memorial day 2011.

we had a fun long weekend with Aaron's sis & hubby. we swam, got sunburned, played cards, painted, had birthday cake, made pizza, colored our hair dark (coco & me), watched movies, talked a lot, listened to Jake strum the geetar and just had an all around good time. I have a cute picture of Cody blowing out her birthday candles, but not on this computer. These days I only blog from bed.

I am sleeping in a brand new bed tonight. In a brand new bedroom. I feel like I am in a fancy hotel suit. For our upcoming anniversary, we finally ordered bedroom furniture. In our 11 years of marriage we've never had matching nightstands or a headboard. It hardly feels like my house anymore. I will show you pictures soon.

Today was a pretty low key day. We organized our dressers, played a few games with the kids, went to Cafe Rio for lunch, napped, and cleaned. While sanding and painting my bathroom cabinets I tried to watch Lost, but honestly, I just don't have the interest. I hear it's good, but can I really commit THAT much time to it? I don't think so. I watched Footloose instead. It made me think of good times in high school planning Junior Prom.

I have also been thinking about last Memorial Day. It was the day Cindy arrived. We were so excited to have her live with us for the whole summer! Now she's a grown-up, married woman. She and her husband will be coming to see us on Friday but it won't be the same kind of visit. I keep thinking about how much more exciting this summer would be with my sister living with me. Did I relish it or appreciate it enough last year? I hope I did. Anyway, amazing how fast a year can go by.. and how quickly everything can change.

Having a laptop has kind of ruined my blogging routine. My pictures aren't on here, and there is no way I would rather sit at the computer than lay in bed. So instead I have a bunch of boring posts without any pictures. If I was really on top of my blogging game, I would write about Zack peeing in the bushes outside Cafe Rio. And how I yelled at him to stop when I saw what he was doing... and how he pinched his boy part and walked over to me with it out for the whole world to see. While Aaron and I lectured him about using a toilet, I looked down and saw that it was dripping... and his face was in agony. We told him to hurry and finish up in the bushes, but make sure he wasn't facing the cars. And then we laughed... hard. We shouldn't be allowed to be parents. Either that or Zack shouldn't be allowed out in public.

The only other noteworthy thing that happened this weekend was another lost tooth for Benjamin. After he pulled it out, he put it in the special toothfairy case and said, "I am going to put it under my pillow tonight, but I doubt the toothfairy will come." Since it was only minutes before bedtime, I assured him that she would. He wasn't convinced and said, "I will bet double or nothing that she doesn't." Without the other boys looking, I shook on it. The next morning he came into my bedroom shaking a little case with a tooth still inside. And then I cursed. Being the toothfairy is the worst job in the world.

must forward

it's early and i've got things to do. family is in town for memorial weekend. yay.

I turned on the computer to check a time for an appointment and somehow found myself on Blue Lily's facebook page. Which lead me to this completely hilarious story.

The Incident

I honestly have never laughed at anything written on the internet as much as I laughed at this story this morning. Aaron was in the shower and asked me whether I was laughing or crying. Both. Crying from laughing so hard.

Potty humor may be gross, but in the right circumstances, it can be so humorous. This particular story makes me laugh so hard because my husband had a similar experience to the husband who wrote this-- only it didn't turn out so beautiful. I have asked my husband several times for permission to write about it and the answer is always no. What I wouldn't give for a version written BY him. That would be the most romantic thing he could ever do for me..

Which brings me to the fact that I am completely and 100% jealous of this family. What a life they are living, huh? Traveling the world, spending ALL day together, creating the MOST beautiful photography, homeschooling their kids... I try not to envy the lives of other people, but honestly I just can't help it. what a dream!

And that's it for now folks. busy day. busy weekend. busy toddler trying to close my computer as I type. Time to go. I need to laugh like that more often..

what matters most.

I'm snuggling with my laptop trying to prepare a lesson for Sunday. I came across these Mormon Messages and had to deviate away from my "research" and do a little sharing. These short messages had me in tears-- the first one is a bit long, but fabulous. all of them are worth watching.

Sometimes we can get caught up in things we think are important.. but they are not. The only thing that really matters is how we treat other people.

Amen.

the kind of mother I hope to be

It's too bad I don't have time to sit down and write a decent blog post. A good one could come from a day like today...

breakfast was beautiful. scrambled eggs, hash browns, blueberry pancakes, fresh strawberries & melon. even a table cloth and napkins set. Too bad Simon had to ruin all of it by pouring his own cup of oj (while everyone else was busy doing something other than watching him.) it was a big, sticky, frustrating mess. Aaron had to leave for work before we were really able to sit down and enjoy it.

for lunch Ben and Zack made PB&Js. Luke warmed up some sloppy joe stuff in the microwave inside a glass bowl. It was a quarter size hamburger mixture barely visible in a humongous bowl. By the time it was "warm" the bowl was way too hot for Luke to touch. Instead of asking me for help, he put on two hot pad gloves, climbed up on the counter (he's still not tall enough for the microwave) and hopped down with the glass bowl barely staying in his protective hands. It was so cute, I took a mental picture... and I was glad there was no broken glass to clean up.

