Who are all these girls, and Why are They Calling ME, MOM????

Mom....Of...The....Year.

2012-01-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

Paige broke her pinky finger! Isn't that sad!? Yes, I think so.

The worst part about this, for me anyway, is my award part of it. Yes folks, January 21, 2012 and I'm already looking to win "Mom of The Year." What qualifies one for such a high honor?

Well, just this: So, Paige started mentioning sometime last week that her finger hurt, that even her wrist and the side of her hand was bothering her. As much as I love this kid, she kinda complains a lot about things in general, so being always busy cooking, cleaning and the like I kind of said, "Oh, I'm really sorry honey but I'm sure you'll be okay." It was mentioned, in passing several times.

Sooooo...fast forward to last night when Paige was kinda whiny and tired and the like before Shad and I went out for a late dinner. We were in our bedroom watching TV (it's date night!) She came up and kind of crying told me, "Mom! My finger REALLY hurts and it's swollen and bruised!" I said, "Come here, let me see this finger!" She did. I paled.

The finger in question was rather swollen, black and blue, and generally not looking like a finger that should have been ignored for three days! I felt terrible! Also, just to add icing on the cake, I asked her how she knew it was "swollen." I mean, does a nine year old know what that means? She responded and said, "Oh - yeah, my teacher looked at it and told me." Wow. I'm all kinds of awesome. And her teacher knows it.

She was very tired last night and it was late so I took her to the doctor this morning and they X-rayed it and found a little V-shaped brake just below the second joint. It's splinted and will be for four weeks. And I.....well, I will be a better, more attentive Mom in the future!

I "pinky" promise. :/

Weighty matters.

2012-01-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

Even if you do.

Right?

SO, anyone who knows me, or has ever read this blog knows that weight is my mountain. I lost 154 pounds and kept it off for over two years. Well, due to many circumstances(including CRAPPY, crappy health UGH!) I have put back on quite a bit of poundage. I've decided recently (due to my self-hatred regarding this) that I am going to get healthy again. It's never really been about the number on the scale or on the tag on my jeans but it's hard to not think and or fixate on this. The bottom line is, right now...I'm a mess. I'm unhappy with my life as it is and it's time to reclaim my control. Being overweight is not good for me. Period. End of story.

I wish it was easier. I have SO many obstacles, more now than ever, but I am armed for the task and at this I MUST not fail. I need to be the champion of my past. No. I WILL be the champion again. My weight is not WHO I am so why does it affect me SO much? When I'm like this I feel like people cast quick judgments and even if they don't, I do it myself, for them. I feel like I'm not worthy of friends. Who would want to be my friend? I feel like everyone else is better than me. I feel like I embarrass my children and my husband because of the way I look. I feel, well defeated.

The sad thing is..as hard as I try to not make this about the numbers my girls might believe otherwise. They hear everything I say, but worse, they SEE. This morning my four beautiful elementary school girls surrounded me at the breakfast table as I fought to get my MAJORLY unwanted bowl of oatmeal down. Last time around I did a lot of things the wrong way. I acknowledge that and think that is one of the reasons I believe, I never reached my goal weight. I did a lot of just not eating, especially skipping breakfast. I'm trying not to do that, and it's hard. But anyway, I told my girls as I finished that I was going to get healthier if it killed me.

At the sink as I washed my emptied bowl out I overheard my beautiful Jillian say, "Mommy wants to be skinny. Skinny. Skinny. Skinny. That is good." My heart broke a little. I corrected her, "No, Jillian. Mommy wants to be healthy. I want a healthy heart." I even went so far as to explain about your heart pumping and everything. In the end I hope she heard me. I don't want my girls to battle food the way that I do. Every day. Every breath. It's SO exhausting.

So, how do you instill in your children the importance of being healthy without making it about weight? When it comes down to it, it IS A LOT about weight. How do I help them overcome this battle that I wage? How do I change my own mind so that I believe it isn't just about the number as well. I know they will hear what I say to them, but I know they will hear what I don't say to them even more. And, at the end of the day, I'm trying to lose weight.

So, now that I've shared publicly my embarrassment at gaining to begin with I'm laying out some ground rules. If I write them here you(my 1 or 2 readers that is) can all hold me responsible. Right?

RULE #1 NO skipping meals.

RULE #2 ABSOLUTELY NO skipping meals (AKA starving myself.)

RULE #3 See 1 and 2.

I wonder if you can tell what I did last time? It is what it is. I am not my past. I am my future.

PS....please comment. I'd love to hear other people's opinion on this.

Hats Off.....er -- On??

2011-11-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

To Kenzie! She and I went to Target late one night last week and we had to wait around for our prescriptions. Now, I've always said and thought that my Celia would be my "fun" one as far as her love of jewelry, accessories, makeup, hair, fashion, etc. I think I may have been too quick on that assumption. It turns out Kenzie is just as fun and she's awesome good fun to shop with. It's awesome to see how everybody has different personalities but that doesn't make one better than the other and it's a fabulous thing to realize how wonderful that can be! What fun we had with our hat fashion show! What a fun "nearly sixteen year old" daughter I have been blessed with! :D

Why just drink out of a cup.....

