The Bean Family

stitches for Daniel

2012-01-20T17:47:00.000-06:00

10 years and 4 kids and not one broken bone or stitch until ms Daisy. She is such a puppy...hyper, crazy, always wants to play, she sees the kids run and wants to play too, you make high pitched noises at her and she comes running and tries to either lick you or bite you, depending on her mood.

So it was a lovely Tuesday morning, I was just finishing up my make-up with a towel on my head, the kids were all in my room, they had all dressed (except Daniel who was next) and were talking/playing while I finished. Daisy was on my bed.

Daniel had a ball and started running out the door and Daisy decided it would be fun to go after him so she leaped off the bed landing on Daniels back thus shoving him into the corner of the bedroom door. That is when the chaos started.... Daniel turned around crying holding his head with blood running out beneath his fingers. I quickly laid him down on the floor and told Joseph to grab me the tissues from the bathroom since he was standing closest to the door. He made it half way there, turned around and started trying to tell me that he saw what happened and wanted to tell me. I think I snapped at him to get me the tissues first.

Megan kept asking me what happened

and Sarah was running back and forth between my room and hers screaming "BLOOD, BLOOD!!!" :) (she doesn't do to well with blood)

Once I had the tissues I held a wad of them on Daniels forehead, while he is still crying. I told the kids to all just stop and settle down, then I told Daniel to take some deep breaths (this is something I taught Sarah and Daniel from a young age, when they get hurt I quickly tell them to take deep breaths and this gets their mind off of what happened, gets them breathing and most of the time to stop crying, they can then listen to me try to comfort them.) So as he took deep breaths, Joseph got me the phone and called a neighbor to come pick them up and take them to school and she offered to take Sarah since she didn't have to work and since Sarah is no good with blood, that was Great not to have to take her!

I then called another friend who sent out an announcement canceling cooking club/playgroup which was to be held at my home at 9:30am that morning. (thanks heavens for that being scheduled because it meant that I was showered and dressed and not all stinky from my morning workout, and all the kids' backpacks and lunches and everything they needed for school got done early that morning) Then I tried calling Brent to let him know what was going on, but had to leave a message. (THANKS SUSAN and ANGIE!!:)

Daisy walked around wondering what all the commotion was about.

The kids quickly got shoes and coats on and were ready to go out the door when Susan came to get them. Joseph had put Daisy in her kennel, by this time Daniel's forehead had mostly stopped bleeding and I left him laying on the couch while I got shoes and a coat on myself. (I had had Megan hold the tissues on his forehead while I took my hair out of the towel and put it up in my normal ponytail)

I wished I would have reassured Megan, Sarah and Joseph that he would be okay and that he would just have to get stitches, they were pretty worried when they left. I left Daniel in his pajamas, put his coat on and made my way to our walk-in clinic. All the way there he had a huge frown on his face and kept saying "Daisy a bad dog" We waited for about 20 minutes in the waiting room, then we followed the nurse back to the waiting room. She cleaned it off a little and I held a gauze with numbing stuff on it for about 5 minutes, the doctor then came in, looked at it, gave him a few shots, which he cried through, and then started stitching his head. Once his head was numb and the stitching started Daniel quickly quieted down and me and the nurse didn't even have to hold him down, he just laid there and let the doctor put 6 stitches in his forehead and fix his owie :) SO BRAVE! after all that he was still a little sad but by the time we picked up Sarah and got home he was his happy self.

After we got home I kept thinking of how Megan and Joseph looked when they left and how they didn't even say bye to Daniel or me, because they were so upset and that they probably would be having a hard time concentrating at school if they were worried about him. So I sent an email to both of their teachers telling them what happened and to please let them know he got 6 stitches and he was happy and calling me names (when he calls you names you know he is doing good) Their teachers passed on the message and when they got home that day they both were so glad that I did. Joseph said he kept thinking about Daniel until then and Megan said her stomach hurt up until her teacher told her he was just fine. How adorable and loving are they?!

So all is fine now, his stitches are out, which he was a brave boy again, didn't even cry, just laid there on the table concentrating on feeling the tug of the stitches as they came out.

Daisy has been forgiven...

and Daniel wins the award for first emergency visit for our kids :)

Nerds, 5year olds, and Christmas trees

2011-12-08T13:15:00.001-06:00

Megan and Joseph thought it would be funny to try and be nerds...what do you think,

do they make good nerds??

This girl''s hair is out of control, she is growing out her bangs and her hair is past the middle of her back.

Ready....SET....

JUMP!

Christmas tree all up and decorated. Kids did a great job. Now if only the puppy and the cats would leave it alone. I put branches back on it and lights back up every day!

Tree with the Tree pose.

Up close.

Can't believe my baby girl is 5! She is adorable and we LOVE her tons!

These two are good little buddies :)

Sad little pup with a muzzle on. Someday Daisy, someday (when you stop trying to bite my hand off when I try to pet you) You will not have to wear that stinky thing.

Anyone have a shock collar they would like to let us buy or borrow????

Parent/Teacher Conferences

2011-11-17T16:46:00.001-06:00

We recently had Parent/Teacher Conferences with the kids' teachers.
Megan is right on track or above. She gave herself a self assessment and she said she was "shy, quiet, smart, and funny, her favorite subject was spelling and reading, and least favorite was math" which is exactly what her teacher had to say.
Joseph was able to show us around his classroom and show us his school work. He is reading at a high level, right on track with math and a good cooperative student.
Sarah is her fun little self, has lots of comments and one smart little girl. Knows her letters, upper and lower case and even most of the sounds of them and can identify numbers 1-100.
None of these conferences surprised us..... we know we have smart kids ;) They all seem to have a natural sense for learning and like "they" say, "kids are like sponges and just absorb what they learn"
Don't want to leave out Daniel, so I will give you an update on him, he is climbing on everything he can. Found him on the counter, ready to climb onto the microwave, this morning. He likes for us to "watch me" constantly in everything he does. "mom, MOM, watch ME!" He is really starting to talk a lot and we can actually understand him. He LOVES to play with his siblings and adores them. He has also come to know when he gets in trouble and will hang his head down and say "you mad at me" with a big frown. It is pretty funny and hard to be upset with him after he acts like that.
We are so proud of all of them and all they have learned and done this school year, and I feel so blessed to be able to see them learn and grow and be their mother.

My Beautiful Family

2011-11-10T20:58:00.002-06:00

A wonderful friend took our family photos recently. She did a great job. We have had pictures taken of all 4 kids before, but never a more professional picture of the 4 kids + Brent and I. I can't wait to replace the outdated pictures above our fireplace with some of these. Although doing that just reminds me and shows me how quickly my kids are growing up.

I LOVE this picture of the 4 of them. My pride and JOYS!!

I think this is my favorite family one.

This is just a random picture I took the other day when they were all on the counter, trying to get away from the puppy. They were all so happy and having fun together. I hope these are the times they remember :)

Halloween costumes

2011-10-29T21:21:00.002-05:00

"Don't let her cuteness fool you." Tonight she has been a nightmare...especially after kids don't now how to keep Halloween candy up off the floor...

She has learned how to shake though (then she will bite you)

Joseph dropped his pumpkin and it split in half, so after the tears had dried, we duct taped it together to make it a mummy jack-o-lantern.

Our Ward Halloween Chili Cook-off and Trunk or Treat was last night, here the kids are all ready in their costumes. It was a fun night.

This one was from Meg and Joseph's school Halloween parties

Brent dressed up for Halloween this year too :) (not so sure the Stake Pres. should see these pictures ;)

Hello Pumpkin

2011-10-25T21:39:00.002-05:00

We took the kids for FHE to pick out their pumpkins, here is what they picked out:

They were excited. I, for one, have a lot of carving to do before Halloween. The kids, in the past, think it is eewww to pull the guts out of them, so we will see who will help me this year.

I hope you like pictures :)

2011-10-24T12:57:00.017-05:00

I don't think I will ever take a month off again.....

So here we go, catch up time.....

I started with around June and they go till the present.....

Daniel doesn't look so excited but he enjoyed the parade for the 4th of July

This past summer we had many fashion shows at our house, here is Sarah modeling some

If you didn't know, you know now...Brent was called as Bishop of our ward the last week in June, here he is in all his handsomeness for the very first full Sunday as Bishop Bean :)

In 1 1/2years we had 3 cats pass away, so what do you do when you have an animal die...??? get a new one...here is Mischief, our kitten, he liked to sleep in the pantry on all our empty grocery bags. (we do miss our other cats though who aren't with us now, they were great cats)

Our other kitten, Tigger, sleeping with the new kitty

Megan and Tigger are great buddies :)

The kids also had fun this summer running in the sprinklers a few times.

The kittens..not so much :) hahaha

Megan's first day of 4th grade

Joseph's first day of 2nd grade

They look more excited in this picture than they were to go to school again after summer break.

He really was this happy to be home though after school

And Daniel was sooooo excited to see his big sis!

Then, as if 4 kids and 3 cats weren't enough, we got a puppy!!

Daisy's first day home. She is adorable, which is a good thing because at 13 weeks old now, she isn't so fun...

The kids could actually pet her when she was this little, but now they only pet her if they want to get bit.

Isn't she adorable!!!

We set up our tent in the back yard, I am afraid this is as close to camping as we get.

Oh, and did I mention Joseph got glasses?! Isn't he handsome?!

And Sarah is a beauty!

Brent holding the pup.

Sarah's first day of preschool! I love her attitude :)

Brent singing Karaoke at a ward party...that was fun!

striking a pose, watch out for him!

She's so sweet

Can we say loonngg bangs...growing them out, she is..

Grapes are yummy!

I love this picture

Daisy's halloween costume

Megan turned 10!!! (How did I get old enough to have a 10 year old??!?)

Megan's bff's minus one who left early

I laugh every time I see this photo

Our sweet, adorable, beautiful, funny, smart, caring Megan :) love her!

Pumpkin patch time!

Chillin' on the bench

Hayride

Super Slide

Jumpin' in to the corn pool! These are my fave

LOVE this one

"I'm 10!"

Ready...set...JUMP

Buried in corn

The End for now, up next ...you'll have to come back to find out :) hehehe (so will I!)

a month off????

2011-01-17T11:13:00.001-06:00

since I blogged for almost a month I decided to take a month off.....No, not really, but life is buy right now. I will blog soon!

13 years ago.....

2011-01-01T10:58:00.002-06:00

Wow! does time ever fly by!!! I look at where our lives are and the things we have accomplished and the children we have and feel grateful and happy.
The sound of Daniel running around the house, Joseph playing the wii with Sarah watching and dancing and Megan talking to Brent about ideas in her head. What would be better???!!!
I can't go thoughout my day without thinking about
13 years ago on Jan. 1st my life changed forever and many days after that have been life changing also (like the birth of all my beautiful babies), but 13 years ago it all started. Click here to learn more about that life changing day.

Life does go quickly but ours has been a good life and the days we spend together are wonderful.
Happy New Year!!!

Dad's turn

2010-12-30T08:39:00.001-06:00

I built a fort the other day with the kids, now it was dad's turn to make a snowman with the kids. Joseph made a snowball all by himself.

Daniel was pretty happy to pose by the snowman

All of them by the snowman, Rocky is what the named him.

Unfortunately, after all of our hard work, the snow fort is just about gone and the snowman is almost headless. It was great time spent with them though and we all had lots of fun.

(sorry for the horrible pictures...I think a new camera will have to be bought in the new year)

What do you do...

2010-12-29T09:47:00.003-06:00

on a Perfectly great Christmas break, sunny, warm, with lots of snow on the ground kind of day?????

Build a Snow Fort!!!!

The kids and I spent a couple hours outside yesterday sledding a little (we all got a bit tired of climbing back up the big hill in the back) and we built this snow fort in the front yard. It was lots of fun and the kids kept talking about how awesome it was and how they never thought that they would ever be able to build anything like this. It was some precious time spent with them.
Joseph looks like he isn't in this first picture but he is actually looking out the little window.

These next pictures are from Christmas. We were at Brent's parents.

The kids are ready to go to church.

Daniel Loved laying on this wonderful dog, Caden.

Sarah with her new vanity on Christmas morning. We put this in her room and I was walking downstairs one morning and thought she was asleep, but then heard this going off (it plays a litle song) and found her in there "putting on her make-up".

Megan and cousin Bailee, hanging out Christmas morning

Decorating sugar cookies on Christmas Eve, they were sooo yummy!

If you can't tell, Daniel was in Heaven doing this!

Another little fun thing the kids did, made a T land out of blocks. They thought this was pretty cool.

And last, Daniel caught reading by the stairs.

Early Christmas..

2010-12-23T19:58:00.002-06:00

At least on my side of the fam.
We usually open our Christmas presents from my side of the family the night before we go down to Brent's parents so tonight was the night.

The kids enjoyed getting presents early. Some of them included, an outfit for each of them from me and Brent (the less we have to take the better!), a big transformer for Joseph, a Zoobles set for Megan, another Princess doll for Sarah (she literaly SCREAMED at the top of her lungs when she opened this and was jumping up and down, I should have video taped it, it was sooo funny!), Daniel has a fun new "ball", a boat with blocks, and they all got pajamas.

For Brent he received a shirt, snow pants, and a book on prayer he has been wanting for months and me...I think I scored the best, I received a sweatshirt, a new set of pots and pans (this was actually to Brent and I, but since I am the one who does 99% of the cooking, more for me), a set of sea salts and lotion for feet, and a....KINDLE! Brent won this at work, I am sooooo excited. If you know me well, you know I have a LARGE library of books and really enjoy reading.

Pretty fun stuff!
If I was on top of it I would have video taped the kids and taken pictures to post, but I have been going all day and I am getting a nice migraine, and I still have to make some more fudge and give all the kdis a bath/shower. Then I get to get all the presents ready to transport down to Brent's parents after everyone goes to bed. (Santa has to hide things well to escape notice of the kids' eyes)

I think I will have to treat myself to getting a book for my Kindle when we come back..!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Out the window....

