happy family

Hello Again

2011-03-04T21:59:00.002-07:00

It's been a while, but I promise we are still here. Here are a few things going on with us....

Elliot still loves school, especially the bus
Evie is officially 3 and as sassy as ever....in fact she's been spending a lot of time in time out for talking back
We took a trip to Florida to visit Magah and Papa
The kids had their first Disney park experience and loved it (I'll post more about this later)
We will be welcoming a new baby to our family in July :)

Hopefully I will get better at this whole blogging thing soon

School!

2010-09-09T16:11:00.002-06:00

We officially have a kindergartner :) (as of a week ago...I swear I'll get on the ball one of these days).

PS. Isn't his kissing hand so cute?!

I Can Never Seem to Remember...

2010-08-05T14:44:00.003-06:00

"Let's go get Daddy!!", I said in my happiest, most sing-songy tone as I piled my two screaming, cranky, napless children into the car. The joys of being a single car family, right?

As annoying as it it to have to wrangle my kids to the car, when I should be cooking dinner, all because I had one or another appointment to go during the day, I really don't mind driving around with my kids. There's just something about the thought of them being strapped, buckled, and unable to touch each other that puts a little spring in my step.

Plus, it is usually in the car when Elliot and Evie say the funniest things. Or want to have serious, thought provoking discussions (think simple here...they are 5 and 2 after all). Or where I have some kind of epiphany as I relish the tiny snores coming from the back seat after they've both fallen asleep.

This particular Tuesday there wasn't anything particularly funny, or thought provoking. There wasn't an epiphany either. At least not really.

There was a song though. And some tears. Mine, not theirs.

I'm sure most of you have heard the song "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins. I've heard it too. But for whatever reason, this time around it took all of 2.8 seconds and a quick glance in the rear view mirror before the flood gates opened.

The screaming, fighting, talking back, and mess making from earlier in the day all suddenly melted away. All I could see then was my cute little Princess and my sweet handsome boy sitting quietly in the back seat.

He's right! Trace Adkins is right! I AM going to miss this. I AM going to want this back. And you better believe I'm going to wish these days hadn't gone by so fast.

So why can I never seem to remember that? When I get out of my ten minute shower to find every book we own on the floor, my two year old screaming because she's somehow been locked in her bedroom and my five year old painting with red finger nail polish on the bathroom counter why do I feel the sudden urge to rip every hair out of my head. Or to at least curl up in the fetal position, suck my thumb, and cry for my mommy. Where the heck is Trace? Shouldn't he be there warning me of the emptiness I'll feel when my kids are grown with families of their own?

I wonder if I could hire him to follow me around and sing that song all day. Doubt it. Not for what I could afford.

Besides, I bet my kids' antics just might make him want to curl up in the fetal position too.

Chistmas Time!!

2009-12-01T22:15:00.003-07:00

This year I decided we needed a little help to really get into the holiday spirit. Luckily I know a great group of ladies from an online forum (my dad calls them my imaginary friends...nice huh?) who have amazing ideas. They've been talking about advent calendars.

You know, there are those ones you can buy at the store that have a piece of chocolate counting down each day til Christmas. Or there are the ones with little doors where you can hide a little toy or treat. Those are cute and all but if you have more than one kid then there has to be trading off if you are up to listening to the fighting and whining every day, or one for each child if you're not. Fun. Not really.

But leave it to my imaginary friends to put a fresh spin on an old tradition. Instead treating your family to a mini sugar rush, why don't you plan an activity for the entire family to enjoy each day. Genius I tell you! Pure genius :)

So that is exactly what I've done (with some help from my mom.....Thanks Mom!). We have a fun activity planned for every day leading to Christmas. Some are simple like reading a story or watching a movie. Some are creative like building a gingerbread house. And some are a little more exciting like going to Zoo Lights. We have some religious ones planned to hopefully help the kids remember the reason for the season too. Whatever the activity it will be spent with family. I can't think of a better way to bring some holiday cheer.

I think this may just turn out to be my favorite part of the holiday season this year!

Right Now

2009-11-21T21:11:00.001-07:00

We are waiting oh so patiently for the kids to go to sleep so we can have a date at home. We're going to have dinner by ourselves and watch a movie and I'm sure it will be lovely.

What's even more lovely are the sounds coming from Elliot's room. No, he's not snoring......yet anyway. He is singing "scripture power....keeps me safe from sin". I love his little voice. I love how fast he learns things (especially when there is a song to teach with). I just love him :)

Now go to sleep Elliot :P

Thankful Thursday!

2009-11-05T14:22:00.002-07:00

It's that time of the week (or decade, since it's been that long it seems) again. So pull on your thankful trousers and let's get down to business.....

1. Yummy smelling laundry detergent. Pretty lame, I know, but I really mean it. When we ran out of laundry detergent I decided to try something new. We bought some apple mango tango scented Gain (ooooooooh, fancy) and I'm telling you what....it is seriously like the commercials.

You know the ones. I'm sure you've seen them. There is one with one guy sniffing the other guy while they are celebrating a good play during some kind of a ball game. I know there are others but that's the one I can remember right off the top of my head. Seriously, it really does make laundry and and even just wearing clothes* a lot more enjoyable.

*disclaimer....I do not know, nor have I ever wandered around in the buff. Honestly I am one of the most modest people you will ever meet....I would wear clothes made out of tree bark if that's all there was just because I like to be covered up that. much.

2. I was taught about God and faith from a young age. This year has been a big struggle for me. One trial right after another. I know I'm not the only one so you must know what I'm talking about. But no matter how hard things have gotten, there is one thing that continually creeps into my mind....my faith. The knowledge that I have that there is an all knowing God, and He is my Heavenly Father. I am literally his daughter. And no matter how hard things get I can go to Him at ANY time.

In fact, one particularly hard day, I convinced myself that it would be easier to not feel the need to differentiate between right and wrong. To be able to just kind of float through life doing whatever I want. To not believe in God (gasp....blasphemous I know but it happened so there it is). So I tried it. I tried alllllllllll afternoon. And when I found myself about to pray to ask for help to not believe in God I realized it was hopeless. I'm a believer and always will be.

3. The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Wow! That's almost all there is to say about that. But no need to fear, I've always been known for finding words when there are none to be found (or perhaps just when I shouldn't *blush*)

I recently decided to embark on a new project. I'm not quite ready to announce what that project is but suffice it to say I have also found myself doing some serious studying. Studying that will hopefully help with my project. In my studying I found my way to the Maxwell Institute (it is part of BYU and used to be known as FARMS as far as I know....but if I'm being honest back in the day my mom told me about such things I just found it boring and turned my brain off until she was done talking). But now....oh......hmmmm.......yeah, wow is pretty much all I can say about it. If ever you are wondering about something scriptural this is the place to go. Their mission statement says-

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship exists to:

Describe and defend the Restoration through highest quality scholarship
Provide critically edited, primary resources (ancient religious texts) to scholars and lay persons around the world
Build bridges of understanding and goodwill to Muslim scholars by providing superior editions of primary texts
Provide an anchor of faith in a sea of LDS Studies

Really super cool! Check it out sometime!

I could add some more, but I think I'll save some for next week.

Now it's your turn =)

It's Not Thursday Yet....

2009-09-16T20:03:00.002-06:00

So I think I'm going to have a Whiny Wednesday moment here real quick.

I just tried to schedule an appointment at a local spa. BJ gave me a gift certificate for my birthday and I haven't had time to redeem it yet. No big deal, the thing doesn't expire for a whole year.

I just hopped on the computer to take one last look at the website to decide for sure what I wanted to do, but when I got to the page all it said was "this website is no longer active". Hmmmm, that's a little weird.

So I decided to just go ahead and call.....AND THE NUMBER HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED! I'm completely bummed.

I got an awesome gift for my birthday and never got to use it. Lame.

At least So You Think You Can Dance is on tonight.

Thankful Thursday

2009-08-20T21:06:00.002-06:00

This week I am extremely thankful for BYU Education Week, for all of the people that have made the event possible, and for all of the people that have made it possible for me to go. My mom worked out a deal with my Aunt and my cousin that if they would watch my kids for two days so I could go to Education Week, she would treat them to the other two days. It has been just incredible. I feel all sorts of edified. I feel well fed, spiritually speaking. Heck, I just feel down right warm and fuzzy!

It is extremely difficult to listen to sacrament meeting(and therefore be spiritually uplifted) when you have two little ones crawling all over you asking for fruit snacks or crayons or why it's not okay to play with transformers at church. So it has been pure bliss to sit completely still and just listen. To have the spirit speak things to my mind and to my heart. To recognize some areas where I need to try a little harder but also to realize that I'm mostly doing OK. For the first time in a while I feel at peace. This is just what I needed.

Thanks Mom, Aunt Julie, Aubrey, and of course BJ for making this happen for me this week :)

Hello Friends.....Long time, no see!

2009-08-19T21:44:00.003-06:00

Totally my own fault and I know it.

I promise to be better though.

There has been a lot going on over the past little while and I'm ashamed to say that I've spent a good deal of that time wallowing in my own self pity. But, NO MORE!

So get ready, blogosphere....you're going to be seeing a lot more of me ;)

One More Year with our Miracle :)

2009-06-08T23:13:00.004-06:00

Well, that time of year has come again. Tomorrow is Elliot's birthday. This year I am just plain excited. That is a much different feeling than in years past. The day he was born I was scared. His first birthday something was just "off" (we were so happy he had come so far but there was some apprehension behind the celebrating). His second birthday I was dealing with morning sickness. His third birthday was starting to feel more normal, and this year is pure elation.

He has come so far and is doing so well. He is no longer a baby (,"I'm a big boy!) He is getting bigger all the time, and he is healthier than he has ever been. *Knock on wood*. He is truly a miracle!

This is one of the very first pictures ever taken of Elliot.

Back then I worried if he'd even make it through the night. It was painful to be away from him. He was so fragile and I knew he just needed his mommy and daddy. Eventually the fear of losing him subsided and instead I worried that he'd still be on oxygen during his senior prom.

He eventually outgrew that too. Then we worried if he'd make it through a winter without a hospital stay, or if he would need another surgery. But now we are fortunate enough to have different worries.

Like if he will hate me for the rest of his life for subjecting him to daily growth hormone injections. Or if he'll ever be fully potty trained (maybe he'll be wearing a pull-up to prom instead of that cannula, ha). Now we are able to worry if we are teaching him how to make correct decisions, or showing him often enough how much we love him.

I know that as a parent the worry never really goes away, but I am so grateful that we have come far enough to put our worry on the back burner for one day....because you better believe there will be nothing but celebrating tomorrow!

Thankful Thursday

2009-04-16T21:55:00.003-06:00

Holy cow, it's been a long time since I've even opened blogger! It's high time I came back and shared a few things I'm thankful for :)

This week I'm thankful that...

I got Evie's Easter dress done on time....with some assistance from my mom. I was getting a little worried that I wasn't going to make it but we got it done just in time.

BJ bought a new cd drive for my computer today. This is really good news. I haven't posted in so long partly be cause my dumb computer can't read the discs with all our cute new pictures on them. But that will be changing on Monday, yay!

My good friend Jill posted this article on her blog a while ago really. I had been thinking about this for a while anyway, but when Jill posted the article on her blog it really made me think. This is the other reason I've haven't been posting as much. I've been trying really hard to wean myself off the internet. I also am not sure I would call my internet use an addiction, but I definitely have spent more time online than I would care to admit. At one point, with a very sick baby and some seriously messed up emotions, the internet and the friends I made there were my lifeline. But now I have a healthy, beautiful family. And these are the moments that I'm going to look back on and miss. My sweet little kids are growing up too fast, and I don't want to miss a single moment of it. Especially not because I was too busy worrying about what was happening on facebook or on someone's blog. I love you all, but it's time to readjust my priorities a little :)

We had a Playdate. Elliot's little friend Matty got to come over to play for a couple of hours today. It was SO fun to watch them interact and have such a fun time. The must have played with every single toy Elliot owns. And it took Elliot's focus off Evie for a while...I don't remember the last time the poor girl has gone two hours without being pinched or pushed. I'm sure she was grateful for Matty too!

What about you? What are you thankful for this week?

A Strange Request

2009-03-29T14:32:00.003-06:00

While we were out to dinner last Saturday we were approached by a guy (probably in his early 20's) who had a really strange request for us. I was away from the table when it happened but was told all about it when I returned.

I guess the kid came over to the table and asked my mom if he could take a picture with her little boy. Elliot was sitting by my mom but she deferred the question to BJ, but they were both pretty confused by the request. I guess the kid could tell that BJ was confused so he told him that he just had to have a picture with Elliot because he looks JUST like the kid in Meet the Robinsons.

I can see it, what do you think? My mom has always said that Elliot looks like a cartoon character.....I guess she wasn't kidding :)

At least everyone seems to like his new glasses. I should add that we took the rectangular ones back and got him a different pair that are more round, they fit him better and look nicer too!

Thankful Thursday

2009-03-12T19:59:00.002-06:00

This week I am thankful for.....

Hope. Life sure would be a lot harder if it weren't for hope. No matter how bad things get, there is always hope. And coupled with faith in Christ, hope can get us through anything.