I spent the day painting my bathroom. It's a pretty gray color-- so light it looks almost blue, but not purple. Yesterday it looked purple so I repainted it. I am not the same girl I used to be. The girl I used to be could paint a bathroom in under an hour. This girl takes a week to get anything done. I am only halfway finished with the project.... and I wish I had never started. Have you ever painted around a bathtub with a toddler bathing inside it? I have. It's not that fun.

Aaron wasn't home for dinner which made my blah day much worse. But Zack still got a smile out of me when he sat up to eat. He saw his plate and said, "SO GOOD. SO GOOD. I got a FREEEEEE meal!" Anyone been to Cafe Rio recently? Zack has.

We watched Willy Wonka while folding clothes this afternoon. Gene Wilder is sexy.

Time to read Peter Pan. Peter is quite the stinker in the book. It's probably because he doesn't have a mother. All day long mothers cook and wash dishes and clean up messes and fold clothes and sometimes make messes while painting bathrooms, but also they allow little boys to grow up and teach them how to behave like men. At least that's the kind of mother I hope to be anyway.

living under a rock

Do you want to know how OUT OF IT I am?

Today while checking out at walmart, I found out that Schwarzenegger cheated on his wife... just today... like 3 hours ago.

The more I don't hear about things, the less I want to hear about things. I totally feel like my mom who never knew about ANYTHING going on in the outside world. Whenever I would try to talk about someone in the news, she would look at me with a confused expression that said, "who or what are you talking about?" If one of you would have talked to me about Arnold's love child 5 hours ago, I would have given you the same look. Say whuut?

Anyway, not that I care about this particular couple more than other celeb couples, but why can't anyone stay married anymore? Why do husbands want to have kids with other women when they can have perfectly beautiful kids with their perfectly beautiful and capable wife? What is the world coming to? (starting to remind myself of my mom again.)

I've heard through the grape vine that Bachelorette starts tonight. I don't have the option of watching but I might have to find it online tomorrow. I can't turn into my mother, just yet. But I have really grown accustomed to living under my rock and I am not sure if I want to crawl out anytime soon.

Sad. The Governorator who terminated his own marriage and the way that I found out about it. Just plain sad.

the summer buzz

this week's weather was a bit crazy... rain, hail, wind and lots of sun. We went swimming on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.. all at different pools with different friends. Too bad we didn't take any pictures. When Saturday night came around, we decided it was time for the summer buzzes. We should have waiting until Monday so the boys could sport mohawks for a few days, but mohawks are overrated.
I was able to snap a couple of pictures of the baldies in their shirts and ties right before we hopped in the car... and I will have you know that I was late to church for these priceless pictures. I got two shots of the kids together. One of Simon not looking at the camera...
and one with Simon looking & the other boys with their eyes closed. You can't win 'em all.

Today was a crazy Sunday for me. I woke up with a headache, took some medicine and felt okay while getting ready for church. In the middle of Sacrament meeting, the mild headache turned into a migraine. It was literally so bad that I couldn't see straight. Such a weird experience... and a little scary. I received a Priesthood blessing, slept for most of the day and I am feeling much better now. I have only had one other migraine in my life (during my pregnancy with Zack) and I hope it doesn't happen again any time soon. I REALLY sympathize with people who get them all the time... I honestly couldn't do anything but lay in bed with a pillow over my head. It's amazing how much a "little headache" can cripple you!

Here's to good health, miraculous eye sight and a happy week.

PS. I hit my 20 week mark. We're half way there. I am feeling the baby move all the time. We are getting so excited for a little girl! Now we just need to decide on a name and a doctor. :)

parents kind and dear

my parents called from Chile last night. I was reading the last chapters of Robin Hood to the kids and they called and interrupted. It was such a fun surprise. They asked the boys about the pinewood derby and wanted to know all about our camping trip. Each of the boys told them a made-up joke and I could hear my mom laughing hard... all the way from Chile. After I hung up with them, I cried. Over the past couple of weeks there have been countless times when I wanted to pick up the phone and call them, ask them about a recipe or just complain about how crappy I feel. I love that I can still talk to them, but they are not at my fingertips anymore and I miss that. I also cried because I am grateful to have them for my parents. They such amazing people. I know they will make the best missionaries.

Tomorrow I am teaching a blogging class for Enrichment in another ward. I haven't prepared anything-- I am not really sure what to prepare. ?? But I keep thinking about my mom and what a great journal writer she was. She had so many responsibilities-- so much to do-- but she always made the time to write in her journal & record all of the funny things we said... that isn't easy to do with so many kids! I scanned in a couple of old pictures. I think I will show them during my presentation tomorrow as an intro and talk about what a example my mom was-- she didn't do everything right, but at least she has most of it recorded. (if ONLY it was in blog format and I could browse through all the archives!!)


