Quick update...

More to come soon....LOL!

You can't make this stuff up...

Just take a look at my kids' picture up above and the words that scroll across it....How perfect was that moment?

This is funny..

So my girls are both on their beds in time-out and Lolo is throwing a huge fit.  All of a sudden I hear, "Hey Mom!  Lolo just said that she is flipping you off!"  I seriously had to stifle my laughter.  First of all, WHAT?  Second of all, she is three-how would she know to have that kind of reaction?  And third, when did she realize what "flipping the bird" even means???  Apparently I need to have a conversation with her...

I am totally a slacker!

DAY 27  I am thankful for my daughter, Diva.  She is the one that will make me go gray but she is my sidekick.  She helps me with the other kids, she cleans for me, she get the baby a sippy for me, she acts like she is about 16, but she is my little girl and I love her so much.  She makes us proud by doing very in school, in piano lessons, and in soccer, not to mention how proud we are of her testimony of Jesus Christ.  She is a very spiritual little girl and I love to listen to her pralks (prayer + talk).  They are very well thought out and, again, spiritual.  Now I just wish she could carry that spirit with her all the time-she is quite the sassy little diva-thus the name.  We love you Diva and are very thankful that you are in our life.

DAY 28 I am thankful for my son, Sporty.  He is one amazing little guy.  He works so hard in everything he does:  school, piano, baseball, basketball, football, and indoor soccer.  He is such a momma and daddy pleaser-I love it!  I am grateful for his kindness and for his loving heart!  He is one amazing 8 year old-in fact, he is my favorite 8 eight year old!  He always talks about how much he'll miss me when he is on his mission, but that he definitely wants to go.   AWWWWWWW!  We love you Sporty and are very thankful that you are in our life!

DAY 29  I am thankful for my  husband's job and business.  Trevor teaches and coaches and I am grateful for the opportunity we all have to see Trevor in action as a coach.  Though the pay isn't much, I am thankful for what it does provide for our family.  Not to mention, I am thankful that other young men get the benefits of having him as their coach.  We also own a business-I am truly grateful for that.  Because of the business, I get to stay home with my darling kiddos.  Trevor works very hard to keep it up and running and I am thankful for that example he is setting for our kids.  I know times have been tough for many people these past few years, but we have been truly blessed-power of tithing??  I think so.

DAY 30  I am thankful for life.  Thanks goes to my Father in Heaven for giving me and everyone else ON THIS PLANET the gift of life.  Thanks goes to my Savior Jesus Christ for giving us the opportunity to continue on with life.  For all these things I am truly grateful!

I have been slacking...through day 26

DAY 16  It is the last day of November and I still have not finished my 30 days of gratitude!  Well, I have been busy and I am thankful for that! 

DAY 17  I am grateful for in-laws, yes, in-laws.  I have amazing in-laws.  Roger and Annette are kind, gracious, GIVING, fun and entertaining people-although sometimes they don't realize just how entertaining they are :)  They have always been extremely welcoming to me and have accepted me for who I am-a loud, sometimes obnoxious, say what comes to mind, happy go-lucky chicka!  Anyway, they are always there for us and Trevor's siblings.  They watch the grandkids, take us on super fun vacations (Nauvoo, Bear Lake, Glacier, to name a few); they come over on a moments notice when Trev and I have to take a child to get x-rays for a broken arm, or stitches;  they have great timing when any of us need diapers or laundry detergent; they have us over for Sunday dinners;  I know Annette agonizes over gifts for the kids for birthdays and Christmas-she puts A LOT of time and effort in her decision making; Roger gets the ponies out for pony rides.  The list goes on and on and on.  So thank you!  We love you.

DAY 18  I am thankful that we have family close.  Both my family and Trevor's family live very close so we are able to go to movies on a moments notice-like "Tangled" .  Super cute show!  And we are able to have game night with my siblings.  Family is important and I am glad they are near.

DAY 19 I am thankful for friends.  I have some amazing friends-some that I see once a year, some I see every few months, and some I see weekly.  Each friend has a special place in my heart and each one is a special lady themselves.  Some of these ladies I have know since kindergarten; some I met in the mother's room at the church while nursing our babies; some I met through running; all are wonderful, good people, and they mean the world to me.