My Beautiful Kids. No matter how frustrated this mommy gets during the day, I have two adorable kids that love me and give me good cuddles before bed. I wouldn't trade those hugs and kisses for anything.

My Talents. You know it's interesting, a lot of times I think that we're given talents to bless the lives of others. That is definitely true and I do feel it is important to use our talents to help others. But I also think that our individual talents were given as gifts to bless ourselves too. I don't know about you, but the things I consider my talents are things that I enjoy. So when I use them I may be blessing others but I'm also bring fulfillment and happiness into my own life.

What are you thankful for this week?

This is What Happens

2009-03-07T22:22:00.001-07:00

When your 14-month old refuses to take a nap.....

How Do You Make a Cute Boy Even Cuter?

2009-03-06T22:19:00.002-07:00

Put cute glasses on him!

We had the Neo-natal follow up clinic for Elliot today. We get to go at least once a year (usually more than that) and see a slew of medical professionals all in one spot. We see a pediatrician, a developmental psychiatrist, a speech therapist, nutritionist, physical and occupational therapists (if needed) and an awesome pediatric ophthalmologist.

We got to see the ophthalmologist first. Actually, he caught us before we even had a chance to sign in. He put some drops in Elliot's eyes and sent us back out to the waiting room. When we went back in about 20 minutes later, he asked me if we had any history of childhood eye problems in our family. Well BJ has worn glasses since he was a child, so I guess so. Then the Doctor told me that Elliot needed glasses.

It was funny because I've been thinking for a while that he might need glasses. For no reason in particular, it's just been in the back of my mind. So I wasn't really surprised. He gave us Elliot's prescription and sent us on our way. That was really the only thing that changed with today's clinic....everything else looks great. Yay!!

After Daddy finished work, we all headed to the mall. Even Magah, Papa, and Ashley. We picked out some glasses which was tough to do because they were all so big. Even the ones we picked were too big, but they were one of the smallest pairs and looked the best.

After dinner we went back to Lenscrafters to pick up his new glasses. I think he looks pretty cute! They are definitely going to take some getting used to but in the long run I think he'll be happy that he can see better now :)

New Adventures

2009-03-02T21:53:00.003-07:00

Due to some extenuating circumstances in my extended family, we are (unfortunately) taking a break from the Preemie Tee making business. My mom needs to take a break and focus more of her attention on some family matters. I totally support her in this decision, but it was more than a little sad when we packaged up the last orders a few days ago. I have devoted so much of my time for the past three years to this business. It's meant so much to me to be able to "give back". To feel like I was repaying some of the blessings we were given while in the NICU, even in the smallest of ways. Of course I'll never be able to repay all the miracles that were performed on our behalf, but it was nice to think that we might have been making the NICU roller-coaster ride a little easier for someone else.

This isn't the end of Elliot's Preemie Tees. Just a break. At least that's what my mom says. I hope she's right.

Anyway, here I sit at a crossroad. I'm sad to be leaving my Preemie Tee making days behind (even temporarily) but I'm excited to try my hand at being a real stay at home mom. I think I did the stay at home thing for a couple of months. Elliot was still completely immobile when I started helping my mom though. And I'm beginning to realize how NOT stay at home I've been over the past three years. Even though I have called myself a stay at home mom, I think it would have been more accurate to call myself a working mom who just happened to have her kids with her all day too. I see now lots of ways that I've been distracted and lots of ways that my family has sacrificed for me to be able to help with the business. But that is all going to change.

In fact it started changing today. I made a weekly menu and did REAL grocery shopping for the first time in who knows how long. I about passed out when it came time to pay the cashier for the food even though it was far less that what we have been spending. Fast food is SO convenient, especially when you've been working all day. But it adds up really fast. Now I'll actually have time to cook real dinners, and save our family some money. Plus I have several closets that are just dying to be cleaned out. A quilt and some Christmas stockings to finish. Some redecorating to do. Places to explore. Playgroups to attend (at least I hope....they might not even have a playgroup around anymore) And a branch full of people I'm dying to get to know (after nearly four years of living here).

I'm a little scared too. Who knows if I'll be any good at any of this. I guess there's only one way to find out.

Question

2009-03-01T15:44:00.001-07:00

Why do kids seem to think that a five minute "nap" on the way home from church (and really I'm being generous on the length) is enough nap for the whole day?

Anyone know the answer? Anyone at all?

Thankful Thursday

2009-02-26T21:17:00.003-07:00

I haven't done one of these in a while and it's time. So here goes nothing....

The Spirit. I've had some interesting experiences this week. I would by lying if I said they were all pleasant, but I can definitely see how the Spirit has guided me through this week. And how some of the things that happened, had to happen at such precise times. There's no way I could have orchestrated that. All of this gives me hope that the Spirit will continue to guide me if I let it. And if I do, no matter what happens, everything will be okay.

My amazing Husband. He's ALWAYS here when I need him. He gives the best hugs. He knows just what to say to comfort me and he knows when it would be better to just hold me and let me cry. He makes me smile and he makes me laugh. He's a great daddy. And he goes out for ice cream whenever I ask, even if it means changing back into his clothes after he has gotten comfy in his jammies. I love you honey!

The Pfizer Bridge Program. This is something I just recently found out about, thanks to Elliot. We have decided to give growth hormone therapy a try because of his small size. He is still not even on the charts. And his peers are getting taller and taller as he stays pretty much the same. Unfortunately, our insurance doesn't cover growth hormone shots because they aren't "necessary". A years worth of shots we might actually be doing this for two or more years) can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000. OUCH! Luckily, the Pfizer Bridge program swooped in and saved they day. They are covering the cost of Elliot's shots. One hundred percent. For the whole year (we'll have re-apply next year). Amazing! We thank them for giving us a chance to help our son be a little taller.

I'm sure there's more, but I better go eat that ice cream BJ just went to get for me....before it melts :) What are YOU thankful for this week?

Bronchitis, Gastroenteritis, and RSV.....OH My!

2009-02-21T20:03:00.002-07:00

I could go on. But since I'm feeling completely drained and a little grumpy right now, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to hear it. Let's just say it's been a hard/long month or more and leave it at that.

Tomorrow is a new day.....hopefully a healthy one :)

Have You Ever Had

2009-02-10T22:09:00.003-07:00

One of those moments where you know you need to keep a straight face but you just can't?

That happened to me today.

I was busy cleaning when I noticed that Elliot was playing with the blinds, trying to hit Evie with them. So I asked him nicely to stop. Nothing.

So I asked again. Not even a flinch. Again.....STILL nothing. So I raised my voice "Elliot.....STOP".

And that's when it happened.

He turned. He looked at me with the crustiest look on his face. Pointed his little finger at me and said

"You want a piece of me???"

I could not help myself. I laughed. Hard. I about peed my pants right there in the kitchen.

Where does he learn this stuff? At least he stopped, right?

Memory Lane

2009-02-10T20:44:00.006-07:00

I haven't done one of these for a long time, so really I'm due.

My sister-in-law, Tami, has been posting things in various places about how excited she is for her 5th wedding anniversary (congratulations Tami and Nate!!). Seeing all of that has reminded me that it was this time of year, five years ago that BJ and I first met. Crazy! Some of you know how we met and some of you don't, so I thought I'd share "our story".

I came home from my mission in October, 2003, to a home I had never seen before. My family moved from Colorado to Kansas while I was gone. I had never even been to Kansas before. I came home, found a job, and eventually decided that the best place to meet people would be the single's ward. I was a little disappointed. That particular single's ward seemed to be full of people that were about to get "kicked out" for being too old. Don't get me wrong, I had a LOT of fun there with the people that I met but the dating pool seemed to be pretty small.

I must have complained about it because my mom suggested I sign up for one of those LDS dating sites. I told my friend Christy about it thinking that she'd get as big a laugh from the idea as me, but she actually though it sounded interesting. At the very least, we could laugh at everyone else. So we signed up one afternoon. I wish I could remember what I wrote in my profile, but this....is the picture I posted. I used to be so skinny :) It was only a few days before I had a "smile" from BJ. I checked out his profile...(where it said his little sister Tami had just gotten married) and sent a smile back. Then he sent a message. And an invite for instant messaging. And pretty soon we were chatting online every day. He even hooked up a webcam to prove to my mom that he wasn't a 65 year old man.

Then he asked if he could call, but I decided it would be safer if I called him (with a calling card so my number didn't show up on caller id). Even though that first call was a bit of a bust, it wasn't long before we were talking every night (after my parents went to bed.....I was being sneaky).

I had already decided to come out to BYU for school and since BJ was in Kaysville we decided to meet when I moved out here. We had planned to meet at the temple, figuring that was a safe place. My dad vetoed that idea as soon as he caught wind of it. He said that if I really wanted to meet this guy,we could meet while he was helping me get settled. So sure enough, our first date was with my dad. But we met up again only a few hours later... after my dad had gone back to his hotel :)

Pretty soon BJ was skipping class to come visit me. I saw him pretty much everyday. We did everything together....he even went job hunting with me. We were engaged by the end of the month.....
and married four months later. When it's right, it's right.....no sense in waiting.

So there you have it. We've known each other for five years. And have been married for 4 1/2. In some ways it seems so much longer because of all we've been through. But in other ways it feels like it was just yesterday. I'm so grateful for him. There's no one else I could possilbly love this much or want to share forever with. He's my perfect match.

A Night Out on the Town

2009-02-03T22:58:00.003-07:00

I know the pictures show us at home, but we actually had a fun night out tonight. After a weekend of being held captive while mommy was so sick she could hardly move, let alone breathe we decided it might be fun to get out for a while.

I heard of a bakery opening in Provo, and with my new found love of cup cakes I was dying to check it out. We hopped in the car as soon as daddy got home and payed a visit to the Sweet Tooth Fairy and sweet she sure was! The bakery was so cute, warm, and inviting. And the owner was just as sweet as her treats. If you're ever in Provo you should stop by her shop.

We decided it wasn't exactly responsible to eat treats before eating something a bit more substantial, so we braved Red Robin for dinner. And the kids were amazing. So well behaved. It was really nice and relaxing. But it made me wonder where my children were ;)

We came home to eat our sweets. They are SO yummy! BJ and the kids got cookies and I got a cup cake. Seriously one of the best cup cakes I've ever had. The frosting was amazing. I would seriously pay for just a spoonful of that frosting. Elliot didn't eat so much of his cookie (that's okay because guess who gets the leftovers) but Evie devoured hers. I can't blame her....my cup cake was gone in about two seconds.

More Firsts

2009-02-02T19:26:00.004-07:00

A couple weekends ago... hmmmm, when was that? I really want to remember the actual date.....oh yeah it was January 17th! Anyway, on January 17th we took Evie to get her first hair cut. Magah gave Elliot his first hair cut but she was a little uneasy cutting Evie's hair. Girl hair is harder to cut than boy hair, she says. She's probably right.

We didn't cut much of Evie's hair. Just a trim really. She was just starting to look a little disheveled. You can hardly tell the difference but I think she looks cute anyway.

Here are a few pictures from our adventure.

what the heck is going on here?

I really don't think I like this!!

Oooooo, pretty animals

She liked it a little better once she could see herself in the mirror (not that she's even looking)

The after shot....So pretty!

One Crazy Week

2009-01-25T22:53:00.005-07:00

I completely missed "Thankful Thursday" this week. I promise I have a really good excuse, which I will now explain. It's kind of a long story though.....

Some of you know that Elliot has had difficulty sleeping for AGES. He would go to sleep relatively well only to wake up a few, short hours later. He would then calm down slightly but wake up again an hour or less later, completely hysterical and refuse to go back to sleep in his bed. So he would come into our room to sleep. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand nightmares. And I want to be sensitive to my son's needs but it was getting really old! And after last Sunday (that brought the total of the bad sleeping nights up to at least 4 months) I about lost it.

Somehow we were able to keepour cool and calmly discuss what the problem was. Elliot told us that he was scared. We asked what he was scared of. "Are you scared of the dark? We can get you a new night light". That wasn't the problem. "We leave your door open and you can call us whenever you need us". Yep, he understands that. So BJ decided to take Elliot back to his room and have him show us the problem. He went back to his room and said "Jesus is scaring me" and pointed to the corner where his bean bag chair was sitting. There was book of paintings of Jesus sitting on the bean bag so BJ moved the book. We got our shoes on, went to school, and left it at that.

During the day I just couldn't shake the feeling that something else needed to be fixed in his room to make him feel more safe. So we hit up WalMart and bought a new night light. Then we came home and I decided to "de-junk" a little in his room thinking that less stuff means less shadows and less scary things. So I cleaned up the toys but still felt that it wasn't enough. So I asked BJ to move the bean bag chair out of his room while I fed Evie dinner.

I was out in the family room when I heard and "Oh my GOSH!!" from Elliot's room. So I went to see what the big deal was and this is what BJ found behind Elliot's bean bag chair....

Yep, that's right. Mold. And not just any mold. Black mold. We were SHOCKED. But suddenly the sniffles and nightly coughing fits that had lasted for months seemed to make sense. It's amazing how quickly your perspective can change. Instantly something that had been a huge bother for months changed into a huge blessing. Who knows how sick he might be if he had been left to sleep more than the three hours we could actually get him to stay in his room.

