Bad Blogger!

I'm so sorry (to those few, faithful followers I have) that I've been such a bad blogger! Not only have I not posted, but I haven't commented and feel very left out of the many lives I've followed. Explanation: new house with computer upstairs and everything else downstairs besides kids bedrooms so it's just really inconvenient! I'm slacking on my email, internet bill pay (yes I've been late on several payments) and my KSL browsing/buying (my husband is happy about this change!). Needless to say I still love my house, the floor plan, the colors, the new furniture- everything- so it's definitely worth compromising my computer time.

Update: Nothing has changed- honestly! Just trying to get ready for Christmas and hold down the fort while hubby works out of town. One new thing- Jace tried wrestling this year and hated it, although he was good. The kids he wrestled always ended up crying, except once when his opponent had him in a headlock and Jace yelled "He's choking me! I can't breathe! I don't want to die!". He was seriously scared to death! Because of Brylee's fragile life thus far, Jace is all too familiar with death, or the threat of it, and worries more than any child should. He comprehends a little too much at 5 and has asked questions, then worried about, divorce, "bad guys", hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and most other natural and un-natural disasters. Poor kid!

Anyway, we'll be home for Christmas (last year we were in South Carolina) and are SO looking forward to it. I LOVE Christmas and am realizing this year how hard it is to get the kids to focus on the real meaning of Christmas. At the same time we tend to get so caught up in the preparations that we don't take time to teach this lesson- we're just going through the motions. The "we" I'm refering to would be "me" and maybe some of you. Anyway, it's something to think about and work on, if necessary. I'm trying so hard to just SLOW DOWN! It's tough...

TWILIGHT!

I'm sure this is the most common blog-subject today among all female-bloggers over the age of 15 so I guess I'll just hop on the bandwagon! A brief descrption of how our Twilight premier night came to be...

I knew I wanted to go to Twilight the moment I saw it advertised at good ol' Spanish 8 and called my mom and sisters immediately. Mom was all over it (for those who don't know her, she is the coolest, most hip and fun mom I know (myself, included)). Abbie later somewhat happily agreed, Alys finally said "OK" and April, after pondering how this would affect her schedule and whether she could stay up that late (she the super-planner, ultra-organized and not-so-sponteneous O'Brien girl- Love ya, Ape!) eventually said "I guess", so we got our tickets. The day before, I got a text from Abbie asking if I'm sure I want to go and April had her regrets as well and even I was doubting my ability to stay awake, but we stuck to our guns and went.

Sooooo....we get there and all of us are exhausted and wondering what we got ourselves into! We get our seats and because we were so early (it was about 11:20ish) started passing our goodies around. Mom and Ape had said they'd bring some candy so April tells us she brought 2 boxes to share and mom said she brought us each 1 mini Nestle Crunch. Are you kidding, mom?! We all were laughing so hard that she had this HUGE bag of candybars at home, and yet brought us each just 1! First she said it was because she was trying to watch what she ate (and apparently what WE ate, as well), then she said she could only fit that many in the pocket of her purse, then she finally admitted that she was pretty proud of herself for thinking to bring any at all and thought that 1 was quite generous. Well, the jokes started from there and continued until the end of the movie ("So if I take 1 tiny bite every 20 minutes, I might have enough to last me until the end of the movie!", and "hey everybody- I have Reeses Pieces- take some but only give mom 1." and so on and so forth. Maybe you had to be there, but we laughed up until the movie started (which wasn't until about 12:30, due to complications and a false fire alarm!).

Now about the movie- loved it! The actor/character choices were spot on, even though Edward, at times, was a little wierd and not as attractive as I had pictured (which surprisingly didn't bother me at all). There were a couple of cheesy parts, but a book about teenage vampires- what do you expect?! I also heard some say there were a few things done out of order, but I hadn't read the first one in a while and didn't notice or care. Definitely worth seeing and not at all a disappointment as far as books-made-into-movies go.

I think the best part of going out last night was being with 4 of my most favorite people in the world. As we were laughing so hard before the movie started, I looked down the row and thought "I love this!". I love the fact that my closest friends all live within 10 minutes of me and I get to see and talk to them every day. I love that we have a mom who is so much fun, taught us well and raised us to love eachother and enjoy being together. I love the way we all just indulge eachother in the ways we each, at times, need to be indulged (maybe "tolerated" is a better word). I love the way we make going to Walmart and everywhere else a "group effort" and actually have fun doing it (when kids aren't making fun IMPOSSIBLE!). I could go on and on.

So then I get home at 2:30, Jonathan wakes up and we talk for a minute, then just as we're about to go to sleep, Jace stumbles in, saying he had a bad dream. He climbs in bed and snuggles up to us, and tells us about dinosaurs, aliens, and other things I can't remember. He literally falls asleep mid-sentence and as I'm laughing to myself at my cute, sweet little boy, I once again think "I love this!". I love my kids and all the things that are unique and special about each one of them. I love my husband and the way he reads for hours to Brylee because he knows she loves it. I love my house (how could I leave this out!) and this wonderful area inside this wonderful country in which I live. I love that my sweet little girl has been healthy for almost a 5 month stretch now (a record for her!). I love that I have the Gospel, which brings me guidance, peace, hope, comfort, understanding, and purpose. So much to be thankful for and I feel so very aware of those things this Thanksgiving season.

Life is good- even if we do have to put up with Barrack Obama for the next 4 years (you should've known that was coming!).

PS Still needing a few of your email addresses (and also stalling from the challenge of figuring out how to actually "go private"!).

OK, people!

This is your LAST CHANCE to be included in my blog invitations- don't miss out! OK, I sound like an advertisement, but really, you'll be sorry! We discuss all sorts of fun things on this blog like politics and religion. OK, maybe those things aren't particularly fun, but you will see many pictures of my cute kids and hear about all of our exciting adventures- as well as the monotony of our everyday lives! Anyway, there are many of my own family members who haven't posted and if you think I have your email addresses and you're just guaranteed an invitation, I don't and you're not! And to anyone else who might read this post, I'm SUCH a blog-stalker and find myself reading about people I'll most likely never meet just because I liked their names- in fact I've probably read YOUR blogs and you don't even know it so please know that everyone is welcome!

Better days

I have been so consumed with the election/candidates lately and after rereading what I posted regarding these two things, I'm realizing how dramatic I was about it all! Not that the future of our country isn't something I take seriously, but after reading a friends blog I'm reminded that we are a great nation and I truly believe that we will continue to be "OK". We are living in difficult times but we are so far from hopeless and I know we will get through this. I hope my passionate posts against our president-elect didn't offend anyone, I've just struggled being positive lately.

With that being said, I went to the temple this week hoping to find peace. Of course I did, as I always do, but as I did sealings there were some missionaries from the MTC also participating. Oh the memories that come flooding back! I remembered as a missionary being extremely happy. I truly loved everyone and never seemed to have a problem finding the good in people and circumstances. I welcomed that challenges I was sure to face everyday, was most always able to give others the benefit of the doubt, and truly loved serving with all my heart. Where did that girl go?! That was such a wonderful, life-changing experience that I'm so thankful I could have.

As if that wasn't enough, our sacrement meeting today consisted of parents in the ward who have missionaries serving now. Several of these parents read letters from their missionaries and their love for the people, scriptures, and the "work" of sharing the Gospel was felt by the entire congregation, I'm sure. Once again I was filled with memories and feelings I had as a missionary. All these reminders of that time of my life left me wondering what I'm supposed to learn from this. Although I don't quite have the answer for that yet, I do know that I want to be like the missionary I was 10+ years ago. I want to have an unconditional love for everyone and give them the benefit of the doubt. I want to be more tolerant. I want to be able to find the good in every situation and always be grateful- even in the midst of difficult trials. I want to serve others and not allow myself so often to be consumed by worldly distractions. I want to uplift and inspire others. I want to be more involed and make a difference in the world. So many things to work on!

Anyway, this was my "wake-up" call this week- to not be so consumed by things I can't change (election) and focus on the things I can. To stop worrying about what "could" happen and just enjoy this great life I have and be thankful for it. Be optimistic and stop acting like this is the end of the world. And last, but not least, stop insulting our next president (and those who voted for him) and pray for him that he will listen to the Spirit as he faces the trials that will be his as our next leader. God Bless America!

PS Going private and would love to add you all to my invite list- leave your email address. I don't mind blog-stalkers at all!

Sad Day for the US

OK, although I'm sure you've heard enough of my political opinions, blogging, for me, is journaling so here are my thoughts this post election day. I'll try (kind of) not to offend.