2011-10-23T19:00:00.001-07:00

When you can quadruple-sip from a vat?? Yes, my kids are sipping Sierra Mist from straws out of a huge bowl. Why? Well, because....they....can. In an attempt at healthier snacking for the kiddos I spent Saturday afternoon slicing apples and then soaking them for 10 minutes in Sierra Mist. This(according to this here interwebs)prevents browning without affecting the flavor of the apples. And after I was done with that the children begged to drink the remaining beverage out of the soaking bowl. I thought it was nasty, the water didn't look all that appetizing to me afterwards but they were all about it....so, against my better judgement, I let them. But I gotta admit, they are pretty darn cute! :D

Beauty...

2011-10-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Is in the eye of the beholder....and I think these girls are the very meaning of beautiful. Kenzie has got amazing artistic talent and she took this picture a few weekends ago and then edited it amazingly well. I just, absolutely, unequivocally, love these beautiful girls and all they bring to my life as their Mother. They each have a different personality and it's great how their personalities show here in this snapshot of our life!

Still Alive!

2011-10-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

It's been a YEAR! Oh man - how does that happen??? I don't know, maybe it's being Mom, Wife, Friend, Chef, Laundress, Author-Wannabe....maybe, just maybe?? So, I'm gonna be better, I promise. I'm back and I'm gonna be A LOT better! To start off fresh I thought I would post the girls school pictures. I only have the four younger girls because the older girls had picture days while we were in Michigan for my brother's wedding and we don't have them yet!

Emma Claire is our big 6th grader this year. It's her last year in Elementary School and I think she's pretty happy about that. She's 11 and fabulous!

Paige Kat is now 9! Her birthday was last Friday(October 7) Paige is in 3rd grade! Wow!

Jillian Danielle and Becca Grace are 6 1/2. They are in first grade, which is completely unbelievable to me. It's a whole new world for me having no kiddos at home during the day! I kinda like it though!

Here's our lovely Celia Anne, who was super excited for her first day of 7th grade. She's thrilled to be in Middle School and feeling grown-up! She will be 13 on November 9.

And of course Kenzie Ciarra, who was extremely thrilled to have this photo taken of her on her first day of 10th grade. She is attending Herriman High School this year and seems to like it so far. Fingers crossed! She will be 16 November 21! Still no learners permit so she won't be getting her drivers license but hopefully she'll get that permit soon! In Utah the law says she must have it for 6 months in order to apply for a Drivers License.

So, That's us......and now we are current! I'll be here again soon! Promise!

On her honor...

2010-10-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

She will try! Emma has been in Girl Scouts for several years ad she had a great time. Look at all she did! We are kind of sad it's over but she sure had fun while she did it!

About a broom....

2010-09-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

A broom is surprisingly awesome these days in my house. Because, other than it's awesome "ride-ability" (Not that I would know anything about that and DON"T ask my kids....they wouldn't have anything to say about that!) it has magical memory-invoking powers! Now you get a story! I bet you're excited! I am, cuz this is GOING TO BE PUBLISHED! Yeah, it's on the internet and it's free and I have no agent, but I'm focusing on the positive here!!! Stay with me! Commence story-telling......now:

One day a few months ago my awesome hubby and I went out to the store leaving our eager and wonderful Celia in charge. When we arrived at our home we entered and were pretty much blown over by an odor. Now when I say odor you are probably thinking it's bad and, well, it was perfume. Perfume generally smells good, however, when you walk in your home and are veritably blown over by the smell then I think it qualifies as an odor, yes? So, the perfume was just wafting ALL over the house. Celia informed us tat while she was helping one of the twins brush their teeth they had knocked over my prized bottle of Bijan perfume.

Why you may ask is this a prized item? I really don;t actually like the smell that much anymore honestly. It was almost full and has been hanging out on my bathroom counter for several years rarely ever getting its chance to shine as my main great smelly stuff. When my husband and I were talking of marriage and all that we went ring shopping. We went to a local store called Ari Diamonds in Ogden Utah, which was close to his place of employment which at the time was America Online. (Yeah..WOW...flashback!!) Anyway, This perfume was in that jewelry store and I found a ring there I LOVED with every inch of my little 21-year-old heart. So, I also loved the perfume. And, why not? We left without purchasing anything that day but my heart was hopeful that young man would get it right. I left the following day to return to my normal life in Michigan, sad that I would not be able to spend valentines day with aforementioned young man. It was only three days away and I'd just left UT where I'd been to attend his Grandfathers funeral, so us spending the holiday together was clearly not going to happen.

I worked that Friday(valentines day 1997) and could not get a hold of my love all day. I was sad and even a little angry at his lack of contact on this day of hearts. When I walked in the door that night after work I was greeted by that very awesome young man! He two of the best things in life on his person when he opened the door, my little Kenzie and a dozen roses! Yeah...that's the way he rolls. He is awesome. All was forgiven. He and I went out to the Amway Grand Plaza hotel that evening to celebrate the hearts day.
So, at dinner with all this I was thinking, everything is perfect for him to have a ring. Not to mention that he kept dropping hints and all. So when he said, "I really want to spend eternity with you and I wonder if this will help convince you to spend it with me." while simultaneously reaching into his pocket and pulling out.....WHAT??? A box that's dimensions were a bit large for that of a tiny little ring box. And I knew he didn't have the time to get the ring I wanted anyway so if he did bring me a ring I knew it wouldn't be the one I REALLY wanted...but anyway, what a freaking let-down when I opened the gift and found the jewelry store perfume inside. "Yeah. I want to spend eternity with you too but come on!!!"
So, we finished dinner and walked out by the fountain where I sat down. He then says, "Oh, you know, funny thing.....they gave me this with that perfume." A little, black velvet box!!!! JUST right....he hits his knee and the rest is history. But anyway, so, you now see why the perfume is prized, right? (What can I say, I like long explanations!!!)

