the tarheel 8!

its all about the accessory.......

2011-06-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

lately, cardin will not leave the house without her accessory of choice......this pink barbie beanie! i know it is the middle of june and a beanie is for the winter.....little miss does not discriminate between seasons!

(disclaimer: our children do have beds! this pic was taken while we were getting ready for our moving sale! promise!)

just for amy........

2011-06-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

tonight we celebrated one of our dear friends, amy gerber, who is moving from puyallup to Virginia in july! the dinner was planned and organized by vivian kerr! we all met at olive garden for a yummy meal!

(below L-R: kristin dyer, brenna yetter, mary mortenson, char gray, kelley connor, elizabeth, vivian kerr, jenn evans, nicole gibeault, julie johansson, robyn lowry)(below L-R: me, tasha allen, amy gerber, april madsen, crystal ward, preston, christie macdonald, corine roberts, jodi elwell, amy grendell, jonae black)

i couldn't resist getting a picture with tash and amy before the night was over! i wasn't able to get one with them at my birthday party (they were the masterminds behind it all)! i love them both!

amy and i became instant friends the minute we moved to puyallup! she is an amazing lady! we did a co-op together every Saturday with other families so couples could have date nights. amy was (one of) my lifesaver when i went on bedrest with the twins.....she came and picked gracie and jackson up and brought them home from school everyday for as long as we have been here! that is HUGE! our kids have been in the same class at church and at school for the same amount of time! i am so thankful for her and grateful for the opportunity we have had to spend this time together in puyallup! thank goodness for forever friends!

(on a side note, as we were leaving the restaurant one of the servers asked us how we all knew each other.....i said that we were all sisters! they looked at me funny and then jodi said we are all sister wives! we got a good laugh out of that!)

a trip to the turners.....

2011-06-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

today we decided that we were going to skip school (yes, i know there are only 4 more days left)and head to jerry and tinas house for the final time in washington! we got kind of a late start but were really excited to go and visit with them for the day!
(joseph driving with sunflower seeds in his cheek!)

when we got there, they showed us all of their renovations to their house and we visited over lunch. jerry asked if we wanted to go out on their new boat....so we headed to moses lake! the kids loved the boat!

and the unlimited grape soda that was on it!

tina and i bypassed the boat and went straight to the park with olivia, clint, cardin and max!

after the boat ride, the rest of the kids joined us! the kids love each other so much! i am so grateful that our families are close and that the kids have grown up together!
after playing all day, we went back to their house for dinner and then headed home! the kids fell asleep the minute we left jerrys drive way!

it was a great day!

last trip to seattle.......

2011-06-13T00:18:00.000-07:00

with 17 days left of our time here in washington, we are really beginning to feel "nostalgic" about leaving this state! we woke up sunday morning and decided we were going to take our last tour of the city and the only way to do that is to take via the Puget sound on a ferry! what a beautiful day for a ferry ride! the kids were so excited and cardin and max are at a age where they can really enjoy the ride!

after the ferry ride we went up to the queen ann district and found a park that joseph had heard about....the view was breathtaking! take a peek!

the kids loved running around and exploring this quaint little park!

it was a great day!

(on a side note, in our car at any given time somebody is yelling to turn the music up so they can sing at the only volume we know .......LOUD! this was the sight in the back of the car on our way home from seattle!)

last day of preschool 2011.......

2011-06-09T00:16:00.000-07:00

so hard to believe that today was "our" last day of preschool at the best preschool ever, our world to discover!! i have done really well keeping my emotions in check, but i do have to admit that today was a difficult day! we have been with mrs spencer (aka margaret) with jackson for 1 year, ela for 2 years, and olivia for 1 year.....3 years total. i had plans to have olivia back another year and then had cardin and maxwell on the waiting list for their 2 years beginning in fall 2012.

olivia was in the am class (3&4 year olds) so she was the first to say her goodbyes!

look at how much she has changed from the beginning of preschool in september 2010 (top pic) til now (bottom pic)!

olivia learned so much this year! we have talked about her going to mrs spencers preschool ever since she understood what preschool was. she potty trained at 2 1/2 yrs old so she could start preschool! she loved playing with all of her new friends, calling them by name daily whether it was a school day or not! she loved singing, and dancing, and writing her name. she loved doing art projects, snack time, looking forward to learning about her body, harvest time, pilgrims and Indians, sea creatures, etc! one thing that i have notices about olivia at home is that she has found her "voice"! she is not afraid to speak up and tell us all what she thinks especially if something is wrong or there is something she does not agree with!

ela was the last one to say goodbye! she was in the pm class (4&5 year olds)! look how much she has changed from the beginning of the year (top) til the end of the year (bottom)!

as is tradition, ela was given her preschool graduation certificate! mrs spencer called her name and ela went up in front of her friends. mrs spencer then said that ela was the only child who sang her letters and threw her hands out to the side with every letter. she also said that she cant wait to see what ela does in her life......cant wait to see what she creates or invents in her lifetime. if you know ela, you know exactly what margaret means!

ela has grown so much this year in preschool! she has learned to be more patient with others around her and has learned to listen to instructions and to follow the rules! ela is very much like a sponge and soaks up every word, every piece of information that she can! she loves numbers, letters, art, telling stories! she has treasured the past 2 years with her preschool friends and with mrs spencer!

after the certificates were given out, tasha allen (bens mom) presented mrs spencer with the classroom gift of a photo book of the school year with thoughts from the kids and a gift certificate to her favorite nursery! everything she said to mrs spencer about how much she has loved our kids and how patient she is and a treasure she has been to all of the families was perfect and spoken from the heart!

a group hug from the class was the final straw for me! tears!! oh how the kids (and their parents) love this lady!!

little do we know how much others around us can affect us in such small but yet life altering ways! when we moved to puyallup, i never would have imagined that we would have been lucky enough to end up with mrs spencer! from the very beginning, it was meant to be! thank goodness margaret has family in utah.......

we love you mrs spencer!

olivia is 4!.......

2011-06-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

so hard to believe that our "tiny" turned 4 yrs old yesterday! she loves birthdays and has been literally counting down for her birthday since february!

on friday, june 4, we finished the 2nd day of our yard sale and decided that we would take the kids out for dinner and for a pre-celebration of tinys birthday! our kids LOVE red robin.....so that is where we went!

we told our server about it being olivias birthday and so after our meal, he came out with a big ice cream sundae and a balloon for little miss! she was so excited! before they could sing happy birthday to her, she already had the cherry from the sundae in her mouth and was grinning ear to ear!

on olivias actual birthday we decided to take the kids out to the park!

then today, we opened presents!

not our typical birthday celebration but all and all, i think olivia was happy! happy birthday little sister!

success night at carson.......

