bathing in the kitchen sink

I have pictures of each of my boys bathing in the kitchen sink. Zack's can be found HERE -- they were some of the very first pictures I ever put on this blog. He was (and has always been) a goober. Ben and Luke's pictures are darling too, but they aren't digitized and I am too lazy to scan them in at this very moment. Anyway, the pictures are all hanging next to each other in a cute 3-picture frame. It's time to buy a new frame and add Simon to the mix. But first, I must decide which one is the best-- it's hard to choose! I think the little foot on the last one is my fave..... ?


Simon has been quite the ham for the camera lately. He says CHEESE loudly and proudly. The other day, he wanted some string cheese that Ben was eating and Ben told him to say "please". Instead he got a big grin and said, "CHEEEEEEEEESE!" which won him the whole stick, and anything else he wanted. We sure love him! Even more so when he's clean.

I'd prefer to keep my head.

My boys recieved awesome dry erase boards from a recent BBQ/birthday party with friends. They have spent COUNTLESS hours playing pictionary with these babies... there's nothing like seeing your kids draw, laugh and scream at each other over a homemade game. They also use it for secret messages. On my way out the door on a crazy Easter morning, I passed this sign hanging on the banister:

(meet me on the tramp after we change out of our church clothes. from Luke)

I thought it was particularly cute because all three boys are usually changing out of their clothes together after church. You would think it would be just as easy to tell your brothers face to face that you want to jump on the trampoline after church...? Is it wrong that we let our kids jump on Sunday? probably, but we have a good time living in sin.

Last weekend while shopping as a family at Kohl's, Zack pointed to two mannequins and said, "Hey look! Two girls without heads! I should probably marry one of them!" It was hilarious - especially hearing the way he said it, as if he had just landed on a goldmine or something- but the conversation that followed was even more entertaining and... insulting. My boys literally went on for 20 minutes about how COOL it would be to marry a girl without a head. First reason being: they wouldn't have to kiss her. That was followed by a long list of insolent remarks about women... she wouldn't EVER ask you to do anything, she couldn't complain about you stinking because she couldn't smell, she wouldn't roll her eyes or be mad, she couldn't see you do anything wrong, she couldn't BREATH or THINK or ARGUE or TALK... these are what I can remember off the top of my head, but the list was much longer. When we finally met up with Daddy, the boys started again-- telling Dad how cool it would be to marry a girl without a head. Instead of sticking up for his wife (& all women in the universe) Daddy replied, "Sounds pretty awesome to me." I told them all to be careful... if they're allowed to get rid of a body part, their wives should be allowed to chop off one of theirs. And we won't need a head to use a knife.

Forgive me for speaking so violently. I love men, especially mine. I literally have been on my death bed the past 48 hours. The only time I got out of bed yesterday was to walk to the toilet. I am 16 weeks pregnant and think I should be done with this nonsense. The things we do for a baby!! Aaron has literally waited on me and my children hand and foot. He went back to work this morning and we are all missing him dearly. Which is exactly why I've called him four times in the past hour, "Are you homesick for me yet?" If I didn't have a head, he would miss me calling him, of this I am sure.

That's all I've got for today, folks. Headed back to bed for a minute.

easter. twenty eleven.

My two older boys aren't eating candy in 2011. It's a pretty crazy challenge they took on in January and have stuck to their guns. I went without candy for a year when I was in high school and my parents paid me $100. While chatting it up with my dad over Christmas, my boys wanted to know if they could get paid to not eat candy. I welcomed the challege, but figured it would be too difficult for them. After four months without candy, they aren't even tempted... I'm sure it helps that they are doing it together. They have lots of willpower (and must be money hungry!) Every once in a while, Ben & Luke will give Zack a challenge to go without candy for five days-- or a week and at the end he will get to pick one of their lego men, etc. Needless to say, it's been an interesting year without candy in our house.

Which brings me to Easter. What fun is Easter without candy? Turns out, it can be pretty exciting. In fact, my kids Easter baskets were totally radical. They got string cheese, crackers, fruit snacks, granola bars, new toothbrushes and toothpaste, silly string, water balloons, goggles, etc. Were we crying over missing jelly beans and Cadbury eggs? Absolutely not. (although Aaron insisted that the Easter Bunny bring him candy this year, and his wish was granted..)

