6 years ago

Today marks 6 years since our baby Sam was born. He was born on December 30th 2002 and passed away January 9th 2003. It always makes Christmas a bittersweet time of the year. We are always so happy and excited for Christmas and then 5 days later we have a special day that is not always the happiest, but it is time we spend together and remember our baby. Today we bought 6 balloons and took them to the cemetery and let them go into the sky. It was so interesting; they first blew to the North and up high, high, high. And then the wind shifted and they blew right to the South, flew over our heads, and we lost sight of them as they disappeared into the sun. After we left the cemetery, in the car Sara said, "I know that Sam brought you lots of happiness and joy when he was born and when he comes back he will bring happiness and joy to our whole family." Tears welled up in my eyes. I can't believe how sweet and just right-on she can be about stuff like that. Every time we go to the cemetery she wants to say a prayer and it is always so special. We decided this year to celebrate Sam's birthday as a birthday and went to Chuck-E-Cheese's. Sara and Aaron had so much fun. Than won us a whole bunch of tickets so Aaron got a little football and Sara got a lipgloss set in a purse. This year, December 30th has been a good day.

Has This Ever Happened to You?

Have you ever hit a neighbor's car with your car and then THEY brought YOU cookies because THEY felt bad?

So here's my story. On Wednesday night I was headed to the church for a meeting at 8:30 PM. Aaron was already asleep and Than was in the process of putting Sara to bed. She started freaking out because I was leaving and had to give me a ga-zillion kisses and hugs. Than and I said our normal "good-bye" and then he told me to be safe. I left thinking, "Be safe? What's gonna happen to me on the way to the church?"

It was dark. The streets in my neighborhood are very narrow. I was distracted by an interesting display of Christmas lights down the street. Then I heard a little crunch. Oh, there was a car parked across the street? Why didn't I notice that? I pulled over so I could get out and assess the damage. I didn't recognize the car that I hit, but I could see that I had given it a good dent and a couple of scratches. I walked back home and told Than that I hit the vistor's car. He came with me to knock on our neighbor's door. I was scared to tell them what happened. We found out that the visitor's car that I hit actually belonged to a lady who lives a street away. Than teaches her kid in primary and she is a super sweet woman.

We all looked at the damage and then she called her husband to tell him what happened because he was away. She kept telling me how bad she felt and how she shouldn't have parked across from our driveway. Our street is way narrow, but seriously, where else was she going to park? She kept telling me that they would help pay for the damages and we kept refusing. Than said if she really wanted to do something, they could bring us cookies.

Yesterday Than talked to the husband after he got a good look at his car. Then Than called our insurance to make a claim and we got it all figured out. Later last night, the sweet lady sent her boys over with a plate of cookies.

So I was an idiot driver and hit a parked car while I was backing out of my driveway, our insurance premiums will probably go up, and we got some yummy cookies out of it. Not a bad deal, eh?

I Guess It's Time For A New Post

I am a serious blog slacker. My sweet hubby keeps on getting on my case for not updating the blog so maybe we should become one of those couples who share blogging duties. But I don't think he'll go for it. He's really not the "let's tell everyone all our business on the internet" type of guy. Yet, he likes that I started this thing and he likes reading what I write and he likes reading all your comments. In fact, sometimes he comes home and tells me, "You're up to 7 comments today." Oh, he's so cute!!

So what's our business today? Well, sometime in November Sara turned 5. If I were a better mom I might have posted all about it much closer to the exact date, but here goes.

This was the first year that we had a "friend" party. Sara wanted to have a fairies party and she wanted to invite some of her friends that are boys. So I had a little dilemma because fairies and boys don't really go together. In the end, we ended up having a "Frogs and Fairies" party. We played pin the wand on the fairy, leapfrog, and a hot-potato like game using a froggy beanbag. We ate yummy cupcakes from the local bakery (because cupcake making is not my thing) and I'm still craving them today. Sara opened her presents and then I put fairy dust on the girls cheeks and a frog sticker on the boy's. Oh yeah, only 1 boy showed so he was the frog surrounded by many fairies. When we finished all that, we still had about 20 minutes left so the kids wanted to watch TV. They watched "Blue's Clues" and played in our basement. Is that horrible? Next time, I will know better what to plan on and maybe we'll head to Chuck-E-Cheese.