2011-05-26T00:14:00.000-07:00

tonight was "success night" at carson! it was also "diversity day" so the kids tried to wear Hawaiian clothes! here are a few pictures from our two successful students!

this is a fun picture of gracie! she has worked so hard this year with her AR (accelerated reading) program and was very successful in reaching the goals that were set by her teacher and surpassing them!

weak stomachs beware.....

2011-05-24T00:12:00.000-07:00

look at this monster on jacksons toe!!! needless to say, this picture was taken at the doctors office! enough said!

pacies be gone........

2011-05-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

i have two very unhappy 2yr olds in our home right now. yesterday, 6mo after their 2nd birthdays, i decided that it was time to cut the pacie's (literally) from their lives! the rule has been with our other 4 children that the day after their 2nd birthday, we take the pacie and it is never to be used by that child again! i have to admit that i faltered when it came to cardin and maxwell......maybe it was because i wanted to keep them my babies a little while longer or because the next baby of ours to have a pacie will be our grandchildren.....i don't know! having a hard time wrapping my mind around them growing up! they are even sitting on the potty.....I, I, I!!

laying them down tonight, the 2nd night, was like pouring scalding hot water on maxwell. he thrashed around his crib and screamed and yelled for a good 15 min. bless him....i picked him up and held him for a few minutes while he clung to me asking for his pacie! cardin just watched with a sad pouty face and whimpered! they are so sweet and can melt you like butter.....i had to be strong!

so long pacie's.........our little people are growing up!!

lupus.....

2011-05-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

one of my most favorite people on this earth is my cousin heather! growing up we did just about everything together.........baths, sleepovers, YW camp, dances, shopping, ugly haircuts, dates, vacations, college.......everything! we were together ALL THE TIME....! most of my memories of family involve her!

why am i telling you this?? because growing up, everything was "normal"........and then lupus happened.......this is her story!

Heather's Hope

Hi.... Many of you know my story with Lupus. I was diagnosed with the disease in 1995 when I was only 21 years old. I had just been blessed with my first child, Mikayla. After her birth my body just went downhill. I remember thinking that I must be going crazy. How could I have a new crazy symptom everyday? How am I supposed to care for this sweet baby girl and my husband? The next few months that followed my diagnoses included a life flight trip to a hospital in SLC, exploratory surgery, weeks in the ICU, rehabilitation, chemotherapy for my kidneys, and then years of juggling medications to try to find something that would control my pain, rashes, headaches, kidney disease, depression, fatigue, & more.

The image that I added to this page is from that time of uncertainty in my life. I hope you can see how real this disease is. Lupus is a very real and very serious auto-immune disease. I have been blessed with amazing physicians that have help me get to where I am today. They have helped me bring another daughter into our family. Although that venture was a huge strain on both my own life and my sweet little Lauren's life, we are so grateful for the family we have. Many people will look at us with Lupus and say, "You don't look sick." Well, let me tell you ...I AM SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED!!! :-)

Last year was the first year that I created a fundraising page. I was overwhelmed by the support of all of my family and friends! The walk itself was also very emotional for me. It was the first time I had my parents there to walk with me. To see all of the people there supporting the cause was amazing! To hear the personal accounts of how Lupus has affected member of my community were touching. I truly felt loved and supported by everyone. This year there have been great strides with Lupus. The FDA approving the first medication for Lupus in Over 50 years. Here in Utah the senate passed the bill declaring May Utah Lupus Awareness Month.

I am so grateful for the love and support of my family and friends, especially my husband Derk and my daughters Mikayla and Lauren. They see the ups and downs of this illness every day. Thanks for your love and support.Thank you for visiting my fundraising page! Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!

Love,

Heather Kapp

having watched heather LIVE with lupus has been very difficult. it is a constant reminder of how quickly life can change and how precious it really is. my cousin has handled this disease with such grace.....daily she dedicates herself to living her life to the fullest. she never complains about the challenges that have been given her through this disease! it sits heavy on my heart that she has to carry such a heavy physical burden.....

heather will be participating in the annual lupus walk on may 21, 2011 and is trying to raise $700+ to donate toward research that will ultimately find the cure for lupus. i have added a donation link labeled "heathers hope" on the right side of my page that will take you directly to the donation site. she also has a scentsy sponsor that will donate a percentage of your scentsy order to "heathers hope" ...... You can order online and have it shipped to your home wherever you live. Go to her website, https://rachell.scentsy.us/Home, and click on the "Heather's Hope" fundraiser (top left under her photo), any profits from orders made, will go directly to raise funds for her Lupus Walk. any amount is welcomed and appreciated!

heather, i love you! i am so grateful for your example! i support you in all that you do! you are not only my cousin.... i truly believe that we were eternal sisters who chose to go through this mortal experience together!!

its official......

2011-05-05T22:48:00.000-07:00

we are on the move....literally! we have been anticipating this for quit awhile, and as of may 5, 2011, it has officially been announced that we are moving to utah!! there were a couple of options as to where we would move and i have to say that the anticipation has been killing me! joseph starts working in his new territory of only 5 states (as opposed to 7 states) on june 1. what this means for our family you ask? for daddy to be home 3 weeks out of the months instead of just 1 week out of the month.....fingers crossed anyway!!

joseph and i have always enjoyed change. we actually welcome it! keeps you on your toes! it is becoming more and more difficult to do with having 6 kids though! they don't understand what benefits come from change......they are secure in their environment and for that i am thankful! when we moved to washington from north carolina, gracie had just turned 5, jackson 3, ela 1, and olivia was only 6 weeks old. change was easy in their baby states! now 4 1/2 yrs later, becoming established in school and preschool and in a wonderful ward it makes it a bit more difficult!

hoping to be to busy to dwell on leaving......we shall see!

mothers day celebration at preschool......

2011-05-05T00:24:00.000-07:00

what a special day to be a mom of not only one preschool age little person, but TWO little people! it was 30 minutes of singing, dancing, special part saying, and gift giving! take a peek!

Olivia (age 3~she is the one with the purple flower on her head!!)

ela (age 5~she's the tall one in the stripes 3rd from the left!!!)

thanks mrs (margaret) spencer for the wonderful memories!!

just a thought......

2011-05-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

ive been shot by joni hilton

If you were sitting in church and a member suddenly stumbled in, clutching his chest, and shouted, “I’ve been shot!” what would you do? Would anyone in their right mind say, “Well, wait a second here. Did you bring this on yourself? Did you do something to provoke it?”

Of course not. To a person, I think we would all leap from our seats and dash over to the wounded member. Cell phones would summon 911, the person would be led to a bench where he could lie down, and arms would cradle his head. Jackets would peel off various brethren as they gathered around to wrap up the victim, those with medical training would try to stop the bleeding—in short, the whole ward would rally to meet a real emergency. A blessing might be given while we wait for an ambulance.

Soon paramedics would arrive and begin every life-saving measure possible. The wounded person would be loaded onto a gurney and not one medic would quiz the victim about his role in this misfortune. Nobody would say, “Listen, before we treat you, I need to know if you were you hanging out with the wrong crowd.”