Simon got a basket too, but was a little confused to find a box of Mr. Clean erasers instead of a toy. As soon as he stops making messes, we will all be a little more happy around here..
I was happy enough to stay away from the sweets & nibble on this chubby neck. This is my nephew Oliver and he is oh! SO! scrumptious!

Aaron's brother and family came to stay for the weekend and we had such a great time together. We met up with old friends for a BBQ and stayed up late talking every night. kt (my sis in law) did lots of cooking because I wasn't feeling too hot. It was so nice to take a nap after church on Sunday and wake up to yummy potatoes and ham for dinner! Too bad I ended up throwing it up a few hours later (and too bad for my husband for having to clean it up because I didn't make it to the bathroom in time.. I did contain it all into one blanket, but still... he is my hero.)


All in all, it was a great Easter weekend and a fabulous week leading up to it without any television or computer in our home. It makes me realize more than ever what really matters in life-- and what we really NEED to be happy. I love my family and I am so grateful for the blessing which are ours. We are all so eggcited to welcome a new little person into our home.

how long does it take three boys to peel 15 potatoes and 15 carrots?

approximately 45 minutes.
How long does it take three boys to clean up the peelings off of the floor after having a potato peel fight? approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Tomorrow is the beginning of our traditional 7 day MEDIA FAST (beginning the week before Easter). Six months ago we got rid of television and haven't wanted it back. We have also downsized to one computer, which doesn't get used very often. Our family life is much different than it has been the past few years during these media strikes, so we probably won't see much of a difference. We shall see. Anyway, I will catchya in a week or so. Happy Easter!

winnebago

The Kesslers rented an RV for the week and came to Vegas! Karlin and Jason have quite the krew with their three kiddos and two teenagers (Karlin's awesome siblings they've raised since her mom passed away.) We L.O.V.E this family to pieces. We had lots of fun catching up, swimming @ Mandalay Bay, playing with the kiddos, making homemade pizza, hanging with the Capuas and just being together. Driving around town in their RV made me want to get one so badly! Yes, I still have dreams of traveling the country with my family in one of these.
The adults were also able to sneak away for dinner. None of us had been to Cheeburger Cheeburger and after dinner, I think we were all happy we went. Yum! There's nothing like eating greasy food, cherry cokes and hanging out with old friends... wish we could do it more often!

*for documenting purposes. My favorite part of this night was Aaron's high school memory about a kid name Saul who got expelled for "plopping" his wiener on some girl's shoulder in their art class. It's amazing how you can be married to someone for ten years and never hear a story like that until it casually comes up in a dinner conversation with friends. Oh man, I am still laughing....

today

I've realized something about myself. I don't like living in the past, and I really don't like documenting it. If it's not happening today, then I would rather not back track. It's not that yesterday or last month wasn't great-- it's just that I'd rather not have to explain everything and how it happened. I think lots of bloggers feel this way. If you get "behind" in documenting your life, you feel pressure, like you have to catch up before you can write about what's happening now. And that pressure is annoying. It keeps me from living in the present and writing about what's happening today. Since I've been home from my emotional trip to say goodbye to my parents, I haven't allowed myself to feel that pressure. Indeed, the events of last week were a lot more eventful than what's happening in my household today, but I just don't feel like talking about it. I hope that someday I will get around to documenting the pictures we took and the things I felt, but today is not going to be that day.

I am swimming in clean laundry today. I don't want to put it away because a lot of it is "winter" clothes, and I just loathe winter. Sweatshirts and jeans are really great for a camping trip, but they shouldn't be worn everyday, especially not by children. I'd rather have my boys running around in tank tops and shorts and so-- along with the clean laundry, I've also pulled out all our summer attire. Is it warm enough to put in their closets? I am not sure. So I'm waiting... until then, I think my husband is not very happy with me. Especially because all of the clothes folding/sorting is happening in our bedroom... on his side of the bed!