Sara's real birthday fell in the middle of the week so I took her and Aaron to the zoo that day. The weather was beautiful and there was hardly anyone there. It was perfect. I'd go to the zoo everyday if it were like that. Well, maybe not everyday ...

That night we had a family party for her where she got her real cake and opened more presents. All in all, I think she'll remember her 5th birthday as a good one.

100 things

I copied this from Katie's blog because I wanted to see how cool I am. And she got from a friend (maybe for the same reason?). So if you are dying to find out for yourself, copy and paste the list into your blog and bold or highlight the items you have done. For me, the items I have done are in white. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

I've done fiddy. How about you?

Aaron's Favorites

• Shaking the gate at the top of the stairs like he's in prison and wants to get out.
• Opening and slamming shut the entertainment center doors.
• Hitting his sister in the face with anything he can get his hands on.
• Getting all the cups and bowls out of the kiddie drawer.
• Playing in the cat food and water.
• Eating the cat food.
• Putting cups and lids and toys and Halloween candy in the cat water.
• Lifting the toilet seat and lid.
• Sticking his fingers in my mouth and nose.
• Crawling on the concrete driveway with bare knees.
• His dad.
• Taking the knobs off the stereo.
• Everything in his sister's room.
• Messing with the computer while I'm trying to type a very important post.

AND

• Soft, fuzzy blankets for snuggling.

I LOVE being a mom to a one-year old. I mean it. I really do!

Just Because I'm a Follower . . .

Seems like everyone is posting about Halloween, so I guess I should too. A couple of weeks ago I was feeling like we don't go out and do enough fun stuff together, I mean just me and the kids. So I took the kids to "Pumpkinland" and we had a great time. Aaron was very sleepy, but he was a trooper. Sara thought it was the best thing ever. We found our way through the corn maze, she got to play on the bouncy slide and in the bounce-house, we played at the regular park, and went through the "light" alley. Then we picked out our pumpkins. Or rather, Sara picked out a pumpkin for me, Than, her, Aaron, and our cat Bronco. And she picked them out by size so Aaron's was the smallest and Than's was the biggest. Somehow she thinks that our cat is bigger than both her and Aaron. He is a big cat, but not that big. Sara loved her pumpkin so much that she wanted to sleep with it when we went home.

Sara sitting on some hay.

Messing around.

Aaron thinks that getting his picture taken is serious business.

A few days later we went to a Halloween party. Sara wanted to dress up as a kitty so I bought some face paint and make-up stuff. We were in a big hurry that night so I left everything out in her bathroom. The next morning was Saturday so Than was being his sweet self and let me sleep in. I guess that Sara was being exceptionally quiet for a long time and when Than went to check on her, he found her in the bathroom, all dolled-up. It looked like she put pink and purple war paint all over her face.

Ain't she a beauty?

Like I said before, Sara absolutely loved her pumpkin. We've never actually carved pumpkins as a family, but I thought that we'd give it a try this year. Well, Sara wanted none of that!!! How could we possibly cut the pumpkin that she adored so much? So we let her paint it and we left the others on the front porch as-is.

What a masterpiece!!

And now to the big day!!! Sara got to dress-up for preschool and they had a little Halloween party. They had a parade through the halls and she even got candy from all the kids in her class. Our plan for the evening was for Than to take the kids out Trick-or-Treating and for me to hang back and pass out the candy. But Aaron's been feeling miserable because he's got another ear infection. I hadn't yet taken a picture of both kids in the costumes, so I got Aaron all dressed up just for a few pictures. He wasn't having any of it. He screamed and screamed, but I had to get a picture, right? Anyway, Aaron stayed home with me and we made chilli and cornbread with honeybutter (our Halloween tradition). Also, Aaron had his first lollipop so the evening wasn't a total bust for him.

Than and Sara went trick-or-treating with Sara's friend Josie and her Dad. They got too much candy from everyone and hot chocolate from the Mackay's and homemade doughnuts from the Perry's. It was so great that it was nice enough outside to not have to wear jackets, but it did rain on them a bit. The end of Sara's tail was fluffy and white when she left and wet and gray when they got home. To end the day, we had some family visitors come over and we hung out for awhile. It was a fun day, but boy am I glad it's over!!