DAY 20 I am grateful for my parents.  They are awesome, great, wonderful people.  They taught me so many things, they raised me right, they prepared me for the time when I would be married.  They are always there for me and my siblings.  They, too, watch the grandkids, have Sunday dinners, take us on awesome vacations (Disneyland, SeaWorld, Lake Powell), have fun game nights.  There is just too many to name-I love them with all my heart!

DAY 21  I am thankful for my dog, Belle!  She is ALWAYS excited to see me, and when I am having a bad moment, she just wags her tail as if to say, "Let's run and have fun.  You are the BEST EVER!"  okay, maybe not that, but she brings a smile to my face on a daily basis.

DAY 22 I am grateful for our two horses, Missy and Pretty Girl.  There is nothing better than a nice ride up the Pass and talking with my husband.  It's so calm and serene to go on a nice long ride-I know Trevor likes to clear his head on a ride.  He always comes back happy and at peace.  He loves those rides.  I like the date nights we take on them where we talk and discuss things-it's a time where we can discuss more serious matters and we listen to each other.  Our horses provide that for us.  Plus, I just think horses are about the most beautiful animals on this planet!

Sporty on Pretty Girl

Sorry, Missy's not looking.

DAY 23    I am thankful for the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I am grateful for their guidance and their inspiration.  I am thankful that we are lead by a latter-day prophet.  I testify that Thomas S. Monson has been called of God to be a mouth piece for our Lord.  I testify that the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are also called of God.  I am thankful for them and the opportunity we have to listen and then read their inspired words.

DAY 24  I am thankful for the Harry Potter Series-I know, dumb.  But those books and other good books give me an out during the day where I can just sit, relax, and enjoy myself and enter a world of fantasy that's very entertaining.  I am reading the series over again-I like it that much!

DAY 25   I am thankful for the actual holiday, Thanksgiving.  I thoroughly enjoy this day and spending time with family.  This day warms my soul as I sit and ponder all the blessings in my life.  I love how the entire day is a constant reminder of what we have to be thankful for, from family to friends, from warm clothes to a furnace that produces heat, from having a car to being able to walk around in a free country.  I love this holiday.  Plus, the food is awesome!

DAY 26     I am thankful for the Scriptures. I am grateful for the lessons they teach me, for the guidance they give me, and for the inspiration I need in my life. I am thankful for the Book of Mormon and the testament of our Savior. I am thankful that we can get answers from our Heavenly Father by reading this book and the other sacred scriptures. I am grateful that He communicates with us through these good books.

DAY 15

DAY 15  The first real snow of the season....

Sorry, I am not a photographer, but these are the mountains right outside my front door (THEE same ones that I saw the mountain lion frolicking around).  I love the first snow of the season.  I wish it would snow like crazy through January 1st, and then on January 2nd it needs to be 60 degrees until June.

Mini-me

DAY 14  Today I am grateful for my little look-a-like...Lolo.  She is one tough, beautiful, funny, charming, stubborn, sweet, kind, mischievous, active, polite, soft spoken, goofy little twerp.  Trevor always looks at her and comments about how there is nothing resembling him at all in her-that's okay, Honey, the other 3 were all mini-yous, so this one is ALL mine.  I love this little girl.  She has been through a lot lately and she is one tough cookie.  She has severe eczema and has been through medicine after medicine, cream after cream and doctor visit after doctor visit.  We took her to an allergist about 2 months ago and she had that darn awful back scratch test done-poor kids was miserable, but she made it through-all tests were negative.  Then she had 8 shots in her fore-arm for some more testing.  Oh she cried, but she held very still-again, negative.  Then the Doc sent us to the hospital to have her blood drawn.  Again she cried (soft sobs, not screaming-that would be Diva) while the vampires took her blood-again, negative.  THEN she had the patch testing done, which is horrible for a 3 year old.  First of all her back is tiny, so the patches went down on her bum; then anytime she moved the tape would pull the hair on her skin, so she was so uncomfortable and in pain; plus, during this week, she could not take a bath (sponge baths are very tricky for 3 year old); THEN the tests came back negative.  Conclusion-she has chronic eczema.  Enter Sarcasm:  ya think?  At least we know she is not allergic to anything on this planet-but her poor body!  Lolo was such a trooper.  If this had been any of the older kids they would have had a melt down.  Diva freaks out when she has to get the FLU mist-the mist, not the shot!  Oh goodness.  Anyway, Lolo takes things in stride.  She loves to be funny and she says very funny things all the time.  I just happen to have a TERRIBLE short term memory and forget what she said or did before I can type it on my blog.  This little girl is destined for big things and she'll do great things!  We love you Lolo!!!!
These pictures are typical Lolo-she wanted to wear my ugly comfy blue zip up  robe....Diva would NEVER wear something like this for a picture.  She would want to look her absolute best.