We cleaned it up with bleach and aired out his room. But we decided we'd rather be safe than sorry. So BJ took some pictures and sent them to the apartment office. They sent the maintenance man over to take a look. All he did was knock on the wall in a few places and tell me that the drywall appeared to be dry so it "must have just been a surface mold". Um, sorry but that's not good enough.

Luckily the office manager must have been as concerned bout this as we were because the maintenance supervisor was sent to take a look soon after. And he was much more thorough. This is how he left Elliot's wall...

Luckily he didn't find any mold INSIDE the wall. But he DID find a leak into the wall from the porch. It was nice and wet in there.....perfect conditions for mold. He took the insulation out, sealed it up and left it to dry over night. So Elliot got to have a sleep over in Mommy and Daddy's room. That was Thursday night. And since I don't usually get the chance to blog until bedtime you can see why I missed "Thankful Thursday". You can also see that we have much to be thankful for this week.

Amidst all the emailing, phone calls, maintenance visits, and worrying, we got to hear more of what Elliot meant by "Jesus is scaring me". He talked about it a LOT this week. Now I don't know if it was through dreams or other means but Elliot has explained to us that Jesus told him there was dirt in his room that was very bad and he needed to not be in his room, that it wasn't safe. That's why he was unconsolable whenever we tried to get him to go back to sleep in his own bed. Wether you believe in Jesus or not, or believe that He cares for the welfare of one small boy or not, there is no denying that someone or something was watching out for our little boy. I, for one, find it perfectly reasonable that Elliot would be visited in a dream (or however) by a gentle and loving Savior. And that He would explain to my son, in words he could understand, that his room was not a safe place to be, and that no matter how annoyed his parents might be he needed to be out of his room.

On Friday they replaced the insulation and put up new dry wall. And Elliot slept all night. Without a single peep. In his own bed. He slept even better last night. And he told us this morning, without us even asking, that the "Jesus scares are all gone", that his room is clean and he is happy now.

He's in his room snoring right now. And we have much to be thankful for.

The Verdict

2009-01-17T20:27:00.002-07:00

With the holidays and Evie's birthday I haven't done so well with keeping up with the blog. There are a lot of things to catch up. I hope to remember them all and get to them this week, including Christmas pictures and 1st birthday pictures.

But FIRST......

Last year, some of you may remember, I entered the LDS church art competition. I completed my piece in October and sat back and ~~patiently~~ anxiously waited for a response. Well, right around Christmas time I got my answer.

And the verdict waaaaaaaaaasssssss........

NO!

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!! There was much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Not really, but I was ~~a LOT~~ slightly disappointed. I really thought I had a shot. I got my rejection letter on Christmas Eve (Merry Christmas to me, right?).

BJ seems to think that was a good sign though. That it came late so maybe it made it far in the judging process. Like, maybe they sent the letters out in waves. Everyone was supposed to be notified one way or the other by December 31st, so maybe if it came that late it was one of the last ones(or close to last) cut. Maybe. He's either right or I just have the best, most sensitive husband ever. Or maybe it's both :)

Even with the disappointing news I can be content with the fact that I kept a promise to myself. I promised I would enter the contest and I actually followed through. Plus, it got me drawing again. I haven't worked on my art for quite a long time. Since before Elliot was born at the very least. And if I keep practicing I'll only get better from here.

There's always next time, right?

This Night, Last Year

2009-01-07T02:41:00.004-07:00

I couldn't sleep then either. I was too anxious about heading to the hospital first thing in the morning to finally meet my baby girl. I was nervous about having another c-section but mostly just excited to hold Evie in my arms for the first time. I can't believe it's been a whole year. Now she's walking all over, and even starting to talk. Time goes by so quickly.

Tonight, I guess I can't sleep because I can't stop thinking about last year.

Elliot spent the night at my mom's house so we wouldn't have to wake him up so early. We had to be to the hospital by 5 am, I think. It might have been earlier. I can't remember for sure. Just like my c-section with Elliot, the nurse had to call the anesthesiologist to place my IV.....I have bad veins and she couldn't get it. And before I knew it I was laying on the operating table waiting for my second baby to be born. I remember listening to my doctors talk to each other. The one that was assisting wished the other a Happy Birthday and he said it was a great day to be born. Funny how Evie shares a birthday with the doctor that delivered her. It wasn't very long until I heard her crying. It was such a beautiful sound.....one I didn't hear for quite a while with Elliot. They took her to the opposite corner of the room to get her cleaned up. BJ couldn't keep his eyes from the corner of the room. I could tell that he didn't want to leave me but that he wanted to be with her too. So I told him to go.

After a couple minutes the nurse brought her over to me. She took her little hat off to show me that she had red hair and then she rested her on my shoulder so I could say hello and give her a kiss. It was comforting for us both to have her near me. But the doctors needed to examine her and make sure she was okay, so she and BJ went to the nursery while my doctors finished stitching me up. They wheeled me to recovery. I thought I would be there for a while. That is how I remembered it from when Elliot was born. This time was a lot different though. I was in a room all by myself. BJ was with Evie and we told everyone else to wait to come until later. And I was only there a short time before the nurses came back and took me to my room.

When I got to my room, BJ was still with Evie. So I called my mom to tell her the surgery was done, I was fine, BJ was still with the baby, and she could come up any time she wanted. It didn't even cross my mind that Evie was having any troubles.....I just thought that BJ couldn't tear himself away from his little princess. He's always wanted a little girl after all. So it wasn't until much later when I found out she had had a little breathing trouble and spent some time on a c-pap. I slept a little before my mom came. While she was there was when BJ and Evie finally came back. She was so beautiful and absolutely perfect. At that moment it seemed so silly that I had ever worried that I wouldn't have enough love for both of my babies.

It was a lot easier to recover from that second c-section. It did take a while to adjust to two kids. But now we wonder how we ever got along without her. She's amazing and we love her SO much. She's our angel. Happy Birthday baby girl, we love you!!

A Big Change

2009-01-05T21:35:00.003-07:00

And an equally big boy!

Yesterday was Elliot's first day of Primary. He moved up from nursery to the Sunbeam class at church. It's a really big change. He has to sit still, have a real lesson, and he doesn't get playtime anymore.

We've been prepping him for this change for a couple weeks and he seemed to be okay with the idea. But on Saturday night, when we were talking about what to expect at church the next day, he seemed a little apprehensive. After he went to sleep I had a long chat with my mom and she convinced me that I might have to go with him the first time or two. So I mentally prepared myself for going to Primary.

During Sacrament meeting, his teacher stood up to bear her testimony. When she did, I quietly leaned over to Elliot and said "look Elliot, that is your new teacher!" in the most excited whisper I could manage. He looked up at her and listened carefully to what she said then he looked at me and smiled. When it was time for Primary, we walked to the Primary room and his teacher was there waiting. I was prepared for tears and a bunch of "no, Mommy....don't leave me"s but he just grabbed her hand and went right in. Without a single peep.

After the meetings were over I went to pick him up and he looked a little sad. His teacher was holding his hand, and as soon as he saw me he started to cry. It turns out he had gotten a paper cut and his finger was bleeding. He kept saying "I not get cut, I'm fine now, I not hurt.......I'm better now". He wasn't worried about his cut finger at all. He was worried that since he had cut his finger at Primary that we weren't going to let him go back! Silly boy! I guess you could say we've been a little overprotective if that's the first thing he thought of :)

He doesn't have a thing to worry about. We are just relieved that he had a good time. And we hope he has as much fun next week!

Playtime and Teary Eyes

2008-12-30T21:04:00.003-07:00

Tears for me, that is.

Today we went to the mall. My brother needed a hair cut so we headed down to the Tree house play area to wait for him. Elliot was in seventh heaven. He was beyond excited. Probably because we haven't really let him play there before (too paranoid about germs....but with bathed him in hand sanitizer when he was done so I'm sure he'll be fine).

I can't believe what a big boy he is. Actually he's still smaller than most of the kids, but he's oh so grown up. And so friendly too. Before I even had a chance to sit down he was running around playing with another little boy and just having the time of his life. At one point he almost collided with another little boy. The boy then pushed him over and Elliot did a face plant. He cried for a minute, but after a quick kiss to his nose he was good as new.

Later, I noticed he had moved to a different part of the play area. There were some older kids there and I don't think they really wanted him hanging around. They said something to him. And he started talking back to them. Now, when he gets excited or angry he generally starts to yell and pace back and forth and wave his arms around. The kids thought this was really funny. I sat there and watched as they would provoke him, watch him get worked up for a minute, drop down on their knees (so they were closer to his height), open and close their mouths in a very exaggerated way, wave their arms around and then just laugh and laugh at how hysterical they were for mocking him like that.

I was shocked. They were clearly just making fun of him. He's only three....he doesn't know. But it made his mommy want to cry. As they started into their third time of this routine I marched myself over there, took my little boy by the hand and said to him "come on Elliot, lets go play over here" then I turned to the other kids and said "these big kids are making fun of you and it's not very nice". Now it was their turn to be shocked. They didn't know I had been watching.

Elliot still didn't understand what I meant, which is fine. There was no reason for his feelings to be hurt....he wasn't doing anything wrong. I know I can't protect him from everything. And I know he's going to come in contact with tons of kids that will make fun of him for his size, or the things he likes, or just pick on him for no good reason. But I want to protect him from all of that. No matter what he will always be my little miracle. One of the things in my life that means more than anything else. My little boy.

Ugh....mean people stink!!

But he's a tough little guy, and he'll be just fine no matter what. Even if his mommy can't save him from all the hurt in this world. He's already overcome far worse than playground bullies.

On a lighter and more interesting note....Elliot went down the slide ALL by himself today. He's been scared until now. But today he did it! BJ and I weren't even close by....in fact it's lucky we even saw him do it at all. When I asked him about it after bedtime prayers he was SO proud of himself :) AND Evie ate her first slice of pizza (all cut up in tiny pieces, but pizza none the less). A WHOLE piece. Why do they have to grow up so fast?

Evie on Christmas Morning

2008-12-30T08:38:00.002-07:00

This year was Evie's first Christmas. I think her favorite present was her first doll. We caught her opening it on video....she was just so cute I had to share.

Saturday Mornings

2008-12-20T22:19:00.002-07:00

Saturday morning is one of my favorite times of the whole week. Somehow everyone ends up in our bed every week. Sometimes cartoons are on and some times they are not. But there is always a lot of tickles, giggles, and hugs. It's one of the few times during the week that BJ and I get to cuddle up with our two great kids and just live in the moment. For those brief minutes on Saturday morning it feels as though all is right with the world. It's a wonderful feeling. I wish Saturday morning lasted forever.

Thankful Thursday

2008-12-11T22:43:00.002-07:00

I have missed Thankful Thursday for the past several weeks so I thought it was high time I started this tradition back up again....

The Disney Channel. Can I just say that this channel is awesome for a couple of reasons? First of all the shows keep Elliot's attention so I can actually get some things done (which is why I normally turn the tv on in the first place, I don't really want my child watching a ton of tv but sometimes it's the only way). BUT more importantly, THEY DON'T HAVE COMMERCIALS!!! At least not typical commercials. I turned the tv on the other day and for some unknown reason it was turned to Nickelodeon and Dora was on. That really caught Elliot's attention so I caved and let him watch it. Unfortunately, not even three minutes later he was attacked by an array of brightly colored, horrendously loud TOY commercials. So then I was attacked by a whirlwind of terribly whiny "I want"s and "I need"s. And before I knew it I was bald from tearing all my hair out because I didn't know what else to do. Okay, that last part isn't entirely true....I still have my hair. But I didn't know what to do. And I apologize that a "thankful" has turned into a rant. To sum it up......commercials = cranky, bald mommy.....Disney Channel = quiet children/productive, happy mommy.

Christmas Lights Every year, for as long as I can remember, it has been our Christmas tradition to bundle up and drive around looking at lights on Christmas Eve. Totally fun. Totally LOVE it, but mostly because it's our tradition. It's not even Christmas Eve yet but I am getting the biggest kick out of the lights this year. Any time we drive anywhere in the dark I hear all kinds of ooooohs and ahhhhs from the back seat. Elliot is completely into the lights this year. "Look Mommy, there's Santa!" "Oh WOOOOOOWWWWWW! I really like THAT one!!" "SOOOOOO cool". Seriously, every night. It's way fun!

My Baby Girl. For many reasons. But on the top of my list this week is that she was a normal, full term, healthy baby. Evie caught a cold this week. Her nose was running the other day and after her nap she started coughing one of those croupy sounding coughs. This sort of thing would have lasted weeks with Elliot. More than likely it would have landed him in the hospital. But we just greased Evie up with some Vick's, planted the humidifier in her room, and said some prayers.....and she's pretty much good as new. Of course there is still a little risidual coughing and runny nose action going on, but it's only been two days. I'll take it! SUCH a difference....and a relief.

Now it's your turn.....go on. You can do it. You know you want to ;)

Lessons in Self Esteem

2008-12-09T21:03:00.002-07:00

I have issues in the self esteem department. I've never been very good at it, that I can remember anyway (my mom swears that I had great self esteem as a child). So it's amazing to me how sure Elliot is of himself. He thinks he's pretty great....and he's right! Here's a small example...

