Zack bio - part 2

What were your childhood home and neighborhood like?

I don’t remember anything about my first home because I moved before I turned one.  We lived in a town-house in Las Vegas until I was almost 3.  The only thing I really remember about that house is that we made Transformer cars out of big boxes and we played in them a lot.  My parents bought their first house on Torino Ave when I was three and I still live there now.  I really like this house because there is lots and lots of dirt across the street from our house and we can go exploring everyday if we want to.  Once we built a life-size maze and it took us a long time but it was awesome to take friends into our maze.  It was really fun until a tractor came and destroy half of it.  And now we build forts by collecting carpet and boxes and rock walls.  I like our house because my brothers and I sleep on two sets of bunk beds in the same room!  I always like having the top bunk.  And I really just like living anywhere with my family. 

Did you have any pets as a child?  What kind?

Sunny is my first real awesome pet I ever got.  We opened her on Christmas morning when I was 5 years old.  She’s a Golden Retriever.  My mom also let me get two rats that I shared with my little sister and brother.  But one rat died so now I only have one.  Her name is Star.  Roma screams to hold her every single morning and she will freak out if we ever take her away.  My brothers have snakes and we also have a tarantula and we used to have birds and fish too. 

What kinds of things did you like to do with your siblings?   What are some of your special memories of growing up together?

One of the things we do every day together is DRAW and color!  We also like to take our bean bags on the trampoline and wrestle.  We play hide and go seek.  And card games like Rook and War and Uno.  But we spend most of our time playing with Legos.  We gave most of all of our other toys away and kept all of our Legos because that’s our favorite thing.  I really like sleeping in the same room as my brothers because we stay up laughing and we play truth or dare.  Simon usually keeps us awake for a long time because he talks so much.

What were your parents like? Did you have a special relationship with either of them?

First, my Dad.  He is funny and really fun.  He’s tall and has brown hair and brown eyes.  He talks in funny accents sometimes when we’re eating dinner.  Whenever my Dad goes somewhere, I like to go with him.  He’s always nice to me.

My Mom has red hair and it’s kinda short and kinda long.  She has blue eyes and lots of freckles like me!  She always takes us lots of fun places.  Sometimes we plan it out and sometimes we just go somewhere without even knowing where!  I like to wake up early with my mom and see the sunrise.  It’s really cool and I like to wake up early. 

Luke bio - part 2

What were your childhood home and neighborhood like?

I lived in Provo, UT, Gilbert, AZ, and two different houses in Spokane, WA.  But the first house I can remember is in Las Vegas.  We moved here when I was 4 years old.  I remember that we went swimming a lot when we first moved here.  And we used to slide down the stairs in sleeping bags.  The house I live in now is cool because we have a trampoline and a cement patio in our backyard.  I like to play four square and wrestle with my brothers on the trampoline, but not as much as they do.  Sometimes I would rather read inside or play with Legos.  We have miles of dirt in front of our house and I like to built forts with rock walls.  I made a bowling alley and carpet.  We go exploring and sometimes will invite friends over to hang out with us in our forts. 

Did you have any pets as a child?  What kind?

I have a snake named Pepper and a dog named Sunny and Zack and Simon have a rat named Star.  We have a tarantula too.  We used to have some fish and three birds but they died.  My favorite pet of all is Sunny because you can play with her and run around with her and she’s pretty easy to take care of.  Me and my brothers have to clean up her poop and that’s probably the only thing I don’t like about having a pet.

What kinds of things did you like to do with your siblings?   What are some of your special memories of growing up together?

I like to play games and Legos with them.  I like to play pranks on them a lot.  When we go to the park we always play freeze tag and virus.  We play dodge ball at our church with our friends.  I really like going camping with them and one time we went to Legoland together and that was awesome. 

What were your parents like? Did you have a special relationship with either of them?

My Dad is funny and nice and good at sports.  Right now he’s wearing a red shirt and pants and glasses.  I have a great relationship with him because sometimes we’ll go get a redbox or a smoothie or just stay home and play a game or something. 

My Mom is nice and awesome.  She has blue eyes and brown hair and she’s pregnant right now.  We have a good relationship because we always play Mastermind together or sometimes we cuddle up and watch a movie together.  She will take just me to get a shake at Sonic sometimes.

Ben bio - part 2

What were your childhood home and neighborhood like?

The earliest house I remember was when Luke and I were little.  It was in Provo Utah.  It had wooden closet doors.  I remember we had a basement in Spokane and my mom made an animal colored train in our toy room.  And we could go out on the back deck and watch the trains go by.  When we moved to Las Vegas (when I was 5) our townhouse had three bedrooms upstairs and for a little while, my mom and dad let all the boys sleep in the master bedroom.  We had a rectangle trampoline and a white fence.  And the springs were so old that the springs would fly off and over the fence and it could hit a car because it was a pretty busy street. 