So, back to the broom. Daughter, Celia said she had cleaned up all the perfume which did worry us a tiny bit seeing as how the house smelled as if it might have been bathed in Bijan from floorboard to ceiling after her "cleaning". We went up to out bedroom and found that she had done a pretty decent job of cleaning up all the mess and had just thrown the perfume soaked towels into our dirty laundry hampers in the master bath-room. She'd swept up the broken glass and everything.

So, why is sweeping just awesome since then you may ask? Well, every time I sweep (as I was doing earlier today)I get to remember the whole engagement scenario. The perfume has bonded itself in some strange way to the broom fibers and sweeping is a lovely, scented experience! LOL It's awesome! Who knew a broom could be so completely awesome! Right??

Moments in Motherhood....

2010-09-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

I'd rather be a mother than anyone on earth
Bringing up a child or two of unpretentious birth...
I'd rather tuck a little child all safe and sound in bed
than twine a chain of diamonds about my [carefree] head.
I'd rather wash a smudgy face with round, bright, baby eyes
Than paint the pageantry of fame or walk among the wise.

-- Meredith Gray

Ain't LIFE SWEET! YES! It is! :)

When I get down....

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

In the mood sense that is, (I'm a pretty kick@$$ dancer and all, but that's for another post;)
So anyway....I work out: HARD. I try to eat right:HARD. I feel like my life is an eternal treadmill or spin bike and I'm on a road that never ends. Hate that. But when "I can't_____________" starts to creep into my vocabulary I think of one person. This guy is amazing to me. I don't think he knows the meaning of the word "Can't". He is an athletic inspiration to me and every-time I think about it..I know...oh - YES....YOU CAN!

How did this happen??

2010-08-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

I brought home a tiny little baby girl from the hospital yesterday....or was it? It sure seems like it. Except today I drove the mature, beautiful, almost 15 year-old young woman to a large school building and left her there for the day. The sign said High School! REALLY???? Wow. Not sure how it happened but it did and she's a pretty darn amazing daughter! Hope her Freshmen year is fabulous! (and nothing like mine....YIKES!;)

What's better???

2010-08-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Than a birthday package from Grammy and Popup??? Not a whole lot! Emma awaited her package of goodies all week and when it came her absolute thrill was so fun! Thanks Mom and Dad for making her month/year!!! She loved her things and you are so generous!!!! We love you!

Why......????

2010-08-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

doesn't money grow on trees?
can't kids stay little forever?
can't laundry EVER be DONE?
can't I eat whatever I want, without consequence?
can't exercise come to me?
isn't life easier?
am I not ok, just being who I am?
am I not a better Mom?
am I not a better wife?
aren't there more hours in a day?
can't everyone just get along?
do friends have to grow apart?
can't hearts never break?
do the young die?
can't my book magically get from my brain to the page?
am I NOT PUBLISHED yet?
is "it" SO darn hard sometimes?

Don't know why...today is just one of those days. Sorry folks. Tomorrow will be better, promise. :/

Imagine!

2010-08-08T17:05:00.001-07:00

I was in the bathroom this morning getting ready for church and Becca had put a towel in between her little legs and said, "Look, Mommy! I'm riding a horse!" At the time I was annoyed and told her to quit messing around. Later as I sat reflecting I thought about what an amazing thing her imagination is. She is always dreaming up something amazing from a simple thing. After the "horse" conversation she had a headband down around her chin and said, "I have a lovely beard!" He he he :D How can I not stop and giggle a little at the wonder of what she dreams up. To her everything is open to interpretation. I love that! I remember a time(vaguely;) when I used to imagine a lot of things! Children are some of the Lord's greatest gifts because their view of things is not jaded by life experience and/or other peoples opinions. To them everything is a new adventure and around every corner may be a wonderful thing! As a 34-year old woman I very often take things way too seriously. But from now on, instead of getting irritated with my beautiful little Becca, I'm going to try to embrace her adorableness and see if I can view life the way she sees it, if only for a few minutes! Thanks Becca for making me remember and making me giggle again!

Lagoon July 6, 2010

2010-07-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

This was what we did on the first day of our official vacation (stay-cation)! It was a super fun day! The twins had never been to Lagoon and most of the other kids didn't even remember the last time! We had a blast! The older girls went off and did their own thing a lot so most of our pics are of the younger three.

Visit with Alvesteffers!

2010-07-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

We had a great visit last week with my sister and brother-in-law! The girls had so much fun with their Michigan cousins! here are a few pictures of us when we hiked up to Timpanogos Cave with them and a few other friends!

Our vacation!

2010-07-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous time on vacation a week ago! Enjoy! We did! :D

This is The Place!