We were running late, as usual. But I managed to get Elliot out of the car, run around to the other side, grab Evie and Elliot's school bag, get a hold of Elliot's hand and start our way across the street only a few minutes after preschool had started. As we were walking , we spotted one of the other Mommies leaving after dropping off her daughter . I smiled and nodded in her direction and she smiled back. Then she looked over at my little boy and said "Hi Elliot!". He was oblivious and just anxious to get to school. So I nudged him a little and asked him if he could say hi. He looked up, "OHh, HIIIIIII!!" and waved. She smiled and laughed a little to herself, probably because of his enthusiasm. We kept walking and Elliot looked up at me and said "She thinks I'm pretty cute". He paused. Then added, "I think I'm pretty cute too". I laughed and told him that of course he's pretty cute.

He's the self esteem master. Hopefully somewhere along my journey as his Mommy this ability of his will rub off on me. He does tell me I'm beautiful every day so that should help :)

Finally...

2008-12-03T22:14:00.004-07:00

After more than a week of whining (on my part) to put up the tree.....we FINALLY got it up. My grandparents (GG and Papa Sampa) loaned us their very nice 6 foot tree. Thank you!! We love it and it looks great!

We put the big one up in the family room and Elliot gets a special treat....the little tree went up in his room. Super cool night light, huh? I'll post pictures of that once we get in decorated. Unfortunately we didn't have time to do both last night.

Here are a few pictures from our fun evening....

Poor Evie was trapped in her high chair for most of the festivities. We thought she would cause a problem by getting into everything.

But it was Elliot that turned out to be the real trouble maker :)

Evie just wanted daddy to take more pictures of her...and what could we do? The camera (and the photographer) LOVE her!

Eventually we let her down to join in the fun

Elliot was mostly just interested in playing with the ornaments. I think that nutcracker was putting the moves on Minnie....I'm pretty sure I heard him give her a kiss at one point hehe

Evie figured this out all on her own, and I wouldn't be surprised if she put more ornaments on the tree than Elliot did!

Elder Wirthlin

2008-12-02T21:51:00.005-07:00

I'm sure most of you have already heard this, but Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin passed away last night.

He died peacefully in his sleep from health complications due to age, with some of his family members close by. He lived a long, successful life. It was just his time to go. I'm sure he's happy where he is now, especially being reunited with his wife(she passed away two years ago). For those of you that aren't members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he is one of the Twelve Apostles. He's a witness of Jesus Christ and he will be truly missed.

When I heard the news, I looked for more information on the internet. The article I read stated that many members of the church felt his last general conference address (from this past October) to be an instant classic. Unfortunately, I didn't remember the address.....I'm not even sure I heard it the first time around since I missed a lot due to noisy children. Luckily, the article had a link to the very address they mentioned, "Come What May, and Love it"

They were right. It is a very good talk. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:

"But whenever my steps led through seasons of sadness and sorrow, my mother’s words often came back to me: “Come what may, and love it.”

How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.

If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness."

"Because Jesus Christ suffered greatly, He understands our suffering. He understands our grief. We experience hard things so that we too may have increased compassion and understanding for others."

"Sometimes the very moments that seem to overcome us with suffering are those that will ultimately suffer us to overcome."

If you didn't hear it, or don't remember it, you might want to read it. It's beautiful and full of hope. I guess I posted all of this to say that I'm grateful for his witness, his legacy, and the things that I've learned from him.

Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T15:02:00.004-07:00

We had a really nice Thanksgiving this year (actually two)! Thanksgiving day was really relaxed. We spent the day with my family. Even Uncle Craig and Aunt Cyndy were in town. It was really nice to see them...it's been way too long! It was really low key and just pleasant....just like I remember Thanksgiving being when I was growing up. We even got a few pictures...

Elliot cheesin' it up before dinner

Evie knew something good was coming

Elliot diggin' in

Evie thoroughly enjoying her first Thanksgiving meal

Then on Saturday we had a second Thanksgiving with BJ's family. That was also really nice and relaxed and an all around good time. We didn't get many pictures of the actual eating but we all went outside after dinner to watch our niece April perform some of her color guard routines (I wish we had gotten some pictures of the actual flag tossing....she's really good!) But here's a couple of Elliot and Evie...

We hope your Thanksgiving was as good as ours!

A Day of Firsts

2008-11-26T21:28:00.002-07:00

Today was quite the day for us. Elliot helped make his first apple pie (he LOVES cooking).

Evie started really clapping for the first time. She was sure to stop and clap every time someone said "Yay!".

Evie met Uncle Craig and Aunt Cyndy(my dad's brother and his wife) for the first time.

AND.......

Evie took her FIRST steps! I can't believe it.....our baby girl is walking!

She's so amazing. It's been really fun to watch her reach these milestones so quickly. She wants to be just like her brother and I think that really pushes her to do things.

She's going to be running around with Elliot before we know it....yikes!

Am I the only one...

2008-11-25T22:32:00.002-07:00

that thinks changing the diaper of a ten month old should be an Olympic event? Maybe. How about if I throw in changing clothes.....into an outfit including tights?? :)

Blast From the Past

2008-11-18T20:12:00.006-07:00

So for the past little while my friend Koreena has been doing some "Memory Lane" posts. They are so cute and it's been really fun to read them and learn some things about her that I didn't know. And now I think I'm going to jump on the memory lane bandwagon and share something that not very many people know about me. If you promise not to laugh! At least not to my face ;)

Growing up I was a total fan of these guys......

That's right. The New Kids on the Block. Yeah, I know. I'm not even kidding. Go ahead and laugh.....but I guarantee that at least some of you were fans too.

I was pretty young still when they were popular. I think their big rise to stardom was somewhere in the very late '80's/early '90's. In fact my mom was nice enough to take me to my first ever concert (I saw on another blog they said the New Kids "took my concertginity" and it's the same for me) way back, EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO in 1990. WAY back then I wasn't embarrassed to be seen with my mom(I'm not embarrassed to be seen with her anymore either...just to make that clear) and the fact that she took me to the concert made her the coolest mom EV-ER....even with the older girls at church. I would have been in the third grade. There were much older girls at the concert, but didn't mean I loved them any less. It's pretty safe to say that Joey McIntyre was my first crush. I had it all figured out.....there was a 9 1/2 year difference between the two of us. I knew back then that he'd never be interested in such a little girl but by the time he was 30 I would 21 and that was perfectly acceptable, hee!

I was totally obsessed. I had all their tapes. I had a couple posters and a sticker book (remember it was a million years ago and I wasn't old enough to know about Tiger Beat magazine yet). I had to buy new stickers every time we went to the store so I could collect them all. I think I even had a pillow case and wrote some fan letters. I got a t-shirt at the concert and the boys made fun of me at school. They were SO jealous...you know they were!

Eventually the group broke up. There were no new albums. I grew up and focused my attention on other cute boys. I didn't even look back. In fact, had you asked me last week if I liked the New Kids on the Block I would have answered "Ummm, I DID....like forever ago". Sadly, my friends, it turns out that my NKOTB loving days are not yet over.

I heard a few months ago that they were reuniting and going out on tour. I had moments where I thought it would be REALLY fun to go. But being the "responsible" adult that I am now I just couldn't see spending the money on tickets when there are so many other things we need and want. So I just pushed the idea aside. Then on Friday I got an e-mail from the March of Dimes saying that the concert was on Saturday and they had a code for up to 6 free tickets (see could things come from supporting the fight againts prematurity). No WAY! I couldn't believe it. I gave BJ my best ever puppy dog face (yes, all that time spent practicing in the mirror paid off!) and he agreed to watch the kids so I could go. The problem was finding someone to go WITH. Hmmmm.

My little sister gave in even though she didn't have the slightest clue who I was talking about. She was only three when they broke up after all.....BUT she gets the boy band thing. There was that stint when she was in the third grade with NSync and of course now with the Jonas Brothers. Yes, Ashley, I understand that the Jonas Brothers are NOT a boy band (but they kinda are). Or it could be that she was grounded and this is the one thing our mom would actually let her do.

Anyway, when we got there I thought maybe I had made a terrible mistake. I wasn't too into the opening act and was feeling a little bored and a little tired already. But then they came out and the place EXPLODED! Ashley even said at parts it rivaled a JB concert haha! I could not believe all the now Mom's that were instantly sucked into a time warp and transformed back to their 8-14 year old selves. Many of them were there with their daughters who are fans now because thier moms have passed that NKOTB love along to them (it works, BELIEVE me, or else I wouldn't have been caught dead at that Donny Osmond concert with MY mom) It took me right back to that concert, 18 years ago, and before I new it I was yelling and singing along. Ashley couldn't sing along (she didn't know any of the words) but she was a good sport and yelled with the best of them. And she's had The Right Stuff stuck in her head ever since.

It was funny to me to see so many grown women, many of which are now married, screaming for these boys (actually 40 year olds) that they loved from their childhood. It was little weird but so fun at the same time. The events center was oozing with nostalgia. I even saw my best childhood friend and a former babysitter there. PLUS boys are like a fine wine (or so I'm told I've never had wine so I wouldn't know) they only get better with age.

Oh and at the risk of sounding like an old fuddy duddy....with all the booty shaking and crotch grabbing that went on I'm surprised my mom took me to that concert all those years ago (but she deosn't remember that happening then.....neither do I really......but I do remember it from Saturday). Yikes! How times change, right?

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-13T19:39:00.002-07:00

Here we go again :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. There's just something about them. Maybe it's the fact that you don't eat them all year round so they seem more special once Autumn shows up. Or maybe it's just that fact that they are cookies. If someone dared me to eat my weight in cookies I think I would be very tempted. I might even do it if no one reminded me that it would make me really sick.

Elliot. Yeah, ok, I'm always thankful for him (and Evie and BJ too) but this week Elliot has been really good. Not just kinda good....REEEEALLLLLYY good. Yesterday I swear he didn't get into anything or scream or whine or throw a fit at all. And today he was good too. So polite and obedient. I hope this is a new phase that will last for a little while. I'm also thankful that he likes to help bake and go to the store with me, even if his Papa says those are girly things ;)

Headphones. For a couple of reason really. BJ can wear them while he's playing his games and I don't have to hear the sounds of guns or whatever else is going on in there. AND when Brent is practicing his, umm, how do I put this delicately? Oh, nevermind....I can't. When he's practicing his BORING songs on the piano, I don't have to hear those either. I still love ya Brent :)

The Scriptures. I love how whenever we read them the spirit is instantly brought into our home, even if the kids have been screaming just a few seconds before. I also love that Elliot gets them. We like to keep it short and sweet, just reading a verse or two and then a little explanation and Elliot always adds something that we didn't explain but that is exactly right.

I'm sure there's tons more I could add but I'm going to go work on some projects while I have the chance. What about you? What are you thankful for this week?

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2008-11-12T13:31:00.002-07:00

Today when we got up we decided we needed to go to WalMart. I needed to get some more baby food for Evie and we needed a few supplies for the business too. So my mom, the kids, and I hopped in the car and headed on our way. When we pulled into the parking lot I heard Elliot in the back seat saying "We're here.....we came back....you brought me back!". He was really excited. We were supposed to go to the other day but he fell asleep before we got there. So I stayed with him in the car while everyone else went inside. He woke up right as we were leaving and was really upset that he didn't get to go. Fast forward to today.

We got out of the car, grabbed Evie and the diaper bag, got her situated in the cart and made our way inside. Magah gave in and decided to let Elliot walk. As we walked in the store we came across the WalMart greeter. Our WalMart (and I'm sure yours too) has a really cute elderly man as the store greeter. He's there most days we go and usually stops us to give Elliot a sticker and say hello. So Elliot recognized him.....the difference between today and the other times is that he was walking instead of in the cart. So he stopped to chat with the greeter for a minute. The conversation went a little something like this....

Elliot: HHHIIIIII!!
Greeter: Well hello there! How are you today?

Elliot: Good. Look, I gots a new coat.....see! (while point at his coat)
Greeter: I see, that is a very nice coat. I like it.

Elliot: We just gots it at Target!
WALMART Greeter: *Lots of Laughter*

Now, I don't feel guilty about that at all. I haven't ever pledged my allegiance to WalMart. In fact, I probably *like* Target more. And they had better coats, so that's where I bought Elliot's. WalMart has cheaper food. You do what you gotta do.....but leave it to a three year old to spell that out for the world. Or at the very least the WalMart greeter :)

Halloween Fun!

2008-11-09T23:10:00.003-07:00

I know these are WAY late, but I thought I would share them anyway (there are more on facebook if anyone's interested). We had a super fun day. First Elliot had his first ever school Halloween party. He got to dress up, play games and have treats. The only pictures I took there had his classmates there and I didn't know if their parents would appreciate me posting them so I'll leave those to the imagination.

Then we hit up Papa Cardon's house. The kids don't get to see Papa Cardon as much as we would like but they always have a blast there! (even if their facial expression don't prove that)

Elliot fell asleep on the ride to Magah's house and was none too thrilled when we tried to wake him up...

But he perked right up for the Trick or Treating
Evie got in on the fun too
Back at Magah's house playing with the glow sticks
Elliot was mad about taking his costume off and had a bit of a meltdown....hence the costume over the jammies

All in all it was a fun day. I did learn a useful equation though.....
Overstimulation + Too Much Sugar = 1 Cranky Three-year old

Thankful Thursday

2008-11-06T22:40:00.003-07:00

I know there is always much to be thankful for, but for today I am going to keep it simple.

