special experience.
Utah Valley Full Marathon. This marathon sounds absolutely amazing! The scenery is going to be so incredible. It goes past rivers and lakes, through mountains and canyons, etc. It is also known to be a very fast course. Perfect for a P.R. I am pretty nervous, because I am running for time, but it makes it all the more exciting.
Just 6 days after the marathon, I will be participating in the Ragnar, June 17-18. as mentioned in the previous post. The timing isn't the greatest with the marathon, but it will be fine. I will just have to adjust my training accordingly.
And there you have it! 2 years ago, I spent the month of June sick and on the couch with mono and severe blood loss as a result of losing our precious baby. Last June, I spent the month having a baby (which was a miracle and a gift) and figuring out his protien condition, while saying goodbye to my dear grandpa who passed away that same week, while packing up for a big and very hard move. This June, I will be running a Marathon and the Ragnar! What a month! I wonder if my parents knew what they were in for when they gave me my middle name...June.
Let the training begin!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Something New
Normally, with my playlist, I choose a song that goes along with the blog post that is up at the moment. It has been really fun, and my playlist is getting very full with all sorts of random music. I have decided to try something different for a while. I just put the playlist on random shuffle and am letting it pick the songs for me. So, if you get a fun post with a mellow song, or a mellow post with an upbeat song, just flow with it. Consider it a suprise every time you log on to the blog. Enjoy.
Signing Up!
This will be a summer of running, and I am VERY excited! I am on track with training and, if all goes well, (knock on wood) I should be ready.
My mom and sister will most likely be running their very first 1/2 marathon, and I will be joining them. We will be picking one in the next few weeks and then begin working toward it. I am beyond excited to run with my mom and sister. It will be so fun to be with them when they accomplish such a big goal. My mom is amazing and is working so hard, it will be such an awesome thing to run with her. We are trying to find one that is in July.
I am also signed up for the Ragnar Relay here in Utah.
For those of you who don't know what it is ( I sure didn't at first), here is the lowdown. It is a relay that goes from Logan to Park City. It is a total of 188 miles in 24 hours. There are 12 people on each team. Everyone runs three legs of the relay. You run anywhere from 3 miles up to about 9 miles for each leg. Some legs are VERY hard and basically all uphill, and some are rather easy. Each person runs a total of 14 to 21 miles, depending on which spot you have. It goes all through the night. I am VERY pumped for this. There are some very fun and energetic people on the team. It should be a blast.
I am also signing up for the St. George Marathon in October.
It is a lottery, so I have my fingers crossed that I can get in. I ran it a long time ago, (it was my first full marathon) and I loved it. It was an amazing experience. I REALLY want to beat my time though! I ran it in 4 hours and 2 minutes, which I was thrilled with. The killer is that I spend about 5 minutes waiting in line for the dang port-a-potty. The dude in there was having serious problems. Boo!!! Without the potty breaks, I could have broken 4 hours. I really want to run a marathon in under 4 hours.
I ran a marathon two years ago, in Nevada. The Valley of Fire Marathon.
I didn't know that that course was basically all uphill, and absolutely nuts. 1/2 of the runners dropped out because it was too hard, or because it was just a terrible course and they didn't want to waist their time. It was a horrible marathon. In fact, I think they got in trouble and aren't able to do it anymore. I didn't have a chance at beating 4 hours with that one. The guy that won the thing, ran it in over three hours. I am just grateful that I finished it.
If I don't get into the St. George Marathon, I am on the look-out for a back-up marathon, just in case.
And there you have it. I am nervous, but also so excited. It should be a very fun summer!
My mom and sister will most likely be running their very first 1/2 marathon, and I will be joining them. We will be picking one in the next few weeks and then begin working toward it. I am beyond excited to run with my mom and sister. It will be so fun to be with them when they accomplish such a big goal. My mom is amazing and is working so hard, it will be such an awesome thing to run with her. We are trying to find one that is in July.
I am also signed up for the Ragnar Relay here in Utah.
For those of you who don't know what it is ( I sure didn't at first), here is the lowdown. It is a relay that goes from Logan to Park City. It is a total of 188 miles in 24 hours. There are 12 people on each team. Everyone runs three legs of the relay. You run anywhere from 3 miles up to about 9 miles for each leg. Some legs are VERY hard and basically all uphill, and some are rather easy. Each person runs a total of 14 to 21 miles, depending on which spot you have. It goes all through the night. I am VERY pumped for this. There are some very fun and energetic people on the team. It should be a blast.
I am also signing up for the St. George Marathon in October.
It is a lottery, so I have my fingers crossed that I can get in. I ran it a long time ago, (it was my first full marathon) and I loved it. It was an amazing experience. I REALLY want to beat my time though! I ran it in 4 hours and 2 minutes, which I was thrilled with. The killer is that I spend about 5 minutes waiting in line for the dang port-a-potty. The dude in there was having serious problems. Boo!!! Without the potty breaks, I could have broken 4 hours. I really want to run a marathon in under 4 hours.
I ran a marathon two years ago, in Nevada. The Valley of Fire Marathon.
I didn't know that that course was basically all uphill, and absolutely nuts. 1/2 of the runners dropped out because it was too hard, or because it was just a terrible course and they didn't want to waist their time. It was a horrible marathon. In fact, I think they got in trouble and aren't able to do it anymore. I didn't have a chance at beating 4 hours with that one. The guy that won the thing, ran it in over three hours. I am just grateful that I finished it.
If I don't get into the St. George Marathon, I am on the look-out for a back-up marathon, just in case.
And there you have it. I am nervous, but also so excited. It should be a very fun summer!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Sugar Thursday?
This is Maya. Maya Sugar Maynard (as named by Mary and Sam)
And she is ours!!!!
Her name was originally Sugar, but we tweaked it a bit. She is young enough, that it won't really affect her. If you read the previous post, her name is pretty ironic! We had a good laugh anyway.
She now sports a camo. pink collar, sleeps in a soft white fluffy bed, is walked (by Mary) with a cute purple leash, has a rainbow dog tag, and ALMOST got a hot pink sweater. How's that for a welcoming...and some serious love from a 6 yr old, puppy crazy girl.
Maya is the most beautiful, adorable, cuter than pie, sweet, tender, happy, eager to please, little puppy you will ever meet. She is a 4 month old purebred golden lab. It was love at first sight with this one.
We were VERY careful this time around. We asked a million questions and really made sure the decision was a good one. We made sure her previous owners were honest about her. We didn't want to have another Nico incident. We feel great about this one!
We brought her home Thursday night, and we have all absolutely fallen in love with her. She is such a sweet little thing. She is already house trained..yippee! She is young enough to train her to be part of our family, but old enough to already be trained in the important areas.
She will grow to be the perfect size for running, hiking, camping, playing, protecting, and traveling.
We plan on her being in our family forever. She is a keeper for sure.
Welcome Maya, you sweet little sugar muffin!
And she is ours!!!!
Her name was originally Sugar, but we tweaked it a bit. She is young enough, that it won't really affect her. If you read the previous post, her name is pretty ironic! We had a good laugh anyway.
She now sports a camo. pink collar, sleeps in a soft white fluffy bed, is walked (by Mary) with a cute purple leash, has a rainbow dog tag, and ALMOST got a hot pink sweater. How's that for a welcoming...and some serious love from a 6 yr old, puppy crazy girl.
Maya is the most beautiful, adorable, cuter than pie, sweet, tender, happy, eager to please, little puppy you will ever meet. She is a 4 month old purebred golden lab. It was love at first sight with this one.