I'm there because we have a little TV on one of our dressers. This TV hardly ever gets used because it doesn't have any channels... and Aaron and I are too busy reading (among other things) at night to be watching anything on the tube. The last time it got used was when I was in labor with Simon and I watched The Devil Wears Prada. This week, I've been watching the same movie over and over. It's one of my favorite movies ever, but I never talk about it. Have you seen In Her Shoes? It's a 2005 film with Cameron Diaz, Shirley MacLain and (one of my favorite actresses ever) Toni Collette. I saw this movie on TV a few years back... and it became an instant fave. The offensive scenes were edited out, but the truth is, they're really not that bad. I wouldn't recommend the movie to my mom because she's super holy, but this is a show I could watch every week. I just love movies that make me cry and laugh and just come away feeling better. It also makes me so very grateful for the relationships I have with my sisters. You should watch it sometime. If you live close, you can borrow my copy-- but don't keep it for long. You can see the trailer HERE. This movie makes me so glad I have a Simon because Simon in this film is just so-- cute!

My Simon is the child with the most clothes. Isn't it amazing how quickly they grow? I am changing seasons AND sizes with this big boy and I have too much for him. The only time I can possibly get anything done is when he's down for a nap... and the only time I can actually put away his clothes in his bedroom is when he's awake. Houston, we have a problem.

I've got a big problem in my closet as well. I brought home most of my maternity clothes that have been rotating with my sisters (as well as a bunch of their cute clothes too) but I am reluctant to put them in my closet. I definitely have room for them-- because my actual clothes are few and my racks are empty. But I don't want to have them hanging up just yet. And my actual clothes still fit, but not comfortably. I just don't want to wear anything ever. Yes, friends... one notch up from wearing tank tops and shorts is wearing nothing. Do you know of any nudist beaches for entire families? I would like to rent an RV and live there for the summer.

Other than laundry, movie watching, school registration, and dreaming about living on a nudist beach-- we've been cleaning carpets. After 2.5 years of living here and 6 months of having a dog, it was time to have them professionally cleaned. I would have loved to pull out the carpet all together and get it replaced with something newer, but today is not that day. We are saving for other things. Things that I am so excited about I just can't sleep at night. Of course, I haven't gotten all of these plans approved by my husband so just hang on a little while longer and then I will tell you all about them.

What I can tell you about is the secret codes my boys are speaking in. They are constantly sending messages to each other that I can't understand. They have code words which mean something else, they write secret notes for each other. It doesn't bother me one bit because I would rather not know what they're saying... and I think it's cute they have a little system going on.
This morning, I walked past their bedroom. Zack stood at the door and said, "Hey! No fair!" I asked him what the sign read and he said, "Can't you figure it out?" I said I probably could, but I don't want to. He explained that each letter of the alphabet has a number (according to their order.. A=1, B=2, etc) and that THIS sign was excluding him. All it really says is Ben and Luke's room, but still. No fair! I told him to make a sign of his own for his own room. He came back with a paper that read 13-5 13-5 13-5 all the way down the page. It reads, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME, ME. The older boys thought it was pretty funny and let him into their club, which made everyone happy. At least I am teaching these kids something-- it's all about ME!

March was filled with visitors for us and April is no different. We love seeing so many friends and family pass through Vegas. We're excited for Easter because we get to play with more cousins! Yeah for holidays and warm weather. Off to take another load of laundry out of the dryer. peace out.

bully

The kids are all in the bath because... well, they were dirty and... well, I wanted a break from them. I have an RS meeting tonight (making 72 hour kits) and was hoping Aaron would be home in time to do the dinner routine. If I make it on my night "off" he should at least dish it out, dontcha think? Anyway, I called him to see if he was on his way home and he said that he was able to leave work early. Before I had a chance to celebrate, he told me that he left work early so that he could donate blood. What the? My only response was, "Why can't you stop being so charitable to total strangers and start serving ME?" It's all about me, you know. But that's not why I'm blogging. At least not tonight, anyway.