This is my parents and their six kids. My mom had just had a miscarriage after me. (I was so cute, she just had to have more!) I am so glad I didn't stay the baby...


This photo may look like everything was hunky-dory with nine kids in the house, but my mom has journal entries to prove otherwise.

So grateful for my families-- the one I was raised in, the one that I joined when I married my husband, and the one I am living with now. Life can seem overwhelming at times.. Sometimes I wonder why I am still throwing up everyday at 20 weeks pregnant.. but I am truly grateful for the experiences I've been given and for the means I have to document these experiences so I won't forget them!

a year and a half

it's hard to believe Simon is already 18 months. He has claimed his steak in our family and there's no getting rid of him now. He's not quite 30 pounds, but will probably get there next week. He eats more than any of his older brothers, and then some. He doesn't like riding the Carousel during story time, and would rather cheer his brothers on while making faces behind the glass.
He is a great climber and knows how to get on top of any chair, desk, table.. but his favorite place to stand is on the island in the kitchen because it always has something to eat (or break). He loves to jump on the trampoline & can hold his own while jumping with all the neighborhood kids. He's a great dancer and will bust-a-move as soon as the music starts. His favorite dance move is the Simon-spin. He will spin and spin and spin and spin until he crashes into the walls. It's become one of our favorite family past-times. "let's get Simon dizzy!"
His favorite song to sing in the car is KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" but sings WEE-hoo instead of woo-hoo in the chorus. He also screams NO-NO-NO-NO while shaking both pointer fingers at everyone in the car. He's not a big fan of riding in his car seat and has mastered the tantrum. He throws the cutest of fits.
He has a really sweet relationship with the dog, but Sunny is by far the sweeter of the two. She will let Simon pull her hair, hit her, lay on top of her, and ride her like a pony. The only way she gets back at him is by stealing food out of his hands. He has been known to take it back (out of her mouth) and it finish eating it with a dog-slobber coating. He calls her "Hunny" and makes the funniest dog bark. He sticks both lips out and howls. It can get all of us laughing instantaneously, but it's never funny when he "barks" during Sacrament meeting.
If I ever want him to leave me alone (while I am cleaning or folding clothes or whatever) I will tell him to "RUN FAST". He will usually take off in the opposite direction as fast as his little legs will go. If I am lucky, he will get distracted by something else before he comes back and I tell him to "RUN FAST" again.
He pulls a Michael Jackson move when he's poopy, but usually grabs his crotch with two hands instead of one. He's not a big fan of getting his diaper changed and runs away when I try to pin him down. I can ALWAYS get him to come to me if I tell him to "cut the pickle". He falls for it every time-- and will now put his two little pointer fingers together and randomly tell other to "tut the gickle". It is just too cute.
He's talking up a storm and we can usually understand everything he's saying. If we can't understand him, he will grab you by the shirt and take you to what he wants. He still calls Ben "Bob" or "Bobby" and can now clearly say his other brothers names too "Yuke" and "Gack". He is a great little helper when it chore time. Aaron calls him our little janitor because he can most often be found with a mop or broom and LOVES to throw anything away in the trash.
He's growing up way too fast. His eyelashes are always pointed out in public and he's got about 20 little freckles on his darling face. He has been such a fun addition in our home. We wouldn't be the same without our beautifully handsome little boy.

pictures from Carpinteria

Last night I uploaded 455 pictures from our beach camping trip. I am just going to share a few today...





The only picture that really needs explanation is the bigger one of Simon's face covered in boogers and sand. He was a mess all weekend. While basking in the sun, the little boys were eating Cheetos. Simon wanted to stick his hand (covered in sand) inside the Cheetos bag, but I wouldn't let him. He then started to cry, which made snot run out of his nose. When I still wouldn't give in, he plopped his face straight into the sand and threw a fit. When he finally stopped screaming, he sat up and looked like so. And he wouldn't look at the camera because he was still mad at me. I thought it was awesome.


My favorite part about camping is waking up and seeing everyone's morning face. I tried to capture them on film our last day there... (this was the only picture taken of me all weekend)

Simon wins for the cutest morning face. He was a happy camper.

more to come later...

up to my ears in laundry...

I don't want to load pictures of our weekend adventures, at least not yet. We've been camping on the beach three times and I think the third time was a charmer. We found the PERFECT place in Carpinteria, CA. Our campsite was ideal. We went to sleep every night listening to the waves crash on the ocean. The kids could run to and from the beach while Dad was making a fire or I was preparing dinner. It was awesome. We went up on Thursday and no one wanted to come home... including me. I wish I could go back to last Monday and start packing for the trip instead of doing all the laundry now that it's over.

Highlights of the long weekend were spending time with my dear friend Jane and her family. A good trip is better with friends. We also got to see Uncle Brett and Auntie kt which is always a party. Aaron told some seriously scary ghost stories around the campfire... one about a family who owned a humongous pet chicken who would go on family vacations and ride rollercoasters with them. When it came time to kill and eat the chicken, they were all super sad. They cut out it's heart and then the chicken got away, but each night the kids could hear the chicken's heart beating. Seriously, I don't know where he comes up with this stuff. The sound effects were scary enough to keep me awake at night.