I am thankful for good doctors. Over the course of my son's short life I have had the opportunity to meet and talk to more doctors than I care to admit or even remember. Starting with the complications during my pregnancy I have seen specialist after specialist. Some have not been so great. One was even heard saying something along the lines of, "well, we really ought to do an amniocentesis to rule out any chromosomal defects because we wouldn't want to jeopardize your life with a c-section for a baby that won't survive anyway". Some have belittled me in order to make themselves feel smarter I guess. Some have just done their jobs the same way a grocery store clerk might go about their job.....day in and day out not really trying but just trying to pay the bills. But some have gone above and beyond, and those are the ones that I am truly thankful for.

For the one that pushed a little known pharmaceutical study that helped save my son's eyesight even though they have since found better alternatives. Or the one who heard when Elliot was so upset at being temporarily lactose intolerant after a nasty case of rotovirus. He personally stopped at the store to pick up some lactose free milk to make his hospital stay a little more comfortable. Or the one I saw today that just took time to sit and reason with me.....to answer every question I had and a few I didn't think of on my own. It's these kind of doctors that remind me that there are people out there that really just care. Care about my son and how to make his life the best it can possibly be. Without worrying about getting the job done, or worrying about how many patients they need to see that day, or what money they might be out of by giving me their honest opinion rather than the one that brings in the big bucks (wether that money comes from me or the insurance company).

I thank you. And hope everyone gets the chance to see one of these kinds of doctors some day.

I've Decided

2008-10-30T22:20:00.003-06:00

That I am not a fan of "adult Halloween". Or, in other words....."let's see how little clothes I can get away with wearing" day. Last year I went to the mall and I was SO shocked at how many girls were very scantily clad. Girls that I suspect go to BYU. The honor code doesn't just apply when you are on campus! I don't like naked girls. I don't like blood and guts. I don't like haunted houses. Blech!

BUT......

I DO love Barry Pan and Tinka-BoBo (aka Peter Pan and TinkerBell)

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I LOVED watching Elliot trick or treat last year and he's much more "in to" it this year, so it will be that much more fun. Plus, it's Evie's first Halloween. Doesn't she look so cute in her costume? AND it's Elliot's first school party. Hopefully we make it out the door with the camera and all the corresponding parts ;)

We are going to have such a blast! Kid Halloween is awesome!

A Couple Things I Love About My Kids

2008-10-28T21:26:00.003-06:00

So I was thinking last night and throughout the day today just how content I am with my life right now. I feel like I'm starting to hit my stride a little with this mommy thing. I know I don't really get it all. I'm still learning everyday. But I feel like I'm finally really enjoying myself, rather than holding on for dear life. So I thought I would take this chance to list some of the things that I just LOVE about my kids......

The way they smell (when they are clean, of course). But I'm not talking the smell of the baby soap or lotion....I love the smell of my actual kids. I don't know what it is, but I do.

That Evie has loved to be told she's pretty since she was just itty bitty. I know you think I'm making this up, but I swear from the time she first learned to smile she has smiled EVERY time we tell her she's pretty. She knows what it means. I promise.

How "I love you" is the first thing Elliot says when he comes into our room in the morning. I also love that he tells me I'm beautiful and that I'm his favorite.

The brief moments throughout the day when Elliot says "I wanna hold you" and he really means it. Sometimes he only says that to get down from the kitchen table or because he's jealous when I'm holding Evie, but there are other times when he really wants to be held. I know those moments won't last forever so I'll take as many as I can get.

Similarly, I love it when Evie rests her head on my shoulder and sucks her thumb. That's her way of giving a hug and it means just as much as when Elliot wants to be held.

Watching Elliot wave and blow kisses to his daddy when we leave in the morning.

How Elliot can be found singing various songs at the top of his lungs throughout the day. He'll sing anything and everything.....from Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam to the Indiana Jones theme.

That no matter how many times he has pinched or knocked her down, Evie still LOVES Elliot and follows him everywhere.

How Evie loves ice cream (whoops, I mean of course she hasn't tasted any yet) as much as her mommy does. And how her smile just lights up the room and gets everyone's attention. Her happiness really does spread like wildfire. She's our little angel.

When I'm lucky enough to be able to hold Elliot for a while, I love to put my hand on his chest to feel the gentle rise and fall from his breathing. And the feel the strong steady beat of his heart. There was a time that I was worried he wouldn't be able to do that on his own, and now that it's second nature to him I am so grateful. He's our miracle.

Maybe now each of you can take a chance to list the lovely qualities of someone special to you. If they are old enough to understand, maybe you could even tell them a couple.....you might just hear a couple in return :)

Perspective

2008-10-26T22:10:00.005-06:00

After hearing about them on a friend's blog (thanks Angela!) I've really gotten hooked on two blogs

c jane

and

NieNie

they are both now a part of my "favorite things" list to the right....if you want to check them out. They tell a (true) story about a family coping with unbelievable heart ache, but how they are able to stop all along the way and recognize the hand of the Lord. And to show gratitude for the miracles in their lives. They have made me smile and cry. They have made me laugh and have caused my heart to skip a beat (when reading about Nie's recovery). They have reminded me of my own miracles and taught me that life is to be cherished.....even if it seems mundane at times. They have given me perspective.

So this week I will try to laugh a little harder, cuddle my kids a little longer, and love a little more. Truly cherish the things that are important to me.

Thank you Courtney for helping us to all be a little more Nie-ish!

Field Trip -- Take Two

2008-10-24T23:25:00.003-06:00

Today was another field trip for Elliot's preschool. After the disaster that was last month's field trip we decided we better be on our A game. I had BJ charge the camera battery last night and get the camera ready. Then we set the alarm for bright and early and hopped into bed.

We got up after just a couple times of the alarm going off...that's HUGE for us. BJ started getting ready while I laid out the kids clothes. Then I made some eggs so as to not have a case of the empty tummy troubles that we had last time. The kids woke up as BJ was shaving and brushing his teeth. Then he changed diapers and dressed them while it was my turn to get ready. There was a lot of other scrambling around including grabbing coats and the camera and making sure the diaper bag was packed. We got the kids to the car, said goodbye to Daddy, rushed to Magah's house and made it to school with 7 minutes to spare....this is also HUGE since we've been late every other day of school for the past two weeks. Woohoo! We did it! We were totally ROCKING this field trip.

We hopped back in the car and headed for the pumpkin patch. It was SO much fun! There was a corn maze and a playground. Not to mention the bunnies and other animals and the TONS of pumpkins. Elliot was here and there and everywhere just having the most fun ever :)

The problem is, you're just going to have to take my word for it. Unfortunately, when I took the camera out to take the first picture I realized we had forgotten one little thing......the stinkin' BATTERY! Ugh!

Guess we didn't rock this field trip as much as we thought.

It WAS tons of fun anyway.

Thankful Thursday

2008-10-23T20:10:00.001-06:00

It's that time again. We'll just skip the pleasantries and get down to brass tacks....

This week I'm thankful for/that:

My mom saved all of our kids books. About the 452nd time through "Walter the Farting Dog" (which is not the only book we own but rather we have read the others at LEAST 452 times) I decided that we need some new books. LUCKILY, my mom has boxes of children books in her basement that she was all too willing to share. So now Elliot get's to hear brand new (to him) stories and Mommy gets to reminisce.....and everyone wins!

Macey's. Nope, I didn't spell it wrong....I'm talkin' about the Utah grocery store not the department store. This week they have a great deal going on where if you buy a Stouffer's lasagna for $9.99 you get a bag of lettuce, a loaf of french bread, and a 1/2 gallon of ice cream all for free. Sweet! And yummy too :)

Good friends that will tolerate my talking their ears off and tell me about good deals like the one above. I had the chance to go chat with a friend yesterday (the same one that told me about the Madame Alexander Happy Meall dolls) and she told me about that rockin' deal at Macey's. Plus she just let me chat with her for like a half hour while I left the kids with my husband :) Love ya, Steph! And last week we got to visit some friends we made right after we got married. It was so nice to chat with them for a while and to see their A-DOR-ABLE twin boys. Hang in there Jill and Nate....your boys are precious and they WILL get less fussy as time goes by.

Facebook. I've reconnected with SO manny old friends this way and it's awesome! So instead of just wondering how they are, I can ask them.

I'm sure there are a ton more things I could add to my list, but alas, it's time to get the kiddos to bed and spend some time with my hubby. But what are you thankful for this week? Come on, give in to the peer pressure.....you know you want to!!

I Can't Believe...

2008-10-22T22:28:00.003-06:00

He's already in to this sort of thing!

We went to get some ice cream the other night. The store has two floors. The first floor is where you buy the ice cream. The second floor has comfy couches, a TV, and arcade games. Elliot could NOT get enough of the games. He was content to "play" most of them without spending a dime but that wasn't good enough for the Dance Dance Revolution game. He NEEDED to play that one for real (of course it was the most expensive one, hee). He didn't really know how to play so he basically just stood there and danced while Daddy, Magah, and I all tried to hit the arrows at the right time to keep him going (against Aunt Ashley no less). He LOVED it!

Sorry that the pictures are blurry....they were taken on Uncle Brent's iPhone.

PS....if you think Elliot looks REALLY tired, that's because he was. He's trying to give up his nap even though he clearly still needs it :)

Yikes!

2008-10-20T22:18:00.003-06:00

So today I had to go get an oil change in the car. I went to WalMart even though ~~I hate it~~ it's not my favorite place in the world.....it's just so dang convenient. So we left the car and loaded the kiddies in the cart and wandered for a while.

We looked at toys, which led to a lot of whining. That ~~gave me a headache~~ was fun. Why do I torture myself like that? Then we went to look at movies. Then we picked up some diapers and found some tights that just might work for Elliot's Halloween costume (yes, I'm putting my son in tights.....he's going to be Peter Pan, what do you expect?) then we ran to meet Ashley in the cosmetics area. My mom was standing by the cart and was helping Ashley pick out some facial cleanser. I turned my back for what I swear was just a second, and turned back and Evie was no longer in the little seat in front of the cart. The floppy seat was still there, and it took a second for it to register that she wasn't sitting in there. UNTIL I saw a little foot poking up over the top of the seat from behind. I RAN over there and she had flipped herself over the back of the seat into the cart and was hanging there by the floppy seat safety belt around her waist. AHHHH! She wasn't crying at all, in fact she got to her bag of Cheerio's(which I'm sure is all she wanted anyway) and was perfectly happy just hanging there. But she nearly gave me a heart attack! I got her back in the seat and everything was a-okay but it took nearly 30 minutes for my heart to stop racing.

I guess I need a reminder every now and again that I can't turn my back on them for even one second.

A quick side note: She had her 9 month check up today and she is 17 lbs, 27 inches and officially less than three months away from being a year old! She is growing up TOO fast *sniff, sniff*.

Thankful Thursday

2008-10-16T22:09:00.002-06:00

This Thursday is already almost over but I thought I would try to make my thankful list anyway. So here we go......

Family We got to hang out with my family tonight to watch the BYU game (I know it didn't end so well) and it was nice to just be around everyone. To just laugh and have a good time. I'm glad to know that our kids will grow up being close to their grandparents especially since they all live relatively close to us. Plus we had some yummy snacks that could also be added to my list. We'll also be visiting BJ's family soon and that is always nice.....we don't see them as often as we would like but we will be seeing them several times over the next couple months.

Along those same lines, I'm thankful for my Mother in Law. I know, I know, most girls wouldn't say that, but really....I am. I've never met her. She passed away when BJ was just six years old. But the things I know about her, I love. From what I've heard, she is a beautiful, strong woman. There are many qualities I see in my husband that I can see in his father but others, not so much. I like to believe those came from his mother. I'm grateful for the impact she made on him during the short time they had together. I look forward to meeting her someday.

The Holidays I know it's not even Halloween yet but I'm already getting excited for Christmas. In fact I have Christmas songs running through my mind :) I'm looking forward to all the most wonderful parts of the holiday season....family, friends, food, and fun! And another "baby's first Christmas". Plus, I have some ideas (thanks to some friends) on how to make this Christmas fun and hopefully help Elliot to know what Christmas is REALLY about.

Target Evie needed some new warm clothes so we went to Target yesterday. I got several new outfits and a coat for her, plus some new jeans and a shirt for Elliot and a few other things we needed for a pretty good price. And the clothes we got were REALLY cute. AND the pants I bought for Elliot were a size 2T! That's HUGE! I couldn't believe it!! The waist is still way too big, but they look way cute on him :)

New Discoveries Evie has been doing a lot of new things lately. She's cruising all over the place and getting pretty good at standing unassisted. She had her first ponytail today (so CUTE...I'll post a pic later). She clapped for the first time today. AND she has said her first word, besides mama and dada, which surprisingly enough (or not, really) is Wall-e. Why not, right? I mean, she DOES hear her brother say it about 5,000 times a day. I LOVE all the new things!

So how about you? What are you thankful for today??

Little Copycat

2008-10-15T22:08:00.003-06:00

My brother has a new 2 1/2 foot shadow. Brent recently came home from his mission and Elliot can NOT get enough of him. He follows him everywhere and wants to do everything he does. The other night we all went to the store together and when it was time to go I heard Elliot in the back seat saying "we not go home Mommy, we need to go to Magah's house". I told him that we weren't going to Magah's house because it was dinner time and getting close to bed time. That was followed by an ear-splitting scream and shouts of "Brent, BRENT!! NO! I need my Brrrreeeeennnnttt!".