Sara the kitty.

Look at that lion roar!

Yummy.

Poor Sweet Boy

Before we left for Chicago, Aaron was looking not well. I took him to the doctor and it turned out he had a minor ear infection. The doc put him on some antibiotics because we were going out of town and so it wouldn't get worse while aunts and uncles were caring for him. When we got back, he still had his runny nose, but he seemed good enough. Then, on Saturday, he slept until 10 am and when he finally awoke, he had some hives. I took him to an instacare where they told me it looks like he's allergic to penicillin. Yep, allergic to penicillin! And his ear infections had gotten worse. They gave us an different kind of antibiotic and we were on our way. His hives really flared up on Sunday and Monday so I took him back to the doctor and got a prescription to really get rid of them. The poor guy had pink splotches all over his body--his legs, tummy, back, arm and face. Today he's looking a lot better. The funny thing is he hasn't seemed really fussy about it. I guess that's not a funny thing, it's a good thing.

And then, this morning, when I got him out of his crib, his pj legs were all wet. I couldn't understand how his diaper could have leaked so much that his little footsies were soaked. When I unzipped his jammies, I found his diaper rolled up in a ball, stuffed down one leg. And to top it all off, it was poopy. What a way to start the day!!

Our Super-Duper Fun-Filled Trip to CHICAGO!!!

I think my title says it all. No need to explain now. We went to Chicago. Had lots of fun. The end.

I guess there is a little more to it. So thanks to Than's work, he got to go to a conference in Chicago and spouses were invited too. We shipped the kids off with aunts and uncles, who we are indebted to greatly. I was scared silly to be so far away from our little guys, to not know that they were safe every second of the day. And to top it all off, Aaron got sick 2 days before we left and had an ear infection. But even with all that going on, we packed up and headed out.

Our first day we were pretty pooped from the flight and horrible drive from O'hare to our hotel. It took us over an hour to drive 20 miles. Yet, we still got dressed up all fancy and headed to the posh hotel restaurant for some yummy eats. The next day was filled with grown-up stuff that our kids would have hated. First, Than had some classes in the morning and we had some pizza for lunch. Then we went downtown and saw Wicked. It felt like we were the last people on earth to have seen it and even a couple of 8 year old girls sitting in front of us were raving about the show before it began. I thought it was amazing and I cried at the end. Than even enjoyed himself. After the show we drove around the city so Than could see where I lived when I was a little girl. (I was born in Chicago and lived there until I was 7). I lived about a mile away from Wrigley Field and Than loved seeing that famed field where the Cubs play.

Waiting for Wicked to begin.

The famous Wrigley sign.

When we got to my old street, there was no where to park. Except in a tiny spot right next to a fire hydrant that really wasn't big enough for our rental, so we were parked a little in the red. No big deal. We were going to just take a few pictures walk down the street a bit. As we were doing just that, we started to hear sirens and joked about them heading our way. Sure enough, we turn to see a big red firetruck with lights flashing turn onto my childhood street. Oh, we panicked and ran back to our car just as the firetruck stopped a few feet away. Turns out that there was a elderly care center right across the street and the firetruck was only there to accompany an ambulance. Than was so relieved because he had visions of Backdraft going through his head where the firemen have to bust through the car's windows to get to the hydrant. Hey, that movie was even set in Chicago.

Me in front of my old house.

After all that excitement we went out to dinner at Ditka's. That's the restaurant of Mike Ditka, former coach of the Chicago Bears who lead them to winning the Superbowl in 1985. The food was delish and it was cool seeing the old and new signed photos of athletes that decorated the walls.

The next day, after classes and all, we went to the Art Institute. I loved seeing all those famous paintings. We even stared at A Sunday on Le Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. Just like Cameron on Ferris Bueller's Day Off. That night we had reservations on a dinner cruise on the lake with some others of the conference-goers. It was a beautiful crisp and clear night. Our boat cruised back and forth on the lake and we got amazing views of the city at night.

American Gothic.

Us at the pier.

The city from the lake at night.