There were some down-sides to the long weekend. We didn't bring our dog and we probably should have. She would have loved it. We also forgot the plug to our air mattress, which was a total bummer. Sleeping was a bit uncomfortable, but still TOTALLY worth it. I would have gladly stayed another night just for the scenery in the morning.. One night we made yummy tinfoil dinners but after we got them out of the coals, they were charcoal. We ended up packing the kids in the car and heading to a nearby hamburger joint. And the drive home was rather unpleasant. I was feeling GREAT all weekend-- so happy to be outdoors, so happy to be with my little family-- but 30 minutes into the drive home, I made Aaron pull over so I could throw up. Haven't felt well ever since.. which makes doing 10 loads of laundry not fun at all.

Pictures will come soon. I have a long list of things to do before I spend an hour uploading the memories of our trip. First and foremost, I need to hit the grocery store and buy some milk and bread so our kids can eat. Eating is kind of a priority.

If ANYONE wants to join us for an awesome camping on the beach trip next summer, consider yourself invited. We know exactly where/how to reserve the best spot.. I believe it will fit up to 4 families, but possibly even 8. It's about a 5-hour drive from Vegas in a cute little town outside Santa Barbara. You have to book the campgrounds months (and months) in advance, so let me know if you're interested. I was thinking mid-June-ish (2012). It will be about $30 a night per family... we are counting down the days until we can go back!

We have a winner!

Pinewood Derby 2011-- Something tells me I need to label these Pinewood Derbies by year because this ain't our first and it ain't gonna be our last.

Let me just start out by saying that our three cars were BY FAR the ugliest in the bunch. Some of the other cars were professionally made, some were bought on ebay and others were done by carpenter fathers. We let our boys design, sand and paint their own. They turned out GH to the ETTO (ghetto).

Ben's was so UG they couldn't tell which was the front or the back.. so they accidentally turned it around. Come to find out, it likes to roll that way. In fact, it comes in 1st place when it's driving backwards...

They even raced their cars against their awesome scout master's... who named his "The Winning Car". Ben turned that winning car into a losing one.

Love these boys and their enthusiasm for everything SCOUTS!

I had to zoom out for the last picture because someone else wanted in.. well, sort of.

ps. Luke won a trophy for "most colorful car". Zack should have won most colorful, but he wasn't a scout and only raced his truck for fun. On the drive home, Aaron led us in a few family cheers... "SHUMWAYS RULE!" We totally do.

so much for going to bed early

it's 1 AM. I got ready for bed around 8 pm. Simon was sleeping and the older boys were out with Daddy getting last minute supplies for their Pine Wood Derby cars. For some reason my husband found it necessary to buy a digital scale so he can weight the cars and then weigh them. (You will understand when you have a boy scout or two.)

While they were melting metal with a blow-torch and pouring it into the bottom of their cars, I decided to open up my 2010 blog book and try to finish it. Here I am 4 hours later still working away. It's finished, but I am making sure it's JUST the way I want it. And Aaron is still working on the cars so why not just stay awake?

In the background, My Best Friend's Wedding is playing. I've "watched" it twice in a row. I love Cameron Diaz. And Dermot Mulroney. He's got a deep, sexy voice and he makes a really handsome groom. I can watch this movie over and over and over. It reminds me of my senior year of high school. Michelle Carr and I spent months in Stephanie Kawa's basement scrapbooking our childhoods while watching Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and My Best Friend's Wedding. To this day, we still repeat lines (and act out dance moves) from these two movies... Those were the good old days. Stephanie was investigating the church and we had some wonderful conversations. We also laughed like I've never laughed before. I really miss those girls. It's been years since I've seen them. Tonight while "scrapbooking" and watching one of our favorite chick-flicks, I felt like a teenager again.

I've also been reflecting on what happened today. I made dinner with two of my dear friends who live just down the street from me. We made pizza while Dan in Real Life played in the background. We talked and laughed and I felt exactly like I did back in high school-- only this time we had kids running around and happened to be making dinner for our families. There will be a time when we will go our separate ways, and I just know I will long to be with them again. I ache just thinking about my friends who have moved away... Natalie, yes-- I am especially thinking about you! Every stage in life brings new friendships and I am so grateful for THIS time in my life. I have absolutely loved living in Vegas and meeting the wonderful people who live here.

Anyway, while spreading cheese and pepperoni's on our homemade dough, we talked about movies that we can watch over and over and over. Besides the ones I've already listed, I told them I LOVE to watch Bandits whenever I am folding clothes or working on a project that doesn't allow me to look at the screen. Have you seen it? If not, I would recommend it. It's hilarious. I also love While You Were Sleeping, Ever After, Sweet Home Alabama, Fools Rush In, Count of Monte Cristo, A Walk to Remember, Napoleon Dynamite, In Her Shoes, Can't Buy Me Love, Pretty in Pink and ANY musical-- it doesn't matter which. And of course, anything by Jane Austen. What movies MUST I add to the list?