We were VERY careful this time around. We asked a million questions and really made sure the decision was a good one. We made sure her previous owners were honest about her. We didn't want to have another Nico incident. We feel great about this one!
We brought her home Thursday night, and we have all absolutely fallen in love with her. She is such a sweet little thing. She is already house trained..yippee! She is young enough to train her to be part of our family, but old enough to already be trained in the important areas.
She will grow to be the perfect size for running, hiking, camping, playing, protecting, and traveling.
We plan on her being in our family forever. She is a keeper for sure.
Welcome Maya, you sweet little sugar muffin!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Sugar Sunday
Ben and I have made a deal. We are calling it "Sugar Sunday."
We were talking about our new family goals, and one of them was a goal to be more healthy.
We are alreay on a very consistent work-out schedule, and have been for a few years now. We only eat out once a week, and we try to keep it somewhat healthy most of the time.
One new goal we made, is to do abs together. After I run my buns off for an hour and then do the elliptical (for those awesome flappy arms), I just don't have the energy to to abs right away, and then I forget to do them. Ben has a killer ab workout he does, and that I attempt to do sometimes, so we decided to do it together in the evenings. We can motivate eachother.
Or other goal is a big one.
It is a major weakness......SUGAR.
It is amazing how much a body can crave it, right after eating a good meal. It can almost make you foam at the mouth. uh, did I just say that?
Anyway...
We both are feeling happy about our current weight and fitness level, but there is always that last "layer" that can be so stubborn to burn off.
You know that one I am talking about. The one that hides the carved out chizzled muscles in a man or in my case, the pre-baby waist that once was. Yeah, THAT layer.
We have decided to call it the "sugar layer" because we are pretty sure that, in our case, sugar is the reason for its existence.
Ben and I both feel strongly that any diet that completely shuts out any food group, sugar or not, is not healthy and only ends with binging and unhealthy cravings...for us anyway. So we are giving ourselves one day a week to eat sugar...in moderation. Like a dessert or that pastry that I have been wanting to make. The rest of the week, we ignore the craving and find other alternatives, like liver or spinach from a can. Just kidding. But really, there are some good alternatives out there. I may even try some on the kids.
And no, you are not getting those sick before and after pictures with me in my skivies all slouched over and blubbery and stuff and then all fake computerized and sucking it in a month later. Nope, you get these cool, pictures of sugary food I found on the internet. Enjoy.
I have a little thing with Mary, where we usually bake something yummy on Sunday. We eat some and we try to find someone to give some to as well. She loves this and looks forward to it, so we decided that we would make Sunday the day that we will eat sugar. It will be Sugar Sunday.
So far, so good. All three days of it. Go us!
Here's to losing those last few stubborn pounds and shedding the "sugar layer."
We were talking about our new family goals, and one of them was a goal to be more healthy.
We are alreay on a very consistent work-out schedule, and have been for a few years now. We only eat out once a week, and we try to keep it somewhat healthy most of the time.
One new goal we made, is to do abs together. After I run my buns off for an hour and then do the elliptical (for those awesome flappy arms), I just don't have the energy to to abs right away, and then I forget to do them. Ben has a killer ab workout he does, and that I attempt to do sometimes, so we decided to do it together in the evenings. We can motivate eachother.
Or other goal is a big one.
It is a major weakness......SUGAR.
It is amazing how much a body can crave it, right after eating a good meal. It can almost make you foam at the mouth. uh, did I just say that?
Anyway...
We both are feeling happy about our current weight and fitness level, but there is always that last "layer" that can be so stubborn to burn off.
You know that one I am talking about. The one that hides the carved out chizzled muscles in a man or in my case, the pre-baby waist that once was. Yeah, THAT layer.
We have decided to call it the "sugar layer" because we are pretty sure that, in our case, sugar is the reason for its existence.
Ben and I both feel strongly that any diet that completely shuts out any food group, sugar or not, is not healthy and only ends with binging and unhealthy cravings...for us anyway. So we are giving ourselves one day a week to eat sugar...in moderation. Like a dessert or that pastry that I have been wanting to make. The rest of the week, we ignore the craving and find other alternatives, like liver or spinach from a can. Just kidding. But really, there are some good alternatives out there. I may even try some on the kids.
And no, you are not getting those sick before and after pictures with me in my skivies all slouched over and blubbery and stuff and then all fake computerized and sucking it in a month later. Nope, you get these cool, pictures of sugary food I found on the internet. Enjoy.
I have a little thing with Mary, where we usually bake something yummy on Sunday. We eat some and we try to find someone to give some to as well. She loves this and looks forward to it, so we decided that we would make Sunday the day that we will eat sugar. It will be Sugar Sunday.
So far, so good. All three days of it. Go us!
Here's to losing those last few stubborn pounds and shedding the "sugar layer."
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
I have a lot to blog, but honestly, I don't really feel like doing the details right now, so you will get a summary of our last week and 1/2. It will probably be very similar to all of yours, and may be quite boring to anyone but us, but hey, we love reading our blog books from past years, and this post will be a fun one for us to look back on.
Mary turned 6 on Dec. 23rd. I know it sounds so cliche', but I honestly and truly cannot believe or really accept that she is 6. Maybe it is because she is the oldest and I am in a phase of wanting to freeze my children right now and not let them grow up anymore. Time is going too fast. She had a very fun Birthday.
She had a party earlier in the week, but we still found some low key ways to celebrate. We went to Costco for lunch, Mary's request, and also picked up our family videos we had them convert to DVD for us. She opened presents and played with her best friend. I made her her favorite dinner, chicken enchiladas, cantaloupe, rolls and she requested caramel brownies for her Birthday cake.
We had some last minute phone calls from my siblings and we were so excited to be able to spend her Birthday evening with two of my brothers and their wives. We laughed our heads off, watched videos of Mary (tradition) and swapped Christmas presents. Our home was full of love and laughter. My brothers have never been able to visit us before, so this was a big deal to me. My brother Tyler, his wife and new baby stayed the night with us as well.
Mary had a great Birthday and we love her so much.
The next day was Christmas Eve. We drove my brother and his family to the airport (there are many perks to living near the Salt Lake Airport)and then headed for our traditional Christmas Eve breakfast. We went to an adorable, small, festive, place called Kneaders. They have some killer pastries!!!!
We spent the afternoon at the movies. Sam insisted on wearing his 3D glasses to the movie. It was hilarious to watch him.
We were planning on a nice, quiet Christmas Eve with our own little family here in our home, but we got another fun, surprise phone call from our neighbor inviting us to a Christmas Eve party with them and two other families in our ward. We were very excited not to spend Christmas Eve alone.
The party was awesome. We had a very nice and formal dinner. We have some very comical and very not shy people in our ward, so our conversation was always fun and energetic.
We played a bunch of games, had a talent show, and finished with the kids acting out the nativity. It was a wonderful way to spend Christmas Eve. They also had the NORAD Santa tracker up on their computer, so the children were watching to see where Santa was throughout the evening. It was really cute.
We came home and opened our Christmas Eve gift...new pjs. The kids also opened a very special gift from Grandma and Grandpa. A book that will be a forever keepsake in our home. It is a really cool book, but the special part is that it has a speaker and my parents and sister read the book to them. It made me cry. Very special. The kids were very giggly and squirmy, and I admit, so was I. It was so fun and magical. I LOVE the magic that kids bring. We left out the cookies and milk for Santa, got the stocking picture taken and it was off to Bed to await Santa's arrival.