I think it's a very sad day when a nation as great as ours, who has fought so hard and sacrificed so much for what we have, will very soon be in the hands of Barrack Obama. This man supports killing babies- not JUST abortion, but babies with all their parts and faculties and in a way that is sure to cause these little children great pain. If they survive this monstrocity, he has voted that hospitals are not allowed to give the poor, suffering babies medical treatment- to just let them die. He supports this and WE (as a country) support him- what does this say about our "great nation"?

Not only this but the man has terrorists as FRIENDS, belonged to an anti-white church, his wife wrote her college thesis on how evil the whites are, he hired the top guns of Countrywide and Fannie Mae as his campaign advisors (as you know, both companies are now bankrupt, costing this nation BILLIONS) and we have put him in charge? When has he ever used good judgement and what kind of media do we have that just brushed all of this under the rug as if it were irrelevant? What kind of people are those who knew the above stated facts and voted for the man anyway? FYI did you know that if you've ever known or associated in even a very insignificant way with a terrorist you can't even work for the Secret Service? Strange how we would be more particular about who protects a president than we would be about who becomes one.

Nothing you could find on McCain can even touch the dirt on Obama- not only that but the man has never done ANYTHING worth mentioning except be named the most liberal senator in Washington- good job America- apparently a smooth tongue and charm are the only requirements we have for our leaders. Feel free to let me know if there's anything more Obama has to offer...

I'm off my soap box now and promise to stay off of it for a while, I'm just having a really bad day and hope to never have such a negative, ornery post again!

PS Sorry for the lack of commenting lately- I've only had time to post.

Success!

OK, all my slacker blogger friends (and those of you that were sick, super busy, etc.) we had a blast on Saturday and enjoyed a really good turn out! Thanks to all of you who came and for those of you who missed- maybe next time!

PS I LOVE my house! It's so nice to be here, settled, and just plain old DONE with moving- well, almost...

GIRLS DAY OUT!

Here's the official post for our FABULOUS party this Saturday afternoon. Abbie and I have planned a super fun day for all of our family and friends and THEIR family and friends! From 1-4 we will be eating, shopping, and just hangin out at my house. There will be "Bumbles" watches, "Scentsy" candles, "Sole Desires" shoes, "Heavenly Handbagz", cute hair things for little girls, darling hats, spa facials (gets rid of wrinkles in seconds!), and a food demontration with lots of treats to try! We're trying to find someone with cute jewelry (other than lia sophia) so if you have any suggestions...

Anyway, this is going to be so much fun and absolutely NO pressure to buy- just come, hang out, and enjoy some time WITHOUT kids! You deserve a break, don't you?! If you have questions or need directions, post a comment and I'll get in touch with you. Everyone's invited!

Modified "Moving" post

Yes, I said MOVING! Our house is finally finished (at least the big stuff) and we've been moving for the past several days. It makes things much easier when you're just moving around the corner. Still, it's been a huge process. Regardless of the many things we have yet to complete, I've managed to find time in between the larger projects to decorate- surprise, surprise! I couldn't be happier with the results and look forward to all of you stopping by on Nov. 1st (the HUGE party, remember?). For those of you who can't make it, I'll post pics soon.

Anyway, as if moving wasn't enough, I awoke at 1am last Friday/Saturday with horrible stomach pains, but not really in my stomach, that's just the closest place with a name. Anyway, after dealing with this for a few hours, I woke Jonathan and told him we needed to go to the ER. Long story short- gall bladder "attack" and the stupid thing needs to be removed asap. Good times! I can't get in for a "consultation" (isn't that what the ER doctor gave me when he said it needed to be removed?) for another week and a half, then surgery will be scheduled, but could be "bumped" because more serious cases will take precedence.

Now about my political post that few commented on...McCain is an idiot and Obama is an idiot, but McCain has morals and Obama doesn't. McCain has actually served his country, Obama really hasn't. Last, but not least, Obama is affiliated with ACORN, has terriorist ties, voted the "most liberal senator", and is basically a socialist. Hmmmmmm...no contest!

Who will you vote for?

Although I have never posted anything regarding my political opinions, I am so afraid for this country and what will happen as a result of the next election! With that being said, this is a letter that I was forwarded was written by a Christian black man named Huntley Brown. It's LONG (let me know if you'd like me to send you the entire thing) and I'm not even posting all of it, but it gives the "decided" and "undecided" voters (I guess that means everyone!) some things to think about. I'm not a huge fan of McCain- don't get me wrong, but the facts contained in this letter make my decision crystal clear. Let me know what you think! PS: This is graphic.

Dear Friends,

A few months ago I was asked for my perspective on Obama, I sent out an email with a few points. With the election just around the corner I decided to complete my perspective. Those of you on my e-list have seen some of this before but it's worth repeating...First I must say whoever wins the election will have my prayer support.Obama needs to be commended for his accomplishments but I need to explain why I will not be voting for him.Many of my friends process their identity through their blackness. I process my identity through Christ. Being a Christian (a Christfollower) means He leads, I follow. I can't dictate the terms, He does because He is the leader.I can't vote black because I am black; I have to vote Christian because that's who I am. Christian first, black second. Neither should anyone from other ethnic groups vote because of ethnicity. 200 years from now I won't be asked if I was black or white. I will be asked if I knew Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior.In an election there are many issues to consider but when a society gets abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning- to name a few, then wrong economic concerns will soon not matter.We need to follow Martin Luther King's words, 'don't judge someone by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.' I don't know Obama, so all I can go on is his voting record. His voting record earned him the title of the most liberal senator in the US Senate in 2007.< <http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/>http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/> NATIONAL JOURNAL: Obama:Most Liberal Senator in 2007 (01/31/2008)To beat Ted Kennedy and Hilary Clinton as the most liberal senator,takes some doing. Obama accomplished this feat in 2 short years. I wonder what would happen to America if he had four years to work with.There is a reason Planned Parenthood gives him a 100 % rating. There is a reason the homosexual community supports him. There is a reason Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Castro, Hamas etc. love him. There is a reason he said he would nominate liberal judges to the Supreme Court. There is a reason he voted against the infanticide bill. There is a reason he voted 'No' on the constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.There is a reason he voted 'No' on banning partial birth abortion. There is a reason he voted 'No' on confirming Justices Roberts and Alito.These two judges are conservatives and they have since overturned partial birth abortion. The same practice Obama wanted to continue.Let's take a look at the practice he wanted to continue. The 5 StepPartial Birth Abortion procedures:A. Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg withforceps.(Remember this is a live baby)B. The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.C. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head.D. The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole.E. The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.God help him.There is a reason Obama opposed the parental notification law.Think about this: You can' not give a child an aspirin without parental notification but that same child can have an abortion without parental notification. This is insane.

This same letter reminded us of Obama's racist church/pastor that he attended and followed for over 20 years. He only started speaking out against this pastor when the relationship started affecting his presidential campaign.

I'd also like to remind you all that most of the "big guns" responsible for the now bankrupt fanny mae that is costing us taxpayers billions are all working for the Obama campaign.

How can so many Americans be a part of this huge Obama following? Do they not know all of this because if they do then it sickens me to think they don't care. Just my opinion- what's yours?

Just a "heads up"!

My sister Abbie and I had this absolutely brilliant idea to have a HUGE girl's day with all sorts of food, prizes and fun. The most brilliant part about it is that all of you reading this blog (even if I don't know you!), as well as everyone YOU know and want to bring along, are invited! Now I must admit we have ulterior motives- this isn't just about us entertaining and feeding you all. There will be all sorts of girly stuff for you to buy, such as Bumble watches, purses, jewelry, shoes, hair bows for little girls, clothes for big girls (mom's), candles, and anything else we can come up with before November 1st (Saturday). This little event will be held at my new house (niether of us have room until it's finished- hence the reason we're waiting until November) from 1-4pm so mark your calenders and plan on leaving the kids home. Of course there will be many more reminders on both my blog and hers, but just a heads up!

A day in the life...

I've decided that if I'm blogging for posterity sake, I should probably post just everyday things, rather than wait until I have something important to say. This is also as close to scrap booking as I'll ever get (is it true that you can print your blog off in scrap book form?) so if my kids ever want proof that I actually raised them and even ocassionally took pictures, this is it!

As stressful and hectic as building this new house has been, I realized last night just how "uneventful" our lives around here are! While poor Jonathan was slaving away on the awesome back-splash in our new kitchen, Jace and Brylee were playing in the tub, Kaleigh was loungin on the love sac (KSL $125- what a steal!) and Logan was heading into the kitchen for a snack. Prior to this, we all were doing homework and eating dinner. Can you say B-O-R-I-N-G! This is why I don't post more often. Brylee's latest accomplishments and discoveries are about the extent of the excitement around here so here they are ...

1- She has realized that throwing food on the floor in the kitchen is pretty easy to clean up so she turns around in her high chair and aims for the carpeted living room that's behind her.