Today I took the kids into their future elementary school. Yes, next year BL&Z will be attending public school. We are all happy about it. Even me because I am an optimist. We went in to pick up a few registration papers and talk with Ben & Luke's teacher, they will be in the same class. While we were in the office another mother came in and started talking to my kids, mostly Zack. He was being friendly and telling her all about our family. "these are my brothers, our baby is crazy, but he won't be the baby for very long because my mom has another baby in her tummy..." she seemed to enjoy the conversation. When he explained that he will be in Kindergarten next year, she told him that she has a daughter that will be in his class.. and that her daughter is super friendly too. And then she said, "My daughter talks SO much, she might even beat you at it." We said our goodbyes and headed out to the park, which is just a few steps away from the school. While sitting on the bench reading a book, Zack came to sit by me. I asked him if he's excited about going to school next year. He said "sort of" which took me by surprise. Sort of from an enthusiastic child like Zack means HECK NO. When I asked him what was wrong he said, "Well, it's just that I think there's a girl in my class who's gonna beat me up."

In the next few months, I will teach him how to throw a mean punch just in case there are any (girl) bullies on the playground.... More on school later.

self portrait

While in Utah last week, we spent time trying to help my parents rid themselves of their junk. They've lived in the same house since I was five (26 years) and they've acquired and kept lots of... stuff. We threw away a ton and donated more. We went through boxes and boxes and boxes and found a few gems. Each of the kids went home with a few keepsakes. I was lucky enough to find one of my old baby blankets. It used to be pink, but it's almost white now. It's so worn down, but there aren't any holes and it's super soft. I hope someday I can wrap it around a little girl of my own.

I also came away with some of my school papers and art projects. It's amazing HOW MUCH my mom saved! With ten children, each completing 13 years of school, you can imagine how much homework was laying around. It was fun to look through, but the only paper I decided to keep was a self portrait I drew in Kindergarten. What's amazing about this picture is that I can actually remember sitting in my desk drawing it. It's not something I thought about until I saw the picture, but while looking at it, I had a flash back of being frustrated about my neck. I colored my collar too high and then tried to make it look like a turtle neck even though the purple shirt I was wearing was not a turtleneck. Anyway, besides the messed up shirt, this is exactly what I looked like in Kindergarten:
As parents, we keep things for our kids that we hope they will want someday. I know my mom was afraid to toss anything because she was sure we would eventually ask for it. But after going through my mom's things, I realized that most of what they kept was, in fact, not worth keeping. Pictures are priceless and it's unfortunate they didn't have the technology we have today because I would love to see a few more shots of my cute little girl face! The pictures I came away with, I will treasure for always. I also took a whole pile of shots that I plan to digitize and give to the rest of my family-- this one was taken while my parents were engaged. Amazing that they were once younger than me. They look like babies!
Bev wasn't the most organized or the cleanest mom on the planet. But I can tell you this-- she was almost perfect at keeping a journal. She has volumes and volumes of hand-written notebooks about the life of our family. If my siblings are going to fight over anything when she dies, we will fight over those journals. In those thousands of pages is my childhood-- the funny things I said and did, how my parents and siblings reacted when they found out I was joining the family, what they wanted to name me, my first words, steps, my first sleepover. My mom documented each and every one of her kids lives. It's truly incredible what she did for us. If I had all the time in the world, I would type up those pages and make them into books... and maybe someday I will have the time. Until then, I am going to follow my mother's example and continue to document the lives of my boys so they, too, can know what they said and did as children. It's amazing (and a little sad) how quickly the years fly by. Before we know it, our kids will be married with their own little ones and they will say, "My parents used to look like babies!"

Zack-in-the-box

Zack says hilarious things every day... more like every hour. Most days I go to bed thinking, "I have to write that down tomorrow." And then the morning comes and I can't remember. so tonight I must jot these down quickly before I forget. They are in random order-- but all said today.

After watching some jib-jab movie (one he googled himself) he came running to me and said, "Mom, this is SO MESSED UP! Some people think Barack Obama is a super hero!" messed up, indeed.