Ben and I went in to check on the kids later that night and found this.
We could hear them whispering and giggling to each other. Adorable.
Christmas morning began with a family prayer a bloody nose and so much excitement that I thought the kids would burst.
We had a very special and fun Christmas morning. As a mother, it always feels good to see everyone happy and feeling special and loved. It also feels good to know that your "Christmas purchases" were a success. Sam did that for me this year. He opened one of his gifts and absolutely flipped out. It was awesome, and I felt like all of the planning, work and thought were well worth it. It was hilarious. I wish we had it on video.
Later that evening we headed for Pocatello to see my family. It was a very fun visit.
In a nutshell...
We talked, played games, worked out at the gym, made some amazing candies, downloaded all of my sisters music to my new ipod, played racquet ball ( I laughed so hard during our racquet ball game that I seriously started wheezing, oh man, good times), watched movies, and had a good time being together.
Then it was off to the Maynards home in Boise. ALL of Ben's brothers and their families were there.
Ben and I celebrated our 7 YEAR ANNIVERSARY with a snow skiing trip to Bogus Basin. We had a great time and I was able to see Ben tear it up. Truly, he is an amazing skier! I knew he was good, but I was very impressed. We really enjoyed being alone together.
The next few days in a nutshell....
yummy food, LOTS of noise, talking, laughing, teasing, wrestling, playing, ect. A trip to the Old Penitentiary (spelling) where we FROZE our buns off, but it was interesting, a trip to some hot springs, an all out crazy dance party on New Years eve, Christmas present swaps, a talent show, and some good family time. It is always bound to be an adventure when all of the Maynard boys get together. Good times.
We had a good trip, but it was so wonderful to be back home. We sold our dog the night we got home. Yup. He turned out to be a TERRIBLE chewer and he would get excited and jump on the kids. Not good. He ruined a lot of important things in our home and in our parents homes. I don't have the time to constantly be monitoring a dog who is chewing our home to pieces. We still plan on getting a dog, but we need to find a good fit for our family. The girl we got him from was not honest with us at all. We will be WAY more picky next time. He went to a wonderful home with a great family. And we were completely honest with them about Nico.
It feels really good to be back in the groove. The kids came home to all of their new toys, and were very excited. I am digging in and cleaning up all of the Christmas Decor and planning for the "spring/summer look" of our house. It is exciting for me. We made our family New Years Goals for FHE last night, and it got us all excited and looking forward to the next year. We have two major goals for our family that we have broken down into several categories and ways to accomplish them.
The two main things are: drawing closer to each other by having fun as a family, and drawing closer to the Lord by living the gospel as a family.
And..last, but not least, William is 7 months old today!
He gets bigger by the week, literally.
He is pushing 23 pounds.
He has zero desire to crawl, and somehow Ben and I find that adorable.
He laughs easily and adores Mary and Sam.
He can say BaBa for bottle.
He still LOVES baby food and is now eating #2 foods.
He had the worst diaper rash I have ever seen in a child. It has lasted almost 2 months and is a bloody raw mess. We think we have a hold on it now after using antibiotics, steroid creams and the usual butt paste.
He loves to try new sounds and really enjoys patty cake with mommy.
He is a major snuggler and likes to be around people.
He has so many nicknames, I can't list them all. I guess nicknames and chubby babies go together. Right now, his main name is "Big Mike" He got that one in Boise. It comes from the movie Blindside. All of the Maynards call him that.
William gives the best "sloppy kisses!" He will basically grab my ears, pull me in and attack my face. It is so cute.
We love our William!
Mary turned 6 on Dec. 23rd. I know it sounds so cliche', but I honestly and truly cannot believe or really accept that she is 6. Maybe it is because she is the oldest and I am in a phase of wanting to freeze my children right now and not let them grow up anymore. Time is going too fast. She had a very fun Birthday.
She had a party earlier in the week, but we still found some low key ways to celebrate. We went to Costco for lunch, Mary's request, and also picked up our family videos we had them convert to DVD for us. She opened presents and played with her best friend. I made her her favorite dinner, chicken enchiladas, cantaloupe, rolls and she requested caramel brownies for her Birthday cake.
We had some last minute phone calls from my siblings and we were so excited to be able to spend her Birthday evening with two of my brothers and their wives. We laughed our heads off, watched videos of Mary (tradition) and swapped Christmas presents. Our home was full of love and laughter. My brothers have never been able to visit us before, so this was a big deal to me. My brother Tyler, his wife and new baby stayed the night with us as well.
Mary had a great Birthday and we love her so much.
The next day was Christmas Eve. We drove my brother and his family to the airport (there are many perks to living near the Salt Lake Airport)and then headed for our traditional Christmas Eve breakfast. We went to an adorable, small, festive, place called Kneaders. They have some killer pastries!!!!
We spent the afternoon at the movies. Sam insisted on wearing his 3D glasses to the movie. It was hilarious to watch him.
We were planning on a nice, quiet Christmas Eve with our own little family here in our home, but we got another fun, surprise phone call from our neighbor inviting us to a Christmas Eve party with them and two other families in our ward. We were very excited not to spend Christmas Eve alone.
The party was awesome. We had a very nice and formal dinner. We have some very comical and very not shy people in our ward, so our conversation was always fun and energetic.
We played a bunch of games, had a talent show, and finished with the kids acting out the nativity. It was a wonderful way to spend Christmas Eve. They also had the NORAD Santa tracker up on their computer, so the children were watching to see where Santa was throughout the evening. It was really cute.
We came home and opened our Christmas Eve gift...new pjs. The kids also opened a very special gift from Grandma and Grandpa. A book that will be a forever keepsake in our home. It is a really cool book, but the special part is that it has a speaker and my parents and sister read the book to them. It made me cry. Very special. The kids were very giggly and squirmy, and I admit, so was I. It was so fun and magical. I LOVE the magic that kids bring. We left out the cookies and milk for Santa, got the stocking picture taken and it was off to Bed to await Santa's arrival.
Ben and I went in to check on the kids later that night and found this.
We could hear them whispering and giggling to each other. Adorable.
Christmas morning began with a family prayer a bloody nose and so much excitement that I thought the kids would burst.
We had a very special and fun Christmas morning. As a mother, it always feels good to see everyone happy and feeling special and loved. It also feels good to know that your "Christmas purchases" were a success. Sam did that for me this year. He opened one of his gifts and absolutely flipped out. It was awesome, and I felt like all of the planning, work and thought were well worth it. It was hilarious. I wish we had it on video.
Later that evening we headed for Pocatello to see my family. It was a very fun visit.
In a nutshell...
We talked, played games, worked out at the gym, made some amazing candies, downloaded all of my sisters music to my new ipod, played racquet ball ( I laughed so hard during our racquet ball game that I seriously started wheezing, oh man, good times), watched movies, and had a good time being together.
Then it was off to the Maynards home in Boise. ALL of Ben's brothers and their families were there.
Ben and I celebrated our 7 YEAR ANNIVERSARY with a snow skiing trip to Bogus Basin. We had a great time and I was able to see Ben tear it up. Truly, he is an amazing skier! I knew he was good, but I was very impressed. We really enjoyed being alone together.
The next few days in a nutshell....
yummy food, LOTS of noise, talking, laughing, teasing, wrestling, playing, ect. A trip to the Old Penitentiary (spelling) where we FROZE our buns off, but it was interesting, a trip to some hot springs, an all out crazy dance party on New Years eve, Christmas present swaps, a talent show, and some good family time. It is always bound to be an adventure when all of the Maynard boys get together. Good times.