So why can’t we all have the same compassion when someone’s problem is just as serious, but hits them from another direction? Why can’t we all respond as Jesus did, and simply address the concern? He didn’t ask if a person invited evil spirits to plague him; he just healed the person. Sometimes that level of love is exactly what a person needs to heal spiritually, as well. To feel genuinely cared for is a world away from feeling judged and then found deserving of a limited measure of aid.

In Victor Hugo’s famous book, Les Miserables, a Catholic bishop catches Jean Valjean stealing silver candlesticks. How much more powerful, more healing is it that the bishop chooses not to lecture him on honesty, but instead to make the treasures a gift, the purchase price of his soul, for God?

Life’s trials are sometimes thrust upon us, and other times brought about by our unwise decisions. But must we weigh them before we rush in to help? Must we cock our head to one side and evaluate every beggar, as if we can truly see into his heart? The scriptures tell us to use righteous judgment, but how many of us wrap ourselves in that cloak as an excuse to be miserly with our compassion?

I know several members who are ashamed to come to church. They’re afraid they will be judged and found unworthy by, to quote them, “The Molly Mormons.”

Is it true? Among those who are trying to show unconditional love and the kind of charity Christ taught, are there members whose unmistakable looks of disdain pierce others’ hearts like a dagger? Why can’t someone burst in and shout, “My son got arrested!” or “I’ve been evicted!” or “I fell off the wagon again!” and know that we would rally to help them in any way possible?

Sure, it would be a bit unorthodox for someone to shout out such news, but are they in any less of an emergency than a gunshot victim? They need intense, immediate caring— both temporal and spiritual—and ought to be able to find it in our congregations.

I’ve often said that the way we Home Teach or Visit Teach shows Christ what we’ve learned on Sundays. But it’s also true that we show him by how we treat random members whose problems fall into the “shame” category. Are some of us so certain that these problems will never brush against our perfect families, that we feel justified distancing ourselves from such people? Does our pride fill us to overflowing, so that there is no room whatsoever, for compassion?

I recall, as a new mother, hearing older mothers talk of their heartache over their children’s sad choices. And I remember thinking, “Well, that will never happen to me.” And I would review my excellent mothering skills and decide this other woman must have tripped up in some way. I was naïve and stupid. And yes, it came back to bite me. Picture-perfect LDS families have cousins, siblings, and even immediate members, with heart-wrenching difficulties and problems. There IS no Molly Mormon!

No one has the right to look down their nose at anyone suffering. Christ, the only being who walked this planet and actually could have been justified doing that, didn’t even do it. Just the opposite—he reached out to the sinners, the outcasts of society, the lowest and the humblest. How then, can we in our grand imperfection, decide to step away from the lepers and deem them unqualified to associate with us?

Thankfully, our wards are filled with people who get it, who know that all suffering shares kinship, and will rally with everything from food and bedding, to a listening ear, when someone is in need. But… because of a few self-appointed judges, we also know members who are still hurting from the sting of rejection. I know members who have actually moved in the face of embarrassing crises, rather than face the critical looks and cold shoulders of certain ward members. You probably know a few, too.

Some time ago I was standing on the porch of a less active sister whose husband had just left her destitute with small children. Her heart was broken, her kids’ lives were shattered, and she had no income to count on as her suddenly unemployed husband moved to another state with his new girlfriend.

And she was embarrassed to come to church. What would all those perfect, Molly Mormon women think? How could she hold her head up in the face of such humiliation?

“Are you kidding?” I asked. “They would rally to help you! You’re not the one who should be embarrassed. You are the victim, the same as if you had been shot!”

She laughed at my exaggerated analogy, but I wasn’t exaggerating. How was her situation any less of an emergency than someone with a bullet in their chest? There was hemorrhaging of a sort here, and she needed a team to snap into action. And here we were, the church that could actually meet her temporal and spiritual needs, and instead of rushing to the very folks who could help her, she was pulling back in shame and embarrassment.

Some of that was of her own, manufactured imagining—she really hadn’t tested the waters yet. But if some of that was based on judgmental attitudes she had observed in other situations, then shame on us. How puny and without excuse we are, for creating a climate of “unwelcomeness,” and for sending a message that this is some kind of exclusive club for which only a handful can qualify.

I’m reminded of a wonderful poem by Marguerite Stewart, called Forgiveness Flour:

When I went to the door, at the whisper of knocking, I saw Simeon Gantner’s daughter, Kathleen, standing There, in her shawl and her shame, sent to ask “Forgiveness Flour” for her bread. “Forgiveness Flour,” We call it in our corner. If one has erred, one Is sent to ask for flour of his neighbors. If they loan it To him, that means he can stay, but if they refuse, he had Best take himself off. I looked at Kathleen . . .What a jewel of a daughter, though not much like her Father, more’s the pity. “I’ll give you flour,” I Said, and went to measure it. Measuring was the rub. If I gave too much, neighbors would think I made sin Easy, but if I gave too little, they would label me “Close.” While I stood measuring, Joel, my husband Came in from the mill, a great bag of flour on his Shoulder, and seeing her there, shrinking in the Doorway, he tossed the bag at her feet. “Here, take All of it.” And so she had flour enough for many loaves, While I stood measuring.

Each of us will be shot at in life, so to speak. Sometimes we’ll miss the bullet, sometimes we’ll go years without it even grazing our coats. But sometimes it will pierce us and bring us to our knees. It may, or may not, result from our own choices. But at those wrenching moments I hope we will find love and acceptance among our LDS ward families, dozens of loving friends who serve without judging and who rescue souls as if they’re on Christ’s official Emergency Response Team. Really, isn’t that just different wording for the covenants we renew every week, to keep the commandments and love one another?

guess where i found it?........

2011-05-03T16:23:00.000-07:00

as i was washing my face this morning, i saw something i had never before seen on my person......a GRAY hair!! i am only 35 yrs old....i know that i have been married for 10 1/2 yrs AND have 6 kids AND worked stressful jobs and have my share of challenges.... BUT, i have yet to find a GRAY hair until today......and low and behold, there it was standing straight up, saluting me like it was an honor for me to be in it's presence! i couldn't believe it! it had positioned itself strategically in the middle of my right eyebrow.......so, i went to town, first debating on whether to pull the coarse-stick-straight-foreign-object out of my eyebrow for fear that more may grow back in it's place, and then snapping back to reality with tweezers in hand and realizing that i couldn't walk around with this rogue eyebrow on my face! didn't take me but a minute to get a hold of it and yank it out with my trusty tweezing utensils!

on the upside, the GRAY hair was not a GRAY GRAY but a white GRAY! i have always thought that when i get old and if i do turn GRAY, i would want to be white GRAY instead of GRAY GRAY! is this what the future holds for my GRAY-ness? i guess only time will tell! hopefully mother nature will give me another 35 yrs before my next GRAY hair appears!!!

addicted.....