On our last day we got to hear Bob Costas speak to the convention crowd. He had some great stories. That day was very cold and rainy. Still, we braved the elements because we had a few things we had to do. The first one was to eat an authentic Chicago Dog. Second, we took an architectural tour on the river. And the last was to walk for hours downtown in the pouring rain to find presents to take home for our kids and for everyone who helped us out while we were gone. We got soaked to the bone. Even my underwear was wet. We sought refuge in an Indian restaurant, which was to me an appropriate way to end the trip--like paying respects to my dad while I was there.

I took this picture. Not half-bad if you ask me.

The Sears Tower.

When we got home everything was fine. Aaron took his first steps to me when he saw me. (But he hasn't done it again since). Andy totally cleaned our house. Our neighbors didn't steal our mail. It was great. It was so fun to do so many grown-up things. And it was wonderful to be back home and dry with our kids.

I Am...

This is a Tag from Amy. So here you go...

*I am....neglecting all the laundry I should be doing.
*I think....I am addicted to Dr. Pepper.
*I know....I am happy.
*I want....my sweet hubby to be sitting right next to me.
*I have....2 super sweet kids.
*I miss....going to school.
*I fear....losing someone I love.
*I feel....ready for my kids to go to bed.
*I hear....Kipper the Dog playing on the DVD player.
*I smell....nothing; my poor nose is all stuffed up.
*I crave....a yummy fruit salad with strawberries, grapes, and peaches.
*I cry....too much!! Especially when I get angry.
*I search...for matching socks in my drawer.
*I wonder....how my kids will turn out.
*I regret....not choosing a math based major in college.
*I wish....Than and I could go away for our anniversary.
*I love....the sound of a baby laughing--especially my baby Aaron.
*I care....about my family.
*I always....wear the same pair of earrings.
*I worry....about EVERYTHING.
*I am not....as outgoing as I want to be.
*I remember....when gas cost $1.00/gallon.
*I believe....in miracles.
*I sing...off key; I think I'm horrible.
*I don't always....act rationally.
*I argue....with my sister about politics.
*I write....the the notes and agenda for our RS presidency meeting.
*I lose....when I get angry and yell at Sara.
*I listen....to the radio in the car and my 4 year old knows the words to songs she shouldn't know.
*I don't understand...why people do such mean nasty things.
*I can usually be found....with my kids.
*I need....to have more patience.
*I forget....too much of the stuff I learned in school.
*I am happy....that Sara loves her brother and is so kind to him.

And now I tag no one!!

He's gone mental on account of the Skittles

Yes, I am addicted to changing my background. I admit it. I just can't stop. We'll see how long this one lasts.



Yesterday we went over to Grandma and Grandpa's to watch the BYU game. Which was awsome, by the way. So some people ate some Skittles and then left their half-eaten bags laying around. I'm not naming any names. And it's not really their fault that no one was watching my boy when he found one of these aforementioned bags. All of a sudden we realized that Aaron had a mouthful of something. As I approached him, I noticed an obsene amount of stickiness and discovered that he was covered in sugary-slobber. We took him to the closest bathroom and got him all cleaned up, but not before he flashed a big cheesy grin for the camera.

A few minutes later I put him back down on the floor to play around. He started crawling really fast to nowhere then changing direction on a dime. We were laughing so hard. The following video is evidence of Aaron's sugar high, and subsequent crash.

Good-Bye for 4 Months

Oh, my hubby. How I love you so much. I will miss you dearly as you are away from us for so long. I will welcome you back with open arms when you return in January. Good-Bye!!

College football season officially began on Saturday, thus changing our lives completely for the next 4 months. No, Than is not leaving us to travel the country with the BYU Football team. He will be at home, in body, but in mind and spirit he will be consumed with the ol' Cougars. The funny thing is that I don't mind. Too much. It's mushy, but I love him so much so if watching game after game after game makes him happy, I'm happy.

The home I grew up in was void of sports. I was the geeky girl in PE who was deathly afraid of the ball. And I still am. I wouldn't get near a volleyball game even to save my life. But I have a sweet, patient man who explains all the rules to me over and over again so now I know some stuff. I know what a safety is, and a quarterback sneak, and a blitz. I know the penalties for holding and pass interference. I know that BYU is ranked number 15 on the AP College Football Poll. So I actually enjoy sitting down and watching the game with him. One game, mind you, not 2 or 3 or more in a day. It's fun to me that he can come home and talk to me about some player or how excited he is for next Saturday and we actually have a conversation. I have even found myself listing to Sports Talk Radio in the car on occasion. Oh, what have I become?!!!