2010-12-22T09:40:00.002-06:00

with the blogging everyday goal...
Maybe I should have tried this on a month where there isn't a major holiday. I have done most of the month but this week is sooo busy, I have hardly had a chance to get on the computer or take a nap. A nap is a much needed necessity for me when I get up at 4:30am.

Yesterday, was a busy day. Between kids' last day of school before winter break and their winter parties in the afternoon, running errands, cleaning house, and the kids' friends over last night from about 6-9:30. I felt like I was going, going, and when bedtime came, I was gone...except for that sore throat and headache coming on. Then Sarah woke me at 3:00am having a hard time sleeping, so I took her to her bed and fell asleep with her on her bed until around 8:00 this morning, which means I missed working out :( I am hoping the little sore throat and headache are just from exhaustion and not the onset of a cold or sickness....(crossing fingers and praying )

Today, we are going to go buy a present for my father-in-law and something for Brent. That includes going to costco and the mall and most likely we won't get out of the mall without having to go to the play area. The kids will Love that!!

Other activities while they are out of school are: going to Pump It Up, playing the wii, having friends over, Christmas of course, hopefully they will get in some reading (I told the if they read a book during Christmas break, I would bring them lunch at school, but it was up to them to do this, I am not going to remind them everyday), sledding, dentist appts., and lots and lots of playing!!

On another note about my previous post on sharing time, someone was mentioning to me how much they liked the sharing time I did and reminded me that last year I did something similiar. Last year, I dressed up as Mary and came and told the children about the birth of Jesus. That was a really fun one too. I just love teaching!!

Sorry this post was a little all over the place, that seems to be where my mind is right now....

Sharing Time

2010-12-20T06:37:00.002-06:00

I am lucky enough to be the Primary President in our ward right now and along with this calling I get to teach all the kids from age 3-11 at least once a month, called Sharing time. We have 2 groups of kids, one Junior, one Senior.

Yesterday I taught a Christmas lesson. I hung a strand of lights off the chalk board, turned off the light, had the Junior kids sit on the floor, with me on a chair and I told the Christmas story from the scriptures found in Luke. I pulled out props to have some visual aids for the kids.
I have some adorable felt hand puppets of Mary, Joseph, wise men, a sheep, and a shephard, then I used some of my kids' toys and a church picture book to show the kids more realistic photos. I loved seeing the look on their faces and to see how much these little kids already know about the Birth of our Savior.

With the older kids, some sat on the floor, some were on chairs and I used a little porcelain nativity set we have. With the older kids I actually pulled out the scriptures and read from them. They had some pretty deep, good questions....smart kids!

With both of these groups I also talked about how Christ grew up and taught us how we should live our lives, then how he died for us and was resurrected and Atoned for us.

My wonderful counselors and I then gave them a Christmas present. It was an ornament, clear, in the shape of a heart, with a little glitter inside with a picture of Jesus and then on the outside was written CTR. Which stands for Choose the Right or Christ the Redeemer.

I always love to teach the kids in our ward such basic gospel truths. I feel blessed that my Heavenly Father trusts me enough to lead, teach, and guide these young ones, along with my own 4 wonderful children.

This time of year can be hectic and crazy, but teaching these kids yesterday and hearing a wonderful talk by a great friend in church, puts the Christmas season more into perspective.
May you all have the Christmas spirit with you and remember the Birth, life and Resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ!!!

Last Saturday before....

2010-12-18T21:08:00.003-06:00

Christmas of 2010.

Make 3 batches of peanut butter fudge....check (YUMMY)

Make about 300 chocolate covered pretzels....check

Assemble plates/goodie bags with fudge and pretzels....check

Deliver 18 holiday treats to friends around us....check

Do a little christmas shopping....check (at least Brent and his mom did)

Watch more christmas shows will I make all the goodies....check

Kids go sledding down the hill in the backyard....check (at least Meg and Joseph)

Give all 4 kids showers/baths before church tomorrow morning....check

Make sure my lesson for sunday primary is all set and ready....check

Go to bed in a good mood and with a little Christmas spirit.....almost check

todayesterday

2010-12-17T19:34:00.002-06:00

CHEESE!!!

Sarah had her preschool program and we are happy to announce that she is our first child to actually do the actions and sing in a preschool program!!! She was sooo cute.
Right before they started and when the kids were going up there, Daniel got off a chair, ran into a stroller in the isle, and fall flat on his back and head. OUch! He cried and cried and made quite a scene. Luckily he was fine and calmed down just before they started singing.

Megan had Grandparents day at school today and Brent's mom came up for it. They had wonderful time and we were all happy to have her come.

That was our happenings from today and yesterday!!

A Look back in time.....

2010-12-16T06:32:00.004-06:00

This is a look back in time with pictures, starting with 2010

First day of school, Joseph 1st grade, Megan 3rd grade and Sarah pre-school(she isn't dressed yet)

2009

First day of school, Joseph kindregarten, Megan second grade

Daniel, 1 month old

Christmas 2008

summer time 2007

2006
Sarah, around 3 month old

Joseph 2 1/2

Megan, 5 with Trevor my brother

!Warning! Boring!

2010-12-14T12:29:00.004-06:00

Can't think of a whole lot to blog about today, so this is just a mix & match of the things on my mind today.

Slept in today and didn't go workout. I really enjoy working out in the mornings but getting up at 4:30am is a little difficult everyday. When I do force myself to get up, changed, go out in the freezing cold now and excercise I always feel really great.

For those who don't know, I am doing a program called Kosama. It starts out with a 10-week program and then you can sign up for their Alumni and do it for how long you want. I signed up for a year so far. We do a combination of everything, yoga, plyometrics (tough! moving for 50 minutes straight!), kettlebells - some days upper body, some days lower body and some days whole body, kickboxing, and circuit - a mix of everything all in 1 workout. (I am telling you, this would make a MInt in SLC if someone would open one there!)
I do this 6 days a week for an hour. I have lost close to 20lbs and a whole bunch of inches, especially in my legs and arms, now if my waist would just get the clue.....
with 4 kids and a busy schedule getting up early is the sacrifice I have to make to get where I want.
Anyway, it is fun and I will keep forcing myself to get up that early until I reach my goal.

Mailed our christmas cards today, hopefully everyone will get them soon. Still have some christmas shopping to do. Need to pick up the house today and go through the kids close. In the process of cleaning out old clothes that don't fit and putting new ones in the dressers that do fit. The haul all the old clothes to the basement. (I dread this every summer and winter!)

I was thinking today that I probably won't be able to blog over christmas eve, christmas day, and the following day, until we get back from Brent's parents, the internet there is just about non-existant. So this little "blog everyday" that I started will go up to the 23rd and then I will update again when I get back.

Sorry if you made it through this boring post.
What is on your mind today????

tips for winter driving

2010-12-13T15:15:00.002-06:00

*First, if it is icy, take it sloooooooowwwww, black ice can be your enemy and really is hard to see.
*second, don't be afraid to put the car in lower gears to slow down, this helps tremendously, especially coming up to a stop
*third, try not to panic if you start sliding
*fourth, keep an emergency kit in your car and extra blanket
*fifth, if you get stuck in a couple feet of snow, rock the car back and forth between reverse and drive or have someone try to help push it out.
*Last tip, Never go out if you don't have to :)

I have had to keep all these things in mind lately now that we have gotten hit with our first ice/snow storm recently. Hope some of these tips help, drive safe!!!

Childhood memories....

2010-12-12T14:04:00.004-06:00

My kids make childhood memories everyday. I believe they are having a happy fun childhood and will look back on these days with lots of great memories.

Things like, ball chase with dad - kids at the top of the stairs, dad at the bottom, dad and kids throwing balls at each other to try and hit each other.

Or made-up bedtime stories, mostly told by dad. Who usually tells pretty funny stories and gets them more riled up than sleepy.

Mom being there to drive them to school, pack their lunches and help with homework. Or nag about doing their homework.

Playing with each other, webkinz, squinkies, zoobles, legos, and hi (a made up game by Megan when she was little, or most commonly called "house" by other kids) playing ball in the backyard, Daniel throwing balls to us ALL the time, sledding in the yard, having hot chocolate on cold mornings, walking to the park in the evenings

Spending hours at the kitchen table making crafts, coloring and eating dinners together every night.

Sharing bedrooms and having sleepovers with everyone on the bunkbeds.

Teaching each other how to write letters, play a song on the piano or how to read.

Giving each other hugs and saying prayers together every night.

These are just some of the fun memories the kids have made together already and here's to MANY, MANY, MORE wonderful Memories!

Duties of the Basic Housewife...

2010-12-11T13:30:00.003-06:00

this is my version of my duties as a wife and mother:

keep a clean house (not tidy, just clean, there is a difference) and clean for the most part, this includes, clean dishes, bathrooms, floors vacuumed and mopped (at least once a week), dusting (at least once a month)
basic upkeep of washing laundry and folding clothes (or clothes that are clean that sit in a laundry basket for days)
making sure kids are fed (I didn't include hubby because he is capable of making his own meals, but I love him enough to make him dinner every night ;)(I really do love him lots!)
keeping kids well dressed (this doesn't mean they always have to match)
keeping the family on a schedule, ie. waking up, bathed, getting to school, homework, teeth brushing, bed on time, etc, etc.
helping with a routine of spiritual needs, reading scriptures, prayers, being active in church activities and attending church
doing most of the shopping (ugghhh)
loving, nurturing, listening, caring, fun and sometimes a little goofy

These are just some of the things I do on a daily a basis, but this post is no claim in saying I do all of these things all the time. I lack in many of them (mostly the laundry and organization of my home), but the last one I really try to accel at and I hope and pray that most days I do.....

Almost Done

2010-12-10T17:45:00.003-06:00

With our Christmas shopping!!
xmas '09

Brent took half the day off today, and Thanks! to a wonderful friend who watched Sarah, we went and bought just about all the presents (at least for our kids). We might get them all an outfit and we have 1 thing to order. A few more items for other family members and we will be done. This is always such a relief to get finished. Enjoying the Christmas season is easier when you don't have shopping to do.

Are you done yet?????

Cooking up a storm

2010-12-09T17:09:00.002-06:00

Yeah, not really cooking up a storm, but I did have cooking club at my house today. What is cooking club? A bunch of us totally awesome moms who get together and make/demonstrate how to make one of our favorite meals. So today I made easy "Homemade" chicken noodle soup

Frozen egg noodles (I use Reames, they are YUUUMMMYYY)
chicken, you can use leftover chicken, chicken in a can, you can actually cook the chicken right in the soup too while it is cooking, whatever you decide. This morning I put chicken in a roaster and cooked it in the oven while the kids got ready for school and took them to school.
carrots
celery
onion
chicken broth or soup base or boullion (whatever you have on hand, I used soup base today)
salt and pepper

Add it all together in a pot and cook until noodles are done and carrots are tender, around 30 minutes.
I made this whole thing and we feasted on some of it all in the hour and a half everyone was here.
This is one of mine and the kids' favorite. So there you go, there is a quick easy dinner for you to try out soon!!!

What do I hear??

2010-12-08T20:02:00.003-06:00

Right now I hear,

Sarah crying because she wants to watch a princess video and dance to a song. She is dressed in a dress-up dress as a princess.

Daniel, surprisingly, is quiet playing with a nun-chuck.

Megan and Joseph are wrestling and screaming, yelling, fighting. I wonder how long it will take for someone to get hurt and cry???????

Now the video is playing...

Brent is quiet in the living room, looking for some peace and quiet, trying to watch Survivor on the DVR.

Oh, now Daniel is standing on the side of the couch yelling "MOOOOMMMMMM, MOoooMMMM!!"

The dishwasher needs loaded and should be running too, although you can barely hear it. Grapes from dinner need to be put away, homework needs to be done, house needs picked up a little, and kids need to be put to bed in about 30-45 minutes.

My back and my stomach is really, really achy right now. Stress from all this thinking about how much I need to be doing and all the chaos of sound around me??

I think I will go and join Brent......

Call me Mrs. Fix-it

2010-12-07T07:23:00.004-06:00

Home ownership is a big responsibility, not only do you have to make sure you send in your mortgage payments every month and the daily upkeep of cleaning and tidying, there is also a lot of maintenance.
I grew up with parents always fixing this or building that. They even built a cinder-block castle in our backyard for us kids to play in, 2 stories. It was pretty cool. So I learned a bit from them. At least with home maintenance, as far as cars go, I know a little. I can change a flat tire and figure out how to get a van with a dead battery parked in the middle of the garage out, unlock the wheel and get it in a position to jump start it.

Back to the house repairs.....having a leaky kitchen faucet, that could get expensive on the water bill needs to be taken care of soon. Or the Christmas outdoor lights that suddenly stopped working in the electrical outlet they are plugged into, or the toilet that keeps running after you flush.

Then there is the clogged drains and the inadequate heat to one area of the house. The loose screws holding up the cabinet doors or the handle insert on a closet door that keeps popping off(craft glue kept this one on). There is also the door(s) that don't shut right because the screws are screwed into holes that have now become to big and the door seems like it will come off when opening, or doesn't shut right. The kitchen disposal that has stopped working.

Some are easy enough to fix, others need a professional. Like the washer that stops draining water but is full of wet clothes, or the gas oven that, when opened, spits a fire ball out at you. Or the furnace that needs cleaned and checked. The dryer that smells and isn't drying. The microwave that runs when the door is opened (bought a new one! yikes!).

All of these things are things that have happened while we have lived here and all of them from the leaky kitchen faucet to the kitchen disposal have been fixed by yours truly, MOI!

Leaky kitchen faucet....that made a bit of a mess because I didn't get the hot water completely shut off while taking apart the handle to fix it. Flooded the counter.

Christmas lights needed reset on the GT electrical plug that was connected to where the Christmas lights were plugged in at.

Running toilet, needed a new seal around the base of the inside, easy fix and couple bucks later. Clogged drains, a little mix of baking soda and vinegar plus a small plunger..... unclogged.

Doors that don't shut right, require a little dowel rod glued into the holes,

new screws and a good screwdriver.