More Gratitude

DAY 13  I am thankful for mornings like this one where I get to play with my little Z-man.  It's just the two of us and we are building block towers, playing on the phone, learning body parts, etc.  He loves to show his belly and gives me a very quizzical look when I ask where his chest is.  Z-man doesn't get a lot of mommy and me time, so I take advantage of it when all the other kids are at school.  He is such a blessing in our lives-such a sweet personality, and just FLAT OUT DARLING!  I know I am biased, but oh well.  I LOVE this munchkin-actually, he's my "bug".   LOVE LOVE LOVE him!  I have 4 AMAZING children whom I love with all my heart!  Trevor and I are very lucky and VERY blessed.

Eternal Gratitude

DAY 12  I am thankful for this....


Courtesy of http://www.lds.org/

Thankful for Veterans

DAY 11 I should have posted this on November 11, but I am behind....so sue me.  I am thankful for those in the armed services.  My grandfather was in the military (although I never knew until I read his obituary-I thought he was JUST a doctor), my uncle (previously mentioned) was in the military, Trevor's grandpa was in the military and was shot in the leg (a cool story behind that to come later), my mom's cousin was in the military and was shot and killed after being out a few weeks, and my list could go on and on of everyone I know.  So, THANK YOU for what you do to keep us free-to keep me free-to help others to gain that freedom.

One person I do want to call out is named Shawn.  He is not only  my friend, but he married one of my bestest friend ever, Melinda.  He is deployed in Iraq right now and this is not his first deployment.  He is gone all the time on missions and stuff (I don't know military lingo) while Melinda holds down the fort at home with three little ones.  I think of his personal sacrifice by leaving his loved ones behind and for putting his own life on the line and am grateful to him and others like him.  He is made of some tough material to do what he does and to keep pluggin' along.  I am fortunate to read emails that he sends out from trainings and actual deployments and I would have to say that the crap he goes through would probably almost be up there with child birth-I said ALMOST.  I can't believe the things he has to physically put his body and mind through to prepare himself for combat.  WOW.  I have know Shawn since we were 14 and he is one good dude doing what he can to make our world a better place-so THANK YOU SHAWN!  And thank you Melinda for trusting in the Lord every time Shawn leaves your side.  I get a glimmer of what you go through when we talk about it, but I still sit in awe at your faith in God's Plan for your family.  You are an amazing person, wife, and mother and your family is always in my prayers.  You are a great example to so many people.  So thank you Melinda. We love you both!

Thankful for what????

DAY 10   I am thankful that I started running.  I know, weird, but true.  After the birth of Baby Z and then the complications which put me on "not quite bed rest", I began running.  That's been over a year ago, and I am proud to say that I have continued on that path-not always consistant, but I have endured.  When your not training for anything it's easy to say, "Eh, I will go tomorrow."  If you have read my blog from the beginning then you know that I ran the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving (highly recommend it), I ran the Ogden Marathon Relay, RAGNAR, and  then the Provo River Half Marathon.  My plans are to do all that again except I will be running in the Ogden Half Marathon instead of the relay. 

So, my reasons for running:  it gives me a chance to clear my head; it gets me out exercising and pushing my body to limits it has never endured before (and I have had 4 kids!); my butt and thighs look HOT!; okay, I meant to say that it tones my lower extremities and I like that; it gives me "ME" time;  it gets me out in the fresh air; I get to run with some awesome gals and chat away until our hearts are content-or our legs give out; it gives me a sense of accomplishment when I have completed a race or even just a long training run; it gives me a chance to see wildlife (I saw a cougar just a few blocks from my home one morning); it makes me face my fear of getting chased by dogs-haven't been chased yet, well, just once, but it was a tiny dog.