2011-05-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

my name is HOLLY ROSE and i am ADDICTED to diet dr. pepper!

pour it on top of ice from sonic in a styrofoam cup with a straw and i am one happy southern girl!

i was doing really well and didn't have any diet dr. pepper for about a month and then one day i succumbed to the temptation and haven't looked back! tomorrow is a new day......we will see what kind of will power i can muster up!

Easter........

2011-04-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

so we decided that Easter weekend would be the perfect holiday to begin a tradition that i have wanted to start with our family since the day we had gracie. we, as a family of 8, decided to go to see our first movie together.......and what could be more appropriate on Easter then to see HOP!! of coarse the theater was packed when we got there so in our normal rose fashion, we all file into the the 3rd row from the front and take our place in the center of the row. how surreal it was to look down the row at my beautiful family and tear up at the realization that i have waited 9 yrs for this to happen.......i know, only a mom would tear up in a movie about a talking 2nd generation Easter bunny who is accepted as normal in mainstream America among humans! anyway, this is the order we sat in.......cardin (2 yrs), joseph, olivia (3 yrs), jackson (7 yrs), gracie (9 yrs), ela (5 yrs), me, and maxwell (2 yrs)!

the twins did so well for this being their first movie. i think they were mesmerized by the screen, the endless amount of their own treats, and the experience all together! cardin was so cute! when other people would laugh, she would let out a huge cackle and just laugh as loud as she could! when music would come on.....both she and max would immediately start dancing and grooving to the tunes!

ela kept leaning over and telling me that this was the first movie that i had been to with them. i am the one who usually stays home with the babies while the others head out with joseph to the movie of choice. i am so glad that i decided to go and enjoy the moment with our family and i think what thrills me even more is that my kids were happy to have both joseph and i there together with them. can't wait to do it again!

after the movie was over, we saw the theater had a mini photo booth! you know the one that snaps however many pictures of you so fast and then print them out on strips for you to take home?? ever since joseph and i started dating, we have always jumped in every little photo booth we came across along the way! we decided to squeeze all 6 of the kids into this little booth for a memento of our outing!

saturday night proved to be a late one for joseph and i. 3 am rolled around and i realized that the easter bunny himself had visited our home and left baskets for all of our little darlings! i know i saw the tale end of that little rabbit as he hopped on to our neighbors house!! the kids were so excited on Easter sunday to see what was left for them! i remember as a child many Easters spent waking up to a wonderful basket full of goodies, big meals, easter egg hunts with my cousins, getting all dressed up for church, always family time (grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins)! the easter bunny used to leave our baskets outside of our bedroom door! i am so grateful for the memories i have of these special times as a child and the "traditions" that have been instilled in me and that we are able to pass along to our children.

the kids found their easter baskets sitting on the kitchen table at their spots! we had a wonderful breakfast and were able to discuss the true meaning of Easter with them. there is something about family around a kitchen table that is "comforting" to me!! being all together, food, good conversations.......it really is a good time and place to talk, teach, listen to one another, and enjoy each other!

everyone dressed in their pretties.....this year we wore blue and white......and headed to church!

after a wonderful meal with friends and the kids bouncing off the walls from the sugar high they sustained from their 2nd day of treats, off to bed they went!

i am so thankful for our Lord and Savior, for the opportunity that i have come to know Him and feel of His spirit. i am so grateful for His life of service, forgiveness, healing, love, sacrifice, and the example He is to me. i am so thankful that i know He lives!! how fortunate i feel to have been blessed with parents who raised me to follow His example by watching them and then to come to know Him for myself!

time flies..........

2010-11-13T16:56:00.000-08:00

i have been a slacker at blogging!! so, i'm back! gotta get on top of this and stay current!

a wonderful time............

2010-02-28T17:07:00.000-08:00

last night a group of ladies from church got together for a birthday bash out on the town to celebrate two wonderful women turning 40 yrs old!

gracie..........

2010-02-28T17:02:00.000-08:00

today is gracie's 8th birthday. it is so hard to believe that our baby girl is 8 yrs old. i remember the day she was born and how beautiful she was. i couldn't have imagined looking at her 8 years later and thinking that she is just as beautiful as she was the day she was born.

our gracie is such a blessing in our lives. she is so kind and generous. she is patient and happy. she is spunky and creative. she is sensitive and caring!

i am so glad she chose to be in our home! we love her so much!

happy birthday gracie!

maxwell...........

2010-02-16T10:59:00.000-08:00

this morning max joined jackson, ela, and olivia in the "tubes" club! we got him up bright and early and took him to the ent. the dr said he had pus packed in his little canals that had to be sucked out! nasty i know! since he has gotten home he hasn't stopped! he acts like nothing happened today, which makes me happy! the only thing that i can see is different is that he can hear sounds he didn't hear before.......he turns his head and looks around! he is happy!

i credit the small ear canals to joseph........just so you know! :)

this past week..............

2010-02-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

this past week was one of the hardest weeks of my mommy life! joseph was out of town from monday to wednesday and so that left me on my own with the kids..............that means, i did all of the running plus some! why that seems new to me at this moment, i don't know.

monday, was the slowest day. i got all of the kids up and loaded them in and took gracie and jackson to school at 8:00 am. went back and picked jackson up at 11:00am and then back to school to get gracie at 2:45pm, loading and unloading the kids up and out each time! that can where a momma out!

tuesday, was my kicker day! i got up at 6:00 that morning and then got all of the kids up and dressed and fed and loaded..........gracie and jackson to school at 8:00 am and then i dropped the twins and olivia off at a friends house at 9:00am so i could go and volunteer at ela's pre-school. off to pre-school for parent helping at 9:30am. one of my friends picked jackson up at 11:00 and took him to where the twins and livey were (thank you amy)! left pre-school at 11:30am and went to get the other kids and change ela for tap. she had to be at tap at 12:30pm, but i got to talking and ran late! ran to wal-mart to get jackson cupcakes for his birthday to take to school on wednesday and the twins and olivia fell asleep..................and then ela started screaming she had to use the potty! now when ela start screaming that, it is seconds before it comes and she has an accident! i thought i would take the back way home so she could go potty.........i'm going 25 in a 20 and low and behold, i see red lights behind me! the officer comes up and asks me why he pulled me........i told him i was going 25 and i had to get home so my child could use the potty! i did put the accent on a little thicker as well. he gave me a ticket for $140! i haven't had a ticket in YEARS! i should have turned around and had the kids pinch each other so they would all be screaming at the top of their lungs so the officer could get the full effect of the wrath of 6 kids in a bad mood...............needless to say, ela had an accident in the car! lovely! came home for an hour and then loaded everyone back up and ran to basketball practice at 5:30pm. jackson practiced till 6:30 and then we loaded back up and went and got the kids dinner (at jacksons place of choice since it was his birthday) and then back to basketball practice at 7:30 pm for gracie! 8:30 we all head home and everyone has a bath and then all are in bed by 10:00! i had had it!