Kitchen disposal, first it was resetting the button on the bottom. (who knew sometimes you have to reset a disposal) But after it went out again, bought a new one, basically unscrewed the old one, screwed the new one back on, plugged hoses back

into it and there you go, new disposal!!

If it is a big appliance I will let the professionals handle that, but for all

these other items, bring it on house, I can take ya!!!

(if you made it through this post, Thanks, probably not one of my most exciting, but I am proud of myself for doing all this, and if you have a leaky faucet....give me a call ;)

Attempted...

2010-12-06T14:03:00.005-06:00

to take, at least, 1 decent christmas picture for Christmas cards this year and here are the results:

Daniel refusing to sit by the kids and Sarah clearly not cooperating

Not going to get her to smile

Daniel wondering off, so Brent pretending to be Daniel

Change of scenery???? In front of the Christmas tree?

Yep, no better

We did manage to get 2 good ones to choose from and so here is the winner.....drum roller please, dum,dum,dum, duuuummmmm.....

with enough cropping and put into a card format, it actually turned out pretty cute. And what did we do to get Sarah to smile finally, you might ask??? Gave her a Cheez-it cracker "That's all I wanted so I would smile!" she said. AAAHHHHHH, 4Year olds!!!

Already slacking

2010-12-05T17:44:00.003-06:00

Yesterday's post was written in my head but not on here and posted until today, so I am already slacking in my 31 days. Although there will still be 31 posts.
My favorite things to do while preparing for Christmas:
*Decorating the tree and around the fireplace - which are the only 2 area I really decorate, until this year I hung up lights outside!
*Have hot chocolate and toast for breakfast as much as possible, at least the kids, who doesn't LOVE hot chocolate and toast
* Wear long sleeves and socks everyday, to try and stay warm and cozy
* Make Christmas goodies, i.e. cookies - choc. chip, sugar cookie, snickerdoodle, fudge, choc. covered pretzels, mmmmmmm yum
* take pictures of the kids to send out christmas cards
* talk to the kids about the true meaning of Christmas and how we need to keep why we celebrate Christmas. (hopefully if you ever ask the kids this question they won't respond with something like "to get presents!")
* listen to Christmas music
* Go through toys and get rid of/store some to make room for new ones coming in a few weeks
* Watch as many Christmas movies/shows as possible, the Hallmark channel is my fav, especially on weekends
Christmas time is always so wonderful!!!

What special thing do you do?

Dear Friends

2010-12-05T17:32:00.002-06:00

Some friends you keep in touch with all year round, talking to them once, twice a week or 3 times a month. Then there are some you keep in touch with 4-5 times a year, that still remain dear friends, that is the 2 I want to tell you about.
When I moved here 12 years ago, I was assigned to Visit Teach two Sisters who lived together, one in really not so great of health, Neva, the other a friend who cared for her, Gloria. Neva was a nanny to Gloria's children and they were good friends, so after their kids were all grown up, the moved in together and became best of friends. They have been through ups and downs together.
Neva, in and out of the hospital more times than I could count. Gloria always beside her and helping. Sometimes the tables were turned and Gloria was in need of care, but others stepped in and helped and Neva trying to help.
There have been many times we have received a call saying "this is it, you better come say good-byes, Neva isn't doing well" and Every time she is back home soon. Amazing.
We got news yesterday that Neva is moving to a Manor Care in Kansas City and Gloria, an ever amazing woman and care taker, is moving in to care for her mother in North Dakota. Their 34 years as roommates coming to a close. We will miss them, even though we didn't see them often.
They will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers and we will continue the 3-4 times a year, through email and mail friendship.

10

2010-12-03T18:00:00.002-06:00

I know everyone is one pins and needles waiting to see what my next blog post is about! ;)

10 things I believe every parent needs:

1. hugs and kisses from their spouse or child EVERY DAY

2. an extra hour in the day, or two

3. a magic snap that cleans the house in an instant. I would say maid but I don't think anyone should really have to clean up after us or anyone else. (unless you love that sort of thing)

4. a set easy menu to make our meals, and a cook for those nights when I don't really feel like cooking.

5. a good nights sleep EVERY night

6. children that listen and obey and are happy all the time :)

7. the perfect car/van/suv that fits your every need in transportation (mine would include an RV for those longer road trips, but who wants the maintenance and cost of one of those!?)

8. a seperate room for all the toys, and the toys go there on there own when they find themselves out of the room (because you know the kids won't put them back and I would just rather get rid of them then put them back!, I know I'm mean, but toys are my nemesis)

9. to NEVER, EVER get sick

10. and last, to have all the LOVE in the world for your spouse and kids and that love to be felt by all, all of the time

I know most of these aren't for real but some of them can be. I try to work on #10. If I can have my kids know I love them no matter what all the time, then I will be a successful parent and that is all I can ask.

What would you add to my list??????

18-months old!!

2010-12-02T15:13:00.006-06:00

2010 Halloween

Daniel is 1 1/2 today! I can't believe our last little babe is

growing up so fast!

Today we went to the Dr. and here are his 18 month old stats:

33.3 inches in height - 77%

25.6 lbs - 44%

He is steadily and gradually growing from the time he was born. A few things

Daniel does and some words he an say:

mama, dada, SaRAh!, nigh nigh, love ya, tank you, kitty, dog, hot, cold, car, vroom vroom, truk, tig (tigger out cat), milk, more, pease (please), cheese, and he also says some animal sounds

He is CONSTANTLY climbing on top of the table, the back of the couch

and the top of the bunk bed.

He is a joy and we are so happy he is part

of our family. We love him to pieces!!!

31 days....

2010-12-01T09:47:00.003-06:00

Of trying to Blog everyday for an entire month

(trying being the operative word.)

I have seen lots of friends try this and thought I would give it a try, so here goes.

Yesterday I pulled up all the Christmas ornaments and the Christmas tree. We put the Christmas tree up last night and decorated it. I would have taken a picture but the living room is still a mess with all the totes. I didn't feel like decorating the rest of the house just yet. Hopefully today....

I hung up Christas lights on our house for the first time ever just before Christmas. It took me about an hour and I do have to say I am a little bit excited about it. (that I was able to hang them and for the fun they are to have up)

The kids, of course, had a blast decorating the tree plus helping me put it together. At one point in the assembling process I asked the kids "Would you rather go out in the cold and pick out a real tree or put this thing together" The answer was a Quick "put this one together! It is WAY to cold outside!" I would have to agree.

I also pulled up a tote from the basement with clothes that Megan used to wear when she was around Sarah's age, so Sarah has a whole new wardrobe now. She was pretty excited and I was excited not to have to go shopping! I am NOT a shopper, especially for clothes. It was fun to relive some of the fun memories of when Megan wore some of the outfits. I can't believe my oldest is 9 now. Megan remembered some of the outfits too. Like wearing a green sequined skirt with matching shirt, that she wore to a Ward talent show and she sang a couple of solo songs or another skirt she put on one morning before I was awake because she wanted to be dressed and ready to go to Pump It Up. Now it will be Sarah's turn to create more loving, fun memories!

A picture of Megan at 5, Joseph at 2 1/2, and Sarah a couple months old.

Bloggity Blog Update

2010-11-23T13:24:00.005-06:00

Megan's 9th birthday party. The girls were running down the hill behind our house and were a bit tired after.

Instead of a cake we decorated cupcakes. Something to make the time busy between 5 girlies!

Apple orchard slide, that's Megan and Sarah going down together on a potato sack.

Joseph going down the slide and Brent, Sarah and Megan at the bottom. We all went down, even me and Daniel.

Laying in the corn pool!

Ready....Set....

JUMP!

Who doesn't love sitting in a pool full of kernals of corn?!

This one is just an adoralbe picture of Daniel

Other happenings, I turned the big 3-0 on Halloween. Not much of a big event. I still feel like I am 29 :)

We recently had parent-teacher conferences with all of the kids teachers. They went very well. Megan is being challenged in reading by her teacher having her read a book they read in junior high and math is going well. Joseph is on a high reading level too. He loves the Magic Tree House books and brings home 2-3 every week. These books are 10 chapters long and about 65 pages. He Loves them. Sarah is doing great in preschool too and has just about learned writing her name down, all except for the S.

My mother and father-in-law recently came up to watch our primary program. The program was excellent like always. I am so proud of all my primary kids, they are always wonderful in the program!

While here my mother-in-law made a wrong turn in a doorway and fell down the steps into the baptismal font in our church building. The door was suppose to have been locked. She ended up breaking her humurus bone in her shoulder, dislocating her shoulder and breaking her wrist. Ouch! I felt pretty horrible all that happened to her. Luckily she is making a slow but sure recovery. She is one tough woman!

Not much more to report on now. I really needed to update this blog though.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Brotherly/Sisterly Love

2010-10-10T20:22:00.002-05:00

One morning last week, Megan was curled up on the couch eating breakfast, watching cartoons before school. Daniel had just woke up and after changing him, I set him down on the floor and went to go get him breakfast. I cam back and found this:

He had climbed up and sat behind her legs and was leaning up against her just chillin' with his sister. He Loves Megan!

A couple days later, Sarah and Daniel both got messy so they ended up here together:

they had lots of fun playing like this and handing things back and forth, He also Loves His other big sister.
He adores Joseph and is always climbing on him and giving him hugs but I don't have pictures of that right now.

Today is also Megan's 9th birthday! We all love Megan so much. She is sweet, smart, a great artist, patient, helpful, a good listener, great a spelling, a beautiful singer and much much more and we couldn't be more proud of her.

waiting for the ice cream cake (brownie batter from DQ....yummmm!)

and this is how Daniel posed for me when he saw the camera.

I mentioned that Megan is a great singer, I wanted to write this down so we didn't forget. Today at church, our wonderful music leader was gone and her sub had sick kids today, so I was lucky enough to step in and do music. We are practicing songs for our primary program in 2 weeks, we were in the primary room and the kids were in 2 rows with Megan in the back, they were singing "Keep the Commandments" and she was really singing it and getting into it pretty good. She doesn't usually do this in front of people to often and so the kids in front of her and the kids next to her all turned around and looked at her, smiled and turned back around and continued singing. I smiled too, because I know this is how she likes to sing and their reaction was priceless, Megan then leaned over to a friend and whispered something, I later asked what she whispered and she said she told her she was embarressed. We told her she doesn't need to be embarressed and should feel confident in her singing. We love you Megan!!!

Beautiful

2010-10-05T06:31:00.005-05:00

I don't know which one is my favorite, all of my kids are my favorite. Sarah and Daniel didn't want to cooperate a whole lot but I think we got some pretty good pictures of all of them. They are wonderful beautiful kids. Thanks Liz for capturing my beautiful kids on camera!!!

First day of school, first day of school!!!

2010-09-06T20:05:00.007-05:00

(we'll get to that first day of school in a moment)

We went to the Iowa State Fair and the kids had a great time. We let them go on a few rides and the swings was their favorite. Sarah cried the first time or two around but ended up loving it.

I caught Daniel at a very tired moment and he doesn't look to happy but I put it here so you can imagine how I felt there....I could do without going to the fair....

This is actually what Daniel is like most of the time.

Sometimes he gets pretty messy eating and the only thing to do.....

is this: put him in the sink to get clean, while I wash dishes.

notice the plant in the above picture, now here is a close-up. This plant was planted from seeds from one of those "helicopters" that falls out of trees. It is getting big, we hope to plant it in our yard someday.

Sarah would just sit and sit ALL day long and hold little Tigger if she could

Daniel and Sarah have had to become little buddies, now that Megan and Joseph are in school all day.

This is Megan and Joseph's first day of school.

Don't you just LOVE Megan's school lunch box?? I love it, it is made of scuba water restistant swim suit material and everyday I pack her lunch I just think it is adorable. (and if you know me well, I don't get to excited over little purses or material items, but I do love this. I am tempted to get one for me and I don't need to take a lunch anywhere!)

Sarah on her first day of preschool

All 3 of them going off to school and Daniel doesn't want to be forgotten either!

p.s. they all loved their first day of 3rd grade, 1st grade and preschool!

A Leetle update

2010-08-30T20:13:00.005-05:00

Still NO blankies....Still looking.....still praying.....still

We have an appt. with a stake presidency member tomorrow night, they are redoing our Bishopric this coming sunday so we will see what happens. Brent is currently the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric, we kinda think he will be called to be a counselor again.

The kids like school, they don't want to get ready for school in the mornings, but they like it when they get there.

Sarah starts preschool next week, we find out tomorrow at orientation who her teacher is and she gets to see her classrooms. She is sooo excited.

That is it for now, time to get kids ready for bed.
(told you it was a little update)

Case of the Missing....

2010-08-23T13:17:00.004-05:00

Blankies!!! Since Sarah was born she has had 2 blankets, one white, one pink. They were my favorite and they soon became her favorite.

In her infant pictures taken at the hospital she even had it wrapped around her. (she is the bottom left)

We took them with us on all vacations...

She wakes up in the morning and carries them with her until she is ready to really wake up and play....

She keeps warm with them.....

Even wants them in Christmas photos....

But on friday they went Missing.... Gone..... no clue where they are!?

I have looked everywhere, drawers, cupboards, under couches, in bins, garbage cans (even the big garbage

can outside), the van, under other blankets, closets, under beds, pantry, behind the Tv, piano, coaches.....Where in the world are they???????

thoughts lately

2010-08-17T16:40:00.003-05:00

These are just a few thoughts that are running through my mind lately:

trying to make 4:30am my friend for the next year and how to do that...any ideas on how to accomplish this?? (Some days I almost convince myself to get dressed for class then "accidently" fall asleep on the couch before I go and miss class....I haven't though)

What will happen with our church callings in the next couple weeks/month?

How do I keep Daniel from climbing on the back of the couch and falling off everyday? that is his Favorite thing to do, but he doesn't get that he will fall off and get hurt....

Am I or my kids really ready for summer to end and the school year to start next week?????

