Kate the Great!

Frog Prince plays the piano

2012-01-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

At the start of the school year, FP began taking piano lessons for a fantastic teacher here in town. He is doing quite well, and only a few months in has already started playing simple chords. Here is a video of him playing his Christmas songs for us on Christmas Eve.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T22:50:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012 to all of you out there! Hope you had a wonderful day filled with things that make you happy.

The blog is all caught up and ready to begin a new! So I leave you with some darling pictures of the Beany man!

Six weeks, and sitting in the bumbo seat for the first time.

Sleeping with the Daddio!

And celebrating New Years Day in style, with my favourite 'ugly' suit.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T22:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas was a bit of an adventure for our family this year. It was our year to spend the holiday with my family, and when talking to my mom about how we wanted to do things this year, I invited everyone over to my house, because I figured with a new baby, and four other little boys, it would be easier than having to cart them around. It was a small little celebration this year, with my little brother living over in Germany, and my older brother having to work, but my mom was able to come spend the time with us and so we still enjoyed ourselves.

Christmas even traditions that we do around the Carleski house include: eating Chili, opening a present (always new jammies) and telling the Christmas story, as well as reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas and T'was the Night Before Christmas before setting out goodies for Santa.

Things got interesting though when that evening I started having trouble with my Asthma. I ended up using my nebulizer while we were getting all the goodies set out for the kids, and I was okay for the rest of the night, able to sleep fairly well. When I woke up the next morning though, I was having trouble again. Basically, the whole day boiled down to me using my nebulizer and my rescue inhaler like they were candy. And even in so doing I'd get terribly winded by just the slightest things. I had also invited my grandpa Charles down, and he came to spend a few hours with us before heading back home. The real problem came though when it rolled around to being time to make dinner b/c I was having so much trouble breathing that I just couldn't do it. To add to the worries, my inlaws ended up coming over b/c they were going to go to my sister in laws house, but she called and said she was sick. Thankfully, my mom stepped in and saved the day by cooking all of dinner by herself. I felt terribly about it since she was our guest, but had it not been for her, we likely would have ended up eating cereal for supper. My mother in law had to work that day and said that she'd seen pretty much nothing but patients in for breathing troubles that day to the ER, and that something must have been moving through the valley. I managed to make it until after supper and then decided that I too needed to head into the ER to get stronger meds, since it was getting to be unsafe with the amount I was taking at home. So, after finishing supper (so that I didn't miss any of 'Christmas Day') Benjamin put the kids to bed, and my mom, instead of heading home drove me to the ER.... I'd had so much meds at home, by that point that, when the hooked me up to the stuff, my BP was 141/92 and my resting pulse was 92. Holy WOW! Thankfully they gave me a stronger asthma drug there, and the doc prescribed my some drugs to take at home over the next few days. And then home we went, where thankfully I was able to sleep through the night. And although I was pretty tried the next few days, after coming off of my drug high (no joke!) I rebounded pretty quickly and we have been able to enjoy the rest of the kids break. But it sure did make for a lame ending to Christmas Day.

Christmas Jammies!!!

This years goodies included: A new camera for FP, a kitchen for Sheepie, Darth Tater and a Stormtater Mr. Potatohead for Boy, and a Very Hungry Caterpillar Zoobies doll for Goob.

Look at the excitement in his eyes

"Lets take pictures of each other, taking pictures of each other!"

Grandma got Sheepie some great pots and pans to go with his new kitchen.

Goob LOVES books!

Boy loves his Toy Story action figures from Grandma

and his 'big boy' hoodie

I bet you can't tell these two are related at all!

we made Boy an Angry Birds toy set for Christmas this year!

Sheepie got his first cookbook!

and we gave FP a tub full of little Pokemon toys (eye roll)

FP crashed in a post Christmas nap

And yes, for those who noticed, there was no mention of Beany in this post. Call me heartless, but I saw no point in giving toys to a kid who was not even two months old. He enjoyed a day of being held almost non stop by his Grandma. I think that's a great Christmas gift for all involved!

Hanukkah

2012-01-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

For several years now the boys have wanted to celebrate Hanukkah. I've often wondered why we as Christians do not celebrate it was well. It was something that began before the birth of Christ, and as descendants of the tribes of Israel, it seems to me that we would celebrate those things as well, even as modern day Christians. So this year, when Sheepie asked me if we could celebrate, I said sure!

I wanted to make sure that we were not just being flippant about it though, so I spent about a week leading up to the first night teaching the kids about the history of Hanukkah, why it's celebrated, and getting things ready to do it correctly. We checked out many books from the library, made our own Menorah, and I crocheted each of the boys their own Yarmulkes to wear. We had a lot of fun saying the prayers each night, singing the songs and telling the stories, and of course lighting the candles. There was also some very serious dreidel playing going on at our house.

I wish I had managed to get more pictures this year! Especially since I didn't get any of the cute Menorah the boys made, and Goober broke it before I had a chance to put it away for next year.

FP earns is Purple Belt in Karate

2012-01-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

After a year of having to take two long breaks and basically start over in his orange belt twice, FP struggled through and earned his purple belt in Karate on the 16th of December. This means he has moved out of the 'beginner' belts as it were, and is on his first belt of the 'intermediate' belts. He will have to work hard to keep up in class, as he is still so small and young, but I know he will do great, and he is SO proud to have that stiff new purple belt!

Goodbye Orange Belt!

Hello Purple Belt

With his cousin Rachel, who also got her Purple Belt.

Out of the mouth of Goobs

2012-01-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

My sweet Goober...where do I even begin when it comes to summing up what this kid is like. The term we have chosen lately to describe him is, 'feral'. There was never a boy in this world who could have been more likely to have been raised by a pack of wild animals, and yet I love him all the more for it.

Goob is such a sweet boy at heart, and wants to do everything, learn about everything, explore everything, and test his limits as much as he can. He is mischief incarnate. One minute he will be sweetly smiling at you, and the next he will be impishly looking over at you while doing exactly what you've just told him not to do.

Over the last few months he has really made some major progress in catching up to his developmental markers. Socially he is pretty spot on these days to being a mid two year old. His speech is getting much better too, when you consider where we were even just three or so months ago. He has been working steadily with his speech therapist for the last few months, and I've never seen a little boy who wants so badly to be able to do something (in this case speak). He tries so hard to emulate the sounds he hears, and his vocabulary is growing it seems each day. Although the words still lack many many of the connsonate sounds, it is becoming more clear to those who are around him that he is attempting to say actual words, as the vowels and inflections for the words are often spot on. I find it very funny though, that the one connsonate sound he is able to make time and time again, without any problem is the 'sh' sound. that is normally one of the hardest for young kids, and yet he has a steady array of sh words in his vocabulary.

He did a test run at the preschool in the week leading up to Christmas break, and although he is so young compared to the other kids, the teachers all said he did well. He was engaged and willing to do as he was told, and seemed to be enjoying himself. I really feel that having him around other kids his own age, who are not his brothers, will help him to hear what words are meant to sound like. And that it will be good to have other kids around him who are not going to try to talk over him, or for him, but make him do it himself.

I plan on taking him soon to see a pediatric audiologist, b/c I am still not convinced though that he is hearing words correctly. I was talking with my mother in law yesterday about it, and we concluded he could very well hear well enough to follow the directions given to him during the test, which consisted basically of, 'drop the toy in the bucket when you hear the beep,' kind of testing. However, I have to wonder if he is not hearing words clearly enough to reproduce the connsonate sounds.

I am so grateful though, to live in a time when my son is not just written off. That there are amazing programs like Early Childhood Intervention and preschools to work with him, and help him to reach his goals. I'm also grateful for the amazing technology we have, which will be able to help us know if he has hearing problems. And that there are things like my ipad which engage him with some wonderful therapy apps that I couldn't have even imaged using when I was in speech as a child. I know that with all of these resources for us to use, he will eventually get to his full potential, and I can not wait for that day!

Some of his new words:
Sheep
Shoe
Shower
Sherry
drink
food
blankey
froggie
up
Abbey

And.... he has been trying really hard with potty training lately as well! Considering he can't tell us when he needs to go, I am even more proud of him when we manage to put two and two together and make it work!

Now... if I could only get those blasted fingers out of his mouth!

Blessing the Beany Boy

2012-01-01T21:31:00.000-08:00

December has been quite a special month for our family. It could also be the month of alliteration: Birthdays, Baptisms, and Blessings.

On December 4th, Benjamin was able to give our son a name and a blessing at church, which is a tradition that I have always held dearly. It is always so special for me to see my baby dressed in white and held so lovingly in his fathers arms. All of my boys have worn the same outfit, and it hangs on the wall in the nursery. I hope that as Beany grows up and looks at it hanging there, it will be a reminder to him of how special he is not only to his mommy and daddy, but to his Heavenly Father as well.

Beany at one month old

2012-01-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

It seems like time is just flying buy with this sweet little Bean. Thankfully, we get to spend so much time together snuggling, and laying together while I read books or look at things on the computer. I love his sweet smell and how he nuzzles his head under my chin. Everything about him is perfect, and I feel so blessed everyday to be his mother. When I look at him, and realise that, unless there is some major change in life plans, he is our last baby my heart just screams for it all to slow down. It seems like I blinked and his older brothers all just grew up over night, and I can't stand the idea of that happening this last time.

But, enough of my wishing for my baby to never grow! For Christmas this year, Benjamin got me a new camera b/c my nice DSLR, as you will recall met a sad end via some gatoraide and Sheepie. He gave it to me early so that I could take pictures at FP's baptism, and so it's been a treat to be able to hone in how to use it with such a cute model. Here are some pictures I snagged with Mr. Bean while playing with my external flash.

Sheepies half birthday party

2012-01-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

Sheepie's birthday falls in the summer time each year, and as such it means that he does not attend school on his birthday. Because of this, each year he has been lucky enough to have teachers who have let him have a half birthday celebration in class. This year was no exception, and to make things even more exiciting, his celebration landed on the school wide PJ day.

His special treat he requested was chocolate doughnuts for everyone in class.

Here is his with his favourite substitute teacher, Mrs. Cudo, being sung to. I believe the style was underwater singing.

FP's birthday and Baptism

2012-01-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

December 4th rolled around this year faster than I could have possibly imagined and with it came my sweet FPs birthday. How my first born went from being a baby one day and being 8 the next I'm not sure! For his birthday we had a shake up this year, and instead of a party he invited one of his best friends, Julius, over for a sleep over, and then the next day the two of them, along with his other good friend Sara to go see the new Muppet Movie. None of the three kids had ever been exposed to the classic Muppets before, so it was fun to watch them see the Muppets I grew up with. What followed the next weekend, though, was even more special for FP.

In our faith, we believe that children reach an age of accountability when they turn 8 years old. It is at this age they are allowed to be baptized and become members if the church, if they wish to. FP wanted to get baptized, so on December 10th 2011, he was baptized by his father. It was a sweet, small gathering for him, and he was very excited to be taking such a big step in his life. It is one that he has been working toward since he was a young child, and I know he is proud of the choice he made. As his mother, I can not help but be very proud of my not so little boy. I know that for him, there are some very real struggles in choosing to do what is right. He has such a strong desire to be a good boy though, and it makes me beam to think of his wish to be good and clean, and do the things that our Heavenly Father has set out for him.

After he was baptised, and he came out from getting dressed, he sat down next to me, and I leaned over to tell him I loved him and was proud of him. I sniffed him, and jokingly said he smelled clean. With such sincerity he looked over at me and said, "That's because I am, Mom. I am perfect right now, and it feels so good!"

That night when we got home, he wrote down his impressions of his special day, and I hope they are something he will always keep with him in life.

FP's impressions after being baptized and getting the gift of the Holy Ghost.

I got baptized today! I was happy in my whole baptism. Like when my Aunt Alicen spoke to me about keeping my spirit clean and when Bro. Elton spoke to me about baptism. I was most happy when I got baptized. I wish I had stayed under longer. I told my daddy he should have held me until I tapped him because I could have held my breath for a long time. The water was kind of cold and warm. After my baptism I felt clean and fresh. I got the Holy Ghost. I was really excited when I got there! I got baptized because I wanted to be like Jesus. I also wanted to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Wrapping up Autumn

2012-01-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

As I sit down to a new year, I realise there is really only one thing that I want to be better at this year. At least one thing, that is, that I care to make a resolution about. That one thing is chronicling our lives. My blog has sorely lacked for months, and I realised as I sat down to put some stuff in FPs baby book, that many important things have been left out of each child's. All I can say is thankgoodness for FB b/c otherwise I'd not be able to go back and fill in Goober's book at all; it is that empty. Now I realise that it is easy to say something along the lines of, "We've been so busy living and enjoy life we've not had time to record about it." And that may well be true. But when my children are grown up, I want them to be able to look back at these things and see their history. The memories will fade and I want them, and their own children to have reminders of the things that made our lives happy. So this year, that is my only resolution. I want to blog at least weekly, and have all the kids baby books caught up by the end of the year. So, that being said, let the catch up begin!

This Autumn has passed quite quickly, but the one thing I forgot to post about was the new sporting adventures for the oldest two. this year Sheepie and FP played soccer for the first time and LOVED it. They were able to play on the same team (The Broncos) and their team overall was actually quite good. They won all but two of their games, and one of those two was a tie.

The other big excitement of the Autumn was that one of our little 'farm' goals came true. We got chickens. I have to say I have quite the love/hate relationship with these little birds. They are so fun to collect eggs from their coop, and the pick up and pet, but they poop everywhere! Each of the three older boys picked out their own and named them. Their names are Mace Windu, Bullseye, and Philadelphia Chicken. This next spring I would like to get more so that we can have more than three eggs a day, but for now I am quite enjoying them. I'm especially proud of our little coop/ chicken run we build, as it's made out of about 90% reclaimed materials. The coop itself is Abbey's old dog house, that she would never use, and then we raised it with some left over materials from the property fence. and then we used some left over chicken wire and metal fence stakes from our property fence to build their run area. We only had to buy their walk way up into the coop and some more chicken wire.

In November, aside from Beany joining our family, which was far and away the best part of our Autumn, I celebrated my birthday as well. Turning 29 was pretty uneventful, and I spent the day just relaxing with my sweet little family. Thanksgiving was also a nice low key day, as we went over to Benjamin's parents home

and were able to relax. This was especially nice since everyone was just getting over being sick with a nasty bug that the kids all brought home from school. Our Autumn wrapped up with my getting ready for the Corvallis Community Nativity Festival, with which I have been involved over the last several years. I worked this year to put all the costumes together for the volunteers to wear. With a new baby it was a bit more of an undertaking than I had really had in mind, but thanks to a really good stroller and lots of McDonald's for the Littles, it worked out in the end.

Halloween, almost a month late

2011-11-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

I know I have been horrible of late about keeping up with my blog. I wanted to get pictures of our Halloween put up though before I completely forget about doing so. So here is our Halloween, a bit late.

The Theme this year: Star Wars

Boy was a padawan learner or Luke Skywalker depending on when you asked him.

Goob was the cutest Yoda ever known to man kind! I was Padme Amidala in her Mustafa outfit. Benjamin was Obi Wan Kenobi. Sheepie was Anikan Skywalker. and FP was Mace Windu; we ended up shaving his head bald after taking these pictures. You can see he's bald in the family picture.

I realise now, this is the last picture I have of me pregnant with Beaney, I think.

Week 1: Mr. Beaney and Big Boy Beds

2011-11-19T22:29:00.001-08:00

Beaney at One week old.

Isn't he darling?
Almost back to his birth weight almost.
Sleeping for 3 or so hours at time.
Sadly, extremely gassy.
A peaceful guy in general.