2- She's also learned that if she opens the drawers in the bathroom, she can stand on them and reach the counter (where my make-up often ends up). She's managed to paint her face with mascara and the ottoman with lipgloss, as well as cover her face and arms with moisture cream.

3- My mom once hid her phone down her shirt to keep Brylee from playing with it so now Brylee's hand often goes strait for my cleavage, thinking she's going to find some treasure down there.

4- She loves her shoes and says "sooz" before I can even get her out of bed.

5- If you tell her to smile she gives you this huge, cheesy, FAKE grin that we all think is hilarious!

6- She has a thing for q-tips and will stick one in each ear then leave them there for hours at a time.

7- She's VERY independent and won't take a bite of anything if she isn't holding the spoon. She also won't hold your hand in a parking lot, won't drink from sippy cups, frequently dumps her food on her tray and sticks her bowl/plate on her head, and last but not least she unloads the dishwasher faster than I can load it. I'm sure she thinks she's helping!

Of course I could go on and on and will probably think of even funnier things once I've posted this, but I've gotta go.

We are so close to finishing this house that I'm going to wait and post the finished product! For those of you who care, just give me a couple of weeks.

My little kindergartner!

It's been about 2 weeks since that emotional (for me, anyway) 1st day of school for my Jace. Can I just say that if I didn't have Brylee keeping me on my toes every waking moment I'd STILL be emotional about this whole big boy/big school thing! As it is she doesn't give me time to think about it! As for Jace, he unfortunately already dreads the homework, but absolutely loves recess and the bus! In fact, when I went to pick him up the first day, the first thing he said when he saw me was "MOM! I'M RIDING THE BUS!". Needless to say the apron strings have been cut whether I like it or not! How did this happen? He also said "I was so good I didn't even have to go to the principal's office!". I'm wondering how he would even know that's where you go when you AREN'T good- hmmmmm......

We went to lunch with a little girl from his class and her mom the other day. The mom helps in the classroom once a week and told me how friendly Jace is. This was no surprise. He'll talk to anyone (even adults) and his most common questions are "what's your name", "are you 5 like me?", and "what are you doing here?". This last question is kind of rude, however that's not at all how he means it, he just wants to know! He told me today that he has a new friend and he's "a REAL cowboy, mom- he REALLY is!". Speaking of cowboys, one of Jonathan's friends told Jace he was a contractor- just like his (Jace's) dad. Jace said "no way- my dad's a cowboy!". He's so much fun and hopefully not too much trouble for his teacher!

Next post will be about my almost finished new house...I know you all can't wait for that!

BAD hair!

I just had to post this bath tub picture of Brylee that I took this morning. Keep in mind it's a phone pic and my new phone's picture quality is less than average! Her hair is always bad (see last post for proof!) when she wakes up, but this mohawk (with the help of yesterdays ponytail) was hilarious!

Since I haven't posted any health problems lately, I'm sure you won't be too surprised to hear we've had an entire 2.5 months of good health (knock super hard, many of times, on wood!). Now that doesn't mean we've had an EASY 2 months as Brylee has turned into a holy terror! Example: This morning I got out of the shower to find her sqeezing a juice box she got out of the pantry and just watching it splash onto the floor (rental house+new carpet=big trouble!). As I was cleaning up mess #1, she goes into my bathroom, finds the q-tips in the drawer, and starts feeding them one by one to the heat vent in the floor. So while I move on to get what q-tips I could out of the vent, Brylee finds the Windex under the kitchen sink and I caught her in the act as she dumped it out onto the carpet and herself. Can you say "terrible twos" 3 months early? Not only that, but for the past 3 nights she just won't sleep! 2-3 hours at a time and up for an hour in between. Needless to say I'm exhausted but so happy to say that my baby is doing great! I'll take all these messes and sleepless nights any day over a sad and lethargic baby confined to a hospital room requiring round-the-clock suctioning! She's running all over the place, saying all sorts of funny things, and keeping life exciting in our house. I love her more than life itself!

PS Her forhead had a little run-in with the driveway- the driveway won!

1st day...

Here's a picture of my adorable kids on their 1st day of school (Jace doesn't start kindergarten until next week). Even Logan was excited for school to start, so hopefully we can have a good year. I have such good kids. They woke up for school on their own (we'll see how long this lasts!) and even asked their dad to give them a blessing, since they were in bed before he got home the night before. I was so proud of them for thinking of that! It's been a tradition in our home that he give them a blessing before the 1st day of school and it's good to know it's a tradition that they actually enjoy and appreciate.

Anyway, they both love their teachers and have lots of friends in their classes. I must admit that I'm missing summer already- it went SO fast! I say this every year, but this year it was just a blur! I must admit it's nice to have fewer kids (which means less fighting and noise) and once Jace starts it'll just be me and my baby. I have a feeling she's going to love all the one-on-one time, as she's always competeing with Jace for my attention (or just my lap!).

I also have to add this funny picture of Brylee taken this afternoon after she woke up from her nap. She has the craziest hair BEFORE she sleeps on it, but this post-nap picture was pretty hilarious!

More pictures!

So for some reason I couldn't attach more than one pic with my last post, so here are a few more. The siding on the exterior isn't quite finished, but you get the idea of how it's going to look.

6 weeks!

Finally the update you've all been waiting for- MY HOUSE! Thanks to Abbie I had the use of a real camera with an actual cord to upload the pictures! Here's how it looks as of today. Jonathan is working his tail off day and night on the finish work so the painter can start next week. He's going to hate me because there are no 2 rooms the same color! After trim and paint, he'll (Jonathan- poor guy!) install the cabinets, light fixtures, door hardware, and then carpet. We could possibly finish in 4 weeks, but I'm not holding my breath. Anyway, we're super excited and SUPER ready!

Jace turns 5!

I'm posting this a little late, seeing as how his birthday was July 8, but I just realized I hadn't blogged about it yet. I'm also posting pictures stolen off of my brother, Robby's, blog and they're not even of Jace's B-day, but our campling day the week before. Oh well- pictures are pictures! Anyway, my sweet (and sometimes "not so sweet") Jace turned 5 this month! Where did all that time go??? It's funny how kids anticipate this special day, only to have it over so quickly. Jace has been talking about his birthday and chosing his presents for about 6 months now- literally. Every time he sees something on TV, in the store, etc. he'll ask "can I have that for my birthday?". We, of course, say "sure, Jace" knowing he'll forget it in about 5 minutes. He's already started his wish list for next year.

Anyway, although he does get caught up in the gift-receiving, he is so grateful for everything. Jace was super excited and animated about all his gifts and always remembered to say thanks. He is so much fun and absolutely hilarious! He's also very random and is known for asking questions like "where are dinosaurs buried" in the middle of a conversation about his primary class, the weather- anything not at all related to the subject of dinosaurs. He talks SO much and has the most inquisitive mind! Jace is very smart and thinks things through. He remembers everything you say and will remind you if you ever forget. He's also an absolute sweetheart. Out of the blue he'll come up to me, give me a hug and say "I love you, mom. You're cute!" and then he's off again! He loves to play with his tractors, building blocks, and of course his skateboard (he's awesome on this thing!). He also loves animals, water, and dirt (not necessarily in that order!). He's a wonderful brother to all his siblings (most of the time) and even lets Brylee pick on him. I think he must subconciously realize it's paybacks for the torture she endured from him her first year!

OK, enough bragging, I just wanted to tell you all what a great kid I have and if I get around to it I might even post some pictures of his super fun b-day party. Happy Birthday, Jace! We love you!

Quick story

OK, so ya know how I said in my last post that we got our boat fixed? Well, we decided last minute to take it out on Utah Lake last night and we were all super excited. We get out there- 7ish and drive around for a few minutes looking for a semi-calm spot to swim. We stop, swim for a few minutes, and decide to go again. Well, the boat had something else entirely in mind- IT WOULDN'T START! Jonathan messed with it as much as he knew how, but the battery just wasn't cooperating. It was really choppy and getting late so there was no one on the lake even close to us. When there would finally be a boat in sight we'd honk the horn, jump up and down, and wave our orange flag- all to no avail. I wish we had pictures of this! We turned on the scanner and asked if anyone was on the lake to give us a jump- no one. Fianlly, Alys (my sister) decided to call 911 and they said they'd send the Utah Lake Coast Guard (just kidding- I just don't know what they're called). While we were waiting- at least 45 mins- a jet-skier noticed us and said he'd pull us closer to the beach so we could get out (it wasn't the dock- just a beach). He did that, only to have the Coast Guard come within a few minutes and say it was too shallow, we'd have to pull the boat back out again. The cute jet-skier and all his nice, tattooed, ear ringed friends- plus Jonathan, all pulled us out to deeper waters. We have a BIG boat (this doesn't mean fancy- just big) and it took over an hour for her to pull us to where we were parked- she didn't have cables to jump us. By the time we got out of the water it was after 10 and there were those nasty, Utah Lake gnats attacking us like crazy! Jace was freaking out, thinking he'd have mosquito bites covering his entire body. Miserable night, but something we're already laughing about . OK- not such a "quick" story...