The house we live in now is cool because it’s the biggest house we’ve ever had.  I slept upstairs for a while and then moved downstairs to our guestroom with Luke for a while.  Now I share bedrooms with Zack and Simon and Luke and Roma share.  It has a pretty big kitchen.  And it’s a special house because Roma and Simon were born here, in my mom’s bedroom.  I really, really, really like the desert across the street from our house.  The street isn’t very busy so not many cars drive on it.  I like going across the street and making gigantic forts.  And my mom lets us wander around and find cool junk out there and bring it to our fort.  One time I found a dog cage.  The desert is about the only thing I like about the neighborhood.  There aren’t any trees or anything.  My mom takes us to a cool place to ride our bikes.  It’s like a deserted oval parking lot.  My mom will let us drive the car (but she helps us) and we can ride bikes as fast as we want and draw with sidewalk chalk and stuff.  We go there about once a week.

Did you have any pets as a child?  What kind?

Well I have had about two or three fish growing up.  I got my first fish when I was two years old. Then when I was nine we got a dog for Christmas. We named her Sunny! When I was eleven we got two snakes. This past year we have gotten birds, rats, and a tarantula. Sunny is definitely my favorite pet because she’s always there for us to play with. 

What kinds of things did you like to do with your siblings?   What are some of your special memories of growing up together?

I love to jump on the tramp with them and play Legos.  We have a lot of fun when my mom and dad go out on a date and I get to babysit everyone.  We call it “babysitting ourselves” and we like to make movie theatres and read and eat ice cream and make popcorn and play games.  We always ask my parents when they can go out on a date because we like to play together.  We like to play tag at the park or at Café Rio in the play area.  We have this cool thing called the “human slingshot” and we will bring it to the park and go crazy.  But some people have gotten hurt in it, like Vaughn and Skyler. We just got a new camping trailer and it is SO cool to go camping in it.  I also love going to the beach and playing with my brothers and building sand castles. 

What were your parents like? Did you have a special relationship with either of them?

My Dad is a hard worker.  He takes us fun places like Sams Club for ice cream or to the park to play soccer.  He will play sports with us like kickball at the church.  He’s really funny when he does weird dances and acts crazy in family home evening. I have a good relationship with him because we always want to hang out with him on Saturday, even more than we want to hang out with our friends. 

My Mom is fun and always takes us fun places, like my dad.  During the day we will go to Pump it Up or Sonic or the Children’s Museum. She takes us hiking every Friday and I love that.  She helps me work on my scouts.  I think I have a great relationship with my mom.  We read books together and we can talk about stuff and if I needed to talk to someone if something was wrong, I could talk to her about it.  

preggo update

taken 10 days ago.  31 weeks along.

I've been trying to take it easy these last few weeks of pregnancy.  Technically I have 7 more weeks (due march 18) but who knows when she will actually arrive.  I've never made it to my due date. My earliest baby was born at 34 weeks. I really WANT to deliver in March (because everyone in our family has their own birthday month so far:  Anniversary in June.  Ben=July, Mom=September, Roma=October, Simon=November, Dad=December, Zack=January, Luke=February.)  How perfect would a March baby be?  So I really am trying to take it easy and keep my feet up.

On Sunday my contractions were extremely intense after a long day at church.  I knew I needed to take it easy.  That night I was up all night timing and breathing and trying to relax, but not getting any rest.  On Monday morning I lost my cervical plug because the contractions were so strong (TMI, sorry...) but I tried not to freak out, this has happened with my other pregnancies.  I had the same kind of scare with Simon and Roma's pregnancies and everything turned out okay.  I am praying the same for this baby.

I will be delivering at a nearby hospital.  I need to drop by and register soon.  My doctor visits have been okay, but I truly miss the care I received with my two previous midwives.  There is really no comparison.  I don't look forward to my long office waits and feel like the appointments are completely pointless.  But oh well.  It's almost over.

About a month ago, my doctor told me they are putting me on a high risk list because I'm "almost 35."  Then the next visit she said it looks like after looking at past ultrasounds, I might need a C-section.  I asked her why but she couldn't really give me a solid answer, just that she would pass my test results to another doctor and see what he said.  The following appointment Aaron happened to surprise me at the office (such a fun surprise!) he waited for an hour in the waiting room with me and then listened to the nonsense the second doctor gave us, which was that they wanted to schedule my C-section because I was on the high risk list.  He said it wasn't really about my age, just that this is my 6th baby and my placenta didn't look healthy.  I asked him if it was placenta previa and he said no, not really.. just that it seemed safer to schedule a c-section.  I was totally annoyed.  I don't mind having a c-section if it's necessary, but I felt like they were just giving me the run around.  At the end of the appointment, I told him I was going to get a second opinion and he seemed surprised saying, "I thought I was the second opinion." No, not when you're in the same practice as the first doctor. I was so grateful Aaron came to that particular appointment so he could see my frustration with this doctor's office.  (so many in Vegas are the same.  the really good ones are farther from my house and longer wait for each appt, so I just suck it up.) I still end up waiting about an hour for such a short, impersonal opinion.  I often go and feel like I am wasting my time, but I know it's necessary and so I do it. It's really not worth complaining about, but I miss having a midwife!  I'm just really glad this isn't my first doctor's experience.  I've really enjoyed each and every one of my doctors and deliveries (and disliked them too) for different reasons.  I feel like it should get easier to better to handle, but I think being "almost 35" has had a negative effect on me..
.

our sweet little baby GIRL.  She was moving all over the place during the ultrasound.
Zack came to the appointment with me and was ALL smiles watching her on the screen.