I accidentally called his Yoda stuffed animal a "she". he stopped in his tracks, held the doll up close to me and said, "What about this face is pretty like a girls?" I love that he thinks girls faces are pretty... because they are! (and Yoda is one ugly dude)

While folding and putting away his laundry he said, "If I tell you this, you promise you won't get mad?" After I promised, he said, "I've been wearing the same Superman underwear for SIX DAYS." When I made a frowny face, he said, "You can be grossed out, but you just can't be mad-- you promised!" Grossed out I was & I made him change right away. He came back with a big sigh saying, "If I am going to wear underwear that long, it should at least be Spiderman."

While at the table for dinner he said to Aaron, "This is basically impossible, but wouldn't it be cool to buy a house with five bedrooms for only one dollar?" The way the housing market is headed, all his dreams might come true.

After eating all his food he said, "Thanks for dinner, Mom. May I be excused from the table?" Aaron and I looked at each other in amazement. He got permission, jumped down, ran over to his older brothers who were playing chess and said, "Where were your manners tonight?" I honestly have no idea where that came from, but I won't complain. He's growing up so fast.

Shoot.. I know there was a couple of others, but that's all I've got tonight. I wish I had pictures of his cute freckled face or better yet- a video of him talking with his cute lisp, but I don't. I wish I could freeze him and keep him this way forever. He is my little Zack-in-the-box, popping up in odd places constantly surprising me with his funny sense of humor. I cannot imagine my day-to-day routine without his cuticle personality.

Katniss has been casted

This may be old news to some of you, but I just found out today. Jennifer Lawrence has accepted the role of Katniss for The Hunger Games trilogy. I thought it was an odd choice considering her pale skin and blonde hair. Was it just me or wasn't Katniss supposed to be olive skinned? Oh well, I am sure they can give her a spray tan, make her a brunette and flatten her chest. Katniss is only a teenager afterall. Will 20 year old Jennifer be able to pull it off? If she can work a skin tight red dress like the one she wore to the Oscars, I am sure she'll look HOT on fire.


Can't wait to hear who will be cast as the leading men. I am no casting director, but if I would love to see these two play Peeta & Gale. Something tells me they would make great rivals on the big screen.


Obviously I'm jk. I just watched the Twilight series for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It was "good" if I may say so-- with double finger quotes. Here's to hoping the director of Hunger Games can make the movies as entertaining as the books.

The movie is set to open in theaters March 2012.
I hate waiting.
I have absolutely nothing to do until then.

trash day

Not the most exciting post ever, but I wanted to let you know that our playhouse was finally sent out with the trash this morning. We kept it WAY longer than I thought we would. It was never really a "house" with a family of boys. Instead it became a bomb shelter, a jail, a fort, a spaceship, a tank, chief's tee-pee and so forth. It lived a good, long, dangerous life.

One of my favorite things about Vegas (besides the fabulous weather) is that the garbage man comes twice a week. That's right baby... Tuesdays and Fridays are laundry AND trash days at our house. Why does that make me so happy? I must be a mom.

Anyone else getting the spring-cleaning bug? After helping my parents get rid of their life supply of junk, I want to throw everything away at my house! It makes me feel so GOOD! Anyone up for a junk-in-your-trunk swap?

cuticles are cute

it's nap time for everyone at this house, so I best be quick. we are still trying to recover from a sleep deprived week. You know you're having a good time when you stay up past your bedtime EVERY night. Sometimes we crawled into our covers at midnight-- other nights it was 2 am-- and one night I was up until 4 am. I honestly couldn't even tell you when the kids went to bed because they were each sleeping at a different cousins almost every night. What a par-tay it was. I'm not exactly happy to be home.... but a long nap might convince me otherwise.

I have hundreds of pictures on my camera, but my aunt just emailed me this one of Simon. She took it on her iphone during my parents' farewell yesterday. We didn't arrive late, but by the time we got there, all of the seats were taken, so we had to sit on the front row. That was quite the "adventure" with our busy Simon. This shot must have been taken during the 2.4 seconds that he was sitting down.

