Becoming a troll!

We had a very interesting week, and a wonderful one. I was able to attend the wedding of a friend, in San Diego. Brett found out he has to have surgery again on his knee. Lexi had her second dance performance of the Nutcracker. The list goes on. We had a peaceful and relaxing Christmas spent with family. And, we decided to de-junk.

In the process of de-junking we decided to put the kids in the same room, and make the other room a toy room, in order to contain some of the messes. The only problem with this is that Derrick goes to bed before the other two. So, we adjusted their bed times in order to make it work. Last night was the first night, and it went okay. Lexi cried for 20 minutes, but fell asleep fine. Derrick got jealous that I was snuggling the other two, and would not go to sleep until he got to join in the cuddle fest. Dillan wanted to talk all night. However, they all eventually went to sleep. Tonight, Lexi had just woken up from a long Sunday nap when it was time to put the boys to bed. So, we put her in our room to watch a show while I put the boys to bed. It went okay. However, Lex is still up and it is almost midnight.

Brett turned on a movie to try and get Lexi to sleep, and said, "Let's see who stays up longer, me or you?" Lexi laughs and says, "Me, of course." Then she goes on to say, "But I won't stay up all night. If I stay up all night I will turn into a troll." We got a good laugh from that. She went on to explain that Derrick is exempt from this quandary because he is still a baby. She has such an imagination, always coming up with the silliest things. She tells funny stories.

They are growing up too fast. My baby turns 1 on Saturday, and I am feeling old as a result. Wonderful week, wonderful holiday, crazy busy time, always too much to do. Lots of love.

No go on Grad School for now

So, since many are asking, I thought I had better update on here. Grad School is not going to happen right now. Although I asked my past professors for letters of recommendation several months in advance of when I actually needed them, and although I asked 15 different professors for letters even though I only needed 3, I did not get a single letter.

UCSD won't accept an incomplete application, and without letters of recommendation, mine was incomplete. At this point I am not sure what I can do, so I guess I will keep harassing them, write a letter to the President of BYU about it, and go from there.

However, it is probably a good thing, as our family has plenty going on right now, and graduate school would only add to the stress! I am disappointed, but I will live.

My gratitude check!

Okay so this week is obviously Thanksgiving, and so the "thankful for's" are abounding, but today I had a gratitude check and felt like I should put it on here.

My day sucked. I spent the whole day in the car driving around, running errands, none of which seemed to get done. For example, I stopped at a store I needed something from, and they were not open. I went to return something, and had the wrong receipt. I went up to the Gateway to the Apple store to get an iPod fixed, and did not realize I needed to make an appointment first. It was a long, crappy day with whining kids, and messes that needed cleaning, and work that needed doing. None of which got taken care of.

I was in "Pity me" mode. I was ornery with my kids, my mom (who watched my kids last week while I was on vacation, yeah, what is my problem?) and just about everyone but Brett. I probably spent the better part of my day moping around about what a bad day I had. But guess what? I realized something... Sure I have a lot to do, but it is because I spent my entire last week out having fun with my husband on vacation while my friends and family helped me by taking care of my kids, etc. I am very blessed.

So sure...

My house needs cleaning, but at least I have one. This week my good friend had to move out quickly because of a problem with the construction on their house. So, hey, at least I am not trying to move my family right now. And there is stuff everywhere, but it is because I am still unpacking and getting back into real life mode.

My work is not done, but I have a job. I get overwhelmed and frustrated. I get upset when people borrow money and don't repay it, or want stuff from me when they are capable of getting things for themselves, etc. I get ornery when the work piles up, or I can't seem to find time to sit down and focus on my writing. But you know what? At least I have money to lend, I have income that pays the bills, I have friends who feel comfortable asking me for help when they are in need. I am doing something I love, and getting paid for it.

My kids were whining at me, but that is normal, and I am so blessed to have three beautiful children, who are healthy, smart, loving, and wonderful. Sure I get irritated with them, but would I really trade them? No.

I realized that I do have a lot on my plate, and I am juggling a lot of responsibilities that add to my stress levels, but they are all good things. I am a mom. I am a wife. I am trying to plan fun things, that I am privileged to be in a financial position, and have the kind of employment that allows me to do them. I have great parents who are generous with what they have. I have great in-laws who are always willing to help, and do what they can for us.