We had a good trip, but it was so wonderful to be back home. We sold our dog the night we got home. Yup. He turned out to be a TERRIBLE chewer and he would get excited and jump on the kids. Not good. He ruined a lot of important things in our home and in our parents homes. I don't have the time to constantly be monitoring a dog who is chewing our home to pieces. We still plan on getting a dog, but we need to find a good fit for our family. The girl we got him from was not honest with us at all. We will be WAY more picky next time. He went to a wonderful home with a great family. And we were completely honest with them about Nico.
It feels really good to be back in the groove. The kids came home to all of their new toys, and were very excited. I am digging in and cleaning up all of the Christmas Decor and planning for the "spring/summer look" of our house. It is exciting for me. We made our family New Years Goals for FHE last night, and it got us all excited and looking forward to the next year. We have two major goals for our family that we have broken down into several categories and ways to accomplish them.
The two main things are: drawing closer to each other by having fun as a family, and drawing closer to the Lord by living the gospel as a family.
And..last, but not least, William is 7 months old today!
He gets bigger by the week, literally.
He is pushing 23 pounds.
He has zero desire to crawl, and somehow Ben and I find that adorable.
He laughs easily and adores Mary and Sam.
He can say BaBa for bottle.
He still LOVES baby food and is now eating #2 foods.
He had the worst diaper rash I have ever seen in a child. It has lasted almost 2 months and is a bloody raw mess. We think we have a hold on it now after using antibiotics, steroid creams and the usual butt paste.
He loves to try new sounds and really enjoys patty cake with mommy.
He is a major snuggler and likes to be around people.
He has so many nicknames, I can't list them all. I guess nicknames and chubby babies go together. Right now, his main name is "Big Mike" He got that one in Boise. It comes from the movie Blindside. All of the Maynards call him that.
William gives the best "sloppy kisses!" He will basically grab my ears, pull me in and attack my face. It is so cute.
We love our William!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Woah!
Woah, woah, woah. What a weekend! I tell ya, we seem to not know how to just have Christmas around here. Nope.
First of all, we decided to get married the day after Christmas. So I guess we never even had a chance for a normal Christmas right from the start. Yeah, I know. Ask our families, they loved it. ha! No really, I think they did. My family left the open house and took off for a week long vacation of a lifetime...without me. Boo. But I'm over it, almost. It was one of the best day's of my life though, and boy do we have some awesome stories.
THEN, we decide to have a baby two days before Christmas. Well, maybe we didn't exactly decide that very date, but we could have planned a little better, but we won't go into THAT. So, we spent Christmas day in the hospital eating our "Christmas Dinner" of rubber steak, rock hard mashed potatoes, something that I think was supposed to be a jello salad, and an awesome jawbreaker brownie for dessert.
And then there was the year where we decided to take all of the presents, our whole family, the dog and three gerbils on a 14 hour trip, in order to spend the holiday with family. After some road closures, a gerbil running loose in the car, some serious dog gas, and some LONG hours in the car, we made it, and it was great. Really.
I guess we are making memories, and boy do we have some great ones.
This year has been pretty nuts, and it isn't even Christmas yet. Amazing.
We did have a great weekend though. At this very moment, Ben is finishing up his LAST paper before he is done with his MBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I decided that since the campus isn't here, so Ben doesn't get to walk across a stage, and listen to the boring grad. speeches and wear that rockin' awesome dress, tent, gown ,thing, we might as well have our own party. And we did. And it was great.
I send out the invites via email, got the RSVP's, and then planned accordingly. This was no simple task, given the number of people we invited, but it was worth it. We had a fun night with friends and family. It was an open house, so we kept it casual and fun...just like Ben.
The table all set up with goodies for the open house.
Gifts and cards for Ben.
We had a great night, and it was a good thing for us to see how far we have come since we moved here. We really do have some cool friends here and our ward is pretty cool as well. We are getting to know more people and make more friendships. We are beginning to plan some seeds.
The next day was Mary's Birthday party! Her Birthday is two days before Christmas, but we decided to party early, to keep it a little more seperate from the big holiday. She wanted a fairy party, so that's what we did.
It was an absolute riot! Oh my goodness, it was hilarious. 8 giggly girls, dressed up in fairy outfits, all talking at the same time. It was loud, it was about as girly as you can get, and it was bursting with emotion. Poor Ben, coming from a home with all boys, just about lost his mind, but he was a good fairy prince and scooped the ice cream, ran the video camera, and even joked around with the girls for a while.
Mary had a blast and so did her friends. They played pass the evil wand (hot potato), musical chairs, they painted nails (you should have heard the screams of excitement when we announced the nail painting...it was ear piercing, just ask prince Ben),
and they made their own ice cream sunday's, topped with fairy dust.
We ended with Mary opening presents and some games of fairy hide and seek and a fairy movie.
It was a great party! It was the most girly thing Mary has done in a while, but it was so cute and so funny. Mary felt special and loved, and that is all that matters to me. She is such a good kid and has a very sweet heart. I can't believe she will be 6 this week!
Leave it to Mary to want to put these teeth in the goodie bags. They were a hit.
To top it all off, we got a dog. Yup, the night before Ben's open house. We are so smart with timing! ;) Actually, if we didn't get him that night, he was going to the pound. Not much of a choice. He is the same mix as Chamonix was. lab/husky. Only this dog looks WAY more husky. He actually looks like a big wolf. He is yellow, brown, tan, black and white.
We had a pretty bad first night with him, and I actually put him back up for sale, but the next day, after he got some food in his tummy, he did GREAT. He has been good since. He is absolutely amazing with the kids. I have been around dogs my whole life, and I have never seen a dog that is so good with kids. He is very protective of them and he even sleeps by them. He is eager to please. He is also already house trained, neutered, up to date on shots, plays fetch and knows how to sit. He seems to be a good one for running, camping, hiking, ect. His name is Nico. Welcome Nico!
Sunday was the ward Christmas program. I played the piano for one of the musical numbers. It was a gorgeous piece and it went really well. The girl who sang had a great voice. There was some flute involved in it as well, and it made it so fun. The whole program was beautiful and we felt such a strong spirit of the real reason for the season..Jesus Christ. It was a wonderful Sunday. The kids also got to wear their new Christmas clothes. William already grew out of his, so he isn't in the pictures, but he looks cute just the way he is.
And there you have it. Another Christmas week...Maynard style. As crazy as it is, we wouldn't change it. The laughter, the love, the joy and the bonding that takes place, makes all of the time and planning worth it.
Coming up...Mary's Birthday, Mary's school spotlight, a visit from some family, Christmas Eve with some cool friends and neighbors, Christmas, our week long vacation with family, New Years and all of the other mind boggling, unexpected, crazy happenings that are bound to go along with it all!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
First of all, we decided to get married the day after Christmas. So I guess we never even had a chance for a normal Christmas right from the start. Yeah, I know. Ask our families, they loved it. ha! No really, I think they did. My family left the open house and took off for a week long vacation of a lifetime...without me. Boo. But I'm over it, almost. It was one of the best day's of my life though, and boy do we have some awesome stories.
THEN, we decide to have a baby two days before Christmas. Well, maybe we didn't exactly decide that very date, but we could have planned a little better, but we won't go into THAT. So, we spent Christmas day in the hospital eating our "Christmas Dinner" of rubber steak, rock hard mashed potatoes, something that I think was supposed to be a jello salad, and an awesome jawbreaker brownie for dessert.