To get the Littles ready for Beaney as a new roommate we had to make some changes in the sleeping arrangements. The kids managed to break the crib we owned by jumping on it, once we turned it into a toddler bed for Goob. Because of this we needed to buy a new crib and figured it was a great time to move Goob up to a real toddler bed. So how do you fit three kids in a room? Bunk beds of course. As you can see from the pictures, we build them mini bunk beds. Basically we just build a small loft bed over Boy's existing bed, and let Boy have the top bunk. We then moved Goob into Boy's old bed, and bought a new crib for when Beaney leaves our room and moves in with them. So far, everyone seems to like their new sleeping space.

Introducing the Bean

2011-11-19T21:13:00.001-08:00

Our sweet Mr. Beaney was born November 8th, 2011

8lbs 9oz.
21 inches long
4:32 pm

Everyone is happy and healthy, and Beaney has slipped right into our family seamlessly. I don't we could love him more if we tried.

Labour with Beaney was unlike anything I have ever gone through. I gave birth naturally this time, but not quite like I expected to. A week or so before the Bean was born I had mentioned to Benjamin that I thought I'd like to try having him naturally. Just so I can say I've had the experience, but truth be told I kind of dismissed that idea fairly quickly.

The day Bean was born started out like any other day. I'd had no signs of labour at all and was getting ready to go crazy. In the morning, I dropped everyone where they needed to be and then went in for my weekly OB appointment. At this point, I begged to be induced. None of my kids have made it to their actual due day except my eldest and I was beyond ready to have the kid out of me. My OB was actually just fine with inducing me, and we scheduled it for the following morning. Quite happy with that, I went on my way and headed off to a massage and chiropractic adjustment. Still nothing unusual about my day at this point. No contractions or signs of labour approaching. Around 12:30 I went to pick up Boy and Goob from my friend Robyn's house, and stayed until about 1:30. Now this is where the day started to get fun. At 2:30, my kids get out of school, and as I was driving to get them, had had the most intermittent and mild contractions. No worse than the Braxton Hicks I'd been having off and on for weeks. I even stopped to talk to each of my son's teachers, and had a good laugh b/c I had to pause our conversation b/c of contractions. However, it was still nothing I thought to be real labour because I was able to drive home. By the time we got home, I thought I might be in early labour, as my contractions were now regular, though still far apart.

I decided to call Benjamin around 3:30 and suggested to him that he might want to leave a bit earlier than normal so that he'd have time to pack a bag before it was time to go to the hospital. By this point my contractions were very uncomfortable, and I had to focus quite a bit to get through them. However they were still manageable. I then went up stairs and decided to get in the shower to try and relax a bit. The shower helped but by the time I got out, I was in quite a bit of pain in each contraction, and it was all I could do to not curl up on my floor and cry. The younger boys were sleeping though, and the older boys were in the next room over though, so I didn't want to freak them out by making too much noise. I decided to call my mother in law and have her come over to watch the boys, so that when Benjamin got home we could head to the hospital. I wasn't sure that they would keep me, because, painful though they were, I didn't think my contractions were regular enough. I had after all still been able to move aruond the house and deal with the boys.

Benjamin got home, and I knew it was time to go. The contractions were right on top of each other at this point, and the five minute drive to the hospital was gruelling. I remember telling him in the car I was sorry ahead of time, because I was pretty sure I was going to end up swearing soon, since it hurt so much. In asking him later though, he said I never did end up swearing. I can remember thinking in the car ride over two things. One: the car in front of us was driving way too slowly for a highway, and two: I really had to pee. By the time we pulled up to the ER and got in, the contractions were so painful I just stood in the lobby as the guy printed off my admitting stuff, and buried my head in Benjamins back while rocking back and forth. As the man put my wrist band on (I was this close to clawing at him, he was taking so long!) Benjamin grabbed a wheel chair, and basically just ran me up to the OB floor. When we got to the OB floor, he slowed down long enough to ask me what room we were in, and then we went. It felt as if we didn't stop for the nurses or anything, just wheeled past them, leaving them and my midwife to follow behind.

As soon as we got to the room, I got out of the wheel chair and made a beeline for the bathroom still feeling like I had to pee. I had never felt so much pain before, but by this point it felt as if the entire thing were an out of body experience. I did not have to pee, I was ready to push. That quickly, I was ready to push, so I went to the bed, climbed up and started to sob to my midwife that it hurt so badly and I just wanted her to get him out of me.

She told me she was going to check me, and I remember snapping at her that I didn't want to be touched, and she replied that she wasn't touching me, what I felt was the babies head and it was RIGHT there. Again it was such an out of body experience at this point. I have never yelled through a birth (b/c I've always had an epidural) but I was yelling and begging for her to get him out. I remember begging her for an epidural, and it just not making sense in my head that it was too far along to have it, even though I knew he was right there. It seemed as if everyone was scrambling around the room to get things ready. Normally I doubt they have patients just walk in and crawl up on all fours on the bed and announce that whether the nurses were ready or not, they were going to start pushing the kid out. However, that is exactly what I did, and ten agonizing and surreal minutes after I walked into the ER doors I was holding my new son against my chest.

The moments after Beaney was born were equally surreal. Looking back on it now, I honestly think I was in a mild state of shock. Everything had happened so quickly, and after giving him to me for a minute, they took Beaney away to make sure that the rapid fire delivery didn't do anything to him. So as he was being looked over I remember just sitting there trying to process everything, and slowly returning to myself from my 'out of bodiness'. Truthfully, because it was all so fast and I think I was in a bit of shock I don't recall having that overwhelming whoosh of love for Beaney that I did with the other boys, but more of a slow realization that he was actually here and he was ours. Soon enough, people cleared out of our room, and we were left to cuddle in with Bean and get to know him.

Looking back at it, I commented to a friend that the were was no way I could have given birth naturally of my own choice. That I just wasn't strong enough to have not chickened out, given the choice. But as I think about it, I realise that in a way, it was my own choice, and I was strong enough. Yes, my labour was quite short this time, but I was at home for all but the last 15 minutes of it. I was working through the contractions while I was dealing with children, driving cars, and moving around, all the time telling myself that they were not too painful to cope with. All the time thinking that I surely had much longer to go and that the truly painful stuff was yet to come at a later point. But I was, in reality dealing with it right then. I was labouring naturally. And so, when that time came to deliver, yes the window for drugs was gone, and yes it was insanely painful and fast, but I was able to do it, and do it strong. When I think of it in that regard, I find the whole experience quite empowering. To think of my body and self as being that strong and not even consciously knowing it at the time. Like I said, quite empowering.

In the end, having delivered both with medicine and naturally now, I still stand by my original view point that it doesn't matter how the child arrives so long as, in the end both mother and child are healthy. However, I feel quite blessed to have had this experience, to show me how strong I am, and that in the end I can say I belong to a collection of women who have, through history, delivered their children in such a way.

Just testing...

2011-11-02T21:02:00.001-07:00

I'm just testing to see what happens when I post using a different email address.

Sweet Sheepie is growing up

2011-09-18T22:24:00.001-07:00

When FP turned five, I put together a sweet video of pictures and videos of him through his first five years. I had every intention of doing this for Sheepie when he turned five too. For whatever reason, sadly, it never got made. Today he asked me, as FP was looking at his video, where the Sheepie video was. I had to admit it was never made. Until today....

It's a year and a half late, but while he was napping I made a video for him..... using his favourite Beatles songs. So, Happy 5 years video, my sweet Sheepie (only a year and a half late).

Boys new glasses

2011-09-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

As you might have noticed in the back to school pictures, Boy was sporting something new in his back to school look....

After years of hoping and wishing to be like his two older brothers, Boy finally got the desires of his heart, and was told he'd get to wear glasses.

At his 3 year check up, the Dr. told me that he was quite certain that by the time he was 5 he'd need glasses for being far sighted and having an astigmatism. He has a very slight one now, and the Dr. said while he could do without them, glasses now would help. So we decided that since he was so very excited now, getting him in the habit of wearing them would be worth purchasing glasses now.

Now let's hope that either Goob and Beany both need glasses when they are older, or that neither one does. Could you imagine being the odd kid out, when it comes to wearing glasses in this family. haha

He calls them his Benny the Beaver glasses, because on the inside of the frame and on the sides, they are bright orange; his favourite colour.

First Day of School! First Day of School!!!!

2011-09-18T21:39:00.000-07:00

As pretty much every other mommy blog in the world has updated, it's a new school year. Here are at the Carleski Casa, we too were too have been excited to greet Autumn and the smell of fresh crayons and pencil shavings. The three oldest boys counted the days anxiously from the moment we got back from Utah, and thankfully it wasn't too long of a wait for them.

Sheepie and Frog Prince were off first, heading out for a new year of fun.

FP and his 2nd grade (!!! when did he get so old) teacher, Mrs. Free.

I love her to pieces already. She is totally no nonsense, but makes the kids laugh and is very much concerned with helping FP stay on track, while still reinforcing that she cares.

Sheepie and his 1st grade teacher, Mrs. T.
I am so excited to have another kid in Mrs Tyrrell's class this year. She was so much fun to be involved with last year, and I know she will find the perfect ways to help Sheepie push himself and have fun this year.

A few days later, this noodle head started his second year of preschool. I'm not sure what happened, but looking at this picture it seemed like he grew up over night. I remember being so worried when he started last year about how small he was, but now he seems so grown up and big when he is in his class. He loves preschool so much, and asks me every night if he has class in the morning.

With the Biggies and Boy back to school, it gives me some really nice one on one time with Goober before the baby gets here. So far we've enjoyed a lot of walks and reading books together. I'm thinking, if I can work the schedule out right, we might take a water kids class together, while Boys in class.

Happy back to school!

My Grandfather

2011-08-22T04:05:00.000-07:00

The call came Saturday afternoon, and I knew when I saw the caller ID what it was about. My grandfather'd been sick for a while. I contemplated for a minute if I should call my brother back, as I stood hiking up the side of the hills on Antelope Island with my kids. But I did, and as I heard him confirming what I'd suspected, I didn't really have a chance to realise my Grandpa was really gone. In that moment, I went into 'mommy mode' and after hiding behind my husband to sob for a moment, I dried my eyes and proceeded with the day full of fun things we'd planned. There was no point in tell my kids until the end of the day, since it was our last weekend in Utah and we didn't want to ruin it for them.

Then that night, we sat the older boys down and explained to them that their Great Grandpa had died that morning. I shed a few tears as I held a sobbing Frog Prince, and listened to his little broken heart try to come to terms that his Grandpa Ron was in heaven. It wasn't my turn to be sad yet; he needed to have his tears. Sheepie was sad, but at his age, dead is still not quite as solid a concept, and he sadness was not quite as pronounced. Frog Prince has turned the corner and quickly understood the reality that he was gone. His little tears ached for grandpas absence from his upcoming baptism; that their last conversation of having a sleep over wouldn't come true. His sadness came often through the night, and Mommy needed to take first place over upset granddaughter.

Sunday, was filled with the haze of goodbyes at church and getting everything packed up quickly, so that we could come home to Corvallis early. It wasn't until I went to bed last night, that it was my turn finally. I woke up around 3 am, like I tend to do thanks to the Bean in utero somersaults, and decided to hop in the shower. As I sad there it really began to sink in that he was gone. I knew that it was going to happen, as I said he'd been very sick. However, even with that in my head, I just assumed he'd be around. He's been around my entire life, it seemed fairly impossible to have it be any other way. So the tears finally fell freely and I was able to really reflect on my Grandpa.

My grandpa was a pretty awesome guy. Like I said, he was such a fixture of my life, that it was the kind of awesomeness that most of the time you don't even notice because it's always there. I have so many good memories of him that the more I sit here thinking about it, it's hard to pick just a few to write about. I can recall that as a kid, it seemed as if he always had something cool in store for us grand kids.

The two stories I remember the most are ones he'd tell us about his own childhood. My Grandpa Ron grew up in Speedway, Indiana, home of the Indy500. He used to tell us about how the whole town lived for those races, and when the engines would start up for the season you could hear it throughout the town. When the engines revved for the first time they'd all rush out school to the race yards (even mid day) just to see the cars. For a kid, had to be pure bliss.

He'd also tell us stories of how, during the war, his family traveled to San Francisco to visit his brother who was a solider. They rode the bus all the way from Indiana, and then would stay in a hotel. He would tell us about how back then, even as a kid, he was allowed to just leave the hotel and explore the city by himself. He'd find someone who looked interesting and would follow them around, seeing where they'd go for the day.

He loved football too. He used to tell us stories of how he played while he was in college at USC. It was back in the days of soft leather helmets, and for a long time he had his helmet tucked away in a closet in house.

He had great little poems and songs he'd teach us too. It was law in his house that you learned by heart at least one of his poems. To this day, I can say it at the drop of a hat, and fully intend on teaching it to each of the boys.

Ladies and Gentlemen
I come before you, to stand behind you,
to tell you something, I know nothing about.
This Tuesday, which is Good Friday
there will be a women's meeting, for men only.
Admission is Free, pay at the door.
Plenty of seats, sit on the floor.
Next on the agenda is the four corners of the round table.

My Grandpa had two great loves in life: the water and dogs. He had a dog since before I was born. But it always seemed to me that his true love was, Sammie, a white dog that lived forever, it seemed. She was born before I was, and lived up until I was 11 or so. When Sammie died, he never got another dog, but he loved to spoil any dog in sight. His other love was the water. He lived for sailing and boating. When I was a kid he only had a little rubber zodiac. I can imagine, now, that for a man who loved sailing, it was not nearly as thrilling as he wanted, but as a kid, to my brothers and I it was quite possibly the coolest thing ever. We would spend whole weekends speeding up and down the river in that little boat, laughing as he'd cut across wake to bounce us up and down. We learned to love the water in that little boat, and it's a love that I still have. Later, he bought a sail boat, The Serendipity, and we taught us each to sail. I loved sitting on the front of that boat as it'd bob up and down in the water, or spend summer days leaning against the front of the cabin reading a book. My grandpas happiest when he was on his boat, but even more so, it seemed when he was able to share it with his grand kids. It makes me sad to think my kids were too little to ever be able to go out with him.

My Grandpa took me to see my first real theatre production ever. I couldn't have been more than 12, but I remember getting dressed up in what I thought at the time was such a grown up dress, and him taking me out to dinner before hand. The way he talked to the waitress about me, made me free so special. And then we went to the Arlene Schnizter, in Portland, and saw a Broadway review. It was sitting there, that night, that I fell in love with theatre, and knew I wanted to be an actor. My Grandpa came to every play I was ever in, no matter how big or small the role. Everything from my ridiculous second grade play to being in leading roles in things like Oklahoma! and Godspell, he was there.

I have so many other little memories of him, like how he drove down from Portland to take me to get my drivers license, and then let me drive home in his brand new car, because that's what kids are supposed to get to do when they turn 16. Or how much he loved my kids. How happy he'd be to hold each of them as new born babies, or how he loved to have them running around. Or how he practically lived at his local Sherri's for years and every waitress there knew his name, and where always thrown off when he'd not have a meal there at least once a day.

Like I said, my Grandpa Ron was a pretty awesome guy. He may not have been awesome in the way that will make history remember him, but in our family I know that he will always be remembered as someone pretty singular. I am glad he's no longer in pain, and struggling with illness, but I sure am going to miss him.

This picture represents four generations. Although, I'm not in it because I was taking it. My Grandpa, my mom, and Goob on his blessing day.

Dinosaurs, Fossils, and Colorado, Oh my!

2011-08-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

So, the question in the last post was, what happens when you load us all up in our car on the way home form camping, and my husband I and get an itch to see dinos? Well, if you know Mr. C and me, you probably can figure out that the natural answer is you flip a u-turn and head to Colorado (well, right on the Utah Colorado boarder) to see Dinosaur National Monument.