The point of my rambling: Life sucks sometimes, but I really do have it good. I am not struggling to keep my house or put food on the table. I am not in jeopardy of losing my job if I get a little behind. God loves me and has blessed me with an amazing family, generous friends, and a great life. So when my writers turn work in late, or someone in my family gets on my nerves, or the kids won't let me have more than a moment of peace, or I just want to give up, I am going to smile, and remember all that I have to be grateful for. At least until tomorrow anyway!

Cruise In Review

We got on the boat at about 12, and we ate some food!

On day two we had a dress up dinner. It was yummy!

On day three we got to Cabo San Lucas. This is our boat, the view from a different boat. Brett and I went on a Snorkel tour, and saw all the famous sites in Cabo, such as the arches, Lover's beach, and more!

What more you ask? Well, haha Whales! We saw a pod, or family, or whatever it was called, of three whales. They were humpback whales. They gave us quite a show. The whales were jumping out of the water, flapped their dorsal fins, etc. We followed them for about an hour watching them flip and swim.

We got to see a bunch of awesome shows, including an ice skating show, an impressionist, some comics, etc.

On day four we went to Mazatlan. We were accosted by a million people wanting us to buy things. We sailed to a little island to snorkel, we saw NO fish. We picked up shells, we laid on a beautiful beach, and enjoyed the sun. When the guy picked us up, we went sailing for a while, and it was really fun!

When we got back from sailing we went for a horse ride. Since Brett was bit as a kid, he was a little nervous, but the horses were really well trained. If we made a kissing noise them would gallop. A little heel to their flank and they would trot, which was horrible. If you said stop or woah, they would stop. And, the guy who owned them whistled, and they turned right around, and went straight back to the owner!

Day five we went to Puerto Vallarta, it was far less dirty and poor than Mazatlan, and we thought it was much prettier. The driving was just as scary, and the roads were cobblestone, so the ride was very bumpy. We decided to do the zip lines. There were 13 of them, and we had to hike up a mountain which we would zip line from side to side, and then when we got to the top we zip lined from the top to the bottom.

Once again we dressed up and had a nice dinner, after a long long nap! We took at least 3 hour naps each day, and it was great.
Yet another dinner. On this particular night I had lobster as my main course, and for my dessert! Go me!
This was the last night, at the variety show, followed by a nice dinner.
This is the family we had dinner with all week. Mom (Kathy) Dad (Gary) and their kids Christie and Nate, with their spouses Chris and Rachael. It was fun. They were great, and even though we intruded on their family in a way, it was great to get to know them, listen to them sing some karaoke, and the like!

Mexico cruise

As we fly back from LA, I thought I would take advantage of the inflight wireless internet, and update our blog about the cruise Brett and I went on for our anniversary.

Here it is:

Day 1: Okay, so we got up early, and flew to LA,this is us on the plane, excited to get away for a week without the kids.
So, the wireless is slow, and this is taking far too long. I will update when I get home. For now, enjoy this oh so wonderful picture of us on crappy Delta flights. They suck by the way. Hate the fact that you now have to pay $20 to check a bag, and so everyone carries all of their luggage on, and it takes an hour to get on your flight. Lame! More good stuff to come!

My Toy Story Family

This is what we decided to do for Halloween. I made costumes, with the help of my mom-in-law, and dressed as the toy story theme with mr. potatoe head, buzz, woody, jessie, and bo-peep. Of course the kids got their costumes totally dirty so I have to clean them before we can wear them to trick or treat. The kids have been very excited for Halloween, I think it is Dillan's favorite holiday because of all the candy.

The Crazy Time of Year

It is starting to come up on the crazy time of year where it seems like you flit from one activity to the next, and have your days filled with holiday planning, cleaning, socializing, and of course working. This weekend was a prime example. With family in town, a Halloween party, and of course FOOTBALL, we didn't seem to have a spare minute. In fact, all of this running around has gotten us feeling a little bit worn out.