So... Last week I went to a "high risk" ultrasound tech for a third (second) opinion.  She confirmed what I knew, that I am perfectly capable of delivering without surgery and that my placenta is healthy and there is zero sign of placenta previa or any complications.  She sent all of the info to my doctor and they are taking me off the high risk list and I hope to have a non-medicated delivery.  Although I am completely 100% willing to do whatever it takes to get a healthy baby here!  In fact, after all the doctor visits, I told Aaron that I really wouldn't even mind having a c-section... I might even like it because I haven't experienced it yet and down the road, I might want to relate to others and know what it feels like to recover from a cesarian.  Aaron laughed and said, "That doesn't surprise me one bit."

I am hoping and planning on this pregnancy being my last.  I would love a houseful of kids and might think about adopting someday, but I really don't like being pregnant.  I honestly don't like anything about it.  I am exhausted and brainless and uncomfortable and I feel so big.  Yes, it's amazing to have a living human being inside of me.  I love her already and can't wait for her to arrive, but I don't want to do this again.  Ever.  I knew right away, the first few weeks of this pregnancy that I wanted it to be my last and I desperately wanted a girl because I didn't see how I could possibly go through another 16+ weeks of nausea plus the last 10+ weeks of being terribly uncomfortable.  Usually there is a sweet spot in the middle of my pregnancies where I feel energetic and haven't gotten too big, yet.  But I don't remember any time during this pregnancy when I felt good.  I've basically been a big fat boob for the last 7.5 months.  My poor family.

taken today.  32 weeks, 4 days.
I look much bigger when forward facing.
Basically I am a big box.  Chubby all around.

  We have a short list of names for her but it's been decided that Aaron will have the final say and I have no problems with this.  Honestly, I really don't care what he chooses to name her.  I will just be so happy not to be pregnant anymore!  (am I complaining too much?)

MoMo's girl

This conversation happened a few days ago.
Roma: I yuv you so much.
Me: oh sweetheart. I love you too. You're my girl.
Roma: no. I not.
Me: You're not mommy's girl?
Roma: No.
Me: Are you Daddy's girl?
Roma: No.
Me: Are you Benny's girl?
Roma: (laughing) NO!
Me: Are you Luke's girl?
Roma: No!
Me: Zack's girl?
Ro: No!
Me: I know you're not Simon's girl...
Ro: No!
Me: Who's girl are you?
Ro: I MoMo's girl.
Me: That makes perfect sense.

(she calls herself MoMo but is getting better at saying Roma everyday.  When you ask her what her name is, she will say two while holding up 5 fingers.)

This girl doesn't answer to anybody.  She never really has.  I think I've always known this about her.  She was a very difficult baby because she demanded to be in the center of the action, but she couldn't get there without being held.  She lived on my hip for a year and I couldn't put her down, ever.  I also couldn't write much about her life these first two years because we've been too busy living it.  People thought she was attached to me, but she would go to anyone who would put her in the center of the action.  Not to get attention, just to observe what was going on and be a part of it.  She is a feisty little thing and I've always loved (and hated) that about her.

She KNOWS what she wants and she knows how to get it.  She's independent and when she can't reach what she wants, she'll pull up a chair, or drag Luke over to it until he understands.  I've overheard him say several times, "Roma, I don't have to go everywhere you want me to go." but then I laugh because he KINDA does have to go everywhere she wants him to go.  She will pull at his shirt or grab his face and explain over and over until he helps her get what she wants.  Luke is Roma's boy.  They are super cute together and just started sharing a bedroom (Luke's choice.) Roma is excited that Luke's snake, Pepper, sleeps only a few inches away from the crib.

She's still in her crib (for the most part, every once in a while Luke can read her to sleep on his bed.)  She's always done really well when I put her in her crib and leave her alone.  She will sing and read herself to sleep.  And when she wakes up, she'll stay there for some time until we hear her talking.  We've tried to put her in a real bed, but it never works.  She will stay up and talk to whoever is around.  She is a social thing and she gets super chatty when she's tired.  I've tried to nap with her so many times in my bed (something I've always done with my boys) but she will NOT cuddle up and go to sleep until she's isolated and there is no one else to talk to.  Luke's only been in her bedroom for a few weeks and several times, I've heard her still up late at night talking, when I knew Luke had already fallen asleep.  Oh, and did I mention that this summer on our 33 hour drive (each way) to Georgia, Roma slept about an hour... total?  She would not sleep in the car if someone else was talking.  She wanted to listen and be apart of the conversation.  Yes, I know she gets this from me.

She's silly and makes us laugh all of the time.  But she doesn't perform for others.  She will only do it under her terms.  Often when she wants something she can't have, we will try to distract her by being silly or dancing or trying to pull out her favorite baby doll.  But she will NOT fall for it.  It actually makes her angry when we try to get her off course.  She's a smart girl and she's got some major sass.  And as long as I respect this about her, we seem to get along pretty well.  She throws tantrums here and there, but she does better if you explain things out.  Why she can't have something or what she needs to do before she can get it...  She will sit in time-out for some time and calm down and then apologize quickly without any tears.  She's not as emotional or dramatic as some of her brothers (Simon).  She's her own girl and we are all crazy about her.

dinner bliss... cooking in bulk

Yesterday we needed to mop the kitchen floor in a major way.  Because I'm trying to stay off my feet, Zack took over this job and did fabulous.  But in order to do it thoroughly, we moved all of the kitchen stools and table into the family room, in front of the tv.  And because it was different and fun, we put in a movie and started making dinner around 11 am... chicken noodle soup was on the menu and that's easy to put in the crock pot and let simmer all day.