Update

It's been a long time since I've blogged! WOW! Here's what we've been up to...

* Jace turned 5 this week and had a super fun B-day party! He's so excited and grateful for everything it just makes you want to give him more! Pics coming soon.
* I took Kaleigh to the Stadium of Fire as a reward for good grades. Being the Miley Cyrus wannabe that she is, she was in heaven!!! The patriotic portion was awesome and very moving.
* Brylee's been home from the hospital for almost a month with absolutely no problems.
* I took the kids swimming for the first time this season on Monday and got the sunburn of my life!!! 4 days later and it STILL hurts!
* We took the kids up to where the rest of my family was camping last weekend and Brylee was covered in dirt from head to toe- I've never seen a child so filthy! She ate more dirt than food! Pics also coming soon.
* Baseball and softball season are over- no more chasing Brylee around the ballpark-yay!
* Our sheetrock is hung and the mud and tape should be finished next week (AWESOME!) We'll then lay the hardwood, install tile and trimwork, paint, install cabinets, then carpet, and finally DECORATE! End of August if we're lucky. Huge party to celebrate- you're all invited!
* The brick and siding should also be finished next week. Have I told you lately how much I love my new house? It's beautiful! Is that bragging?
* I've found a guy that makes custom furniture at a very reasonable price. VERY exciting, as I need SO much furniture after selling what I had. Now it'll all be new AND unique.
* We finally got our boat fixed, after a year of it not working properly. I bet you can guess where we'll be this weekend!
* Last, but not least, I'm looking for a job I can do from home (not daycare). Any suggestions would be helpful!

That's the Robertson's in a nutshell! I really will try and add some pictures. I'm always forgetting my camera (I still can't find the cord to transfer, though) so I take pics with my phone. Well, my phone won't send to email so I have to send them to Abbie, then she emails them to me. Kind of a pain and a good excuse for not having pictures with every post. I'll do my best...

Kaleigh Grace turns 10!

On June 17th we celebrated Kaleigh's 10th birthday (she's on the far right in first pic, middle in the second). Since this is the first summer she's spent with us (which also means the first birthday we've been able to celebrate), we decided to have a party. Our sweet Kaleigh is so easy to please- the only thing she wanted for her B-day was her ears pierced, and for her party she just wanted to slip-and-slide in our backyard. Now that's my kind of birthday! We just love Kaleigh so much! She's such a pretty little girl who loves everything "girly". She's always got a purse over her shoulder full of lotion, lip gloss, etc. and she prances around like the princess we think she is. Kaleigh loves to help out in the kitchen (why would anyone CHOOSE to do this?!), as well as help take care of little Brylee. She's very tender-hearted and is known for ocassionally crying over a sad movie. Kaleigh is a smart, good girl who is very responsible (most of the time) and even remembers to water my plants (I forget!). She's a great friend and is loved by all. Happy Late Birthday, Kaleigh! We love you so much and are happy to have you in our family!

One more time...

So we brought Brylee home from the hospital 2 weeks ago, only to have her admitted AGAIN last week. Sorry to leave you all hangin like that, seeing as how my last post was a couple of weeks ago and at the time she was still in there. Needless to say, she was SUPER sick last Thursday, after being home just a week! Wednesday night was just awful, so I brought her in to Dr. Later the next morning and he basically said just bring her back if she gets worse- probably just another cold. Before I go on, when she was discharged from the hospital the last time he said the worst thing that could happen is for her to get sick again before she's fully recovered from par influenza. She'd also been on steroids, which decreases the bodies immunities and makes her much more susceptible. With that being said, you can imagine my frame of mind when on Thursday afternoon her eyes were red and bulging out of her head from working so hard to breathe. Her heart rate was super high, her nose was dripping, she was fevering and absolutely miserable! We went back to the doctor, he listed to her, and said "you're not going home today". Story of my life! Anyway, he was scared for her, knowing her pattern, and admitted he hadn't seen her that sick in a long time- even with the several most recent hospital stays. He immediately started more steroids, ordered all the tests, started an IV, breathing treatments, etc. In the meantime Jonathan came over and gave her a blessing. In a nutshell, by the time she went to bed, her heart rate was down, her saturation level was up, she slept through the night and the tests all came back negative. We later found out that all the had was rhino-virus- literally a whimpy, common cold. Just a little plug for the priesthood here because she went from being deathly ill to almost fine (with the exception of lots of mucus!) within 2 hours! We came home Sunday, she's till wheezy but doing great! Thanks again to my awesome fam who made sure my kids were taken care of (April even cleaned my house!).

Smart girl!

I have to tell you all this because it was hilarious! Today, Brylee (who is still in the hospital) was playing in her crib and got her hands on a stethescope. She picked it up, pulled up jer pajama top, and put the round sensor part on her chest. Just seconds later, she found the BBG (which stands for baby booger grabber- no joke!) and stuck it up her nose. Within minutes she had stuck her hand through the bars of the crib and grabbed her nebulizer tubing (for breathing treatments) off the nightstand and held it up under her nose. She then found a tendergrip (the stickers that keep her oxygen in place) on the floor and stuck it on her cheek. Within a 5 minute period Brylee had gone through the whole routine of her many required procedures and treatments! As funny as it was, a part of me was sad that this tiny little girl has been exposed to and knows so much. It's so unfair and I find it hard not to be bitter about her seemingly endless suffering. When I feel this way, I remind myself how lucky I am that ...

1) I have such a great husband who adores our baby as much as I do and is willing to take his turn sleeping at the hospital so I can go home and REALLY sleep!

2) I have an amazing family who is always willing to step up and watch my kids, haul them around, even sit at the hospital (my mom) with Brylee so I can check on my sick kid at home (Jace).

3) My dad works at the hospital and always visits me and brings me food!

4) Modern medicine!

5) A nice, clean, and friendly hospital nearby where the nurses all know and adore my baby and give her the best of care.

6) A pediatrician who is diligent in Brylee's care, honest with me, and takes no chances when it comes to her health.

7) Last, but not least, PRAYER- it's the only way the Robertson's survive!

Hospital, again...

Once again this is Brylee, standing up in her crib just beggin to get out. She had a runny nose on Friday, woke up from her nap with a fever on Saturday, continued fevering until Monday and finally hospitalized on Tuesday morning. She has par influenza 3, which is the same virus she had last year at this time and almost didn't survive. SO SCARY! She's got an IV in her wrist pumping her full of fluids and steroids for her lungs, and is hooked up to monitors and oxygen. This is so hard! They come in every 3+ hours to deep suction her, which means they put a small catheter up her nose and thread it down almost to her stomach and "suck" out all the mucus. Sorry to be so descriptive, but this is what it's like for her. She absolutely hates in and screams the entire time. She is so restless and hasn't at all lost her fiestiness, in spite of feeling so crappy. She wants to walk around and play, but has so many things hooked up to her she can't go too far. Anyway, in spite of all of this, she is a year older than last time and has built up more immunities to this particular virus so we don't expect to end up at Primary's this time. Our wonderful doctor is so on top of this and is pleased with her progress, which to us isn't even noticeable. We hope to be home sometime this weekend. In the meantime, I'm not above soliciting for prayers. This child needs to come home!

Who made Jesus?

With Jace lately, everything is "why did Jesus make...?". Spiders, snakes (basically the entire food chain), fire, blood (yes, blood. He refers to the heart as a machine or engine- therefore I told him that our blood is kind of like the gas- strange conversation!)- EVERYTHING! He asked me who made Jesus, I told him Heavenly Father, he said who made Heavenly Father (you can tell where this is going), I said His father and changed the subject -way too complicated for a 4 year old (and his mom!). Anyway, when he says the prayer on the food, he asks Heavenly Father to make his food "not hot", so when he's done with his prayer and his food is still hot, he complains "I asked Jesus to make it not hot and he didn't!". I'm always impressed that he understands that when we ask Heavenly Father to do something, he usually has Jesus do it!

One last thing- Jace LOVES skateboards and since we don't have one, he rides everyone elses whenever the opportunity arises. Tanner is one of those kind enough to share his skateboard when Jace is around. Well, Jace got it in his head that Tanner was going to sell his old skateboard to Jace because Tanner got a new one. The other day Jace was coloring something and I asked him who it was for. He said "Tanner" which was strange- he's never colored anything for Tanner before. I asked him what it was and he said "money". I asked him why he was making money and he told me that " Tanner said he would sell me his skateboard so I'm making him some money." SO FUNNY!