Extra day of camping an another 200 miles? Sure, why not! Kids (and their grown ups) are only little once after all.

After doing some quick look ups on the ol' blackberry, while we drove, Mr. C and I mapped out our next leg of the great adventure. first it was back through Moab to some random place along the Colorado River to see Ancient Pictographs. FP was super excited since he learned about hieroglyphs in school this last year, and found them to be very much the same.

And then it was time to take a random cute picture of Goob!

Further down the road was spot where a large slat of rock had fallen that had many impressions of dinosaur foot prints. You can see the two they painted white to make it easy to see, but there was probably about 20 on that slab of rock alone.

FP touching his first ever dino fossil (trace fossil, he learned it was called later)

A note: These prints are not easily accessed if you have small kids. Thankfully there was a woman and her daughter there at the same time as we were because it was very slipper to climb to the slab, and involved their kindness of helping us climb to various place and then hand the boys off to each other, to get up and down. I think without their help, we'd have had one of the boys (or us holding one of them) fall. It is do able, but probably best to take up one kid at a time, and have two adults to help them along.

The slab is right above that big out cropping midway up, to give you reference.

After checking out the dino prints we hopped in the car and drove. I have to laugh because the quickest way to get to Dinosaur National Monument is to drive all the way out of Utah, through Colorado, and then back into Utah again. It sits right on the boarder, and spans both states, but all of the actual dinosaur stuff is on the Utah side. So we drove to Colorado and had a great time stopping in a town called Dinosaur, Colorado.

Hanging out with Sheepies favourite dino, the tricerotops, at this neat park where we stopped for lunch, and to let the kids play.

And then we arrived!

By the time we got there it was pretty late, so we found the camp grounds that are in the monument, and set up camp. It was a completely different feeling than camping in Moab, and I have to say it was a bit crazy. You know how you go camping, and there is always that one family that just is annoying somewhere in the camp grounds? We were that family! The place was packed so there were people everywhere. And despite the fact that there were kids everywhere, it was so quiet. Most of the families seemed to only have 1 or 2 kids, and they were so subdued I'm not really sure if it was not some strange twilight zone episode or something. However, we arrive, our kids full of hours of pent up energy. They are used to being about to run around the other camp site and be as loud and wild as they wanted. So that is what they do here, in our tiny site. Didn't go over well. Then after we finally got them to all settle a bit and eat, to keep them quiet we loaded them into the tent and read many many chapters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was our current bed time book. Thankfully, they did eventually quiet down, but the next morning were up bright and early and again were super loud as the entire campsite seemed to sleep in until noon. Figuratively of course, but still. I was not sad to leave that camp site, and the icing on the cake was that the night before I put the rain fly to the tent on a near by stump so that the boys could see the stars as the slept. Packing up, we discovered the stump was the home of a huge ant colony, and they were ALL over the rain fly. We had to shake it out, which, if you know me and my straight up phobia of ant, is amazing. Yup, not sad to leave that camp site at all.

Especially because in leaving it mean seeing Dinosaur bones! Disclaimer: this is the part of the post were I turn into a 7 year old geek child and ramble excitedly about all the dinosaur stuff we saw.

You see, for as long as I could remember know what a Dinosaur was, I knew I wanted, and dreamed of being a Paleontologist. It was that one job for me. You know the one; where you dream about it your whole life, and tell everyone you're going to be, when they ask you as a kid. Even today, if I were willing to live in a place with my family that would facility may being so, and I didn't want to stay home with my kids, I think I'd get my PhD in Paleontology and go dig up bones for a living. So I'm honestly not sure who was more excited when we explored the monument, the kids, or me. Truthfully, based on how dorky my husband said I was going on and on about the bones and such, it was probably me.

Now don't freak out or anything, but this is us touching real fossils. And not just silly little fragments left after they got the good stuff, these are hard core full on bones. The smart man who founded the place, thought it would be neat to leave parts of the site open to natural erosion to that the bones would be in their natural state for people to see. BRILLIANT!

This one is super cool. Can you see, starting right by Mr. C's finger and going up the rock where the end of a bone is stating to become exposed?

And this one is awesome. Though it's hard to see, the whole kind of raised circular part of the rock that FP's leaning on is the vertebrae of a medium sized juvenile sauropod (four legged walker). That piece bigger than his head is JUST one piece of the things spine! I told you... I kind of nerded out a bit over this stuff.

This is them touching the end of a juvenile femur bone. Again of a sauropod.

And then, in a moment of true and ultimate awesomeness for me. I touched a real life, not in some museum, but in the side of the freaking mountain still stegosaurus bone. I wanted to rip it out of the rock right there and hold it in my hands. It is a dino geeks dreams come true.

Then it was off to the visitor's center.

This picture cracks me up. FP learned about this book and the author in school this last year, and practically had a heart attack when he saw it in the visitor center store. Look at that face.

One of the last things we did before heading home was having the boys sworn in as official Junior Park Rangers and Junior Paleontologist. They had little workbooks for each that they had to fill out around the park. When they were done, they could return them and the rangers would go over all the answers with them. They would then be sworn in and receive their badges and certificates.

The boys would not stop talking about it forever, and still wear their badges every chance they get. It is too funny!

After the Monument, we hurried to Vernal, in Utah to check out the Utah Field House of Natural History. It was quick trip since they were closing in 45 minutes but we managed to see pretty much everything that their attention spans would allow.

As the sun set on your adventure, a car full of happy, filthy little boys passed out and we drove happily home to Salt Lake.

If you are ever in the market for an adventure your family will never forget, carve a week out of your schedule, and check out Moab and Dinosaur National Monument. You won't regret it.

Canyonlands and Dead Horse

2011-08-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

The next day was spent exploring Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse State Park.

I swear, that the views while driving through Canyonlands seriously could have been taken straight out of the movie cars. When you see the vastness and the unreal heights of some of these canyons, it seriously seems as if the Earth was just cracked in two by a giant axe.

The canyons just drop straight down. Right behind these logs, it was such a sheer drop, we wouldn't let the boys get out of the car to take a picture.

We didn't get too many pictures in Canyonlands. We mostly drove to see things, and hiked a little. Hiking, as far as we could see, in the Canyonland Park is not very kid friendly; even for kids with as many miles under their belt as ours. they were rugged steep climbs down the canyon faces, that often times I couldn't even find a trail head for by the signs, just drop offs. LOL... not that I'm a spoil sport or anything, but I'm just not keen on the idea of on of my kids falling off the side of a massive drop.

This is right by were we stopped to eat lunch. Boy was not too happy about being as close to the canyon ledge as we were. Even though it was a good 10 or so feet behind us, he wanted to make a hasty retreat as soon as this picture was taken.

We actually weren't going to go out to Dead Horse, but the internet said they had dino fossils at the vistor center. They lied. There was one TINY dino print, which we could barely see, in the flower bed in front of the visitors center. However, it the views were neat, and they informational hike they have is kind of cool, since you can see the salt flats were they make salt. And the drive out to the place mentioned in the legend of Dead Horse point is a bit unnerving when you see how narrow the land bridge is that you're driving over. If you want to read the legend of how the place got it's name, check it out here.

It was after seeing all this that we kind of felt like we'd seen all that we had to see, and were going to head home. After playing a bit more at our camp site, we packed up and started to drive home. About 10 or so miles out of Moab, Mr. C and I started talking about all the cool things we'd seen and what else would have been awesome. That's when I mentioned Dinosaurs.... yup, dinosaurs. So what do you do when you have a car full of boys covered in red dirt and two spontaneous, impulsive grown ups... You pull a u-turn and head to the Dinos!

Exploring Moab, Utah

2011-08-09T14:58:00.001-07:00

DISCLAIMER: there are about a million pictures in this post, so be warned! Seriously, it goes for a while. lol

In our last series of 'catch up posts' I will share with you our epic adventures in Moab, Utah. Moab is about a three hour drive from Salt Lake, but we figured that it would be much easier driving down there now, rather than trying to actually plan a vacation there sometime in the future. I am so glad we decided it was worth the time and money to spend the week out there. It was amazing and something the kids still haven't stopped talking about.

We spent several nights camping in the most beautiful and remote place. It is called Sand Flats, and it's managed by the BLM. It was only 5 bucks a night or something, so it was super cheap, but perfect. There were huge sand stone (rock not shifting sand) dunes all over to climb and explore. The kids were in awe of it all. It is not camping for the weak of souls though. There is no water on site, so you have to bring in all your own stuff, and the wind gets pretty intense at times, so everything you leave out will have a layer of sand on it. If you can survive that, I would honestly say it was one of the best places I've ever camped.

Our first few days we spent hiking and climbing in Arches National Park. Pictures of these amazing natural structures will never do them justice.

Things like, the 100's of ft deep canyon that was right behind us in this picture that you can not even tell is there just by looking at the photo.

Or the sheer scale of everything around you.

We had so much fun free climbing as many of the places as we could safely do. And then, in some cases maybe not so safely.

This is me in a cave. Pretty obvious, I know. What was apparently not obvious to me, is that when you are 5 months or so pregnant, free climbing into sandstone caves may be easy, but perhaps not the best idea, when it comes to getting back down. The boys started to climb it, and chickened out. Benjamin started to climb it, and then decided against it. I thought, "Weenies, that's easy!" and up I skittered, feeling quite accomplished that I could still hug such a smooth face, with my rounded belly. I posed for my victory pictures, standing proudly 15 ft or so above the ground. Not bad at all, not too high, pfft. And then it was time to get down.

Now this nice smooth sandstone cave, had a rounded lip, and to get down you have to lay flat on your stomach and shimmy your legs over until your feet can find the first hold. All while using your stomach and arms to hug the face while you lower yourself down. Perhaps you can see the problem; I could the minute I realized this was how it worked. I have no stomach, I have a giant orb of fat and baby hanging out there. And chicken arms that are not strong enough to hold my extra weight. So as I slid over the edge it was very tense three our four minutes for at least me, as I was convince I was going to fall 15 ft from the cave, because my stomach was too fat to allow me to really hug the super smooth face with little more than small indents and finger (not hand, finger) holes. Benjamin stood below, spotting and calling out holds to me as I went down, and I couldn't help but laugh in my head b/c the only thing that would have happened if I had fallen was that I would have squashed him under my girth in addition to breaking myself. Eventually, I did get down fine though, but that was kind of the end of my more adventurous climbing on this trip. Climbing maybe easy while pregnant, but without a repelling system, getting down is a whole heck of a lot harder.

The boys were completely unphased by my getting 'stuck' in the cave, and I am pretty sure at least my two oldest are part mountain goat.

Goob had to get in on the climbing action too. Got to start them young!

I love this action shot of Sheepie!

Kings of the mountain!

My handsome Mr. C totally got in on the action too. I think he was very excited to be out climbing again for the first time since his broken ankle. I really think, had we brought climbing gear with us, we'd have spent most of the time repelling and climbing.

I love this picture. All my favourite people in the world, doing one of my favourite things!

Landscape arch was the arch everyone was wanting to see. The boys were VERY sad that they were not able to get closer to it, but it's very close to falling entirely, so it's been fences off for years.

We camped, and then went back the next day, since after hitting up Landscape arch I'd say we' probably hiked about 8-10 miles with the kids that first day. Bright and early though we were back and exploring more arches.

There are not many pictures of Goob because he had the back pack to hang out in, but don't let this little guy fool you. He is probably the most hard core of our kids. At his age he will walk for easily 2 miles by himself without any desire to give up, all in those silly salt water sandals he wears.

That tiny little dot in the middle of the picture (not the white shirt guy) is Sheepie and me.

he made his own arch.

I love love love this picture.

These next two pictures of FP and Sheepie make my wobble. I was hanging out with a sleeping Goob when Mr. C took the other three to see the last few arches. Apparently there is a sheer drop off of many many feet, just inches behind where these two nuts climbed to to pose. I'm very glad I wasn't there.

The three mountain goats Carleski!

We finished off Arches on the second day and then camped in the Sand Flats again the second night. Sadly, when you don't have room for an air mattress in your tent (6 people in a 4 man, what?!) and you're pregnant, eventually the hard ground gets the best of you. After the first night I decided to be a weenie and lay out the seats in the back of the van and sleep in there. It was not great, but I think it was the only way I was able to survive and be ready to hit the trails again the next morning. Plus with me gone, it made for more room for the men folk to stretch out in the tent. After this baby is born, we are upgrading to a bigger tent!

And thus it as that our first two days were spent exploring Moab and the famed arches.

Hiking Ensign Peak

2011-08-04T11:11:00.001-07:00

The very next weekend after hiking the Y, we decided to head out and see what Ensign Peak was like.

Travelling Froggie, upon first arriving in Utah came out and hiked up there with Mr. C. He wrote a lovely Froggie point of view post about it, that is worth checking out, if you don't normally read his blog.
(Shame he's been kind of off radar since we arrived--like as in he got left in the car for the entire trip to Moab, doah!)

Check his post out here :travelling Froggie goes hiking

This was our test run for Goob's new hiking back pack and from what I hear everyone loves it. I've not carried him in it yet, since I'm pregnant and Mr. C is around, but he said he likes it much better than our old one we sold last year, b/c it actually puts the weight on his hips instead of shoulders. Goob loves it b/c it is actually comfortable and has this nice sun visor he likes to play with.

It was a neat hike, but for those who are thinking of going, just be warned it is VERY windy when you get to the top. Like as in hold your small childs hand, so he doesn't blow off the ridge line windy.

For those who are wondering about what kind of pack we got to carry Goob in, it's a Deuter Kids Comfort baby carrier.

Hiking the 'Y'

2011-08-04T10:48:00.001-07:00

I've had a recent revelation of sorts and it's a pretty simple one at that. So many people comment in real life as well on Facebook/Internet about how I look like I'm either not pregnant or barely pregnant at all for how far along I am. Well, let me let you in to my secret for why I'm so tiny. Here is the recipe:

Take 4 boys (they must be under the age of 8 for maximum energy)
mix in hours of running around each day
and the dose heavily with insane amounts of hiking, camping, climbing and other super strenuous stuff.

Bake for 2 months in sweltering Utah heat and you get one petite mama.

Seriously though, I think that it's probably not so hard to stay tiny while I'm running around b/c I'd not reached the point where the kid really starts packing on the pounds. Since taking all the recent photos I'm in, I've kind of popped and I even look pregnant now when laying down. lol

But to the main part of this post! Shortly after getting here, we headed back to Provo and hiked the "Y" as they call it. There is a giant Y on the hill not too far from BYU. It's a steep hike up a series of switch backs, and I will admit they were much more daunting to a fatty like me than I expected. So much so that instead of having a date night in Provo post hiking (our sweet old babysitter from Corvallis now lives in Provo and was going to watch the kids) we ended up calling Kendall and seeing if she'd come back to Salt Lake with us so we could both shower and change our clothes. We were not smelling so awesome, if you catch my drift.

You want to talk about a power house though, look no further than this kid. It is a 2.4 mile hike round trip, and the hike is steep. Goob walked for all but probably a fourth of it. He was exhausted when he was finished, and it certainly sealed the deal; before we headed out to Moab we bought him a new hiking pack he could hang out in.

To give you a little feel of the angle of the switch backs. 2.4 miles of that with four small kids. Yup, we train them young.

Almost to the Y.

The view of Provo from almost all the way up.

We've made it.

Goob and I stayed down at the bottom of Y because it was really rocky and steep getting up to the top from the bottom. He and I hung out for a few minutes and then headed back down the trail to where the trail from the top of the Y meets up with the main trail. Daddio and the three older boys climbed up to the top of the Y and then top that trail back.

