In a nut shell...

Washington DC 2013

 

Z-man's 4th birthday

 

Disneyland 2013

 

Sea World 2013

 

Huntington Beach

 

Mission Beach San Diego

 

Angels' baseball game 

Fireworks

Bear Lake 2013

Zermatt -Midway Utah

First day of School  Lolo-1st, Diva-3rd, Sporty-6th

 

Crazy, yet fun summer.  It went by way too fast :)

 

 

 



Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day at our house is typical-I go shopping for what I want then tell my family "thanks" for the wonderful gifts they gave me, while they all have a perplexed look on their faces.  I'm sure they were thinking, "Mom has officially lost it.  We didn't buy her all those clothes.  We made her this coupon booklet, this certificate for good behavior that I will ignore, and dad bought her flowers.  Yet, we haven't even given them to her yet." :)

The day was a nice one.  We were able to spend some time with my mom and with Trevor's mom, and though it was nice, the soul-touching moment came with the gift we gave my sister.

I have mentioned before how my sister is a birth mom.  While things are going well with Lyndi and the whole adoption, emotions are still raw and very much at the surface.  Sporty and I decided to get her a necklace with a mustard seed in it.

The scripture that goes with it is:  Matthew 17:20 "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

Sometimes I feel my sister loses sight of some promises that were made to her (we are all human) and when I saw this necklace I knew we needed to give it to her and remind her to keep the faith.  Well, on Mother's Day Sporty gave her the necklace and said, "Remember to keep having faith."  Lyndi immediately burst into tears.  Sporty felt AWFUL and came running to me and told me how guilty he felt and he was sorry.  After I explained WHY she was teary and reassured him that he had not done anything wrong, he was able to go on his merry little way, but not before getting a hug from his Auntie.

I had a thought that went through my mind at that moment:  My sister still needs our support and she needs our love and prayers.  After all, we all get caught up in the world and sometimes can't see the big picture of our Heavenly Father's Plan.  I'm no different.  I feel guilty that I'm not that crafty mom, that creative mom, that awesome mom who NEVER yells at her kids.  I'm grateful for a talk that was given in Sacrament Meeting yesterday that did not make me feel like a failure, but instead gave me hope that I don't have to be Martha Stewart to be an awesome mom.  And in all honesty, I've never tried to be Martha Stewart or anyone like that-but I wish I was more apt to "play" with my kids.  I'm the mom that coaches my kids' sport teams, that pitches to my kids to hit, that wants a day all by myself, that loves my kids but am soooooo ready for them to go to bed by 8pm.  I just want to not yell-I'm a yeller.  So maybe I need to take that mustard seed necklace and remind myself to keep the faith and remember the promises that were made to me in the Temple and every time I take the Sacrament on Sunday.  I need to have faith in the bigger picture and just love and appreciate my family. 

So on that note:  Happy Birth Mother's Day and Happy Mother's Day!

Love

    Happy Valentines Day! 

From our family to yours!

ps not sure why I can post pictures now

I am so so so so far behind

I'm like a broken record.  I am so far behind and have so much to say!
First of all, I am ticked that I cannot upload anymore photos.  I shouldn't have to pay to show the world  few people my cute photos.  I just shouldn't have to do it. 

Second, a horrible tragedy struck the United States and very close to home here in Utah.  Sandy Hook Elementary was the site of a mad gunman who shot innocent children and adults.  One of those innocent children was Emilie, and her parents are family friends.  So, like the rest of the State, Country and even world, Trevor and I were praying for a family (and the others) and trying to make sense of a senseless act.  We were able to attend the Wake and Funeral for this little girl and shed tears with her parents, her grandmother and her aunts and uncles that we know.  Horrible-no one should ever have to go through this.  How grateful I am for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge we have of Eternal Families and for the Comforter who is there to, well, comfort them during their time of need. We are still praying for this family and I don't think we are going to stop.