P.S. Kissin cousins

This is Trey kissing Brylee before Brylee became the agressor. Now she can't get enough lovin from Trey boy and follows him around, waiting for his attention. She just loves him, even though he closes the toy box on her head and body slams her to the floor! Kids are so forgiving! And check out her hair all stringy and sticking up. Now times that by 10 and you'll have Brylee in the morning. She has crazy bad hair! Maybe once she has more of it, she'll have a chance, but for now it's something you can't help but laugh at.

Kaleigh Grace

Here's our adorable little Kaleigh Grace in all her glory- or should I say her EAGLES uniform! Just FYI I was on the Eagles back when I was a youngin...those were the days...Anyway, this is Kaleigh after a long day at the ballpark, in which her team won once again. I'm amazed at how much they've improved in just a few weeks- herself included. So here we are at Logan's game (did I mention it was a LONG night!), where Logan's team wasn't so lucky- in fact they were quite the opposite, but we won't go there. In Logan's defense, they have him playing out in the field and he's got an amazing arm! The ball always goes right where it's supposed to. As for putting things where they're supposed to go, Brylee hasn't yet learned this lesson. You can't see all of this in the picture, but she's on the asphault just below the bleachers picking up sunflower seed shells- chewed up and spat out by other ballpark patrons- and putting them into her mouth. I stopped her when I noticed, but who knows how many she was able to sneak in there before I caught her in the act! While this is going on, I look over to see Jace at the playground climbing UP the slide, while dropping bark (Spanish Fork's idea of padding) on top of the poor kids that are playing on the sides. Of course he's not trying to be mean, he's just playing. That makes it OK, doesn't it? NOT! Good times!

Brylee

This is definitely poor quality photography (a phone pic again) but I haven't posted any pics of my kids lately and Brylee just happens to be the only one home with me today (sigh!). Once again she was caught being naughty and chewing on cords. That beautiful blue flooring you see in the background is in our rental home that, in spite of poor and dated flooring choices, we absolutely love! This house is about 1/3 the size of our new house, but it goes to show you that you can get used to anything. Not only that, but we don't always need as much as we think we need. It's a little too late for that as far as house size goes, but it's still a lesson learned. As far as Brylee's "naughtiness", let me just say you can't turn your head for a second! This child manages to find any and every pen in the house and has written on things such as new furniture, clothes, herself- you get the picture. She also can sense when the back door is just slightly ajar because she makes a mad dash for it! She's so much fun, but more of a handful than Jace ever was (which I tought was impossible!). Although she now walks, she still prefers crawling. Anyway, that's the latest- I'll post more phone pics of my other kids later!

My house!

It's been a while since I've blogged, so as I'm thinking what I can talk about, I'm drawing a blank! I never realized how uneventful our lives are, but I guess I should just enjoy this temporarily slow pace. My oldest kids are now in softball and baseball so we spend 3 nights a week at the ballpark and the other 2 days at practices. Brylee is walking FINALLY, but still choses to crawl a lot of the time because she's so freakin fast! I've never seen anything like it! This means that on game nights she is filthy! She crawls on the concrete and asphault at the ballpark as if it were a plush, shag carpet and she eats anything and everything in her path (old gum, candy, rocks, dirt- you name it). This means I spend as much time, if not more, chasing her than watching the games. It's still fun and reminds me of my days on the field. I LOVED summers at the ballpark as a player, and now as a spectator.

Anyway, as you see I've finally posted a picture. It's taken from a phone (still having real camera problems) and it's not clear, nor does it do our house justice, but it's all ya get! Since this picture, they've finished the framing, shingles (roof) and almost all the electrical. The plumbing should be done in a week, then they'll start on the siding and brick. I'm loving every minute of this, but unfortunately there are still MANY minutes left until we're done. I've bought several things for decorating purposes, as well as narrowed down my paint colors. The house is about 400 sq. ft. bigger than it was supposed to be, due to more usable space in the attic, so we're going to have a hard time staying within our budget, or should I say we ARE having a hard time staying within budget! Still, this is so much fun and hasn't even been a strain on our marriage, as I had been warned it would be. Jonathan and I are both so excited about this that he works on it every night without complaint, and I juggle kids day and night on my own with some complaint, but not much (I hope!). We're looking forward to August, when this will be done!

I had warned you all that there would be much detail about this process, so I'll just quickly tell you my favorite things about this house.

1- HUGE master bedroom with sitting area and lots of windows with awesome views!
2- 2 story family room with floor to ceiling windows and a second story balcony that raps around the entire room!
3- HUGE bonus room/theater above the garage- perfect for entertaining!
4-Both formal living and dining rooms - once again perfect for entertaining (we love to do this!).
5- Lots of nooks and cranies to decorate.
6- Angled ceilings on the second floor that give each room character.
7- Tons of windows- all with amazing views of the mountains, lake and valley.
8- Lots of storage!

There you have it! Are you so excited?!

Another SLOW day!

Are you seeing a pattern here? If you haven't already guessed I am once again at the furniture store. I've already rearranged all the furniture I can manage on my own, as well as the accessories and it's only noon! What better time to blog?! I wanted to take a minute and thank all my fellow bloggers. I could read your blogs all day long and never get bored! It's a good thing because I've got LOADS of time today. Anyway, you really inspire me! Some of you are so open and honest, as well as clever and funny. I learn so much from you and about you. Whoever thought of "blogging" was brilliant!
OK, so I have to copy a friend whose post I just read on gratitude (thanks Melissa!). I'm realizing that lately I've spent a lot of time complaining, which is obviously the sign of an ingrate, and I need to change that. Of course I've had many tough times and experienced things I would've never thought I could handle- Brylee's many hospital stays, for starters. You probably have, too, but I emphasize the word "thought" because we handled it! Although sometimes our trials are big things, it's the little things we (I) deal with daily that can bring us down to the "ungrateful" category. Example- KIDS! They are my biggest blessing and biggest challenge, but I wouldn't change a thing. OK, I could do with less whining and fighting and saying things just once, but I love them all to death. There are people out there who would give anything to have the blessing of children- I have 4 and I complain! Yes, it's hard, and yes, I'm entitled to be frustrated sometimes, as long as I can remain grateful and always let my kids and my Heavenly Father know how much I love being their mom.
Anyway, my life is filled with many wonderful people who have influenced me in such a positive way! I am so thankful for my family. My husband is so good and has sacrificed so much for me by living in Utah. This is a HUGE deal because he absolutely hates the weather and misses his family a lot. He's a very hard worker, is super talented, and absolutely adores our children. Most of all he has taken me to the temple and honors his priesthood. I have parents who have loved and supported me my entire life. Never have they been critical of me or caused me to doubt myself and my abilities. They've been "valiant" in their testimonies and have taught me to be the same. My sisters and mom are truly my best friends and are always ready and willing to "step up" whenever they (or help!) is needed. We have a blast together just doing the simplest things (Walmart, anyone?). I can't imagine life without Abbie calling at 8am so we can plan our day, only so our kids can fight and scream and we can ask eachother "why do we do this?". This happens every day, but regardless we just keep going. April usually witnesses all of this, but has older kids and no longer has to deal with her own daily drama's, just ours. Mom participates in these outings when she can and Alys is busy "bringing home the bacon". Robby is such an amazing brother. He's smart, handsome, talented and fun. Rob's always been really in tune with the spirit makes it look so easy to be good! His wife, Steph, is one of the smartest, most articulate people I've ever met. She's beautiful, ambitious, fun, and therefore fits in SO well (ha!ha!). As I said before I absolutely adore my kids and can't imagine life without them. I'm so thankful I get to stay home and don't have to plan my "kid" time around a job. This works well for some, but I hate that I'm missing out on whatever it is they're doing today. I also learn so much from them, as they are sweet, innocent, humble, trusting, and most of all forgiving. They love so unconditionally and appreciate the simplest things (like a popsicle!).
My "thankful" list keeps getting longer and longer as I type, so I'll save some for another day. I recommend to you all if you're having a crappy, "poor me" day, try this! It works!

What's a mom to do?!

Refer to the picture of the sweet (but not so sweet!) boy on the last post as the subject for this blog. That adorable little boy got in so much trouble in primary yesterday that he had to sit in the back with a member of the bishopbric. As if that wasn't enough, Jace pinched him- several times! He was mad that he was in trouble and when Brother Barrington wouldn't let him go back to sitting with his friends, Jace pinched him! What kind of child does this and what does this say of his mother?! As a child (and even as an adult) I would've been so intimidated by someone like that, but not Jace. I came out of Relief Society (I had to teach again) to find Brother Barrington holding Jace (as Jace struggled to get away), waiting to tell me what had happened. I have never been so embarassed in my life- at least that I can remember. Needless to say, Jace got spanked by his dad, yelled at by his mom, but still I wonder if he gets it. He's very smart and can argue logically because a lot of the time he truly doesn't think he's wrong. I have no un-tried idea how to teach him respect, he feels a huge sense of entitlement to do whatever he wants, and I'm running out of creative punishments! What works with your kids?

