The Goldie's

11 months...

2011-10-15T22:48:00.000-04:00

Baby girl turned 11 months a few days ago. Lest I forget, I need to document some things:

-Cora makes me laugh every day. She's silly and random and already likes to play games. The other day I noticed that she had taken a few pieces of paper out of the garbage, left them on the floor, and crawled away. When I went to go pick them up a few minutes later, she was back and putting them back into the garbage can. She's in to everything and is busy and always makes a mess -- but at least she likes to clean up!
- She's not walking yet but is so close. She stands on her own for long peroids and walks along furniture.

- She still uses her feet to grab things, especially when she's laying on her back.

- She still eats baby food okay, but prefers real food. She loves our morning green smoothies and all fruits. She also loves noodles and yogurt. She's not too fond of veggies or bread or milk (which I know I'm not technically supposed to give her yet, but I cheat a little).

-Cora loves LOVES her brothers. She smothers them with hugs and kisses.

- We'll get her stats next month, but the girl is big for her age (in true Goldie fashion). She's already in 18-24 month clothes.

- She babbles and baby talks all day long -- I'm pretty sure she says "da-da" and "book" in their correct context., maybe, sometimes. ;)

-Her favorite game is to climb to the top of the stairs and yell for me to come and get her. She laughs and laughs and does it over and over. She also loves to play peek-a-boo and she loves books.

Now, some photos:

In one of her many silly moods...

Messes, messes...

My garbage sacks have since found a new home...

She loves to climb up onto the art table...

Putting the wipies away...

My big 11 month old!

...S...I...X....

2011-10-06T23:32:00.001-04:00

My biggest boy, my first born, my little helper, my dude with a 'tude had a birthday today.

Here's the 'tude I'm talking about--

Wish this wasn't blurry -- anyone want to teach me how to use my camera? Pretty please?

This is his first birthday where he's had to go to school. He didn't seem to mind but I was totally bummed. I like it when the whole day is dedicated to the birthday person. As it was, I made him pancakes for breakfast, ate lunch with him at school, took him to pick a book after school, watched him open presents, fed him his favorite dinner and dessert, took him to swimming lessons, and forced him to bed. I did let him have the day off of piano and chores, though. And we'll celebrate a bit more this weekend.

Nick loves games. We have family game night every Sunday evening and he LOVES it!

Sporting the birthday crown he got at school (and apparantly I let my kids sit on the table when it's their birthday)---

The boy loves legos! But his favorite present was the huge crane my mom gave him. And of course I don't have a picture of it.

Here are some random photos of him from the past year.

After much coaxing, he finally talked me into letting him get a buzz cut this summer. Nick loves to be outside, no matter the weather. I finally gave in after watching him sweat buckets in the heat over the summer. I didn't let him keep it but it might be a new summer tradition. I said might.

Nick learned how to swim over the summer and now he's taking lessons to learn the strokes. He loves any physical activity.

First jump off of a diving board (this was a huge deal for him. I may have mentioned a time or two or four hundred how he's scared of everything and everyone).

A rare moment of happiness between the two boys. Someday I hope they like each other for more than 5 minutes a day.

Nick has fallen in love with baseball over this past year. We went to a Bee's game while in Utah over the summer and he loved it.

Nick's very into science right now and loves discovering new things.

He loves cotton candy but seems to be sensitive to sugar and gets a stomach ache if he has more than a few bites of something sweet. This is just fine with me and I'm glad he recognizes this and listens to his body.

It's been a big year for Nick. Last night when I was decorating the house for his birthday I made a list of everything that's happened since he turned 5--

*Right after his 5th birthday he learned how to ride his bike sans training wheels. He LOVES to ride his bike and does so daily. I think it's given his a sense of freedom. The older and more independent Nick gets, the happier (and easier) he is (good for both of us!).
* Nick became a big brother again with the birth of Cora, and he's been such a sweet and attentive brother. Cora loves him and he adores her. He's such a great help to me!
* Nick started piano lessons and has progressed really well. I have to admit that I get so proud when I see him excel at this, but I'm trying not to be "psycho-music-mom". I'm really glad he likes it (most days).
* I also started teaching Nick to read using this book and he's doing great!
* Nick has lost 2 teeth and has 2 more that are loose!
* He's made some huge strides as far as his shyness is concerned. He really enjoys school and his swimming and piano lessons; he even sang and said his part in the primary program this year -- things that I had wondered in the past if I would ever be able to get him to participate in.
* Between the bike, the piano, and the teeth, I feel like we're really out of "little boy" phase and into
"kid" phase. Nick tries really hard to make good choices and do what's asked and expected of him. He has a very strong conscience and wants to please others (except for maybe at bedtime). He's still intense in every way and is learning how to deal with his very strong feelings. I love this boy and am so glad he's mine!

Happy 6th Birthday, Nick!! {photo, of course, by Katie}

Someone turned THIRTY

2011-09-14T15:01:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty sure that if I had ever asked Brad if he would like a surprise party, the answer would have been "heck no!" So I never asked.

You only turn 30 once, right? And when I asked him what he wanted, the only reply I got was "I want to watch the Penn State football game and the BYU football game." But that was clearly not enough for such a milestone. I know he wants an ipad, but that was clearly not an option either. So a surprise party is what he got!

I still can't believe I pulled it off. It took two weeks of secret planning and lots of help from friends. Here's how it went down:

I told Brad that we had to go to Max's birthday party on Friday night (Max is our best friends son). 2 hours before the party was to start, I dropped Nick at piano lessons and ran over to the park to set up. Much to my dismay, the park (which I didn't reserve because I'm cheap) was reserved and chock full of people! So I frantically called three of my best friends who then called and texted all the guests while I ran to another park which was, luckily, open. I hurriedly set up and ran home to pick everyone up. Brad's parents and sister and brother-in-law were in town and when I walked in the house his mom told me that Brad had just been called into work! His advisor wanted to go over his dissertation before a deadline he had coming up a few days later. Slight panic (again) on my part. Luckily he wasn't gone for too long and we were only about 25 minutes late to the party. When he saw the banner and all of our friends cheering for him underneath and realized what I had done and what was going on he just gave me a weird look. Let's just say there were no "that was such a thoughtful thing to do, thank you so much" kind of comments happening!

I am horrible at socializing and taking pictures simultaneously so I didn't get any great ones. I did take a few with my not-so-great camera after I set up.

Don't mind the unsightly duct tape-- this onning was covered with moss and this was only way I could get the banner to stick.

I set up a little collage of photos highlighting some special moments and people from Brad's thirty years of life:

We were so blessed to have Brad's family here and to have 60+ guests at the party. I snatched a few photos.

The inevitable man circle...

This is our favorite park that we'll miss sorely when it comes time to move. There's this great creek, a sand area, and a fun playground.

Mal (Brad's sister) just got married this last spring. It was fun to be around newly weds.

Here's my 30 year old husband! I had to take this photo for his resume. I really like him.

Here are 30 fun facts about Brad:
1- He says "ruh-roh". Instead of uh-oh. Yes you read that right. I am married to Scooby Doo.
2- He played football and basketball in high school. He also ran on the cross country team.
3- He loves BYU
4- He loves OHIO and anything to do with Ohio. He was a big Ohio State fan until going to Penn State (huge rivals). But he loves the Reds.
5- He never loses anthing. And when I lose things (fairly often) he can't do or concentrate on anything else until it's found.
6- He's really good at finding things ;)
7- He loves his mother (rightfully so).
8- He is a good brother to this 3 sisters and talks to them regularly
9- He's a little OCD about his wallet and his keys. He checks his pockets and/or bag 4 times before leaving the house to make sure they're there.
10- He owns 11 calculators
11- He can solve just about any math equation in his head
12- He loves numbers
13- He loves games
14- He wins at games about 98% of the time, no matter what game he's playing
15- He has pretty good taste in music, except for Kenny G and Elton John. He makes up silly songs and does silly dances all the time.
16- He played the trumpet
17- He's been in two musicals, The Fiddler on the Roof and Little Shop of Horrors
18- He's a home body -- he might not ever leave the house (other than school and church) if it weren't for me! ;)
19- His calling in our ward is to teach early morning seminary and he loves it
20- He loves sports
21- He loves politics and really enjoys bantering with people that have different view points as long as he feels like they know what they're talking about
22- He likes to read; classic novels and finance/economic books are usually what I see on his night stand
23- He likes TV and movies but is pretty picky about what he watches as far as inappropriate content is concerned (and I love this about him). He watches and enjoys girly movies with me, including the long version of Pride and Prejudice, Cranford, Wives and Daughters, and North and South, ect.
24- He coughs every time he sticks q-tips in his ears
25- He speaks Portugese in his sleep
26- He is hilariously and deliriously out of it when he is awakened in the middle of the night
27- He is a thoughtful husband; he often asks me what he can do for me and what he can do to make me happy.
28- He is a wonderful and attentive father and takes his role as father very seriously. He often talks about what kind of relationship he hopes to have with his kids as they grow and how he can help them accomplish their goals and be their best. All 3 kids adore him.
29- He would choose salty over sweet any day. He loves cheeze-its and pasta and chips with dip and bread and if he has to choose a dessert he'll choose no bake cookies or plain cheesecake with strawberry sauce.
30- When we were dating and he wanted to tell me he loved me for the first time, he chickened out and said "I more than like you." I still occastionally mock him about this, but I really think it's kind of sweet considering I am the only girl he's ever said that to!

Happy 30th Birthday to my wonderful husband! Here's to 30 more and beyond!

2011-08-31T23:02:00.000-04:00

This morning started out like any other..

A work out, a shower, breakfast, getting myself and the kids ready, ect.

But then something out-of-the-ordinary happened.

A bus came, and took my oldest baby away to kindergarten for 6.5 hours.

And just like that, my life as I have known it for the last 5 years and 11 months, has been changed forever...

I turned my baby over to the public school system...
He is now spending the majority of his wakeful hours with people I don't know...

Does this seem ludicrous to anyone else? I've spent his whole life controlling his environment -- what he was doing, what he ate, who he spent time with, what was being put into his sponge-like, beautiful head, ect. And now I'm expected to send him somewhere where anything can happen and be okay with it?!

If you can't tell, this whole kindergarten thing has been hard on me. I've looked endlessly into the local charter and private schools, debated the pros and cons of homeschool, and so forth.