Aaron is finally finished with the cars. The big race is tomorrow. He is excited and said he wishes he could start over and make something really awesome. I love the kid in him. It doesn't come out often, but when it does it's endearing. He's brushing his teeth now, so I am going to shut it down. What's up with my rambling lately?

6 months old

Our "little" Sunny girl is six months old. It's hard to believe that she's only been in our family for only 4 months. She is humongous - a whopping 65 pounds.. and will most likely gain another 20 in the next few months. She lost all her baby teeth and has big sharp molars which look scary, but she wouldn't hurt a fly. She is the sweetest dog and has been such a fun addition to our family.

She is a lot of work, don't get me wrong. But she's a good dog and listens well. She does a handful of tricks.. my kids favorite thing to do when guests come over is shoot Sunny with their finger-gun while saying "bang! bang!" Sunny will immediately fall to the ground and put all four paws up in the air. It's a trick that is done so often that sometimes when the kids have a treat in their hand, she will play dead without even getting shot. She sits, stays, goes outside when you open the back door, fetches, sleeps well in her cage, hardly ever barks and stays right next to me when I run with her in the mornings.

She does have some faults, as all dogs do. Because she's so big, she can eat food right off our counter. Obviously, she knows it's wrong and won't attempt it unless your back is turned. Last month, I had visiting teaching treats on my island. Sunny was only inside for a minute, but she gobbled up two plates of carrot cake it's 3 seconds flat. I was so mad at her! And once in the car, I packed a chicken salad for myself on a long drive. I put the salad on the dash when I ran the kids into a friends. By the time I got back, all of the chicken was gone. She had left the tomatoes and lettuce for me, and I thought about eating it anyway, but we're not that good of friends yet.

This morning I found my favorite shoe chewed up in the back yard. It's an old sandal that probably should have been chewed up years ago, but I was still sad. I'm often getting mad at the kids because they can't find their shoes or they "leave" them outside, and they are constantly blaming it on Sunny. Now I will believe them. She honestly hasn't chewed up very much. I was expecting our furniture and all the kids' toys to be destroyed, but it's been a lot better than I had imagined. I am telling you, if your expectations are low, you are bound to be pleased.

All in all, our family wouldn't be the same without her. It's amazing how someone can come into your home and all of the sudden you don't remember what life was like before they joined. She is the first thing the kids run to when they come home and she's always the show and tell object when friends come over to play. She is a big dog and sometimes when she gets really excited she will knock kids over with her strong tail, but we are so happy she's ours.

Many of you have asked about our plan for puppies. I still want to breed her with a poodle (and I am constantly on the look-out for another dog).. but my husband will not even discuss the topic. He thinks I am crazy and try to do too much. She hasn't had her first cycle yet, but it should happen anytime. I am applying for a breeders licence and hope when it happens I can get her pregnant without my husband knowing. I will sneak her out of the house after her curfew to meet up with a boyfriend... ? Once those puppies are on their way, he won't be able to say no. But getting pregnant myself did put a little wrench in the plan. The puppy update is: we aren't sure when she'll have a litter of Goldendoodles... but she will have some, someday. and they will be cute!

***We are heading to the beach this weekend... we've been planning on bringing Sunny with us but just found out that dogs are NOT allowed on this particular beach. We are still thinking about bringing her, but wondered if there is anyone in Vegas just DYING to babysit a big dog for a long weekend. Anyone? I didn't think so.

the drive-in

Last Friday, to celebrate our "it's a girl" news, we ordered pizza and took the family to the drive-in. Granted, we probably would have gone if it was a boy, or had we not found out at all, but let's pretend that we were celebrating. It felt like we were. The weather was perfect and the pizza was yummy. The movies were only so-so.

We watched Rio and Hoodwinked 2. Ben sat in the pizza sauce and had a red, wet behind. Simon wanted to be at the drive-in playground ALL night, where he and I spent most of our time. I didn't mind, really, because I brought an old walkman and watched Something Borrowed instead of the kid shows. It was probably better than a cartoon but nothing fabulous either. Why do all romantic comedies have to include the F word and sex? It could have been cute if everyone wasn't sleeping around with each other. What must teenagers be thinking when they go to the movies these days? I am never going to let my daughter out of the house.

Sorry, I got a little sidetracked. What I wanted to say is that ALL of our boys were awake for both movies. They each had a nap to prepare for our late outing, but I was still surprised they made it. This is what they looked like when we were packed up. Three minutes later, when we exited the parking lot, they were ALL asleep. Aaron and I had a serious talk on the way home...