Third, Christmas came and went without too much of a hitch.  No one was sick on Christmas Day like last year, but we were on the surrounding days.  AND Trevor had to coach a basketball tournament all week.  The only time I get my husband during the basketball season and baseball season combined and he is off to Salt Lake City from dawn to dusk coaching.  BLAH.

Fourth, New Year's was pretty chill.  I took the boys skiing and then we came home to a good old fashioned family New Year's Eve Party at home.  We played games and drank sparkling cider.  All the makings of a fabulous PARTAY!

Fifth, Sporty has caught the skiing bug.  OY.  I thought baseball was going to be expensive; skiing is killer.  Thankfully Utah has a program where you pay $25 and your child can ski every resort in Utah three times for free as a fifth grader and once each as a sixth grader.  I can handle that cost.....for now.

Sixth, I hate January in Utah.  It should be changed to Inversionary.  It's icky and ucky and I can't stand the dirty air.  BLAH.

Seventh, February has started out a bit better-massive snow storms that have cleared out the gunk temporarily have helped, Diva will be getting baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I get to take a girls weekend with three of my awesome gal pals :)  CAN'T WAIT!  I don't handle the gloomy weather very well so this will be a nice getaway.

Did you read that last paragraph carefully?    I GET TO GO AWAY FOR A WHOLE WEEKEND!

Thanksgiving

November has come and is almost out of here!  Where in the world has the time gone!  We have so much to be grateful.  When my heart is in the right place it is extremely full.  Sometimes I have to snap myself out of the beginning of a pity party when I start to dwell on one trivial trial-hey, I am honest and I am human .  As much as I am a positive person, I occasionally give in to temper tantrums.  Who doesn't?  You are lying :)
Some things I am grateful for:
*My family.  Sometimes my kids and spouse (hee hee) can drive me BA-NANAS!  But at the end of the day, they are the most important.  I love each one of them.
*My house.  It's not the newest nor biggest, but it's ours; it's a home; it's safe and protects us from the elements; it's comfortable.
*Our vehicles.  Have I ever mentioned how I feel like a used car lot.  We have 4 vehicles: 2 trucks, a sedan, and a suburban.  We have 2 (TWO) drivers.  In our defense, one truck is a work truck, the suburban is mine and Trevor has the other two for him. 
*Our health.  In a world where everyone knows someone with a debilitating disease, we feel blessed that we just catch a cold every now and then.
*My hubby's income.  Again, in a world where so many people are out of work or underemployed we are grateful for the income that provides for us. 
*Our extended families.  We both have very good in-laws that love us and support us in all we do. 
*Our friends.  We have some of the greatest friends who have amazing listening skills, who can make us laugh, who can related to us and our craziness!
*Our horses.  There is nothing better than a ride up the trail with all six of us.  Great family time.
*Our dog, Belle.  She's a nut, but she brings smiles to all of our faces.
*The Gospel.  Our membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Without our Savior we would have none of this, or at least not have gratitude for all of it.  Everything comes from Him and for that I am eternally grateful.

Of course there is more, but the list would just go on and on and on and on and on and on.....

Thanksgiving Day was wonderful:  Dinner at my brother's house with all the family and a friend of my mom's.  I hope we didn't scare her away :)  We can get a little obnoxious playing games and goofing around. 
The next day we hopped in the truck and drove up to the mountains to find our perfect Christmas tree.  Well, we found one....all 40 feet of it!  I will have to post a picture later-for some reason it's not letting me do it now-it says I have run out of storage space, HUH?


Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Updates

I figured I should jot some thoughts down while my two naughty, er, beautiful children were sitting in time-out.  Oh, some days I wonder....that's all, just wonder.

The pups all went to their  homes.  I feel so blessed that I had a good feeling about each owner.  All were going to homes where they would be hunting or homes with lots of children to give them lots of loves.  One pup went to a couple that planned on having her as a house dog-apparently they have had lots of labs as house dogs and thoroughly enjoy having them inside all the time.  I say, to each his own.  Belle does get to come in and enjoy the home, but she is definitely an outdoor dog.