But then there is Fantasy Football . . . that's a different story.

A Big Day for 2 Kids

Today was Sara's first day back at preschool. Last year when she had her first day I felt like it was HUGE and that my little girl was getting so big. This year it just feels like another thing we do. Kind of weird. But I'm happy to get back to a routine and it's great for Sara to spend sometime out of the house and without me. She loved her teacher last year, so I hope she feels the same way about her new one.

I took the obligatory first day of school photos and this one was my favorite. She's at the stage where if the camera comes out she has to make some crazy (most often unflattering) face. When I snapped this one she was trying to look behind me as her neighbor-friend was talking to her.

check out her new 'do

And now for Aaron: He just turned 14 months old the other day, but he still seems like such a little baby to me. I think that he looks small for his age, even though he's sometimes bigger than other kids that are a few months older than him. He still has all that chubby babyness and that's probably because he's not walking. I used to be stressed that he seems to hit those baby "milestones" later than most kids, but now I take it in stride. Well, I think I take it in stride, but Than would probably disagree. Anyway, Aaron was born a whole month early, so he can take as long as he wants to turn into a toddler. And now back to today. This afternoon while Aaron was supposed to be napping I heard some super-happy noises coming from his room. When I opened the door I found that he had pulled himself up to standing for the first time. And he was so proud of himself. I had to run and get the camera and he immediately began screaming, but lucky for me, he didn't plop down and had a huge smile on his face when I returned. Man, I love that kid so much!

He just melts my heart.

Doughnuts and A Book

So most of you probably know what this is. I read the first 3 and thought they were alright--pretty fun to read, but I had serious problems with Bella. I wanted to read Breaking Dawn, and knew I'd buy it sometime this week.

On Saturday morning, Than got up with the kids (as usual) and let me sleep in for awhile. A little later he came in and told me he was going to take the kids to the store and get some doughnuts for breakfast and for me to sleep more. After what seemed like hours, they returned and found me still in bed. Sara hopped in and yelled, "Suprise!!!!" And then she handed me the book. Turns out that was Than's whole plan--to get out early and buy me the book. What a sweetheart!

I'm 100 pages in and so far, so good.

What's goin' on?

Really, not so much. Or so it seems. This summer is passing in a flash. I feel so busy, but I don't know what I've been doing. And every moment that I get to myself, I just want to lay on the couch, watch TV and eat bon-bons.

I get on the computer almost every day, but I never post anything because I'm too lazy to download my pictures from my camera. But not today. . .



The last 2 weeks Sara's been taking swimming lessons over at the AF pool. Day #1 was great. She did everything her teacher asked and was so happy and excited to be in the water.

Day #2--Still great, although her teacher asked her to put her head under water and she wasn't too keen on that.

Day #3--Wouldn't get in the water. I had to threaten that we wouldn't go swimming for the rest of the summer if she didn't get in the pool. And then, after she was in the water, she refused flat out, with tears, to to anything that involved getting her face wet.

Day #4--Yikes!!! I had bought her some gum before we went to the pool as a little bribe, because I knew I was in for a hard time with her on this day. So she was all excited to get a piece of cotton candy bubble gum if she had no crying, got in the water, and did everything her teacher asked. No biggie, right? We went over the requirements several times and she was willing to do it all. Until we got right next to the pool and it was time for her to hop in. Oh, the tears, and the screams, and the horribleness of my sweet child! I was upset, no, UPSET!! I told her if she didn't get in the water, we would leave. I asked if she wanted to get in. She shook her head no, so we headed out. Me, pushing an angry Aaron in his stroller, and her chasing behind, screaming as loud as she could. We finally got to the parking lot and I asked her again about getting in the water. She said, "I want to learn how to swim!!" Then we walked all the way back through the rec center, through the ladies locker room and up to the side of the pool, and again the tears and the screams. I was done. I marched us out of there as fast as I could. I felt like every mom (and dad) who was in the place was staring at me. When we got back to the car, I had some very angry words and I was not at all sympathetic to her plight. Oh yeah, when she asked what I was going to do with the gum, I took it out of my bag and gave it to some other kids. I was determined that we would NOT be coming back and trying again.