But in the end, public school (and Brad) won. Because if I'm being honest with myself, I have to admit that his teacher is awesome. That there are only 17 kids in his class, plus a full time para-educator (basically a trained teachers helper). And that the public school system here is incredible and out-ranks all the private and charter schools. So I'm choosing to have faith instead of fear. And despite my all-out sob session this morning, I'm actually feeling surprisingly peaceful about the whole thing. Now time to document:

Yesterday was orientation, where we went to school with Nick for an hour and a half. Nick was in true "Nick-form" and was incredibly shy and uncooperative. His teacher had a little scavenger hunt for the kids to do with their parents to get to know the room and the morning routine. Nick wanted Brad by his side the whole time, even when the instructions were to sit on the rug and read a book while the other kids finished.

But when the teacher called the kids over for a story, Nick perked up a bit and listened attentively.

And when she told them to line up so they could go play on the playground with the para while she talked to the parents, he willingly obliged.

And after the meeting when we went to get him from the playground, he was a happy camper.

This morning it was time for him to ride the bus and spend the whole day at school sans parents. He was "a little bit nervous, but mostly excited." Here he is drinking his first-day-of-school-smoothie:

Walking to the bus stop, a few doors down...

Standing in line, waiting, waiting, waiting...

He put on his green jacket just in time for the bus to come --

going...

going...

gone.

It was a long day. Luckily, I have wonderful friends who spent the day with me. Even still, I don't think a minute went by where I didn't think of my boy. 3:04pm couldn't come quickly enough. And this view was a very welcome site!

He gave me a huge hug and then turned to his siblings:

He loved his first day! He said he wasn't scared once and is "excited to go back tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and all the rest of the days!" I'm proud of my brave big boy and I'm excited for all that he will learn!

My baby is how old?

2011-08-28T22:22:00.000-04:00

I can't believe Baby Girl is 9 months old. This milestone age always throws me for a loop, realizing they've been outside of me longer than they were inside. I wish time would slow down a bit!

It's been a huge month for Cora. A few days after turning 8 months she finally figured out how to crawl forward. She's now zooming around everywhere and I can tell she's very happy with her newfound independence. She's also started clapping, waving, pulling herself up on everything, and sprouted 3 teeth (the 4th is so close!). She loves patty-cake and peek-a-boo. And she's not a big fan of baby food unless she's starving. She would much rather eat "real food" and has done really well with the few things we've let her try. She is still very much a Mommy's girl and is happy affectionate and just plain adorable.

On the flip side, my good little sleeper is no more! I feel like I have a newborn again, trying to function in a constant state of exhaustion. I'm hoping when this teething phase is over and our summer travels are done she'll go back to sleeping through the night instead of waking up every two hours and/or staying awake for an hour or more in the middle of the night.

I plan to make a come-back to the blogging world this fall when we're back in our routine and life has calmed down a bit. This is a big year for us, with Brad finishing up his dissertation and going on the job market. Lots to look forward to. Until then, here are some pictures of my girl from this past month!

The Big 8

2011-08-26T06:47:00.000-04:00

8 years ago today I awoke at the crack of dawn, got ready, went to the temple and became a MRS. And boy do I sure like my MR.

On our 1st anniversary, whilst living in Denver, Brad took me to the Melting Pot and we fell in love with the food and the whole fondue experience. It's become our anniversary tradition. We can only afford it once a year and we look forward to it all year long! Because we don't have one very close to us in State College, we improvise a bit and go when we can. We've been to Melting Pots in Denver, Salt Lake, Cinncinnati, and Philadelphia. This year, while in SL, we discovered that my beautiful and wonderful cousin Chelsea and her hilarious hubby Marvin celebrated their anniversary 6 days before ours so we invited them along on our date. Chels and I are only a few months apart and have always been close. She's an amazing woman and mother and I love being with her!

It was great to leave the kids for a bit, laugh our way through a delicious dinner, and celebrate being US. The past 8 years have brought a lot of changes and adventures, and I wouldn't trade one second of them. I fall in love with this thoughtful husband, loving father, and wonderful man more and more each day.

Happy Anniversary to us!

2011-07-17T18:50:00.001-04:00

I'm a guest blogger on Rachel, Write Here today.

You can check it out here.

And here's a photo...just because I can't possibly post without one.

Nick, in the digger part of some sort of construction truck at this year's 'Touch-A-Truck.'

2011-07-11T00:27:00.000-04:00

I write blog posts in my head at least 3 times a week. Some are about my kids, some aren't. I actually have independent thoughts that don't revolve around motherhood. Amazing, I know. But as I'm trying to prioritize my life and give my kids a killer fun summer, I find that blogging is falling by the wayside, and when I actually sit down to do it, all I can muster is a boring update. But they're important to me, as this is the only place they're being recorded right now, so if I must, I must!

I missed blogging at Cora's 7 month mark. Here are some photos of her at 7 months:

In her 7th month of life, Cora started sitting independently, mastered the plank position as well as downward facing dog, and became an expert at rolling half way under the couch and getting stuck. We tried her in the jumper seat (seeing as how it entertained Chase for hours on end when he was her age), but she could take it or leave it (so we left it -- no room!).

And here's my baby girl at 8 months, in the outfit Granny Shanny bought her before she even knew I was having a girl!

At 8 months, Cora is:
- Crawling and scooting backwards, much to her dismay! My boys didn't crawl until they were 10 months old, so even this backwards business is earlier than I was expecting!
- LOVES, well, ME! And I must admit that I love that she's a mama's girl. She wants me to hold her, cries if I walk out of the room, and showers me with cuddles and open mouth sucking kisses.
- Babbles, ba ba ba ba, all day long, and pats pats pats everything she touches.
- Is getting more and more of an opinion each day and lets me know when she does or does not like something.
- Refuses to be held any way but facing out. Loves to see the action going on around her.
- Has selective stranger anxiety, especially when she's tired.
- Entertains herself incredibly well, still loves her brothers and daddy, and has a sweet and happy disposition.
Can't believe my baby is 8 months old! I wish I could freeze her as she is right now!

2011-06-08T22:46:00.000-04:00

Our little town claims to be the birth place of Memorial Day. Turns out that another dozen or so towns claim the same thing, but that doesn't stop us from celebrating. Every year there is a parade, craft festival, and carnival. This year Brad's parents came to see us and join in the festivities.

Nick has a very special bond with Grandpa Jeff. I think it's because he loves all the same things Grandpa Jeff loves, and Grandpa Jeff is always happy to include him in his activities. I caught them watching a nature show over the weekend and had to capture the moment. Nick is not what I would call naturally affectionate, which made this moment all the more special.

Grandma Debbie was so helpful with Cora, and Cora loved her and all the undivided attention!

My sweet Chase

Brad is the only person in the world that Nick loves more than Grandpa Jeff! *Side note: Brad 'made' me cut the boys hair a couple of weeks ago, claiming that Nick looked too much like Justin Beiber. :)

We've officially entered the "fake smile phase" with Chase. Oh, the joys.

My happy happy girl...

Hope your Memorial Day was enjoyable and that you enjoyed some feet for dessert as well!

Nick's 1st piano recital

2011-05-24T21:34:00.003-04:00

Nick's been taking piano lessons for a few months (he's had 9 lessons, to be exact) and had his first recital on Saturday. To ease his nerves we played a duet together. Those of you that know my sweet boy know what a break through it is that he actually performed, in front of real live people! We are so proud of him, not only for performing but for practicing the piano every day and for sticking with it even when he gets frustrated. Here's to many more years of lessons and for instilling a love of music (that's the goal, anyway!)!

Nick's teacher gave him an award for progressing so quickly and for doing beautiful arpeggio's...

Love this boy!

6 months

2011-05-22T22:49:00.001-04:00

There is a reason that the place I live is so beautifully green. It rains here. A.L.O.T. But yesterday it finally stopped, for the first time all week. There was yard work to be done, so I put Cora's sun hat on her and we spent some lovely time outside.

Cora...6 months...5/11/2011

18 lbs, 2 oz (75%)
28 and 3/4 inches long (off the charts)

*Rolls around everywhere, from tummy to back and back to tummy
*Almost sitting up unsupported
*Loves baby toys and binkies and her feet, and everything goes directly in her mouth
*Giggles and laughs, especially at her brothers
*Happy happy happy disposition
*Sleeps okay...waking up once to eat
*Currently dining on breastmilk (supplemented with formula because my body isn't producing enough), green beans, peas, carrots, and brown rice cereal
*Loves books, especially ones with pictures of other babies
*Loves to be sung to, especially "We are a happy family"
*Rarely spits up anymore (hurray!), and the drool has slowed down as well
*I hate to say it, but I think those eyes are not going to stay blue like I had hoped! They're currently a dark blue/gray-ish color
*Is beautiful and wonderful and makes us all so happy! We love this girly to pieces!

2011-04-28T00:19:00.001-04:00

My reasons for blogging this evening are two fold:

#1: Have you seen this documentary yet? Because you must! I'm pretty sure it's at every red box in the country.

#2: I'm looking to put together a killer sacrament meeting bag for my kids. I need your ideas. What's worked really well for you? We've had the same go-to bag for about 2 years now and we desperately need something new. I (read: Katie) am putting together a new photo/gospel book for them tomorrow. I'm also jumping on the file folder game band wagon. I don't want too much stuff, but if you have any great ideas, I'd love to know!

Okay, I lied. Three-fold. I just can't resist. I'm in Utah spending oodles of long-overdue time with my family. I'm still in awe that Katie and I had baby girls within two months of each other. Just look at how cute they are!

Frankie and Cora

Cora and Frankie

And because I'm with Katie, you can bank on many wonderful photos and a blog face-lift in the near future! :)

Cousins and Conference are the best

2011-04-03T23:04:00.001-04:00

You may or may not remember this post about the cousins my kids have on my side of the family. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention that my kids are lucky enough to have close to same thing on Brad's side too.

This is Ella. She just turned eight. Last weekend we went to "The Motherland" (Brad's affectionate reference for Ohio, in case you forgot), to see her be baptized (awesome) and her baby brother be blessed (also awesome).

After Ella comes Preston. Who would not, for the life of me, smile for my camera. But who is darling. And only 2 weeks older than Nick (Mindy and I had the same due date but she was lucky and went early).

And here's Brennen, who's less than 2 months younger than Chasey boy. And a red head. (jealous).

And finally, meet Griffin. Mindy and Phil's 4th child. About 3 months younger than Cora. Also a red head. (double jealous. you'd think with having it on both sides of the family that at least one of our kids would have red hair, right? wrong.)

And it's a good thing with all the boys running around that these 2 GIRLS have each other.

We love going to OH. The kids play themselves to exhaustion. Not only because of the cousins but because of the S P A C E. We're a little short on that in our little town home. Chase pretty much drives this car around Brad's parents house non-stop.

They make forts and chase Ella and go on hikes and wrestle with anyone that will let them (lucky that they have wonderful aunts, like Miranda).