Halloween came and went.  It was the warmest Halloween ever.  I believe the temp was 75 degrees.  I will take that any day.  Tomorrow we are supposed to get a huge snow storm, so now I can listen to Christmas music without feeling too guilty :)

Sporty and one of his baseball buddies-Chip-needless to say, he is quite entertaining



My little ninja fell asleep around 6pm and didn't wake up until the next morning.  When he woke up he asked if we were going trick-or-treating.  Poor kid-missed Halloween.

Sporty has started basketball and he is on a great team this year.  His coach is a really great coach.  His team consists of a mix of baseball team members and football team members.  It's really fun to watch them play and it's more fun for Sporty to have his sport buddies on his team.  He bonds so easily with his teammates and he truly loves them all.

Diva has started basketball as well.  BRAGGING MOMENT:  Diva is a very good athlete.  She is very competitive and she has the drive to do well, alot like Sporty.  I am her coach and I am really enjoying my team.  These girls work so hard and play with a lot of spunk.  We are even 3--0, which at this age really doesn't mean anything, but heck, we are undefeated.  I have twin towers which is awesome and then I have 2 half-pints that are cuter than snot.  They get in there and strip the ball away from the opponent-it.is.awesome!

Lolo is doing very well in Kindergarten.  She still has no Zilch, ZERO, NADA desire to play soccer or sports for that matter.  That's okay, really.  She has started to play the piano and she wants to play the violin.  Good enough for us :)

Z-man is, well, out of control. He's gotten away with being crazy and encourage by uncles to be crazy for so long that it has kind of become him. We are trying to tame the beast without killing the spirit :)

Here we are in a nutshell.  Yes, we are just a little bit nuts, too.  Well, I am.

So much...

There is so much going on and I am over whelmed.  All pups have been sold and will go to their new homes in two weeks. PHEW!
Sporty played football and made it to the play-offs, only to get beat by ONE amazing kid (his team was good, no doubt, but this kid was A-MAZING!).
Diva is playing comp soccer and her team is fantastic.  They have won all their games and tied once.  Not bad for a bunch of 7 year-olds.
Lolo is enjoying kindergarten and sings all the time.  She sings conversations which is so funny to hear but the siblings get annoyed very easily. 
Z-man is my right hand guy, especially when it comes to the pups.  He loves to help feed them and hold them and MAUL them.
Trevor is busy teaching, taking a class, and, oh yeah, being the 2nd councilor in the bishopric.  This will be get interesting as basketball and baseball get started.  I really am a coach's widow and now a bishopric's widow.
All is well, all is well-at least that is what I tell myself as I lay in the corner, in the fetal position sucking my thumb....

Look Who is Here!!!

We are soooo excited to announce the arrival of 9 pups!  They arrived on Friday August 31, 2012, starting at 6:50 pm and ending at 3:43 am.   And yes, I did assist on the births.  It was actually kind of gross but cool at the same time.  My kids were able to witness a few births as well.  There are 5 females and 4 males.  All are healthy and beautiful.  Belle is one amazing momma and I couldn't be more proud!

 

 

 

Look how pink they all are-like little piglets!

 

This is Stalker-the proud papa :)

 

Here is Belle-she's exhausted.

2 weeks old.  Their eyes just opened and their personalities are starting to come out.  So fun!

 These pups are so blasted adorable and fun!  I actually did not sleep the first week of their life-I was a nervous wreck!  I ended up getting sick, sick, sick and am now starting to feel better.  We are sure enjoying them and it is so funny listening to them whine, yelp, bark, growl, and howl.  They are beginning to wrestle with each other and play each other-oh.so.adorable!

Puppy watch continued

By golly I am getting a little anxious-still no pups, yet Belle is showing EVERY.SINGLE.SIGN of labor.  I guess I have a skewed sense of how slow labor can be, after all, I had all c-sections.  In at 8am out by 8:30-lickety split.  Maybe tonight???