My parents did a great job on their talks and made most of us cry. My mom said that her goal is to work as hard as she can so that her children and grandchildren are blessed for her service. I LOVE being the recipient of all of my mother's good works!! If she's going to do the time, I will gladly take the blessings :) My dad ended his talk by saying, "I was able to pick when to go on a mission and even where we would go. Best of all, I got to pick my companion!" We are so excited for this time in my parents lives. I know it will be a big change for all of us, but they will be excellent missionaries. I am so glad I was able to live close enough to be a part of this past weekend. They enter the MTC on May 2, but will spend the next two weeks in Georgia and Michigan saying goodbye to their grandchildren who weren't able to make it. We are all so proud of them!

During church Zack said a couple of funny things that I should record. I was keeping him occupied by carefully pushing down his cuticles (do you ever torture your kids during church?) He wanted to know what I was doing and I told him about his cuticles. He smiled and said, "That's cute that they're called cuticles. Hey mom, I have a joke. What is the cutest part of my whole body?" Before I could say the obvious answer, he raised his eyebrows and said, "My personality. Ha ha! Tricked ya!" His personality IS so cute. Probably even cuter than his cuticles.

A few minutes later, he was combing through my hair. I recently cut more bangs and he said, "Mom, why do you have all that hair just hanging down right in front of your forehead?" Instead of answering, I asked him if he liked it. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Not willy. You kinda don't look like my mom anymore."


This is not the cutest picture of my mom and I, but it was also taken by my aunt and it's easier to upload than the others. We hit the road after church... Simon was getting changed into more comfortable clothes before the long drive. Isn't his body humongous? My mom and I spent a long time talking out by the cars because we just didn't want to say goodbye! I am going to really miss her but know that there are many people in Chile who are going to be blessed by her service. She is my favorite mom ever.

missing him

I once had a boyfriend who, in a last-ditch effort to keep me from breaking up with him, told me that I would NEVER find anyone who would love me as much as he did. That comment haunted me for some time afterward. Not because I wondered if I had made the wrong decision in breaking up with him, but because being with him was so exhausting for me. It felt like so much WORK to be in a relationship and if that was as good as it gets, if that was as much as anyone was ever going to love me, than I would rather stay single forever.

Then I met someone who truly loved me. He loved me even if I didn't love him back the way he'd hoped. He loved me despite my huge faults and rollercoaster-like personality. He never pressured me, never made me feel guilty and never told me what to do. In his last-ditch effort to try to make something happen with our relationship, he told me that all he wanted to do was to take care of me. And that is exactly what he's spent the last decade doing. Taking care of me and making sure that I am comfortable and happy. I am not the easiest person to get along with (he will testify to that) but I am a better person just because I am around him.

It's been three days since I've seen him and I miss him terribly. Granted, I am busy catching up with my family, staying up late talking to my sisters, playing with my kids and their bazillion cousins, hanging out with my girl friends... and it may seem like I don't have any extra time to even be thinking about my other half. But I think of him often. I miss him when I lay down at night in an unfamiliar bed and always wish he was there to keep me warm. I feel grateful that he's working hard to provide for our family. He takes care of me and makes me feel secure and safe and protected. I am so glad he's coming to join us tomorrow! It's a short trip for him and a lot of traveling, but he's coming because he loves me like no one else ever has.


This is my cute husband after he returned home from the Priesthood session last weekend. The minute he returned home, he sat next to me and told me the impressions he had during the session and how he wants to be a better husband and father. After he finished talking, he changed his clothes, paid for movie tickets for my sister and I to see a show & sent us on our happy way. He stayed home with 8 little crazy kids and entertained them so I could have some R&R. He is always sacrificing to make my life better. And believe me, ever since he came into it, my life has been so.much.better.

saying goodbye

after 7 days and 6 nights of sisterly bliss, Deb packed up her van and left. But our goodbyes weren't tearful... for I will be at her house tomorrow. We wanted to caravan up to Utah together, but she had to get back a day early so Anna could go to dance & Ben and Luke needed to stay for their Monday-only school classes. All of the other kids were free to drive with whomever they chose. Lilly stayed with us and Zack wanted to go with the girls... and then because she's an absolute angel (notice the halo in the picture above) Deb decided to take Simon with her too. That left me with the three oldest (most responsible) kids while she drove home with the 5 youngest. I am not exactly sure how this is fair, but you won't hear me complain. I was able to get so much done at home today without my two crazies!