It is late, and I just got the last of my kids to bed, so I thought I would take a minute it spit out some thoughts of what I am grateful for today:

1. My husband. He cleans, he plays with the kids, he works hard. He is wonderful!
2. Winder Farms. I was forgetting how difficult it is to go to the grocery store with kids, and I went twice this weekend. Thank heavens for home delivery. I love it!
3. A simple life. We started thinking about our housing situation, where we want to be, what kind of house, life etc. and all I can say is I am glad that it does not have to be complicated, big, expensive, or fancy if we don't want it to be.
4. Good friends. This week was crazy, and I am glad to have friendships to help make things easier. This week I am especially grateful for Nathalie. She gets me, she is giving, kind, and awesome.
5. Sleep. It is restorative, relaxing, and great. With my ribs out I have had a hard time getting good sleep, and when you are missing something it makes you really grateful for it.

There are plenty of other things to be grateful for as well. These just happened to be at the forefront of my mind. Good night. I look forward to yet another day of a teething baby (working on tooth number 3), a house that needs cleaning, and work that seems endless. Haha. Life really is good.

Rock, Paper, What?

As we sit in my Aunt's ward for a mission homecoming of Beau (my cousin), my kids are having a hard time paying attention. While there is nothing abnormal in this, the way they decided to entertain themselves was fascinating. They ate all the snacks, played with the toys, and read a few books, then started talking to their uncle about what they wanted for Christmas. John (the uncle), wants bionicles, Dillan wants Transformers, Lexi wants girl stuff.

This led to a discussion of which is better, bionicles or transformers. John was firm on Bionicles beating all. Then Dillan told John how he knows something even better. "JESUS! Nothing can beat Jesus." A little while later, they started playing rock, paper, scissors. Only Dillan doesn't like to lose, so they changed the game.

Rock, paper, Jesus! And Jesus always wins!

When Brett tried to beat Dillan with Batman, Dillan made it clear that even though Batman rocks, Jesus is still the conqueror. (And Yes, Brett was playing with the kids during Sacrament meeting.)

My Kids Really Are Funny Sometimes

So tonight Brett and I were watching a show, and Lexi comes in the room and asks Brett to put elbow and knee pads on her. Well, it was getting later, it was dark outside, so I asked her, "Are you going skateboarding lex?" And she said, "No, Me and Dillan are jumpin on the bed." Fully pads, helmets, let's just say they had a really good time, and it looks like a tornado swept through their room.

Anyone want to come and clean it up for me? I am sick of cleaning. Brett wants a house elf. Any muggles have any they want to share?

So Sleepy!

We spent an afternoon at the lake a few weeks back, and Derrick was very tired, so much so that he just leaned forward until he fell right to sleep. Awww so cute! Unfortunately, our days of fun in the sun out on the Seadoos are coming to an end. The weather is getting cold, and we have to winterize the Seadoos, and wait until next year to pull them out again. I guess we will just pass our time at Cornbelly's!

Our life lately

We have had a busy past few months. Dillan started Karate, but it does not fit our schedule very well, so he will have to wait a year to get into it. Alexis is in dance, and she LOVES it. We recently enrolled her in a second dance class because she wants to go so often. It is really fun to watch her have such an interest in something. Derrick got his first tooth, and is growing up. He pulls himself up on everything, and talks a lot. As for Brett and I...well, same old, same old.

The summer is coming to an end, and we are looking forward to the holidays, but not the cold weather!

Today I am posting a picture of Derrick because he is the one being left out of all the busy-ness. Alexis just started dance. She looks adorable in her tights, leotard, and skirt, and absolutely loves being a little ballerina. Dillan took a karate class, and the verdict is still out on whether or not he will like it. He has another class coming up next week to determine if he wants to continue. He is also going to try out a hip hop dance class to see if he likes that. Brett has taken up a new hobby, Frisbee golf, and is appearing to enjoy it, and I am just trying to keep up with all the laundry, work, and running around. We love our new sitter, and can't wait for preschool to start up again in a few days! Yeah for our busy lives, and poor Derrick, all this running around interferes with his napping schedule.

Swine Flu

Just an update for those interested. Derrick and I did get swine flu, the rest of the family has been fine so far. Lexi, has fared the best out of all of us. We have been on Tamiflu for 3 days now, and while no one is feeling great, we are all doing much better.