Oh, and just so you know he's not ALL bad, Jace can also be my sweetest child. He will randomly wrap his arms around me and tell me he loves me to the moon, to the sun, to the mountains and to the stars, and then back again. He then will tell me that I'm a "cutie pie" and how pretty I am. Go figure?!

Spring Break!

If this is any kind of preparation for summer, I'm in trouble! I adore my kids and we've had some fun over this past week, but what little down-time there has been between activities has been tough! My older kids are at an age where they really don't like eachother and they've both made it their mission to make the others life miserable (or get the other in trouble!). This has the same miserable effect on me, as well. Jace is at that "annoying little brother" stage (do they ever grow out of this?) and has to be everywhere and do everything the older kids do, and Brylee has become quite spoiled and only wants to play with things the other kids are playing with. It's SO obvious! They'll give her what she wants and find something else for themselves- only to have her reach and whine for their replacement toy. She's become such a stinker! I know we're in trouble with this one- she is so strong willed and stubborn (which is why she's still here). They say her lungs are weak but you would never know that by her screams! Anyway, in spite of my ocassional struggles with my kids and their "stages", I adore them and they are all wonderful! I can't believe how fun and helpful my older ones are, how smart my pre-kindergartner is and how sweet my baby can be. Brylee has been healthy for almost 2 months now and has tons of personality! We all adore her!



Anyway, between all the fighting and tantrums, we managed to get in some fun activities. We went to the petting zoo and Thanksgiving Point with Abbie and fam as well as some friends and their kids. We all had a good time and I highly recommend it to all of you. I was so impressed with my kids and their comfort level around animals. I have my husband to thank for this because I'm quite the opposite around anything stinky and slobbery (except my baby, of course). Even Brylee was petting all the animals while Abbie's kids cried! Poor Abbie! It was a good time.

There were other fun activities throughout the week, but only after moving both Monday and Tuesday. I LOVE MOVING! Strange, I know, but quite liberating just the same. I love knowing I've gotten rid of tons of stuff and I'm moving into something that's absolutely spotless without me having to clean it! This move was actually quite easy, as there was no furniture to move. Anyway, our little rental home is your typical farm house- adorable! It's so cozy and clean with new carpet and paint throughout. The owners are in our ward (so is the house) and we are their first tenants since the remodel. I was able to get started on my furniture shopping out of necessity and purchased a sectional that will go in the bonus room (which is huge!), an informal dining set for the kitchen and a bedroom set that will be Logan's when the house is done. This home we're in temporarily has tons of built-ins, so bedroom stuff was only needed in the master.

OK, once again my post is super long- do any of you even read the whole thing?!

Sloooooow dayyyyyyyyy........

YAY! The day has finally arrived that we are moving on to the next step- a rental house! We've nver had to do this- we've just moved from one house to the next- whether our projects were completed or not. Anyway, my post is titled "Slow day" because regardless of all the projects I have going on at home, today I committed to filling in at the furniture store. It's SO dead! No customers in 2 hours- I think the weather must be too nice for shopping. So, for those of you who don't know, I have this awesome relationship with a furniture store- I fill in as needed (once a month, at the most) and get to purchase all my furniture and mattresses AT COST! YAY! So worth it! This is the only way I could ever replace all the furniture I sold with my house, which is no easy task! Too many choices, but they're fun choices to make.

Now about my new house that I promised frequent updates- it's awesome! I like it more than I ever imagined! We felt like we were sacrificing by chosing a smaller plan than we started with, but this house has so much more personality and it's got plenty of space. Anyway, because I can't find the cord to transer pics from camera to computer, I haven't posted any yet. However, I'm happy to say that they are now framing the roof- all interior and exterior walls are finished! It's so much fun to see the actual size of the rooms and picture myself living there. We have a HUGE master bedroom, which was an accident I'm quite happy about. We added 2 feet in length to the original plan, then the concrete guys added another 4 when they poured the footings (the "accident"). Needless to say I couldn't be happier. We've always had small master bedrooms so this is a nice little treat!

I can't blog without saying something about at least one of my kids, can I?! I'm proud to tell you that Logan has been chosen to be a pitcher for his baseball team. This may not sound like a huge deal, however he's never officially played baseball in his life- he's 11! Every summer he's gone back to SC to stay with his grandma, so he's missed baseball season. We decided to keep them (him and Kaleigh) home this summer so he could play. His first practice was Saturday and he had the best arm on the team! He's such a natural athlete I don't know why I worried about him being behind in sports. He catches on real quick! I wish I had a picture, but refer to above.

The Faith of a Child...

I was going to post about this (sometimes) sweet little boy last week, but forgot until reading a friends blog reminded me. Anyway, Jace is so curious and asks me questions ALL DAY LONG, literally! He wants to know where everything came from, how it was made, why it was made, etc. Anyone who's ever watched him (my dad, especially) will tell you that Jace can talk for several hours at a time and not come up for air! He follows my dad around like a puppy dog and wants to be a part of everything he does! Anyway, we talk a lot about Heavenly Father and Jesus, because they happen to be the answers to a lot of his questions. He knows that they created everything and that if we want or need something, we can ask in prayer. Well, Jace went outside the other day to play with (or watch) the pigeons. He came back inside after just a few minutes, sobbing. I asked him what was wrong and he told me one of the pigeons was on the ground, dead. He then said "I said a prayer and asked Jesus to made him come back alive and he didn't!". What's a mom to do?! Because we just had Easter, he knows about the resurrection and that we will all "come back alive" someday so I just stressed to him the "someday" part. Animals will be resurrected, too, won't they? Anyway, Jace was upset all day long and since then we have discussed death often. I had an uncle pass away last year that Jace knew quite well and he often asks me what uncle Greg is doing and when he'll come back alive like Jesus. He's asked how he died and I told him because he was sick. Well, now Jace is paranoid of getting sick and is a total germ freak! Kids aren't supposed to be like that- they're full of germs! I must admit some of his questions give me a run for my money- he's a smart little thing! I can most of them, but when he says things like "how can Jesus be everywhere?" and "how can Jesus know when I'm lying?", I've resorted to answers like "cause he's Jesus and he has special powers". Now Jace will say he can do things that he obviously can't do- like turn his ears up so he can hear better- and he'll say Jesus used his powers so he could do that. Funny kid!

This is the place!

I just love Utah! I've lived in other places and they all have different things about them that appeal to me, but there's something about Utah (county, that is) on Sundays and especially conference weekend. The people buying our house were here yesterday setting up a pen for their sheep (my kids are stoked about this!) so I left at about 11:40 to go get pizza for lunch. Spanish Fork was as quiet as it is at 3am (don't ask me how I know this). Streets and parking lots were almost empty until about 12:05. Little Ceasars was suddenly packed with people and Macey's parking lot was full, with every check-stand open and super long lines. I was talking to my sisters about this when Abbie reminded me of going to Cosco last conference weekend. We went during the break and of course it was packed full of people- all of them checking out the famous samples. There were people lined up (literally!) to try everything, except the coffee demo, which was completely void of people. It's just these little details about our religion that set us apart from others (not "above", just apart) and it's comforting to live in a place where so many are faithful. We are sometimes referred to as "those Utah Mormons", in a derogatory way, obviously, which I think is very unfair. We're just a bunch of people doing the best we can and trying to appreciate what we have- the Gospel.

Along those same lines I am also thankful for my wonderful family. Yesterday I took my kids up to where everyone else was camping for the weekend (Jonathan worked on the new house). When the last session of conference started, 4-wheelers were turned off and everyone stopped what they were doing so we could all listen to conference (except the little kids, of course). My parents have always been such good examples and it's just understood in our family that things of a spiritual nature come first. I am so thankful for this! My dad, brother, brother-in-law, and nephew all left camp to go find the nearest church to hear the priesthood session (Jonathan went to the session at our church). Anyway, on our way home last night we passed 3 different churches- all packed with the cars of our local priestood holders. Once again it was an awesome sight and a great feeling to see so many faithful people taking advantage of the opportunity to hear the counsel of the living prophets.

All this talk about conference and yet I forgot about it! I called my mom yesterday (before I went to get pizza) and she said "Aren't you watching conference?"- translation "Why are you calling me in the middle of this?!" Does this make me a hypocrite? Anyway, I just love conference and I'm about to miss it again if I don't stop blogging!

It's SOLD!