And then there was the year where we decided to take all of the presents, our whole family, the dog and three gerbils on a 14 hour trip, in order to spend the holiday with family. After some road closures, a gerbil running loose in the car, some serious dog gas, and some LONG hours in the car, we made it, and it was great. Really.
I guess we are making memories, and boy do we have some great ones.
This year has been pretty nuts, and it isn't even Christmas yet. Amazing.
We did have a great weekend though. At this very moment, Ben is finishing up his LAST paper before he is done with his MBA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I decided that since the campus isn't here, so Ben doesn't get to walk across a stage, and listen to the boring grad. speeches and wear that rockin' awesome dress, tent, gown ,thing, we might as well have our own party. And we did. And it was great.
I send out the invites via email, got the RSVP's, and then planned accordingly. This was no simple task, given the number of people we invited, but it was worth it. We had a fun night with friends and family. It was an open house, so we kept it casual and fun...just like Ben.
The table all set up with goodies for the open house.
Gifts and cards for Ben.
We had a great night, and it was a good thing for us to see how far we have come since we moved here. We really do have some cool friends here and our ward is pretty cool as well. We are getting to know more people and make more friendships. We are beginning to plan some seeds.
The next day was Mary's Birthday party! Her Birthday is two days before Christmas, but we decided to party early, to keep it a little more seperate from the big holiday. She wanted a fairy party, so that's what we did.
It was an absolute riot! Oh my goodness, it was hilarious. 8 giggly girls, dressed up in fairy outfits, all talking at the same time. It was loud, it was about as girly as you can get, and it was bursting with emotion. Poor Ben, coming from a home with all boys, just about lost his mind, but he was a good fairy prince and scooped the ice cream, ran the video camera, and even joked around with the girls for a while.
Mary had a blast and so did her friends. They played pass the evil wand (hot potato), musical chairs, they painted nails (you should have heard the screams of excitement when we announced the nail painting...it was ear piercing, just ask prince Ben),
and they made their own ice cream sunday's, topped with fairy dust.
We ended with Mary opening presents and some games of fairy hide and seek and a fairy movie.
It was a great party! It was the most girly thing Mary has done in a while, but it was so cute and so funny. Mary felt special and loved, and that is all that matters to me. She is such a good kid and has a very sweet heart. I can't believe she will be 6 this week!
Leave it to Mary to want to put these teeth in the goodie bags. They were a hit.
To top it all off, we got a dog. Yup, the night before Ben's open house. We are so smart with timing! ;) Actually, if we didn't get him that night, he was going to the pound. Not much of a choice. He is the same mix as Chamonix was. lab/husky. Only this dog looks WAY more husky. He actually looks like a big wolf. He is yellow, brown, tan, black and white.
We had a pretty bad first night with him, and I actually put him back up for sale, but the next day, after he got some food in his tummy, he did GREAT. He has been good since. He is absolutely amazing with the kids. I have been around dogs my whole life, and I have never seen a dog that is so good with kids. He is very protective of them and he even sleeps by them. He is eager to please. He is also already house trained, neutered, up to date on shots, plays fetch and knows how to sit. He seems to be a good one for running, camping, hiking, ect. His name is Nico. Welcome Nico!
Sunday was the ward Christmas program. I played the piano for one of the musical numbers. It was a gorgeous piece and it went really well. The girl who sang had a great voice. There was some flute involved in it as well, and it made it so fun. The whole program was beautiful and we felt such a strong spirit of the real reason for the season..Jesus Christ. It was a wonderful Sunday. The kids also got to wear their new Christmas clothes. William already grew out of his, so he isn't in the pictures, but he looks cute just the way he is.
And there you have it. Another Christmas week...Maynard style. As crazy as it is, we wouldn't change it. The laughter, the love, the joy and the bonding that takes place, makes all of the time and planning worth it.
Coming up...Mary's Birthday, Mary's school spotlight, a visit from some family, Christmas Eve with some cool friends and neighbors, Christmas, our week long vacation with family, New Years and all of the other mind boggling, unexpected, crazy happenings that are bound to go along with it all!
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Ski Night
Ben took Mary and Sam skiing yesterday evening, for the first time this season. Sam went once last year, but it wasn't the best experience, so we decided that this was his "official" first time skiing.
They went night skiing, and had a blast! It was late, and I was sooooooooo tired, so I stayed home with William, rented a few red boxes, bought some chocolate covered cinnamon bears, and hung out with my baby.
The kids had a great time! Mary picked up right where she left off last year, and didn't require any help from Ben. She was very excited to go, and Ben said she had a lot of fun. Ben brought a rope and wrapped it around Sam's waist. Sam went in front of Ben and Ben used the rope to control Sam's speed. Sam had a much better experience this time and is still talking about it today. He is very proud of himself. This morning when I asked him how skiing was he said, "It was so fun mom, but I had to pull daddy down the hill with a rope." I about died laughing.
(a picture on the chairlift)
I am so glad that the kids could have such a great time with their daddy. Sooner than later, we will all be able to go as a family each time, but for now, I think I like knowing that there is some daddy/kid bonding happening on the ski hill. I also quite enjoyed myself with my treats and movies. I smell a tradition in the making.
I was going to make a post about this in the Fall, but I never got around to it. We call this, "Pre' Season Practice." Hehehe
They went night skiing, and had a blast! It was late, and I was sooooooooo tired, so I stayed home with William, rented a few red boxes, bought some chocolate covered cinnamon bears, and hung out with my baby.
The kids had a great time! Mary picked up right where she left off last year, and didn't require any help from Ben. She was very excited to go, and Ben said she had a lot of fun. Ben brought a rope and wrapped it around Sam's waist. Sam went in front of Ben and Ben used the rope to control Sam's speed. Sam had a much better experience this time and is still talking about it today. He is very proud of himself. This morning when I asked him how skiing was he said, "It was so fun mom, but I had to pull daddy down the hill with a rope." I about died laughing.
(a picture on the chairlift)
I am so glad that the kids could have such a great time with their daddy. Sooner than later, we will all be able to go as a family each time, but for now, I think I like knowing that there is some daddy/kid bonding happening on the ski hill. I also quite enjoyed myself with my treats and movies. I smell a tradition in the making.
I was going to make a post about this in the Fall, but I never got around to it. We call this, "Pre' Season Practice." Hehehe
Thursday, December 9, 2010
During Family Scripture Time
Ben asked Sam, "Who is Jesus?"
Sam replied, "Good."
Ben asked Sam, "Who is Jesus Christ?"
Sam replied, "Jesus' friend."
Sam replied, "Good."
Ben asked Sam, "Who is Jesus Christ?"
Sam replied, "Jesus' friend."
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Fun!
Yes, the season is a busy one, and yes, this week in particular is NUTS, but in all honestly I LOVE this time of year and even the hustle and bustle it brings. It just adds to the excitement and magic. I am a busy body, and I love this time of year, so most of the time, I don't mind the madness and I almost welcome it. As long as I get some sleep at night, and some breaks here and there, I am good to go. I am sure that I must have been an elf in the past life...Ben agrees. ;)
We have had some fun family time these past few weeks, and I regretfully haven't posted anything about them. Here is a brief summary.
We went to our first movie as a family. We saw Despicable Me and laughed our heads off. It was great. The kids loved it and I loved watching them love it. Ben hung on as long as he could, but he was snoring by the end, with a sleeping William in his arms.