There's always games involved in these trips. I love this shot of these three grown men begging Ella to sell something or buy something or give them something (I really have no idea. Monopoly -- not my kind of game).

I spent the better part of an hour trying to get a photo of Cora with her feet in her mouth. It's a constant these days, but she always pulls them out when I pull out the camera!

This weekend has been relaxed and conference filled, which I l.o.v.e. Yesterday I laid on the couch with Cora girl while Brad and the boys "quietly" did legos as we listened. So edified. So refreshed. So inspired.

This morning we made whole wheat banana-flax seed pancakes for our special conference breakfast and enjoyed a wonderful jammie day together. The next month will be family filled and

I C A N ' T W A I T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-19T22:15:00.000-04:00

The prep...

The feast (corn beef, cabbage, carrots, onions and red potatoes cooked in apple juice, sucanat, and a little bit of mustard all day -- yum (except for the cabbage. I do.not.like.cabbage)...

The dessert (pistachio chocoalte chip cupakes provided by Jessica, delish)

The costume choices...

The prize...

The guests...

The treasure hunt...

The hosts

Cora slept through the whole thing, so she and I had our own party later. As you can tell, I'm very entertaining...

I made a New Years resolution to make the holidays more fun and memorable for my kids. I failed HORRIBLY on Valentines Day. But I love St.Patrick's day. My mom's best friend, Retta, had a St.Patrick's day party for us and the Anderson's every year that I can remember, complete with the corn beef and treasure hunt. In fact, I think one of the most homesick moments I've ever had in my life was our first St.Patty's day away when I knew they were all together and celebrating without me. I've been wanting to carry on the tradition ever since we moved away, and finally did it this year.

Can't wait for next year...

2011-03-13T23:05:00.000-04:00

I know, I know. March 11th has come and gone and you're all on the edge of your seats wondering "where is Bekah's 4 month post about Cora?!" :) To tell you the truth, not much has changed with my little love in the last month. She's still a great sleeper, still as happy as can be. She isn't rolling or anthing, which is a-okay with me (and could be because I only remember to do tummy time maybe once a week). She does immensley enjoy her bath and has discovered her feet. I think I fall more in love with her everyday!

I always love to hear who people think she looks like. The most common comment I get from people that know my family is that she looks like my mom and/or my mom's side of the family, the Smith's. She reminds me a lot of Nick, a teensy bit of Chase, and I definitely see my mom and my Grandma Smith in her.

Here's a photo of Nick when he was 3 momths old:

And Chasey boy when he was 2.5 months old

And my little lady at 4 months

Here she is with my mom (who's in town again--WAHOO!)

Here's my Grandma Smith (it's the eyes, I think)

And here's some other photos from this month:

Our play group went on a field trip to a local grovery store and my boys LOVED it!

Love this curly hair!

Happy March!! Hopefully spring is right around the corner!

What I do...

2011-03-05T14:47:00.001-05:00

Last week I was composing a long overdue email to a dear friend. She had asked what was new with us, and as I set about to answer the question, I found myself staring at my computer screen, stumped. What is new with us. Why do I feel like I'm so busy, going from kid #1, to kid #2, to kid #3, all day long, but also feel like I get nothing done? So as the days have flown by this week, I've found myseld compiling a list (although not completely all inclusive) in my head of what it is, exactly, that I do.

1. Get up
2. Pray, read scriptures, exercise
3. Shower
4. Nurse my baby (6 times per day)
5. Prepare meals and snacks (5 times per day)
6. Supervise piano practicing and reading lessons (kid #1)
7. Do puzzles, build train tracks, potty train (kid #2)
8. Change diapers, smile, and baby talk (kid #3)
9. Clean. And clean. And clean some more.
10. Drive; pre-school, errands, piano and gymnastics
11. Put kids to bed (baths, pj's, teeth, family scripture study and prayer, books, songs)
12. Spend what feels like 10 minutes with my hubby before he works out and prepares seminary
13. Pray and go to bed
14. Repeat and repeat and repeat

***Disclaimer: I am not complaining. Fact is, I've never been happier. But now you know why I get that glazed over look in my eyes when people ask me "What's new with you?"

But here are some new things that have added excitement to my life:

Brad's sister, Mallory, is getting married next month! No one has gotten married in either sides of our families since we did, 7.5 years ago, so this is exciting! Welcome to the family, Jeff!

Also, the ever amazing sister-in-law Kate started a food blog! Wahoo! http://www.prettypalate.blogspot.com/

And lastly, my friend Cooper took some 3 month pictures of my Cora girl. Here are some of my faves:

You can check out Cooper's work at http://www.cooperjburgess.com/

No rhyme or reason...

2011-02-11T22:52:00.000-05:00

...to my blog posts lately. Or my life. But that's okay. It is what it is. You have to do what you have to do (as Chase told me the other day). Speaking of my second child, he fell asleep in the car the other day. I carried him inside and sat him down on the stairs while I went to get something from the car, hoping that would wake him up. He awoke for a moment, but when I came back in was fast asleep. On the stairs. When he got into a deeper sleep he sort of fell a bit and stayed asleep. Apparently this boy really needs a nap sometimes.

Here's my newly redecorated kitchen (above the cabinets). Thanks Mom!

She also helped me brighten up my living room. Although I love the brown and blue combo I've had for the last couple of years, it was getting a little drab.

My little Miss turned 3 months today!! We busted out the bumbo a few days ago! She's getting too big!

These boys love love love their sister!

Some photos from this evening--

Here's what's been going on with my little lady in the last month:

- She sleeps from around 9:30-10:00pm to around 8:00am! I am seriously one lucky woman!
- Not only does she contine to spit up at unprecedented rates, we've also added some serious drool to the mix. I need to get this girls some more bibs, and I'm praying that this drool does not indicate TEETH! I'm not a fan of nursing babies with teeth.
- She's discovered her hands and loves to suck on them!
- This girl is seriously happy and easy going. It seems that some days she lives in her car seat because we're running around town, but she never seems to mind. I've gotten some good giggles out of her as of late, she goo's and makes noises, and I love how expressive she is.
- Her eyes are still BLUE!
- She rolls onto her side.
- Still loves her bink, still can't keep it in her mouth for more than a few seconds.
- Sleeps best when swaddled (which helps with keeping her binky in her mouth!)
- Is wearing 6-9 month pajamas! This girl is looonnngggg!

We love our Cora and can't imagine life without her!

Granny Shanny

2011-02-06T23:26:00.002-05:00

Want to know how you can get your mother to come visit you twice in a two month period? Have a baby! Not just any baby, but a baby GIRL. And not just any baby girl, but a baby girl that looks a lot like your mother! We all love it when Granny Shanny comes to town! Nick drew this picture after she arrived. She's in the attic (he asked her if it was okay if he drew her there), below her is me, then Chase, then Nick, and laying on the ground is Cora. Brad's school is to the left and our garage (which we don't have but talk of and dream about often) is on the right.

My mom made valentine sugar cookies with my kids, which means I don't have to do it with them next week for Valentines day, right??? :)

This scenario is becoming all too familiar -- Chase gets really tired around 5:00pm and if I don't watch closely he puts himself to bed on the couch. The problem? He's up until midnight or later, even if he only sleeps for 10 minutes! He sure is cute, though...

My dad joined us at the tail end of my mom's 8 day trip, and I think he held Cora for 72 hours straight (lucky girl!), only taking breaks to wrestle with my boys!

Cora loved all the attention from Grandpa and Granny!

How do I get my kids to smile in pictures, you ask? Simple: BRIBERY! :) Having my mom here was incredibly refreshing. I needed some help with some decorating around my house (one of her many talents) and it was so wonderful to shop with her and then come home and let her work her magic. We talk and laugh and watch HGTV and I am constantly overwhelmed at how blessed I am to have her and incredibly grateful for the love she shows me and my kids. It never gets any easier to say good-bye when my parents leave -- I cry everytime. They simply are the best.

My mom helped me complete a project I've been wanting to do forever -- hand and foot prints on canvas to be hung in the toyroom.

Chase thought this tickled!

The finished product -- something I know I'll cherish forver!

I have to admit that I kind of love when my boys sneak the camera away and take their own pictures! This is one I discovered that Chase took of his cute feet.

This Nicky boy has grown up so much the past 6 months. He can ride a bike sans training wheels, loves school, begs to go to gymnastics, and has recently started piano lessons. We went to a kindergarten fair on Saturday and he got this "class of 2024 shirt." I am NOT ready for him to go to all day kindergarten next year. I thought I might be more ready after Cora was born, but I'm not. I hate the thought of him spending the majority of his wakeful hours with people I don't know. He's VERY ready, though, and I know he'll love it, even though I'll miss him!

C H A S E

2011-01-25T22:49:00.001-05:00

Chase turned THREE this past Saturday! We're potty training and couldn't leave the house, so we just tried to do all his favorite things at home (puzzles, geo trax, playing outside, making cupcakes, and reading books). The Smith's joined us in the evening for his favorite dinner and chocolate oatmeal cupcakes .

Chase got to take a treat to pre-school a couple days before his birthday and was so excited to take yellow sugar cookies -- yellow is his favorite color.

Helping me make the cupcakes--

Opening presents

Enjoying an ice cream cone

Entertaining himself by making faces in Granny's mirror--

sledding in the back "yard"

Chasey --
*is a naturally happy and joyful soul
*loves puzzles, trains, and books
*Does NOT like to clean up!
*Loves his family and is naturally affectionate
*Will state that he does or doesn't want something and then will instantly change his mind and say "Maybe I do/don't" in the sweetest voice you've ever heard.
* Is completely and perfectly potty trained as long as he's naked from the waist down -- the second he has undies or a pull up on him, forget about it! Suggestions anyone?
* Loves music, has great pitch, loves to sing, and stole the show at his pre-school program last week!
*Seems to be in his own care-free and happy world a lot of the time (I'm working on instilling a sense of responsibility!)
*Calls me "my girl" or "my dear" a lot of the time -- melts my heart!

This boy brings me so much happiness. He delights me and I love to be with him. Happy Birthday, Chase! We love you!

A 2 month old and some thoughts

2011-01-18T00:05:00.001-05:00

This is me. I have three kids. I have to remind myself of this occasionally because I still can't believe it. I have been asked constantly lately how the transition from 2 to 3 is. Usually by mother's of 2 that are looking into their near future with fear behind their eyes. I know this because that was me for the last year, gleaning all the advice I could from those who had already crossed this threshold. But this is what I've decided: Yes, it's hard. The small amount of free time I once had is completely gone. Relaxing with my husband in the evenings, also gone. I canNOT wrap my head around how in the world I'm supposed to get everything done that needs to be done. Returning phone calls, pretty much impossible (I've been struggling with this one since Chase gave up his nap).That's beings said, we're surviving. I'm incredibly content. I wouldn't even say that I'm stressed. Or maybe I'm happily stressed? One thing is for sure, it's easier in some ways than my transition from 0 to 1 or 1 to 2 and harder in some ways, only because of my individual circumstances. And another thing's for sure; I feel so blessed. So happy. So thankful. So in love with this little girl, her two big brothers, and their dad. Life is good.