my baby boy, jackson, turned 6 on tuesday! he is such a good boy! he is patient and kind to his sisters and brother and is very helpful! he tries to do his best in all that he does! we are so lucky to have him with us! it is hard to believe that he is already 6 yrs old!!

wednesday, i took gracie and jackson to school at 8:00 and then ela to school at 9:30 and then the twins and olivia and i went back to jacksons school to have cupcakes with his class! it was so much fun to be in class with him and he was really excited! we stayed with him for a bit and then left and went to get ela from pre-school at 11:30 and then back to get gracie and jackson from school at 12:00 (early release day)!

life gets me tired sometimes especially when joseph is traveling!

here are some random pictures i thought i would share!

max and cardin hanging out in the playroom!

max with yet another ear infection! poor baby!

cardin getting a lift from dad at the drs office!

olivia and ela playing dress up!

closeup of olivia!

ela after her pet parade at pre-school! her favorite mouse received an award for "the quietest pet!"

gracie in her baptism dress before she had her pictures done and olivia wanted to dress up just like her!

kids say the darnest things............

2010-01-22T21:10:00.000-08:00

as i was tucking gracie in tonight, she said, "mom, i'm so glad i didn't get strep eye this week!"

ela has informed joseph and i that she is so glad that we went to the hospital and bought the babies, a boy and a girl, to be in our family!

here she comes........

2010-01-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

cardin has decided that she is going to start walking. she is something! she stands up and bends one leg to step and the other leg remains straight! her legs are so chunky and round, i don't know how she does it! she gets so excited and we get excited with her........max on the other hand, just watches her. he is content to sit and watch! they are as different as night and day!

my babies are almost 14 1/2 months old. i will never have another 14 month old of my own. makes me sad! they grow up way to fast! (how old am i??)

go get'm cardin! we are so proud of you!

airing my dirty laundry........

2010-01-14T21:29:00.000-08:00

LiTeRaLlY!!!! i don't think that anyone can understand the shear volume of laundry that i have in my house on any given day!! i recently went on a laundry hiatus....................for about 4 weeks (no kidding)! i pulled all of it out of my laundry room 2 days ago and decided it was time to catch up!

sadly, my family still has drawers/closets full of clothing!

brace yourself, all of my OCD sisters! it is FrIgHtEnInG!!!

i can assure you that my laundry room does not look like this now! it was utter MaDnEsS!!

the first week results are in...........

2010-01-08T23:17:00.000-08:00

so, the official pounds lost for week one are 3 pounds......not to bad but not what i was expecting. as of yesterday, i had lost 4.6 pounds and then went and shot that by eating steak for dinner later than i should have, thus, 1.6 pound gain! i really wanted to report that i had lost 4.6 pounds for the week and pray that i made up for it next week, but, what does that say about me?? so, i didn't lie....i told the sad truth....on a good note, i am 3 pounds lighter!!!! tomorrow is a new week and i am committed, right?

i am going through a dilemma right now though........this weight thing is really quit tricky. as we all do, i want this stuff gone and quick. my history is such that i have never had to worry about my weight.........i graduated high school weighing 113 pounds....i left for my mission weighing 119 pounds.........my heaviest was 255 pounds on the day i had the twins (november 3, 2008). needless to say right now i am between 113 pounds and 255 pounds :) !!! anyway, getting back to the subject, am i doing the right thing "diet" for me and my body?? is what i'm doing the best to maximize the total weight lost? DILEMMA!!!

regardless of what i do, i have to do something! i want to show you what i saw in the mirror of our expidition while i was waiting to pick up a prescription..............
lets get a closer view, shall we?
anyone see that horrible quadruple chin?? (don't mind the water spots on the mirror.....we do live in washington state!!) further motivation to stay on track!

i have been on the hunt for a treadmill. one of my friends had one and donated it to the cause and i parked that bad boy in my living room facing the tv. talking about an elephant in the room! my thought was that it would make me feel bad to sit on my rump when i could actually be doing something if the tv is on later at night. the downside of the treadmill is that it shorts out whenever it feels like it, which puts a damper on continuity!! i had joseph look at it today and while i was working out on it, the thing started sparking and the smell of smoke was in the air. not good! on to plan two..........i'm trying to figure that out!

anyway, i went to the baby shower of a friend last night. she had her 5th baby and she is beautiful! there is something about a new baby that brings me to my knee's! it was so good to spend a little bit of "away from church time" with so many great ladies! our ward (aka. church or congregation) is SO big and there are SO many people there that it is sometimes hard to associate and get to know everyone. i have been here for 2 1/2 years and feel like i have barely scratched the surface with getting to really KNOW people here. it's exciting to me! i wish that we had the chance to have downtime more often. time to talk and to get to know one another! the baby shower was a sweet celebration for my friend and her newest princess and a perfect time to visit with those i don't see very often! i had to leave before the shower was over but wish that i could have stayed.......maybe i will host a girls night and invite all to come.....my fear is no one would come because people don't know me! might as well try and see!

it's a new day....

2010-01-04T23:38:00.000-08:00

i must say that i am literally starving right now! i didn't eat all day today nor did i drink until about 9:30 tonight...............as any experienced dieting person would know, that is not very effective when you are trying to lose weight!

so, i have learned some very valuable lessons lately. i realize that we have experiences to make us grow as a person in one way or the other. i, my friends, have been internalizing all that has transpired over the last week and have learned that i am just 1 person. my friends will be my friends. otherwise, it is not all about me and i need to let it go. so, i think i will. enough said.

on a "lighter" note, i'm on a hunt for a treadmill....i could go and buy one but i tend not to have much luck with spur of the moment decisions (anybody remember the puppy??)! i don't want to put a lot into it until i am "committed"! i have a vision...........we will see how it turns out!

less than loved.....