Afterwards we drove past the Provo temple to show it to the boys. I like to call this one the 'space ship' temple because of it's weird shape.

At home, it was bath time for all before mommy and daddy headed out for a date to the Planetarium and Olive Garden.

CJane's Roof Top Concert Series

2011-08-04T10:08:00.001-07:00

Anyone who has spent a real amount of time around my Sheepie knows that he LOVE music. All my kids like music and the two older ones are pretty well versed in what I like to call 'Good' music. Meaning they are exposed to rock/indie music and Pop music and everything in between. Truth be told if you look on Frog Prince's ipod, I think there are probably only a handful of 'kids' songs so to speak out of the 100 or so songs he has on there.

However, Sheepie is my music lover. He sings all the time. Knows bands and artist, and song titles. He even was excited to find what he believes in a, One Republic concert Tshirt when we were shopping at the DI. I doubt it is, but I'm not going to ruin it for him. If you ask him though he has one musical love that stands above them all. THE BEATLES.

He loves the Beatles as if they'd written every one of their songs just for him. At home he tries to learn their songs on his guitar, he hums them quietly (and not so quietly) to himself constantly, and when he got his hair cut last time, and the lady asked how he wanted it, he replied, "like John Lennon's."

Sooooo.... When I heard that CJane's July first Rooftop concert was going to be an entire show covering the Abbey Road album I knew where we were heading for a date. Abbey road happens to be his favourite of the Beatles albums.

One the way to the concert, since I was down to just one kid, I got my hair cut. Benjamin and I had been talking before I left. I don't colour my hair while pregnant since it won't say, and my black hair was getting very grown out (as you can see from earlier pictures.) So with much trepidation, Sheepie and I stopped and got it chopped before heading to Provo. What made it funny was while the lady was combing all my black hair into the front of my face to cut the back Sheepie commented on how the moppy look of it made me look like a Beatle. The lady was a bit shocked about the knowledge in his comment. I only chuckled knowingly.

The hair cut

on our way to FUN!

Hobbes and he savoured his Trader Joe Jelly Beans from his aunt. He'd saved them for something special since they don't have TJ in Utah.

This is seriously the best picture I could get of him all night. He was making the strangest faces in everything else!

This is my slightly stalkerish fan girl picture. The family at the far end of the stage is none other than the lovely family of NieNie

This is the darling CJane hanging out next to her hubs, back stage. They were finally able to chill once the show got started.

We were able to sit right up on the side of the stage, so Sheepie was able to see and get up to dance. He loved it and really wanted to go back to the next concert, which is this Friday night. Sadly for him, I have date plans with another hot man I know. This one just happens to be much closer to my age, and wearing a ring on his finger I gave him nine years ago.

Perfect way to finish up a perfect night.You can't see us, but I was holding Sheepie on my shoulders right up front, at the left corner of the stage so he could sway his arms and dance/sing along.

And just like that...

2011-08-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

We were off to Utah for the summer...

Sunday the 26th of June (which was Sheepies actual birthday) we went to the beginnings of church, so that we could say good bye to all our friends and they could sing to Sheepie. Then we crammed everyone into our very full car and headed off to Utah. Instead of trying to cram in into 15 straight hours like I did a few weeks before, we took it nice and easy; splitting it over two days so we could sight see a bit.

Our first stop along the way was lunch. Sheepie had told me, out of the blue, that he really really wanted to go to Red Robin for his birthday lunch. So that is exactly what we did. Except that instead of going to the one closet to our house, Daddio tricked everyone by driving all the way up to Portland before stopping for food.

We stopped at this cool little look out tower along the Columbia River that FP had noticed on our last return trip.

not sure what it is about our family that we like to find high up places to climb and explore.

After this first stop we just drove for quite a while until we finally got to a city along the Oregon/Idaho boarder, that I can't recall the name of now. We checked into a hotel there for the night, and everyone crashed. I don't think we even bothered stopping for dinner. The next morning we woke up and quickly ate their free breakfast. FP was excitedly surprised to find a HUGE model replica of the Titanic shelved on the wall in the dining room of our Mexican themed hotel. Odd, but an awesome way for him to start his morning.

Back into the car we all piled and the next stop was in Boise. I think we only stopped to let the kids look at the temple, which they were cleaning, so it was pretty quiet around the grounds with no one really there.

(I love that the wind had to blow my hair right as the picture was taken, lol).

From Boise we just drove through until we reached Twin Falls. This was where we deicided to stop for lunch, and to explore a little bit more. Of course we stopped at the Temple, because that's what we do.

Sheepie though was the only one who wanted to get out.

Before hitting up the temple we went down into a cool park area where the Falls are actually located. They were amazing and when you are used to looking at things like Multnomah Falls, you just are in awe of how big the Twin Falls waterfalls really are.

There was also a lake in the park that we decided to quickly stop at and let the kids pop their feet into to cool off. We were seriously shocked though when we got there. Benjamin stayed in the car with Goob b/c we didn't expect it to be much. I found a little inlet and was about to put the kids in there when I heard voices around the corner. Since the water was kind of gross at the inlet I told them we'd pop around the corner and see where the other people were playing. Much to my surprise it was a HUGE lake with a busy beach. There were lifeguards on towers and a snack shack. The lake had a 'deep' end sectioned off, as well as a cement wall put around a little wading area for kids. Then there was the open part of the lake where you could jump off big rocks. It turns out you can buy a $25 yearly pass to the lake and it's the swimming place to go to in Twin Falls. I made me kind of sad that the Goob was sleeping in the car and the kids bathing suits were buried in the back of the car. They still ended up plenty wet in the 10 minutes I let them play.

We drove pretty much straight through Utah, because two long days of driving made us very ready to get 'home,' so to speak. And once the drive was over we had a nice few days settling in before we took off on any more adventures.

These next few pictures are just some pictures of 'everday' adventures we've been having since we got here. I will post about our real adventures in other pots.

We have this little enclosed patio off the main room that is great. If I turn the AC I can just leave the door open and then the two younger boys can play 'outside' while I'm busy doing something in the house. That way they don't have to be left out of the fun their older brothers have when they go to the play ground that's on the back side of our building.

The boys have spent hours building and rebuilding the new lego sets that Sheepie got for his birthday. They are the only ones I let them bring, since they were all still in their original boxes when we left. I know what our lego room at home looks like and I had no desire to transport the entire thing to Utah. Walking through their room with just these is bad enough.

This video cracks me up (except for the park where the dog started licking my leg and I laugh like a dork). It was easily 100 degrees outside and they had to be dying of heat in those robes, but they ran around for about a half an hour playing quidditch. Yes they are using their light sabers as brooms because they are just that awesome. I think the snitch was a Bakugan ball. What are Bakugan balls even?!

We also have frequented the zoo several times. The first time we went we found out we couldn't use our Oregon Zoo membership because we didn't have a card. So we weren't going to get the 50% off. Benjamin ended up buying a membership to the Hogle Zoo for us because it was only $20 than we paid to get in that one time. It has really be nice to have a fun place to use as my back up that is free. The kids never get tired of going, and it only costs a 1.50 for them to ride the train or the carousel, which is WAY cheaper than in Oregon.

And now, I promise this will be the end of the SUPER long, catch up posts for a while. I have a few posts to show you what we've been up to in Utah since arriving, but they shouldn't be nine million pages long.

Try for free and Change a life, for REAL

2011-08-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

Kiva is giving away a free trial where you can give a loan for free and change a life. They hope is that if they put up the loans, and let you try (they get the money repaid, but you decide to whom it's loaned) then you will decide to invest in the future.

It's an amazing idea and you can make a HUGE difference in a life(or more) with no risk. There are only a handful of free loans left, so hurry and click the link and make your loan NOW.

Change a life; for real. Me, my loan I just gave was to finish construction on a home for a single mom of two small kids who was just able to buy them their own house.

http://kiva.org/invitedby/katie4001

CLICK THE LINK!!!! CHANGE A LIFE!

Francisca Fabiola and her kids, standing in what will be their own home.

Happy Birthday to my sweet Sheepie

2011-07-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

It is truly unbelievable to me that my second oldest is already six years old. It seems like only yesterday we were in the hospital pacing the hallways waiting for this little man to make his debut into the world. Now here he is already six years old and heading off to first grade in autumn.

I have to say that there are so many things about my sweet Sheepie that I love. He is infection in his quirky laughter and sense of humour. He is also the one of the most empathetic, caring, and loving boys I've ever met.

He loves cooking, and is REALLY good at it for his age. He wants to be a professional chef/world famous fashion designer/movie maker/paleontologist/writer/stay at home daddy when he grows up. And it is not at all surprising to me to see that he has one of the biggest imaginations of any kid I know. There are so many times I think he's just staring into space or zone out but then he will tell me about some amazing, elaborate story he was playing out in his head.

I love that he loves his blanket and tiger more than anything else in the world, and believes that they are truly alive and real. Magic is as real to him as the fact the sun rises and he firmly believes that one day he will go to Hogwarts School of Wizardry, and become a Hufflepuff like Cedric Diggory.

We couldn't be happier to have him be a part of our family and I look forward to watching him continue to grow up being the goofy, lovable kid that he is.

At the hospital

best picture of him ever!

One year

18 months

Two Years

Three Years

Four Years

Five Years

Six Years

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHEEPIE!

Sheepie turns six year old!

2011-07-31T22:04:00.000-07:00

The day we left for the summer, Sheepie turned six (more on that in the next post) and he really wanted to have a birthday party with his friends before we left for the entire summer. This year's theme for his party was Space. However it was a space water party. Totally makes sense, doesn't it?!

This is the awesome 'kid carwash' Mr. C made for the boys to play with at the party. My friend Katie has one that she lent to me for the schools end of the year party that I was in charge of, and I thought it would be the best thing ever. So Mr. C went the morning of Sheepie's party and bought the supplies and popped one out. It was amazingly fun.

Sheepie really wanted a space themed brithday cake this year so I told him I'd come up the design and he'd have to wait until his party to see what it would be.

Every time I make one of the kids cakes, I seriously think I've reached my limits of craziness, but then they ask for something else, and I decide, 'why not!?' and I end up making something crazier than the last years cake.

Let's try this again...

2011-07-31T21:32:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that this post is going to be a bit half hearted. I spent about an hour making up a post about the kids last days of school and such only to have IE decide that it wanted to eat my post and when I went to look it up in my drafts on blogger, it was blank. Blarg, is all I have to say.

So I'm sorry but I'm mostly just going to put up a bunch of pictures and let them do the explaining. Sorry!

In June the kids, like pretty much every other kid in the country, were finishing up school. This included end of the year programs, last day of school parties, and saying good bye to friends.

Boy loved his first year of preschool, and all summer has been asking when he gets to go back to school. Sheepie has grown so much over the year thanks to his amazing kindergarten teacher. There is not enough good I could say about Melinda Winograd and it will be a bit odd not having a kid in her class this year. Frog Prince is a big kid now, and I'm not sure how I feel about it, lol! He is still my sweet and sensitive son, but gone are all traces of little boy hood. He is all about rock music, legos, video games, and everything else that is 'cool'. This year in school has been so good for him, and thanks to Lisa Tyrrell, he flourished and found the right path for himself at school.

Boy at his last day of preschool celebration. They sang all their songs they'd learned in the year for the parents.

FP's class got to write their own fables and act them out. They did, 'The Cheetah and the Snail,' which was basically the tortoise and the hare. His friends Noah and Eleanor were the story teller and snail. She had this cute little sleeping bag shell on her back.

Sheepie and Mrs. Winograd at the kinder's end of the year presentation. She predicted in her crystal ball that Sheepie would grow up to be a famous costumer/set designer for movies. He was very excited about this, and ran back to me and said, "mom her magic ball must really work, because that is exactly right!"

Sheepie and Melinda Winograd. I love this woman and the magic she creates in her classroom.

Frog Prince and his outstandingly awesome teacher Lisa Tyrrell. I am so excited that our family will get to have her again as Sheepie's teacher.

And then just like that, school was done!

Here are a few other cute pictures from June.

It must have been a fun nap time b/c when I put them to bed there were sheets on the bedding and they had clothes on. At least the diapers stayed on. I love that they enjoy being together.

And this little noodle head was all comfy and helping himself to my lap top when I got out of the shower one morning. I could not stop laughing at how natural and comfortable he looked.

And then before heading out to Utah, we decided to hit up the zoo one last time for the summer because the dinosaurs had come back and would have been gone by the time we came back.

There you have it. Not much by way of details, but at least you get a 'picture' of what we were up to.

Surprise Road Trips are always fun...

2011-07-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

By May, things were starting to get a bit dicey at our house, what with Mr. C having been gone for as long as he had. The kids missed him, I missed him, and I was ready for a bit of an adventure; and I mean a real adventure! So when you're pregnant and single parenting four kids, what do you do?

Me? I cram them all in a car, and take off on my own on a surprise road trip to see Daddy in Salt Lake City.

We have had a tradition of talking over the web cam every night before the kids go to bed, and then again in the mornings, so that we could all read scriptures together before school. My goal was to leave (the kids amazing teachers told me to take them out of school early rather than wait until the end of the day!) tell a small fib about why we couldn't talk that night, and then arrive on his door step right about the time he'd be calling us to read scriptures the next morning. It totally worked!

This is us starting off on our adventure. Everyone was besides themselves at the idea of surprising Benjamin!

These next photos are what I like to call the progression of Kate the Great as she drives nonstop for 14 plus hours by herself. :)

all smiles
still smiling
somewhere over 200 miles in... not smiling so much anymore.
I will not fall asleep.... I will not fall asleep...
freezing my head off b/c the boys were all complaining they couldn't sleep since the car was too hot. ppft!
Thankfully we arrived shortly after that.

Along the way we encountered some really fun things, like:

Snow in late May!

When we got there, I called Benjamin (it was about 7 am) and told him that before we read scriptures he needed to go check his front door because his father's day present had just been delivered and if he left it outside it'd get ruined. The boys all stood quietly and had to stuff their fingers in their mouths to stifle the giggles. When Benjamin opened the door they all leapt out and shouted surprise!

Once Daddy was over the shock we took some time to rest and then spent the next four or so days enjoying being together and seeing the sights of Salt Lake.

Travel Froggie took us on a tour of Temple Square and the State Capitol.

We hiked around Antelope Island

And went to visit Kenacott Copper Mines (which is the largest open face mine in the world and one of two man made things you can see from space).

Sadly, all too soon it was time to head back home, since there was still school. We said our good byes and ventured back to Oregon. I was worried when around 4 am or so as we were passing through Brigham City, UT, Sheepie threw up ALL over the place in his sleep. Thankfully, it must have just been car sickness b/c it didn't happen again and the rest of the trip was smooth sailing, and fun sight seeing.

Sheepie wanted to stop and get a picture we every LDS temple we passed.

We stopped in Twin Falls and all the boys took turns standing over the huge valley on this cool over hanging view point they have. If you know how FP feels about being high up, this picture is amazing!

We stopped at the Boise Temple too.

Amenddeous my faithful traveling buddy never left his guard on my mirror.

Our last real stop on the way back was at Multnomah Falls, in Oregon and then, 18 hours later (remember we were sight seeing) we were home.

Little did we know that the real surprise would happen later that week when as I was getting the kids out of the car Mr. C popped up behind me and grabbed me (scaring the living day lights out of me) and was back in Oregon for the weekend. He too had been planning a surprise to come home to take the three oldest to our wards annual Father and Son camp out. My Father in law had agreed to take the boys, all along knowing that Benjamin would be coming home. He and my MIL picked him up and kept the whole thing from us. It was a 'cherry on top' for sure.

May....be my brain will remember May!