(The littles help unwrap bullion cubes while the older boys chop veggies.  I bag the extra opened bullions and keep them for later recipes.  I hate opening those suckers and it keeps the kids occupied for a while... they have "races" and usually make a decent mess.)

Soup turned into making a quadruple batch of rolls (some for neighbors and others to freeze), which turned into banana bread (the second batch this week, we now have 10 loaves sliced and in the freezer), which turned into chocolate chip cookies, and while all of that was going we cooked 10 lbs of ground beef and probably 15 pounds of chicken.  It was just all on the stove and in the oven, and didn't seem as crazy as it sounds.  Ben and Luke spent over an hour shredding the chicken and putting all of the meat in the freezer in baggies for future meals. (I do this every several months, but for some reason it just ALL happened it the same 3 hour period.)

We usually double the cookie recipe, scoop all of the dough and then separate a dozen cookies in small ziplock bags and freeze it for later.  It makes it so nice to bake only a dozen at a time and have it on hand for last minute desserts or treats. 

When all of the food was chopped and cooked and stored, Zack had finished mopping the floor, the boys moved the table and chairs back and our kitchen was spotless again.  It was around 3 pm.  That gave us another 3 hours to read together and then clean up the rest of the house and wait for Daddy to come home from work.  It was such a great day, the best in a long time.  When Aaron got home (later than expected) we were upstairs finishing the LAST load of laundry and watching "West Side Story".  All of the kids were helping and were in the best moods.  I was showered with makeup and was wearing an actual outfit.  Aaron came upstairs and everyone loved on him.  He changed his clothes and we headed downstairs together to eat dinner. (two of the boys on his back at the same time.)

Dinner conversation was awesome.  Ben talked about scouts and Luke and Zack were being really giggly and laughing about some kind of prank they wanted to play on Simon. I told Aaron all about our productive day (even though, really I didn't go anywhere and I wasn't on my feet much... I had time to take a bath and relaxed quite a bit.)  Anyway, at the end of dinner, Aaron finally got a chance to talk. I was shocked to hear that he had had one of the worst days ever.  A project that he was working on for weeks needed to be done again, and he found out he needs another surgery on his ankle (crutches again... before the baby comes.  At least two weeks of recovery and more physical therapy, etc.) and he's just stressed about everything... Lots on his plate right now.  As he was talking, I felt SO bad that I hadn't asked about his day earlier and at the same time, I felt SO GRATEFUL that he had come home to a clean house and happy kids and warm dinner on the table (and dessert to boot!)  I was imagining him having a terrible day at work and then coming home to a miserable wife and kids.. which happens often.. I was feeling so relieved it didn't turn out that way on this particular day.  It made me want to pretend that every day is really hard for him, because in reality, it probably is.  I would hate to have to be at an office all day and then come home to take care of grumpy people and a messy house.  It makes my job at home so much more important and meaningful.

dinner time bliss

Dinner is one of the things I do well.

We have to eat everyday, rain or shine..  And it's more stressful (and more work, not to mention more money) when I don't make meals a top priority.  The busier I am and the more kids I have, the more important it is to plan out what we're going to eat.  And because I homeschool, our food organization has extended to planning breakfast and lunch too... just because it makes life easier not more complicated.  Everyone is happier when we have food in our bellies, especially mom!  And it's really not THAT hard to get into the habits of planning out your meals and having the kids help with the process.  Of course, it takes a little while to teach the kids how they can help, but it's really starting to pay off for me lately!  The boys have been really amazing and we have developed such a fabulous routine.  The other day Aaron came home early (total surprise) and all 5 boys played four square outside while I (slowly) put dinner on the table.  I kept thinking how lonely it was to get it ready all by myself.. and so much harder too!  It's probably been a year since I've set the table, or longer.  And cut up vegetables? I hardly knew how to do that anymore.  I missed my helpers and know that when they grow up and move out of the house, I will look back at our memories of cooking with them in the kitchen with such fondness.

We used to do a one-on-one thing (one child picks dinner and helps with prep while the others occupy each other and play) but for the past year or so it's been the entire clan, all helping and serving together..  music blasting, everyone talking... dinner prep that used to be the worst time of day is now some of our best quality time together.  The only things I have to do is have the ingredients and start prep at a decent hour.  Our menu has been rocking lately and I am becoming more of the supervisor with little chefs doing more of the work!

Zack has really been into making the weekly lists of the things we need for our menu.  He will ask the other kids what they want to eat that week, make an entire list of everything we need and then take a special "date" to the grocery store with me or Dad and buy all of the ingredients.  He has to be sure to check everything off the list AS SOON as we put it in the grocery cart... which is so cute.  This particular list included "shuger and codig cheese."