2010-01-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

i'm feeling a little less than loved the past couple of days. had a misunderstanding with a couple of my girlfriends a couple of days ago...............

so what's bothering me? i guess it's the fact that it even happened. i know that a bunch of girls together are normally considered "catty" among other things.......i have felt since i have been in washington that the people who i have become friends with have been honest, up front, strong, independent, trustworthy "sisters".....and that is what i consider each one of my friends.

bottom line is the whole "girlfriend" thing can be a little overwhelming at times. part of true friendship involves growing and bouncing off of one another, in good times and bad. true friendships go through those ups and downs and come out stronger in the end. i have never been in an area with such strong woman around me......there are those who can have a perfect home, the hardest church calling, a husband who walks on water, a handful of well-dressed children who have manners, be completely presentable 100% of the time, and deliver nothing but excellence......now don't get me wrong.....i know that is not entirely true and that everyone has an issue or two but denial is bliss sometimes to those looking in!!! on the other hand, i have felt uplifted and buoyed by said women. i have the desire to be better because of those around me.................................

i promised myself a long time ago that i would not hold my feelings in when something needs to be said, good or bad. i can't afford to have my insides eaten up with worry and "what if's" racing through my never ending thoughts. it's just one of those things.

anyway, my mood the last couple of days has been less then exciting to say the least. maybe it's my innate self torture that is pulling me down for the misunderstanding even happening. at times like this i feel very secluded even though i'm not.

let me just put it out there for you......whoever you are. a peak into my heart and soul. it is raw and exposed! nevertheless, i love my girlfriends. i read in "the" magazine the other day that there are three apecific things that a woman has to have in her life to keep her stress level down and the #1 asset was girlfriends. i agree!

so there you have it.....if i weren't on a diet i would go and get ice cream with m&m's and reeses peanut butter cup, but alas.....that is all!!!!!

january 1, 2010

2010-01-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

first day back on the diet hasn't been to bad! i created my profile on my 2 wii programs (according to wii fit, my wii age is 31... ;0) ) and created a new goal on my bodybugg program. i got 5 out of 6 meals in today......and i found my floor in my bedroom! not to bad for the first day of 2010~and i only have 57 pounds to lose instead of 60! i feel lighter already!

on a sad note, i have 3 kids who are not feeling very well! max has a double ear infection and cardin and olivia are having some major breathing issues! it's so hard when they struggle!

last day of 2009....

2009-12-31T22:26:00.000-08:00

2 hours and 33 min left in 2009! what a wonderful year it has been! i always look forward to new beginnings......i'm ready for 2010!

one of my goals for 2010 is to "officially" get back to my pre-pregnancy weight! now, the thing about that is i haven't seen my pre-pregnancy weight since 2001, 5 pregnancies, and 6 babies ago! i can no longer use the excuse that "i just had twins". they are almost 14 mo old! so, i have been thinking about this and trying to figure out how to hold myself accountable. this is it! i am going to post and write about it.....

here it is.....i want to shed about 60 pounds and i want to do that by june 2, which is my 35th birthday! how am i going to do it? i have a bodybugg, i am a member of 2 gyms, i do the medifast weight lose program, i have wii fit plus and the biggest loser wii program! the question is, do i have the will power to stick to it????? i'm thinking 10 pounds a month is completely doable! 21 weeks! THIS IS THE YEAR!

this is going to be a big year for our family! gracie turns 8 years old this year! joseph and i celebrate our 10 year anniversary! travelling to florida to celebrate one of my best friends biggest days! going to my parents for christmas! and that's not including all of the birthdays, work accomplishments, church and school activities, mini vacations, etc! it's going to be a year full of excitement, personal and family growth, and unexpected adventures!

35 more minutes......i think i will go and eat something sinful! happy new year!

ChRiStMaS.....

2009-12-31T22:16:00.000-08:00

what a wonderful christmas we had!

the most wonderful time of the year!!!

2009-12-20T22:51:00.000-08:00

i love this time of the year! i love the decorations, the food, the memories, the traditions. i love the spirit of CHRISTMAS! i love sitting in my living room with only the christmas lights on, christmas music playing softly in the background, and the smell of apple-cinnamon coming from the kitchen! i love watching my little people as they look out the windows of our car and scream with delight when they see other peoples decorations!!! this is truly a magical time of the year!

there has been a lot going on in our house over the past few weeks! the twins turned "1" on november 3rd! yes.....we all made it through the first year! they are coming into their own now! it has been so much fun to watch them grow and to see their different personalities come through! i love walking in on them and watching them talk to one another! they are wonderful!

what would we do without such a HUGE surprise! here are cardin and maxwell's 1 yr old birthday pics!

josephs mom and dad were able to come and spend a couple of weeks with us over the thanksgiving holiday. while they were here, joseph and i were able to take a few days and travel together by ourselves! it's so nice to have/take the time to reconnect with one another! i often get thrown back 15 years to when we first started dating and the feelings that i had for him then.......and how they have multiplied a million times more! it's like de ja vue when it is just he and i! i am so grateful for time we get together!

my grandfather had been declining for several months......3 weeks ago we received word that he had cancer and that time was very short. i had to make the decision to go and see him while he was still with us or wait until after he passed and attend the services. i chose to go and visit with him and to make sure he new how much i loved him! it was so hard to see him! he had fallen a few weeks earlier and was literally bruised from head to toe....he looked so weak and tired. while i was there, hospice was called in and he quickly became non-responsive. i left on a wednesday and my paw paw passed away that sunday. it was so hard to be away! sometimes living 3500 miles from "home" can be very difficult! joseph encouraged me to go back for the services if i wanted too......i had said my goodbye's and shared my feeling with him while i sat with him! i am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. i know that there is a plan for each one of us. i know that our loved ones LIVE! i am comforted to know that our paw paw was greeted and escorted to the hereafter by someone who loved him and who he loved very much! i am so grateful for family connections and that my parents chose and encouraged us to have bounding relationships with our grandparents and our extended family members! it is truly a great gift and has been a wonderful blessing in my life! what a wonderful time for paw paw to return to our heavenly home!

gracie has informed joseph and i that, and i quote, "this christmas is going to be a disaster"! we have both asked her why she feels that way and she has informed us that because no one will be here with us and because we will not be somewhere else with family, it is just not going to be good! how funny it is that our 7 yr old knows that christmas is about family! we have never spent a christmas without grandparents and/or cousins, aunts, uncles, etc with us! this is going to be a first! though i will miss not sharing this sweet time with our parents, my eyes are being opened to the 8 of us spending our first christmas together together (if that makes any sense)!

anyway, i have rambled on long enough! i am excited for 2010! it is going to be such a busy year with great opportunity and growth for us all! i am thinking about the things that i want to focus on individually, as a family, as a wife, as a mother.....i get rejuvenated with the new year ahead!

we hope that you may all have a very merry christmas and that we may remember the birth of our Savior, who is the reason we celebrate!!! how wonderful it is to have the knowledge the He lives!!!!

V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N........

2009-08-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

when i say the word VACATION, i think of joseph and i sitting on the beach somewhere under an umbrella watching our six ashen white, 70 spf coated children frolicking in the sand....when i think of VACATION, i think of sleeping late in the morning, eating brunch out, sitting around and talking for hours, no plans, no agenda, watching movies, staying up late. my definition of VACATION: a break from the everyday...time to "enjoy" one another and the scenery around you.....lazy days!

we have been on VACATION since the end of july......we have driven hundreds of miles through at least five states (so far). we have been woken up at the crack of dawn.....i'm talking daybreak, since we left, and at least twice a night and not only by the twins. we have cleaned up throw up in every state we have been in, on every surface imaginable.....and lets not talk about the diarrhea that has accompanied that.....i am talking about every day since we pulled out of our driveway! i have sat in an urgent care and in the hospital, holding two of my girls down, trying to comfort them, as they got their first IV. i have heard my name called more in the past few weeks then i have two months at home. joseph has been traveling....that's all i have to say about that. i am sleep deprived, honory, strained!

did i mention we are on VACATION?

oh the memories we are making! one day we will all laugh about this......the upside is that i have been able to spend time with my family (parents and siblings). i was able to reconnect with one of my cousins. i have been able to see one of my dearest friends. our children are all here with us...they don't feel good, but they are here. we have seen and experienced yellowstone and saw old faithful blow!

it may not be ideal but it is our VACATION.....together!

fathers......