Well Brent decided it was high time he got himself a fancy new iPhone. Now Elliot wants one too! (Yeah, right buddy.....get in line......Mommy first) Thank goodness for his budding imagination....

Elliot now follows Brent (and his iPhone) around with his very own.....otherwise known as the box. You can see it at the very bottom of this picture, courtesy of Brent's iPhone :)

ps. He needs a hair cut in case you couldn't tell :)

I Actually Did It!

2008-10-11T12:02:00.005-06:00

I actually followed through and entered the 8th International Art Competition that I previously talked about. It took til the very last minute, but I finished the picture and submitted it yesterday. The first round of judging isn't set to be complete until the end of the year. If they like it enough they'll ask me to bring it to the museum and then judge it again. We'll see what they think. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out though :)

Here it is.....

For those of you who are interested, it is graphite on illustration board, measuring 19 inches by 19 inches. The title is Fear Not, I am with Thee. And here is the description I submitted with it.....

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:28 and 30)

"The meaning of this scripture was made very real to me shortly after the birth of my first child. Not only was I filled with the normal fear and apprehension of a new parent, but I was also afraid for his life. He was born premature, extremely small, and unable to even breathe for himself. All I could do during that time was to rely on the love and promises of our Savior. As I prayed for my son and for the strength to face this trial, I felt these words at work in my life. Just as I held and protected my son the only way I knew how, I knew I was being cradled in the loving arms of my Savior. And He gave me rest."

There you go. I'll try to remember to let you know how it turns out.

Oh, and since I missed Thankful Thursday because I was working away.....I just wanted to give a quick shout out to my mom. She took time out of her busy schedule to watch my kids and allow me to follow my dreams......even though I waited til the last minute. So what else is new....right, Mom? Thanks for everything!

Should I Be Worried....

2008-10-07T11:16:00.002-06:00

That when my son pretends to talk on the phone, he's usually talking to his pediatrician?

Let's Get Ready to Ruuuuummmmbble!

2008-10-04T09:07:00.002-06:00

It's official. Today is the first day of the 178th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Or, more affectionately known around these parts as General Conference Smackdown. In the first corner we have two overtired and slightly frazzled parents, known as Mommy and Daddy. In the second corner we have 6 time, all around champion.....the slightly riled up Elliot (and his new accomplice Evie). Who do you think will win? Only time will tell! But my money is on the little ones.

There's always nap time. And Elliot DOES think that President Uchtdorf (or as he says, Prestident Ooofdorf) is pretty cool so maybe he'll listen some during his talk. It always works out somehow though, and no matter how little we do end up hearing, we will be spiritually fed and uplifted. I'm counting on it:) Plus, there's always the Ensign, right?

Thankful Thursday

2008-10-02T21:34:00.002-06:00

Today, I'm thankful for trials. I know it sounds a little obscure but hear me out. Right now, one of my favorite people in the world is going through something difficult. Something that I never dreamed would happen to this person. Something I know he is hating right now. But also something I've been through myself.

At the time I could not figure out why this particular trial had entered my own life. But as time went on I was able to see some benefits. It put my life on a path that I otherwise wouldn't have taken. It made me stronger, more compassionate, and less judgmental. And now I see another purpose for this trial.....to be able to help this person through. I hope I can do that for him.

Oh, and just because I can't be all deep and thoughtful for too long (seriously, my head might explode) I am also thankful for the A1 Peppercorn Burger from Red Robin......and the leftovers that are in my fridge right now. It's delicious. A million times better than a Happy Meal cheeseburger. If you haven't had one, you need to. Right now. But keep your hands off my leftovers! ;)

My Secret Obsession

2008-09-30T22:26:00.003-06:00

Well, it's not so secret anymore.....the cat's out of the bag. And apparently I am five years old because I MUST have all of the Madame Alexander Wizard of Oz dolls that you can get in a Happy Meal right now. I know I should be ashamed, but there it is. For the whole world to see. I've even resorted to eating Happy Meals myself since Elliot would MUCH rather have the Lego Batman toys. Blah! He's such a boy!

I didn't even know McDonald's had such cool toys. I found out while I was sitting and chatting with some friends outside while our kids played (outside time ROCKS...see what I would have missed out on if I kept my kids locked up inside all day!). I've already missed my chance of getting some of them, but I know better now. And trust me, against my better judgment as a mother we WILL be going to McDonald's again in a few days. And just in case anyone is worried, I am blushing while airing my dirty laundry like this ;) BUT, Elliot's nutritionist would be proud.....they tell me to give him as many calories as I can right?

I tell people that I want them for Evie. But anyone with higher than a third grade education could see right through that. I mean, come on, she's 9 months old! Yeah, maybe sometime she will actually play with and appreciate them, but for now they just become a big slobbery mess when she plays with them.

I can't help myself, they are so darn cute! You should go get a Happy Meal and see for yourself!!

I Messed Up

2008-09-28T21:43:00.004-06:00

And forgot about thankful Thursday. Oh well, I guess I'll have thankful Sunday instead :)

1. All of your blogs. I love keeping up with all the blogs that I've found. It is so nice to hear how everyone is doing and to see fun pictures. Especially those that are far away or those we don't get to see very often. Plus, when you keep up on the blogs, sometimes you learn about really cool things. Like if ColdStone was having a free ice cream night!

2. Girls Night Out This is a time when I can step away from my responsibilities and feel footloose and fancy free. I pretty much got two of these nights this week. One was Tuesday night when I hit up the Cheesecake Factory and the So You Think You Can Dance tour with my Mom and sister. It was way fun and I got my cheesecake all to myself for once. The other was technically a girls night in (and husbands and kids were allowed to tag along). The girls from my district in the MTC came over for dinner and we had a really nice time chatting. It was soo good to see you Rhonda, Amy, and Terra!!

3. Brent's good taste in music (with a few suggestions thrown in from Ashley too). While Brent is away on his mission, he is kindly allowing me to babysit his ipod. I'm not allowed to take anything off but I can add however much more to it that I want. But he pretty much has it covered. He's got everything from Rachmaninoff to Killer Tofu by the Beets (anyone remember Doug?). I love it, and I'll be sad to give it back.

4. Three beautiful little letters D V R. Yep, that's right, I said it. It may sound a little silly but there are many reasons I love this invention. I can watch some of my favorite shows (which usually fall right in the middle of bed time) when it is convenient for ME. Plus, then I don't have to watch commercials. AND when Elliot spends a day sick, not wanting to do anything but watch "Bineas and Berb" there are pleanty of episodes saved up to keep him happy......not that that happened or anything.

5. And on a more serious note, Prayer. And having good friends and family around that not only pray for you, but are also there to point out when your prayers are answered. We've had many, many prayers answered here and have witnessed more than our fair share of miracles. And for that I am truly grateful.

School Troubles

2008-09-22T21:20:00.002-06:00

Don't worry, Elliot's not failing out of preschool or anything like that. Actually, he's doing quite well. He's just started getting nervous about going.

The first week of school was just like dropping him off at nursery...

me: "come give me a kiss so I can go"
Elliot: *completely surprised that I'm even still there*

This kid really couldn't care less if I drop him of at nursery. He would go by himself if I would let him. It looked like school was going to be the same way. Until last week.

Last Monday we got up and got ready for school. All the while, Elliot would say, "you're gonna come lif me right?" . I would assure him that I was. But when we got there, he wouldn't leave my side. And he got his really pouty, starting to tear up look. He kept rubbing his eyes like he was going to cry. So I closed the door and decided to stay for a few minutes.

He ran off to join the other kids in their morning songs. He would smile and do the actions. So I would think he was fine and inch toward the door. BUT then he would turn around, get all pouty again and say "don't leave, stay lif me" and start crying. So I would step away from the door and he would join back in with the songs. This went on about four or five times when I finally got up the nerve, booked it for the door, didn't look back, and made my escape.

Unfortunately, the door squeeks.

And with the window open, I could easily hear the sobs that followed. "I...want.....my......MOMMY!!!" It triggered a ripple effect, and next thing I new there were at least 5 other kids just as noisily realizing that their mommies weren't there either. I felt guilty but I made a run for it.

Luckily, his teacher has 20 years experience with this sort of thing and assured me that he was just fine when I picked him up a couple hours later. But this one "fluke" day has started a trend. The days since HAVE been better but he still doesn't want me to leave.

In fact, this morning, he had to talk himself into it.

me: "Elliot, we're going to school.....it's going to be so FUN!"
Elliot: "yay! hahaha"
me: "Arent' you so excited?"
Elliot: "yep! we're gonna see my school friends and sing songs"
me: "Yes! It's going to be SO FUN!!!"
Elliot: *giggles*

----long pause------

Elliot (to himself): "School not a bad place......school a happy place"

Gah! It just kills me! I just want to save him from all the things that make him sad or uncomfortable. But I know that's not my job as a mommy. And I know he has a blast once he settles in for the day. Plus it's only two hours. Right?

Thank goodness Friday is field trip day and I'm already going on that anyway!

My Little Dare Devil

2008-09-20T09:23:00.003-06:00

I wish I had pictures or a video of this, but I swear it's true even though it seems unbelievable. Especially to me! Yesterday, out of nowhere it seems, Evie climbed up TWO stairs!! They were actually two CEMENT steps...... outside. What is she trying to do, give her mommy a heart attack?

Elliot wanted to play outside, and there were some kids out in Magah's neighborhood. So we went out there. He ran around while I sat in front of my mom's neighbor's house. Evie was in my lap for most of the time. She started squirming though, and really wanted to check out the grass, so I let her down. The next thing I know, she was standing on one step and almost halfway up the other! Yikes! She's only 8 months old! I'm not ready for this!!

Elliot was 18 months before he ever attempted stairs. And our friend Christine taught him how to go up the stairs.....he wasn't even interested on his own. But I can already tell she's more adventurous than him anyway.

Looks like we better find the gate ;)

Thankful Thursday

2008-09-18T22:09:00.002-06:00

I've seen this on a couple of other blogs I've been reading lately. And though I swear I haven't uttered the words "but Mom, ALL my friends are doing it" in at least ten years, I decided that it would be cool to follow the crowd just this once :) Especially since I believe more blessings come to those with gratitude in their hearts and I have been a little less than grateful today.

So here goes nothing......

1. A Wonderful Husband- who also happens to be a great daddy. Most days, especially the ones that are rough for me, he comes home and really takes charge with the kids. He gives them lots of attention, plays with them, helps tremendously with bed time, and even *gasp* changes diapers. Plus, he knows exactly what will cheer me up......I think tonight alone he has offered me a new shirt, a new pair of shoes, and some ice cream (none of which I accepted, but the night is still young and I can't pass up ice cream for very long).

2. The Children's Place footy-pajamas. These jammies are A-MAZ-ING. For a girl like me that has two kids with very different bodies, it is great to be able to go into one store and buy something that fits both of them. Elliot is a little longer but very skinny and these jammies don't drown him. Evie definitely has a little more pudge to her, and even though she fills them out more than her brother, she doesn't look like she's wearing spandex.

3. Bedtime. Now I know a lot of us crave bedtime because that is the time of day where we can finally find a moment alone, but that's not the reason I'm putting it on my thankful list. I chose to add this because it's the time of day when all the frustration from earlier seems to just melt away. I can share a quiet moment with my family reading a story and having some chocolate milk, and then I can see the good things our kids are learning especially as Elliot can say more and more of a full prayer every night. And then, of course, there are the hugs and kisses. And the "I love you Mommy"s.

4. My cell phone. It has some really cool features on it, like internet acces and GPS, and I was able to use it to help someone today. He was looking for a street. I didn't know where it was, so I thought I would look it up on my handy dandy phone. Unfortunately, there were some minor technical difficulties (read "I don't know how to work the fancy schmancy stuff"). BUT luckily, I was able to use the phone they way they did in the olden days, rely on good ol' number one again (my wonderful husband) and get the guy where he needed to go. And now I'll learn to work all that other stuff.

5. Ice cream. My mantra really is that ice cream makes everything better. And don't even try to tell me you're too full......because there is ALWAYS room for ice cream. If I'm not careful this will end up on my list every week.....in fact, ice cream is sounding pretty good right now. I think I ought to go ask BJ if his earlier offer still stands :)

How about you? What are you thankful for today?

Why is it...

2008-09-18T22:05:00.001-06:00

that when I go out for a little retail therapy, I come home with absolutely nothing for myself?

Sweet Baby Girl

2008-09-17T19:53:00.002-06:00

I spend a lot of time talking about Elliot on this blog because he's so darn funny and he's always doing SOMETHING that needs to be told. But we do have another child that we absolutely adore....and it's only fair that she should get some blog time too!

Evie seems to be growing up before my very eyes. I can't believe how fast she's doing everything. She's been crawling for months now and has been able to pull herself to standing for a few weeks now (she did it for the first time on August 28th...at only seven months old!). And she started cruising the furniture the next day. I'm sure she'll be walking before we know it!