Before that we went to a huge animal adoption fair in Salt Lake. We really Really REALLY want a dog, but we are being very picky this time. No hole diggers, and it has to be "fixed" and house trained. We fell in love with an absolutely gorgeous dog, but they said that we would have to pay for her training classes on top of the adoption fee, which was a crazy amount of $$. They also said she was very hyper. It was a no-go, but it was so fun to look at all of the animals there. We will find our dog soon. I have my eye on a few already. ;)
We took the kids to the mall to see Santa on Monday after FHE. I love having kids that are old enough to believe and get all excited. It is great. I waited in line with William in the stroller and Ben took the kids to play on the toys until I got to the front of the line. I have been to see many a Santa, but I must say that this one was truly awesome! He made the kids feel so happy and excited and he even made Ben and I feel good. He took time with us and it made the HUGE wait well worth it.
On the way home in the car, Mary "saw" Santa's sleigh flying him back to the North Pole. She was giggling from excitement and had her face plastered to the window the whole way home. Priceless.
We decided to place an empty manger amidst our other decorations, and the kids are slowing filling it with one piece of straw at a time, when they do a good deed. The goal is to have the bed soft enough for Jesus to arrive in it Christmas morning. It has been a great way to keep the focus of the holiday where it should be.
We truly do find joy in being together as a family, and Ben and I have re-committed ourselves to make sure we do more fun outings and just hang out more as a family.
Oh, and speaking of fun, guess what I got done yesterday.
Yup, that mole under my left eye....GONE!
I thought I was going in for a consultation, and walked out the door with this big, nasty, bright orange, bandaid under my eye. And yes, the Relief Society Christmas Dinner was that night, and yes, I was in the musical number. Awesome. I think I only had to explain the bandaid about, oh, 500 times!
Aside from the needle going right under my eye, smelling the Dr. burning my skin around the mole, the awesome swelling today, my big orange bandaid, and the great stinging sensation, I am thrilled. NO MORE MOLE! Few.
p.s. I took the bandaid off last night, after the R.S. Dinner, to assess the damage, and there is hardly anything under it! It looks great! Too bad I didn't take it off before the dinner, but then I would not get the great experience of walking around with a big ugly bandaid under my eye, and I wouldn't be me without experiences like those.
Speaking of the dinner though, I actually made a food for a church activity that people went nuts over! I make a lot of food for church stuff, and it usually gets eaten, but I have never had people completely freak out over something. Cooking is not that fun to me, so I don't care if people don't go crazy over it. I made this killer pudding, berry, jello, whip cream, thingy and it was unbelievable. I made a gigantic bowl of it, thinking my family could have the leftovers, but it was gone..all gone. The women ranted and raved over it. It was pretty fun and a little embarrassing. I am not a fan of that much attention. My mom made it for Thanksgiving and it was the first thing gone there too. It is incredible. It is also a very pretty Christmas dish to serve. The layers make it look festive and fun. I will post the recipe soon. Sorry, no picture.
So there you have it. Another rambling post about the joys of the season. We are looking forward to Ben's MBA Graduation party (it is an open house...anyone is welcome) and Mary's 6th Birthday Party next week. Rock on!
We have had some fun family time these past few weeks, and I regretfully haven't posted anything about them. Here is a brief summary.
We went to our first movie as a family. We saw Despicable Me and laughed our heads off. It was great. The kids loved it and I loved watching them love it. Ben hung on as long as he could, but he was snoring by the end, with a sleeping William in his arms.
Before that we went to a huge animal adoption fair in Salt Lake. We really Really REALLY want a dog, but we are being very picky this time. No hole diggers, and it has to be "fixed" and house trained. We fell in love with an absolutely gorgeous dog, but they said that we would have to pay for her training classes on top of the adoption fee, which was a crazy amount of $$. They also said she was very hyper. It was a no-go, but it was so fun to look at all of the animals there. We will find our dog soon. I have my eye on a few already. ;)
We took the kids to the mall to see Santa on Monday after FHE. I love having kids that are old enough to believe and get all excited. It is great. I waited in line with William in the stroller and Ben took the kids to play on the toys until I got to the front of the line. I have been to see many a Santa, but I must say that this one was truly awesome! He made the kids feel so happy and excited and he even made Ben and I feel good. He took time with us and it made the HUGE wait well worth it.
On the way home in the car, Mary "saw" Santa's sleigh flying him back to the North Pole. She was giggling from excitement and had her face plastered to the window the whole way home. Priceless.
We decided to place an empty manger amidst our other decorations, and the kids are slowing filling it with one piece of straw at a time, when they do a good deed. The goal is to have the bed soft enough for Jesus to arrive in it Christmas morning. It has been a great way to keep the focus of the holiday where it should be.
We truly do find joy in being together as a family, and Ben and I have re-committed ourselves to make sure we do more fun outings and just hang out more as a family.
Oh, and speaking of fun, guess what I got done yesterday.
Yup, that mole under my left eye....GONE!
I thought I was going in for a consultation, and walked out the door with this big, nasty, bright orange, bandaid under my eye. And yes, the Relief Society Christmas Dinner was that night, and yes, I was in the musical number. Awesome. I think I only had to explain the bandaid about, oh, 500 times!
Aside from the needle going right under my eye, smelling the Dr. burning my skin around the mole, the awesome swelling today, my big orange bandaid, and the great stinging sensation, I am thrilled. NO MORE MOLE! Few.
p.s. I took the bandaid off last night, after the R.S. Dinner, to assess the damage, and there is hardly anything under it! It looks great! Too bad I didn't take it off before the dinner, but then I would not get the great experience of walking around with a big ugly bandaid under my eye, and I wouldn't be me without experiences like those.
Speaking of the dinner though, I actually made a food for a church activity that people went nuts over! I make a lot of food for church stuff, and it usually gets eaten, but I have never had people completely freak out over something. Cooking is not that fun to me, so I don't care if people don't go crazy over it. I made this killer pudding, berry, jello, whip cream, thingy and it was unbelievable. I made a gigantic bowl of it, thinking my family could have the leftovers, but it was gone..all gone. The women ranted and raved over it. It was pretty fun and a little embarrassing. I am not a fan of that much attention. My mom made it for Thanksgiving and it was the first thing gone there too. It is incredible. It is also a very pretty Christmas dish to serve. The layers make it look festive and fun. I will post the recipe soon. Sorry, no picture.
So there you have it. Another rambling post about the joys of the season. We are looking forward to Ben's MBA Graduation party (it is an open house...anyone is welcome) and Mary's 6th Birthday Party next week. Rock on!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Just Gotta Do It
This may not be the most interesting post to many of you, but this week is way too busy to let it go by without documenting it. It will be proof that I survived, if anything. Also, it is a great way for me to get it all down..again, and go over it all...again.
Visiting Teachers coming on Thursday.
Setting three visiting teaching appointments this week.
Teaching preschool at our house Tuesday and Thursday.
Making lesson plans for preschool, getting snacks and crafts ready to go.
Sending out Mary's Birthday party invites and planning party.
Getting Ben's MBA Graduation party evites out. (finding about 20 emails of people from here)
Activity Day on Wednesday...make treat to bring.
Teach piano Lessons..Wednesday
Parent Meeting for Mary's Gymnastics...Monday.
FHE lesson and then go to see Santa at mall...Monday
William's well baby check...Monday morning
Relief Society Christmas Dinner..Tuesday..bring salad and play piano for musical number
Practice piece for above musical number
Dr. Appt for me...Tuesday...trying to get that mole under my eye removed
Temple on Saturday..make appointment
Ward Christmas breakfast Saturday Morning...play piano for musical number at this party too
Practice with people in ward party musical number
My turn for Mary's carpool this week...Mon. Wedn. and Friday
Get Ben' last Christmas gift
Tithing settlement..Sunday
Working out..every day that I can
Somehow I get to fit this all in between taking care of the kids, continuing Sam's eternal potty training, loads and loads of laundry, cooking dinner, attempting to clean the house, regulating play dates, Christmas shopping and planning, and all of the other mom stuff.