2011-07-26T15:42:00.001-07:00

I honestly can't remember much of what happened in May. I think a combination of pregnancy brain and single parent syndrome suck it all out of my brain. I had to look on our picasa account to even remember the things I will post about. If I weren't so lazy I'd go back on Facebook to May and look at some of my old status updates. But I am lazy.

Note to Facebook, you really should, in all of your nine billion changes you do, make a way to search and archive status updates. Just sayin'.

Anyways... In May:

I got to take another fun field trip with FP's class. This time it was all the way up to Portland to see a play about Pirates. FP had a great time, but was not a huge fan of how the seating in the theatre was. It was a theatre in the round, and so he had to sit on the swivel chair and lean over a railing on in the balcony to see. He's very afraid of being up high. It wasn't too bothering, although I will admit, there was more than one time I was certain my darling friend Stephanie's daughter Laeythm was going to fall right over the edge from how she was laying over the railing, lol.

This is just some random picture dated in May. We were obviously down town for some reason, but I love how long and shaggy Sheepie's hair is in it. Plus the fact he climbed up with Hobbes. Love that tiger!

Here is another great random picture. Can you find the sleeping Boy?

One day Boy had to stay home sick from school, he got to help plant the garden. Here is the bed he planted. I am sure it looks great now, but not being home to see it, I will have to guess. He was so proud of all his seeds and starts he put in.

While the daddio was gone, I made an extra effort to take the kids on as many adventures as I could, so as to make time pass faster. One day after days and days and days of horrid weather, I decided to let the kids skiv off school and we all headed off to the beach.

If you've never been to the Oregon Coast, you must stop in Newport. Right by the Oregon Coast Aquarium is the science center and it's lovely. It's free (although they do appreciate donations) and it's got amazing exhibits that my kids love.

After that we hit the beach and found the neatest sand dunes to play in for hours (after hitting up Moe's of course)

The other big event of May was that Sheepie finally earned his Yellow belt in Karate. He's been waiting for this to happen for a long time, and we are all very proud of him. He can't wait to get back to Corvallis at the end of the summer and start back up as an official yellow belt.

Is it just me or does he still look too little to have grown up so quickly!!!

Easter 2011

2011-07-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

Easter was pretty laid back at our house this year. With Mr. C gone, I tried to make it extra fun for the boys all while keeping it low key, so they wouldn't miss him too much.

My mom came down either the Friday or Saturday before (can't remember which now) to spend the day with us, and we dyed eggs out in the yard. The new (at the time) neighbour boy wandered over, and joined us. It seems like more and more our house is becoming the local collection spot for the kids on our street, and my boys LOVE it!

My mom then hid the eggs all over the back field and we let the boys loose to find them.

That pink basket the neighbour is carrying was my basket as a kid!

I have to share a funny story about this. My mom ended up forgetting where she put all the eggs (which is pretty easy on two acres, I'm sure) so in the end we lost several of the eggs, and for all I know they are still out there today, or more likely were a tasty midnight treat for some wild animal. We spent half an hour looking for them.

Easter morning rolled around, and I truthfully came this close, the night before, to forgetting to put out their baskets. It's always been Benjamin's thing to hide the baskets and eggs, and so my mind really wasn't that on it. As it was, I forgot to put a few things in each basket and had to sneak them in first thing in the morning.

FP had never before seen Peeps that were coloured other than yellow, and was over the moon to have them in blue (his favourite colour).

Boy went straight for the cotton candy, not even noticing the egg 'hiding' right in front of him.

Sheepie was a little more reserved, since he's not a morning person at all.

And Goob learned that yet another holiday would deliver to him great amounts of candy that he could eat whenever he wants!

Each year we try to take a family snap shot in our Easter clothes, and I have to laugh at trying to do so this year. The mistake was made in waiting until after church to do so, so the boys were all sticky and sugar buzzed, I was already exhausted from going to bed late/waking up early, and Goob had fallen asleep on the ride home. So I had to get the camera set up and get all the boys recleaned up, all while trying to not actually wake up Goob, so that he'd not be crying in the photo. (Sleeping is better than crying any day, right). This was seriously something like our 12th attempt to take it. can you tell by the look in our faces, that says, let's just be done now... I'd have given up except that just a day before Mr. C was commenting on how he didn't have any pictures of me with all the kids for his SLC office.

What have we been up to?

2011-07-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

I'm sure anyone who still checks this thing might be asking that very question. March was ages and ages ago and so much has happened since then.

At the end of March my Mr. C left us, and headed off to Utah to work for his company out there until mid October. What a big change it was to be a single parent for what would total four months, with little to no breaks. How full time single parents do it, I will never know and am humbled by their dedication.

Thankfully, at the tail end of March, having made a decent recovery from my Pneumonia, I was able to fly out to SLC for the weekend and spend it with Benjamin. We attended conference and it was a nice relaxing weekend of rest and time together.

While I was there I got to see our awesome old babysitter/my former seminary student/super cool all around girl, Kendall. She lives in Provo now, so we hopped on over for the day and spent it with her, before meeting up for a bit with my little sister, who had just returned from her LDS mission in California.

Kendall and I found Sweet Tooth Fairy , which I read about on various blogs all the time and had to buy some.

April passed pretty quickly, with much happening.

Living room camping took up residence for nearly a week.

And then there was the ever popular trip to the zoo. I'm not really sure what prompted this particular trip, but if you've been a reader for any length of time, you know we're just crazy about the zoo.

April also brought a slew of school related activities. Both of the Biggies classes made items to sell at the schools silent auction, and I was able to win FP's lovely planter box that he made. I tried quite hard to win Sheepie's class quilt and was willing to out big anyone there except for the one person who did win it, lol (he wanted to give it to his wife who is dying of ALS. I couldn't bring myself to not let him have it, b/c I love their family so much). They also did a darling karate routine together for the talent show.

FP's planter box.

I was also to take another field trip with FP's class to learn about forests. I loved being able to go on all of the kid's field trips with them this year. It was neat to get so involved with their school this last year.

This is FP with one of his all time besties, Julius. They both crack me up!

FP also got a hold of my camera and took a ton of pictures, here is one he grabbed of me.

April also had Easter, of course, but I will post about that in it's own post.

March Madness....

2011-04-21T17:50:00.001-07:00

Madness is not quite the term I'd use when I think of our March. I would think of words like: insanity, over busy, wild vacations, raging fevers, and hospital trips galore!

March started out like most any month. It ended with three of us having Pneumonia, trips to the doctors office, and exciting discoveries.

March also happens to be the birth month of a Mr. Theodor Geisel. School children far and wide celebrate this day with literary abandon. I'm not quite sure how this came to pass, but the day before, I was standing in FP's classroom talking with his teacher about it and before I knew it ~~this sentence was a huge run on~~ I was telling his teacher I would make every kid in the class a felt Cat in the Hat, hat.

It took all night to do, but I am one of those stubborn women who will not stop once she has committed to something and somewhere around 4 am (I think, it's all a blur now!) This was the end result.

The look on their faces when each kid saw them, was totally worth it!

Then there was Sheepies African Animal project at school. If you will remember FP's efforts for this project last year, you will know that simply writing the report would not even be close to good enough for Sheepie. So we found this fun little puppet kit at the Toy Factory, and Sheepie painted it to look like a Cheetah. He then wrote his report and was very proud to show it off at school.

March also included Spring Break 2011. This was the first year we have ever really gone some where with the kids for spring break and despite some crazy happenstance we had a great time. I will make an actual post about Seattle after this one, but some of the craziness of the month steamed from the week leading up to the trip.

There was a horrible virus going through the school in the week before spring break. Both FP and Sheepie ended up getting it, and FP was out of school for almost the whole week. It was so bad at one point there were over 10 kids and the teacher missing from the class. That's about half his class. Thankfully, they managed to get over it just fine. However, just as we were arriving in Seattle the littles got hit and got hit hard. The next day I too was down and out and we were all sporting fevers of at least 101, while medicated. It made for a very hard week, but thanks to the medicine (and mommy and daddy determined to have not wasted all the money we'd spent) we still managed to enjoy it. On the drive home, I called our doctors to set up appointments, and based on what I was telling them, that told us to head straight to the hospital as soon as we got back into town.

The littles ended up having double ear infections and Pneumonia. Whee! they were both put on antibiotics and rallied after just a few days. They told me however, it was just viral and there was nothing they could do for me. So I went home,and fast forward a week, I was worse and had some other serious symptoms, and regardless of drinking over 80 oz of water was not peeing (TMI, oh well!) So I went back to the ER in the wee hours of the morning where I spent hours being re hydrated, and was then told that I had Pneumonia and Bronchitis, and was finally given a Z-pack. That helped a great deal and now that we are into April, I am finally able to get out and start exercising again without dying.

This all played out right as Mr. C had to leave for SLC and I have to tell you that FP was AMAZING. He spend almost the entire spring break week (we went to Seattle Friday and came back Tuesday) taking care of the entire family. He made meals, changed diapers, brought me my own food, and drinks, picked up the best he could, and entertained his brothers all on his own. He was super human and took better care of our family than most teenagers could. He will be an amazing dad/husband someday!

Most of the concern over my being ill was because in addition to having to worry about myself, this little bean was sick too...

But, the bean got along just fine once I was treated, and the neat part of the hospital trip was that I got to see it for the first time! So that is how our insane, wild, zany march turned out to be pretty darn sweet!

More adventures to be had in...

2011-04-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

February!

Ah yes, the ritual trip to Tillamook. We wouldn't be the Mighty C's if we didn't do this all the time. We had gorgeous weather on this particular weather and drove all up and down the coast line. We decided to explore a bit when it comes to eating and found this amazing little cafe in, I think Pacific City, called Brewin' In the Wind. They had some of the BEST clam chowder ever. Stop by and check it out. In the same area was this neat beach made up of all these big rocks. We started out playing on them, and then noticed a cave in a large cliff in the distance. So off we went to explore and ended up taking the kids on a mini spelunking trip through the side of the cliff. It spit out right into the ocean during high tide, and what would be a super cute hidden little cove during low tide.

(in which you can see me breaking my back as I start to lift up FP to do a horizontal spin)

And then, about a week later, this is what our property looked like. Good figure!

(except not sideways, because in real life, that would just be weird!)

The boys and I also packed off one day for a trip up to OMSI. They had a rather fun exhibit about ancient Egypt that happened to be there right as Sheepie's class was finishing studying about Egypt. (FP's class had studied it earlier in the year, so they were both able to tell me a great deal about the things were were seeing, including a real mummy and her burial box!)

And that just about rounds out Feb. Here is a parting shot of the sweet little Valentines the Biggies made for their classes. Sheepie made robots and FP made Titanics.

In which we play catch up...

2011-04-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

We certainly like to keep busy around our little country home here in Corvallis.

Even as I sit down to type I am realising, it is coming at a price; the upstairs will look like a bomb went off by the time I'm done. I can hear Goob screeching at someone, Boy yelling commandments about what everyone ought to be doing, and I am fairly certain I hear Sheepie marching around the house counting to five in French over and over again. You're guess is as good as mine!

But as I was saying, we are busy little people here. We like adventures, going places, and just generally spending our time together. I hope it is something we will always enjoy doing. So, in true 'let's play catch up' form, I thought I'd share some of the things we have been up to over the last little while.

January brought a landmark for the Goob; the dreaded first hair cut!

He apparently liked making foil hats, while Mommy's cooking more than his new hair.

We also managed to get out and do some fun hiking in once Mr. C's ankle was getting stronger. We still have to take it slow, but it's better than being stuck indoors.

Goob and Mr. C did come with us; Mr. C had a business call, so we went ahead without him and he and the Goob caught up with us about 15 minutes into the hike.

Toward the end of January, Sheepie had another special friend come to visit us from school. Madeline has been a huge hit around our house and Sheepie and she spent the day cooking French foods together, before making her a new school outfit. (he fell in love with her so much, he ended up getting his own, slightly larger Madeline doll from the Toy Factory).

The wonderful Mr. C and I also went to his company's annual holiday ball. This year they decided to hold it during the New Year's season for whatever reason, but we had a nice time.

Our last big adventure of January was the family room. It was one of the spaces that never got painted before we moved in. It was slowly driving me crazy to sit in the white white, boring, unfinished room. So in the middle of the night's I decided it was time to get it done.

Yes, this is what a crazy woman, who has probably smelt too many paint fumes looks like at 2 am.

In the end the middle of the night crazys were worth it!

Full Circle

2011-04-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

This story starts in the most interesting of places. You see, it was because of a story much like this that my blog first came to be. Two and a half years ago, I said goodbye to my husband one early morning, and watched as he left his family for over two months for work. I blogged about life as a single parent, in part, as a way to deal with such a life changing time in our family. A young mother with two young children and a baby in arms, wondering how she would stay a float while her husband traveled the exotic lands of India.

It seems interesting then, that in the beginning of our new story, we have come full circle; back to where we began.I find myself once more watching my husband leave his family for work, off to travel (the not so exotic) lands of Utah. Perhaps not so young this time, but never the less, a mother with four young children and a baby on the way, wondering how she will stay afloat while she tends her children for the next six months.

Two and a half weeks ago Benjamin was originally going to travel to Utah for a reunion of people who served with him during his mission, as well as a technology conference. His work, upon hearing of this event decided he would be the perfect manager to send out to Salt Lake City, to over see the setting up of their new offices out there. Initially, they wanted him to go for one month. The idea was sudden, but after many business trips, a month was certainly something that could be done. Then the phone call came.

"How would you feel about living in Utah for six months?" I heard my husband ask me over the phone.

The idea smacked of adventure for all of us, most especially the children. A new place to explore, a new set of friends to make, and many amazing places to visit. And six months was finite and gave us a foreseeable return to our country home and haven. I asked him when we would have to leave.

"Two weeks," he stated.

This is when, as a mother, the myriad of realities flash through the mind. Leaving in two weeks from the conversation meant, leaving in the middle of the school year. Leaving friends without the natural break of summer holidays, or proper preparation. It meant renting out the home we'd only just purchased ten months before. And then, come the end, having to once more take children from a school year (this time in the new school) and shuttling them back across the mountains and plopping them back down into the 'new' old routine. There were also the questions of what about birthday parties, karate lessons, pets that would have to be re homed. The reality of it all only took moments to sink it. Six months just could not happen.

And, so the late night discussions happened that night as we lay tucked into our bed; about the stresses of such a long trip, about how the kids would handle it, and about how everyone would miss everyone terribly, but that in the end we would all do wonderfully well, and that really six months wasn't quite so very long at all. And then, the decision made, we drifted off to sleep.

Two and a half weeks ago, in the wee hours of the morning, I watched once more, my husband head out the door. How thankful I am to live in a time where my kids can kiss their dad good night over a web cam, and telephone calls during the day are common place. I am grateful for our amazing friends and family who know exactly when I am in need of love and lifting up, even before I quite know it. I'm so happy for deliciously hot summer days that will be here quickly, when we can all pile in the car and drive the insanely long drive to Utah to visit Daddy again. Mostly, I am thankful to know that no matter where we wander in this world, we are family; and six months does nothing to change that.

As I think of the many in this world who have had to endure these struggles without such rich blessings, I marvel at their daily strength. I think of pioneer women, who would watch as their husbands left to serve missions for our early church, not knowing if they would ever see them again. I think of spouses who through heartbreaking circumstances, lose their partner and must continue on each day for their children all while trying to make sense of their own grief. And I think of the countless men and women around the world whose partner serve our country in the armed forces. Often going years with frequent separation; the infrequent communication, the missed moments of family life, and the constant uncertainty of safety.I think of this, and I marvel.

It is then that I realise that October is not so very far off after all.