We were sick for over a month in December/early January (literally for weeks, the whole family) but our dinnertime hardly suffered one bit.  Of course, a few friends brought over meals and snacks, and on the really hard days, that was so helpful.  But the kids want to eat food they're familiar with... and having others bring meals was almost not worth it.  I was amazed at how good we were at quickly throwing something together and having dinner at a decent hour every night, at the table, even sick as dogs.  On Christmas day we pulled together a delicious turkey dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing and homemade rolls.  We had the ingredients, everyone chipped in and it was almost an effortless meal.  I didn't do anything except make the rolls and watch the kids (and hubby) work around me.  Definitely the highlight of Christmas day for me (but I did sleep from 9am-5pm, so there wasn't a lot to remember about that day, unfortunately.)

The other day, we were supposed to run several errands in the morning and I couldn't find the keys to my van anywhere (this time it wasn't my fault.)  We had leftover pasta sauce from the night before and lots of cheese in the fridge and nothing much going on, so we decided to make a couple of pans of lasagna.  While we were assembling, Zack asked if we had everything to make chicken pot pies (he's been asking to make them for a while) and sure enough we had everything accept for an egg for the crust.  So I had Ben ride his bike to a neighbor's to borrow a couple of eggs and about an hour later we had 4 chicken pot pies.  Everything went in the deep freezer in the garage and it felt like such a productive morning.  Who needs to run errands anyway?

On Monday (Martin Luther King day) I woke up in bad shape, no sleep the night before because of contractions all night.  Aaron had the day off, but still had to go into the office because of a big project he had going.  I also remembered that we had signed up to feed the Sister Missionaries that night (and the past two times we've canceled on them because we were sick!) So first thing after Aaron left for work, I called the kids in on my bed and told them what was happening and what needed to happen. I needed to stay in bed as much as possible and THEY needed to take care of ME (and each other) and WE needed to feed the missionaries that night.. and Dad may or may not be home before dinner.  They each took different assignments and kept coming back into my room to check on me or to fill my glass with ice water.  We did a lot of reading and math in my bed.  Roma took a long nap, I was able to take a relaxing bath and get myself somewhat ready for the day.  Each of the boys had a checklist of duties and directions and by the time dinner rolled around, the house was clean, the table was set, candles were lit, the food was hot and ready and I didn't have to lift a finger.  It was such an amazing day/evening.  Aaron came home right before the missionaries arrived and I came downstairs after everyone was sitting at the table.    

After dinner, while the Sisters and I discussed RS stuff, Aaron made Oreo shakes for dessert (MLK tradition since college) and then we had a FHE lesson about Abraham and Isaac taught by Ben (one of of the items on his to-do list) and we all went to bed early that night. It felt so rewarding to be the mom of these hardworking, sweet kids.  And they really felt so good about themselves, too.

If you are feeling overwhelmed about meal planning, start simple and remember that your efforts WILL pay off!  More tips here.

losing it

it's 1 am and I am wide awake.  my body is exhausted, but my mind is racing.  this has been my life for the past three months.  I try not to do anything else accept lay in the dark and try to sleep, but sometimes I go crazy.  I truly feel like I am alive and kicking inside a dead body.  I can't move because I am so tired, but I can't fall asleep because i am so alert.  it sucks.  My pregnant body must be producing some kind of crazy hormone.  It's happened with each baby and it I want it to be over.

I am pretty frickin amazing to be able to function during the day on only 2-3 hours of sleep each night.  I don't know how I do it, but I manage well. But that doesn't mean I don't have my moments.  For some reason, this week seems to be a doosy.  I feel so spacey and all over the place.  I am literally losing my ability to think and I am losing my possessions too.  it's so frustrating.

on Monday I lost my bra.  I always keep my bra in the same place, but when I woke up on Monday it was gone.  I totally ran errands without it and even joined other families for FHE going comando.  I wore a baggy sweatshirt and my friend explained that baggy sweatshirts and the bra are the same thing.  You only need one or the other.  I completely agree.  Today my bra showed up in the clean laundry.  I didn't launder it (I only do that when I know I won't need it) but somehow it got washed.  I'm glad it's nice and clean and I am more glad it's found.  Yes, I have more than one bra, but the others just don't do it for me in this stage of pregnancy.  I am uncomfortable enough as it is and I have one bra that I love.  The others are not worth snapping on.

On Tuesday morning Zack brought me my keys from my purse.  I can't remember why, but I didn't need them and asked him to put them back.  He got distracted and forgot to put them back.  We searched the entire house all day and couldn't find them anywhere.  At bedtime, Zack found them under his pillow.... ?  We had a nice, productive day at home and I had so many friends offer to come to my rescue and it made me appreciate the circle of support we have around us.  I love this ward and neighborhood of ours.

Wednesday I had a doctors appointment and I showed up without my wallet!  No ID... no way to pay for it.  Luckily, I was able to call my husband and have him pay for it over the phone.  And luckily, I didn't get pulled over on the way home.

Thursday I opened up bank accounts for the boys and got their own debit/savings card.  Ben's been rolling in the dough lately and we've been meaning to open accounts for them.  While I was in the bank, I withdrew $2000 cash (something I never do) but Aaron and I have been talking about strict budgeting and moving certain things to a cash system, and I decided to get started.  That night I told him and he said that was fine, but to make sure it's not in my purse because he knows me well.  Two hours later, I left my purse (with the cash inside) at a meeting at a friend's house.  I got it back later that night but knew I needed to clear everything out before I got into real trouble.