Finally we have an offer (a good one) on our house! After several months on the market we can now relax and enjoy the anticipation of our long-awaited dream home next door. It's funny how these things always work out- you'd think I'd learn to just stop worrying! My family always jokes about how whatever we do in real estate we always come out "smelling like roses". Although it doesn't feel like that at the time and they don't realize all the stress, sweat and tears that go into our projects, they are right- it always works out in the end (knock on wood!). We are definitely risk takers and this property that we're on was SO worth every bit of the anxiety (we bought 30 acres with a home, subdivided, sold 2 lots, building on 1 lot and have only needed to sell the existing house on it's 7.6 acres).

Anyway, I've always kind of felt that there was someone very specific that was going to be my neighbor and took some comfort in the thought that maybe they weren't quite ready to make the move just yet. So true! The couple buying our home currently own and run a girls home. They've had a buyer for this property for a couple of years, but just recently decided they were ready to sell. They just happened to be long-time clients of my moms, she realized we had what they needed, and althought the price was more than they planned to spend, she brought them through and they loved it! Mom saved the day cause the Robertson's were running out of money and they're up to their eyeballs in credit card debt! Thanks Mom! Anyway, not only are they buying the house, they are buying EVERY piece of furniture I own- even the "not so nice" stuff. They're selling the girls home furnished and want to buy this home "as is" with even a lot of the decor- it's perfect. I had hoped to get all new stuff, anyway, and we only had to come down 10K from our asking price (the purchase for the furniture is seperate). We LOVE these people! They are keeping 4 of the foster girls (the nice, safe ones) and one of them has even watched our kids. So nice! Anyway, they are paying cash so this whole transaction is pretty much done and we have a rental home in the ward that's just waiting for us to move in. Anyway, since I never post pics and I happen to have some saved on the computer, her are a few of this monstrocity we've been trying to sell! We've done a lot (I wish I had the befores!) and it really is a very cozy home- just a little dated on the outside. Not much we could do about that without lots of cash!

Happy Easter!

We had a CHAOTIC Easter at our house this year! As I posted before, I had a lesson to teach in Relief Society on Sunday and because I worried so much about it Saturday night and my topic had absolutely nothing to do with the event we were celebrating, I FORGOT ABOUT THE EASTER BUNNY! We have 9am church, so I look at the clock at 7:30am and yell "we forgot about the Easter Bunny!". Jonathan and I jumped out of bed, searched the house for where I put everything I had purchased, and told our kids they couldn't come out of their rooms yet. Our poor kids- we are the same awful parents that have forgotten the tooth fairy more times than we've remembered! Anyway, because we started packing up our house months ago (it's a long process for us!) we couldn't find all the Easter baskets. Therefore, Logan's was a bucket (that Jace fills with dirt in the summer), Jace's was a toy hard-hat he had in his closet, Brylee's was a toy container used for teaching and storing different shapes, Jonathan and I shared the basket we keep our mail in, and Kaleigh got the only actual Easter basket I could find. Definitely a memorable day, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Unfortunately no matter how many times we discuss the story of the resurrection and the reason we celebrate Easter, I'm thinking my kids don't give it a second thought when I'm done talking. Will they ever grow out of this "what's in it for me?" stage??? I'm sure my parents wondered the same thing so I guess there's hope (or maybe that means there isn't!).

Oh, and by the way, my lesson went very well- thanks, Char and Sonja, for the encouragement! Sonja, to this day you still give the BEST Relief Society lessons I have ever heard, and Charlyn, I'm sure those young women adore you! And congrats on the baby!!!

While I'm posting, I'm sure you're all just dying to know how our new house is progressing. OK, maybe you're not, but I'm dying to tell you! They poured the footings last week and they are pouring the foundation as we speak. They've seen me several times a day over there since they started this project because it's conveniently right next door. I've even chosen and arranged my future furniture! At 3 am last night I narrowed down my paint colors because I couldn't sleep- this is how my life will be until it's finished! It's all likely to change, but it's fun to have some ideas to work with and who needs sleep, anyway?! I'll post some pics after the foundation is completed. Fun stuff!

And now for a Jace "funny". Last night Jonathan was teasing him and Jace got pinched. He yelled "DAD!", Jonathan said "it was an accident", and Jace said "no, accidents are when you poop and pee!". Crude, but hilarious- at least at the time!

Good, Better, BEST!

This is a first for me because I'm actually NOT posting about my kids! I've been called to teach Relief Society, which is the first calling I've had since I was pregnant with Brylee, due to being put on bed-rest, and then all the complications she's had since birth. Anyway, something that would normally not phase me has me a bit nervous! My lesson is on Elder Oaks talk from the Oct. 2007 General Conference. It's a great talk- even better when studying from a "teaching" perspective than listening to it in addition to many other wonderful talks, all one after another. I have learned that many times I settle for just doing the "good" thing, rather than push myself to do the "best" thing. Not only that, but I tend to do things to the extreme (no surprise there!). If I'm reading a good book, it consumes me until I'm finished- in fact I'll read up until I fall asleep, which means I've most likely skipped reading my scriptures and saying my prayers. BAD! I love HGTV and watch home decorating shows WAY too much! OK- enough confessions, but you get my drift. All of these things are "good" in moderation, as long as they are done with whatever time is left after doing the "best" things that build our faith and bring us closer to the spirit- not the other way around. So on that note I will end and I welcome ANY suggestions as to what I can do with this lesson!

We're home!

Yes, it's true- after just 5 days in the hospital with RSV (which is less than the amount of time we were in for just a cold!) Brylee was able to come home. Boy was she happy! I couldn't get her to take a nap all day yesterday because she just wanted to play, play, play! Logan and Kaleigh were just as excited to come home from school and find both mom and baby back! Our older kids are so wonderful when it comes to dealing with the unstability that seems to define their lives this past year. They just adore Brylee and think that everything about her is perfect. It's a great example of "unconditional love"- the way we feel about our children and ocassionally siblings feel about each other.

Speaking of kids (which is all most of us blog about!), I now am a believer in family scripture study. We have NEVER been consistent about this until Pres. Hinckley died and we heard about the "Hinckley Challenge". We've since fallen way behind in this lofty goal we set, but have managed to faithfully read several times a week. Still I've wondered how much my kids are getting from this because the seem so bored and distracted. A typical night of reading for us consists of Kaleigh twisting her hair and trying to braid it, Logan staring out the window looking for pheasants in the yard, Jace climbing on everyones back trying to play "buckin bulls", Brylee trying to escape so she can play in the toilet or empty cupboards and drawers, and Jonathan falling asleep. All of this is going on while I read and discuss everything we've read by myself. Sound familiar? Well, for FHE this week, we were unprepared so I decided that we were all going to tell our favorite story from the scriptures we've read so far. I was surprised when they each came up with a very descriptive account. Kaleigh impressed us the most with an extra long version of Nephi getting the plates from Laban. Yes, I realize that they learn these things in Primary, too, however when asked immediately after church each week what they talked about, I get the same "I don't remember" from all 3 of them. Plus all of their stories really were things we've read recently and not just random scripture stories, which tells me they're learning. Who would've thought?!

Time for a walk!

2 of the 3 kids are actually looking at Jonathan, but my pic turned out better. Abbie was kind enough to post it for me (thanks Ab!) but I wanted to say a few more things, along with this picture, about this past hospital stay. Utah Valley is the BEST hospital around and don't let anyone tell you different. We are very well known in the Pediatric Unit, which means as soon as they see us coming, someone rushes to get me a Diet Coke and I'm never without one until we go home. How many mom's do you know are invited to share the nurses Sunday "Potluck" lunch? I AM!! And last but not least, one of the darling nurses who is so good to us suggested Jonathan and I need a vacation and offered to use her week off this month to watch our kids. Who does this??? And it's not just about how good they are to me. Brylee has nurses coming in to visit and check on her throughout the day, whether they are her nurse or not. They all play with her and bring her special toys they think she'll like- she's a celebrity! Anyway, it's a great place to be if you have to be in the hospital. On a more serious note, everytime this happens to her (us), I find myself reflecting on my life and my family- the things that matter most. This reflection period is usually followed by guilt, wondering if it's me who needs these situations to keep my priorities strait. I'm SO excited about this new house that until she got sick again it consumed me! Don't get me wrong- there's nothing wrong with a new house, but since she's been sick I haven't really thought about it. "Balance" is what I need, but not what I'm good at. I'm a work in progress, I guess you could say, but at least I'm aware and trying! Anyway, this cute picture is of my sweet Brylee and her doting big brother and sister going for a walk. The poor thing was so desperate to get out of the room she allowed us to put a mask on her just to walk around the halls. She constantly points throughout the day at the door and immidiatey reaches for anyone who looks like they might be leaving the room. Poor thing! I wonder how much of this she'll remember and if it will affect throughout her life- ex. will she always hate hospitals and nurses- anyone in scrubs holding stethescopes? Will she always scream at the top of her lungs if she is made to lay down and hears the sound of something that might resemble a suction machine? These are the things I worry about, but for now she's getting better. One day at a time...that's how we live!