Helping Japan

2011-03-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

I am not going to pretend that a lot of people read my blog. I know they don't because in truth it's mostly for me. Mostly something that will allow me to look back at my life when my family is grown and smile. But I know out there there is a small handful of people who do read it, and so today I am appealing to those of you who happen across this post.

I know we are living in a time when money is tight and even the most minimal of donations is hard, believe me I stewed for a long time about how much my family could really give when I when to donate. But we are a society, in general, of generosity I believe. It is for that reason I want to point you all in the direction of the LDS Charities site. I know many of my readers are not Mormon and so are wondering why they would donate to an 'LDS' site.

LDS Charities is an organization that gives 100% of the funds donated to help those in need. No overhead or administrative fees are removed from the donation. The resources give during emergencies by LDS Charities is not just for LDS people, but for all those who stand in need right now. The group is often times one of the first on the scene and one of the last to leave. It is highly prepared and organized and it has been commented on by many who have been given help that they are one of the most effective groups at providing relief to areas of distress.

I encourage everyone who reads this to donate, something. Even if it's just the money you would have spent today stopping at Starbucks on your way home from work/school. And then, I challenge you to spread the word, repost the link on your blog/facebook/twitter. Go now, and make a difference!

LDS Charities <~~ Link

And, as strongly as I feel about this particular charity, I still want everyone to donate, so if you don't feel comfortable going through something you are unfamiliar with (although it's the best!) here is the link to the Red Cross. 91.8% of the money that is donated to them goes directly to program expenses with only 8% going to admin and fundraising expenses. So, it too is a great place to donate. Red Cross

Musing....

2011-03-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

Oh what to say, what to say? I feel like it's been forever since I posted anything here of real consequence. It really has been has been, hasn't it. Even still as I sit here, with the sun finally breaking through the clouds outside my window, I doubt I have much to add to the blogging world at this particular moment, and yet my fingers itch to dance across the keyboard. Do other people out there feel this way ever? It seems as if life were so filled with the mundane at the moment that I'm at a loss to report anything exceptional or amazing. Anything that would raise up the interest of those who read my little corner of the blogosphere. Perhaps, that is not all bad though. In a way it reminds me of the ever lovely Miss Jane Austen.

"What?!" you say, furrowing your brow in consternation! I'd dare call Austen mundane and lacking of amazingness. Hold your horses there friends, let me explain, why perhaps that is the best thing about her. And why perhaps, it's okay then, in today's musings, I too can be content in my writing.

I have been on a huge Austen kick at the moment. The complete works of Miss Austen sit next to me at the moment on my night stand, several passages and pages dog-eared. If you look at my netflix que it is filled as far down as you can imagine with Regency era BBC specials, and Hollywood adaptations of the Austen staples. For whatever reason, there is something in Jane's work that is resonating with my soul at the moment, as it does with so many others. Yesterday as I was reading the introduction to a Jane Austen book by the woman who penned, "Becoming Jane,' I think I found the answer. It dawned on me that unlike so many of the page turning novels of her era, Miss Austen's work revolved around the mundane of upper middle class life at the time. The heroines of her book were common in the most delightful sense of the word. Young unmarried girls, of some status (mostly) who went about a good portion of the book doing what people really did back then-- drinking tea, sewing, calling on other women, and trying to find a husband. There was no outlandish or high strung plots and twists. Simply, the tales-- though romanticised greatly-- were sketches and chronicles of an every day English life. Yet, we as the readers delight in them, do we not? Particularly, as women, we all strive to be some form of Emma Woodhouse, Lizzy Bennet, or the sharp witted Fanny Price.

So few of us in the world are ever going to end up being Lady Catherines, a Lady Dalrymple, or even a Mrs. Allen, that I think we relate to the 'realness' of Austen's heroines. I've often thought that if I could live in any era of distant history, I'd be very happy to live in Austen's world of the Regency era. The goals and dreams of the women at that time, in a simplified way align so with the aspirations I, myself, hold. To have a husband who will love me, and support me. To be a good mother, to be an engaged and socially delightful friend. To be well educated and cultured, and to spend my days engaging in pleasant things that make me happy. Simplified, yes, but when painted with Austen's brush wouldn't we all enjoy it, if only for a time.

This then, rolls around to where I began this post. My lack of posting for fear of the mundane. Though I do not suppose myself by any stretch of the imagination to be anything resembling Miss Jane Austen, when it comes to the pen, perhaps I can present the mundane even as delightful. It's all in perspective, is it not? Maybe life, as I know it now (as well as many others I know) is simply a continuation of where Jane left off. It's simply what you'd find if you turned the page and it were several years down the road in Lizzy Bennet or Emma Woodhouse's life. And if presented with same delight and colourfulness, which Austen painted for these lives before, why not then, can the everyday be something quite engaging? I thoroughly think it can.

But after all, this is just the musings of a 'partial, prejudice, and ignorant...' blogger.

New Hair Cut

2011-03-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

Tada! Decided yesterday to go short for a while....

Polar Plunge 2011

2011-02-12T15:32:00.000-08:00

Some of you may remember that last year I participated in the first annual Corvallis Polar Plunge. It was a fundraiser for the Oregon Special Olympics, and a really great cause. This year I signed up again, and was very delighted to have a side kick (although from the pictures and the star treatment he got from people while there, I think I was the sidekick).

FP was the one who suggested we be the Mario Brothers, and the idea worked out great considering the size difference.

Before the plunge so many people stopped to take his picture.

Believe it or not, after the plunge he was all smiles too.

FP was far and away the youngest plunger there. He didn't shy away in the slightest though and went in all the way up to his neck, to the point where I had to pick him up and kind of carry him back to where he could get his footing better.

I am so touched and thankful to the many people who donated to our little team, and am delighted to know that as of 10:30 this morning they had counted something like $40k from Corvallis alone (one of five or so cities hosting a plunge).

Stay tuned in for next year, when Sheepie says he wants to join in the fun!

Renew Apron Giveaway!!

2011-02-05T20:41:00.001-08:00

Lovely Little Goodies: Renew Apron Giveaway

Super cute handmade apron!!! Go now and check it out, you won't be sorry.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Who doesn't love Melissa and Doug's Toys!

2011-01-26T17:52:00.000-08:00

Amazing give away, don't miss it!

Okay, you read it folks, seriously, go check it out. If you know anything about kids toys today, you know what I mean when I say, Melissa and Doug make the most AMAZING toys. Every time I go down to the Toy Factory, and see something awesome, inevitably it ends up being something they've made. Once again, they have proven themselves to be the coolest. I would love to have that suitcase for my kids.

Christmas season at the Carleski House

2011-01-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of what our house looked like around the holidays. This year was especially neat because we cut our tree down from our own property. At first I thought it looked a bit 'Charlie Brown Christmas' to me, but I quite liked it once it was all dressed up.

The Titanic Cake

2011-01-12T18:02:00.000-08:00

It rolled around to being that time of year again. Time for FP to request some out of this world idea for a cake. Honestly, I knew this one was coming almost all year. Anyone who knows Frog Prince knows that there are two great loves in his life, frogs and the RMS Titanic. So without further ado. FP's seventh birthday cake.

Not nearly as well put together as the Mach 5, but considering it took me all of a half an hour total to make, colour, and lay the fondant, and I had to recook all of the cake twice, I will take what I can get. I can only imagine what I will have to create next... oh wait I don't, Boy has asked for a Winnie the Pooh cake for his third birthday.

Stats: Three 9x13 cakes, four tubs of butter cream frosting to rough ice it, and over two lbs of marshmallow fondant.

Not sure how I skipped over it...

2011-01-12T17:47:00.000-08:00

But I did, so here are some pictures for FP and Sheepie's class trip the the pumpkin patch back in Oct. The First and Kinder class went together so it was a double treat for me to be with both of my sweet big boys

And totally unrelated but too cute to not be shared is this video in which Boy tells the story of the Bear Monsters and why he has orange finger and toe nails ( the real reason was Civil war). Enjoy!

November: A me-centric kind of month

2011-01-12T16:39:00.000-08:00

November always seems to be very Katie-centric around our house and this last one was no exception. Many awesome things happened that I am glad to have experienced. For the sixth year in a row now I took part in NANOWRIMO, and actually managed to pump out 50,000+ words in less than thirty days. I am always excited to do it and never know what I will be writing about until the night or so before it starts. This years story premise was certainly influenced by the copious amounts of NCIS hubby and I watched while he was recovering. Basically, it was the story of a CFO's wife being kidnapped in exchange for him helping them steal huge amounts of money from his firm, and his attempts to get her back. Y'know...

The real treat for me this November was getting to attend my first Time Out for Women conference. I have never gone before because I didn't want to pay the admission cost, but this year the tickets came as quite a treat. A friend of Ann Sherry's daughter had three extra tickets that ended up not being able to be used. My best guess from here is that she offered them to Ann's daughter thinking maybe she'd like to come down from WA to visit. When she couldn't use them she must have offered them to Ann and from there Ann called me and two other ladies to see if we'd like them. Complicated? A bit, but totally worth it. I called another one of the ladies, Robyn, who was going, to see if she wanted to car pool and stay the night in Portland at my mom's house so we could go to both sessions. It was so fun to get to know her better, as we've always been friends through friends. I had a great weekend with her though! The speakers were amazing. I was particularly touched by the story of this amazing lady, Miriama Kallon.

Miriama and me during a break...glad to have had a chance to hug and meet such an inspiring woman!

Now, if you are Mormon and you don't know who Hilary Weeks is, I have to ask if you've had your head in a hole for years? If you're not Mormon, then it's totally understandable and I will explain. She is an amazing singer/songwriter who I love to listen to. She has written one of the two songs that I listen to time and time again when I need a bit of encouragement and a reminder of why I do what I do in life. What an unbelievably awesome treat to get to see her perform it live.

I pulled out my cell and decided to record her, but since I was sitting too far for a decent video I grabbed one of a big screen near me. Watch it if you'd like, but it was mostly for me. My only regret of the weekend, as you will understand from the pictures, is not having a camera with me. My phone doesn't stabilize well, and so most of the pictures were very blurry. But. one of my favourite quotes holds true: The best kind of camera is the one you have with you.

Hilary Weeks and me right before she went back on stage to preform. Love it!

And finally, here is one with some of the lovely ladies I know that Robyn and I ran into while there. I swear I saw so many people I know from all over the place there. It was wonderful!

Dea T., Robyn B., me, Ann H.

November also brought the birth of the blackberry tree forts. The kids had a little cave in some of the blackberries that run through the tree row on one side of our property. One day I went out and majorly went to town with the clippers and made them a long set of tunnels and rooms, and then we took some lumber and built some ladders and lashed some seats in the trees, so that they could spy on pirates and monsters coming to attack the fort. That is how little boys are meant to play my friends!

November was also the month that anyone with in earshot of me got to listen to how people need to get out and exercise their civic right and duty to vote. I'm a big believer in voting and being informed on the political affairs of our nation, states, and communities. So when it's November, I will be making sure you've done your duty (or telling you if you don't you have no right to complain!)

Goob decided to really leave his baby ways behind in November and started toying with the idea of walking. It still didn't happen really for another few weeks but he was well on his way.

The boys found my little brothers old trombone in the garage one day. It was too cute!

And while I could post an entire post about it, I will just mention that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out in November and it was A-MAZ-ING. That is all.

I celebrated my 28th birthday on the 15th and was treated lovely by all around me. I think my birthday was on a Sunday this year, and truth be told I can't remember exactly what we did, but I remember feeling very loved.

Some of my birthday goodies included crocheting supplies for a projected I wanted to do, Kermit (swoon) Yahtzee, and a gift card to Pier 1, where I bought this lovely wall hanging.

The month wrapped up with Thanksgiving, and along with that came Sheepie's pilgrim feast in class. they make great little pilgrims.

He wore that hat around for days!

Sheepie and his best friend Avonleigh... Said it once; will say it again. Wouldn't they make the cutest little grand babies for me ever!

Well, I know that was a LONG update; way to keep up. I think I will do a couple for December, since there is much Christmas stuff to post and then, oh yes, then we will be caught up!

Ohhh October, you sly dog you!

2011-01-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

Aren't these the most witty titles you've ever seen? I sure think so. ;)

I know I blamed Facebook for taking me away from my blog, but my goodness, at least I was keeping up on that social media black hole, because it has been instrumental in my remembering what went on in our lives for the last few months. Whew!

October brought a whole new dark and sticky chapter to our lives around here. ( In just a minute you will realise that's a play on words, hehe. I know, the wittiness amazes even me at times!) Right around the first week of this lovely Autumn month Boy decided that he wanted to explore the world of art in the worst possible way; Poop Painting. Having been potty trained I didn't think this would be a problem. Sure, he was still not pooping in the loo, but I figured it was because it was a big scary hole in which he could easily fall, and that is daunting at two. It didn't seem a problem since he was only pooping during his sleep while still safely diapered. Until the painting began. It was prolific the amount of dark and sticky stuff that could come from such a sweet and small boy, but it happened and it happend often. It went through Oct. and November; straight through December and thankfully now in January when he is regularly taking himself to the bathroom to do his pooping it has FINALLY seemed to have tapered off. We tried everything from timeouts to cold showers, spankings (not my finest moment) to throwing away the stuff he pooped on. I think what finally turned the tide was making him scrub the stuff himself. He has only had to do that twice and we haven't had problems since. It has been nice to finally put his room back together, as stuff was packed away for fear of a stinky situation.

On a completely different front October also brought one of my favourite activities, Canning! This year we only did some apples (compliments of the Apple family) because we had no garden minus a few potted things I had while we were in the apartment.

The charming Mr. C continued to recover through October and by the end of the month was up and hobbling around in his boot like the best of them. He was so very very glad to be done with the entire ordeal.

I also managed to find time to dig a flower bed along the front walk way of our house and get bulbs in the ground for the spring before it became too cold. While our has is LOVELY and the property is amazing, it is really stretching my imagination to figure out how to landscape it because the entire thing is just a giant empty field all around us. Hopefully, the flowers will bring so needed colour in the spring.

We also learned the other 'perk' to living in a country field was the seemingly endless supply of mice. We had quite an adventure here starting around October when it seemed no matter what we tried we were catching and killing mice left, right, and sideways. Eventually, we found a way to solve that problem. Half way through the month FP got the desire of his heart when we adopted a kitten from the Humane Society to help kill the mice. I've always been allergic to cats, but we keep Quimby strictly inside and it has made all the difference. He caught four.... that's right four mice in one day, and these days I haven't seen a mouse in ages.

One of those 'everyday moments' I mentioned happened in October; one that I will forever cherish. It was one of those things that could have so easily been lost, because it happend in passing, even though it was of such great importance. Boy walked by me one day and announced, "Jesus Christ LOVES ME!" and then went on his merry way. What an awesome, in the truest sense, realization for a two year old to have. I am so glad that in that blip of a moment the sparks of testimony were planted in my son's heart, and he came to understand one of this life's most important truths. Got to love it!

Our October wrapped up with all the kids being sick, sick, sick.... it happens every year, but it made for a slow Halloween season around our house, which as most of you know is my favourite holiday. This year the kids were all Harry Potter Characters. This was even more cool because I have never thrust my insane love for Harry Potter on my children, and they themselves are coming to love it for it's own coolness. One of the downsides to the camera having been broken is that I don't think I ever got pictures of them in their costumes. FP was Draco Malfoy, complete with bleached out blonde hair, Sheepie was Cedric Diggory; being a Huffle, I was SO proud, Boy was Harry Potter, and Goob was Justin Finch-Fletchly. For those of you who don't know, that means each of the four Hogwarts houses were present in our family, and short of me choosing Goobs character each kid picked who they wanted to be. They still run around in their robes and play with their hand crafted (by Mr. C) wands, so perhaps I will try and make them dress up and I will get a picture.