Forgive me for posting this early morning picture of myself, but it's what we've got. Debbie and I don't look anything like sisters.. but we are and I am so grateful. She is my best friend-- the only person besides Aaron that I talk to every day. She is happy, hard-working, spiritual, fun-loving, optimistic, frank (the girl says it like it is) and such a delight to be around. I just love her and could honestly live in the same house with her forever.. We took early morning walks with the dog, went to a late night chick flick, played & danced & worked with our kids, watched old Adam Lambert videos, and talked like it was going out of style. There is never a dull conversation with Deb around. I just love her so and I am so glad she came to visit. My house is so much cleaner than when she arrived!

My parents leave on their mission in just a few weeks. This coming Sunday is their farewell so we are going to spend the week saying our goodbyes. I finally found my cell so that's how you can reach me if you need me. It's always great going to visit family, but I hate it when my husband can't travel along.... but at least I'll have Deb to cuddle with! Catcha later, alligators.

the first swim of the summer

How I spent April Fools Day...

8:00 AM- woke up to happy kids playing and Debbie making breakfast.

9:00 AM- take the dog (and 8 kids) on a walk around the neighborhood.

10:00 AM- start school. Prayer, pledge, silly songs, science experiment, animal facts quiz. Deb scrubbed my bathrooms while I kept the kids occupied. My bathrooms were so dirty... I love my sis!

11:00 AM- Tuna sandwiches for lunch.

12:00 PM- Swimming! Nothing makes me happier than laying by the pool and hearing the kids splash. LOVE this time of year!

2:00 PM- trip to Sonic for slushies, which we took back to the pool.

3:00 PM- I went home with the 4 youngest kids. Deb and the oldest 4 stayed and swam for a while.. it was so hard to leave!

3:30 PM- bubble bath for me. Followed by a short nap. Can this day get any better? Yes, it can.

5:00 PM- Aaron home from work early. Date night!

5:30 PM- Dinner at Olive Garden. Just me and my man. Fantastic future-planning conversation. Aaron keeps teasing me because while at dinner I told him, "I'm not just anybody." I wasn't being defensive-- just stating the facts.

7:00 PM- Book club with our homeschooling group. I've never done a couples book club before, and I love it. Next month we're reading The Abolition of Man by CS Lewis. Can't wait to read it!

10:00 PM- Come home to sleeping kids and a spotless house. Did I mention how much I love my sis? We stayed up late talking-- even considered going to a late showing of the new Jane Eyre movie, but ended up hitting the sack around midnight.

Perfect day. No April Fools jokes. I got in trouble last year for telling Aaron that we were at the hospital with Zack who swallowed a quarter. He still hasn't forgiven me, so I was a sweetie this year and didn't fool around. I did give the boys each a gift. New swimsuits. They've been sitting in a closet since the end of last summer, when I bought them each for a buck. Love these boys and their muscles.

it ain't no joke.

Due Date? October 10.

Were you trying? Indeed.

How do you feel? sick.

Home delivery? Undecided, but hopeful.

Twins? nope. One baby with a really cute profile.

Do you want a girl? Unanimously. But boys are okay too.

I suspected and took a pregnancy test the first week in February, but it was negative. A few days later (Feb 11) I took another one and it was negative. Instead of throwing it away, I left it on the bathroom counter and went about my day (planning a Valentine's party, cleaning up salsa in my car, picking up babysitters & pizza. etc.) When Aaron got home from work, I went to throw the test away and saw that it was positive! Over the course of the day, another line had appeared.. The next morning I took another test and then told Aaron. It was a happy Valentine's day for us.

The original plan was to tell the kids on April Fool's Day, but it was too difficult keeping it under wraps with so much family visiting. And it was also really hard to keep it a secret while I was throwing up-- at public functions. I got super sick at our co-op school one day and ended up throwing up IN class... with kids present. Luckily, none of my own children were there to witness it (except for Simon) but word spread quickly with the other moms. Then while dressed up in prom dresses at a Relief Society function, I threw up several times. The girls who were lucky enough to be in the bathroom with me heard the news. They have kids who are friends with mine, so I knew we had to tell them soon.