Thanks to my wise sister, I calmed down a bit and decided to try back the next day. Than, Sara, and I even practiced bobbing our heads under the water in our hot tub that night. I had to get more treats for bribes, but days 5 through 8 of swimming lessons went so much better. On day #5 there were still a few tears at the beginning, but by the end of the class, she was beaming.

Today was the last day, day #8, and as she skipped to the pool she said, "I am so excited!!" She still doesn't want to bob her head under the water, but she did everything else that her teacher wanted. I am so happy that it's all over for this summer.

Today, as I think about the whole ordeal, I realize that I was all wrong. I should have been understanding of her fear and used less angry words and more sympathy. At the end, she learned how to face her fear, but it was also a learning experience for me. This parenting stuff is hard work. I think I've got such a sweet little girl, but we have these days where we fight like two 4-year-olds. But I can say the bad days are really few and far between. I'm glad that each day is a new opportunity for us to make some good memories.

On Top Of The Frosting

This little girl here loves to sing and make up songs. Some of her favorites are entitled "We Can Nevens on Cop of the Heavens" and "You Just Don't Know It." Usually these songs have lyrics and a tune of their own, but sometimes she just changes the words to some old stand-by's. Maybe she gets this because we used to do the same thing with a little song called "Scripture Power," that we switched to "Diaper Changes." You know, "Diaper changes keep us safe from poo . . ."

So, tonight, when Than put Sara to bed, she made up this diddy and sang it to him (to the tune of "On Top of Old Smokey"):

On top of the frosting
all covered in oreos
I lost my poor yo-yo
that looked like an oreo.

It rolled like a bouncy-ball
and into my pet
and then it went outside
and I started to sweat.

Mom Tag--by Sara

Sara was tagged by her friend Hannah about her mom. I wanted to put a picture with this, but blogger's being lame, so here we go!

1.What is something mom always says to you? Yes and no.

2.What makes mom happy? Hugging her.

3.What makes mom sad? When daddy talks to her.

4.How does mom make you laugh? Saying funny stuff to me.

5.What was mom like as a child? A little gardener helper.

6.How old is mom? Thirty-one.

7.How tall is mom? As tall as a mom.

8.What is moms favorite thing to do? Go out with her sister.

9.What does mom do when you're not around? Sometimes go to a movie, sometimes go to a fancy dinner.

10.If mom becomes famous, what will it be for? She'd be on a show.

11. What is mom really good at? Scrapbooking

12.What is mom not very good at? I don't know.

13.What is mom's job? Taking care of me, Aaron, and the house.

14.What is mom's favorite food?A hot dog with ketchup and mustard and green stuff on it.

15.What makes you proud of mom? How she takes care of Aaron.

16.If mom were a cartoon character who would she be? Cinderella.

17.What do you and mom do together? Work in the garden and play together and watch movies.

For the record, about #3, I get sad sometimes and talk about it with my hubby, but she always thinks that he's the one that made me sad. So don't go thinkin' I'm all sad all the time when Than talks to me.

So Sara is just going to tag Addi about this one, but anyone else who wants an eye-opening look at what your kid really thinks about you--GO FOR IT!

Tagged--Four Things

Four random things I like about my husband:
1. He's big, tough, and strong
2. He loves our kids with all his heart and is so much more patient with them than I could ever be
3. He makes us yummy breakfast on the weekends
4. He laughs at my jokes

Four jobs I have had:
1. Sprinkler Repair Person
2. Hostess/Waitress
3. Scrapbook Company Sales Consulant
4. Mommy

Four movies I have watched more than once:
1. Grease
2. When Harry Met Sally
3. The Matrix
4. Mary Poppins

Four places I have lived:
1. Chicago, IL
2. Lancaster, PA
3. Ft. Wayne, IN
4. Long Beach, CA

Four TV shows I watch:
1. The Office
2. Lost
3. Scrubs
4. America's Best DAnce Crew

Four places I have been:
1. India
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Mexico
4. Disney World


Four people who e-mail me regularly:
1. Mom
2. Diahan
3. I guess I really only have 2 that are "regulars"
4. But if you want to count junk mail . . .