I am sure I will come up with more reasons why I run after I publish this post.  Truth is, some days I think I hate running, but then I get out there and I feel FANTASTIC.  In fact, I took my sweet puppy on a run this morning and so we got to have some quality time together AND I got to feel good.  Oh, running.

Day 9 of Gratitude

DAY 9 I am thankful for....my suburban.  I know, silly.  But you know what?  It is one AMAZING machine just for the fact that my family can not only sit in there very comfortably, but I have TONS OF CARGO SPACE!  I loved my Explorer, but once we had 4 kids, my cargo space disappeared.  In fact, I searched high and low to find the perfect double stroller that could fold down to about 3 inches wide so it would fit in the back-I found it, but at a price.  My suburban can EASILY fit four or five strollers.  Not even kidding.  I have even put my double jogger in the back and had a plethora of room to spare.  I know!  AMAZING!

Gratitude....continued

DAY 8   I am grateful for my musical abilities.  As a small child my parent's could all ready tell I had a knack for that piano thingy...I played the piano by ear and could do it from a very early age.  So at age 5 I was taking lessons and passing everyone up, including the teacher.  So I moved on to a teacher who also became a second mom to me-her daughter is one of my all-time BFF's in the world.  My lessons were every Wednesday morning at 6am-yup, 6am.  That was the only time I could go that didn't interfere with sports and everything else I was involved in.
I am just truly grateful that I can play the piano and organ (yes, with pedals) and that I can serve in my ward in those capacities.  I have also been able to teach lessons for the last 5 years and bring in some extra money.  I am grateful that I can fill in last-minute for musical numbers when another talented member of my ward cannot fulfill those duties due to an on-going illness.  I am grateful that my children can listen and even learn from me (of course they take!). 
Being able to play the piano has been an outlet for me.  My mom could always tell what kind of mood I was in by what song I was playing and how I was playing it.  I even wrote two songs in elementary school for the Reflections program that won awards-kind of exciting!  It's like my stress reliever to sit down and pound out Jean Sibilius' Romance and other songs.  Anyway, didn't mean for this sound like "ooh, look at me and my piano!", but it's a talent that I am thankful that I have!

Pardon the Interruption...

So I am interrupting my "30 days of Gratitude" to bring you the Halloween pictures...  Enjoy.

Grandpa and Dr. Z-man-Baby Z LOOOOOOVES the ponies!

Sporty with 2 of his cousins

Not exactly the pumpkin carriage...

My brother Tad and his witch, er, wife, Bonnie.  He is TOTALLY rockin' it!

My cute niece K.

The kids' handy work.

Lolo, K, A and Baby Z with Grandma Net

Back-H, A  Front-Lolo, D, Sporty, Z-man, K

Good times, good food, and WAY TOOOOO much candy!

Day 7

DAY 7  I am thankful for extended family.  My Uncle Gary and Aunt Ann are in town from the Northwest and it is always such a privilege to spend time with them.  My kids actually call Gary Grandpa Gary and they LOVE being around him and Ann.  Gary is my dad's older brother (by 17 years) and he was a career military man.  He served in the Army and he and his family were stationed all over the world.  Both are very wise and both have plenty of entertaining stories from their past and about their family.  They are both a blessing to have around my children.  About 4 years ago we went up to stay with their family and Sporty followed Grandpa Gary around all day every day.  He would help Gary fix this or that, he would putter around the garage with him and, of course, Sporty would just talk and talk and talk the entire time.  When Gary and Ann come to town there is always some sporting event that one of my kids is participating in and Gary and Ann come to watch.  They also make a HUGE deal about it so my children are made to feel like they are the most important people in the world.  They are both very supportive, genuine, kind and loving.  So, thanks Gary and Ann for being apart of our lives, even though you live so far away.  We LOVE you!!!

30 days of Gratitude

I am stealing the idea of 30 days of Gratitude from my friend Amanda's Blog-you should read hers as well; she is an amazing person....Anyway, so since it is November 6th all ready, and since I haven't even posted my HILARIOUS Halloween photos yet, I thought I should start.