So far, I still have my sanity and I am just plowing through. We have had some awesome family outings that have kept the season fun and kept a good spirit in our home. Let's hope it continues.
Rock on.
Visiting Teachers coming on Thursday.
Setting three visiting teaching appointments this week.
Teaching preschool at our house Tuesday and Thursday.
Making lesson plans for preschool, getting snacks and crafts ready to go.
Sending out Mary's Birthday party invites and planning party.
Getting Ben's MBA Graduation party evites out. (finding about 20 emails of people from here)
Activity Day on Wednesday...make treat to bring.
Teach piano Lessons..Wednesday
Parent Meeting for Mary's Gymnastics...Monday.
FHE lesson and then go to see Santa at mall...Monday
William's well baby check...Monday morning
Relief Society Christmas Dinner..Tuesday..bring salad and play piano for musical number
Practice piece for above musical number
Dr. Appt for me...Tuesday...trying to get that mole under my eye removed
Temple on Saturday..make appointment
Ward Christmas breakfast Saturday Morning...play piano for musical number at this party too
Practice with people in ward party musical number
My turn for Mary's carpool this week...Mon. Wedn. and Friday
Get Ben' last Christmas gift
Tithing settlement..Sunday
Working out..every day that I can
Somehow I get to fit this all in between taking care of the kids, continuing Sam's eternal potty training, loads and loads of laundry, cooking dinner, attempting to clean the house, regulating play dates, Christmas shopping and planning, and all of the other mom stuff.
So far, I still have my sanity and I am just plowing through. We have had some awesome family outings that have kept the season fun and kept a good spirit in our home. Let's hope it continues.
Rock on.
And Here We Are!
William is 6 months old. Crazy huh. I remember when he was less than two weeks old, and he was crying and crying and crying. He was writhing in pain in my arms and I felt so helpless and desperate. He was throwing everything up, he smelled like acid, he hadn't pooped in almost 4 days, and we had tried numerous formulas. We had already been to the doctor four times. He had been crying for hours, with no end in sight. Ben and I were averaging 3-4 hours of sleep every night. (This was before we knew of his protein breakdown issue, his severe acid reflux, and before we received the "golden formula") I was pacing the floor back and forth, bouncing, swaddling, rocking, etc. I had been crying right along with Will. I was dreaming of the day that William would be 6 months old (six months has always been my favorite age for my babies), sleeping through the night, sitting up, and most importantly, not crying all the time. It seem like an eternity away.
Well, here we are, and how fast it came!
We just got back from William's well baby appointment, so I have the stats.
He is 20.3 pounds of luscious, white, sweet, soft, chunky, baby fat! We love every single roll on this boy.
He is 26.27 inches long, or short, depending on how you look at it.
He is OFF of the "golden formula!!!"
He is being weaned off the reflux meds, and is completely off one of them!
The doctor says he is doing great and that no permanent damage has occurred due to his protein intolerance. Sometimes it can really mess up the stomach of a baby if it isn't caught in time. We can even feed him baby food now!
I introduced him to baby food a few weeks ago and he absolutely went nuts.
If I didn't get the spoon back to his mouth fast enough, he would start waving his arms as fast as he could and begin crying. He tries to hold the spoon in his mouth, so I won't pull it away. (as seen in picture below) He absolutely loves eating! It is great. His favorite is the same as the other two. Sweet Potatoes. yummy.
He is sitting up all by himself now, and he can play with toys and reach without falling over.
This has been a VERY good thing for my back. Most babies that weigh as much as he does are crawling and almost walking, so the amount of time in mommy's arms isn't quite as much. For me, carrying him around all day, and at times, carrying him in the car seat, has really hurt my back. He is incredibly heavy. He has a great time sitting up and playing. It has been awesome.
He is in the phase of "mommy can't leave me." If I leave the room, it is over. He just starts sobbing in the most broken hearted way he can muster. I can't leave his sight at all, but I usually don't anyway. Luckily, if Ben is here, I can leave him with Ben and all is well.
He has a laugh that comes straight from the gut. It is the most adorable thing to hear. His whole body shakes. He thinks Mary and Sam are absolutely hilarious. When they make him laugh, it makes them laugh. It is very cute to see all three kids laughing.
William is the ultimate grabber. He reaches for and grabs EVERYTHING! If he is sitting in the bumbo, he will arch back as far as he can, with arm outstretched and fingers moving, to try to touch something. When I hold him, he is constantly leaning forward, back or sideways with arms flailing, to grab anything that we are walking past. He always has a handful of my hair when I hold him, or an earring. We call him Mr. Grabby. If he can't reach something, he will just stare at it and twitch his fingers. It is so funny.
We sure do love our big, chunky, happy, sweet eyed, drooling, food eating, sitting up, bundle of baby. Happy 6 months William!
Well, here we are, and how fast it came!
We just got back from William's well baby appointment, so I have the stats.
He is 20.3 pounds of luscious, white, sweet, soft, chunky, baby fat! We love every single roll on this boy.
He is 26.27 inches long, or short, depending on how you look at it.
He is OFF of the "golden formula!!!"
He is being weaned off the reflux meds, and is completely off one of them!
The doctor says he is doing great and that no permanent damage has occurred due to his protein intolerance. Sometimes it can really mess up the stomach of a baby if it isn't caught in time. We can even feed him baby food now!
I introduced him to baby food a few weeks ago and he absolutely went nuts.
If I didn't get the spoon back to his mouth fast enough, he would start waving his arms as fast as he could and begin crying. He tries to hold the spoon in his mouth, so I won't pull it away. (as seen in picture below) He absolutely loves eating! It is great. His favorite is the same as the other two. Sweet Potatoes. yummy.
He is sitting up all by himself now, and he can play with toys and reach without falling over.
This has been a VERY good thing for my back. Most babies that weigh as much as he does are crawling and almost walking, so the amount of time in mommy's arms isn't quite as much. For me, carrying him around all day, and at times, carrying him in the car seat, has really hurt my back. He is incredibly heavy. He has a great time sitting up and playing. It has been awesome.
He is in the phase of "mommy can't leave me." If I leave the room, it is over. He just starts sobbing in the most broken hearted way he can muster. I can't leave his sight at all, but I usually don't anyway. Luckily, if Ben is here, I can leave him with Ben and all is well.
He has a laugh that comes straight from the gut. It is the most adorable thing to hear. His whole body shakes. He thinks Mary and Sam are absolutely hilarious. When they make him laugh, it makes them laugh. It is very cute to see all three kids laughing.
William is the ultimate grabber. He reaches for and grabs EVERYTHING! If he is sitting in the bumbo, he will arch back as far as he can, with arm outstretched and fingers moving, to try to touch something. When I hold him, he is constantly leaning forward, back or sideways with arms flailing, to grab anything that we are walking past. He always has a handful of my hair when I hold him, or an earring. We call him Mr. Grabby. If he can't reach something, he will just stare at it and twitch his fingers. It is so funny.