Yesterday I left my purse at Cafe Rio.  Aaron and I went out for a quick date.  I wasn't feeling well and didn't even have any food.... I just enjoyed myself several cups of pebble ice while Aaron ate.  I left it on the back of the chair and didn't think twice (or once) about it.  (I picked it up this afternoon and everything was inside.. blessing!)

This morning Aaron got up early to play tennis.  I didn't sleep much and was up at the same time.  I felt really prepared when the kids woke up.  Ben needed to be at a merit badge fair for Scouts at 8:30 am and was anxious about leaving... but I couldn't find my purse or keys anywhere.  Oh. My. Gosh.  what a week.  After we looked everywhere and I texted Aaron, I realized I must have left it at the restaurant.  Aaron came home and Ben was only 20 minutes late to his scouts thingy.  On the drive over there, I apologized to Ben for being so spacey.  He was really sweet to me and said it's okay that he's constantly trying to find my keys and phone and purse... but I feel bad for him!  I remember my mom having the same kind of problems and I swore I would not be like that, but I'm sure I'm sure I'm worse.  Here's to hoping I can get my brain back after the baby is born!!

Zack turns EIGHT!

Eight years ago on a cold January night in Spokane, Washington, I went to bed feeling miserable.  I was nauseous and uncomfortable and crawled in bed and had a quiet conversation to the baby moving in my belly.  I don't remember exactly what I said, but it was something along the lines of "little son of mine, if it's not too soon and you're feeling ready to come, I am really anxious to meet you."  The next morning, after several hours of tossing and turning, my water broke while still in bed!  I was so excited and also feeling a little guilty because I wished you here so early.  It was 5 weeks before my due date and I knew you were going to be small.

I woke up Daddy and jumped in the shower.  It took us a little while to find someone to watch your brothers while we drove to the hospital.  I was expecting you to arrive before noon because my other labors were just a few hours long.  But you didn't come until 5 pm!  It was a long day, and I spent a lot of the time at the hospital alone because Dad went home to take care of the boys (and my nurses and doctors didn't check on me for a long time!)  When the doctor finally showed up, he got mad at the nurse for not taking better care of us and then he stayed in our room until Daddy showed up.  He covered me up well so Ben and Luke could come in the room and see their baby brother being born.  It was an awesome experience for all of us!  Your brothers were giggling and squealing when you came out and were placed on my chest.  You were snorting like a piggy and crying like a lamb.  And you were bald with white eyebrows and very blue eyes.  I loved all 5 lbs 15 ozs of you and knew right away that you were full of personality.

You were an easy baby and I was so grateful because those first few months of your life were some of the loneliest and hardest days of my life.  You were such a sweetheart and I thought the adjustment to 3 children was easier than everyone told me it would be.  And then you started crawling and I wanted to pull my hair out!  You LOVED making big messes and you were obsessed with our split-level stairs.  I couldn't keep you away and your learned to crawl up and down quickly.  You were always such a happy, bright-eyed boy!

Just before your 1st birthday, we moved away from the snowy weather and drove to Las Vegas.  You've spent all of your life in Sin City and it's been a great place for you to grow up and explore all year around!  You have played such a central role in our family.  There is a 3 year gap between you and Luke and 4 years between you and Simon!  Sometimes Dad and I feel bad that you don't have brothers closer to your age, but we always feel grateful you came when you did.  Our family is pieced together by our fun-loving, happy-go-lucky, energetic Zack!  We would have a BIG hole in our family if you weren't around.

On your eighth birthday, Dad and I woke you up before everyone else.  You were sleeping in our room on your bean bag (because you got to chose where you wanted to sleep the night before.)  We told you we were taking you on a special date out for waffles (your all-time favorite food!) and you were so excited.  You wanted to wear your zip-up pajamas to the restaurant and we didn't make you change... because on your birthday, YOU are king of the day.  We ate at The Original Pancake House and you ordered blueberry waffles and apple juice.  You moved back and forth between Dad and I and kept scratching our backs, because that's what you do-- you are the back-scratching master!

After breakfast Dad went to work and you and I went shopping.  We bought some green spray for your hair and a bright green shirt for you to wear that says, "I should get paid to be THIS awesome" and some green apple bubble gum. Did I mention you are obsessed with the color green?  We drove home to pick up your siblings and Jane, Vaughn and Mason and headed to PUMP IT UP.  But first, I persuaded you to change into pants and your new shirt :)

Jane brought green graham cracker cookies to Pump it Up and you loved them (and everything else green and loaded with sugar!)  After jumping and running around for over 3 hours we headed home.  You were going to warm up pancakes left over from breakfast, but decided to head to the park with your homeschooling buddies who were meeting there for a playdate.  I tried to convince you to stay home with Roma and I because I knew you were going to be tired, but you decided to play.  After you got home from the park, you laid on the couch and wouldn't move.  You often get sick when you eat a lot of sugar & don't get very much sleep :)  We were going to make pizza for dinner and head to the ward talent show, but because you were sick we decided to pick up Papa Johns on the way (along with a couple of your buddies).  I thought you might feel a little better with some fresh air, but you threw up on the way to the party :(  You were the first one to perform for the talent show, but we had to cancel your piano piece.  I felt bad that you were so sick on your birthday, but you started to feel better by the time it was over.... although I never was able to convince you to eat any pizza!