DAY 1  I am thankful for my husband.  Sorry, need to gush for a moment.  I have never met a man that works as hard as he does.  He is a Coach, a Teacher AND he owns a business, all to provide for our nutso family.  His work ethic is AMAZING and what an example he is not only for our little family, but for those who observe him.  I am thankful that he can overlook my faults and that he still loves me no matter what.  Neither one of us is perfect: we argue, we laugh, we tease, we get mad, we smile, we frown-but at the end of the day we love.  We love each other and we love our kids.  I am thankful for the Priesthood that he worthily holds.  I am thankful that he has a testimony of the Gospel and of our Savior.  I am thankful that he lives the Gospel.  I am thankful that he fulfills his callings to the fullest.  I am thankful for his love.  I am even thankful that he is a NEAT FREAK!  :} had to throw that one in, Honey! I am thankful that he served an honorable mission.  He is my strength, my support, my everything.  He is my Eternal Companion.

DAY 2  I am thankful for my Testimony.  I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon).  I believe in a Father in Heaven who loves us all.  I believe in our Savior Jesus Christ and that he was sent to earth to atone for us and to help us return to live with our Father in Heaven.  I believe that Joseph Smith was a Prophet who restored the Gospel back onto the earth.  I believe that he did see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove.  I believe that our Prophet Thomas S. Monson was called of God and leads us today.  I believe in the sanctity of marriage between a husband and wife. I have a testimony of Eternal Marriage and that Trevor and I were sealed together by the proper authority back on December 16, 1999, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple and now our children our sealed to us.  I believe that Families can be Together Forever.  I am grateful for the knowledge that I have regarding my loved ones who have passed away and that I will see them again as long as I keep my temple covenants and the commandments and endure through my trials.  I KNOW that I am a Child of God.  I have felt that special witness that the Book of Mormon is true and I have felt the Holy Ghost in my life to confirm all these things to be true.  I KNOW my Savior loves me and is there for me when life gets rough.  Of this I TESTIFY.


DAY 3  I am thankful for good health.  I have been blessed with good health and so has Trevor and my children.  We have all gone through things here and there, but we all recover and move on.


DAY 4  I am thankful for my house.  When we looked to buy a new home a few years ago I would have never imagined or considered moving two doors down from my in-laws, but we did.  Let me explain-it's nothing against them-honest.  I love my in-laws very much.  We did not want to live THAT close to any family, including mine.  We wanted to move to a home where we could establish our own roots and not be tied to anyone.  Well, long-story-short, both Trevor and I both had an overwhelming confirmation from the Holy Ghost that we were supposed to buy this house.  I even lost a best friend for a while over this purchase...it broke my heart for many years (things are on the up and up now).  Anyway, my home is not the fanciest, it's not the biggest, it's not the newest; I have carpet up the walls in one of the rooms, I don't have a garage, I have to share a bathroom with kids, but it's my HOME.  I love my HOME, I love my neighborhood, and I love that my kids can run to grandma and grandpa's house to get Popsicles when it's hot.  I am thankful for my house, because my house is our HOME.


Day 5  I am thankful for modern technology.  I always say that I could have been a pioneer woman-I could camp, I could use a make-shift potty, I could fish (I wouldn't eat the fish...), but I would have died during childbirth.  An emergency c-section saved my life and my oldest son's life.  I am grateful for the Doctor who developed an alternative way to giving birth and also for the doctor who perfected the bikini cut incision so that recovery was minimal.  Modern technology is a miracle for me-and I now have 4 healthy children because of those advancements. 


DAY 6   This one is for my friend Amanda-here is the link to her blog again.  I am grateful for Adoption.  Because of this miracle, Amanda and Jared are the parents to two beautiful, wonderful, miraculous little boys.  I watched from the sidelines and read Amanda's blog about the pain and sorrow they have felt dealing with infertility, only to be rewarded with the joy and peace of having those two boys being placed in their homes, their hearts and their lives.  I am grateful for those birth mothers who trusted in the Lord and were lead to Jared and Amanda.  These two are wonderful people and have gone through many trials and have been truly blessed.  Check out her blog, because I am not doing it justice-she is much more articulate, heart-felt, emotional and real.  Adoption is wonderful.  To quote Amanda, "I heart Adoption"

Let the party begin...