Such a September

2011-01-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

Well, if our theme for the year was in Every Thing Give Thanks, September certainly decided it wanted to test that phrase quickly.

The very same weekend as the feast, on Sunday, as Hubby was riding home from some Bishopric meetings to help me get the kids ready for church, he had the most unprobable, how could it realistically ever happen, motorcycle accident. He was avoiding a turkey vulture on the side of the road not more than a block from the street to our neighbourhood, when a deer jumped RIGHT out in front of him. He had virtually no breaking time and hit the end of the deer, went over the handlebars, and had the bike flip and land on him. The real kicker is this, it was the first day he can ever recall not wearing his riding boots. They'd broken to the point of being unusable and so he was wearing only his suit pants and church shoes. The foot peg went into his leg and his ankle was badly broken. Had he had on his boots and riding pants he would have been sore but walked away unharmed. Such a small thing can make such a large difference.

People stopped to help him and call me. I loaded the kids (two of whom were literally naked at the time) into the van and drove up the street. It was much worse than the impression I'd been given on the phone and I think I nearly passed out (literally) when I saw him. The people who stopped to help him drove him to the hospital while I followed behind not certain of what the extent was of the injuries or what I was going to do with our kids while he was in the ER. When I got there, I called my sister in law and she called Ann Sherry, who swooped in and, having just got out of the shower herself to get ready for church, came and took my kids for me and went back to my FILTHY house to get them ready for church. Not sure what I would have done had she not picked up her phone!

The adventure ended with him being taken for MRIs and CATscans, and eventually being taken into surgery and then getting to stay at the hospital. The ankle was really quite spectacularly broken, and in the end he spent something like 8 weeks on bed rest, hobbling around on crutches, and then a walking boot. Sadly, our brand new bike was very very totalled. But many many blessings have come from the experience and from that first moment we have been able to give thanks for the love and care of our Heavenly Father and Saviour as they have watched over and provided for our little family. The love and support that was and continues to be give to us is awe inspiring and I feel humbled to think that people have thought us worthy to bestow it on. We owe so many people so many many thanks! (and although we have them, I don't think I will post the awesome wound pictures. Mr. C says it is too graphic for general audience. :P)

Before life could slow down from that adventure, it kicked it into high gear by having school start. The boys were over the moon. We had the treat of having two repeat teachers this year, Brenda from the preschool is a standard at our house, and the amazing Mrs. Winograd, who teaches the kinders at the boys school. FP also got a treat in having a new teacher in 1st grad and Mrs. T is out of this world. She is exactly what he needs in a teacher and he has been thriving since the start of the school year.

In a moment he's been waiting for his whole life, Boy FINALLY got to take 'First Day of School' pictures. Doesn't he look like he's been doing this for ages.

Brenda was amazing and let him join the preschool even though he wasn't three yet. He was so very ready to be in a classroom with other kids his age.

I'm not all that sure what happened to FP's picture, but here is Sheepie. Isn't he a doll?

Sheepie was so over the moon about his glasses, but sadly just a few weeks after getting them, Boy got ahold of them and flushed them down the loo. My brother in law was able to get them out for us, but not in one piece. The insurance wouldn't replace them, so his lovely reading glasses have been gone since. He gets a new pair in a few days!

One of the most notable changes of September though was that it was the month both the older boys really started to read. They could both do so for a while, but it seemed that with the start of school they both finally wanted to be readers and they haven't looked back since. I'm always walking into a room and finding a book in their hands. I LOVE it!

I took on a few hair and makeup projects for a local designer in September because I apparently wasn't busy enough. I, honestly, was very glad to have something of my own to work on. The work turned out lovely and it was nice to have some current stuff to add to my portfolio.

The last adventure around our house was when Sheepie got to bring home his special visitor from class. If you remember, last year FP had Franklin come home to visit,

this year Sheepie got to bring him his own special friend.

As you can see from the pictures, Corduroy the Bear came to spend the night with us, and we had some fun adventures. As is the case when special guests come, they are allowed to go to karate, and go out for a special treat (and then they must brush their teeth afterwards). We made him a new pillow to take on subsequent sleep overs and then it was time to read some of his stories and head to bed. Sheepie even made him an extra special bed. Sheepie also ended up getting sick in the middle of the night so Corduroy got to spend several days at our house and then take a magical trip through the washing machine before he went back to the kinder class.

What a month!

Back to School Feast 2010

2011-01-11T15:19:00.002-08:00

Before I talk about September as a month I want to make certain I make a special post about our annual Back to School Feast. It is always something our family looks forward to, and if you were to have looked at my facebook account leading up to it, you would had seen easily ten plus status updates about it.

The theme for our Back to School Feast this year, and for our school year is:

In Every Thing Give Thanks

We were lucky to have so many great guests join us this year and help us in celebrating the return of the school year. For those of you who are not familiar with our tradition it was one that Nienie started with her family and I happily adopted it when my kids started school. My dear friend Stephanie also puts on a back to school feast with her family, a la Nienie, and so I invited her sweet and beautiful family to join us for our feast this year. Along with her awesome brood of ducklings, the 'Apple' family joined us. Ann and Tom Sherry are such a treat to have in our lives, I couldn't imagine a back to school feast would be the same with out them. And this was certainly proven true when they supplied us with the goodies for s'mores, magically had potato sacks laying around when I mentioned, before hand, I wanted to do potato sack races, and Tom even used some of our old rope and amazed the kids with his lasso'ing skills!

All the beautiful pictures that night were taken by my dear friend Stephanie, who probably is starting to think I invite her to things just so she will bring along her amazing eye for colour and light! (Not ever the case Steph!) You can see her take on the BtSF and other things over this way.

On the menu for the night: Prime Rib, grilled salmon, potatoes au gratin, Great Harvest bread, pasta salad, green salad, sautéed veggies, grilled asparagus, freshly picked berries, and organic sparkling cider. Stephanie provided two amazing cakes for dessert. Chocolate with chocolate butter cream frosting and VaNIElla with butter cream. yummy!

Tom Sherry carves the prime rib for us as Christopher loads up in the background.

Such sweet faces!

Payton and Boy spent all night 'talking' on a pretend cell phone. They couldn't get enough of it.

Three legged races!

Sweet Miss Avonliegh (my future daughter in law) getting lasso'ed by Tom Sherry.

It wouldn't be a complete evening without roasted marshmellows around the fire.

Sheepies crown made his eyes just glow. He wore it all night.

The twinkle lights just starting to shine as the sun begins to set for our supper.

Tom and Ann Sherry. They are favourites around our house and we are so glad they were able to come and share the evening with us. (Tom reading a quote for us during the fireside.)

Steph grabbed a few pictures of me while I was playing on the swing set, hehe.

Every good evening should have at least one silly game like potato sack races, don't you agree?

What a great night we had! We can't wait to be Thankful for all, and enjoy the school year!

In which we talk about August 2010

2011-01-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

August oh August, you seem forever ago as I stare out my window at the snow coming. As we got ready for the end of summer there were some major changes coming our way.
FP was getting ready to start the first grade, and that meant going to school all day. He was very excited about this prospect because it meant buying a new lunch box. That's my kind of kid!
Sheepie was elated to realise that in just a few short weeks he would start elementary school. He was so very excited to start 'real' school.
Far and away the most important thing that happened in August though ( mentioned a bit already) was Goober's FIRST birthday. It is hard to imagine that as I type this he is already 17 months old, but back in August our sweet kid left being a baby behind.

When else in life can you eat ice cream for breakfast naked?!

Goob's birthday fell on a Sunday this year, so he got to have his presents first thing so he could take them to church. Here he is encountering his first ever birthday present.

"I love it!...what exactly is it?"

Giant Doughnut anyone? This was our little family cake we had with supper that night Nothing fancy but nice and messy for him to destroy.

The rest of our August went by fairly quietly as we enjoyed wrapping up summer and getting ready for the school year to start... We prepared for school, hiked often, played in the water almost daily, ran around with the dog in the yard, and apparently Boy went riding off in to the sunset a few times with his donkey.

So much has happened I'm not sure where all the time went.

2011-01-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

Here we are again with another whirl wind update in attempts to get us caught back up on life. It seems like I'm so busy living life I'm constantly forgetting to sit down and document it before it slips past. I think as I've watched Goob grow up so quickly over the last few months I've realised that while it's important to make sure we are not so caught up in'catching' life that we miss out on really living it, it is also important (and the council of the prophets) to record and keep for posterity the recollections of things that have happened. I look at my kids and how they each have changed and grown so much of the last handful of months and I can hardly recognise them as the kids there were during the summer.

So many inconsequential 'little' things happen each day and I am remembering now that these are the moments that build up to the story of our family and our lives. Truly a humbling concept, and one that has presented me with a renewed desire to blog and preserve what is happening in our lives.

I think I can blame Facebook though. I realised that I keep up with our happenings so much in status updates there, that it never makes it here. But how much can I really relate in 400 characters, and will I remember it once it's buried deep between ever third friends farmville request? Not likely. So here it is friends. Here is likely the only new years resolution you will ever hear come out of my mouth-- or in this case, be typed by these fingers.This year, I plan to finish my project of printing each years blog posts and making annuals of our family story (history). So help me it will get done!

That being said... Let's take a little stroll down memory lane and look at some of the highlights of what's been happening in our lives. For this, I shall have to turn to facebook to jog my memory and get some pictures... Stay tuned to the next several posts. I think I shall go by what happened in each month? Sound good? Great.

But first I'm going to go pull the old crib out of the garage because I just posted it an hour ago on craigslist and already have sold it. Sweet. My entry fee for this years Polar Plunge is now paid.

Guess what Santa gave to me early this year?!

2010-12-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

Yup, I finally have a decent camera again. Hubby was going to have my DSLR fixed but the repair shop told him it was already gone to heaven. So since our budget didn't allow for a new one I thought I'd be camera-less forever. Not so said Santa, and this made it's way home to me early so that I could capture all the fun leading up to Christmas. Thanks Santa baby!

So expect a great deal more updates in the future now that I have a camera again, I feel my bloggin groove coming back!

Because I love my Bri Bri

2010-12-10T16:31:00.000-08:00

20 YEARS AGO (1990):
1. I was 8 years old, and had just moved to Oregon.
2. I went to three different second grades.
3. I met my best friend who would later introduce me to the gospel.
4. I started a long period in my life of worst hair cuts ever. Seriously, you should check out my school photos. Eek.

10 YEARS AGO (2000):
1. I was a senior in high school
2. I was dating a kid named Trevor Skelton (what ever happend to him, he was awesome!)
3. My hair was finally starting to grow out from the world's most awkward short hair cut. (why did people let me do that twice in a row!?)
4. I delivered pizzas for Pizza hut
5. I bought my first car.

5 YEARS AGO (2005):
1. I gave birth to my second child in June.
2. I bought a house.
3. I was 23.
4. I was in one of my favourite plays I'd ever been in, Seussical.
5. Began blogging. (on another blog)
6. I got my sweet doggie Wriggley.

1 YEAR AGO (2009):
1. I gave birth to my fourth child
2. I got to experince what a week in the hospital with a sick child feels like.
3. We decided to sell our first home and listed it on the market.

THIS YEAR (2010):
1. Two of my children are enrolled in Elementary school (how did they get so old).
2. We celebrated 8 years of marriage.
3. We bought a new house and realised it was big enough we would never have to move again
4. I saw the second to last Movie in the Harry Potter Series, which is a big deal.
5. I learned to play the guitar.
6. I dyed my hair black for the first time ever and LOVED it.

NEXT YEAR (2011):
1. I will finish painting the inside of my house
2. I will win at Nanowrimo again.
3. I will start saving money to visit my little brother in Germany.
4. I will consider the idea of maybe someday, thinking about having another child... maybe....maybe.
5. I will lavish cute baby things on a friend who I never thought would have children.
6. I will compose my first song and be able to sing and play it at the same time.
7 I will finally master barre chords on my guitar.
8. I will add more purple to my hair.

Another chance at getting A madsen bike!!!

2010-11-02T04:33:00.000-07:00

Last year they had an offer to get a free bike, and they are doing it again this year. I would die to have one of these bikes. We'd ride in and out of town all the time if I had one. I could carry all four of the babies in it and not have to worry about riding into town safely on little kid bikes.
Oh how I want one. *sigh*

Music in my bones

2010-08-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure why, but I've always been drawn to music. It's an essential part of my being and when I'm in need of feeling out who I am in this world, or lost in how to explain myself, I can always find the answers in music. It is in many regards my primary language.

I love all kinds of music; the richness and diversity of it is like magic in my mind. The many types having so much to offer and give to each other; building an even greater magic in exploring each other. Each one opening a window into understand and a different view of how things are and ought to be. I love it all...

But when I close my eyes and think about my music, the internal soundtrack that runs through my mind and soul, it is always the same sounds, the same expressions. One that, one day, I want to be able to capture on my own. When I close my eyes at the end of the day and imagine what my own music will sound like someday, this is what I hear.

I love Sarah Samples voice. And maybe someday I'll be able to play the guitar that well too.

Grosgrain: SILHOUETTE MACHINE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2010-08-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

This thing is amazing. I've always liked Cricuts, but they are so so expensive, since you have to buy the cartridges. With the silhouette you can do anything you can come up with on your computer. AMAZING! I really really would love to have something like this for my house.

Grosgrain: SILHOUETTE MACHINE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2010-08-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

(Don't be fouled by this cute picture, in this story they were gross looking)

You would think being a grown adult and studying Biology I wouldn't be as girly and squeamish around dead animals as I am, would you. But man would you be wrong, and the two drown mice I found in Abbeys water bowl did more than enough to prove that. I was going into the kitchen to find Goob and looked down to see if he'd messed up the dogs food and water bowls; instead I was greeted with two dead mice and all their little mouse poop floating in the water (I washed Goobs hands lots and pray her didn't touch them!) I squeaked like a girl, grabbed my baby and ran to the next room. I mean, really, what was that for exactly; it's not like they were going to come back to life as little zombie mice and attack me. Finally, after calling my husband and dithering over it for several minutes, I manned up. Donning my rain boots, an apron, and rubber gloves I picked up the whole bowl and high tailed it for the outside trash, where I dumped the contents unceremoniously and ran back into the house to plunge the bowl into waiting soapy water.

Here is hoping this takes care of my field mouse problem because I don't think I can take doing that on a regular basis.

But here is the real question....

Was my dog one who was finally smart enough to catch these little guys and for some reason dumped them in her water bowl of all place, or did I just witness some crazy ill fated little mousy love/suicide pact....I guess we'll never know.

All's quiet on the homestead

2010-08-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

Dishes are done

Floor swept

laundry going

(with my new shirt that I got today in it... thanks for the sticky hands, Goob)

Downstairs all picked up

Eight kids tucked into bed (yeah right, cousin sleep overs, I bet they are all up there still giggling)

One tired, hot lady....Time for some NCIS and bed.

Goodnight lovelies.

Lots going on in our little world.

2010-08-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

We've been keeping busy around here this summer. Getting the house settled, running the kids around, and celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary. I can hardly believe were the time has gone.

On our list of summer Adventures:

Enchanted Forest with the Biggies

Celebrating our anniversary at the coast with the kids. Lots and lots of fun!

See that big light house... I managed to make it all the way to the top. Over 100 stairs. If you know me, you know what a big deal that is.

And the most recent adventure.......

I've always wanted to try black hair, but have been unsure as to if it would look good or not. I LOVE it! Mr. C actually bought me the dye, and matched it perfectly to my skin tone. I've had pretty natural looking hair for the last handful of years while working with the youth in my church. But since I won't be teaching seminary next year, I decided it was time to bust out something a bit more my style. I'm debating still if I should add some dark purple highlights to it. My dear friend Bri is coming to visit in a few weeks, and being the hair genius she is, she's going to help me decide.