It's funny, the other night we were watching an episode of Wizards of Waverly Place (why we don't turn away from the Disney Channel after the kids go to bed is beyond me...) . It's the episode where the mother wants to throw a Quinceanera (which from what I understand is a kind of "rite of passage" celebration similar to a Bar or Bat Mitzvah) for the 15 year old daughter, Alex. It's a pretty cheesy show, but cute. And I was enjoying it. Anyway, they show some of the different rituals that can take place: trading out a flat shoe for one with high heels, a toast, and the father daughter dance. When they show they father-daughter dance, the dad in the show starts to cry. And pretty soon I started hearing some different sniffles. Sure enough, I turned around, and it was my husband! He was tearing up a little saying how that will be our little girl some day.

Now even though we won't have a Quinceanera, because it's not part of our culture, you better believe that the day will come when our little Evie will want to trade her flats for high heels and will prefer lip gloss over Barbies.......BUT we aren't even to the Barbie stage yet, so it will be at least a little bit. I can't believe how sappy these men get over their little girls. It WAS kind of cute though.

And he is right, they DO grow up too fast.

A Funny Little Conversation with Elliot

2008-09-16T22:36:00.002-06:00

Well, the other day Elliot was looking at some pictures on the wall at Magah's house. He saw one of my senior pictures (yeah from a million years ago) and said "it's mommy and her stick". So we told him, "no, that's a flute.....mommy plays the flute". And then we went down the list of other family members and the instruments they play. He was really interested and, as I found out today, really payed attention......for the most part. So we had a little chat when he was looking at the same picture today. Here's the conversation....

Elliot: Look there's Mommy! Mommy plays the flute!
Mommy: That's right Elliot! Good job! What instrument does Daddy play?

Elliot: Daddy plays the clarinet!
Mommy: Yes he does! What about Uncle Brent?

*long pause*

Mommy: Does Brent play the piano?
Elliot: Yes! Brent plays the piano!!

Mommy: What about Papa?
Elliot: Papa plays the trumpet!

Mommy: Yes he does! What about Aunt Ashley?
Elliot: *thinking*.....ummmmmmmm...........Ashley plays the Jonas Brothers!!

After a minute or two of laughing we were able to tell him that yes, Ashley listens to the Jonas Brothers a LOT, but she also plays the violin. You sure can't tell me he doesn't pay attention!

Family Home Evening

2008-09-15T21:30:00.003-06:00

Tonight we decided it would be fun to go out and do something for FHE. So we hit up the farm at Thanksgiving Point. It wasn't very expensive to get in and Elliot had a blast running around to all the animals. They have horses, cows, ducks, chickens (he was convinced Super Chicken was there for any of you that might remember that cartoon....Papa has showed him episodes on YouTube) goats, ponies, turkeys, geese, and I'm sure some others that I'm missing. It was so fun and Magah even helped him feed some of the animals.

When we were done, it was time for mommy's favorite part....the treat! They have a cute little deli and ice cream shop and Thanksgiving Point also. We got an amazing banana split to share. I swear it was at least half as big as Elliot's head! What do you think?

All in all, it was a really fun night! If you're looking for a fun family evening out, I would highly recommend it!

Is my child the only one....

2008-09-15T18:43:00.002-06:00

that would seriously rather eat a tuna sandwich than a brownie? Where did he come from....Mars?!

I asked him if he wanted a brownie after lunch and he said yes. I put it on the table before he had finished his sandwich. He looked at it for a while. Then he took a little taste. Then he picked off all the frosting (note to self: No frosting on brownies for Elliot). He took a bite. He broke it up into little pieces making it undesirable to myself. And then he pushed it aside and devoured the rest of the tuna.

What's with that? He must get it from his father :)

Insecurities

2008-09-14T22:22:00.002-06:00

So, many of you probably don't know this about me, but I was an art major back in the day. Actually I started off as an animation major, then switched to illustration when I found out that the computer really isn't my best friend all the time. Then I went on a mission and somehow ended up switching my major to art history, which I love. I was going to graduate and then move to Europe or somewhere equally "cool" and work restoring rare old finds and all that fun stuff. I had come to terms with not getting married right away and had planned out a fun future for myself. But then I met BJ. And had a baby. And then another one.

It's kind of hard to run off to Europe with a baby and toddler......let alone find yourself in that line of work without finishing the degree first. But I digress. (actually, when I finally get back to school I think I'll be switching once again, but back to animation this time).

Anyway, the point is that I enjoy the fine arts. I have a teensy bit of training and (in my opinion) an even teensier bit of raw talent. I've entered a few shows and even been paid to do portraits for people. But that is all part of the things that represent my "former life". And those things got shoved in the deep, dark recesses of our messiest storage closet. The trouble with those kinds of closets is that you have to clean them out eventually. Recently we did just that. And now I've had a husband, a mother, and even a very LOUD three-year old urging me to start drawing again.

I finally decided to give in to the peer pressure when my dad sent me an email about the 8th International Art Competition for the LDS Museum of Church History and Art. Now, I'm madly trying to brush up my rusty skills and have something presentable done in time to enter this competion. Ummmm, wow! Whatever possesed me to do this?

Don't get me wrong, I do feel like I have some limited skill. I WAS all gung ho about the competition when I found out about it in the spring. But as the due date approaches and the speed of light, I'm becoming more and more insecure. Maybe that's why I waited until there was only one month left to even START the piece I plan on entering.

This is something that I would ultimately love to do for a living, or at least as some "on the side" work to help support our family. But, a lot of the ideas that come into my mind are so personal and emotional. To spend the kind of time required to do these ideas justice and then just turn around and have them be rejected is almost unbearable. And before I get too much farther into the fluffy, emotional babble that rolls around my brain on a daily basis I will just ask you all to think of me. Please send me any positive "vibes", or prayers, words of encouragement, or whatever you want to call it before I chicken out and settle for mediocrity. Just wish me luck. I promise to do the same for you if/when needed :)

Quick! Somebody Stop Me!

2008-09-13T21:20:00.003-06:00

I have a cupcake in the fridge and a Frosty in the freezer.....I know how to use them......and I'm not afraid to either! I guess that's my problem. No matter how hard I try, I just can not be frightened by the idea that that ooey, gooey, chocolaty goodness will use the momentum it gains from those oh so delicious pirouettes of flavor on my tongue to increase the size of my thighs (stomach or other "too large" problem area) three fold.

Hmmm, looks like I think way too much about the tasty qualities of my food and not enough of the other, less desirable qualities. Guess I better work on that. Maybe tomorrow. For now, I think I'll go get the cupcake before it starts screaming so loud it wakes the kids :)

It's Too Quiet in Here

2008-09-10T22:36:00.004-06:00

Last night while I was cooking dinner, I needed some help. So BJ put Evie in the exersaucer and came in the kitchen to help. Amazingly there wasn't any hitting, or screaming, or crying going on. It was a beautiful sound.....until something finally clicked in my brain and I realized that the silence must mean there was something far more terrifying than fighting going on.

We went to see what the munchkins were up to. And of course by munchkins I really just mean Elliot since Evie was contained. And sure enough, we found Elliot "painting". His medium? Balmex. His canvas? Evie. Yikes!

But of course we got the camera out before we cleaned them up.

As Promised......

2008-09-10T21:39:00.004-06:00

Here are some pictures from Elliot's first day of school. We wanted to remember everything so we have quite a few :)

First Day of School!

2008-09-08T21:59:00.002-06:00

Three years ago you would have had a near impossible time convincing me that Elliot would ever come off oxygen, let alone be starting school someday. Well, that "someday" came and went on Friday. Elliot had his first day of preschool and he LOVED it! He gets to go twice a week for two hours each day. They sing songs and play games and they learn their numbers and letters too. PLUS, once a month we get to go on a field trip....so FUN!

This month he is learning about dinosaurs and we will get to go to the dinosaur museum. I know he will just love it!

Friday I didn't get much out of him when I asked him what he did at school. He just told me that his teacher's name is Mrs. Redd, there's a boy named Logan in class, and then he showed me his art project. He was all worked up though and wouldn't go down for a nap.

Today he was a little more open. He jabbered away during our entire walk from school to Magah's house. He told me all about how they made necklaces (his said Elliotsaurus on it...so cute!). And then he told me that they played outside, and jumped on the trampoline while counting jumps, they watched a video, and ate snacks.....dinosaur fruit snacks and applesauce...and how applesauce starts with A.

It's only been two days but he seems more grown up to me. Or maybe I'm still being a ~~little~~ lot sappy. Oh well, I'm a mommy. That's my job.

Now hopefully he'll pick up on the fact that the other kids use the potty.....I'm not opposed to that kind of peer pressure at the moment ;)

Oh, and I know I promised pictures. But being the doofus that I am I left the disc at my parents house. Guess now you'll have a reason to check back!

What a Weekend

2008-09-07T22:10:00.004-06:00

It's been a super cool, super fun, super busy past couple of days. There is so much that I want to write about, but it's going to have to wait for the time being. Partly because I'm waiting on some pictures I want to post (from Elliot's first day of preschool....he's getting so big...*sniff, sniff*) and partly because I'm exhausted! Even though we've had some really fun things going on, we also, as Elliot has been telling anyone who will listen, "had a bad night" last night.

I was having a really hard time getting to sleep but finally drifted off to dreamland around 1:30. At 3:30, a car alarm started going off in the parking lot. Followed by other car alarms beeping on and off as just about everyone within hearing range checked to make sure it wasn't their car. Except for the car that actually had the alarm going off. Elliot woke up terrified, but luckily Evie slept right through it (I'm not exactly sure how, but I'm counting it as a miracle that will of course get many thanks in my prayers tonight).

After another neighbor called the police, and they finally got in contact with the owner, the alarm was silenced (hallelujah!) around 4. But BJ, Elliot, and I were WIDE awake. Elliot actually seemed slightly traumatized. He wouldn't stop talking about it (and hasn't stopped all day). He kept saying "that noisy car scared me. I freaked out. I cried. That noisy car needs to stop....I'm gonna shoot it with my pop gun and make it shut up!". It was really kind of funny, but after two more hours of that talk we were beyond relieved when he finally went back to sleep around 6. But he's still been talking about it all day, we finally had to tell him that the car went to sleep and tonight would be a GOOD night.....I think he bought it :)

The funny thing is, that when we finally felt like rolling out of bed to rush and get ready for church.....the POWER WENT OUT! Holy moly! Trying to bathe a baby and a toddler by candlelight is neither relaxing nor romantic (which are the only reasons why anyone would WANT to bathe by candlelight that I can think of) it is just plain silly. And time consuming. And I was not too keen on the idea of going to church with wet hair. And I was making my opinion known to BJ when the lights came back on. "Woohoo! Somebody sure loves me!" Unfortunately I wasted those few precious moments of light (yep, the power went out again) BRUSHING MY TEETH instead of drying my hair. So I got to go to church with wet hair anyway. And we were late. And Elliot was noisy. And we forgot a spoon to use to feed Evie. Oh well, what can you do?

There's no way our neighbors could have known that their alarm would go off in the middle of the night, and we really do still love them, so I hope they don't feel bad. It really was a circumstance beyond their control and a funny beginning to a series of unfortunate events that acted as the finale to our weekend. And the reason why I'm too tired to write about Elliot's first day of school, or our family fun night last night. Lame excuse, I know, especially since I just spent a half hour writing out this story.

BUT, I did make some pretzels that I saw on Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and they turned out great! So maybe our luck is changing........*knocks on wood* ;)

Oh, and I will be sure to post all the new, fun pictures I have tomorrow!

Boys will be boys

2008-08-30T09:14:00.004-06:00

This has just not been Elliot's week. First his burn on Sunday. Then somehow the nail on his big toe came off. And then yesterday he had a run in with sidewalk.....and the sidewalk came out victorious :(

I can't get him to stop running. He runs. He runs everywhere. He runs ALL the time. And yesterday was no different. He was running down the sidewalk when he tripped and did a face plant. He scraped his knees. And his face. AND he has a pretty nice bump on his head. He looks better today but last night it was awful!

Luckily the tears didn't last for too long. It helps when you have 4 adults attending to your every wish. He got some ice for his head, lots of kisses and he even got to watch a movie. At least until he got bored and was up running again....yikes!

And here's an updated pic of his burn

Disclaimer: We may not be spectacularly amazing parents, but I SWEAR we are not neglectful, awful parents.....we are just parents to a particularly busy, curious, and fearless boy.

It's official...

2008-08-27T22:26:00.002-06:00

I started my first quilt today. I'm super duper excited about it! Does that make me a nerd? Hopefully it doesn't take TOO long to finish in the midst of all the other projects I have going on at the moment, and my children that tend to get cranky when I'm finally wanting to do something fun for myself. Oh well, we'll see.

Side note: Elliot totally head-butted me in the nose today! Now that is something I would definitely expect from Evie, because kids at HER age do that. I remember when Elliot was that age and that happening all the time. And you can't really get mad at them because they are still little and don't really know. But no, Elliot KNEW what he was doing. He did it on purpose! AND he laughed about it afterward.....until he saw me crying of course. Then he kissed it better and gave me a hug. It hurt, but I guess kisses really do make booboos better :)

Bath Time Fun!

2008-08-25T22:20:00.004-06:00

So, I believe I have sufficiently gotten over myself since yesterday's debacle. Now I'm ready to share some pictures from Elliot and Evie's first bath with each other. I'm sure they will bathe together occasionally, but not into their teens or anything weird like that. For now, I thought they were pretty cute having fun in the bath together :)

And the Mother of the Year Award goes to........