2010-06-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

Today was a very HOT day. I got up at 5:15AM and hit the gym for a great 6 mile run(on a crappy knee machine, of course :) and then headed home to wake up a super excited little girl for her field trip. This is the first field trip I have ever accompanied any elementary aged child on. The twins are old enough now that I can do that, especially when Kenzie is home. So, I packed my protein bar, fresh peaches for myself and Emma (YUM!) her lunch, and some cold Crystal Light for both of us and off we went! I rode on a school bus for the first time in MANY years and we wandered around the park learning about our state's history and heritage. It was fun and HOT. We danced the Virginia Reel, pulled handcarts, had instruction in an old fashioned pioneer school, took a train ride, watched a blacksmith make a cool leaf thingy and many other things! We had so much fun!(even though we thought we might melt in the sweltering heat) It was great to be able to spend my day with the most fabulous fourth grader on the planet! I love my beautiful, amazing Emma!

Emma did all manner of pioneer chores!

Beautiful girl...

2010-06-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

All of my girls are beautiful. And I'm NOT prejudiced. I know the facts. But anyway, this one. Emma Claire...she has these great baby blues. They are a different color than anyone else's in our whole family and I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them...and her. When she smiles they sparkle and when she laughs...well, it's an amazing sound. Love you beautiful EClaire!

Classic...

2010-06-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

This is such Classic Jillian I had to post it...for posterities sake. She's thining, "What the freak Mom? What is wring with you?" Oh - how I love her sass and oh how I hate her sass! lol She is just a great thing in life and ALWAYS lets you know where you stand. If you are doing something questionable she will let you know. It's beneficial really, afterall, we humans often need reprimand, right? Love my sweet Jillian Danielle...thanks for being our deliciously wonderful, cuddle bug, Baby A! We are so glad she's around(even when she is lookin at us like this!) :)

A question I get a lot...Finally answered!

2010-06-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

Why did I have 6 kids? Because 4 is just too easy...4's for quitters!

And besides - look at those beauties!!! How could we have passed on any of them?? We couldn't! I'm so blessed! :D

1,2,3....

2010-06-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

You've got to be KIDDING me! In my trip down memory lane a few days ago via Picassa I found many old photos, but this one, well, this one never ceases to amaze me. I will never forget the moment the ultrasound technique counted three babies as I lay on the table thinking I had miscarried the ONE we had been trying for. Getting pregnant with triplets spontaneously isn't an every day occurence and it blew me away. I was 2 months shy of 29 years old and would be the mother of SEVEN! WOW. Then as she viewed and measured each baby only two had heartbeats. I was relieved. Does that make me evil in some way? I know there are woman all over the world who long to have babies so I felt guilt about it, but I do think the Lord only gives us what we can handle and as capable as I like to believe I am, I wasn't up for THAT particular challenge. The take-away for me here is...Miracles happen every day, every minute and if we never stop to think...WOW, that happened, we cannot stand in awe of life and its unstoppable nature. Even if I only nourished and carried three babies for 8 or 9 weeks it is still an amazing thing and I stand in awe of it. It's a good reminder to me that I can do things I might not believe I can...sometimes I do it without even knowing it and then later I look back and breathe a sigh and know that I am a lot more than I think I am. Just because I don't see every wonderful thing in my life, doesn't mean it isn't there. It's a good thing we have hindsight. I find I am most able to be grateful when I am looking back and thinking about what is, what could've been and what will be and knowing the possibilities that are in front of me. Everything happens for a reason and I am so blessed for all that has been given, and even taken away in my life because I have grown through it all.

Please help if you can!

2010-06-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

If you are willing and able to help me reach my goal (and maybe even surpass it!!!) please click here and donate! Even a $5.00 donation gets me closer to my goal! I really appreciate the support and so do those who are living with Multiple Sclerosis...

Just So cute!

2010-06-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

I was looking at old photos on my Picassa today and found these of Becca. She is just too cute. Throughout the entire Picassa for the last year or two there are several times when Becca has gotten hold of my camera. She loves to take pictures and several of them aren't half bad. We love her little voice, the adorable things she says and just her presence in our lives. It's funny, because she is "Baby B" we have often called her the tag-a-long. When I first found out about the multiple pregnancy and then went through the pregnancy I found it so hard to think about what would happen when they were born. Now as I treasure each child and their place in our family I can't imagine not having our sweet Rebecca Grace as a tag-a-long. She makes me happy!!

I'm at it again!

2010-06-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

And I need your help! I'm going to be riding the MS bike ride on June 26 and 27 and in order to do that I need to raise some money for MS! I have to raise $250 before the ride so any and all donations will be highly appreciated! If you are willing (Oh pretty PLEASE!) to donate, please leave me a comment and I will contact you with details on how to do it. Please DON"T donate on the website. I need it to get credited to me and my team. I'm riding for Team Ledge Sports and it should be an awesome ride! MS is a horrible disease so this is a very worthy cause! Don't feel like you have to donate a ton of money...any dollar amount will go towards my goal....Even $5 bucks is five more than I have right now! Thanks so much everybody for your support! I'm really excited about the ride! And of course I will post pictures after the fact! Thanks again! Here's a link to the event info if you are interested

I did it! :)