Derrick's fever was at 104 for a few days, but is now gone completely. He is a little congested still, and coughs a lot, but other than that he seems fine. He was such a trooper, hardly crying at all, just a sweet little fuss.

After spending 2 days on my back in bed wishing I could die, I felt so awful, today I felt good enough to get up, clean a little, actually eat real food, and catch up on some movies.

We are still staying in until next Saturday, June 27, just to make sure we do not pass this to anyone else, if we can help it. However, we feel a ton better.

Thanks to everyone who was super thoughtful, brought over food, meds, sent well wishes, or called, emailed, texted, or facebooked your concern. We really appreciated the outpouring of love and support.

If anything new comes up I will let you know. For now, I am just grateful for this portal to the outside world, without the internet, my books, and my family I would be bored stiff!

Fam photos

DIllan's Graduation

Dillan graduated preschool. We are so excited that he now knows his ABC's. haha Preschool graduation? What is the world coming too? We will send notification when it is something a little more notable. For now, here are some dorky pictures!

We Are Home

We made it home yesterday after a long day of driving. We had a good vacation, lots of water fun. We are so glad to be home. We all missed Brett so much!

Poor Little Girl

So today I took Lexy to get her ears pierced. She has been asking for earrings for a few weeks, and so we went to the mall, and I figured it was a good time. She chose her earrings and was very excited to wear them. The lady had another girl come to help her so that she could get both ears done at the same time. Well, the first lady did her side, and the other lady didn't. So, she freaked out, and we got a puddle full of tears. She is fine now, and happy to have them pierced, but it was certainly not her happiest moment.

This morning my kids were being so funny I just had to write a post about it. I have been laughing all morning, which is a great thing.

Dillan came in while I was figuring out my plan for the day, and seeing the concentrated look on my face, he asked, "Mom, are you mad, tired, or stressed out?" 

Lexi came in a few minutes later, and was pouting, pretty normal for her of late. When I asked her what was wrong she said, "My cell phone is missing. I guess you have to get me a new one."

Life is good here. The kids are growing, we had to clean out all three of their closets to get rid of stuff they grew out of. Derrick is smiling a lot, and giggles on occasion. Brett is loving his new job position at Harvest, and we all love the perks of that. We are sick of the snow and wind and rain, and can't wait for summer. 

Failed Family Photos

look how funny lexy is being in this photo. She is so funny

This is the best one.

We wanted to get family photos done, but I dropped the ball and never found a photographer.Kiddie Kandids was a bit too frustrating of an option.  Brett only has one day off a week, so we decided to just have my mom take some, so that at least we would have some photos with all of us in them. What a joke!

Milk duds

Today Lexy was extremely sleepy, and really grouchy, and we were on our way to pick Dillan up from preschool. She did not want to go, so she kept saying, "I hate Dillan." So, after hearing her say it a few too many times, I told her if she says she hates someone again I would wash her mouth out with soap. She started to cry and said, "No, don't wash my mouth out with soap, wash it out with milk duds!"

Our first week with 3

This week has been insane, and while we have really enjoyed having a new child, we are glad that the week is over. Derrick has been a blessing and a joy. Brett went back to work this week, still on crutches, but only one now! Yeah! I am trying to work, with very little success. The kids love their new brother, Dillan sings songs to him, and Lexy smothers him with kisses and hugs.

Today Dillan and Alexis played Karate with Uncle Mark, and sure enjoyed his visit. They asked him to take them to Disney Land...the little stinkers.

We had a lot of visitors this week, and it was nice to see everyone, and have you all share in our joy over our new addition.

This is Derrick's mad face! Or his gassy face. He is a great baby, but he can yell.

This is our going home from the hospital picture.

Christmas

Christmas was so much fun! Everything in the week went wrong, and it was crazy, busy, and hectic, but we managed to enjoy it. So, now it is over and Alexis still asks if Santa is coming every night. It was great to see family, friends, and to enjoy the season, despite surgery, bad roads, and more.

Lexy was a little dazed on Christmas morning!

Ok, this is the last family picture we took before our sweet little Derrick was born...UUUGH so pregnant! Dillan always making his funny little faces.

I missed some posts, so I am updating. This is in St. George. Lexy is puppy kissing her daddy!