Funny thing is, a few days before we told the boys, we were reading a science book about sicknesses and how they spread. It talked about the symptoms of the flu and common cold. Without knowing anything, Ben casually said to me, "Wow, mom. It seems like you've had the flu for about 5 weeks now." I was dumbfounded because I had never complained about being sick. He's so observant and the way he phrased it- in weeks- could not have been more hilarious. When we finally told them, it all made sense! Zack is the most excited... he talks about (and to) the baby all day long. He will kiss my tummy at night and tell the baby to sleep tight. He wants to know everything about how big it is and what it feels like to be inside my tummy. He came with me to my doctor's appointment and was fascinated with the ultrasound. It was a fun date-- just Zack and mom. Although it would have been much more romantic had we not waited for 2 HOURS to see the doctor. That reason alone is good enough to hire a midwife.

Yes, we all hope for a girl. Several months ago, before we officially started "trying" Aaron had a dream about a baby girl. I am not getting my hopes up and honestly would be thrilled with another boy. In fact, since I've been pregnant, I only dream about boys. We'll see who's more subconsciously-psychic in about a month or so. I don't think I can wait to find out the sex. I am too outnumbered in this house and need to prepare myself-- either way.

Is this our last? I hope not. Granted, pregnancy is the worst. It handicaps me like nothing else. I literally throw up 3-5 times everyday. When my mom was visiting I believe I went 3 days without keeping anything in my stomach. I kept asking her HOW in the world she did this ten times. Pregnancy is such a drag! But it's also an absolute miracle. I feel so blessed and so happy to be expecting again. I have always wanted a big family and I hope I can be unselfish enough to want more after this. It's such a sacrifice in every way, but the end result is worth it, I am sure. If we have the physical, financial and emotional strength to have another baby, we will. I don't think there is any gift you can give your children that is greater than a sibling. Yes, it's a hellofalot of work, but I think I can do it. I think I can. I think I can.

This puts me at 12 or 13 weeks, but who's counting? Last time I looked at my pregnancy countdown, it told me the baby was barely the size of a kumquat. What's a kumquat, you ask? I had to look it up. It's a small orange of some sort-- how small, I have no idea. I will NOT compare my baby to the size of foreign fruit, if I can help it. I am due in October and that is all I need to know. I don't want to do a pregnancy counter on my blog or anywhere else. Looking at the actual number each day is going to drag things out and that's the last thing I need when I feel like poop. No paper chains for me... not when I have 6 months of misery ahead. Honestly people. If you love being pregnant and think it's the best thing ever, let's not be friends for a little while. We can talk again in October.

If that sounds negative, that's because I am an absolute grump. Remember when my husband told me I loose my SPARKLE when I'm pregnant? At the time I was hurt and tried to prove that I was the same person. But this far into our marriage and after this many babies, I think it's a great way to describe what happens to me. I have learned to accept the fact that I suck as a pregnant person. Admitting it is half the battle. But I sincerely hope that those of you who long for a baby of your own but for one reason or another can't have one, understand that I think about you every.single.day. I am often awake in the middle of the night tossing and turning, sometimes running back and forth to the toilet, and instead of complaining, I think about the WONDERFUL women who would be glad to trade me places. I don't know why some of us get what we want and others have to wait. I will never understand why irresponsible, under-aged, unwed, unhappy girls can conceive without even trying. It's a tough world out there and I know we all have a lot to learn from the experiences we've been given. I am just praying that I can play the hand I've been dealt and focus on ALL that I have. Because it is more than I deserve, that's for sure.

happy Conference weekend!

the announcement

We're expecting baby #5.

Luke made this secret note for Jake and Cody when they came to visit. He put it under their pillow, but they just couldn't wait until bedtime for them to read it, so Zack brought it to them the minute they entered our house.

just in case you can't read his artistic writing, it says:

"my mom's going to have a new baby in October"