How can I clean out my house without it taking Hours upon hours upon hours?? organizing company???

should I order some new good books or read the Twilight series? (no, I have not read them yet, but have had them for almost 2 years)

Why can't I lose more weight each week? I know 1-2lbs is healthy and great but really!.... why can't I lose 5 in 1 week for once and be like those on biggest loser?

How can I impove my attitude?

What can I do to better my patience and teaching skills?

What time is bed time and how early can I get my kids into bed???

Does anyone really read this thing and is it boring?

Will it ever stop raining?

Have I really been married almost 12 years? where does the time go?

(I will have to capture Daniel climbing on the back of the couch so you can see how cool he thinks he is when he gets up there...so frustrating but soooo cute!)

Kitten Search....OVER

2010-08-04T09:00:00.002-05:00

After Liddy passed away, we told the kids we would get a kitten, so after our trip out to Utah we started the search. We looked on the internet, the newspapers, the ARL, and a number of pet stores. We finally found a little non-profit furry friends refuge that had a little one named Beethoven and we fell in love. Here he is with a new name and a new home, announcing the newest member of the Bean household, Tigger Liddy Bean:

He purrs constantly and he loves the kids. He is always climbing up on their laps when they are sitting on the floor, playing with them and his new toys and does his little paws on them.

The other cats are curious and come to see what the little meows are and they are sniffing around where the kitty is, but so far so good.

We are keeping him in our half bath downstairs at night and during the day when he wants to sleep and blocking off the family room when he wants to be out and play. We will do this until the other cats get more use to him, hopefully for only about a week, then let him explore and be out more. This should be interesting!!!!!

2010 Idaho/Utah Trip

2010-07-12T15:12:00.007-05:00

We just got back from our Idaho/Utah trip and this was my view from our 18 hour journey to Idaho:

up front was Brent driving, his mom and Sarah and Joseph.

I was squashed between this beauty:

and this babe:

These kids did wonderfully on the drive. Daniel was Happy I was next to him, Megan was glad she could sleep on me, Joseph was in heaven and didn't notice much of the drive because I hooked our Wii up to our portable dvd player, and Sarah played with little stuffed animals, colored, watched Joseph and some movies.

On arriving in Idaho, Joseph got his first chance to shoot off a bbgun

The kids watched fireworks in front of the house

watched one of their cousins jump through the fireworks

watched the city fireworks (notice the blankets, it was flippin' cold in Idaho!!)

We went up to the Idaho Falls temple and fed the ducks/geese/seagulls

Daniel loved throwing bread to them

We saw lots of family in Idaho and we all had fun.

After Idaho and stopping to see some great friends, Bill and Georgia and their kids and having a great visit (no photos:( )
We headed off to Utah to see other cousins and family members.

This is most of the clan, but not all of them.

At Grandma and Grandpa Schow's house we got to see more fireworks

We went to an aquirium, Sarah really wanted to see the seahorses

Megan pet some sting rays

We also had a Higgins' family reunion at a park where there were fun was to be had playing an egg toss, water race, volleyball, dinner, chatting, chatting, chatting, and seeing most of my cousins and aunts and uncles. There was also another bbq to see Brents sister and family from AZ and a neice and nephew and there family. I forgot my camera for both of those events though :(

We headed off to see the Temple one of the days too

We also went to see Discipable Me with all the cousins and later the kids enjoyed some riding on a go cart.

We had lots of fun and the kids got to know their cousins again. Can't wait till next time....well, maybe for the ride out there.....I can wait on that.......

Bet Ya Didn't Know

2010-06-29T08:31:00.002-05:00

That everytime I drive down the road and see one of these (or a newer one) that I long to take a trip in one..... like in my childhood days. I don't think even my hubby knows how much I would love to have that experience again. He doesn't like camping.

In my later childhood into teen years we had a motorhome that looked similiar to this one and we went on many a trip and vacation around the good ol' USA in it.
We had some good times traveling down the road in it. My mom redecorated it so it was cream and green colored. In the front there was the driver seat and then instead of a regular passenger seat there were two bench seats we called bus seats that layed down to make a twin bed or you could face them towards each other and put up a table.
In the back there was bench seat that was in the shape of a U and at night you could pull out the middle and make a king sized bed.
I have fond memories of sleeping in the back and waking up to my parents starting the motorhome and just laying back there sleeping while we were driving.
Above the bus seats and drivers seat there was a bunk pull down bed and there was another coach that converted to a bed.
So there was plenty of room to sleep our family of 7.

More great memories were of us sitting on the bus seats going down the road listening to 40's and 50's music and talking on the CB radio to our grandparents who were in there motorhome. We were the Beast and they were Tiger.
There was one vacation were we traveled with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle and we went from Utah all the way to the east coast and back, stopping at all the church history sites along the way. Although our motorhome didn't make it the whole journey. It broke down in Pennsylvania so we bought a station wagon, loaded our stuff in that and headed back to Utah, staying in cabins and hotels along the way.
My parents later flew back and picked it up and brought it home when it was fixed.

I long for my kids to have that sort of experience someday and to experience the closeness that it brings.
Why all the thinking about this? We are headed on a road trip to idaho/utah in a couple days in our van and it brings back memories and makes me wish we could travel the way I did back then. It was sooo fun!

Good Memories

So anyone have a motorhome we could borrow? It sure is expensive to rent one!

Who's that little one?

2010-06-19T23:13:00.002-05:00

See me... I am Daniel.....

Wait, who's that?! Oh! it's Daniel again! with a little shaved head!

Aren't I adorable!!!!

Summer fun in the sprinklers

Quick Trip

2010-06-12T18:45:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we took a quick little trip. We drove 3 hours and stayed in a hotel.

Daniel LOVES to get Joseph, you can't see his face but he is smiling soooo big as is Joseph.

We traveled to Nauvoo to see this beautiful temple. We arrived in Nauvoo friday night around 9:30pm, Brent had a youth temple trip the next morning at 7:30am so me and the kids went too, to take in a few sites, but we had to be back the following day by 4:00pm

we took a few of these pictures, we didn't get out to see the temple because it was raining pretty good off and on, but I love how you can see the temple plus the US flag and the Nauvoo water tower. So beautiful!!!

The Brickyard (these pictures with me in them are for Brooke who commented that I am never in any pictures, which I do try to avoid, maybe someday when I feel more confident in myself I will be in more)

The Blacksmith shop, notice Daniel with the broom, he found one and did not want to let go

Then we crossed back over the huge Mississippi River back into Iowa and headed home,

we took the scenic route back home and had to take a little detour to see this American landmark:

in Eldon, Iowa

Sarah and Brent

Sarah and Brent with sunglasses on

Sarah and Daniel

Megan and Joseph

It was a fun little trip and gave us a small glimpse of what the drive out to utah will be like.....I better stock up on the benadryl now! ;)

Happy Birthday

2010-06-03T05:57:00.005-05:00

June 2nd Daniel turned 1. I can't believe my little baby is 1!
The time goes so quickly, it seems like not that long ago you were just an infant.

The kids were so excited the first time they saw you. I remember Sarah coming in and saying "mom Look! Daniel came out of your tummy!" Your siblings love you and you love them. If Joseph is laying on the floor you love to climb on him and give him big sloppy open mouth kisses. You have started to reach up for Megan to pick you up and you love to laugh at the silly things Sarah does.

Your little personality is starting to come out, you love to put things in your mouth with them half hanging out and look at us to try and make us laugh. You have been a daddy's boy more than any of the others, if dad gets you out of your crib and hands you off to me you always cry and reach back for dad.

Most of the time you wake up crying and in a bad mood and it takes you a while to be happy but once your happy you are so happy! You love to get into Everything! If the bathroom door is left open you are in there in 2.6 seconds, unrolling all the toilet paper you can get your little hands on. If you see a gate open at the stairs you are crawling as fast as possible to try and go up them, even trying to go down, even though you don't know how yet. You have an obsession with anything with a handle, brooms, mops, golf clubs, toy sword, toilet plunger, umbrella, baseball bat, you also Love to play ball and that is your first word - baa, you could play with those things for hours. You love to cuddle with your mommy still and enjoy your one on one bedtime routine.

You have been a joy and such a fun little blessing to our family and we love you Daniel!!!

updates

2010-05-20T09:36:00.002-05:00

- Daniel is standing up in the middle of any where and will stand there for minutes, still not many steps, it might not be long
- he has 4 teeth finally, front 2 bottom, front 2 top
- he still loves his daddy to hold him
- he got a little boy haircut yesterday (pictures later)

-Sarah is up to her usual funny self, always making funny comments, I should write them down more.
- her hair is getting sooo long, she tells people that it is down to her bottom now (maybe it is time for a first hair cut for her?!)
- She loves to play outside with Meg and Joseph now, they have great fun

-Joseph is playing baseball right now and really enjoys it, he loves hustling to the bases
- he has become an excellent reader and can now read just about anything, we are so proud of him
-he made friends with lots of kids at school this year and a neighbor boy, hopefully he will get a chance to play with them this summer

-Megan is her sweet self. she is taking piano lessons and really enjoys it and is quickly picking it up.
- she ran the mile for p.e. recently and improved her time by 4 whole minutes! she loves running
- she is still scared of bees so we will see if we can get her out much this summer, I hope so!

- Brent is busy with Bishopric duties but really enjoys getting to know the members of our ward better
- he stills misses our Liddy and just as excited and adament about getting a kitten after our trip to idaho/utah this summer

-me, I have been busy keeping up with our 4 kids and for the last 3 weeks have been watching 2 kids during the day, a girl a little younger than Sarah and a boy a little younger than Daniel. That is an experience all its own! (I could Never do daycare!)
- I am starting a new 10-week workout program next monday called Kosama. 6 days a week at 5am I will be getting up, and if I enjoy it then I will do the membership for most likely a full year. (see if I can lose this excess weight)
- my primary president calling is good, I still enjoy it, at times it is more busy than others, but I really love the kids and it is fun.

Things to look forward to:
The kids only have 12 school days left and then it is time for summer break, CRAZY!!!
Daniel turns 1 in 13 days, so bittersweet that my baby is getting older!

Well, that is a little update

-

Gone

2010-05-04T09:27:00.002-05:00

My last post was written on saturday when I said Liddy only had a week or a couple days left. Truth was he only had hours left. He passed away early sunday morning. If you don't want to read on that's fine, I mostly want to write this for journaling purposes. He was a big part of our lives for 14 years.

We usually put all our cats down in the basement at night. That keeps them from sleeping on all our beds and waking us up and sometimes cats like to play in the middle of the night and aren't so quiet, plus 2 of our cats like to dispose of their food on the floor right after eating it and keeping them in the basement at night keeps most of that down there and then we don't have any surprises to step in in the morning. Anyway, since Liddy wasn't doing good he slept on a glider chair in our room saturday night.

It was crazy to see him on wednesday to still being able to eat a little and walk, to friday barely able to walk and not eat, to saturday not able to do anything but lay there. Brent took him to the vet and they said his kidneys were shutting down and he had ulcers on his tongue and most likely all down his throat. We knew it wouldn't be long.

So Saturday night I pushed the glider up to the side of our bed and I woke up at 12:00, 2:00, and 3:00, each time checking on him. I had a feeling before I went to bed that this was it. So at 3:00 I pet him for awhile and he was meowing at me, at first he had a hard time then he let out a couple loud ones, loud enough to wake up Brent a little. I also noticed his breathing had become quick and he seemed to be having a harder time. I fell back to sleep around 3:30 and then when I woke up around 4:45, he was gone. No more breathing, no more pain.

The vet had warned us that after he dies rigor will set in in about 2 hours so to curl him up the way we wanted to and that he would become pretty stiff. This was very true. I woke Brent and let him now and we laid and talked about him for awhile. Brent didn't go to Bishopric meeting that sunday morning so he could be there when we told the kids. We had told them the night before he wouldn't be with us much longer. They weren't surprised but they were still sad. Megan cried, Joseph tried not too, and I don't think it clicked with Sarah at the time.

We got ready for church and Brent took the 3 oldest to church with him since he had to be there early. I stayed at home for a little while and wrapped Liddy in a towel and put him in a box. I then put him in the garage and headed to church with Daniel. (we didn't know how quickly a he would start to stink?) We planned on burying him next to our garage in a flower bed. There were supposed to be hostas there but they never grew, come to find out there was a 2x4 board 6ft long buried in the ground there!! So we removed the board and Brent dug a hole, then it started to rain and thunder, so we stopped.

Finally on Monday Brent was able to finish the hole and bury him. Megan misses him a lot, but is comforted because we told her we could get a kitten sometime this year. It was first christmas, then her birthday, and now she is asking for this summer. Who knows, we will have to wait and see. We don't want to end up with cats like Sunny and Cleo, who run every time you go near them.

Joseph doesn't seem to be bothered much by his passing and Sarah keeps asking if he is walking again yet, or meowing or breathing, or is he still dead. Sunday night Sarah had a difficult time with it and really wanted to pet him and hold him. So we brought him back in the house and I let the kids decorate his box and they had drawn pictures for him we put in the box and they each gave him a toy ring he loved to play with. Then they were each able to pet him again and Sarah "held" him. It was a good last goodbye for them.

This has brought up good opportunities to talk to the kids about the atonement and eternal life, Sarah asks "Has Jesus come yet, so Liddy can be alive again?" It is pretty cute. We know he was just a cat, but we loved him dearly. Plus it has been a learning experience with death. I am soooo grateful for the atonement and the gospel in our lives to be able to comfort my children with this knowledge and to be able to feel the spirit and help my children to recognize the Spirit in all this too. Brent's grandmother passed away a few months ago and so the kids have had a recent experience with death and so maybe this whole thing has not been as hard. Brent and I are doing okay, we still get sad and we keep expecting to see him laying in the middle of our way. But over all we are fine. Anyway, sorry if this was boring for you to read all about the death of are Liddy-biddy-bean who will be missed!