Cora turned 2 months old last week. Here are some things I want to remember:
-She's in the 99th% for weight AND height. She weighs over 12 pounds and is 24.5 inches. Not only does she look much older than she is, she just seems older, always has. As cliche as it sounds, "she has an old soul."
- Her head is only the 80th%!!! I say only because I have never had a child who's head was ever less than the 99th%!
- She is happy, content, smiling, cooing, almost/kind of laughing.
- She loves Nick! She smiles just when she sees him. I'm sure she loves Chase too, but he doesn't pay as much attention to her yet so I'm not sure the bond is as strong -- yet.
- She sleeps anywhere from 7-11 hours straight each night, eats quickly, then goes back down for 3-4 more. I'm not bragging because I've done nothing to deserve this except for keep her on a eat, stay awake, sleep very not strict schedule. I don't let her cry, I rarely wake her from her naps like I did with the boys -- I just got lucky!

While it's only been 2 months, I have to admit, I'm already sick of the color pink. It's never been one of my favorites, although I fully embraced it when I found out I was having a girl. I'm over it now and ready to broaden my color horizons. :) I am, however, still loving all the cute clothes and accessories that come with having a girl! I just wish I were crafty enough to make some of the styles I love, as I'm certainly not rich enough to buy them.

2011-01-08T23:40:00.000-05:00

Bored? Can't sleep? Procrastinating? Have a few spare minutes?

'Cause I just put up 4 new posts to help ease (or add to) all of the above ailments! Happy scrolling!

Aren't you dying to see what Cora looked like this morning?

2011-01-08T23:38:00.000-05:00

I thought so...

PS- Someone tell me the secret to skpe. Whenever I do it with my family it freezes up every 10 seconds and is so frustrating! We replaced our web cam but it didn't help. Maybe I wouldn't feel the need to blog every single photo I ever take of Cora if I could show her to my family via skype! :) Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Soooo excited

2011-01-08T23:33:00.000-05:00

First came Jack and Nick (8 months apart)

Followed by Cal and Chase (6 months apart)

And now, introducing the next great duo, Cora and Francis (2 months apart). So excited to see these 2 GIRLS together!

Welcome to the world, Frankie!! Congrats to Tim and Katie, Jack and Cal!

My blue-eyed girl and a new tradition

2011-01-08T23:11:00.000-05:00

Random, but I had to document another one of Nick's 'projects.' When we were at the beach in Delaware he saw a man walking around with a metal detector and was fascinated by it. I don't know what made him think of it 3 months later, but the other day he made his own...

With the birth of each of our kids, I eagerly anticipate the discovery of their eye color, hoping they'll get my husband's beautiful blue's. Both Nick and Chase started out gray and have somewhat settled on what I guess would be called hazel-ish. But Cora, so far, is a different story. They're not as light as Brad's, but they're definitely blue. Here's hoping they stay that way!

Random again, but here's Nick's eye. :)

When we made gingerbread houses at the beginning of December, my friend Jessica told me that they save theirs and smash them on New Years to bring good luck. We joined them this year (the boys LOVED it) and I think we'll add this tradition as our own!

Nick put on this hat the other day and I couldn't help but snap some photos of my silly boy...

He still loves his baby sister and holds her often--

Can't believe it's 2011! Happy New Year!

Christmas

2011-01-08T22:40:00.001-05:00

As mentioned in my previous post, I've been a bit down this Christmas season, wishing we were closer to family. We are very blessed, though, to be surrounded by good friends that feel like family, and that's what really made the holidays for me. And Christmas morning with our boys was wonderful. I don't have any pictures of it, though, because we finally busted out the video camera -- something I'm always mad at myself about for not doing more often!

Here's Cora 2 days before her first Christmas...

On Christmas Eve we had as appetizer dinner with the Smith's and then headed to another friend's house to act out the nativity and have some dessert. Here's Brad as the angel, Jess as Zacharias, and Owen as baby John the baptist...

This was my boy's response when asked if they wanted to participate in the reenactment...they did enjoy watching it, though. :)

On Christmas day we drove to OH to be with Brad's family. We made it for Christmas dinner, stayed a whole week, and had a great time. For some reason, the only time I took pictures was when we went sledding...

It was a great Christmas season and I am feeling abundantly blessed.

You will only appreciate this post if you are very closely related to me...

2010-12-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

I realize that this post is the definition of picture overkill, and I promise it's only because our immediate families don't live nearby! I want them to see each of Cora's expressions.

Here is the very girly swing my friend lent us. I love it but Cora only has a 5 minute tolerance for it.

A good friend of mine brought over some sugar cookie dough and icing, making cookie making this holiday season a cinch! I thought is was such a thoughtful gift, and the boys had a blast doing it.

Nick as a pirate, with a hat that Brad made him.

sleepy girl

I think Chase is mostly adjusted now and is a very sweet older brother.

My parents gave the boys this trampoline for Christmas. Even though we soooo don't have room for it, WE LOVE IT! Chase has always been a jumper and is even moreso now. He falls into bed exhausted at the end of the day and I love that he and Nick are getting some much needed exercise even when it's freezing outside.

We went to our local library's 'Polar Express' activity again this year with our neighbors and best friends. Here's Nick and Max riding the polar express to see Santa.

My friend Jessica and her youngest, Owen

Cora and I ventured out to church today to hear Brad speak and the primary sing. I couldn't help but take a million pictures of her in her cute dress, shrug, and darling bow that my cousin Chelsea made and sent. Love it!

Love this smile, love this happy girl!

Nick has been very into crafts and art lately and sometimes gets obsessed with wanting to make specific items. While I am more likely to say "I don't know how to make that" and hope it will be dropped, Brad will figure out a way to make it happen. Here is Nick's treasure chest, lock/latch included--

and his carriage, with wheels that spin and everything--

We didn't get Christmas cards out this year, but wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Smiles...

2010-12-10T18:50:00.002-05:00

It's our year to go to Utah for Christmas. Perhaps I should have thought of that when I planned a November baby. We're staying here this year, making it 4 years since I've been in UT for Christmas. I heard "I'll Be Home for Christmas" on the radio yesterday and had to change the channel because it made me all teary. It doesn't help that Tim and Katie's baby girl will be born soon and I won't get to meet her until she's months old. It's a good thing OH isn't too far of a drive and that I love Brad's family, or I might be teary from now until the spring when I get to go home again. Had enough of my pity party? Okay, I'll move on...

My mom made gingerbread cookies with Nick before she left, a tradition we always did growing up.

Nick has had as much fun with the boxes that my parents gifts came in as he has with the gifts themselves. He made these two into a sled

Then the next night it was a boat (he's wearing shorts, I promise).

My amazing friend Jessica made gingerbread houses and invited the boys and I over to decorate them--

And here's Cora. I can't believe she's a month old! The first month of life goes by so much faster than the last month of pregnancy! Here are some things I want to remember:
-She's starting to smile more and more and I've been killing myself trying to catch it on camera!
- She weighs 9 lbs 15 oz and is 23 inches long
- She's already too long for her 0-3 month pjs! I had to break out the 3-6 month clothes already!
-She's starting to sleep a bit better (5 hours straight last night, but as luck would have it, Chase was up sick while she slept!)
-She still loves to be swaddled
-She loves her binky but can't keep it in her mouth for more than 30 seconds
-She hates her swing (soooo glad I borrowed instead of bought one)
-She has a sensitive tummy just like her brothers did and spits up a lot (list of foods I can't eat includes garlic, onion, cucumbers, and chocolate)
-When her tummy doesn't hurt she's very happy
-She goes down for her naps easily, onlly fussing for a minute or two if at all

Here are some photos of the last 2 days--

I love this little lady. All I want to do is hold her all day long, and let's be honest, I do! My house is a mess and I'm not often dressed before noon, but it seems I've finally realized how fast this newborn stage goes, and I don't want to miss a second of it. Happy first month of life, Cora girl!

2010-11-29T18:43:00.000-05:00

Cora was blessed yesterday which made for a fun and grandparent-filled weekend. My parents and sister are here and Brad's parents came for the weekend. Having 3 kids seems managable when the adult to child ratio is 7:3! Brad's parents left yesterday and my family leaves tomorrow. Yikes! I'm terrified, to say the least. But on a happier note, here are some photos from the last few days:

Whenever we try to take pictures of this little lady she furrows her brow when she sees the light on the camera. So here are some of the few and far between non-furrowed ones...

Poor girl has clogged tear ducts, which luckily have cleared up over the last 2 days

Nick's pre-school class did a little Thanksgiving program, and Nick actually particiapted! Sang every note and said every word! Definite milestone for this little turkey (3rd from the left):

This has been a typical scene over the last 10 days since my dad's been here:

Nick is still loving his baby sister

My boys opened their Christmas presents from Granny and Grandpa. They love their new jammies, sweater, indoor mini-trampoline, camera, and cool car thingy...

Cora meeting Grandpa Jeff

A note that Nick wrote to Brad: "Brad, I love you. I like it when you read books to me. I like it when you play with me. Nick"

Grandma Debbie and Cora

Granny Shanny with Chase

Here's Cora in her blessing outfit. I found this dress in clearance at baby Gap for $8 right after I found out I was pregnant and bought it "just in case." It's much more my style than a long white lacy dress, and Cora looked adorable if I do say so myself.:)

The blessing was great, although the fact that my brother's weren't here to stand in the circle made me sad. It's been a wonderful 3 weeks, and to be honest, I can't even talk about my family leaving without tearing up. Not only do I rely on their help, but it makes me sad that they miss so much of my kids growing up. Good thing we have blogs and skype. Real world (the one where I take care of all three kids by myself), here I come!

Cora's first 9 days of life...

2010-11-20T23:35:00.001-05:00

My brain isn't functioning well enough to put these pictures in order or think of anything clever to say, but I've been feeling guilty that I haven't posted any pictures from our first week home when we have so many family members who haven't met Cora yet. So forgive me for all the photos and my random comments. Oh, I also documented the birth story, so keep reading past this post if you're interested...