2010-06-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

Last year I started taking spinning classes and discovered a brand new love. I got such a rush from this particular activity that I found myself absolutely enamored with it. I wanted to start riding in bike races and stuff but then I got lazy and my "feminine area" AKA the bones around my "area" were super sore and didn't seem to improve much. I asked several seasoned female riders about this problem and they said it would eventually go away especially if I was consistent with it, which I was. Anyway...I wanted to ride in a bike ride but couldn't afford a road bike, not to mention all the gear required and besides that there was that nagging soreness. In the end I had to give up on the ride and then on I also got lazy about my workouts and let the soreness do me in. So, fast forward to this year. I got a pretty Kick - A trainer and have really kicked it into gear. We have been working around bad knees, one injured shoulder and two herniated discs in my back but he has found a way through it all and I am losing body fat and gaining blessed muscle! I generally workout 6 days a week and early this year I added a Saturday morning spin class back in since my trainer is the instructor and I've always liked the way he runs a spin class. Again the cycling bug hit me. Trainer is an avid cyclist and I have several friends and neighbors who bike as well. They are all preparing for a ride and I am just thinking...I REALLY want to do this! Cycling is the only thing I can really do with my back and knees according to my orthopedic surgeon so I've been logging a bunch of time on a bike. I found out about a women's only ride that was scheduled for June 5 but when I looked to try to register it was sold out. My determination to ride it grew as did my yearning to ride outside, everywhere. My Mountain bike was all I had, so I decided to ride it. I LOVE it. So finally, I'm riding regularly and I was able to score a registration for myself and my best friend to go ride this awesome bike ride. This ride has 18, 35, 58, 80 and 100 mile options and I really wanted to ride the 60 but my trainer was very leery of that and pleaded with me to step it down and do the 35. I decided to go with his suggestion and we did it! We rocked it out! We rode 35 miles in 1 hour and 59 minutes, plus back and forth to our car which was like 2 miles away several times so I'm going with 40 miles total(but not in the 1:59). I wasn't the skinniest or strongest or cutest rider to cross that finish line and I did want to ride much longer but I did it! Just four years ago I weighed in at 354 pounds and could barely make it up the stairs to my room without getting winded. When I crossed that line I couldn't have been more happy and proud! I still have work to do, but I've caught the cycling bug and I swear I could do it every day! Next year I'm doing the 100! And I've added more rides to my dream list for this year...I did rent a road bike for the ride and totally fell in LOVE with it so that is another goal. It will be hard to go back to riding the Mtn bike after that dream of a ride but we do what we must! AND I MUST RIDE!!!!! Also, this week I rode up to Copperton which is about 13 miles and half of it is all uphill. I did that on my Mtn. bike and I was super proud of that!
So - to everybody reading this, if you have something you want to do and you think you can't - THINK AGAIN! YOU are stronger than you think you are! Now...to get me a dream bike of my own!!!! I think I deserve it! If only money grew on trees.... :)

Carousel

2010-05-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Paige spent the day running errands with Mom and Dad. It should have been a stupid day but to Paige it meant the world. Sometimes the most mundane things to us can be the best ever to our children. Since we have so many children it is often a problem for us to think of how we can spend quality individual time with each one. Every Saturday Shad and I end up spending the day running around doing household chores and we thought that might be the key. We just switch up which child we take with us and the kids think it is the best thing ever. They feel special and that is wroth a million! Paige got to go on the carousel at the mall and she thought that was pretty great. Look what a dollar can buy you!!! :D

Preschool graduation!

2010-05-26T16:13:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it! Jillian and Becca are the last of my 6 beautiful little girls to graduate from Sunshine Square preschool! It blows me always and it makes my heart smile and I have to stop and think about how fast the last five years have gone. All of our girls went to Sunshine Square and we have loved Suzie, the owner and all of their teachers through the years! Miss Gina is a fabulous teacher and she taught Emma, Paige and the twins. She is also a great neighbor and it is super that we will still see her all the time! Becca said she wanted to be a Doctor when she grows up and Jillian wants to be a Mom. Great goals for the future! They are shooting for the stars and I hope they get all of them!

Here's Miss Suzie with all of the girls since they all went to her school!

Cleaning

2010-05-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

Do you ever ask your children to clean up? I often do. Especially considering that I do not make the majority of the messes that constantly plague my house. I always feels a very satisfying feeling when I am able to look around the house where my kids have removed all of their belongings that they just drop where ever they are. It really takes a bite out of my happiness however when I find the following:
Let's take a closer look, shall we?
Yes. That is five or six different pairs of shoes (some of which don't even fit any of the girls currently) a Barbie (I'll give you two guesses on whose that is) and a bag with a pair of jeans that need to be exchanged. Isn't that nice? See, I didn't think so either. The thing is, I never do. And my biggest quandary is, how long do you think it takes them to gather all this random crap up and take it to this room to shove it in the unseen area beside the couch? How much of a difference in time would it take them to actually just go the few more feet to where the stuff actually goes? Yeah. I know. It's a lot of energy to waste on meaningless things that will likely not change for years to come. You're right. But if I didn't spend the time annoyed what else would I do and what memories would I have later in life?

Birthday Highlights

2010-04-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's so late! But I made this little slide show of the twins birthday. They had a great day which included their birthday party which was a "tea party". They went directly from their birthday party to a friends birthday party and that was super cool because it was at Jungle Gyms. Then Shad and I picked them up and took them to Build-a-Bear where they chose a bear and then dressed it. It was really their first time doing that and they loved it. Well actually, Becca was freaked out at first because we told her to choose a bear and she did (one of the example stuffed bears) then I put that one back and handed her one of the empty bear skins. She freaked out and cried that it wasn't a bear. Luckily I was able to explain it to her and the rest wasn't so bad. After the bear-building we had planned to take them to dinner at The Mayan but it was still kinda early for dinner. We decided to take them to see How To Train Your Dragon in 3D and then ended the day with our dinner at The Mayan. I think they had an awesome day and it was fun for us to spend the time out with them. We rarely do that so it was a change from the norm and hopefully a day they will remember!