Liddy

2010-05-01T14:21:00.002-05:00

Our beloved cat, Liddy, only has a couple more days of life in him, if that. He has been the most wonderful cat. While he would hiss and bat at strangers who came into our home, especially children, he has been the most loving cat to us. He has always been right there in the room with us laying right in the middle of where the kids were playing, laying in the middle of the kitchen floor for me to trip over when I am cooking and hoping I would open a can of tuna and give him the juice, or laying in the middle of the floor upstairs while we get ready for our day.

He has loved the kids and followed them around and would meow and bat at them to get their attention. We have loved him dearly and will miss him greatly. He has been a wonderful part of our lives, and while we will miss him, we feel very blessed to have such a great cat to be part of our family.
Megan is very sad and cries when we talk about his little "funeral arrangements" and Brent is sad too, he has had him since he was a kitten 14 years ago.
We will all miss you greatly Liddy and love you much!!!

(although Megan is sad, she is already talking about getting a kitten for her birthday, it seems to bring her some comfort, but we will have to see about that when the time comes:)

Lots of pictures and a few words

2010-04-10T16:30:00.004-05:00

This post is starting from the most recent on back

Daniel is becoming a daddy's boy. He always wants Brent to hold him and if Brent gets him up from his crib he does not want to come to me. This is a first for us. Kind of sad for me but kind of nice not to have a baby who always wants me and no one else.

Daniel ha graduated to baby chair on the table chair and loves it!!!

This picture is from Easter, just 2 brothers hanging out

Ready to dye Easter eggs. The camera was on the fritz for Easter so not a very good picture. I was kind of hoping it would go out and we would have to get a new one cause I am not crazy about ours, but I don't really want to spend a couple hundred on a new one either. Luckily the next day it worked fine again

These next pics are from Joseph's 6th birthday party. He had 3 friends from school over to have a pizza dinner and ice cream cake with us and they just played. He was happy as you can see. (pay no mind to Patrick in the background, that is one of our "art pieces" Sarah did and has to be up for a certain amount of time before it finds itself in the trash)

Playing outside with his new nerf swords.

When the boys came for his party, Joseph was playing the Wii, he got Mario Kart and when I walked into the room to see them all here, they were lined up like this, I thought it was cute!

The weather is nice enough now to start playing ball!

and everyone loves to be out and playing!

Sometimes though, we have to be in and doing karaoke is always fun!!

More Spring Break pics, we checked into a nice hotel for a night and went swimming a few times. The kids loved it and the pool was Warm!

Daniel enjoyed being in the playpen, but didn't want to sleep there that night....not such a fun night

Hanging out after swimming, and for those who know Brent, he does read GQ...

Sarah was wiped out and Joseph was just relaxing

We also went to the zoo and had a nice time.

Another attempt at taking a picture of all 4...didn't quite work

If you look closely Joseph is at the top by the slide on this giant playground at the zoo

in other news, Daniels 1st tooth finally cut through last night!! Sarah has been telling people she is turning 4 at the end of March (which came and went and that didn't happen:) Megan started piano lessons (for free!), Joseph is starting baseball soon and has already started practices, I had strep throat for a week and a half, finally convinced myself to go to the dr. and sure enough had strep....no fun, Brent is still the same, keeping busy with the Bishopric and enjoying time with family every night he can, walks when the weather is nice is a favorite.

Well, thats it for now..

check this out

2010-04-10T07:55:00.002-05:00

My wonderful sister-in-law is an author and she was interviewed recently on a news station out in Utah! We are so proud of her and she is a great author, Congrats Robyn!!!

Check her interview out HERE

Tagged

2010-04-01T15:37:00.003-05:00

I was tagged by one of my wondeful sister-in-laws Kristine,

1. go to your first photo album
2. scroll to the 10th picture
3. post th picture and the story behind it
4. tag 5 others

This picture was taken in 2007, Joseph would have been 3 and fell asleep on the chair and who can't resist taking a picture of an active boy who looks so peaceful sleeping!!! Kind of a fitting picture since this little one will be 6 tomorrow!!!!!

Angela, Sharon, Robyn, Holli, and Carly tag your it...

Spring Break so far

2010-03-18T16:02:00.007-05:00

Last year for spring break we went to Kansas City and had a great time, this year no such plans were made....so this is what we have been up to:

Enjoying Pump It Up

Sarah is terrified of inflattables so this is what she did most of the time

That is one monstrous slide, but sure is fun

Next stop the Science Center of Iowa, where we played and crawled through tunnels,

played with vacuum hoses,

went fishing,

made some bubbles,

had our 5 seconds of fame, (Sarah and Megan were on the noon news with the anchor woman, Joseph was nowhere to be seen, off exploring something else),

This is what happens when I tried to take all of their picture together:

not so successful....

But they sure are having a great spring break!!!

Brent took today and tomorrow off, so today we went to the zoo, tomorrow is glow in the dark golf along with checking into a hotel for the night and swimming into saturday. Should be Fun!!!!

Daniel learned how to clap and we think it is adorable!! (in the video he was more interested in trying to get to me though)

(Megan picked out the new background, isn't it cute?!)

What's for dinner?

2010-02-19T13:26:00.003-06:00

That is always the question at 5:00pm. What can I make that is fairly simple.
I am no grand cook, I like things quick and easy with simple ingredients but tastes good and not have to run to the store everyday to get those ingredients. So lately I have been putting my list of groceries together (on post-it notes) then (on the next post-it note behind the grocery list), I put a list of meals we can have that has our menu for the next week to week and a half. I am starting to have a collection of post-it notes with menus on them. (Not so organized I know, but it works for me) I just need to rotate them and I'll be set. Here are some of the dinner meals I have planned:

Last nights dinner,
Penne pasta whole wheat (this is what I had, but you can use any noodles) with spaghetti sauce and meatballs, with salad. I also added chopped mushrooms and green onions to the pasta mix. The meatballs were already prepared so I cooked them in the sauce while the pasta boiled, then added them together and it was done. homemade meatballs are simple too, just get your hamburger, add parmasean cheese, egg and a few crushed cracks, mix together, shape into balls, bake in oven until cooked through 10-15 minutes

Tacos, these are always a favorite, brown the meat, cut your favorite toppings (I love the shredded lettuce already shredded!)

Pizza- I buy the premade dough from pillsbury, pizza sauce, toppings, bake and done.

Chicken in a croissant - depends on what I am in the mood for, already made chicken or chicken in a can, take two croissant dough triangles that are put together to form a retangle, spread with cream cheese, chicken, last time I put mushrooms and onions in it, you can add favorites (other cheeses, green peppers S&P,etc.) , fold both long sides to the middle, pinch together, pinch ends shut, turn seam side down and poke 3-4 holes in top, brush with egg or butter add a seasoning or parmasean cheese to the top and cook.

Chicken noodle soup - cut up carrots, celery, onions, homemade frozen noodles, same thing, either cut up chicken cooked or chicken in a can, chicken bouillon and S&P and water. Simmer everything until noodles and carrots are done. (I buy Reams frozen homemade noodles, they are yummy!)

Grilled Tuna or Egg Sandwich - tuna, mayo, S&P, minced celery, minced egg(optional), mix all together, toast bread in toaster or oven, top with tuna mix, serve with apples, oranges, berries, you get the idea.

Pita - lunch meat, tuna mix, leftover chicken, whatever I have on hand, in pita with lettuce tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese. Serve with fruits or veggies, carrots, celery, yadayadayada.

Taco soup - Water, 1-2 cups of salsa, bouillon or soup base, chicken, simmer all together and serve with tortilla chips

Chili - 2 cans chili beans, 1 can tomato sauce, cook ground turkey or hamburger (I add chili seasoning to the meat too), chili seasoning, canned tomatoes, simmer all until warmed enough, serve with chips, saltine crackers, rolls, etc.

The always and true roast and potatoes for sunday dinner too.

And I should add, that one of the nights in the middle and end of all these dinner plans, is buffet night, meaning all the leftovers from whatever I have made is set out and it is chose what you want to get rid of it all!

These are just a few examples, they may not be much, but they are quick and my kids like them for the most part. Most of them can be made pretty healthy, especially by using chicken or turkey. I also always have hot dogs and buns on hand for really quick dinners!

So there you have it, that is what is for dinner at my house. What are you having tonight?

1-2-3-4

2010-02-09T11:46:00.005-06:00

#1 - Daniel is now crawling hence the video at the bottom. He is getting faster everyday and it looks so darn cute, he especially loves to crawl to his mama!

#2 - Sarah is officially fully potty trained!!!! She was potty trained with #1 and at night time from the first week we started but #2 has always been an issue so we had pull-ups. We finally ran out and now she has no choice to go in the bathroom. THank Heavens!!!

#3 - I should have brought the camera with us Saturday. We took the kids roller skating for the first time. Megan and Joseph were a bit nervous and they were all excited. Sarah did great, it was like walking for her, I don't think she fell once! Joseph and Megan were getting good at the end but it will take a couple more times of going for them to really get used to it. They still had to have me or Brent to hold onto when they wanted to go out on the wood floor, on the carpet they did great. There was no way Brent and I were going to put on skates!

#4 - Enough with this snow already!! We have had sooo much snow it is ridiculous, good thing kids don't care as much about the snow as us adults, because they love to go out and play in it. The 3 of them went out and played for almost 2 hours last week, when it was warm enough! It has been fun for them, not for us!

#5 - Daniel is FInALLY sleeping through the night! I have not been one of those lucky mothers to have a baby sleep all night until they are 8-12 months. I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night and feeding them and having that precious cuddle and bonding time but around 7 months I am done! Finally physically exhausted so, I let Daniel cry the other night for about 30-40 minutes then remembered that his crib was still high enough that if he stood up he could go over the side, so after hearing him keep hitting the crib, I went in there and put his paci back in, held him for about 10 minutes and he was out. Every since then he has slept from about 10-11 to 8-9. I am giving myself this week to sleep until I have to get up and then next week I will be getting up early and exercising. Exciting huh?!?!?! (actually I am excited!)

#6 - I am also just about done nursering. Since he loves the bottle lots me than me and keeps biting me, I am down to 2-3 times a day for a couple minutes, pretty soon it will be once then I will be done. Kind of Bittersweet.....

These are some pictures of them playing outside

Notice the snow bank taller than Sarah?!

Sarah all dressed up ready to go out

what's going on????

2010-01-21T12:10:00.003-06:00

Here are a few things that have been going on in our lives lately:

* from previous post, Brent's grandmother passed away and we went back for her funeral this past weekend. She was a wonderful woman and we will miss her songs and her feisty attitude. But we know she is in a better place and able to be more herself now!

*Brent's siblings all came for the funeral, they haven't all been together since 2002. It was like a little family reunion. His sisters, Stacy and Misty, flew in on Saturday and stayed with us that night, then Sunday his brother, Todd, flew in Sunday and we all caravaned down to their hometown together. Along with his other 2 brothers, Jason and Chad and his parents, plus a neice Holli and her adorable baby Mateo, it was a good get together at his parents house, not to mention all the other family that came for it, some of whom I have never met.

*I brought back our camera and video camera and didn't take many pictures and now of course, am kicking myself!

*Brent was called into the Bishopric, 2nd counselor. He was in the High Council for a year and now this. We knew it was coming so it wasn't a complete shock, just a little sooner than expected. I know he will do a great job. He has a strong testimony, he is organized, he has a great deal of compassion and love for people and he follows the feelings of inspiration he receives. I am so proud of him for being who he is and being willing and able to serve the Lord in this way.

*Many people have asked if I will be released from being primary president, my response "I hope NOT!" I love my calling and really don't see any complications with the two callings. The stake president said it was up to the Bishopric and their inspiration. I have been in primary for 5+ years and it just feels right. My patriarchal blessing actually says I will work with the youth in the church and when I was set apart as the president in primary, the blessing that I was given actually said a few parts from my patriarchal blessing. It was an amazing blessing and I know it came from my Heavenly Father.

*Megan is getting to the age where she likes to sit and listen to adults talk, she loved listening to us this weekend and it was great to hear her laugh and have a good time with us. She is such a wonderful sweet girl! Surprisingly she does not like to read very much, she is a FAntastic speller and gets 100% just about every week but doesn't like to sit down and enjoy a good book. She would much rather play that read. (as with probably most kids!)

*Joseph has discovered the fun in video games. He got a DS for Christmas and we have a wii, received a wii fit for Christmas, plus the Nintendo at his grandparents. He is turning into a good game player but now we just need to limit the time on them!

*Sarah is still her spunky little 3 year old self. Everyday she says or does something to keep us laughing. She put all her Polly pockets in our shoes last night for their beds. This morning we needed a few of the "beds" to wear to school, she wasn't to happy with us but said "OH Whatever!" all exasperated.

*Daniel is growing and growing. He loves his brother and sisters and gets excited to see them. He is also a momma's boy but sometimes he just wants dad to hold him and walk with him. He is getting up on his hands and knees more often and he loves to squeal. I am considering, for a number of reasons, weening him from nursing. It is a tough decision.....

These are just a few of the things happening in our lives, I could go on and on, but I will spare you all......until another time :)

Grandma Leonard

2010-01-14T21:58:00.000-06:00

We lost a wonderful woman today...she was amazing and will be Greatly missed, we were so thankful to have her in our lives, We Love You Grandma Leonard!!!!

January 1, 1998

2010-01-01T20:39:00.003-06:00

It was January 1st 1998. I don't remember who's idea it was to go spend the day downtown and hang out at the mall in Salt Lake City. We looked around for awhile but being broke teenagers we didn't buy anything, except a pretzel or two I think.

So we ended up sitting on a bench watching people walk by.
Previously we had seen some guys going up an escalator and we were going down, we looked at them, they looked at us, we thought they were cute.

So those same guys walk past us, they look at us and we look at them, smiling, a little flirting look. Then one of them said "Hi" and they walk out the doors and start across the street.
I don't remember all of who said what but I remember the "Let's go after them" "WHAT?!?" "They are to old for us" "We're bored, let's try and go talk to them?!"