I think Nick is having the easiest time with this adjustment, as he is always wanting to hold Cora and always comments on "how beautiful" she is. It's so cute to me when he holds her that I take lots of pictures of it, as you'll see. He often asks "When you're done milking her can I hold her?" which always makes me laugh, and is very concerned whenever she cries and told me today when she was fussy that we had a "milk emergency!!" meaning that he thought she needed to be fed. The day after we came home he was holding her and said "I'm going to marry Cora when I grow up." He's so sweet with her and I love it!

He insisted on giving the family night lesson this past Monday as it was Cora's first FHE. He planned and wrote the lesson himself and just needed Brad to help translate what he had told him to write down. It was darling.

Here's Cora! As Brad commented the other day "she's looking a lot less 'birthed' lately," which is true. I can see both of the boys in her, especially Nick.

I love this picture. Brad's been pulling double parent duty on top of seminary and school and I'm so grateful for all he does.

Cora's first bath. She's pretty happy until you mess with her, i.e change her diaper, clothes, or bathe her. She has her days and nights completely reversed, which has been hard, but I feel like I've been able to keep it in perspective this time around, knowing that she'll grow out of it, and one day I will sleep again. :)

She looks so tiny in her crib. I can't get over it.

Dressing and accessorizing this girl is way too fun!

My dearest Chasey is having the hardest time with all of this. It breaks my heart to see him struggling so. He's been naughty beyond belief, especially when I'm feeding Cora. We've been trying to give him extra love and attention and I try to remind myself that adults don't usually need therapy from the trauma they experienced when they got a new brother or sister as a child. :)

He's going through a HUGE puzzle phase. Brad spent one morning doing all of his puzzles with him...

More of Nick and Cora

Chase occasionally asks to hold her as well

Here's my cute dad meeting his first granddaughter today.

He only got to hold her for a moment before the boys attacked him...

His boots have also been a big hit -- this is the face I got when I told Nick to give me a cowboy face --

And lastly, here's my mama, "Granny Shanny" who has helped out so much in the last 9 days. I don't know what I would do if she weren't here to let me sleep, clean my house, pick the boys up from school, spoil my boys, hold and care for Cora, take shifts in the middle of the night, and take care of us. I've been thinking a lot this week how she never got this kind of help or support when she had her babies, and I'm so thankful she's been here for me. It's so wonderful to have a mother who doubles as a best friend.

I love having a newborn, despite the exhaustion and trying to find our new "normal". I don't want this phase to go by too quickly and I feel like I can't snuggle and love this baby girl enough!

The story

2010-11-20T22:39:00.000-05:00

Feel free to skip this post if you hate birth stories. I happen to love them and need to record this for journaling purposes anyway. :)

Because I have big babies with big heads, and because I had family that needed to schedule flights, my doctor took pity on me and scheduled me to be induced at 39 weeks, and I must say it was sooooo nice to know the day this baby would come! That morning we checked into the hospital and got settled. Here's the before picture of my puffy self:

After blowing two of my veins (I have some very large battlewounds from that lovely experience), my very nice nurse got my IV in (I really hate IV's) and they got the pitocin pumping at about 9:30am. I was dilated to a 3 when we checked in, and by 2:30 I was at a whopping 4. I thought I had a long long day and evening ahead of me...

I got the epidural and the doctor broke my water, and then things really started to pick up. I know this for a fact because MY EPIDUAL DIDN'T WORK properly. Seriously people, I'm a wimp. I cried my way through an hour of hard contractions and went from a 4 to a 10 in about 45 minutes. Then I pushed for just over 10 minutes (which felt like 2 hours), and out she came, sunny-side up. The fact that she was posterior added a lot to the pain I was having, the doctor explained, but I was just so relieved she was OUT and that she was, in fact, a SHE that I got over the pain pretty quickly. Here we are at our first face-to-face meeting. I love this moment:

And here's my hubby, who was a champ during labor and who continues to be super-daddy/husband since we've been home. I don't know what I would do without the guy.

And here's the finished product, born on 11/11/10 at 3:37pm:

A quick update...

2010-11-12T19:36:00.000-05:00

Cora Ann Goldie

Cora: because I love it

Ann: after Brad's mom, Debra Ann, and Brad's sister, Mallory Ann, both of whom we love dearly

8 pounds, 3 ounces, 22 inches long

The boys and I, waiting for Cora to be brought back from the nursery. They seem to be doing okay so far, but I'm sure the real adjustment will start when we get home tomorrow.

A family of five!!! I love it!

It's been beyond wonderful to have both of our moms here for couple of days. It's been hard for me not to have all of our siblings and our dad's here, but I'll take these two anytime!

I am in love with this little girl!

Cora Arrives

2010-11-11T17:15:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick picture of baby Cora, born today at 3:35 PM. More to come once we get things a little more settled. Everyone is healthy and Cora and Bekah are doing great.

A Chasey Story

2010-11-05T22:36:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago, a very tired pregnant woman and an exhausted early morning seminary teacher fell sound asleep at 8:45pm. Their children had been put to bed, and in their exhausted state, they assumed them asleep, or at least near it.

About an hour later, the phone rang, waking the parents, and a discovery was made...

This is the small hallway leading from our master bedroom to the boys bedroom. All of our toys are kept downstairs in the toy room, but 40% had been carried up the stairs and, despite how they appear, were smartly arranged, categorized and lined up in our hallway. The culprit? This two-year-old, who, when told he had to clean up the mess he had made, climbed up on our bed and promptly fell asleep...

This funny little boy, our "baby" for 6 more days, cracks us up and keeps us on our toes. As long as he's had adequate sleep, he's happy, carefree, and pretty darn easy. We love love love him...

Last week, on a day when he had NOT had adequate sleep the night before, he spent an unusual amount of time in time-out on the stairs. I was upstairs helping Nick with something and when we came back down we found him like this --

We had two Buzz Light Years at our house this past Halloween weekend. Because of the home football game in our town, trick-or-treating was done on Thursday night, the boys' preschool Halloween party was on Friday morning, the ward trunk-or-treat was on Friday night, and Saturday was carve a jack-o-lantern/ color all over your pumpkin day. We spent a lot of time with Buzz 1 and Buzz 2 last weekend!

Nick's "scary Halloween Buzz face" which he then insisted Chase and I replicate while he took our picture--

I love these little boys!

NYC...

2010-10-24T17:51:00.001-04:00

Brad had a finance conference in NYC this past week and his parents were kind enough to come watch our boys so I could go with him! I love love love NYC with all my heart and have been looking forward to this for months! I knew that being 8.5 months pregnant wouldn't allow me to do everything I wanted to, but I did get a lot of R&R which was very much appreciated as well. We stayed on the 41st floor of the Marriott right in Times Square. This was the view from our room...

Here we are on Brad's first NYC subway ride (he mocked me for thinking this occasion was cause for a picture)...

And here we are standing in line to see the Statue of Liberty for Brad's first time...

Small world, we discovered that one of Brad's best friends from high school, Nick, was going to be in NYC at the same time we were. He came with us to see Liberty...

Proof for my baby girl that she's been to New York (since both of her brothers have and I don't know when the next time will be that we'll be back)...

While on the subway this band entered right next to us and serenaded us in between stops...

I love the movie "You've Got Mail" and I love the west side of Manhatten. I made Brad walk all over there with me and take a photo with me at Riverside park.

We were lucky enough to see "Wicked" while we were there which was great...

We also saw "In the Heights" which won the 2008 Tony award for best music. We really liked the show, but the best part was seeing Brad's other friend from high school, Zach, who's the music conductor of the show. He took us on a tour of the set and back stage after the show was over...

Other things I want to remember:
**How kind and courteous New Yorkers were to me because of my pregnancy. When I walked onto the subway 10 people would stand up to give me their seat. While standing in what was probably a 2 hour line at the TKTS booth a worker came and took me to the front of the line (this happened twice)! We had people offer free food, give me hugs, and congratualte me a number of times. I was touched.
**Levain bakery. The cookies were to die for!
** Just walking around, hand-in-hand, with the man in my life. This is only the second time we've left our kids overnight and it was nice to just be "us" for a few days.

So long, New York! I can't wait to go back!

Dear Fairy God Mother...

2010-10-11T20:37:00.002-04:00

I want an Ergo baby carrier
And a DSLR camera so I can take nice pictures of my baby girl (now that Katie doesn't live 3 hours away)
I really really really REALLY want my neighbor (the one we share walls with) to stop smoking, and
My boys need snow pants
and boots
And I'm thinking a baby swing might be a good idea
so my sweet babe doesn't get accidentally trampled with two big brothers who are constantly running around and wrestling
The craigslist in my hometown STINKS
And Goodwill and Kid2Kid don't have the things I want or the sizes I need...

If you should decide to fulfill my wish list
I wouldn't mind if you threw in someone to come clean my window sills and windows
And a personal trainer to help me lose the inevitable baby weight
And if you could make it possible for her to weigh less than 9 pounds --
My body and I would greatly appreciate it

For now I'll count my many blessings (because I truly do realize that there are many)
And I'll stop online shopping [dreaming]
And I'll go to bed (and maybe clean a window or two on my way up the stairs)...
Good night.

Half of a decade...

2010-10-06T23:35:00.000-04:00

My dearest Nicky boy had a birthday today! He's been looking forward to this day for a long time and we had a blast! I can't believe he's 5...

We started this morning with presents, his favorite breakfast and then he had hours of free time without me inflicting chores and structure. :) He went from one new toy/activity to another, and also had a dear friend stop by to visit and drop off a present.

Around 1:00 I finally made him get dressed and we went bowling as a family (his choice). When the extremely nice man working at the bowling alley found out it was Nick's birthday he let us all bowl for free and brought over a complimentary pizza and a pitcher of soda! After that we decided we could afford to go get ice cream, and we did. :)

The evening was spent making and eating his favorite cake (white cake with white frosting and sprinkles) and playing Yahtzee junior. He didn't have to clean up his toys and we let him stay up later than usual. No wonder this kid loves his birthdays!

Katie took Nick's birthday pictures when we were in UT at the end of August and of course I love them!

I am constantly amazed by this boy's imagination. He loves it when we have empty boxes and comes up with endless activities to do with them. He made this one into a house -- the milk carton on top is the chimney, the diaper box is his fireplace and the diapers inside the box is the wood.

Happy Birthday, Nick! I hope you know how special you are and how happy we are to have you in our family!

We love the BEACH...

2010-10-03T17:36:00.002-04:00

Just like last year, our wonderful friends invited us to spend the weekend with them at Fenniwick beach in Delaware. We added 4 more adults and 3 more kids to the group this year, making a total of 8 adults and 8 kids ages 4 and under! Because it was September, the crowds were s p a r s e and the water was warm. We loved every second of it -- enjoying the beach, the beach house, and mostly spending time with wonderful friends.