He told me that we can't do that ever again. I was laughing during the convo and I am still giggliing just thinking about it.. I feel bad for the guy. The LAST thing he wants to do on a Friday night is to sit outside, eat cold pizza, and watch kid cartoons. I was dumbfounded by this because I had a great time-- while cleaning Ben's mess, while taking care of our wild toddler who wouldn't slow down, while watching the lame movies. I was just thrilled to be out and with the family. He told me that I need to grow up and stop getting so excited about childish things (like watching a movie outside) but I think we both know THAT's not going to happen anytime soon. And he's going to have to live with it. It was a funny conversation, one that seems to come up every couple of months (and more often when a holiday is approaching.) I think it's hilarious not only because my husband is miserable but because as long as we have young kids, he will always be outvoted. And as soon as they get married and have kids, I will still have little people on my side.

Okay, really getting carried away typing more than I intended. It must be the amazing new laptop. What I wanted to say was: The drive-in was really, really, really FUN! The end.

early morning trumpery

I woke up this morning around 3 am. It was probably the long nap yesterday combined with going to bed at a decent hour. Either that, or the baby girl kicking away inside my tummy. I stayed awake just marveling at the fact that I am going to have a real-live daughter. I was also thinking about what we should be for Halloween. It's only a few months away, you know.

I got out of bed around 5 am to walk the dog. My boys were all sleeping on the hide-away bed in the loft. Zack sat up as soon as he saw me. He was all smiles as he said, "The birds are sure chirping loudly this morning!" I laughed and sent him in to my room to take the empty spot in my bed. He happily skipped in, excited to sleep next to Daddy. It's one of my favorite things to do too.

For the past month or so, we've been reading scriptures as a family at 6 am. Crazy, I know. But we thought we'd try to get into some kind of morning routine before the kids head off to school next year. It's been working for us well, except for the days we don't get up. The boys are way more excited about it than we are and set their alarm sometimes a bit too early. One morning several weeks ago, I woke up to Luke standing next to my bed, fully-dressed just staring at me. When I asked what he was doing he said, "I've already done my jobs. Isn't it scripture time yet?" I rolled over to see Aaron checking the time. 5:45. Nope, give us a break, kid. This was really unsual for Luke and just needed to be recorded. It happens much more often with our oldest child and isn't significant whatsoever.

One morning, after we had read, I caught Zack in his room with his little miniature scripture set, reading to his stuffed animals. I was trying to be sneaky as I heard him say, "The Gospel is given to all of the nice people on the Earth." When he saw me spying, he was a little shy and said, "Oh, I have to read the scriptures every morning to all my animals." His animals consist of Yoda and Sharkie. He is my only child who loves stuffed animals and these are the only two that have made the cut. They are active members in our family.

Today is the last day of our co-op school. The kids are way more sad about it than I am. It's not that I haven't enjoyed it, just that I've thrown up more times in that bathroom than any other public place and I'd rather say goodbye. Today we are having a pizza party. One of the best things about this school is that it's right across the street from Daddy's work. We've loved being in "his neighborhood" and having him join us for lunch once a week. If only we lived across the street from his work. If only he worked at home. If only he didn't have to work at all. If only...

Well, the alarm is ringing. Time to wake up the rest of the family. Hope your Monday is happy and bright.

mother's day

today was perfect in every way. I had breakfast in bed, homemade presents from the kids, a new laptop (surprise!) and frying pans (not a surprise!) from my husband. I didn't change a single diaper or make any food. I had a long nap in the afternoon, next to my man... which never happens. When I stepped in the kitchen to do dishes after dinner, I was spanked. After dinner, my boys prepared angel food cake with fresh strawberries. I was able to talk to my parents in the MTC and most of my sisters. I feel so grateful to be surrounded by such great women.

After dinner I called my dear friend Bev Olson in Spokane. She is such a great example to me and I always love to hear the advice and support she gives me. I was also able to talk to my single aunt Nancy.. my dad's little sister. She is the world's greatest aunt and even though she never had any children of her own, she is one of the most amazing mothers I know. She assured me that my little girl will love having four older brothers like she did.

Most of all I am grateful for my children and the lessons they teach me on a daily basis. I am grateful they came together, in a 4 pack. They are such good friends with each other. They treat each other kindly and spend 99% of their time laughing and joking with each other. They are such darling, fabulous little men and I am proud to be their mom. My greatest wish for them is to find supportive, loving women to marry. Their dad has spent the last 10 years showing them how to be a great husband and father. I feel truly blessed and hope that every woman in the world can feel as spoiled as I do.

This is on my facebook status, but I want it for the books. Today I was in charge of organizing a little primary program for sacrament meeting. It was pulled together last minute and a bit crazy, but we had a handful of children give one liners over the pulpit about their moms. Ben said, "My mom is happier after she has a nap." I thought about excluding him from the program... but he was just being honest and it is SO TRUE! I am also much happier when I go to bed at a decent hour... good night and sweet dreams!

it's a GIRL !!!