The next morning, we woke up early (again) and went to the church (again) for your birthday party!  All you wanted to do was PLAY SPORTS with your friends.  We invited a dozen boys to play dodge ball and kick soccer.  You got a lot of fun presents.. your favorite was a big art kit from Vaughn and Mason (Jane knows you well!)  We had donuts and chocolate milk and you ran yourself ragged (again).  But after the party, we went home and took a long nap and you didn't have a repeat sick day like I thought you might.  When we woke up from a nap I asked you on a scale from one to ten, how much fun your birthday was and you said, "ELEVEN!"  You are enthusiastic about everything you do and say.  You party until you crash and we've always loved that about you!

We've decided to hold off on your baptism until after the baby is born and then we can have a special combined baptism and baby blessing.  You already have a special connection to your new sister who has yet to arrive.  You want to attend all of her doctor appointments and you were the first person to find out she was a GIRL!  I will always remember you announcing we were going to get another sister!  You are crossing your fingers that she comes out looking like you because in your words, "Simon looks like Ben.  Roma looks like Luke and I just want a buddy that looks like me!"  I would be thrilled if she came out with white eyebrows and baby blue eyes... thrilled especially for you and happy for her too because you are so cute!

Zack, I want you to know that I am proud of you for the wonderful boy you have become.  You are so helpful and happy and eager to learn and to be friends with everyone you meet.  I can't wait to see where life takes you and what you decide to do in the years to come.  Thank you for all of the foot rubs you give me and for spending your own money on "dates" with just the two of us.  I love when you hold my hand when we go out for ice cream and when you crawl into my bed at night for one last cuddle.  We are all so crazy about our happy 8 year old.  I love you so much and feel so grateful to be your friend AND your Mom.  Happy Birthday, Son.

BIOGRAPHY questions

I've started a new writing project with the kids and we're way excited about it.  Our family history rep at church gave us a list of questions to ask our Grandparents.  Each of the four boys picked one Grandparent to "interview" which will happen over email and the phone each week.  It will take us a long time to get through all of the questions, but it's a project we want (and need) to take on.  I feel so grateful that we have all four grandparents alive to interview!  The questions are categorized into topics or time-periods in their lives and they are simple and personal.  Many of them, I would never be able to answer if I didn't ask them directly, which makes it so important to write down and document the information while we can!  (I have them on a word document if you want me to email it to you, I'd be happy to...)

After our first interview, I knew it was important for me interview my only living grandparent (my sweet Grandma June) as well as to write my own autobiography.  This gives me a chance to ask my own parents questions about myself as a child.  I really hope to inspire Aaron to answer the questions too, although he's not much of a journal or documenter.  Aaron's mom had a great idea of the boys answering the questions themselves.  There are a lot of things they haven't experienced yet, but I love their perspectives as they are, right now.  Simon and Roma aren't there yet, but they will be soon.  We're totally catching the family history bug and we'll be so excited to publish these books after our project is finished.  I even got my single aunts on board and have them walking down memory lane.  Here are a list of the questions.  You can copy and paste into a word document or into a blurb book (or however you want to print it!)

These questions were inspired from the list we were given at church and adapted/added to from others we found on the internet, etc.  I tried to compile them chronologically, but some of them are random and out of place.  Hope you can get some use out of our hard work!

BIRTH

When and where were you born?

...

Did your parents tell you any interesting stories regarding your birth?

…

Were there other children already in the family?

...

How did your parents choose your name?

...

Did you have any nicknames growing up?

…

What are some of your earliest memories?

…

Who was the most influential person to you as a child?

.... 

What was your personality like?  How would you describe your personality now?  Is it the same or different than when you were a child?

HOME LIFE

What were your childhood home and neighborhood like?

…

Did you have any pets as a child?  What kind?

…

What kinds of things did you like to do with your siblings?   What are some of your special memories of growing up together?

…

What were your parents like? Did you have a special relationship with either of them?

…

Do you know anything about your parents when they were children?

…

What kind of job did your father have? What do you remember about it?

…

Did your mother work outside of the home?

…

What was your favorite dinner that your mother made? What was the worst?

…

Describe a typical weekday as a child.  Were Saturdays the same?

…

How did you spend your Sundays as a child? Did you attend church? What was your church like? Did you have to travel far to get there?

…

Did you ever run away as a child, even for a few hours? Did you ever plan to?

…

Did you and/or your family have a very hard trial that you went through and then recovered from?

…

What were your grandparents like? Do you have any special memories of them?

…

Do you remember any stories that they told you about themselves or your parents?

…

Did you grow up near your extended family? Did you get to spend time together?

…

What were you most afraid of as a child?

…

What was the most exciting trip you've ever taken?

…

ELEMENTARY

Where did you go to school?

…

How far was it to your school? Did you have to walk? Was it uphill both ways?

…

Did you have any memorable teachers?

…

What were your favorite subjects?

…

Did you ever get sent home from school? Did you ever get sent to the principal?

…

How would you describe yourself as a student, both socially and academically?