It seems like every year I help out at my kids' preschool Halloween party and this year was no exception.  I got to go hang with my favorite 3 year old at school and play games, eat pizza, get candy AND I did all this while dressed up as Cinderella.  You should have seen ALL the little girls with their big grins when they saw me.  One little girl could not keep her eyes off of me and she would sit by me or walk by me all that she could.  It was sooooo cute.  I think it made Lolo proud to have her momma there, too.  Miss Lori and Miss Melanie do a superb job when it comes to class parties, and I have so much fun being apart of it.  Lucky for me I have the opportunity to do this three more times, before this era is over me-kinda sad, actually.  That just means my kids are growing up. 

Cinderella and the cutest cowgirl EVER!

Check out the Easter Basket....

 I was in charge of Pin the Wart on the Witch

Group picture...

Miss Melanie and Miss Lori

Instead of losing a glass slipper (which I do own courtesy of a pageant I got talked into entering years ago), Cinderella lost her gloves.....

Now off to the BOO BLAST at the elementary school.  The Boo Blast was a HUGE success.  Let's just say the PTA raised much more money than we had anticipated.


 

CRAZY...

This week is Red Ribbon Week-a week where schools talk about being and staying drug and alcohol free.  Each day the kids get to do something fun or wear something fun-yesterday was crazy socks day, today is crazy hair day.  Sporty wore two different baseball socks pulled up to his knees with shorts (the temps were in the 40's) and Diva wore funky striped tights.  Today, I got to gel, wax, spray, tease, and spray again both of their coifs til my heart was content.  Here is the finished product:

Sporty looks like Pauly D from the Jersey Shore-I don't know what is worse: that he looks like Pauly D or that I know who Pauly D is....I DO NOT watch Jersey Shore.  FILTH

Sporty was not in a very chipper mood and Diva's chipper mood is ruining it all.

I didn't say it was pretty-only CRAZY!

What to do...

What do you do when your child or children ABSOLUTELY refuse to cooperate in some form or another?  Better yet, what about when they conspire against the parents?  That is EXACTLY how I am feeling right now about my adorable children.  Sometimes I think my little monkeys get together in the night and make a plan on how to make me go beserk.  It usually starts in the morning-they get up, get ready for school, and as they are leaving I ask, "Is your bed made?  Did you put your pj's away?" which is followed by a unanimous, "OH MOM!  WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE TO SCHOOL!  CAN'T THAT WAIT TIL WE GET HOME?"  Hmph.  Mind you, it's 8:07 am, school does not start until 8:30 and we live 2 minutes away-literally 2 minutes away, walking.  I stand my ground and point out that they were all up by 7am, so they have plenty of time and HAD plenty of time to complete this task.  They begrudgingly stomp back inside and make their beds and then they are off by 8:11.

So, during school hours I tidy up, sweep my kitchen floor for the first time of about 40 times throughout the day, and try to keep Hurricane Z-man from destroying my house, as well as deter tornado Lolo.  I swear, I can leave one room and come back in 2 minutes and it's been devasted by a 16 month old.  In an ealier post I alluded to the fact that Z-man has discovered my cupboards.  Not only has he discovered them, but all of a sudden it's a carnival game of "Who can clear out the cupboards as fast and as loud as you can".  I can hear crash, boom, thump, sometimes a wimper when he drops a pot on his foot, bang and slam.  So as I am teaching Z-man to "clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere...."  Lolo is somewhere else in the house, plotting my next break down.  Tag team.

Flash forward to after school...I am sprawled on the floor, my hair is a mess, my makeup probably isn't on (unless I had a PTA meeting which forced me to get ready), I may or may not be in my Juicy Sweats (after all, they are the comfiest), toilet paper is hanging from the rafters, balls are being thrown across the floor, paper is being scattered, children are running around squeling with delight or with fear, can't tell anymore, food is spilled on the counter, the bathroom water has been left on, the baby is playing with boats in the toilet, etc, etc, etc.