2009-06-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

i couldn't let this day pass without writing about two very important men in my life. i have been blessed with two grandfathers, many uncles, cousins, brother in laws, one father in law, and a brother who have/are wonderful men. they have been a huge part of my life growing up and into my adulthood. my life has been blessed because these men, who have played different roles, are in it!

today i am grateful for my dad. when i think about my dad, there are many characteristics that come to my mind. my dad is a hard worker. he has always provided for his family. he has put us first and foremost in all instances. my dad is loyal, loving, shy when you first meet him, stubborn, considerate, prayerful, intimidating, jovial, thoughtful, straight forward, playful, happy. my dad is one of the most spiritual people i know. he sees no fault in others. he is a leader. he has supported me through my life changing events: college, mission, marriage. he is a comforter, a protector, a honorable priesthood holder. i have watched him become a "granddaddy". he is the senior patriarch in our family. he is my dad!

i am also grateful for joseph. he is my other half, the one that completes me, my eternal companion. i am in awe of his accomplishments. among them, the six children that we share together. he is so good to them. he celebrates every day that we are all together. he is their protector, playmate, provider, teacher, disciplinary, helpmate, best friend, tball coach, driver, lunch buddy, wii companion, movie night instigator, golfing teacher, wrestling partner, music loving, photographer. he feels their joy and their heartache. he is the sun in their sky and the light in their darkness. i think many days he underestimates his importance in their lives but without him they would be empty. their laughter and their joyful spirits are drawn to their daddy. i am so grateful for his example in their lives as well as mine. I'm grateful for his loyalty to our family, to his children. i am grateful for the righteous priesthood holder that he is......that he can call upon our Heavenly Father in our children's behalf. he is so special in so many ways!

today i celebrate my dad and my husband! i celebrate the men you are and the ones that you will become. i celebrate the stages of life we have shared together and that we will share together! i am glad that we our bound together through eternities! i love you both very much!

happy fathers day!

accident prone.....

2009-05-31T00:24:00.001-07:00

today was not a very good day for gracie! i guess not only today, but the whole week! at jacksons tball game, gracie decided she wanted to go and play on the playground instead of watching jackson play......as any child would! she was playing on the monkey bars with another little boy who happened to have cleats on! long story short, he kicked her in the face and BUSTED her lip wide open, laid one of her front teeth straight back on her palate, chipped the tooth beside the front tooth, and bruised her chin pretty good. the child denied ever kicking her!! this past thursday at baseball practice, one of her team mates decided to throw the ball to gracie while she was trying to get her glove on her hand and hit her dead center in the chest and the ball bounced up and hit her in the neck/chin area! those two incidents are two of many! the child has bruises up and down her body! i feel so bad for her!

mothers.....

2009-05-10T22:06:00.001-07:00

i am so grateful for all the mothers in my life! i have dear friends who are not yet mothers, but who are wonderful examples of how a woman should be in preparing to become a mom! i have friends who are exceptional mothers. they show me new and interesting was to parent and to "be" with my children. i've had 2 grandmothers who led the way in organizing and binding many families together to become one. i have 6 aunts who have been a constant in my life.......13 cousins (girls) who are raising 30 children between them all.......3 sister in laws, who teach me daily by their mistakes and accomplishments........my mother in law, who works so hard and loves so intently that she encompasses all who come in contact with her . missy, my sweet sister, who travels the road of motherhood with me.......and my mom!

there is not a day that goes by where i don't think about my mom. i talk to her almost everyday! growing up i remember my mom doing so much for me......i don't think i understood exactly what went into raising 3 children until i had children of my own. she was always the one who would tuck me in at night, comfort me when sick, buy the clothes that i had to have, take me for special outings. daily she gave 100% of herself to make sure that i was happy, safe, and loved! even through the teenage years where i pushed every button she had, she was diligent, prayerful, constant! my mom is kind, happy, loving, talented, soft spoken, funny, artistic, creative, gentle, caring, bright, honest, peaceful, compassionate, hardworking, selfless, fashionable, current, a wonderful cook, educated, fluent, vibrant, colorful, witty, spiritual, forgiving lady. there aren't enough words to describe my mom! she is a southern belle, daughter, sister, aunt, wife, gamma. she is my example, my sounding board, my motivator, my friend.........she is my mother! if i am half the mother that my mom is then i will have greatly succeeded!

i honor my mom and all the wonderful woman in my life who buoy me up and who have gone before me and walk with me in this journey of motherhood!

i am so grateful to be a mom! it is one of the hardest, most exhilarating, trying experiences that i have ever had! 4 of the kids have been sick today but they all did their best to make me feel very special. i was treated to wonderful handmade gifts, white roses, a scrumptious dinner with dessert, a long nap, and lots of hugs and kisses!

i feel very humbled to be given such a wonderful responsibility of being a mom!

jacksons preschool mothers day program!

2009-05-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

today was an exciting day for jackson and i! it is not very often that i get to go and be with one of the children by themselves. joseph came home late last night so that i could attend jacksons preschool mothers day program. standing back and watching him helps me to remember just how little he really is! in our home, he is the second oldest and so sometimes i forget that he is only 5 and a young 5 at that! there are 16 children in his class.......each one had a special part! jackson was a rooster in one song and said "cock-a-doodle-doo" and then he held up a picture of monkeys and said, "little monkeys have a mom to show them monkey shines" (that was part of a rhyme)! they danced and sang and recited poems! i think that my favorite part of the program was when 6 of the children held up the letters M-O-T-H-E-R and sang a song that went with each letter.......the words were something like this:

M is for the money you spend on me
O is for the open doors i leave
T is for the time you give to me
H is for the hand prints on the wall
E is for the early morning rises
R is for the runny nose you wipe
put them all together, they spell MOTHER!
Mother is the one i truly love!

they each frosted two flower shaped cookies and gave us a personally painted pot with a plant (jackson proudly reminds me that the plant is a marigold.....for all of those who are like me who have no clue about plants) with a homemade card in it! it was great! my only regret is that my camera/recorder ran out of juice!

jackson has grown so much! he is such a little man......so kind and considerate of others! he gets excited about everything and when he looks at you with those big baby blues, all i want to do is melt! he is in a wonderful place right now! his preschool teacher is fantastic and so are all of his friends and their families! it is good to be a mom today! thanks jackson for such a sweet gift!