…

Did you play an instrument? Were you in a band or an orchestra? Did you sing?

…

Were you interested in sports?

…

Who was your best friend?  Are you still in touch with them?

…

HOLIDAYS AND SEASONS

What is your favorite season? Why?

…

What were your favorite winter activities? What did you do in the summertime?

…

How did you celebrate birthdays as a child?

…

How did you celebrate Thanksgiving? Where did you go? What was your favorite dish?

…

What was your most memorable Christmas? How did your family celebrate?

…

What was your favorite holiday growing up? Why? Has it changed?

…

What is the lowest price you remember stamps costing? What did other things cost?

…

What kind of chores did you do around the house? What were your favorite or least favorite chores?

…

What was your favorite practical joke as a child? Did you ever get in trouble for playing jokes?

…

Did you ever do anything rebellious?

…

FAVORITES

Did you have a favorite radio program or television show?

…

What is the best book ever written? How many times have you read it?

…

Who was your favorite movie actor/actress? What is your favorite movie?

…

In your opinion, what was the best invention for your lifetime?

…

What was the best letter that you ever received? What was the best letter you ever sent?

…

What is a special talent you have? Fixing things? Sewing? Handiwork? Green thumb? When did you realize that you loved it and how did you learn?

…

What is one thing that you couldn't do, no matter how hard you tried?

…

TEEN

What sort of extracurricular activities did you participate in as a teen?

…

What would people you know find surprising about you as a teen?

…

What was your hairstyle as a teenager? What kind of clothes did you wear? Were you always in style?

…

HIGH SCHOOL

What are your favorite memories from high school?

…

Did you get good grades?

…

Do you still keep in touch with your friends from high school?

…

Have you attended any of your reunions?

…

Do you have a high school teacher that was significant in your life?

…

What was your first job, and what did you get paid?

…

What was your first job?

…

What was your best job?

…

What was your worst job?

…

COLLEGE

Did you attend college?  If so, which one?  If not, why?

…

What are your most memorable college moments?

…

Who was your most memorable roommate?

…

Why did you decide to attend college?

…

What subject(s) did you study and why?

…

Did you get a degree?  In what?

…

If you could do it again, would you take a different academic path, or are you satisfied with the route you followed?

…

What on-campus activities did you participate in?

…

In addition to being paid money, how else has your career created value in your life?

…

Who was the biggest influence in your career?

…

What would be your ideal job?

…

LOVE AND MARRIAGE

Who was your first boyfriend/girlfriend? What did you do for dates?

…

Who was your first love?

…

Have you had your heart broken?

…

Have you broken any hearts?

…

How did you and your spouse first meet?

…

Do you believe in love at first sight?

…

How long have you been married?

…

How did you meet?

…

WEDDING

Describe your wedding day.

…

Where did you get married? Why?

…

Who came?

…

Did you have a honeymoon?

…

Do you and your spouse have a special song? What is the story behind it?

…

MEETING THE IN-LAWS

What was your first impression after meeting your in-laws?

…

How were they different than the family you were raised in?

…

What traditions did you carry on from them that didn’t come from your own childhood?

…

What have you learned most about the family your spouse was raised in?

…

MARRIED LIFE

What was the first house that you lived in together like? How big was it?

…

What was your first car? What was the car that you really wanted?

…

How long before you had children?

…

How long have you been married?

…

What would you tell your newled-self now that you’ve been married for so long?

…

FAMILY

What does the word “family” mean to you?

…

Briefly describe your children. What age and gender are they?

…

What is your goal as a parent?

…

How would your children describe you as a parent?

…

How do you describe yourself as a parent?

…

In what ways have your parents influenced you the most?

…

Do you wish you had been raised differently?  How so?

…

What is your relationship with your parents like today?

…

Who are you closest to in your family?

…

Who do you admire most in your family and why?

…

Have you lost any family members to death? 

…

If so, what was your relationship to them and how did their death affect you/your family?

…

What was the most special way you’ve shown someone that you loved them?

…

What was the most special way you’ve been shown you’re loved?

…

What is the most important lesson you've learned from life so far?

…

POLITICS

What do you consider to be the most significant political event that has occurred during your life?

…

Which political figure do you most admire?

…

Other than the present, which historical era would you like to have lived in?

…

What do you consider to be the most important war fought during your lifetime?  In all of history?

…

Have you ever fought for a political cause?

…

What would you like to see change in the current political/social atmosphere?

…

If you could meet any historical figure, of the past or present, who would it be and why?

…

HISTORICAL MEMORIES

Where were you and how did you react to…

·        President Kennedy’s assassination? …

·        landing on the moon? …

·        the fall of the Berlin Wall?  …

·        the explosion of the Challenger? …

·        Sept.11? …

HAPPINESS

What is your definition of “happiness”?

…

What is your most memorable travel experience?

…

What is the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you?

…

What is your happiest memory?

…

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

…

How do you think people will remember you?

…

Who is your biggest fan?

…

Whose biggest fan are you?

…

What do you like to do in your spare time?

…

What is your most embarrassing moment?

…

If you could possess one super-human power, what would it be?

…

What is your greatest fear?

…

What is your greatest hope?

…

What do you think happens after death?

…

What are the main lessons you’ve learned in life?

…