The boys missed a birthday party today so they could be at the ultrasound. Aaron was able to sneak away from work and it was a perfect family outing! I was a bit frustrated during the appointment because everything seemed pretty blurry. With my boys, we could see parts-- and clearly. The tech didn't say anything until the very end because she was waiting to get a good shot. But the baby had her legs crossed most of the time (such a lady) and didn't want to show us anything. Finally at the end, she gave us the "100%- It's A GIRL, go-out-and-buy-pink" announcement. The tech said she knew right away, but with four boys in the room, she wanted to give us proof. I still don't think you can see much, but if three lines means it's not a boy, then I am willing to sign on the dotted line.

Aaron was beaming from ear to ear and made sure to tell me that he's always given me everything I've ever wanted. I am so thrilled and the boys are all pretty excited too. On the way home they could not stop listing girl names. Zack says he really wants Sally. But then suggested a few more: Stinker, Dum-dum, Grandma, Godzilla, Brother... we were all laughing. He also said, "It would be awesome to name her GO AWAY! Then I can say, 'Come here, Go Away' & 'Go Away, come here!'" After ten years and four boys, I can promise you, we have a long list of girl names and don't need any of his suggestions.

I am excited to buy dresses and hair bows... yay for girls & happy mother's day to me!

finding the good

I've had an outpouring of love the last couple of days and just want to say thanks. I like to document life as it happens, but honestly don't mean to whine about my terrible situation or beg for help.. but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the dinners, phone calls, babysitting offers, gift certificates to Taco Bell & kind emails. I have the best friends and I love you all.

The topic of conversation that seems to ring true for everyone is "life has not turned out how we expected." This doesn't mean we're unhappy, just that it can be difficult at times. Parenting is harder that it looks. There are never enough hours in the day to get it ALL done. Money problems never end. Being sick is the pits. Marriage is a lot of hard work... etc. etc. But, it's all part of the good life, isn't it?

I struggle finding a balance between pretending everything is perfect and complaining too much. That's why I finally decided on the blog address fairly happy. I am happy, but not THAT happy... I hate people who are THAT happy.

I think the trick is to not compare your life/situation with others because we never really know what's going on. I came across a great quote the other day from Marvin J. Ashton who said, "If we could look into each other's hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us face, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance and care."

Sometimes it's hard to talk about our struggles because we are all going through different experiences. It's hard to be vulnerable in a time of need, but that keeps us from connecting and relating to one another. It's also THAT much more important to reach out & give others the benefit of the doubt. My mom used to tell me that everyone had a "secret" and if we only knew what was troubling them, we would never judge them for acting the way they did. That was a hard lecture to hear in Jr. High/High School when I just wanted to complain about everyone else, but it's something that has really stuck with me over the years. As soon as I want to gossip about someone else, I pretend they are having the worst day of their lives.

Anyway, this started out as a simple thank you and has turned into something else. I just wanted to say that I am doing well and I appreciate the love and support I have in my life. I love this blog because it is my outlet- a place I can write down the dirt without feeling judged. It keeps me from complaining to my husband the minute he walks through the door (although I do that too :) Life is hard, but it's so much easier knowing that you're not alone. The more we open up with one another and the more we allow others to open up to us (without judging) the better the world would be.

That's what I've been thinking about lately.

PS. According to Jacques Wiesel, "A survey of one hundred self-made millionaires showed only one common denominator. These highly successful men and women could only see the good in people."

PPS. "Every man I meet is in some way my superior, and I can learn of him." Ralph Waldo Emerson. Love this quote.

PPPS. Simon rubbed an entire cube of butter in his hair today.

some Mondays are better than others

I had yesterday planned out perfectly. School in the morning, lunch date with Aaron, a few chapters of Robin Hood and a nice quiet afternoon nap. It all happened according to plan. Around 3 pm, I started making dinner. Mondays are usually pasta night. I had all the ingredients for spinach lasagna, and enough left over to take to a sick neighbor. The homemade sauce had been simmering in the crock pot all morning and the cheeses were mixed together. Simon woke up from his nap just as I was boiling the noodles. He was super grumpy and wanted my attention, so he pulled a towel off the counter which happened to be the resting place for several glass dishes. They all shattered on the kitchen floor before I could save them. I gave Simon food in his high chair (reward for being such a monster) and began cleaning up the mess. Before I was finished Simon was screaming to get out. He's usually content when there's food in front of him, so I knew something was wrong. He was poopy (probably had been for some time) and his poor little hiney was bright red. I stripped him down and put him in the kitchen sink... he needed a bath and I needed to get the lasagna in the oven so I could take it to my neighbor in time. Because I was stressed, I failed to clear away any objects within the reach of the sink, which included a plant Zack was growing in the window sill. Yep, before I could even finish cleaning up the rest of the glass, Simon had dumped the plant into the sink and was bathing in dirt. I turned on the faucet to rinse him off (and went to move him to the other side) but he thought he was being punished and was getting out of the sink for good. Simon loves playing in the water and wasn't about to be finished just yet. As I went to pick him up, he grabbed the faucet with both hands... and when I tried to yank him off, the faucet came with. Honestly, I don't even know how it happened because neither of us are that strong. All I know is that the sink was spraying cold water all over me and everything else.