So we briskly walk out the door in time to see them rounding the corner of Temple Square. "Let's cut them off on the other side!" We all take off running through Temple Square to cut them off.
We see them across the street getting into the car, "What do we do now?!" "Walk past them and say hi" We are so embarrassed. Somebody is saying "let's just go back to the mall."

I remember feeling nervous excitement. We walk past, they see us, we say hi, they invite us to lunch. They tell us they are going to the Olive Garden, I think they asked directions....? We run to our car and Finally after 20 minutes find the restaurant.

We go in, sit down and are seated half way across the room. A couple of them come over and talk to us, tell us they are from out of town and that they are members of the Church. We don't believe them....how could out of staters be members? Naive...us.

We agree to meet up later, hang out, go to a movie. The next day is the same, more hanging out, a movie, Ensign Peak. It was so fun, we thought we would never see them again. During one of the movies me and Brent talked most of the time, Dr. Doolittle, I don't think we saw any of it.

We exchanged #'s. They left to come back to Iowa......He called me the day after he got back....I had tried to call him but had the area code wrong.

We talked everyday after that, he flew back in February and March, I came to Iowa in April, he came back in May and proposed, June I came to Iowa again, July he came to Utah, August me and my family drove back to Iowa, September we were married.
12 years later, 4 wonderful kids, and I wouldn't have it any other way.....it was all so meant to be. I Love you Brent!!!

p.s. sorry no pictures, digitals cameras weren't back then and I haven't scanned any, I will have to soon so you can see how Brent still looks as young today as he did then!

p.s.s I am considering going private, if you are interested in keeping up, leave me your email

p.s.s.s the same day we met was the same day he decided to go back to church and become active, just hours before I met him. What a day!!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T08:57:00.000-06:00

Birthday, Activity, Pictures, Etc, Etc.

2009-12-09T13:19:00.006-06:00

Sarah recently turned 3 the day after thanksgiving. It was a long awaited day. Here is my poor, poor attempt at making a cake at my in-laws. It fell completely apart in the back so I tried to disguise it. It was Yummy though. I made the frosting with chocolate and powdered sugar and it was MMMMMMM. I am no cake decorator though.

Sarah didn't care what it looked like she just wanted to eat the frosting.

Blowing out the candles

Now she is going to stick her finger in it

Sarah didn't sleep so well the night before so she had a nap on her birthday. When she woke up I told her now she was 2 again, just to tease her since she has been so excited to turn 3. Now just about every day she asks me if she is still 3.....maybe I shouldn't have teased her?!

It turned out to be a fun day and she got what she asked for, Barbies!

Cheese!

We recently went to a nursing/rehab center to sing Christmas carols for our last of the year primary activity. It went pretty well, it was a good experience and I think the kids had fun.

We also took our Christmas card pictures and here are some of the attempts at getting a good picture. I will post the one we picked after I get them sent out.

This last one was my favorite (but not the one we picked), Daniel was telling us he was done and screaming. It was sooo funny.

Megan's glasses

2009-11-20T09:45:00.002-06:00

I had a feeling Megan might need glasses for quite a while. I got glasses when I was in 4th grade and my eye sight is terrible. I showed the kids when I could see the oven clock clearly and I was pratically right on top of the oven. Megan couldn't see the clock clearly from in our family room so that was my first clue. So we took the kids in last weekend to have their eyes checked and sure enough......glasses are needed. So we got them a couple days ago and she loves them and she lookes adorable and now she can see!!!!

our big cat Winnie, she loves to sit like this and the kids think it is so funny!

and just a cute picture of little boy

Halloween & 29

2009-11-04T06:55:00.003-06:00

The kids had a Halloween parade the day before Halloween and parties at school. They had lots of fun and we were able to go see it and went to both class rooms. That same night they went trick or treating in the COLD weather. The came back with only half full pumpkins but that was just fine. The next day, Halloween, we also went to the ward party where they got lots more.

Joseph in his school parade, He was a great Alien. As he was walking down the school halls he was reaching over and trying to scare the kids going the other way. What a boy!

Our cat, our princess, our cow, and our alien.

Megan with one of her best friends Alana.

Princess and our cow

"What's going on?!"

Eating cookies in Josephs classroom. Sarah wishes she was in kindergarten too.

just a cute picture of our bald bumbo boy! I took him yesterday and had his head shaved, now he just has a whole bunch of fuzz and looks soooo cute.

Sarah has taken to this being a princess quite well. She will even bow to us and she talks like a princess and is soooo adorable.

on another note, I turned 29 on Halloween, not much different yet, but WOW where has time gone that I am only a year away from 30. It seems like it wasn't that long ago I was 17 and getting married and starting a family!

I was looking at a wedding photo the other day and was thinking that I looked younger, just another reminder that I am. Weird!

Fall = Fun

2009-10-29T11:35:00.005-05:00

We carved our pumpkins! I should say I carved our pumpkins this last monday. It was to "Grosssss" for the kids to help. We first carved Megan and Joseph's, Sarah was asleep. They were very excited. Sarah woke up from a late nap and of course wouldn't go to sleep so after we put the other kids to bed, Sarah and I stayed up late and carved hers.

That same day, earlier, we raked our leaves! This is the first time in the 5 1/2 years we have lived here that I felt we needed to rake leaves. And who can't resist taking pictures of babies in leaves and kids jumping in leaves. It was tons of fun!
(take a good look at Megan's long hair.....it isn't so long anymore....)

"I love being outside!!"

Pumpkins!

2009-10-22T11:10:00.002-05:00

He really would have liked to suck on the stem, he went right for it

Megan's birthday & baptism

2009-10-15T11:16:00.004-05:00

Megan turned 8 on Saturday Oct. 10th. I can not believe she is 8 sometimes! She woke up to snow on the ground, I told her I didn't know she also asked for snow for her birthday. She had fun playing and seeing her grandma/pa Schow and opened some presents. She received her very own set of scriptures, a case for them, necklaces, a CTR ring, and scrapbooking items. She loved all of it.

At 3:00 it was time for her baptism. She was very nervous and excited about this. Mostly nervous about going under the water. Before the baptism people started showing up and sitting down and Megan was looking around frantically for Brent. I asked her why she was getting so upset and she told me "because it is time for my baptism and I can't find dad" I could she was getting really nervous. I hugged her for a few minutes and told her to take deep breathes and that we couldn't start her baptism without her dad. She smiled and seemed to calm down a bit. We are so proud of her in taking this first step in following Christ.

This picture was actually taken on sunday.

After her baptism she had a few friends over and lots of family. She received a big quilt shown here from her Grandma Schow and new Webkinz from Grandma Bean, Joseph& Sarah, and one from her best friend Alana, 2 of them were caterpillars. She loved both of them and so now she has twin caterpillars, Fuzzy and Pepper. She also received a beautiful snow globe from our neighbors who came to her baptism, with an angel inside that says Faith and sings a hymn. They also had it engraved with Megan's name and birthday and baptism date on it. We have Wonderful neighbors.

After her baptism at home

Just before her baptism

It was a great baptism and she had a wonderful, very memorable birthday. We were glad we could spend the day with family and friends. It seems like it wasn't that long ago Megan was a sweet little baby with lots of hair and a laid back personality. She has been an easy child from birth. She was always awake and alert wanting to see what was going on around her. To this day she is still a people watcher and seems quiet and shy, of course not like this at home! She is a GREAT big sister and always wants to do her best. We love her sooo sooo much and are soooo proud of who she is becoming!

Eight

2009-10-09T08:01:00.004-05:00

My "little" girl Megan is turning 8 tomorrow and being baptized!!!! Where does the time go?!?!?!

(pictures of tomorrow to follow soon)

pictures

2009-10-03T21:14:00.003-05:00

Daniel sleeping

Daniel in his bumbo, we like to call him Bumbo boy when he is in it.

Watching the cat

Tummy time

Sarah with her friend Laney, having a snack at the park.

More sleeping

They all still love to hold Daniel

I love this one. He was smiling at Megan who was making noises at him and he Loved it!

11 year happenings

2009-09-21T11:51:00.005-05:00

Brent and I celebrated our 11 year anniversary saturday! We got a babysitter (thanks Kate and Chloe!) and we went to dinner with no kids. I believe this is the first time we have ever paid a babysitter to come watch our kids, and 4 kids at that! It was nice to have time to ourselves and it was a delicious dinner at Biaggi's....yum. We don't go out to restaurants very often so when we do it is a treat and always tastes good. (partly because I don't have to cook it!)

Since we have been married:
We had 3 wonderful fun years before we started having kids
had 4 wonderful beautiful kids
had 2 cats and got 2 more (although we could do without the 2 more!)
been on some fun vacations
had Many Many church callings, ward missionaries, ward mission leader, eq president, executive secretary, hight council man (current), enrichment committee, enrichment leader, nursery, RS counselor, primary secretary, primary 1st counselor, primary president (current)
bought a new home together
bought a few cars together
have had wonderful Holidays
established a fun wonderful life together and are looking for many many more to come!

Happening of late:
We bought Halloween costumes this past weekend. I have found that buying or making Halloween costumes a month in advance works best than trying to find costumes a couple weeks before. Megan is going to be a black cat, Joseph an alien (which Sarah is terrified of), Sarah is going to be a Carebear, and Daniel a cow! I can't wait to see them all dressed up together!

Daniel started rolling over the last few days, he can now roll over from his back to his tummy and his tummy to his back. He has some strong legs on him and we won't be surprised if he learns how to crawl at 6 months and walk at 10 months like Megan and Joseph did. He is so adorable!

Sarah's potty training is going so well. She does not like to go potty in a diaper now and hopefully soon she will start going #2 in the potty seat. time....it just takes time. We are so proud of her!

We got our new dishwasher this last week also and I love it! it is so quiet! compared to our other one you had to raise your voice to be heard above it and this one it sounds like a little trickle of water. I also just purchased a new camcorder online that should be here this week! So exciting to get new gadgets!

Megan will be baptized on her birthday Oct. 10th! We are so excited about this and so is she. I can't believe it sometimes.

Life moves so quickly with so many things that go on, but it is all fun to be a part of and I feel so blessed.

Joseph made spaceships out of blocks

These pictures might need some explaining. Megan and Josephs school was renovated this past year and part of the renovation the school wanted to do a fun mural on one of the front halls, so I agreed to be one of the head chairs for the committee to put it together.
We started with nothting, came up with some sort of idea, found a parent from the school who put the design together, found companies that could help, one company donated all the colored tiles! Then during a week at the end of last years school year, the kids were able to place the tiles to make the design.
Then just a couple weeks before school many people got together and put the mural up. The black and white tiles around the mural we called donar tiles, those are tiles that funded the wall, people could buy a tile and have something printed on it and they make up the border. It was a very fun thing to see go from nothing to this. All the pictures on the mural have to do with the school and surrounding neighbrhood and the kids who go there were able to put it together!

We recently went to a cousins wedding and these are pictures from that weekend

Potty Training 101

2009-09-04T10:33:00.003-05:00

Potty training is going GREAT with Sarah! She has picked up on it so quickly. I think it does help that she is the 3rd child I have potty trained but mostly because she is one Smart little stinker! These are a few things that have helped me with potty training (pt) my 3 kids:

first off start talking about pt with your child for WEEKS leading up to it. every time you change a diaper talk about when they are going to wear underwear and start going in the potty seat. Buy pseat way in advance
liken it to everyone else. Mom, Dad, brother, sister, friends, cousins we all use one
Visual -I don't know about everyone else and how they feel about it, but Sarah Loves going into the bathroom with me or her siblings. So she sees what is going on.
Don't fret about pt at night until they are pt during the day
with Joseph I told him every night for a month before he turned 3 that 3year olds don't wear diapers at night so the night of his 3rd bday that was it, I think we had maybe 2-3 accidents but that was it. pick a deadline and prepare them for it, after a vacay, a bday, a special event and go with it.
I think the perfect age is between 2 1/2-3
sometimes you need to take a break for a couple hours during the day. Not all day though. Sarah has problems going #2 since she was about 1, and she like most kids pt are scared to go #2. this is a great time to give them a break every now and then, encourage going in the pseat but also don't push it to much. I found with Megan she was going #1 all the time but when it came to #2 she would go and hide and most kids have a certain time of day that they are regular with 2, so with Meg I put a potty seat in her closet (that's where she always hid to go) so I showed her what to do and she started doing it all by herself, in her closet. Once she was comfortable with that I moved it into the bathroom and told her she could just go hide in there and go. Still working on this with Sarah but we will get there. Hiding helps I think though.
that brings me to the next point, have multiple pseats, one in the family room, bathrooms, where ever needed.
sometimes the BIG toilet can be intimidating, I recommend starting with a little one then going to one that you can take on and off the big one, then when they are comfortable enough just using the BIG one by itself.
sorry pull-ups but you are of no use to me when pt. I have found that you hinder rather than help so I go straight with underwear to wear all day long and a diaper at night, May sound a bit crazy but I even keep them in underwear when running errands and nap times. We have had accidents but a change of clothes and a little encouragement to tell you next time helps. I have bought a pkg of pull-ups and I think we have used 1 this week in the pt process on the 1st day so she wouldn't have an accident while I was upstairs getting ready for the day, but she pulled it down and went like she was supposed to, so with Sarah I am not using them. Maybe for traveling this weekend but they can be soooo expensive compared to diapers.
I know it seems like a pain but at first take them to the bathroom every 30-60 minutes the first few days and make "do you need to go potty" your everyother sentence.
reward and treats. Stickers are great, she gets one for going 1 and 2 for going#2. Also a treat every now and then helps. a sucker, ice cream for breakfast :), a hershey kiss and LOTS and lots of hugs, kisses, smiles and words of praise and excitement from everyone, even siblings! Sarah gets a new dvd once she is going 1 and 2 all the time and is trying pretty hard to earn it
try to stay close to home or make outings short the first week and just let them wear a shirt and undies
let them take charge. Sarah loves doing it herself, being independent is so rewarding for a 2 year old.
every kid is different, find what works for yours and run with it
i know it can ba discouraging but keep with it, diligence and consistency are everything!