Nothing entertained the kids (and the dads, too) like sand and water. Nick even ventured into the water this year and Chase got much nearer to it this year than last.

When we moved away from family we had a lot of people tell us that our friends would become our family, and how right they were! Katie, Alyssa, and Becky have been such a blessing in my life.

Sand castle/boat/whale...you decide...

Chase was so happy just to sit and watch the water, especially when Brad was out body boarding

This was Nick's attempt to join in Brad's (and Craig's and Spencer's and the other Brad's) fun!

Nick and Chase being chased by the sea monster that the tide washed in...

It was such a beautiful weekend! We'll miss our friends Brad and Becky when they move next month, and we'll especially miss them when September comes next year! :) We'll do it again, someday...

6 hours to myself for 6 more weeks (and 5 days, but who's counting?)...

2010-09-25T17:43:00.001-04:00

My boys started preschool last week. Nick goes 3 days and week and Chase goes 2 days a week. Do you understand what this means? Seriously? It means that for 6 hours each week I do whatever I want to. I have yet to take a nap or just relax and read a book, but I have big plans, I tell you. Big plans. So far I've been attending institute class, running errands, and getting the baby's room ready. I'm also excited to have some alone time with my daughter (my daughter? I don't think I've ever thought or written that out yet.) once she arrives. Anyway, the boys love their classes and teachers (and I do, too). Here they are on the first day:

We have a tradition of going out for lunch on the first day of school after I pick them up. They chose Panera Bread this year...yummy!

I really can't believe how big these two are getting. Makes me more determined to slow down and enjoy them more, and worry about cleaning and other insignificant duties less...

They sure do love their dad (as do I)...

We're big fans of silly faces around here...

Happy Fall, everyone!

30 weeks (2 weeks ago)

2010-09-22T11:09:00.000-04:00

These are from 2 weeks ago on my 30 week mark. 7 weeks to go! Hallelujah (better out than in I always say)!

Summer Shmummer...

2010-09-13T01:08:00.002-04:00

As much as I was looking forward to summer, I was a bit nervous about having enough energy to do everything I knew that I (and the kids) would want to do (remember I'm a wimpy, tired pregnant lady). So my parents hired a nanny to help me! Here she is...

And by 'hired' I of course mean free, because she's nice like that and because she loves my kids. Meet my 18 year old sister, Mara. She came for 6 weeks this summer and was a life-saver in every way. We took the boys to Whipple Dam every week, swimming at a local community pool for Nick's swimming lessons each week, as well as other various summer activities that I would have been to tired and overwhelmed to try on my own. One day my kids will understand how much they owe her. I already do! :) She also watched the boys while I went to girls camp for a week and while Brad and I went to youth conference in Palmyra for 3 days. Plus it was so great to have another adult to hang out with all day. I love my sister!

I haven't posted pictures of the boys in awhile, so here are a few...

Nick has always loved working out with me and I always like having a partner. Here he is in his "exercise clothes", showing off his big muscles. And here is Chase showing off a major goose egg he got when he ran into the wall.

Chase has grown out of his nap (meaning that if I let him take one he's up until 11:00pm or later), but every now and then I find him all tuckered out in the middle of play time.

One thing we love about living in this part of the country is the lightning bugs. I had never seen one until I went to OH for the first time, and this was Mara's first time seeing them, too. We let the boys stay up late enough a couple of times to catch some and keep them in a jar for the night...

Every summer our town hosts a "Touch a Truck" day in the parking lot of the local high school. This was our 3rd time going and it seems that the boys like it more and more the older they get. Every kind of truck is there and open for the kids to crawl around in, honk the horns, and pretend to drive. It's little boy heaven!

A while ago I walked downstairs to see Chase like this --

this little random guy cracks me up and keeps my on my toes -- love this face!

Pregnancy update: With 8.5 weeks left of this pregnancy I'm getting more and more excited to meet this little girl (if it really is a girl...I still don't quite believe it). Induction date is set for 11/11. Wahoo!

You'll never guess where I went last week...

2010-08-13T12:47:00.001-04:00

Are you one of those people that loved high school? You know, those people? :)

I am not. I loved junior high, but high school just didn't do it for me. I had great friends, I was involved, but I do believe that there was no one happier than I was on graduation day. I even remember, on said graduation day, thinking that I would never go to a reunion, trusting myself to keep in contact with those I wanted to keep in contact with. This resolve went even deeper in February, when I found out I was pregnant. Who goes to their reunion 6 months pregnant?

Well folks, never say never.

Everything changed when I found out that this lovely lady (aka, my best friend and sister-in-law) was put in charge of the reunion...

And my resolve was further broken when I found out some of my best friends from high school were going to be there (whom I don't get to see very often because most of us live out of state)...

Soooo, to the reunion I went, in all my pregnant, puffy-bodied glory. And it was lovely. The venue was awesome, the food was great, and Katie and Syd (her co-chair) and their committee did a great job.

(this is Tim's hairy arm, not mine -- just in case you were worried)

Photos, of course, by Kate.

2010-06-28T12:18:00.001-04:00

It's a girl. A GIRL! G.I.R.L. A pink-and-princess-loving, cause-me-lots-of-drama-as-a-teenager, call-me-everyday-when-you-move-away-from-home, be-my-best-friend-once-you-decide-you-don't-hate-me, shopping-loving, Jane-Austen-adoring, paint-my-nails-and-do-my-hair GIRL (my expectations aren't too high, are they?) :)!

Yes, we are all excited. Now let the name battles commence! :)

2010-06-28T02:16:00.001-04:00

It's 1:38am. I had been asleep for two hours when my eyes popped open. I am totally awake and my mind is going 100 miles an hour, while my legs feel like they could go run a marathon. This happens a lot when I'm pregnant. And by a lot I mean every night since I was 6 weeks along. Sometimes I go back to sleep within a matter of minutes, and sometimes -- like tonight -- I don't. I will admit that I don't like being pregnant. Besides feeling the baby move, I don't miss it when I'm not. Sleep is just one of my issues. I don't feel well, I don't like the way I look, and my emotions are completely out of wack. But as I laid there, almost enveloped in self-pity, a new list came to my mind.

Since I had Chase, the following things have happened:

-I've had 2 cousins whose babies have died.
-I've had multiple friends and cousins "come out" with the fact that they have been struggling with infertility, mostly silently, for years.
- I've had other friends suffer multiple miscarriages in a row
- My friends 5 month old niece died of SIDS

Luckily, some of these cases have resolved themselves, through the miracles of invitro, adoption, ect. But some have not.

Ahhhhhh, perspective. I can live through my minor complaints. Because I'm pregnant. I already have two healthy kids. And that, in and of itself, is a miracle.

Meanwhile...

2010-05-21T16:26:00.001-04:00

Despite being absent from the blogging world for quite some time now, life really has gone on here, even with the pregnancy and the sickness it brought with it. It's been a busy busy spring and we have loved every second.

Brad's parents came for a visit when I was about 5 weeks along and not yet sick, which meant we actually went out and did some stuff!

We hiked Mount Nittany...

Grandpa taught the kids about different animal tracks...

We went to Penn's Cave...

And had fun in the gift shop...

Grandma told stories to a very captive audience (have I mentioned what a great story teller she is?)...

Brad had spring break and we took a day trip to Harrisburg, where we checked out a very cool children's science museum...

Our first 3D IMAX show about fish...

Man I really like these kids...

I love it when they play pretend. I thought this was a pretty ingenius way of setting up a golf course, and Nick did it all on his own. A stick horse for the club and a train tunnel for the hole.

Love these eyes...

The next weekend my Dad came to town. I wasn't feeling great by then, so we hung out around the house and he took great care of my kids while Brad was at work. He took them to the library, the park, out to lunch, and wrestled with them on demand. On the day that I felt a little better, we went bowling.

Here's the wind up...

And here's the victory dance...

Chase really liked the fan thing...

Then we went to the Penn State creamery for some very yummy ice cream. These are the kid cones, mind you...

The weekend after my dad left, one of my best friends Amy came to town for Easter and conference weekend. I have no pictures of this because I was really sick at this point, and I pretty much laid on my couch and watched her take care of my kids. She then helped me fly to Utah with the boys, where I did pretty much nothing while my mom, Katie, and Mara took care of me and my offspring for two whole weeks. Thank heavens for family!

Every mom knows that silence in the house means trouble -- this is what I found Chase doing when I suspected he was being a little too quiet. Desitin is hard to clean off!

I went to Time Out For Women in Pittsburg with my wonderful in-laws. We missed Mal a lot but enjoyed our 2 new friends. Whenever I'm in a picture with my in-laws I want to sing "One of these things is not like the other." Love these ladies...

The weekend after that we went to OH for Miranda's graduation from college. I have no pictures of that because it was raining and the whole thing lasted about 30 seconds. But Debbie had this fun balloon craft for the kids to do at home...

Later Preston and Nick took the accessories off the balloons and put them on themselves...

And lastly, Nick's preschool class had their music program yesterday. Nick was very excited and had sung most of the songs and done the dances for me at home. Here is his cute class...

But when he saw all the parents there to watch, his shy nature took over and he sat exactly like this the whole time, didn't sing a note or move a muscle. After it was over he ran to us in tears and said "I don't like doing that, Mommy!" I don't think we'll be signing him up for drama club any time soon. Here he is with his good friends Olivia and Holden.

It has been a great spring! I'm finally starting to feel a bit better and we're all excited for the adventures that summer has to bring!

Good-bye for now...

2010-05-14T10:07:00.000-04:00

Gordon D. Smith 1936 ~ 2010 Gordon Drakeford Smith, 73, died of kidney and pancreatic failure following a long struggle with cirrhosis of the liver. Beloved husband, father to (five), and grandfather to (20), and great-grandfather to (17). Gordon was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 23, 1936 to Edward Earl and Arline Eunice Holder Smith. He attended Granite and Olympus high schools, and was of the first graduating class from Olympus. It was at Olympus that he met the love of his life, Gay Lambert, and married her on January 28, 1955. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple. Married for 55 years, starting to enjoy retirement, Gay succumbed to a massive stroke in February of this year. The last few months have been ones of yearning to be together again with his beloved wife. Gordon was a salesman at heart, and after attaining the certificate of Journeyman Machinist, he went on to be one of the 'Greatest Salesmen' in the world. Gordon retired from Scholzen Products in 2008. Gordon was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and held many positions, where he loved teaching the Gospel. Gordon enjoyed the beauties of this Earth, especially Mt. Olympus, sunsets, and sunrises. He enjoyed reading, travel, and the Utah Jazz, and college ballgames. He enjoyed gardening and always maintained his yard with care. He loved music, and especially great harmonizing voices. He possessed a beautiful voice as well. Gordon is survived by his children: Kerry G. (Lanette) Smith, Shanette S. (Clark) Dudley, Lana (Kenney) Prior, Daniel L. (Denice) Smith, and Amber (Mark) Stoknes, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Also survived by one brother, Sterling Smith, Redding. CA, and one sister, Eunice Jones of Grand Junction, CO. Funeral services will begin at 12 noon on Saturday, May 15, 2010, at the Dover Hill Chapel at 3625 Dover Hill Drive. (7570 South). Friends and family may call at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401 S. Highland Drive from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday night, May 14th and from 10:30 a.m. till 11:30 a.m. on Saturday before the services at the chapel. Interment at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park. - He will be missed -

2010-04-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

Want to know what I think the tell-tale sign is that someone is PREGNANT?