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Homemade strawberry milkshakes
2. Chicken Tikka Masala from the Bombay House
3. Mexican food
4. Emily's oreo cookie treats--a brand new favorite!

Four places I would like to visit:
1. Hawaii
2. Greece
3. Seattle
4. India (again)

Four things I am looking forward to in the coming year:
1. Going to Chicago
2. Losing the last of the baby weight that just keeps hangin' on
3. Seeing Aaron learn to walk and talk
4. Getting a fence for our backyard

Four People I tag:
1. Allison
2. Andrea
3. Cheri
4. Anyone else who wants

A Party For Aaron

Yesterday was Aaron's birthday party. We spent the day getting the house cleaned up, working in the yard, making cake, and running errands so we could be ready when all of our guests would arrive. Around 4:00 Than and Sara left to go buy a present for Joe (his b-day is the same as Aaron's),
get some drinks, and the pizza. I was home with Aaron when the power went out at about 4:30. I didn't really think much of it and hoped that it would come back on soon. Aaron was sleepy so I put him in bed and decided to frost the cake. I put the cake on the counter and looked out our kitchen window onto the field behind out house. Now, behind our backyard, our closest neighbor is Camp Williams which is about a mile away, so mostly we have sagebrush and wildflowers and weeds behind us. So when I looked out the window I saw that there was a little fire on the Camp Williams property. I called Than to tell him that there was a fire pretty close to our house and by the time he got home 10 minutes later it had quadrupled in size. That's when I started getting pretty worried. Soon firetrucks arrived on the scene and the fire was all contained when our party ended. But it sure made Aaron's party exciting.

We invited Aaron's grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins to the party. Earlier in the month when Sara asked who was invited to the party I told her that people that love Aaron would be coming. So she went around asking people if they love Aaron and then telling them they were invited to his party. Luckily she only did this with a couple of her aunts. When our guest arrived Aaron woke up and we ate the pizza. After that, Sara helped Aaron open up his presents. He got lots of cute clothes, some books, and plenty of toys. He really loved this green ball that he got in particular. After presents it was time for cake. I made Aaron his own little cake and then a big cake for all us other people. He sure did love his cake. He "ate" almost half of it. Well, only half of the cake was left when he was done with it--lots went into his tummy, but there was a lot on his lap and on the floor too. After a good cleaning he went into his pajamas, the party ended and he went to bed. I think he had a great time at his first party.

Happy Birthday Baby!!!

Today is Aaron's 1st birthday. I really can't believe that he is one year old. These past 12 months have flown by like no other year of my life. Back when Sara was a baby, the time went slowly. Or at least it went by like most other years. But I seem to have completely lost the last year. I simply don't know where it went.

Today Aaron woke me up at 2:30 in the morning. This was strange because he hasn't woken up in the middle of the night since he was 7 months old. I held him and cuddled with him for awhile and then put him back to bed. He fell back asleep and woke up again at 7. When I went to go get him I saw that his face was all covered in yucky gunk. You know that goo that comes out of a baby's nose and then looks like dried glue when it gets rubbed onto cheeks and eyebrows? So he's been a little sicky all day. Sara has been saying, "Poor Aaron, sick on his 1st birthday!!" We have been kickin it at home for most of the day and then this afternoon I had to help my sister by taking her to pick up her car from the dealer (it was getting preventative maintenance). He was pretty good for all of that and when we got home he took a nice, long nap. I made some Indian food for dinner--every baby's favorite, I know :) Aaron loved the food, but Sara thought it was grody. Then we had ice cream cones on the back patio. It was a nice end to the day. Now he's back to bed, and we (luckily) go to the doctor tomorrow for his 1-year check up. And on Saturday we're going to have a little shin-dig for family to celebrate his birthday. So I'll put up some more pictures then.

I just love this boy so much. I think he is the sweetest, happiest baby. He has the best laugh, too. Oh, I almost forgot--Aaron crawled across the living room today without flopping down on his tummy!!


Don't you think he's the cutest baby boy ever? Well, I do!

Vacation!!!