5 years have flown past...

2010-04-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

It's been five years since the twins were born and it's been something of an amazing ride! They bring joy and mischief unlike anything we have seen.

Jillian is very high drama. She knows what she wants and she'll do whatever is necessary to make it happen. She is unsure of herself when it comes to school, but she loves to go and she is learning! She's sweet and loving and lots of fun.

Becca is softer spoken than Jillian and even though Jillian seems more dominant Becca is not a follower. Becca does what Becca wants to do and she will not be lead. Becca is a sweetheart. She's smart and loves to play. She's ok with playing by herself but she does like to play with Jillian.

I've learned a lot about myself since I had them. It really is true that the Lord never gives you more than you can handle. Even if you really can't imagine getting through it you always do, one way or another. It's been five wonderful years. I know there are Mom's that always wanted or wished for twins and I was never one of those. In fact, quite the opposite. I was so nervous and stressed about having them and lying in bed for five months with nothing else to do but stress really intensified my concerns! lol But the girls are amazing and they have been a true blessing in our lives that we have treasured. There's nothing better than four little arms around your neck and two kisses on the cheek. Happy birthday to our beautiful amazing girls who are amazing in every way and have changed my life for the better! I love you Jillian Danielle and Rebecca Grace!

Girls, girls, girls...

2010-04-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

It's all I think about really. And why? Well, that's self explanatory. Recently though I've really been pondering being the Mother of all these girls. My oldest is 14.5 now and my youngest will, very soon, be 5 and then there's all these others in between. I don't get why these girls have to be so mean to one another. I mean, when I was in school it was rough, but these days it's a lot more than rough. It's viscous and it's pointless. Why do girls single other girls out to dislike? And if they don't like each other, why does that mean they must seek and destroy the "unliked." My own daughter has been the target of this so many times throughout her years and it makes my heart hurt. Girls(and even boys) are committing suicide over it. It's no small potatoes.

I will face this 6 times. That's a lot. Luckily each child handles the drama differently. My oldest daughter is very sensitive but my next oldest doesn't seem to be as sensitive so I am hopeful that we will get through it easier. If you're a Mom of girls I say, unequivocally, read the book Queen Bees and Wannabees by Rosalind Wiseman. It is an eye opening book that explains a lot in terms that you can actually understand about why and how this happens to these girls. I read it several years ago and think I should probably re-read it now. One thing that I used to think was how mean the girls were and personalize it to certain girls, but after reading this book I discovered that they are all really in the same boat and clinging desperately so they are not the ones being ignored/ostracized/left out. They aren't really (for the most part)wanting to hurt the other girl they just don't want to be hurt themselves. That's understandable.

But that being said, it's hard to watch your child suffer, especially deeply inside of themselves, questioning whether they are good looking, smart, worth something etc. It tears a little piece of you out every day and I wish so much there was something I could do to make it easier, to make these girls understand that they don't have to be the way they see everyone else being. The best I can do is try to instill in my girls that they are amazing and wonderful just the way they are. I hope and pray that I am doing that. It's so important. If you're a Mom (or Dad) of girls, please read this book. You'll be glad you did. And girls...please be kind, one day you'll be able to hold your head high knowing that you didn't bring anyone else down.

Easter

2010-04-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Peeps! Peeps! I love my Peeps!
Emma coloring with candy!
Aww..Flynn is kinda super cute!

I loved how she had this basket around her neck! LOL
The usual suspects lined up Easter morning. We had woke to freshly fallen snow outside and no baskets inside! The Easter bunny had left a few movies and one plastic egg for each child. The eggs contained clues that sent the girls in a hunt all through the house in search of more eggs that revealed new clues till they finally were led to their baskets! It was a fun alternative to going out in the snow and the girls loved it! What a smart rabbit!

Sorry that I'm such a pathetic blogger lately. I'm not sure what's up with that! I guess we really are just a very boring family so there isn;t much to blog about. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. You pick. And our Easter photos that we took were taken with no flash on so they are less than wonderful. I'm going to post a few, but I'm warning you in advance..they are nothing spectacular! Sorry!

Spencer Gooch and the awful C word.

2010-04-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

Why do kids get cancer? Why???? WHY???? The little boy above is a little boy named Spencer Gooch. Spencer was diagnosed with a Rhabdomyosarcoma, which is a malignant tumor in his parapharyngeal space on February 2, 2010. He is currently undergoing aggressive radiation and chemotherapy treatments. About a month ago at Target with the twins I saw a woman who had an adorable handbag in her cart.
It was very similar to the above bag that is pictured. I liked it so much I stopped and ask her where she purchased it. (Luckily for me, but maybe not for others lol, I'm friendly and have no problem talking to complete strangers) In this instance she said oh yeah, my friend makes these bags to help support a friend of ours who has cancer. I thought ok, great and she rattled off a blog address so I could look them up later. I went out to my car and entered the address into my blackberry notes so I could look it up later. I forgot about it until today and I have wept all morning reading the posts about Spencer and his courageous battle against cancer! You can read the blog here. I highly recommend it, but grab a box of Kleenex. You'll need it.