ice breaker sours

2009-04-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

i took the kids to the Y yesterday for swimming classes. as i was trying to get jackson checked into the nursery so i could get ela to her mommy and me class and gracie to her class, i heard this high pitched, fingernails down the chalkboard, blood curling scream. i quickly realized that it was ela! she was standing two inches from this poor, innocent 2 year old tiny little boy who's mother was trying to get him into the nursery as well. so my thought is, maybe he bit her or pulled her hair or threw her against the wall (not really) or something to get such a terrifying scream to rip from her mouth like she did! no, no, no......it's not that logical! ela had a tiny ice breaker sour in each one of her hands that i had given her before we got in the car to come to the Y. she held out her hand to show the tiny little "friend" and he took it from her and put it in his mouth! when she started screaming, he opened his mouth, the sour went tumbling to the floor, and he was climbing his mothers leg before you could blink an eye! ela was so upset! the little boy cried for quit sometime, even after he was in the nursery and i am sure that ela has scared him for at least a month or two! sad thing is, we see this little boy and his mom almost every day we go to the Y! talking about trauma!

i would like to thank....

2009-04-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

first of all, let me begin by telling you that we do have 5 other children besides ela and i do love them all equally and unconditionally. i know that in the future there will be many things to say and share about them all at any given time, but i need to pay homage to our ela! she's earned it!

so.....it seems like forever ago (it's been about 8 months now), we started talking potty training with ela. we talked and we demonstrated and we begged and pleaded and bribed and scolded and gave high fives and flushed just to watch the water go down and chanted her name while she sat on the potty and cleaned up accidents all over the house and reminded her that she gets to go to pre-school when she pees in the potty and begged and pleaded some more! now i can say, by gosh i think she has it! i didn't want to say anything before now but the child has gone 5 whole days with no accidents AND has worn her big girl panties everywhere, even out of the house, AND has even been frustrated with herself when she has woken up in the morning and peed in her pull up!!!! IT IS TRULY A MIRACLE!!!

i don't think that you can possibly understand where all of this is coming from unless you know our history. ela is the first child that joseph and i have actually potty trained! my mother-in-law, aka ma-maw to the kids, watched gracie and jackson most of the time while i worked in north carolina and therefor took care of the nitty gritty details of potty training for us.......did we ever say thank you for that wonderful gift? living across the country now, she couldn't do that for us......SOOOOOOO,

i would like to thank the academy for this nomination for the "first time potty training and actually succeeding" award. it was many days and nights of crawling around on the floor with a bottle of resolve in one hand and a scrub brush in the other trying to find the latest accident that miss ela did "last year". i would like to thank first and foremost, joseph, for his constant reminding that one day she will get it......that is what you call faith! i would also like to thank, ma-maw and gamma (my mom) for the many weeks that they spent one on four and then one on six while i was on bedrest and recovering from our latest additions! if it weren't for the two of you ela would have no one else as equally excited as she is to share her fun news with! last but not least, i would like to thank ela for actually doing it!

ela was paid in full the other day with the bribe of all bribes for a 3 year old in training. she picked out her very own surprise dora baby doll and a pack of 7 pairs of brand new dora panties! hey, we do what we have to do! desperate times call for desperate measures!

3 down, 3 to go!

2009-04-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

In her own form, Ela celebrates the victory!

our third child....

2009-04-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

so......as many of you know, of our 6 little darlings, ela is our "independent" one! every family has one, right? she is the one who can push my buttons in a second flat! she constantly has something new and interesting to say, she has one volume which is LOUD, and she is not afraid of anything! if we were to open the front door, she would run out and never look back, which by the way, she has done and i have ran out after her many a day. this is the child who decided to climb up in the playroom window last summer and bounce on the screen like it was a trampoline, the whole time laughing like she was at an amusement park having the time of her life. mind you, the playroom is on the second floor of our house and thus the window is too! when i came around the corner and saw my then two year old lunging herself into the screen again and again and again my heart stopped and my blood went cold! this is the same child who can sing every letter of the alphabet with a animal name attached: alligator, bat, cat, dog, elephant.......the other day we stopped to let a bus full of high school students cross the road and of coarse they are going to get out one by one, right behind each other, and ela says, "why are they playing follow the leader? can i be the leader one day?" when she gets up in the morning she proclaims to the world,"i slept last year! i had good breams!" she is the one that you go looking for when things are to quite! i have found her pouring water out of the toilet with her shoe all over the floor so she could go swimming. she loves to climb up on the sink and put soap on her fingers and draw all over the mirror. i have found her at the bottom of the stairs with 12 peeled bananas lined up neatly with the peels flung all over the living room! she is the one who will change her clothes 15 times a day just because she can! and all of that has happened in just one day! this child likes to run out in the middle of a parking lot not turning to see if a car is coming or heaven forbid listening to the frantic screaming from her mother to "Stop"! If you chase her she just runs faster! ela thinks that everyday should be her birthday.....she likes to tell me what her cake should look like; normally it is purple with blue pokadots! ela refers to her brothers and sisters as her "friends"! she thinks that her gamma and her ma maw are "the breast cookers ever"! she is her daddy's biggest fan and i think that she secretly knows that she has him wrapped so tightly around her little finger that no matter what she does all she has to do is bat those big baby blues at him and he is going to melt right in the palm of her hand! our ela is one of a kind!

the whole point of me telling you this is right before she went to bed tonight, she came up to me and said,"mommy, i lub you so much! you are the breastest mommy ever! will you always be my breast friend?" she is something else!

heavenly father certainly broke the mold when He sent her to us......at least we hope so! not only for our sakes, but for everyone else as well!

who has time????

2009-04-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

i like to think of myself as one who doesn't follow the crowd or isn't influenced by the latest happening thing that is going on.....that said, since about mid september, i have jumped on the bandwagon for alot of crazes. the first was reading the twilight series. i swore up and down that i was not going to get involved with a bunch of vampires and then i was put in the hospital on bedrest and given the book by a friend to help pass time. it sat there and stared at me for 2 days....then i picked it up and read the first chapter and that was it! i couldn't put the book down nor could i stop myself from reading the other 3 in the series. then i was invited by several friends to join facebook! i barely have time to eat during the day and people are inviting me to join facebook......what is facebook? my curiosity got the best of me and i joined and instead of getting much needed sleep at night, i have to see if anything has changed on facebook before i can close my eyes! so sad! that brings me to this point.......BLOGGING! i love to read other peoples blogs, i think it's a fun idea, i swore that i would never have a blog myself because when would i have time to sit down and blog? blah, blah, blah! and here i am.....it's 12:07 am and i am trying to figure this whole blog thing out! we'll see how it goes!

if anyone decides to read this and is curious about our world.......WELCOME! i hope i can keep up with it all! here goes nothing.......