Puppy watch 2012

This is Belle-our NOW calm Lab.  Who knew that knocking her up would calm her down so much.  So much so that she's been sleeping in Sporty's room at night and she does not get off her bed.

This sweetie is due this week with her first litter of puppies.  Exciting!!!  Our kids cannot wait and frankly, neither can I.  I think I am nesting just as much as she is.  I have been buying blankets, heat lamps and other items just to get ready for the arrival.  I have put all her blankets in her whelping box, cleaned out the kiddie pool (back up if needed), and I check on her hourly if she isn't by my side in the house.  I think I am a nervous Grandma :)

This is Belle when she was about 2 weeks along-she just wanted to lay here ALL.DAY.LONG.

This picture was taken yesterday-she looks and acts like she is 9 months pregnant. I can totally empathize with her.   However, when she is outside she is still bouncing around, following us around, playing, and being so sweet :)

 

 

 

Isn't she gorgeous?  These puppies are gonna be beautiful :)

Good luck baby girl-I will post pictures once the wee ones arrive!

Overview

June:  Warm, lots of baseball, and I mean LOTS OF BASEBALL.  Between Trevor and Sporty our life was baseball.

July:  Hot, Bear Lake (twice), Camping (I am officially too old to tent camp anymore-bring on the condo living), Lava Hot Springs, Willard, Golf, Family Reunion and did I mention hot?

I have been slacking in the picture department, but I make a vow to do better.  After all, I have a fabulous looking family :)

Heart break

It's with sadness that I post this-Grandma W passed away on Thursday August 2, 2012.  She had been battling many illnesses from some time, some even for years, but a recent illness put her in the hospital for about 5 weeks and she just couldn't overcome it.  We love you Grandma-we will miss you, but your memory and your love with stay with us every single day!  To Grandpa-we love you and pray that our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, wrap their arms of love, peace and comfort around you until you can be with your Eternal Sweetheart again.

Thought this could be an interesting post...

The kids are all nestled on the couch to my side,
watching the Olympics, oh what a ride.
Thinking I could entertain with my writing charm,
I was OH.SO.WRONG, as my children cause each other harm....

Not bad, eh?  I really had every intention to post about the crazy and fun stuff happening in our household, but, alas, my children have decided to not cooperate and sit and be kind and be quiet and listen and show love and cheer on the U.S. and not touch each other and just act like robots that must follow every and all of my commands. 

Shall I try tomorrow?

I heart adoption pt 2

I do not know why Blogger won't let me put "I <3 adoption".  Instead it puts the first line of the post... 

Due to some certain circumstances, visitors were limited. And, little EK had to be in the NICU-don't worry, she was fine.  Lyndi had to get a crap load of antibiotics towards the end of her labor and it's hospital policy to put the infants in NICU for observation, or something like that.  ANYWAY, Aunt Margee and cousin Nicolette came to visit and see this precious little girl, but in a very sterile, non-fun room.  We also had to be quiet while we were in there and that is something we don't do well.

Even if we did have to see her in the NICU we were grateful for that time with her.  And if I wasn't so blasted behind on all this blogging stuff I would have pictures of how darling she is today with all her chubbiness and I could tell you that she is doing fantastic and so is Lyndi.  Jared and Amanda are amazing people.  Til next time....

LIttle voices

There is nothing like listening to little voices getting along with each other.  Cousins are playing nicely...for now :)

Our little graduate

Lolo graduated from preschool back in May-we are so proud of her!  She worked so hard and it all paid off; she was her class Valedictorian!  Congrats my brown eyed beauty!  We love you so much!

Lolo and cousin K

Gpa Ted and Gma Sandi

Gma Net and Gpa Roger

Lolo and one of her besties.

This darling little boy is in love with Lolo-it was like pulling teeth to get them to take a picture together :)

Proud momma and poppa

Lolo and two best friends

Miss Lori-thanks for getting our kids ready for Kindergarten!!!