Being there and reading about it just made me wonder why things like this have to happen. I hate to hear stuff liek this and it makes me wonder why? Why do beautiful children have to suffer? I know he is probably teaching people lessons that they need to learn, but I can't help wishing there was another way. I pray for this little boy and his family and encourage you to get a bag! They are a worthy cause and so worth the money! I hope that the Lord blesses those that are suffering and I thank Him that all of my children are so far, healthy and know how fast things can change. It's just a reminder of how quickly perfect can change and how disruptive and heartbreaking that quick change can be. I'm so grateful today for what we have been blessed with up until now.

Keep fighting Spencer! You're worth it!

Also, this is the blog for you to order your very own Lolly bag!

Yummy without the Tummy!

2010-03-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

Skinny Strawberry Shortcake

enough for the hubby and me! :) 160 calories per serving!

2 cups Fresh sliced strawberries
1 packet Truvia no calorie sweetener (or splenda or whatever you choose)
3 slices Sara Lee Butter pound cake
4 tablespoons Cool Whip Free

Mix strawberries with sweetener. Slice cake (for mine I used one slice that I sliced in half so I would still have two layers without extra calories!) hubby had two full-size slices. Layer half cup of sweetened strawberries over half slice of cake and 1 tablespoon of Cool Whip Free. Then repeat the layers and enjoy!

And my evening munchies have vanished nicely! Maybe we will do this every night for awhile!

Jump!

2010-03-21T16:58:00.001-07:00

In our kids school the past several weeks it's been all about jump roping. They are doing the Jump Rope for Heart challenge. I remember doing that myself as a kid. Celia and our neighbor boy Jared, who is 7, showed his Mom and I a cool trick they could do. Please excuse the overhead military helicopters...we live right by an army reserve. Also at the end, Jared's brother Tyler, who is 4, and Jillian tended to Tyler's Roly Poly bug farm in the wagon. Is it spring yet?? :-)

Future jeweler?

2010-03-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Celia got a beadset from her Grammy and Popup for Christmas and has been making earrings to match all of her outfits. The blue and yellow matches the Sunny Days shirt she has that matches all of her sisters shirts. I think she's a pretty amazing 11 year old. What do you think?? And I have to hand it to my parents for picking a perfect present for her!

Greatest hits!

2010-03-14T21:58:00.001-07:00

For Christmas we got Beatles Rockband and the girls love to play it. Here is a sampling of a recent Sunday jam session. I love the expressions on their faces....sooo intent and studied! They are all going to be Rockstars some day or some kind of star at least! :D

Rube Goldberg

2010-03-07T23:26:00.000-08:00

8th grade science had an assignment to do a Rube Goldberg machine. It had to have at least 8 steps, include at least three different simple machines, and accomplish at least one of the following: ring a bell, roll a pair of dice, pop a balloon, or break a pencil. Shad and I and Kenzie spent most of Saturday afternoon working on her project and it was kinda fun. I hope she enjoyed it! We got her some extra credit which is awesome. Enjoy! :)

Flynn

2010-02-22T20:31:00.001-08:00

This morning my next door neighbor called me and asked me if I'd like a little friend for our dog Max. Originally we wanted Max to be an inside dog, but we got him when the twins were 4 months old and things were crazy not to mention that he's A LOT bigger than we expected him to get and sheds which aggravates allergies in our house. We have been discussing getting a smaller hypo-allergenic puppy but cost and just "do it-ness" was lacking. So anyway, my neighbor had rescued a little puppy on the freeway last week and taken him to the vet where teh vet congratulated him for not risking his life on a mutt. He was told the dog was a nice breed of Schnauzer/Poodle referred to as schnoodle and was about 3 1/2 months old. So the neighbor got him his first round of shots after checking for a chip, which he didn't have. The neighbor has 3 Yorkies already and just couldn't keep him so we went over this afternoon and brought him home. He's a cutie in need of a grooming but the girls are in love and he meets all our criteria. The naming process took awhile but in the end he has been dubbed Flynn. So we now have an indoor dog! Yeah...I think. I'm not really a dog person but I'm sooo outvoted with everyone else being just that so I'm giving this my all!

Also, if you have a baby, check out this new product line! It's so smart! I remember spraying the twins with febreeze after a nasty diaper and this is just awesome! http://www.littlestinkerusa.com/ Check it out!!! :D

Valentines twins

2010-02-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

I can't belive how old they are getting! They got these little bears from their preschool teacher Miss Gina, whom they adore! I just thought they looked pretty cute this day in their valentines shirts and all! It was their valentine party at school!

Past memories

2010-02-01T11:02:00.001-08:00

When I was 3 or 4 I had a necklace. It was a little girl on a swing and I still remember how much I loved it. I wore it all the time. It is one of the few things that I still have now as a 34 year old woman. Today was "N" day at preschool for the twins. Jillian took her Zhu Zhu hamster, whose name just happens to be Num Nums. We couldn't figure out what to have Becca take. Celia appeared with my necklace in her hand and it made my heart smile. :) Becca was thrilled to wear it and I thought it fitting that the kid, who looks most like me out of all of this brood, is wearing my cherished treasure to preschool at least 30 years later. It represents happy memories for me. I don't remember how or why I got it or anything like that but it was important to me. I love nostalgia!
If you look closely at the photo below, that I think I'm three in, I'm wearing a necklace which I believe is the little girl on the swing! And also, the dress that I'm wearing my Mom made for me and it was my favorite!!! It was baby blue velvet and if memory serves it was floor length. The seventies rocked! And look at my gorgeous Mom! :) Too fun!