I know it sounds funny, but it wasn't. at all. I had a red-bummed baby covered in poop and dirt and broken sink. Dinner (which was supposed to be in the oven by now) was spread out all over the water-soaked counters. I ran Simon upstairs and bathed him quickly in a place that was meant for bathing. I dressed him and told his older brothers that they needed to occupy him until I could get dinner in the oven. I was able to salvage enough food to make two small pans of lasagna, which was more than I could have hoped for. By this time the oven had been heating up the kitchen for over an hour and I was sweating... I knew I needed to do something about the sink, but I just didn't have the gusto. I just put my hands in my face and started sobbing.

The kids, who were playing blocks in the other room heard me crying and came running in to ask what was wrong. I told them it was nothing-- I was just having a bad day. I needed some fresh air, so I grabbed a pan to boil the corn on the cob and headed outside to fill it with water. As I turned on the hose and leaned down with my old, rusty pot, I stared laughing and said to myself, "Whose life is this, anyway?" As a little girl, I dreamed of having a nice house and children of my own, and this was NEVER what I pictured. How did a nice girl like me get stuck with a broken kitchen sink?

When I came inside, I turned on the stove and heard a little 5 year old voice talking on the phone saying something like this: "Mom's having a really bad day and I think you should come home now." I walked into find Zack hanging up the phone with an I-just-saved-the-day look on his face. Daddy arrived home shortly after. I took dinner to the neighbors and he fixed the kitchen sink like a pro with a plumber's crack. When I arrived home, the table was set and dinner was ready. One particular person liked his lasagna and corn more than anyone else at the table.


After dinner we had FHE outdoors at a nearby miniature golf course. This is EXACTLY what I needed. My eyes were still puffy from crying, but everything was right in the world.


If getting out in the beautiful weather with my family didn't make me happy, then finding this homemade card under my pillow did. I am grateful for a husband who comes to my rescue and kids who are willing to "clean my room" when I have a bad day. some Mondays are better than others.

some Sundays are better than others

Yesterday started out rough. Getting four kids ready for church when you aren't feeling well is never fun. Simon emptied an entire bottle of conditioner in the bathtub, which made for a slippery clean up. I threw up before I ate a piece of toast and immediately afterward. After a long Sacrament meeting, most of which I spent out in the foyer, Simon and I left church and went to Taco Bell. (shh! don't tell anyone.) Sometimes when you're feeling sick, the only thing that sounds good is a bean burrito without onions.

After church, Simon was long overdue for a nap. The kids and I were able to play a good game of cards while dinner simmered. Dad arrived home shortly after 3 and we had a nice meal. Too bad Luke couldn't join us because he was SO sick after fasting for 24 hours. Poor kid. I should have taken him to Taco Bell with me and all problems would have been solved.

While Luke slept on the couch, the rest of us played another game of cards. When Luke woke up (and after he ate) we called Grandparents. My parents were set apart last night as full-time missionaries! I wish so badly I could have been there to officially say goodbye. I cried on the phone and my mom reassured me that everything was going to be okay-- like she always has. They entered the MTC this morning and will fly to Chile in two short weeks. crazy!

After our phone calls, I was emotional and wanted to get outside. We backed up our bikes (in both cars) and headed to a nearby elementary school parking lot. Not our typical place for a Sunday bike ride, but it was Zack's first lessons without training wheels and it's hard to concentrate on him, the crazy baby, the hyper dog and the other boys while riding out in the neighborhood. And this way, Sunny could be leash-free and run as fast as her heart desired. Simon doesn't want to ride his trike anymore because he knows it's for babies. He didn't tell me that, but I knew. He absolutely loved riding on Dad's lap, holding on to the handle bars. He felt like such a big boy and would wave his hand while casually saying, "Hey!" as he passed by. Zack did great job without training wheels. He's not a pro yet, but he will be soon.

When it was dark, we packed it all back up and started to head home, when Luke asked if he could drive the car. An empty parking lot is an awesome place for driving lessons. Of course, none of them can reach the gas pedal, but they can all steer, so we spent another hour letting our kids drive around the parking lot. Are we terrible parents? Probably. But it was a lot of fun. Zack hit a curb and Ben drove over a cone, but all in all it was a successful night. Sometimes all you need when you're feeling crummy is to get out as a family. The dog was drooling with her head hanging out the window, the kids were in heaven pretending to be race car drivers and I was happy to be surrounded by such cute little people. When we finally arrived home (way past bedtime) I made everyone pose for a picture. This is one of those nights that could easily be forgotten about unless I document it. We tried to get Sunny in the shot, but she was too busy trying to drink from our broken sprinkler.


I went to sleep with the dishwasher running, the kids sleeping peacefully in their beds, a handsome husband laying next to me and an anti-nausea pill dissolving in my tummy. Some Sundays are better than others.