We sure do love our big, chunky, happy, sweet eyed, drooling, food eating, sitting up, bundle of baby. Happy 6 months William!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
A Pictureless, Priceless Holiday, and a Miracle
We made the treck to Idaho for Thanksgiving. I still can't get over the shock when we leave our front door and walk into my parent's home in JUST THREE HOURS!! We are so used to traveling at least 11 hours. In fact, when we were getting into the car, Mary came out with three bags full of "stuff to do in the car." She is very used to traveling for hours on end to visit family. She was excited to learn that only one bag would be plenty...and it was.
We haven't taken a break since the move, and I didn't realize how much one was needed until it happened. Thanksgiving was wonderful! The best thing of all is that Ben let me sleep in every morning! I feel like my children pretty much run my schedule, including my precious sleep, so when I sleep in and wake up when I want to, it feels like a gift of gold. It makes me feel like I have some sort of control of what I do.
The holiday was full of delicious food, visiting tons of family, playing some seriously competitive card games, going to Harry Potter, Ben making a ski jump in my parents yard, being towed in behind my brother's truck, and doing a backflkip off of it, the kids playing with everyone, reading the last Hunger Games Book (horrible, sick, book), doing puzzles, getting a new cell phone, and so on. It was so fun though, that I forgot to take pictures. oops
I found myself stepping back and realizing how good it felt to just sit down. To just relax a little. To catch my breath. I was beyond exhausted when the trip began, and I was hanging on by a thread. It was a wonderful trip and it went by way too fast. Even if we did get snowed in Pocatello and get an extra day. ;)
We only had one mishap, and I still get sick to my stomach when I think about it. William was sitting up on my parents counter and I was holding on to him and talking to my mom. I turned to ask my sister a question and let go of him. At that same moment, he arched back. He fell backwards, approx. 3+ feet, and landed head first on my parents wood floor. Words cannot describe the horror I felt when I saw him lying on the floor. His head immediately swelled up to a scary size. I completely fell apart as we were getting ready to go to the E.R. The guilt was overwhelming, the fear was very real, and the realization of what the effects could be, were too much to handle. The swelling looked horrible and he was pale and lethargic. My dad and Ben gave him a blessing and we took off. I was so upset and so worried. So was Ben. By the time we got to the E.R., William was already looking better and the swelling was still very big, but going down. The doctor checked him out, decided against a CAT scan, and after asking a million questions, we left the E.R. and headed to the Thanksgiving Dinner with instructins to come back if he showed certain signs. (yes, this was Thanksgiving Day) I was positive that William would have a terrible lump and a very nasty bruise on his head. With that much swelling, that is just a given. Instead, there is absolutely no evidence that he fell that far or hit that hard. I consider it our Christmas miracle #2. In the blessing he received, he was blessed with a complete recovery, and he got it. There is no other way his head would have healed like that. I am so grateful that he is o.k. and I still hold him tightly every day and give him some extra snuggles, to try to ward off the terror that still resides in my heart. Thank goodness for answered prayers and the power of priesthood blessings.
We haven't taken a break since the move, and I didn't realize how much one was needed until it happened. Thanksgiving was wonderful! The best thing of all is that Ben let me sleep in every morning! I feel like my children pretty much run my schedule, including my precious sleep, so when I sleep in and wake up when I want to, it feels like a gift of gold. It makes me feel like I have some sort of control of what I do.
The holiday was full of delicious food, visiting tons of family, playing some seriously competitive card games, going to Harry Potter, Ben making a ski jump in my parents yard, being towed in behind my brother's truck, and doing a backflkip off of it, the kids playing with everyone, reading the last Hunger Games Book (horrible, sick, book), doing puzzles, getting a new cell phone, and so on. It was so fun though, that I forgot to take pictures. oops
I found myself stepping back and realizing how good it felt to just sit down. To just relax a little. To catch my breath. I was beyond exhausted when the trip began, and I was hanging on by a thread. It was a wonderful trip and it went by way too fast. Even if we did get snowed in Pocatello and get an extra day. ;)
We only had one mishap, and I still get sick to my stomach when I think about it. William was sitting up on my parents counter and I was holding on to him and talking to my mom. I turned to ask my sister a question and let go of him. At that same moment, he arched back. He fell backwards, approx. 3+ feet, and landed head first on my parents wood floor. Words cannot describe the horror I felt when I saw him lying on the floor. His head immediately swelled up to a scary size. I completely fell apart as we were getting ready to go to the E.R. The guilt was overwhelming, the fear was very real, and the realization of what the effects could be, were too much to handle. The swelling looked horrible and he was pale and lethargic. My dad and Ben gave him a blessing and we took off. I was so upset and so worried. So was Ben. By the time we got to the E.R., William was already looking better and the swelling was still very big, but going down. The doctor checked him out, decided against a CAT scan, and after asking a million questions, we left the E.R. and headed to the Thanksgiving Dinner with instructins to come back if he showed certain signs. (yes, this was Thanksgiving Day) I was positive that William would have a terrible lump and a very nasty bruise on his head. With that much swelling, that is just a given. Instead, there is absolutely no evidence that he fell that far or hit that hard. I consider it our Christmas miracle #2. In the blessing he received, he was blessed with a complete recovery, and he got it. There is no other way his head would have healed like that. I am so grateful that he is o.k. and I still hold him tightly every day and give him some extra snuggles, to try to ward off the terror that still resides in my heart. Thank goodness for answered prayers and the power of priesthood blessings.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Footprints...on the roof?
The Monday before Thanksgiving, Ben's good friend Doug and his wife Nayomee and their little boy Clark, came to visit us. Clark was born less than a week before William, so it was fun to see the two of them together. Ben has known Doug since they were just little boys and they have all sorts of hilarious stories. We were so excited that they were going to come spend the day with us. We talked for a while and did all of the catching up stuff and then Ben and Doug disappeared.
They are both snow ski fanatics, and when you put two snow ski crazy people together, crazy things happen. Nayomee and I went outside to see what they were doing, and they were busy shoveling away to make a landing for this.
Yup, Ben decided that Doug's visit would be the perfect time to jump off the roof with his snow skis. We ended up with a small crowd in the yard cheering him on. The bishop was the most excited of them all. In fact, the other day, we noticed that his son had snowboarded off their roof. Good thing I previously told the neighbors that we would not be responsible for any damages done by their children copying Ben. It was a joke at the time, but now I see that maybe I should have been more serious when I said that.
Poor little Sam stood there on the driveway begging Ben not to do it. He was near tears. It was so sad, he was worried for his daddy.
Ben landed it just fine and did it one more time. He was all grins. It was great!
So, like I have said, everyone that comes to our home leaves their footprints. Doug, Nayomee and Clark left footprints of fun, laughter, friendship, and of course, footprints on the roof.
They are both snow ski fanatics, and when you put two snow ski crazy people together, crazy things happen. Nayomee and I went outside to see what they were doing, and they were busy shoveling away to make a landing for this.
Yup, Ben decided that Doug's visit would be the perfect time to jump off the roof with his snow skis. We ended up with a small crowd in the yard cheering him on. The bishop was the most excited of them all. In fact, the other day, we noticed that his son had snowboarded off their roof. Good thing I previously told the neighbors that we would not be responsible for any damages done by their children copying Ben. It was a joke at the time, but now I see that maybe I should have been more serious when I said that.
Poor little Sam stood there on the driveway begging Ben not to do it. He was near tears. It was so sad, he was worried for his daddy.
Ben landed it just fine and did it one more time. He was all grins. It was great!
So, like I have said, everyone that comes to our home leaves their footprints. Doug, Nayomee and Clark left footprints of fun, laughter, friendship, and of course, footprints on the roof.
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