2008-08-24T22:55:00.005-06:00

So today was just one of those days, and look what we have to show for it. Don't worry, it's not a cast, there are no broken bones. But we do have a pretty good burn that stretches the full length of that bandage :(

Let me back up a little......

This morning we were in a bit of a hurry. Yeah, it's Sunday, and Sundays are always a little chaotic. But today was a little more hectic than usual. We had a missionary "farewell" (I know that's not what they really are anymore) to go to, and we were supposed to pick up Ashley and her friend Sharon on the way. So I got up and started getting ready while BJ and the kids slept a little longer. By the time they were up, we only had about thirty minutes to finish getting ready. So BJ put the kids in the bath (their first bath together and the pictures are really cute....I'll post them when I'm done feeling sorry for myself) and I went to iron my skirt. When I was done, I unplugged the iron and put it up on the counter, safely out of the way, or so I thought. Then I went about my business of trying to get things ready to go.

While I was madly trying to gather the massive amounts of toys, books and snacks that are required to keep two kids reverent (or at the very least....quiet) during church, Elliot spotted a step stool left too close to the counter and an egg timer which must have been calling very enticing things out to him. I barely saw him out of the corner of my eye and briefly said "Elliot get down, and stay out of things that aren't yours!" while shuffling around for the fruit snacks. I forgot all about the hot iron that was mere inches away from where he was playing. That is, UNTIL I heard the screaming. Yep, that's right, his hand met the iron and the iron did NOT make a good first impression.

The burn was pretty bad and I was worried we would need to take him to the doctor. But after some burn ointment, an awesome and slightly over the top bandaging job, and a few silent prayers in his mommy's heart.....it looks like he's going to be okay. Phew!

Needless to say, the stool is no longer by the counter, the iron will not be left out any more, and we were a lot later (but still miraculously on time) to church than we intended to be. Sorry Ash for not making it to pick you up, but thank you mom for dropping her off!

On the positive side.....Elliot's jammies are not lying....he is, in fact AWESOME!

Wait, what?

2008-08-20T21:49:00.002-06:00

So, ummm, yeah.....several evenings over the past week or so I've had something so hilarious that I knew I should write down. But, no, I have an AMAZING memory and instead decided to "just remember" and write it down later. So here I am now, which is in fact the "later" that I just referred to, and I can't remember a darn thing. Yikes! That'll teach me!

Since I can't remember the funnier things of the week, I will bore you with some of the more mundane details.

I'm trying to potty train Elliot. It's.........fun. Not going so well, but I do crack up every time he says he wants to "use the potty train". He REALLY wants some Wall-e "unerwear pants" so hopefully that will help motivate him.

We took Evie in for her six month check up (yeah, it's a month late.....what's your point?) And she is just as healthy as can be. She's only in the 25th percentile, but she's also only 6 lbs lighter than Elliot. She's crawling like a pro and can get in and out of sitting by herself!

We did get to celebrate the anniversary of Elliot coming home from the hospital on saturday. He's officially been in our care for three years! He's our little miracle!

And tomorrow is our fourth wedding anniversary. It seems like it's gone by so fast and that it's been so much longer than that all at the same time!

Now that I'm rambling, I think I'll go relax for a while. Unless, of course, I can remember some of the stuff that I wanted to write. In which case I'll jump right up, come right back, and write it all down......because I've totally learned my lesson. Hopefully that will still apply with how lazy I'm bound to feel in about two seconds :)

Terrible Twos??

2008-07-16T20:41:00.003-06:00

Are you sure they didn't mean threes? Because right now I have a pretty terrible, or at least crabby three- year old on my hands!

Generally he's a pretty well behaved little boy (we've had some bullying issues in nursery but he's getting better and it seems we get only good reports now) but the past couple of days have been hard! He has been very disobedient. He's been screaming a lot. He's been mouthy. And he's been hitting and pinching. Ugh!

I have no idea what it is, except that I know he's not getting enough sleep. Monday night he would not go to sleep until 11, only to be woken up by our (insert sarcasm here) awesome grounds crew at 7 am Tuesday. Then last night he didn't go to sleep until 10:30, and woke up at 6:30 this morning. And the napping situation hasn't been much better.

Tonight, we had jammies, FOUR stories, prayers, milk and bed. I'd tell you how he's doing but I don't want to jinx myself......call me superstitious if you like. Fingers crossed. I could use some sleep myself :)

Big and Small Reminders

2008-06-09T21:58:00.006-06:00

Today is Elliot's birthday. Happy Birthday little man!

We had a quiet, laid back day. We spent it just sort of lounging around and playing with Elliot's new toys. We went and got Elliot's pictures taken (Evie got to join in the fun too, even though she didn't cooperate as well as Elliot). Then he wanted pizza for dinner, and how can you argue with the birthday boy? Afterward, we came home and had some ice cream with a makeshift birthday candle ( I thought I had one but didn't and we had already done singing, cake, and candles with Grandma and Grandpa the week before) but you know what, he didn't care and even wanted to sing again. Which we did :) It was a very fun day!

Much more relaxing than the same day, three years earlier. And even though the memories of that day were on my mind, they weren't as prevalent as even last year. The past two years have brought the memories of his birth, and the months after rushing back to my mind, but this time around I was able to look at him as a "normal" three-year old. One that loves to run, swing, eat Popsicles, ride is trike and explore everything within his view. The only reminder of his prematurity, and everything we've been through since was his pediatrician telling us that he is still extremely small and we ought to consider growth hormone therapy. Hey we'll take it!

But a few weeks ago we had more of a chance to reflect on our tiny miracle. Grandma decided she wanted to make a video to help promote our business. Uncle Brent was put in charge but we decided together that to really explain our business we needed to tell our story. So he interviewed us about Elliot's birth. It really is hard to really delve into all that happened without being affected by it. It brought back a lot of memories and a lot of emotions. But I think BJ and I have grown a lot over the past year and we are able to handle it better now. Had we tried to make this video just a year ago, I think it would have just depressed us. But now we can look back with gratitude. We have been truly blessed, in so many ways. Including the healing that's taken place this last year. I think Evie has been a big part of that. She's helped us to see that life does go on, and even though we go through hard things in life, not everything is difficult. She has been such a blessing and wonderful addition to our family. We are so blessed and so happy!

I started this entry over a month ago so I don't really remember where I was going with all of this. I guess I'll just quit my rambling now. The video really is very nice, and if you want to check it out it's on my mom's blog .

New Things All the Time

2008-05-25T20:38:00.002-06:00

There seem to be a lot of changes going on here lately!

On the 8th we got Elliot his very own "big boy bed". It's just an inexpensive little set that we found at WalMart. It has a bed, a table with two stools, and a shelf.......ALL of which have Mickey Mouse Clubhouse things on them. He LOVES that thing. I really thought we were going to have to wrestle with him to get him to sleep in a bed after nearly three years of sleeping in a crib. I was bracing myself for a long night of repeating "Elliot, get back in your bed" over and over again. But that wasn't the case at all!

When he saw it, his face got so happy and it was the cutest thing. He even "helped" daddy put it together. Once it was built he kept climbing in it saying, "I so esited, I so esited". And when it was time for family prayer he waited until we had our eyes closed and he climbed into his bed. And then, most surprising of all, he went right to sleep without get out of bed once! And it's been that way ever since :)

Evie has also decided that she's ready to start growing up. On Thursday I went to the temple with my brother and parents while daddy stayed home with the kids. I called home when we were done to let BJ know I was on my way home. He told me that Evie had been rolling over all evening. I was shocked! And a little sad that I missed it. But she's demonstrated her awesome rolling abilities for me several times since then. She's just growing up so much faster than Elliot did.....she's amazing!

This past month just has me in awe of my beautiful children. Every day brings more adventures and discoveries. I'm excited for what tomorrow has in store!

The Sillyness Never Ceases

2008-05-06T23:14:00.003-06:00

We have a nightly ritual at bedtime with Elliot. First we change his diaper and put on his pajamas. Next, as long as we're getting to bed on time, it's story time. Then we kneel down and say a family prayer. After that BJ always tells Elliot to "give mommy a big kiss and a hug" and then it's off to bed. It's a pretty easy routine and Elliot knows how it goes.

Tonight after the prayer he started whispering "kiss a mommy, kiss a mommy" but he was saying it SO quietly that I couldn't understand him (BJ told me later what he was saying). So I asked him what he was saying and he said "quesadilla". What a silly boy :)

Elliotisms

2008-05-05T22:30:00.002-06:00

Elliot is quite the chatterbox (I know, I know, he gets that from me) but seriously, he says the funniest things! So I figured it's time to start a list, both so that they rest of you can get a feel for our day to day conversations, but also so we can remember.

Here are a few to start (but I'm sure we'll add more as time goes by)

"Hapack" He has an Elmo back pack that he loves and wants to wear everywhere. He even wore it to the park yesterday.

"Hepopter" We went to the Discovery Gateway and he got to play in the hepopter (helicopter) they have there. We went to see the Sesame Street exhibit but the hepopter was the hit of the day!

What's Happening? Most kids just ask why but that's not good enough for Elliot....he always wants to know what's happening with EVERYTHING.

Since I spend a lot of time sewing, he's around sewing machines quite a bit. But somehow he's gotten it in his mind that they are time machines. So if you hear him say something about a time machine, he's actually talking about a sewing maching.

The other day we went to let my parent's dog out (they were out of town) and Oscar was chasing Elliot around. Elliot had some food and Oscar wanted it. After I let Oscar out, Elliot said, "Oscar's a jerk". Very funny, but I tried not to laugh as I was telling Elliot that he probably shouldn't say that word.

I'm sure there are more, but it's past my bedtime and I'm having a hard time remembering them at the moment. I'll add more as they come to me!

Don't Be Surprised......

2008-04-26T21:56:00.004-06:00

If I'm bald the next time you see me. Seriously, I think I'm going to rip all of my hair out.

Screaming children and Mommy's nerves do NOT mix well. I like attention, so I should have expected my kids to be the same way......but do they honestly need my undivided attention 24/7? Luckily, Elliot seems to be okay if he can just watch Cars or "happy giants". Evie, on the other hand, seems to need me hovering right over her making silly faces and sounding like a crazy woman. Oh well, they're only little once, right? They grow up too fast, don't they? Come on, someone reassure me.....quick :)

All I can say is thank goodness for Elder Ballard's talk during General Conference. I swear it's the only one I heard and it was written just for me. Just re-reading it right now is helping me to relax a little bit.

I particularly like this part:

The first question: What can you do, as a young mother, to reduce the pressure and enjoy your family more?

First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.

Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”(Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11).

Yippee! Moments. I can handle moments. I'm so glad that I'm not expected to make every single minute of the day sunshine and rainbows.

I can do moments.

The little, fun things are the things they'll remember. Like when I let Elliot spend a few minutes licking Nesquik powder off of his fingers. Or the days we spend at the park this summer. Or the bedtime stories and tickle fights.

Now that I've reminded myself that not all moments here are chaotic and loud, I think I'll go to bed and think of the fun times :)

p.s. here's a cute little chocolate face that might make you smile......it works for me anyway.

After the Sugar Rush......

2008-04-03T17:29:00.008-06:00

I know that Easter was forever ago, but I wanted to at least share a few pictures. We had such a wonderful Easter. It was a beautiful day, and the first time since fall that we've attended the full three-hour block of church (Hello, my name is Brooke and I'm a germaphobe).

Elliot was thrilled to be able to go to "church" (that's what he calls nursery) instead of just sacrament meeting where he's expected to be reverent. He got to socialize, sing, play, run around, and fill his already sugar lined tummy with cake and ice cream....yummy! After church (and a nap) we had a nice dinner with my parents and an "eesker egg" hunt. It was a super fun and exciting day, but the thing that made me happiest was when we asked Elliot what Easter is about and he told us "Jesus" instead of candy!

Princess Dress

2008-04-03T17:24:00.002-06:00

We were so happy to see many of our loved ones last Sunday. It was Evie's blessing and friends and family came from all over the grand state of Utah and even one from as far as Texas (thanks Grandpa!). It was a very nice blessing and our little girl will grow up to be an amazing woman, I'm sure of it.

My mom worked really hard and finished a BEAUTIFUL dress just in time. It really is quite lovely, and I'm sure that's why Elliot calls it "Evie's princess dress". I hope it will be passed down through future generations for quite a while. Take a look.....

Here Come the Cardons

2008-03-23T21:36:00.001-06:00

Well, it looks like we've finally decided to give in to peer pressure and start a blog of our own. It really is a smart way to keep everyone posted on what's going on here. I'll do my best to keep it up to date so our family can see how Evie and Elliot are growing and changing!

I decided to call our blog "happy family" because of Elliot. The happy family song is his favorite right now. Every time I turn around he wants to sing it again. "I love mommy, she loves me....." and so it continues until everyone loves everyone else and "so you see, we are a happy family". He really is such a sweet boy, and teaches me so much. Really, what's more important than our families and being happy? I'm hoping this title will remind me of that on the days that I'm ripping my hair out from the pressures of being a parent. No matter how tough it gets, I want to make sure we're always a happy family :)