RSV...

Here we go again! Brylee has been in the hospital since Thursday with RSV. Can this sweet little girl get a break? After receiving 4 of the 5 recommended RSV vaccinations (after 3 you should be safe) she still gets it. The normal pattern for Brylee and hospital visits begins with a runny nose, followed by deep congestion, then wheezing, then hospital. All of this takes about 2 weeks, but this time I knew it was different because it came on over night- literally. She's such a trooper, though, and it blows my mind that she can still be playful and happy while being confined to a hospital room, surrounded by a tube in her nose giving her O2 and a cord/sensor monitoring her saturation level. I'm always amazed at the "fun" things she discovers she can do while in the hospital. She was getting SO restless that I had the nurse bring me extenders for her O2, I take off the monitor, and let her crawl around on the dirty floor. Yuck, you say, but if it makes this poor child happy then filthy she will be! She crawls over to the glass windows and door that seperate her room from the hallway and presses her face against the glass. Then she blows and it makes that farting sound (for lack of a better term!) she thinks is so funny. As she's doing this, the doctors and nurses are gathering around outside the door, making faces at her and commenting on how cute she is. She never fails to entertain and bring a smile to all those around! We hope to be home within a couple of days, but we've given up predicting this and the doctors now realize that there is no "normal" cycle of an illness if it's Brylee that has it. We know she'll be fine and we've definietly been through much worse, but it sucks just the same!

PICTURES! (FINALLY!)

OK, so these are just of my two youngest because they happened to be the only ones home when Abbie's friend offered to take their pictures for free. Jace is at the age where he tries a little too hard to smile and Brylee looks a bit like a white Aunt Jamima, but they are still just darling. To make it easier for me (as I said before I'm somewhat "challenged" in the computer department) Abbie brought the disk over and downloaded it for me. I can handle it from there. Anyway, I promise there's more to come! Also, on a little sidenote that is actually super important, we start building our new house THIS WEEK! We have had such a hard time getting our financing because we are both self employed and need a stated income loan (IMPOSSIBLE to find nowadays!) but we did it after trying for 5 MONTHS! I'll give you all fair warning that there will be much talk, pictures, and updates about the progress of this house, as well as color schemes, furniture, etc. on my blog. I LIVE for this stuff!

Nothing, really

I haven't posted in a while, and although I've promised pictures (for those who have asked why there aren't many) I'm computer-illiterate and can't figure out how to download them myself. One of these days I'll get my husband to do it- heck, maybe I'll just learn! Anyway, I had an awesome time with my mom, sisters, and sister-in-law last weekend and I recommend all you gals/moms out there do something similar AT LEAST once a year! My mom, Abbie, and I started a tradition a few years ago of going to St. George for the weekend during the Parade of Homes. The next year we invited all the other girls to go and now it's just what we do! I don't know about them, but I look forward to this each year beginning with the drive home! It's 3 days of almost non-stop home-seeing with just a few shopping and food breaks in between. They spare no expense with these homes (I really do have pics that one day I'll post) and it's amazing to me how extravagant some people can be. I can appreciate a nice home as much as the next guy (or gal), but come on- a closet the size of a master bedroom and a master suite the size of the average home?! I found it ironic that I came home and was watching Oprah the other day when they talked about "freegan's". These are people who literally dumpster-dive for all the necessities of life. It's not even financially necessary for most of them. Most freegan's do this as a political statement of how wasteful we are as a nation (they find some pretty good, decent, CLEAN things that they use!) and how minimally we could actually live and still be comfortable. They all seemed pretty content with this lifestyle. I think I fall somewhere in between these extremes, but being "wasteful" is something I'm trying harder not to be, and extravegant is something I can't AFFORD to be!

Anyway, back to our weekend. We laughed the entire time- beginning with Alys going to the ATM at the bank while we all went through the teller drive-through. She went back to the spot where we had been, but got in the wrong car (we had moved to a different spot). This was hilarious, watching her open the door and see a kid, slam it, then stare around the parking lot trying to find us while others in the drive-up were laughing. It got even better when we were shopping. April saw something behind her, figured it was Abbie, started talking to her, only to turn around and find she was talking to herself in the mirror. We had a blast as we always do when we're together (which is a lot!) and I'm hoping Steph did, too. This was the most time she's ever spent with her female in-laws and she was awesome! She fit right in as if she'd always been there. She had to leave us for a day to go to an interview at a lawfirm in Vegas. Come to find out that was definitely a drive worth taking (even though it rained HARD the whole time, she got lost, her phone died, and she was hours early because of the time change) because she got the job! The interview that should've taken a half an hour took 2 hours, they wanted a week to make their decision, but then called her in 3 days. She knocked their socks off- way to go, Steph!

Needless to say it was a lot of fun, but I must admit by the end I was really missing my husband and kids. I think time away ocassionally is healthy because you come home with a new appreciation of your family and just your life in general. Brylee wouldn't let me out of her sight, but the other kids were too consumed with the toys I brought them to notice me, which was OK- I was a kid once, too! Jonathan missed me, although I'm not sure how much of that was me personally, or just someone to help with these crazy kids! He did a great job with the kids, house, and everything else while I was gone- Thanks, Hon! You're a good sport!

New tricks!

Aren't kids just amazing? I get so sappy when it comes to my littlest because of all her struggles, but this post isn't about that, we are going to discuss (or I'll discuss- you'll read) her wonderful accomplishments (or "milestones" as the doctor calls them). Actually I think I'll discuss some "Brylee funnies" instead. That's what makes this time so much fun for us! Here's a list of what she's doing now...
* She crawls faster than most people walk- I'm not kidding! She chases me around the kitchen while I sweep because she's fascinated with my pile of junk on the floor and wants to play in it.
I have to resort to confining her to her high chair so I can get some things done. Then I have to give her a snack to keep her occupied, which she drops and throws all over the floor that I'm sweeping, looks at me with her big, blue eyes, and says "aw ooooo" just as sweet and innocent as can be. As if dropping it was an accident!
* She stacks food on top of her head. This is absolutely hilarious! Athough most kids somehow end up with food in the hair, it's usually because they had it on their hands and touched their head. Brylee will pick up a handfull at a time (crackers, fruit snacks, spaghetti, mac and cheese, etc.) and stack it on top of her head. It eventually falls off and ends up on her clothes, in her ears and of course all over the floor and she'll once again say "aw ooooo". This means lots of mopping, bathing, and laundry, but it's so funny I don't even mind! I'll post some pics of this later.
* She wakes up at 7am on the dot every morning, lays in her crib (she doesn't even sit up or stand) and yells "UP!" over and over until someone gets her. Once she's out of her crib she points to where she wants to go (which in the morning is towards her door, but she does this all day long). We bring her in on our bed, where she sits and bounces herself on her behind so high she falls forward on her face, and then she laughs. Then she'll want to get down on the floor so she can crawl into Jace's room and grab at his face or hit him until he wakes up. She does this every morning without fail. Our Brylee is definitely a morning person!
* She loves to go outside. This is a problem because of the freezing cold weather, but we'll take her out ocassionally for a few minutes at a time. If you ask her if she wants to go outside, she gets all excited, starts wiggling around and breathing fast, then she waves goodbye at whoever is in the room and points towards the door. She loves the animals and has no fear of petting even our biggest horse.
* She likes to nod and shake her head really fast. I think she enjoys this because it makes her dizzy, then she laughs. Either she just thinks she's funny or she likes being disoriented- I'm not sure which.
* She is super stubborn and feisty! Her tantrums are so intense! She'll either dig at your face or her own when she doesn't get her way. If she's on the floor, she'll throw her head down- regardless of the table or hardwood floor in front of her, and scream (and not just because of the pain!). This isn't quite as fun as the other things, but it's some insight into her personality so I'm sharing it with you- plus it can be funny at times.
* When she's on a hard, flat surface she spins herself around in circles on her butt. If I'm in the kitchen, I'll sit her on the counter and she'll use her feet to spin her around and she giggles the entire time. She's quite proud of this trick! This is extra fun when the older kids are sitting at the bar because she knows she's entertaining them so she spins even faster and laughs harder.
* Last, but not least she gives kisses all the time. Sometimes you don't even have to ask, she'll just lean forward and plant one on ya!

Of course there's more, but this post is long enough. I am enjoying her so much! I have such a bad memory that I don't remember half the things Jace would do at this age. My mom says I was just as gushy and crazy about him as I am Brylee, but because I've forgotten and there was no such thing as "blogging" 4 years ago, I feel like I'm experiencing these things for the first time. Maybe a bad memory isn't such a bad thing! It keeps life exciting! I'll post some pictures as soon as I get my camera back because I realize that is the most important part of blogging. I just felt like bragging this morning.