So here we are on vacation!! We've gone with Grandma & Grampa, Joe & Kariann, Emily, and Andy up to Wolf Creek in Ogden Canyon. It's been such a nice, relaxing vacation. Since we've had the kids, vacations have seemed like so much WORK. We've gone to San Diego, Disney World, Yellowstone and none of it was really relaxing. But this vacation is so different. We've been swimming in the pool, watching movies, playing lots of Rockband, riding bikes, and yesterday we went to the Childrens Museum in Ogden. Sara has been loving playing with her Grandma (who she affectionately started calling Grams) and Emily. In fact, Sara and Em are off making cupcakes right now. Yummy!!

We are staying in a townhouse in an area called Moose Hollow. This place is awesome. It's all fancy--it almost looks like a model home, but it still feels like someone lives here. There are 3 floors with plenty of rooms for everyone, a big TV room, and another game room with air hockey and a pool table. Sara has been sleeping on an air mattress in our room, and Aaron is in a port-a-crib in our huge walk-in closet. We joke he is sleeping in a cave, but he loves it. He has slept so much on this trip. He's been eating, sleeping, and working on learning to crawl. He's got the backwards crawl down now. He's even crawled forward for 3 or 4 "steps" and then flopped down on his belly. Maybe by the end of this trip he'll be able to go wherever he wants. Wait, is that a good thing or a bad thing?

at the swimming pool
sara riding her bike
happy aaron
the fam at the museum

Last Day of School

Today was Sara's last day of her first year of Preschool. I really can't believe how fast the past 9 months have flown by. On Wednesday she came home with some papers from throughout the year. There was one with how she tried to write her name the first week of school and how she can write it now. She went from scribbles to writing her name with all the letters in the right direction. They also sent a picture that they took on the first day of school. She looked so baby-ish at the beginning of the year and now she looks all girl. There's no baby left in her.

I am constantly amazed by Sara. She is such a big help to me and loves to entertain her brother. She is so thoughtful and caring. Sure, she has her cranky bratty moments, but as a general rule, she's a great kid. She makes me laugh all the time, whether it's when she sings along to "Big Girls Don't Cry" on the radio, or when she says things like, "I wonder if it is toe jam day. It IS!!!!! I like to get my toe jam." I feel so blessed to be her mom and share these days with her.

....I say....

This morning I was feeding Aaron when Sara decided she was starving for breakfast. I told her she would have to wait and her reply was: "I'm HUNGRY!!! I'm hungry, I say, I'm hungry." Later she was invited to play with a friend, but she didn't want to. She told me, "I want to play with you mom, I say, with you." Where does she get this stuff?

Midnight Musings

Right now it is late at night--minutes until midnight. This is so rare for me. I have never been a night person or a morning person because I love sleep so much. But tonight I was working on a project while Than was watching the Jazz game and before I knew it, it was 11:30 and we were just going to bed. I laid there tossing and turning with my mind racing and so here I am.

I was looking through pictures on my computer and came across some of itty-bitty Aaron. I could look at those pictures for hours. It is hard to believe that he used to be so small. And now, all of a sudden he's huge. Ten months old, full of grins and giggles. He doesn't even look like the same baby to me. Today, for the first time he got up on his hands and knees and, for a second, it looked like he was going to do something. Then he plopped back down on the ground, but I think he might be on his way to crawling soon. Now, that I've put it down in words, crawling probably won't happen for a few more months. He's doing really good at holding himself up with his hands while he lays on his tummy. He scoots backwards a lot and can maneuver himself around in a complete circle, so he just needs to get the forwards thing down. He's so different than Sara was as a baby. Once she could roll over both ways she would roll herself anywhere she wanted. One time she followed my down the hall, rolling the whole way. Not Aaron. He can roll anyway he wants to, but he doesn't use it for getting places. Rolling is more like just a fun thing to do while he's on the floor. He's so laid back--I love it. Look at those chubby cheeks--I can't get enough of them. I'm always kissing and squeezing them. I want him to stay so squishable, but I know if he does I'd be squeezing his cheeks his whole life and he wouldn't like that.

By the way, he's eating a strawberry in that contraption and loving it. Then again, this kid hasn't yet met a food he didn't like.