I am no Michelle Duggar who has pt a dozen kids, but I like to think I have experience and when my 3 kids have all been pt in 2 weeks I think I am doing something right. I hope some of this helps others if not it will be helping me in about 2 years for Daniel!

These are just some fin pics of the kids we took last night.

Can we say "I am growing!"

Here We Go!

2009-08-31T08:36:00.002-05:00

The potty training begins! Last night Sarah told me that "when the sun comes up again, I'll wear underwear!" So when the sun came up I took the little potty seat in her room, she sat down and went. I put underwear on her and that is the goal - to keep underwear on her all day, diapers at night, even with accidents we can make this work! Wish me luck!!!!!

First day of school!

2009-08-25T12:53:00.003-05:00

first off we tried to give Daniel a mo-hawk, if you can see it, it looked pretty cute.

Megan started 2nd grade last thursday. She was pretty excited. She has done the whole school thing for 2 years now and knows what to expect but was most excited because her best friend from 1st grade is in her class and they get to sit by each other (at least until the seat change someday)

Joseph on the other hand was a little apprehensive and nervous and "embarrassed" he said. He did go to 2 years of preschool but full day kindergarten with 3 times the kids in his class is a little more than he was comfortable with. I knew it could go 2 ways, I would pick him up and he would LOVE it or he would say it was okay with not a lot of enthusiasm. Luckily it was the 1st of my thoughts and he loved it. He even made 3 new friends on the first day!

Megan at her locker. this is the first year she has had a real locker so this was pretty exciting. I couldn't take any pictures of Joseph at school, he did NOT want me too, to many kids and he was being a bit shy.

I was worried how Sarah would do with them gone all day since she has been so used to being with her wonderful brother and sister all summer long, but she has surprisingly done really well. We play lots of pretend games throughout the day and our trips to the stores keep us busy but she has been doing great. Now I need to start potty training!

and can I just say how much easier it is to go to the store with 2 kids than 4!!!!!!

Fair '09

2009-08-19T07:19:00.007-05:00

We went to the famous Iowa State Fair on monday. It is fun to go but by the end of the day it almost feels like being tortured, being outside for so long and around sooooo many people, with so many different smells and such. I got a headache by the time we were done monday night and I still have it wednesday morning. But we did have fun and it was nice to spend a day out all together.

This is where Daniel spent most of his time.

Sarah went on her first amusement park ride, all by herself. Megan and Joseph were to big. She did pretty good but near the end she was saying she wanted down.

Having lunch on a park bench.

Enjoying ice cream. She wanted that SOOOO bad.

Megan opted out of having ice cream (to full from lunch still) but was sipping on my strawberry milkshake, yummy, and Joesph with a nice mustache

Like father like daughter. (He started it)

Sweet smiling Sarah

In the Animal Learning Center there were little chicks that were so adorable. We watched a few trying to hatch out of eggs, saw chicks waddling around a little "pond" in the picture, saw a video of goats and pigs being born, saw a "magic show", saw baby pigs and goats (the ones on the video being born), and got to smell the combo of all these animals under one roof!

and of course we had to do Little Hands on the Farm.

These are just sweet picture of Daniel smiling and being attentive to us. He is starting to be such a happy little baby, especially after he has been fed.

I wish his shirt said little guy, because that has become his affectionate name we all call him. The kids will say "where's little guy" or "I want to see little guy"

and our tired sleeping little guy!

(can anyone tell me how to add the updates on the blogs that I have listed, tells me when people update there own blog?)

Daniel's blessing day

2009-08-11T15:09:00.002-05:00

This past sunday we blessed Daniel at church. We had my parents, my grandparent(who tagged along with my parents driving out here), Brent's parents and his aunt and uncle come for it. We were so excited to have everyone come and share in this special day, but I am kicking myself that I didn't get any pictures while they were all here with Daniel and the kids. ARRGGG (Grandma Higgins if you have pictures could you send me some?)

Anyway, Brent gave a wonderful blessing and all our prayers were answered that Daniel would not cry and whine during the blessing. He just sat there and looked around at them all apparently. Here are some pictures we did take of him after church in his outfit.
Megan's proud of herself that she can now hold him like this.

Sarah was NOT happy after church, but wanted me to take a picture of her crying.

I love his pouty face in this picture, he was Done taking pictures

Our not so little family anymore

Having family here this weekend wore the kids out. One night after my family left for back to their hotel all the kids fell asleep on the couch.

And last thursday I decided to organize our toys again, a very much needed project. Here is the MESS!!!

You can see the excitement on their faces. They were so excited and kept finding toys they had been looking for!

We lined up all the baskets and 3 (yes 3) Hours later, everything had a home. (some the garbage can or the sell pile for a garage sale next summer!)

and here is a happy picture of our terrible-2's daughter actually happy

2 months

2009-08-04T08:22:00.005-05:00

Daniel is 2 months old and just had his 2 month check up. Crazy that he is already 2 months. Sarah was telling people he was 20, now she says he is 0.

He was 13lbs even (79%), 24.5 inches long (93%), and he sounded and looked healthy they said. Him being my 4th and him acting and growing much like the other 3 makes things a little easier on me. Daniel is such a delight and we enjoy trying to get him to smile and hopefully laugh soon. He gets pretty excited sometimes and lets out little noises that could almost be considered a laugh.

We had family home evening the other night on prayer so the kids made prayer rocks. They were pretty excited to decorate their rocks.

although you can't tell by Joseph's expression here

but Sarah's expressions shows how excited she was!

On a sad note, my brother and sister-in-law lost their twin boys this past week, Kyson Gary and Timothy Trevor. She was about 19 weeks,4 months. We are sad we won't be able to see them grow up in this earth life but are so grateful that we know of our Heavenly Father's plan of eternal families and that someday they can be reunited with them. My heart goes out to them and we wish we were closer to be more support for them but I know they are surrounded by those who love them and we love them too!

Smile

2009-07-24T10:01:00.004-05:00

I finallly caught Daniel smiling. They are just little smiles but so cute!

4th of July parade(I know a little behind)....in the wonderful rain. It couldn't stop Sarah from having fun eating lots of tootsie rolls under the big umbrella!

Megan and Joseph picking up candy off the rain soaked street

I thought this pictures was really cute

Sarah and her wonderful blankeys and elmo cup

I bought a new baby carrier, it's a lot more comfortable to wear. Megan wanted to try it on and put Daniel in it and carry him for awhile. He actually ended up falling asleep.

Precious Daniel sleeping

Exciting things

2009-07-22T08:38:00.005-05:00

#1 My brother and sister-in-law found out yesterday they are having identical twin BOYS! Congrats Trevor and Kristine!! We are so excited to meet them sometime in december (or at least see pictures of them and meet them in person next summer!)
I am sure their smiles are just as big as the day they were married.

#2 My other sister-in-law, Robyn, has written a book and it is now available to read and buy! She has accomplished a life goal in publishing it and she is an amazing writer! I read her book shortly after she wrote her first draft and now that I have my own copy I am excited to read it again. Congrats Robyn!!! check out her blog here. (she also has a screenplay that is being reviewed now, that we are all hoping someday will turn into a movie!)

#3 Daniel started smiling a week or so ago, but now he is really smiling at us. It is the type of smile where you look at him and talk to him and smile at him and he immediately will smile back without much effort. It is pretty darn cute. He has a little dimple on his right cheek when he smiles. I have yet to catch it on camera but I will soon.

#4 My grandparents are coming out for Daniel's baby blessing in August with my parents. It will be so fun to see them again and having lots of family here for a special day.

Some days

2009-07-14T09:53:00.002-05:00

Some days I can pretend I don't see the pile of toys under the couch and lining the bookcase shelves

Most days I would like to throw most of those toys out the window (mostly when I step on them or can't see my floor)

Some days I can give my kids 3 healthy meals and healthy snacks, other days are good "snack" meal days

Some days I think some day I will be able to lose the weight from my pregnancies that I want to lose, most days I think not yet though

Most days I feel I have it together with 4 kids

Some days I can get us all showered/bathed and ready for the day by 10:00am

Most days I can't believe how I met my husband and how wonderfully life has turned out to be with him

Some days I don't feel like a human milk machine....most days I do

Most days I could just sit and stare at all of my beautiful children (especially when they are peacefully sleeping)

Some days I can shower and use the bathroom with no one barging in on me, most days I can't

Most days I have to keep my patience in check (especially with a 2 year old)

Some days I feel as though I accomplished A lot (like walking to the library with all 4 kids and having no problems! and having the kids tell me that was sooooo much fun)

Most days I don't have a clean house

Some days I try to clean the house

Most days I am soooo thankful for where I live

Some days we try to get chores done and the kids learn to earn money by being responsible, most days it seems to busy to get chores done (at least right now)

Some days I feel like I have been a good daughter, sister, mother, wife and friend

All days I look back on the day and think "I have given all that was in me today, I don't have a clean house and I didn't get much "me" time, but I spent my time enjoying my children and teaching them and talking to them and listening to them and caring for their needs. Tomorrow will come and I will do the same"

I would not change any of this for the world...........what a blessed life I have

Cousins come to visit!!!

2009-07-03T09:33:00.008-05:00

My brother, Bob, and sister-in-law, Robyn and their 4 kids, Ambri, Jarem, Emmy, and Jaxon came to visit recently. We all had a great time. It was a full house but we were glad they stayed with us so we could see them more. Here are pictures, lots of pictures:

with 8 kids and 4 adults, the house got somewhat messy and sometimes a few cartoons were needed for peace and quiet....at least for a few minutes.

there was lots of baby holding

and love between all

some dancing

and fighting :)

actually none of them fought, only between regular sibling squables, cousins didn't fight with each other

some good mall playing

we got lots of pics, but I think this is the only one with all of them in it cooperating at the Science Center

Daniel hanging out

Big Bubbles

Trapping Jarem

at the zoo

I love these two pictures, top and bottom, the bottom you can see just about all of us

notice Sarah taking a picture also with her nemo pretend camera

Daniel sleeping away...I love his little face!

and this was sleeping arrangements, with Sarah and Jaxon on the floor. All cousins, minus Daniel, having a sleepover!

Thanks for coming guys, we had soooo much fun and we will have great memories to last a lifetime!

Highlights

2009-06-25T21:42:00.002-05:00

these are highlights of the last 3 weeks:

-Joseph told me "You haven't been this skinny for a loooong time!"

-Sarah announced to a hallway full of people that "This is my brother Daniel. He came out of mommy's butt!"

-My parents came to visit and the kids really enjoyed it. Didn't get any pictures. I am a slacker.

-Sleep deprivation is my middle name, but somehow I manage to cope during the days and nights.

-I have healed more quickly than all the other 3 deliveries.

-Sarah doesn't like to keep clothes on and is definitely in the TERRIBLE 2's.

-Megan can't get enough of Daniel and how "cute he is"....I would have to agree.

-Friends and neighbors have been so kind and helpful...thank you everyone!

-One of the days, I was able to shower and give all 4 kids a bath by 10:30am. It was a great accomplishment but boy was I tired by noon!

-Sarah thinks I wear diapers now too, can't wait until that stops.

-Joseph is going to Safety Town to prepare for kindergarten and having lots of fun.

I'll post some pictures later....right now I am too tired and have to put 3 kids to bed in time for 1 to wake up and be fed and up for another hour or so.

Prayer

2009-06-15T09:17:00.002-05:00

This was Sarah's bedtime prayer last night with absolutely NO help from anyone on what to say:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank thee for this day, bless that the sun can come up, bless that we can go to the rainbow place again, bless that we can watch the new max and ruby show tomorrow, in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Sarah talk

2009-06-11T11:42:00.002-05:00

Sarah usually talks pretty clearly and says words the way they are supposed to be said and used. Lately though she is saying evil for able. It is really cute to hear.

"when the sun comes up, we will be evil to have breakfast!!!"

This is what she said last night before going to bed.

Next post....first week with 4 kids or putting down all 4 pregnancy, labor and delivery experiences so I can keep them all straight since they are fresh on the mind now.

Welcoming Daniel Jacob

2009-06-04T15:37:00.005-05:00

Caution this post is long. I wanted to record the day and what we went through and we all know a blog is a good way to do that.

We went to the hospital on monday night for a scheduled induction. We arrived there around 8:00pm. The plan: give me a pill to soften the cervix, start petocin when softened, break my water in the morning and have baby boy.

The tuesday before, I was barely dialated to a 1 and not softened at all. That whole next week I tried the raspberry teas followed by warm baths, I tried essential oils in the bath and mixed in with lotion and the ever familiar "what got you into this, will get you out of this" says my doctor. Which all of these are supposed to start labor. Labor never started, so I thought......

So we get to the hospital and by 9 (some times are approxiamate) I was admitted in my room with my beautiful gown on, after 3 attempts and a huge goose egg of blood (ouch, ouch and ouch!) on my left hand, had my iv line in and hooked up to the monitors, which showed I was having contractions maybe every 10-15 minutes. Which surprised me, I thought I was just uncomfortable and they weren't really painful, but I had been feeling them all day.

I can't believe I posted this picture. It makes me look HUGE, but I didn't feel that huge.

They finally checked me around 10 and lo and behold I was dilated to a 5 and mostly softened! What!? I guess all the things I tried worked somewhat. The nurse called the doc and he said give me petocin at midnight and they would break my water either when I progressed or at 7 tuesday morning.

After starting petocin the nurse turned it up every 15 minutes along with my blood pressure thing going off every 15 minutes it was a night with very little sleep. Come 6am I was still dilated to a 5 and contractions were gone. :(
The doc came in and broke my water at 7:31. Now you have to understand, with all my babies, they have broken my water and QUICKLY, 2 hours or less, they have all been born. The nurse that came in at 7 had been told this and took it very seriously, unlike the doc.

It was the same with Daniels birth. About a minute after my water breaking, contractions kicked in STRONG. I had told them I wanted/needed that epidural and was worried when they wouldn't let me get it before they broke my water, that I wouldn't get to have it at all since I was already at a 5.