So this scenario is OBVIOUSLY exaggerated, but the feelings of being overwhelmed are not.  Sometimes I do feel helpless, sometimes I am totally on top of my game.  Each day is different, but all days are counted a blessing, even when I can't even think straight.  I truly am blessed:  blessed to have been able to carry four wonderful, crazy, beautiful children; blessed that every single one of them is healthy; blessed that they have a father who loves them AND me; blessed that we have a roof over our heads and an income to keep it there; blessed to have family close by that can help alleviate some of my stresses; blessed to have a father who told me I started out life as a BIG STINKER but turned into a wonderful mother (although I don't always feel that way); blessed to have a mother who informed me that she too felt like a failure, felt stressed, felt inadequate, that I am normal and she is there to support me; blessed to have in-laws who offer encouragement as well.

I didn't really intend for this to turn into a pity party, but I needed to get some of these feelings off my chest.  I will admit that I am not Superwoman.  I think I try to be at times-who doesn't.  I am not crafty, I am not always organized, but sometimes I totally am organized (I like lists), I always have the laundry completed, but not the ironing.  I HATE IRONING!  My bed is always made, but my bathroom could use some help after I have been in there getting ready.  I am not perfect, and I can admit it.

So, back to my original question now that I have gone off on a mental tangent, what to do??  Love them.  They grow up too fast.

Look what I found

Z-man has discovered the oven drawer and EVERY OTHER cupboard as well.

COME ON DOWN...

I wish I was the next contestant on the Price is Right.  I don't know if I am squeely enough to actually get on the game show.  I am definitely spazzy enough...ANYWAY, we have taken the advice of Bob Barker..."Help control the pet population.  Have your pet spayed or neutered."  We will, we have, it's finito.  Our cat, Miss Callie, underwent that  procedure yesterday.  She is about 16 weeks old and I have noticed all the pimp daddy Tom Cats hangin' around my corner and I am not liking that...SO, ring, ring, Hello, Vet, I need to get my kitty spayed, IMMEDIATELY!  His answer: Sure thing.  Bring her in with your first born child and a credit card and we can get it taken care of...

Okay, bad scenario, but BASED on a true story.  All went well, there will be no kittens in our household.  Just a drunk kitten with a bong on her head.  It's actually really funny to watch her walk around-especially as the anesthesia was wearing off.  Even now she doesn't have peripheral vision with the cone on so she mis-judges her food dish and falls over it, or steps in her water and freaks out, or just runs into the downstairs fridge.  I am really going to get punished for laughing at her misfortune.  In all seriousness, though, I did stay up til 11pm to make sure she got her pain meds and then I held her while I watched "The Misfits" starring Marylin Monroe and Clark Gable.  She purred and slept on my lap for another half hour or so, then I gently laid her on her bed in the storage room and said good night.  Seriously, motherly instinct just never leaves.

First time in a pet porter and she did not like it.

She looks kind of like a dranged Bo Peep

This happens everytime she eats...

Watch out Napoleon...

This summer my kids saw "Napoleon Dynamite" for the first time and I have never seen them laugh so hard at a movie. Now my girls are constantly reciting lines from it. Here is Lolo with her impression of Napoleon...

Beautiful Fall

Today I took my kids up to Snowbasin Ski Resort for the day...It was sooooo beautiful.  Fall is my FAVORITE time of year-the crisp air, the sun, and of course, THE COLORS!!!  I actually FORGOT my camera and then I left my cell phone in the car and we were all ready at the top of the Gondola, so I couldn't just run back down-no matter how much in running shape I am (bwah hah hah).  My mom and I brought the kids' bikes and we let them ride around the little obstacle course for some time, then we went to the top of the mountain and went on a walk.  There is a very easy trail that even my baby could walk on without help.  He did the whole thing too!  We played on the rocks, threw rocks, peed on the rocks (Sporty had to go!) and just had a fantastic family moment.  We even got to see a wedding take place out on the patio-the bride was beautiful! 
The whole thing was orchestrated by my mom for the entire family to come-my brothers, sister, dad, etc.  However, Tad and his family all came down with the crud we all had last week, Ty went to Moab, Lyndi got a date, and my dad was called into work.  So it was Sandi, me and the kiddos.  It just dawned on me that you are probably wondering where Trevor was through this entire thing....He had baseball games and then he went to the Priesthood Session of conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He always attends with his dad.  Here is a clip of one of the talks from the April 2010 session
So anyway, it was a pleasant day which will lead into a pleasant tomorrow when we get to watch conference on TV.  I love conference Sunday and listening to our Prophet speak.  Here is one of his talks.  President Thomas S. Monson is a very prolific speaker.  AMAZING!
I love my family!