Hope every one is having a great summer. It's almost time for school to start back up again, and I can feel Autumn slowly creeping in. My favourite time of year is just around the corner!

Welcome to our home.

2010-08-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

Pictures were taken before I got any of the art work up on the walls, but here's a little sneak at our new home. Lots of work still to do, but we're getting there.

Goober King... of thee I sing!

2010-08-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

My baby isn't quite a baby anymore.... I can't believe that a whole year has passed, but pass it has and quite quickly. This month Goober turned 1!

These two are best buddies. 'Daddy' was his first word, and he is happiest in the day, when Daddy comes home from work.

This used to be Goob's favourite place to hang out. As goofy as it sounds, I used to put him in one side of the sink, if he was grumpy, while I did dishes in the other half. Now that he's standing and climbing, he doesn't get to do it anymore.Isn't it cute!

This little boy love, love, LOVED the beach. He couldn't get enough of the sand. It was in his eyes, his ears, and his mouth, and he loved every second of it.

And here is the Goob on his big first birthday eating his sugary little heart out. He's having a birthday party this Saturday, so more pictures to come, but this was his actual birthday, and it couldn't go by without a cake and much love. We sure do love him this kiddo!

Boy, oh Boy, I love this kid

2010-08-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

When the summer started I had a little toddler still running around my house, but now. WOW, talk about a full blown little preschool boy. Boy has just shot up into a little kid and I am left wondering where my ickle guy went.

Anyone want to guess when this post is done, who my son is in love with?

The dynamic duo goes many many places with this cow boy. Boy is enjoying his first day in his new big kid, Toy Story booster seat.

A modern day Cowboys horse. This kid is itching for the day that Mom and Dad will let him ride on the motorcycle.

It's hard to believe this kid already has such a definitive style to his life but he does. If you have met him, you understand when I say, the kid is all about his foot wear, and isnt' complete with out some classic "Chucks"... Here he is though rockin' his new kicks... they're not his classic black, but they are awesome.

I'm happy to report that we are doing amazingly well with potty training, and he should thankfully, be ready for preschool in the fall. *crossing my finger*

Who could not love this kid!

Return of the Sheepie.

2010-08-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

Sheepies big adventure of the summer was having a wish come true. He finally got glasses like his big brother. Doesn't he just look like a little model. I don't think he could be cooler looking if he tried. Love it!

Recently, we ditched the littles with the ever faithful babysitter and took the older two kids to Enchanted Forest. It's something they have been begging for since they got to go last summer. The bumper boats were a fun adventure, the log ride and bobsled roller coast were far and away his favourite rides though. He's fearless.

I've begun reading the Harry Potter books to the kids at bed time, and Sheepie has taken it to heart wanting so much to have it all be real. Here he is in his best home made Harry Potter costume, complete with Harry Potter glasses he got at from the eye doctor's toy chest. He really really wants to go to the "Wizarding World of Harry Potter". His mother couldn't be more proud!

We recently spent about a week at Mr. C's uncles beach house; a summer time favourite. Here Sheepie is with Travel Froggie. Enjoying the really not so warm Oregon beach.... the water was freezing! Travel Froggie will be making his own blog post soon, I'm sure.

I totally love this picture of him, because I think it completely sums up Sheepie. Too small crocs, plaid shorts and a striped shirt, and wearing his too small favourite hoodie in July; all while just chilling on a surf board. That's really what he's all about. Chillin' to his own little beat.

He starts Kindergarten this year, and couldn't be more excited to get together with his best friend and start the new adventure.

Brushing off the dust.... Frog Prince Style.

2010-08-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

I know... I know, I haven't posted anything here in ages. It's turned into one of those things where I waited so long I almost dreaded doing it again. But here we go. Lots to catch up on.

Mostly, I'm just going to just post pictures with some captions. Our camera is broken at the moment, so everything is off my cell phone. Great, eh?

Lots of cool stuff has been happening in the world of Frog Prince!

Frog Prince and his best friend at their Kindergarten end of the year program. Like his bald, bald head?

Dress up has been a huge part of his life right now... Here he is sporting the Bowser Kuppa costume I made for Mr. C a few years back.... got to love that darling face.

See that shiny new orange belt? Yup, my son now has an orange belt and we couldn't be prouder. He really had to work for this one, and learn a few hard fought lessons to get it. Very very proud of him. Keep up the good work Kid!

Do you notice what's missing from this picture? Where did the training wheels go? He can now ride a two wheeler. I was bound and determined that he would by the end of the summer. We took the training wheels off, and I asked him to show me how well he could balance and he managed to go a bit of the way up the drive way. Both of us quite amazed, I took him out into the field where there was a bit of a hill, set him at the top and pushed him down. He took off and never looked back.

And the last big adventure of the summer has been loosing another tooth, but sadly I don't have a picture. He lost his top right front tooth. I always thought that kids who talked with a toothless lisp were a joke but I can barely understand him now. It's hilarious!

In a few weeks he starts first grade. I can hardly believe it!

Have I mentioned

2010-07-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

How much I love this little guy?

Just saying....

Happy 5th Birthday, Sheepie!

2010-06-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know I am late on this, and that it's been forever since I posted, but better late than never right.

I intend to put up a real post with a little something special I've been putting together for my sweet Sheepie boy, but I really wanted to let him know how much I love him and how he makes me laugh and smile every single day of my life. If there was ever a kid who could pull at my heart strings it's this sweet Sheepie Boy.

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY!

This is Sheepie and his best friend in the world Avonleigh at their preschool prom. ( I'm not going to lie; I would totally love to see these two married in twenty years and making the worlds most adorable babies!) Don't you just love how he's rocking the Finding Nemo bow tie and cummerbund.

I sure do love you my, not so little, little boy!

Shabby Apple Queensland Swimsuit Giveaway

2010-05-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

I think I can say that most everyone I know has that one glamourous photo of their grandmother or great aunt in a classic 'wow' bathing suit. You know the kind I'm talking about... the one's that we all long for and with to time travel back to the 40's/50's just to get. Well time travel no more my friends. I'm so excited about this new line of bathing suits from one of my favourite clothing places. Go; click now; trust me, you won't be sorry. Aren't they all deliciously lovely!

I honestly can't decide which one I like best!

Shabby Apple Queensland Swimsuit Giveaway

Oh the colours, the colours....

2010-05-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

I am faced with an entirely white house, and a deep dislike of white walls. I'm having trouble coming up with a fluid way I want to decorate our house...eeeeek! I have a desire to have light blues and greens in much of the house as well as take advantage of our rich wood colours. But in the boys rooms I want to go back to fun, fresh and basic (avoiding Disney and things that they're going to grow out of quickly).

I am thinking of trying something like this for the older kids room.

Right now, they don't want to bunk their beds... but I can see this room, with the bunkbeds stacked, and these cute desks I found.

Having their dresser in the closet, my goal would be to keep the room really open feeling. (Too bad there's carpet instead of wood floors in their room, I'm loving the wood with the rugs).

I have a few ideas for the nursery too, but beyond that I'm not getting anything.

I think I'm going to need some help. Any takers?

Have I mentioned lately...

2010-05-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

How madly, utterly,and completely over the moon in love with this man I am?...

... I am!

That is all.

Heaven Sent

2010-05-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is Stephanie Nielson...

I will likely never meet this woman in this life... but there is not a day since I was introduced to her (even before her accident) that my mind hasn't settled on her for a time and said a little thank you for the inspiring sense of desire she's placed in my heart. Even on days when I just want to throw in the towel and say no more, it's as if she's there to push me a little further and remind me of what I'm endowed with power to do. To remind me that above all I am a mother. It is my life, and it is good... oh so good.

This is her amazing story.

Thank you Stephanie.

Even super mom has epic parenting fails....

2010-04-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

I finally managed no that long ago to make sense of the boys clothes. Without their dresses it was chaos in their room daily. Every article of clothing and bedding would be out and unfolded. I worked for a very long time sorting it and putting them all into nice baskets and hangers and such. As strange as it sounds it has been one of the few things that has really made me happy with how we are surviving in our teeny tiny little place.

And then... epic parenting fail.

I'm not sure what about today has put me in such a funk... maybe it's because Goob cried so much of the night that I didn't sleep well. Maybe it's that I had to get out of the shower half way through to help get my son off to school on time, maybe I'm just anxious from waiting to hear about about whether or not our offers been accepted on the house we want... whatever it is... I have been pretty funky all day.

The kids were napping... and by napping I mean that they were all really climbing onto Frog Prince's bed and throwing things into Goobs crib (don't worry it's all been soft stuff until today). I'm content to let this mostly happen uninterrupted because it means I get some quiet time. Things started to progress though to the point where I had to separate them into sleeping on blankets in the various bathrooms.

(I know, it sounds amazing, but I call it like I see it around here, and when they all share one room what's a mom to do.)

Anyway, when I go into their room to change Boys heinously stinky diaper I discover every piece of clothing that was in a tub or bin all over the room and they have been sitting in and throwing (even into the crib) the tubs around....We're talking the nice wooden and canvas ones... I was not happy. So I told Frog Prince that he would be redoing it all by himself with Sheepie and then would be sorting and folding much if the giant pile I have to do. Next I go to Sheepie and where it all goes down hill.

I ask him why he did it and he becomes insistent that he didn't which is by his demeanour and out and out lie. So I tell him I can tell he's not being truthful and I repeat my question. Same answer..... basically repeat the pattern over and over but with the deathly fumes of Boys diaper and Goob crying until I can't take it anymore. Sheepies's screaming and wailing and I'm pretty sure there was some gnashing of teeth involved in there, not to mention the full on body flops. I tell him he's lying and that he needs his mouth washed out because of it. Off to the bathroom we go. He's wailing, I'm all but yelling (remember I'm in a funk to start with) and then we do a dance while I try to shove the soup in his mouth.

Eventually he has served his time and is now laying on the floor as wounded looks as if I'd beaten him or something, and I leave to go change the diaper and calm the baby. In doing so I am able to calm down enough to go back and talk to him-- after about 10 minutes of his best impersonation of a funeral crier, he calmed down too.

So now, everyone is asleep and I, as I, shamelessly, inhale food that's not good for me, am left to realise that that is what people call and epic parenting fail....

At least there is always tomorrow.

A list of things worthy of a good life

2010-04-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

*this picture has nothing to do with the post... I just like the look of my biggies when they weren't so big*

I stumbled upon this blog by way of CJane's blog and this particular entry makes me happy. I believe that in this list, the author has come up with just about everything one needs to be happy.

Want some uplifting enlightenment; go check it out here.

New hair

2010-04-07T21:36:00.000-07:00

I while ago I cut my hair.... I really quite like it, which is saying a lot since I can really only do one thing with it, and we all know how I love doing my hair.

All is well... All is well.

2010-04-04T11:38:00.001-07:00

I just realised that I have yet to post on the blog that we are all home from the hospital and are well. Goob was released last Monday evening, and looking at him now you'd never know he was as sick as he was....

What a little trooper.

Quiet Book for Goob

2010-03-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have felt so bad about how bored Goob has been basically laying in bed for four days now. The hospital is no place for a kid to be on the floor scooting around, so he bascially can be in his crib, on the bed with me or sitting in my lap... FUN!

Because of this, when I went home last night I decided to whip up a little activity book for him, while the other kids were napping. Sadly, most of my fabric is in storage, so I had to construct things out of what I had, so It's a bit hodge podge, but he still seems to enjoy it, now that I've given it to him.

Don't you just love the fabric? I found it at the quilt store down town when I was getting stuff to make a neigbour some burp clothes for their new baby. Didn't know what I was going to use it for, but it called to me!

So as you can see there is some cute stuff, and some truly scary stuff (like that bird.. what was I thinking)

I honestly dont' remember sewing half of this, so in the morning I was shocked by how bad some of the sewing is. But at 7 months, I don't think he will care. He just likes cuddling it!

Refashion reveal

2010-03-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

Before:

After:

For my first ever refashion I have to say I'm quite happy with how it turned out. Even more so considering I made it without a dress form (I got mine right after finishing). I learned many lessons, most of them the hard way, but feel much more prepared for the next one as a result. Pay no attention to the wrinkles, I just didn't bother ironing it before putting it on the form, and it was laying on my sewing table for days.

I still plan on changing the collar one more time, because I'm not all that happy with how this one turned out; bad cut and bad sewing.

Now to loose the rest of my baby fat so I can fit into it without dying.

Poor Sick Goob!

2010-03-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

Our poor baby has been sick on and off for a few weeks now. At first everyone was getting sick so the answer was that a nasty bug was simply floating around town and it would just have to pass.... He got mostly better and I thought that it was all but behind us until a few days ago he seemed to nose dive again. On the 22nd I ended up taking him and Boy into see their doctor. He said they have RSV and he gave them both a round of steroids and some nebulizer meds to help... Boy quickly rebounded but by yesterday morning we were back in the doctors office. From there they admitted Goob to the hospital where we spent a very long day and last night. As of this morning the doctor says we will be spending at least one more night there, but maybe more. While on oxygen he's fine and is happy and playing, but the second he knocks his oxygen out of his nose his O2 levels start to drop. His doctor says that they are going to keep him until his levels come back up without the Oxygen. Poor boy! All things considered we're all doing well. One of our trusty dusty babysitters came and spent the night with the other kids last night so both Hubby and I could be in the hospital with him. Right now Hubby is there with him (since he can work remotely and would stand a better chance of getting stuff done there) and around dinner time I will swap him out for the night. Hopefully, tonight will be our last night there and he'll be well enough to come home sometime tomorrow.

I feel Pretty...

2010-03-21T22:32:00.001-07:00

The boys, at their karate school, have enrolled in this years fitness challenge. Basically, we signed up as a family and compete with other teams by doing sit ups and push ups, and exercising daily. When I first started I thought I'd die, and could barely do twenty of each. I've now worked my way to doing roughly 100 of each a day, and am managing to regularly exercise as well.

I've never cared about being skinny or anything, but I never wanted to have the 'mom flab' for life. I think I might actually have it dealt with by the end of the year!

I love to see the Temple....

2010-03-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

When we go to the zoo, I always like to take the kids to walk around the ground of the Portland Temple. We went up a few weeks ago to check out the new Predators of the Serengeti exhibit at the zoo, and managed to enjoy the lovely flowers and peaceful feeling of the temple on our way.

I am so thankful for Temples and having them in the life of my family. I feel truly blessed to have so many so close to us (we have three with in reasonable driving distance, if ever we needed to go to a different one). I have read of people who have had to save their entire lives to be able to attend once, because they live so far away from a temple. I hope that I never become so complacent that I forget how privileged I am. I love taking my children up there, because, even when walking around the grounds and into the atrium there is such a peaceful and tender spirit to be felt. My children are able to feel it, and I know they already are growing a love for the Lord's House.

We tried to grab a few photos while we were there, sadly, the lighting wasn't great that day; too sunny.

Wanna know more about Mormon Temples? Take a gander here

Polar Plunge Follow up...

2010-03-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

I promised I would post a picture of what I wore for the Polar Plunge. I want to thank those who sponsored me in this great cause again, and as I said, I'd wear something crazy if people paid me to do it. I knew a few other people who were involved, and it was fun to see some of the crazy costumes. I wish we'd managed to get pictures of some of the other peoples costumes.

I'm not really sure what I was supposed to be... really it was just a mash up of as much stuff as I could pull out of the kids dress up. I had a great costume planned, only to find that morning that I'd either packed it or taken it to good will.

Next year, I want to sign us up as a family and we can go in our Mario Brothers costumes.