Thank Heavens the anesth. doc was just around the corner and was in the room less than 10 minutes after! So I was numb and couldn't feel the contractions! But I could feel pressure like crazy. OUCH x 1000. I need to remember how bad that hurt, even with the epidural, just in case I think I want more.

So at about 8:45 I was at a 10. I could feel MAJOR pressure and wanted to push, but my doc had just let the office....in West Des Moines.....and had at least a 10 minute drive and I and the nurse had been instructed not to push until he got there. I guess he likes to walk in and catch the baby and walk out. (I really do love my doctors, but when your in labor and want to push but can't because they aren't there.....makes you not like them so much at the time)

After the doc walked in I said I couldn't wait, it was soooooooo painful and I had to push, so after 2 contractions and about 4 pushes during those contractions little Daniel was born weighing 8lbs 15 oz - which sometimes they rounded up to 9lbs and 21 inches long. We are so happy he is here and we finally get to enjoy him.....and I am glad he is out and healthy and now we are at home recovering. It is a very nice hospital and all the nurses were Fantastic but nothing beats home sweet home.

Lovely closed eyes picture. When he was coming out the doc asked if I wanted to see, I was in so much pain it hurt to even open my eyes and I was a little out of it after.

The kids coming to see him for the first time.

Joseph wasn't wanting to cooperate and be in many pictures.

First bath

He has some pretty cute hair that sticks up.

Right after I turned the video off, Sarah said "He is just so cute!"

a Good Day

2009-06-01T08:40:00.004-05:00

It is a monday rainy morning and I thought I would list the things that would be good to do today:

- pick up house

-vacuum

- wash the bedding

- go to grocery store (hopefully in between bouts of rain)

- Spend time with kids

- greet mother-in-law into home to stay for a few days

- clean kitchen

-take a little nap if time allows (since I woke at 3:00am and didn't sleep again until 5:30am)

- maybe go to t-ball game (if rain lets up)

- go to hospital at 7:30pm

- have a baby before midnight

- if not before midnight sometime tonight or tomorrow morning

I thought this sounded like a great list a things to accomplish on a rainy monday! Don't you think?!

a few pictures:

Sarah took this one of me at the park, no belly shot, maybe if I feel not so huge today I will let her take a belly shot of me before going to the hospital. She did a pretty good job on this one.

Messy hair Sarah! So adorable!

As always the laughing goofy Joseph!

And sweet adorable Megan posing!

Next post: pictures and details of newest addition to the family, Daniel Jacob!

the latest

2009-05-26T16:15:00.003-05:00

The latest with us:

- Joseph is done with pre-school. Yay! He is very excited to be done.

- I am not progressing yet. If I don't go into labor by Monday June 1st, I can go in and be induced that night, 7:30, there is an end in sight! I still hope I go into labor myself before then.

- We went to Brent's parents for Memorial day, had a good day there. took 2 little naps :) Kids played, grilled out, spent some good quality time with Uncle Chad and saw a newborn baby kitten, born probably just an hour or two before, my in-laws took it in because the mother abandoned it.

- Megan is remembering the baby kitten in all her prayers. At one point they thought it was dead and she was so upset and crying. A couple hours later they went to take care of it and it moved and meowed. She was soooo excited.

- Finally finished getting ready for Daniel. Crib ready, bassinet ready, clothes ready, diapers bought, all feminine products stocked up on, now we just need baby.

- Had a successful primary activity saturday. Glad it went well.

- The kids are going to be in bed and asleep everday by 8:30. This is my goal, since lately they have been going to bed later than 9:00.

- it is 4:30 right now and I am already to send them to bed ;)

- Just found out my brother and his wonderful sweet wife are having TWINS!!!!!!! Congrats Trevor and Kristine!!!!!!!

thank heavens

2009-05-18T09:04:00.002-05:00

Megan's teacher informed me that she was 1 out of 4 out of the 23 students who did not get sick! Thank Heavens!!!!!! (HUGE sigh of relief)

This weekend I used my valentines gift from Brent and the kids.....a pre-natal massage. Our neighbor is a massage therepist that specializes in this. It was sooo nice! If you are expecting or know someone who is I HIGHLY recommend our neighbor Christine and a massage. It is in her home and she just started her business I believe a little over a year ago. She also does post-natal and infant massage. I think I will have to return after this baby boy is born and my aching back isn't carrying around so much baby weight! check her out here! Soooo worth it.

The massage was so nice but I messed it all up by cutting down my rose bushes saturday night. They were big last year and I didn't cut them down enough so this year when they started growing all the long stuff was still dead with new growth under all of it. They are thorny, thorny, thorny, and I had to cut them down into little pieces to fit them into the yard waste bag and the bag still tore! Argggg they do look alot better now though.

Anyway, I have hopefully less than two weeks left in this pregnancy! We are getting so anxious to meet the little guy. If there is any news I will update as soon as I can.
Sorry these posts have no pictures lately. I will have to upload some soon.

knock on wood again and pray really hard...and sanitize

2009-05-14T08:44:00.002-05:00

Megan has 23 kids in her 1st grade class. Yesterday she came home and told me that there were only 6 kids there yesterday. What?!?! I thought she must be mistaken. Then she told me that there were originally 9 but 3 went home sick so by the end of the day there were only 6!
6 out of 23 kids?!

In her backpack was a note from the principal confirming this. They think it is the Norovirus. The day before most kids were there, the day after, they were all sick (2 on vacation). Has me a little worried. Hopefully and prayfully my Megan (and the rest of us at home) will continue to have strong immune systems and not get sick!

6 out of 23 not sick! WOW!

Knock on wood

2009-05-12T13:25:00.002-05:00

We are hardly ever sick. I don't remember the last time we missed church due to someone being sick in our household. Usually when we do miss church it is because we are out of town or I have had a baby.

Joseph had a runny nose lately, just barely, it would be runny to the end of his nose then dry up quickly. He passed this on to Sarah, although she had clear runny nose for maybe a day and a half, then passed it on to Brent, who bless him, is miserable.
Anyway, Sarah woke me at 4:30am this morning whimpering. She had wrapped herself in her blankey and when I took her to lay down again, started cry/screaming. When I finally got her to calm down she said her ear hurt. Mind you, this girl NEVER complains unless something is really wrong.

I ended up coming downstairs with her, giving her medicine and we rocked and told stories and I tried to keep her cozy in between bouts of crying and just laying on my lap. Finally at around 9:00am she fell asleep. I had called the doc for a 10:50am appt.
I always think, I am just worrying to much? will this go away on its own? We hardly ever go to the doc. and this time I knew I wasn't worrying to much and this most likely wouldn't go away on its own. If it was an ear infection, she needed meds.

I grew up with ear infections and had them ALL the time, so I completely sympathize. Still to this day if I get a cold and don't constantly blow my nose, I will get an ear infection. Thankfully my kids have not inherited this from me.

So I took Sarah in....and as we are waiting she is happy and active and acts completely normal. I just love when that happens...it makes you think "was she really crying and screaming just an hour ago?" "did I really need to bring her in?".....well, her ear drum burst sometime between this morning and the doc. visit. She had a whole bunch of drainage in her poor ear. I felt soooo bad. I had NO clue. She has acted like her happy self this whole time and if her ear ever hurt before this, she never told us. (and this girl is smart enough to tell us). She told the dr. all about everything she could think of, so he saw that she was probably in pain but acted totally happy.

Now she is peacefully sleeping and hopefully will stay that way for a couple of hours. Maybe I could get a nap too?!

So here is to 10 days on meds, $60 for ear drops to help her ear drum heal, praying Brent feels better soon and knock on wood that me and Megan avoid this cold, especially before baby Daniel comes!

100th post!

2009-05-08T15:59:00.002-05:00

I just saw that this is my 100th post! Craziness.

I thought I would post my to do list before baby comes:

a Dr.'s appt every week starting next wednesday.....Home Stretch!!!!!

pull up car seat from basement

install car seat base in van

pull up baby boy clothes from 0-12 months

wash the clothes that I will need (if needed)

3 dentist appt.'s for the kids

dr.'s appt. for Joseph's 5 year check-up

spring clean baseboards and doorways from dirty kid hands getting them all grimmy (try)

clean out pantry

numerous t-ball games

finish registration papers for school next year for Megan and Joseph

find a story or write one for primary activity on May 23rd

I am sure there is more I want or need to get done, but this is just what I can think of right now. and with all this I am hoping he comes early! Wish me luck!

blurred vision

2009-04-30T10:41:00.003-05:00

If you know me well, you know I wear contacts and glasses. I have had glasses since 3rd or 4th grade, the big ugly brown and clear, covers half your face kind. Then I finally convinced my parents to get me contacts when I was in 7th grade...I think. My vision is pretty bad, if I am not wearing either of these I can not see anything clearly, -4.50 and -5.00, I believe is the vision in my eyes. So I wear my contacts during the day and my glasses in the morning and at night.

I don't know how I did it, but I didn't have glasses from the time I got married (to embarressed to wear ugly big glasses I still had) to the time that I had Joseph. Just contacts. This meant that while I was pregnant with Megan and when I would have to get up in the middle of the night with her, I was pratically blind. Good thing I knew the way around our house just fine.

So I finally got glasses before I had Joseph, I would need them. Moving into a new house shortly after he was born and needing to get up again, I needed to be able to see. I can see when I get up in the middle of night now, but sometimes, since I know my way around, I don't put them on, so my vision is blurry combined with darkness, things are even more blurry.

The other night Sarah got up, she cries in her bed, I go in, without my glasses, and lay down with her. She usually goes to sleep again pretty quickly. This night she did, she curled up after I put the blankets on her. I was already awake when she woke up so I wasn't in any hurry to head back to bed where I would just lay there awake....thanks pregnancy insomnia. I laid there and looked at Sarah and felt little Daniel moving inside me....he was awake too. We have often wondered, like other expecting parents if he will look the same as our other kids did when born. As I looked at Sarah, with my blurred vision, she looked JUST like one of the 3D ultrasound pictures we have of Daniel,. It was so adorable, it was like a little glimpse of what is to come. I think he WILL look a lot like his brother and sisters.....can't wait to see him, cross my fingers, in about 4 weeks!

Megan, Sarah and Joseph

Daniel

PICTURES....it's about time

2009-04-25T17:00:00.004-05:00

It has been over a year (and maybe a half) that we have taken the kids for "professional" pictures. So on our day off on friday we jammed the day with first picture takings, then science center, then a play to go see one of Megan's best friends, then opening ceremonies for baseball, then finally home to relax! (I was so exhausted I couldn't do anything that night!)

Here are the pictures we had taken, we were very happy with them!
We have a cd with all the pictures on them and I included some funny ones and some that we purchased. (click on them to see them bigger, some of their facial expressions are priceless)

Got this one....she needs her bangs cut. (maybe in another 5 months, hopefully, after Daniel comes and is a couple months old, they will be shorter)

Got this one for our wall.

Got this one because it is sooooo her.

Loved this one, but didn't get it.

We got this one and the one of Joseph standing in a collage and love it!

Got this one of our 2 precious girls!

Hope you enjoyed seeing them. We had fun picking them out!

Today

2009-04-22T16:07:00.002-05:00

1. Megan likes to bring a stuffed animal on the bus just about everyday. She is on the bus in the afternoon for about 30 minutes and it helps pass the time. This morning she gets ready, goes down to the bus stop, I always watch her from our front window until she is on the bus and it goes past our house. So I am watching out our window and the bus stop sign and lights come on as it gets to our house and I think "did the bus driver not see Megan get on the bus and think she is still home?" If she misses the bus at the corner, he will pick her up at our drive way and he always drops her off at our drive way instead of the corner.
So I see Megan get off the bus and come running up to the house, I open the door and ask "what are you doing?" She forgot her stuffed animal....so the bus driver let her get off and come in and get it!!! Can you believe that? He is a great bus driver. I really need to think of a gift to give him at the end of the year to thank him for being so great.

2. This I am embarrassed to admit. I was at Walmart and I was in a little hurry, I had 20 minutes to get what we needed and to be on my way to get Joseph from preschool. I had my sunglasses in my back pocket (that I got for mother's day last year, expensive ones) and as we were headed out, they weren't there!!! I look in my pockets, not there, look in the cart, not there. So I back track some of my steps and can't find them, I go to customer service, they don't have any lost sunglasses, so I leave my info in case they are brought in.
We are walking out and I let out my monster growl, Sarah asks why I am mad. I tell her I lost my sunglasses. So we walk to the van and I go to pull out my keys and low and behold, my sunglasses come out with them!!! I don't know how I missed them. I felt so lame. I put them on and Sarah says "you found them!"

Nothin' to Blog about

2009-04-21T16:18:00.004-05:00

Not much has happened lately. Just the usual everyday happenings. Yesterday I felt morning sick all over again and actually lost my breakfast, then got a major headache. Wasn't to fun.

We had pre-school conferences with Joseph's teacher last friday and she said his alphabet and number skills are Excellent. Which we already knew since he is constantly reading words where ever we are. The last one we had with her seemed so negative because he is shy at school and doesn't want to participate in activities until he sees them done a couple times. Did she want him to get all roudy and not listen like the other 5 boys in his class? We were a little confused about that. He participates more now but if he doesn't feel comfortable he won't do it. I don't see the point in making a 4/5 year old in pre-school being forced to participate.
Anyway, we know he is a smart kid and I think when it comes to kindergarten he will join in more often. He doesn't really like preschool but claims he will LoVe kindergarten.

On another note I have been doing really good on washing all our laundry and folding it and putting it away all in 1 or2 days for 2 weeks in a row now. This is a major accomplishment. I usually let 3-4 loads sit there for a few days before I even attempt to put it away. It feels good to get it all done and put away on about a days time!

Sarah has figured she can now get up and out of bed whenever she wants, i.e. 3:40am, 4:45am, 6:15am......Hopefully she will have a growth spurt soon and sleep and sleep and sleep.........

Megan has now decided that doing homework is fun. To bad the school year is just about over!

Sorry if you read all this, I told you there was nothin' to blog about. :)