Behind the Times..

So I was feeling kind of bad yesterday because I couldn't go to the Relief Society Broadcast due to illnesses.  Well, I was dinking around on the web and found on lds.org that it streams the broadcast live.  LIVE!  I was able to watch it live on my puter while playing on the floor with my littl buddy.  That little piece of knowledge made.my.day!  I am sure it's not a new concept, but it was for me and it made me happy.  Being able to listen and even watch our leaders bear testimony of our Savior and of His Gospel gave me renewed hope and strengthened my testimony of Him.  Hooray for technology!

Fantastic!

Today is the Annual Women's Conference for the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I have two tickets and am taking my sweet mom to go to the Conference Center in SLC to listen to the amazing talks which have been prepared.  I have a sitter for the kids and am ready to go.   Or am I.  NO!  I am soooooo bummed, but my sweet baby boy is STILL pooping like it's going out of style, and now I have an awful sinus infection.  Truth is, I would still go with the SNOTS and all, but I can't leave Z man with a sitter when his poop looks like something out of a nuclear waste site-and smells like it too!  I know, TMI, TOO GRAPHIC.  So I will have to for-go this year-sniff, sniff-and try to catch it on the BYU channel at a later time.  But, my son's health is more important-and more important than that, my sitter's health and not having to be decontaminated after having to change Z man's diaper.

moments

Do you ever have those moments where you think about what needs to be accomplished that day (big or small) and just get overwhelmed?  I am talking about the wanna call my mamma-grab a blankie-put on the sweats and snuggle up on the couch overwhelmed.....  Thought so.

Poor me...

This morning Sporty informed me that his tummy was quite upset...so I let  him stay home.  After all I wouldn't want him to get anyone else sick nor would I want him to be known as the "that boy who pooped his pants"  the rest of his life.  By the way, he would DIE if he knew I wrote that last line. 

Then, I could hear Z man calling out "mamma, mamma!"  He has the sweetest little voice when he wakes up first thing in the moring.  I walk in and get HIT by a BRICK WALL of putridge smelling vomit.  BLAH!  Apparently he puked in the night and didn't wake up nor did we wake up.  POOR KID! 

Now I am stuck at home when I had every intention of running errands on behalf of the PTA (yeah did I mention I am the Co-President???) because this is the only day I have free.  The ironic thing is that neither one of the boys act sick...

Peace

Trevor and I went to the Temple last night and all I have to say is....PEACE.  I haven't felt that calm and peaceful in a long time.  I love that feeling of love, quiet, stillness, inner joy...peace.

Couple's retreat

Every couple needs a get-away, and ours was at the Johnson's Mill Bed and Breakfast, courtesy of Trevor's parents.  For Christmas they gave us a gift certificate here to use within the year, so we took advantage of it the first weekend in September.  We had a FANTASTIC time!  The place is so quaint and charming, and the breakfast was DELICIOUS!  Seriously-I like food and all, but this particular breakfast was to.die.for.  For me to blog about it means it really meant something to me. 

Trevor's goofy side...no pun intended.

I was afraid that if I got too close they might chase me and then I would have to submit a video to America's Funniest Videos..

This was about the only picture that didn't cut off half my face.  Trevor is tooooo tall.

The balcony on the left was our room.  It was called the "River bottom" room.

Had to throw in the romantic picture. It'll probably embarrass Trevor.  SORRY!!!  But I am not ashamed to show my 3 followers that I love you!!!

This was on our nature walk.  It really is a pretty place and it's located in a BEAUTIFUL valley.  Thanks Roger and Annette for the gift and THANK YOU to my mom and dad for keeping the kids AND the dog.