When they haven't blogged for, I don't know, say maybe, a month and 7 days (when they're usually a once-a-weeker)?

So if you haven't figured it out by now (or if my sweet Grandma Dudley hasn't told you yet), yes I am PREGNANT!

Due: November 17th (11 weeks along, just heard the heart beat today)

Feeling: Sick, sick, sick. This has been my sickest pregnancy yet. Hence the lack of blogging. Or anything else productive. But other than that, extremely grateful, blessed, and excited.

Gender predictions: Brad, my mom, Mara, Katie, and Mallory all think it's a girl. I think it's another boy. What say you?

Sometimes...

2010-03-21T23:19:00.000-04:00

Sometimes we read books in storage bins

Sometimes we don't go to the store until our fridge looks like this

Sometimes we look adorable while playing in curtains

Sometimes we get really really really bored and resort to all sorts of silliness to cure our boredom

Sometimes we take self portraits

Sometimes it's hard to be 2

Sometimes whilst getting ready for Friday Family swim night we put our brothers swim diapers on our head

Sometimes it's still hard to be 2

Sometimes it's really hard to try something new for dinner

And at least once a day, it's still hard to be 2

And sometimes Chase likes to take his diaper off before he falls asleep

Good Night...

Firsts...

2010-03-09T15:11:00.001-05:00

I believe there are many important "firsts" in life.

I still [embarrassingly] remember my first kiss

I definitely remember the first time I saw Brad.

I remember the first moment[s] I found out I was pregnant

And the first moment of meeting my precious boys face to face

I remember the first moment I realized and knew that my religion was true.

And the first time I realized that I was doing exactly the right thing and exactly the right time.

But this week (and last week for that matter), I've been remembering the first time I tasted one of these:

Oh, Samoas. How I love them. Last Sunday I ate a whole box for lunch (give or take a few that I let my husband and kids have). I won't let myself buy more than two boxes per year. But everytime I see those darn girl scouts at my mall or my grocery store my mouth starts watering. Until next year, I suppose, until next year...

Soccer...

2010-02-25T13:04:00.000-05:00

Those of you who read this blog often enough have heard me mention a time or two that poor little Nick is scared of everyone and everything. New situations are especially hard for him, and he also has an unexplained fear of adults, especially adult men (which my pediatrician assured me is normal and he should [hopefully] grown out of. Like maybe when he becomes an adult man). So imagine our surprise when his preschool sent home a flier for a 6 week soccer clinic and Nick expressed his desire to sign up! We explained that this would be with people he doesn't know and the coaches would indeed be grown up men. NICE grown up men, we emphasized. But he still insisted that he wanted to play soccer. Thinking and hoping that we were moving out of one phase and into another, we readily obliged.

Oh, but wait. Lest you think everything runs smoothly, let me assure you that Nick will only participate in class if he has Daddy on "his team." So yes, he is the oldest and the biggest in the class (besides Brad) and he is also the only one that must be touching his parent the entire time. I think we're all ready for the clinic to be over. Especially Brad. :)

I guess we're not quite out of this phase yet. I love this silly little boy!

Remembering...

2010-02-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

Lois Gay Lambert Smith

1936-2010

Christmas parties with chocolate mint truffles and pinatas

Swimming parties in her pool

Her beautiful singing voice

Her candy (she was a professional candy maker)

When she stayed with us and took care of us after my mom had surgery

Lots of trips to see her and grandpa in St.George

Her facebook messages

You will be missed, Grandma... Glad you are finding peace in a better place.

Thoughts...

2010-02-09T20:59:00.003-05:00

I'm feeling a bit down today. My mom, who got here on Saturday and was supposed to stay until Friday, had to leave today because my Grandma Smith (her mom) has had a massive stroke and is laying on life support in a hospital in Utah. I'm wishing I were there with my family. And because of this, my thoughts have been consumed by the influence and power a mother can and does have over her children.

A little over a month ago, we were playing hide and go seek as a family one night. I was hiding in the kitchen while Brad counted, and Nick ran over to join me. He sat on my lap, looked up at me with a huge grin on his face and said "I love you, Mom." This is not something he iniates saying on his own very often, and I melted. He was so happy and was having so much fun. It reminded me of my favortie quote from my favorite talk:

"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments.

There will be hard times and frustrating times.

But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of

joy and satisfaction." -M. Russel Ballard

Nick has grown up a lot lately. I'm finally starting to feel like my consistency is paying off (er...maybe he's just growing and maturing). All I know is that I love this boy. And I'm grateful to a Father in Heaven who helps me with my patience and dilligence to try and be the kind of mother he, and Chase, deserve.

PS- Tonight Chase purposefully knocked over and broke a vase that he knows he's not supposed to touch. While on time out he sang "Love At Home" at the top of his lungs.
It was awesome! :)

2010-02-02T21:28:00.003-05:00

FACT: It is the responsible, adult, smart thing to do to put all of your tax return into your savings account with the exception of making a few, small necessary purchases.

REALITY: When you're wandering around Wal-Mart waiting for them to change the battery in your car (an example of said small necessary purchase), and you see a wagon that you've had your eye on for TWO YEARS go from $99 to $40, sometimes you have to let your husband (the finance PhD student, mind you) be the responsible, adult, smart one while you splurge just a bit!

I was excited, to say the least. But not as excited as these dudes:

And for the record, the box has been as big of a hit as the wagon itself:
Yes, the wagon is half the size of my living room, and Yes, my boys have fought over it at least 5 times a day since its purchase. But it was worth it. Remember all the fun we had in Grandma and Grandpa's driveway with their little red wagon, my Dudley cousins? Incidentally that wagon is now occupied as a planter in my parents flower garden! :)

Somebody turned 2...

2010-01-30T15:58:00.006-05:00

My "baby" may or may not have turned 2 last week. And I may or may not be in denial about it. I finally understand what my mom means when she still tells us "you'll always be my baby." As a side note, blogger usually always lets me arrange the order of my pictures without a problem but today it won't. If this contines to happen, blogger and I are going to have serious issues. Seriously. Anyway, onto my birthday boy:

At least once a day, Chase grabs this dinosaur and chases me around the house with it, roaring at me. It's adorable...

Chase's bedtime line-up: light blue blankie that Mara made him, random star blankie that he grew an attachment to, his duck that he got in the ER when he had to get stitches, and his teddy bear. He has to have these when he goes to bed and he has to take them with him when he gets up. He names them one by one until he has all 4.

My baby in a box...

This photo was taken at the end of a long day. I had been trying all day to get pictures of him doing the things he loves to do, and he had had it. He was running from me at this point, hence the fuzziness...

He's always been great at finding things to entertain himself...

He loves trains...

This is the face I get when I tell him to smile for the camera...

This was taken after his birthday dinner, getting ready for his brownies...

Opening a present. He loves to read and loves the "How Do Dinosaurs..." series.

This is as far as my cake/brownie decorating skills go (but I must admit they tasted really good!)

Chase loves to try on shoes, although my boots present him with a bit more of a challenge...

This crazy boy brings me so much joy. I love how he calles himself "Chasey" and his big brother "Nicky." I appreciate his sweet temperment and that he is usually happy and friendly. I love the inflection in his voice and the way he sings and sings and sings. Happy Birthday, Chasey boy!

A story

2010-01-19T15:56:00.011-05:00

Once upon a time in a land called Ohio, lived Jeff and Debbie...

Late in the year 2009, all of their children came to said Ohio to celebrate a lovely holiday we like to call Christmas...

And these children brought their children...
Many adventures took place, such as making cookies...

And eating cookies...

Frosting was in abundance...
As were presents.....

And Mother Earth gave them a beautiful, bright rainbow on Christmas day to enjoy from the front yard...

And Nick and Chase received their much asked for GEO TRAX from Santa, because they don't already have enough tracks in their tiny house...

And Chase thought the perfect cuddle spot with Grandma would be right in front of the fridge (and Grandma took what she could get)...

And Grandma and Grandpa were noble and brave and took all 5 grandkids to TWO movies the day after Christmas...

And Chase ate much popcorn...

And Nick enjoyed having a make-shift bed on the ground...

And Chase would crawl on his parents bed and beg to take naps (oh wait, this is a TRUE story)..

And the week after Christmas (after they all passed around a 24 hour miserable stomach bug) Jeff and Debbie treated everyone to an indoor water park for two days, where these two brothers stayed in their first hotel room...

And they played with Brennen (and Ella and Preston, but Nick and Chase's mother is horrible at taking pictures)...

Afterwards, back home, someone turned 28...

And Mallory is still pretty...

And we brought in the New Year with the traditional and wonderful and delicious appetizer party...

And Grandpa told Nick incredible bed-time stories each night...

And Sunday afternoon looked like this for the adults...

And this for the kids...

And after all that fun, we had to return to the Land of the Freezing, PA, and create our own fun with shaving cream and trucks....

And sitting on the counter to help mom cook...

And we hit the books...

And found out that our voices sound super cool when we yell into the fan..

And the only real entertainment we now have is from this guy...

who makes our faces look like this for half an hour a day...

And the mother of the house refused to take out her recycling (this is the land of the FREEZING after all), and so the pile on the back patio now looks like this...

Because you have to walk THIS far to the recycling bins (do you see them? Yep, neither do I) and then you have to stand there and sort the clear glass, colored glass, plastic, paper, and metal cans...

But we're still enjoying our milk...

And we still cry to go play outside in the cold...

So that we can see our cute neighbor Russ
And we still drink green smoothies in the morning...
And pretend to be pirates, amoung other things, all day long...
And we believe, despite the sub zero temperatures and having to part with our families after the holidays, that we will indeed live HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

'Good in the Hood' on the news

2009-12-25T23:11:00.001-05:00

Check out my cute brother Daniel and his non-profit organization. It takes a second to load, but is well worth it.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Yes, we do celebrate the holidays...

