Update Part 2 (house pictures!)

I've become so BAD at this! Let's just say that kids and school (mine AND theirs) is kicking my butt! In a nutshell, that's about all that's been going on around here. We've managed to take a couple of trips to St. George as a family, and then I went on my annual Parade of Homes trip with my mom and sisters, but other than that we haven't really had much fun. Sorry so be so boring! My kids are still funny as ever- in fact Brylee is a handful and keeps us laughing! We're all just pluggin along, being sick of winter and anticipating a fun summer- not because we have anything real great planned, but because summer is just fun- right?

So...we're selling our dream home. Doesn't that absolutely suck?! Therefore I'm posting pictures- not just to show those who've asked to see it, but to advertise to those who are looking. Some random picture of Kaleigh got on there and I don't know how to get it off. Anyway, our reason for selling- recession, housing market, husband in contruction, wife in school...you get the picture. Not the time to be "house-poor". Obviously there are more details available so post a message if you want more info. The home is on 7.6 acres.

Not much of an update, I know, but all I have time for today. I really miss hearing (or reading) about all my friends! I'm setting a goal as we speak to blog more often- finals are in 2 weeks and life should slow down a bit!

Update

I'm not even going to apologize or try to explain my absence by saying any more that you will find in this update. I'm sure that will be explanation enough!

So 2 months condensed into 1 post- this will be tough! Brylee turned 2 on Dec. 1st and we had a super fun B-day part with family and friends. She got lots of fun stuff and entertained us all as she discovered all she could do with her new toys. She has been healthy and hospital-free since June and we have high hopes for her health from this point on. Brylee is absolutely hilarious and keeps us laughing ALL THE TIME! She loves make-up, shoes, and clothes (I think we're in trouble!) and we always rush to find her the second we canno longer hear her because she's always in trouble. She's more destructive than any of my kids have been but she's so funny about what's a mom to do?! She's also really sweet, kind of a bully, definitely a stinker, and always surprising us with things we don't think she knows. We absolutley adore her!

We had an awesome Christmas in our new home, filled with lots of parties (4 total!) and for the first time everybody fit! Our kids have loved having their own rooms and a big playroom to entertain all their cousins and friends. It's been so nice to have an afult space and a kids space so everyone's happy. I really will post pictures someday.

I turned 36 Jan. 8! I'm still not real thrilled about it, but feel some consolation that I don't FEEL 36 at all. In fact I can't tell you how many times I'll meet someone and think they are my age, only to find out they're 25! This isn't because I think they look older, it's because I FEEL (not necessarily look) younger!

Logan turned 12 Jan. 21 and received the Aaronic Priesthood. It was an awesome event- so big (as far as we were concerned) that his grandparents, aunts, and cousins flew here from South Carolina to celebrate this special occasion. They stayed for a week, in which we went swimming, to the dinosaur museum, had parties and big family dinners, went sledding in our fields behind the 4-wheeler, and just enjoyed spending time with them. Logan had a good day. He's such a good kid- very obedient, kind and helpful. He loves riding horses more than anything else. We sure do love him!

Last, but not least (and the main reason not blogging) I'm back in school! I've been thinking about this a lot the past few months and decided to go into nursing. I'm going to Utah State, but it's an extension program through Provo College. I have a year of pre-req's and will start the nursing program next January. Abbie and I are doing this together, which helps a ton! I've never had to really try to do well in school like I'm having to try now! Even with 2 years of previous college (which no longer counts) I feel like I've never done this before! It's a challenge juggling school and kids but will be well worth it!

Jonathan and I are celebrating 7 years of wedded bliss today! My how time flies! We've had some fantastic adventures, as well as difficult struggles, but it's been good times for the most part. He never reads my blog so it would be pointless to have some message for him in this post, but he's a great husband and father and I adore him!

That's it in a nutshell. I really will try and post more often but no promises!

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...