2009-12-16T21:54:00.011-05:00

I'm playing a bit of catch-up tonight, posting about some of our holiday happenings as well as some random pictures in between. Let's start with Halloween. Are there any other moms in the world that have to bribe their kids to dress up for school and trick-or-treating? Neither of my kids wanted to and both shed the majority of their costumes with the first few minutes. Nevertheless, we perservered.

We colored some pumpkins. Chase participated by sitting on the table and watching...

Nick, hard at work...

The finished result...

Love this silly boy...

Halloween...

Nick, the cowboy, would not wear cowboy boots or chaps...

Trick-or-treating with the neighborhood crew...

I love this picture...look at that Nick --

Nick loves creating things with his blocks and legos...

We took a quick trip to UT over Thanksgiving. My cute mom made Indian necklaces and headbands with the boys on Thanksgiving day before the big feast...

Cute Jack...

The finished project...

Why do my children never have pants on?

But at least they have undies on! Isn't this the cutest little naked Indian you've ever seen?!

The "babies" with Uncle Daniel...

I think the boys watched 'Polar Express' once a day, on whatever screen they could. Combining trains and Christmas...brilliant!

Aunt Marsy (such a thoughtful, helpful, beautiful, fun Aunt and sister) with Nicky-boy...

Nick and Jack...non-stop fun, adventures, pretending, trains, and laughter...

Chase fell asleep on the way home from church last week, normal occurence. What wasn't normal was that he didn't wake up when Brad got him out of the car, carried him inside, and put him on the couch!

I asked Nick to gently and nicely wake him up and he did just that. He's a great big brother...

Chase LOVES to throw things. Toys, household item, and especially FOOD. Messes like this are a normal occurence around here. And I really wish he would keep a bib on...

We had Nick's friend, Julia, over the other day. Julia asked if I would paint her nails and I jumped at the chance. Nick watched sheepishly for a bit and then HE jumped at the chance when I offered to paint his. It lasted for about 5 seconds before he asked me to take it off, but still a Kodak moment.

This past weekend we took the kids to the 'Polar Express' event that our library does every year. They read the book, then load us up on this bus and take us to Santa's workshop where the kids get to visit Santa and pick out a toy. My kids love this book and were very excited. But they do not like Santa. Nick insisted on seeing him so that he could tell him what he wants for Christmas (Geotrax), but wouldn't sit on his lap or look at him.

The "train" ride over...

Chase sat like this on Santa's lap the whole time. And you can't tell in this picture, but Santa looked like Dumbledore.
On Sunday church was cancelled (ice storm) so Nick and I made gingerbread cookies while Brad and Chase took afternoon naps. This is something my mom always did with us, and it's been fun to carry on traditions. Nick loves to cook and help in the kitchen...

Nick stole the camera and took some pictures of his own...

Chase helped when he woke up...

Some of the finished product -- yummy!

Merry Christmas!

Totally worth the $5.28...

2009-12-11T23:30:00.005-05:00

Brad and I went to Blockbuster tonight for the first time in ages. When we walked out with ONE movie and five-dollars-and-twenty-eight-cents less money in our pockets, I felt a bit annoyed -- no wonder redbox and netflix is putting these folks out of business! But I must admit that this film was worth every penny:Now while I promise that this blog will not turn into a soap box of why we should all eat whole, organic foods (I'm just a wee bit excited/obsessed with it right now), I must highly recommend this movie. And that's all I'll say about it. It's good. And informative. The end.

Ch-ch-changes

2009-12-06T20:36:00.003-05:00

Okay, not really that big of changes. This week I have delved into the world of organic food, and me likey. I wish it didn't cost more than normal food, but we're going to keep it up. The more I read about what is put into and on our food, the more I don't like it. I need to find some good websites and such, if anyone has any suggestions.

My real reason for blogging, though, was to post the recipe for what we had for dinner tonight. It's just too easy, healthy, and yummy not to share.

Pesto Turkey Burgers
1 lb ground turkey
3 tbls parmesan cheese
2 tbls pesto
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup pine nuts

Mix ingredients together and grill outside or on your George Foreman grill. We served ours with spinach, tomato, and onion and it was DELICIOUS. Thanks for the recipe, Katie!

For my husband

2009-12-05T11:16:00.003-05:00

If you know me at all, you know that I could seriously care less about football...or any sport for that matter. But this is certainly not the case when it comes to my better half, who rather enjoys following and occasionally watching his precious BYU. I grew up cheering for the U, but since the degree I have came from the Y and my husband is an avid fan, I have found myself leaning more towards the blue side of things, if I lean at all. So this picture is for B-RAD. This is me expressing interest in the things you love. :)

PS- Speaking of Brad, the other night Nick was pretending to write a letter to someone. He spoke out loud as he wrote and Brad and I overheard the following: " Tomorrow is going to be such a wonderful day. Daddy is going to stay home and play with the kids, and Mommy is going to do our dishes!" Hmmm. I never have been the 'fun' parent. :(

New family photos...

2009-11-28T17:09:00.005-05:00

The magical Katie took our pictures this week! Here they are:

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving! Hurray for the Christmas season!

Nicky-isms

2009-11-20T00:05:00.002-05:00

1-The other day my mom treated Nick to a date at Shivers (a local fast food joint). On the way there she asked him what he wanted, to which he replied "A grilled cheese snawich." My mom told him that was fine but then listed all the other choices so that he could make a well-informed decision (hamburger, cheese burger, hot dog, corn dog, or chicken nuggets). Nick's response to this was "Granny. I want two ingredients: bread and cheese!"

2-My kids use sign language pretty well which is great for me (because I know the same signs they do) but can be a bit frustrating for other people watching them (who are left guessing). My mom was watching the kids tonight when Chase started signing something by rubbing his fingers of one hand on the palm of his other. When my mom asked Nick what Chase was signing, Nick said "It means his hand itches and he's scratching it!"

3- Nick's been mentioning more and more the last few months how badly he wants a baby sister (no, this is not an announcement). While playing with my mom a few days ago he randomly said:

"When Chase is older my Mommy's gonna have me a baby sister."

Granny: Well what if she has a baby brother?

Nick: Well that would be Chase's baby brother 'cause I already have a baby brother.

**Side note: For those of you who may be worried about mine and Nick's relationship because of this post, let me reassure you that things are getting better. :) I'm trying to make sure we have more positive interactions than negative ones. Today while he was having his TV hour I came and sat by him. Because he was in TV-la-la land, he let me pull him onto my lap and hug him and kiss him. I studied his facial features, his hands and feet. I saw myself in him, I saw Brad in him. I love getting to know this little human and discovering all the things that make him, HIM. Love that boy.

Trains and underwear

2009-10-29T20:32:00.000-04:00

Can you tell where we are in this picture? Remember how I fantasized about going to the SYTYCD concert at the beginning of October with my Brad in Ohio while his wonderful mother watched the kids? Remember how my hubby is awesome and got me tickets for an early (very early) Christmas and birthday present? Remember how he went with me and even enjoyed it and squeezed my hand when I got a bit teary (only twice)?
Yep, he's the best.
And the concert was great, minus all the cheesy dialogue in between each number.

Things have been pretty chill around here lately, and as the weather has turned colder we've been entertaining ourselves more and more indoors. And the longer we're inside, the more clothes are shed. Pants are optional at our house these days (but only if you're 4 years old or younger).

I really can't believe how old this boy is getting. He's talking up a storm now and is rather obsessed with chocolate milk, which he pronounces as "choc-da-do." Those are the first words to come out of his mouth in the morning and after his nap.

Sometimes I could swear that all these two do is bug each other and fight, but every once in a while I get to witness these precious moments. Love these two.

Merry Christmas

2009-10-17T15:05:00.003-04:00

Oh, sorry. I mean Happy Halloween. I'm just a little confused from all the SNOW we've been getting here. So confused, in fact, that I've been listening to Christmas music for 2 days now. I love the first snow fall of the year (even if it is a bit too early this year). It just feels Christmas-y outside to me. Come January I'll be cursing it and this wretchedly cold town that I live in (that I actually really love...I just hate being cold). But right now, I like the snow. Even if it means that we had to go pick our Halloween pumpkins in it.

Brad and Nick on the wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch. It was freezing!

It started snowing on Thursday, and as soon as enough had accumulated on the ground Nick went out back to go sledding and make snow balls. This boy is happiest when he's outside. And lately, when he's happy, I'm happy.

Chase, on the other hand, prefered to watch Nick from the patio. He's not too sure about the snow yet, although he loves being outside, even in the cold. Doesn't he look so old in this picture?

And in response to my last post, I just want to let it be known that I have better friends and family than I deserve. Thank you.

Nick

2009-10-14T13:35:00.003-04:00

In the last few days...

I have cried 3 times

And prayed a lot more than that.

I've been swung at

and kicked at

and yelled at

and whined to

I've comforted meltdowns

and had some of my own

I've cleaned up thrown food

and toys

and dishes

and thrown food

and toys

and dishes

I've taken temperatures

and given medicine

and reassured and held and kissed

I've threatend and yelled more than usual

And I think he might have spent more time

in timeout yesterday than out of it

I've contemplated child psychologists

and therapists

and some[more]good self-help parenting books

I've felt like a failure

and I've questioned myself

and what I've done to this kid

to make him act the way he does sometimes

And I've wondered why in the world I thought it was okay to live

so far away

from my mother and Katie

And while the moments seem few

I've also read books

and cuddled

and played with toys

and taught valuable life lessons (right?)

and instilled responsibility

that actions have consequences

I've smiled

and laughed

and felt proud

that he is mine

And I have hope

that this is just a phase

that this too shall pass

And it will all be worth it.

Did you know?...

2009-10-08T14:50:00.003-04:00

My little brother Daniel is the CEO and founder of a company?

Guess how much he makes? Not a penny. That's because he's awesome and has just started a legit (really, he set it up with a lawyer and everything) non-profit group called "Good in the Hood." Daniel has a love for other people that is unreal. It really is a gift. Now he's inspiring others to serve and love in the way he does. You can start your own chapter where you live or join the original group in good ol' Salt Lake. You can also join their group on facebook (590 members in under a week). I'm a proud big sister.

http://goodinthehood.weebly.com/index.html

Nicky boy...

2009-10-06T22:30:00.002-04:00

Two weeks old

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old

4 years old

I love October 6th. Happy birthday to my baby boy. I'm so proud of you and I'm so glad you're mine.. I love you to outer space and back (that's what Nick said to me last week)...

Already?!

2009-09-28T13:42:00.002-04:00

At the ripe old age of 27, I'm afriad the grays are taking over. I think it's time to say good-bye to my natural hair color for FOREVER...