Cowgirl Jessie!

2010-01-31T15:51:00.000-08:00

It was cowboy day at Paige's school the day before she went off-track and she was thrilled about it because a few years ago she borrrowed her cousin Kendra's Jessie costume and we still had it so she decided to wear it. She looked pretty cowgirl-ish to me! She also had a super-fun day at school! :)

Easy bake?

2010-01-27T19:22:00.001-08:00

Santa, against ~~her~~ his better judgment brought Paige an Easybake oven for Christmas. ~~She~~ He decided that Paige would really like it. I told him that the past was not a good indicator of the fact that her Mother would let her use it. Kenzie got one when she was like 8 and she used it maybe three times(and that's being generous) because I am a bad Mom pretty much. So this time around Shad told me, hey, you're a lot more permissive now then you were then so we went ahead and got it. I'm here to tell you, though I am more permissive I still don't enjoy light bulbs that don't cook and messes in my kitchen apparently. She used it on Christmas day and then I put it on top of the cabinets and just didn't want her to do it again but I let her last week and look how freakin' cute she is!!! She was so excited to make S'more treats for her sisters and they all enjoyed them. So I am trying to be a better, more permissive and thus open to messes and light bulb cooking that doesn't work and must still be microwaved anyway, mother! Wish me luck in my endeavors, I'm gonna need it!

Sunny Days.....

2010-01-25T15:18:00.001-08:00

So I saw the above (triplicated) shirt at Target right after Christmas and I fell in love. I don;t know why but I loved the colors and the cherries. I have a thing for cherries...again, no reason or rhyme. (and I don;t like to eat them, just look at them) I showed it to Shad and he wasn't that big of a fan of it. I saw it on Paige but there were none in her size only bigger ones and Shad said, "No way will teh older girls wear that shirt!" So the next time we were at Target they have one in Paige's size and so we picked it up for her. I was thrilled. When we got home and gae it to her the other two girls went nuts over it. "That's such a cute shirt! I have to have it!" ETC ETC.... I rolled my eyes at Shad and was happy I was right and he was wrong. I told the girls I loved it and thought they would too but Dad said they wouldn't. They begged for me to go get it for them and even decided how fun it would be to all wear it on the same day. I declined and Paige wore hers the next day. She now wears it (VERY) often. So after that a few weeks went by and the girls begged me to do extra chores or whatever it took so they could become proud owners of this silly shirt! I told them if they cleaned all of the crayon artwork off the walls I might consider it. Well, as you can see, they did it! What an awesome shirt! And aren;t they just the cutest things ever??? I think so! :D

Zhu Zhu Update

2010-01-06T22:05:00.000-08:00

At the risk of validating people's frequent accusations of my regular demonstrations of my true blonde nature I'm just gonna say, Zhu Zhu pets work best with fresh batteries. Yes, batteries. You heard it here first folks! In my defense though; #1 they makes sounds and they move all over. They were making loud and frequent sounds! #2 husband (who is supposedly smarter than me) didn't think that would be the problem either. I emailed the company about the duds they sold me and everything..nice. I am so brilliant. Today Jillian brought me her laptop toy and told me it needed new batteries. In the battery cabinet there was one of the supposed Zhu Zhu dud pets. Yesterday I was talking to a friend of mine who said that the movement was the first thing to go so I thought oh, what the hey....I put new batteries in it, the whole time the thing is squeaking and honking and mooing(yes these hamsters Moo...don't ask) but I put the cover back on and voila! Hamster glee! The clean, non-stinky kind! I "fixed" them all at around 1:30PM and I had to take them away tonight at 8:30 from all the girls(even the 11 and 9 year old) so they would go to bed! When the older children came home from school and saw that the twins were playing with them the twins told them I am amazing. yep. That's right! Remember that for later. For adorable video of the first time the twins saw the hamsters drive their car and play fun (including some pretty cute cheeky peeky :) the twins can't seem to keep their pants up lol) please see our video bar above! Shad came home and played with them for about 20 minutes too...I'm telling you, these things are addictive! They need rechargeable batteries because at this rate their not gonna make it through a day.

So now to the fun part....on these hamsters packaging and actually on stickers on the bottomn of them it says DO NOT GET THEM NEAR HAIR! We made that pretty clear however, Jillian thought it would be fun for her hamster to climb up her arm which then continued to the top of her hair. NOT good. Below is the hair damage. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on which way you look at it) it just pulled a huge chuck out as she screamed. They have buttons hidden all over their bodies that make them move or react and teh one to put them to sleep is on their back. Trying to get the darm thing out of her hair without pushing buttons to make it spin the hair tighter into the wheels was crazy impossible!

So, below, you see the damage, which I'm happy to report did not result in any recognizable hair loss in the 5 year old. There was that and the time when Becca decided the hamster needed to run on the piano and then he ended up wedged between the piano and the wall on almost to the floor. Piano's are heavy. I moved it, by myself to get the darn thing and then moved it back! Who needs the gym when you have Zhu Zhu Pets?

And last, but not least...I spent 20 minutes searching for a hamster that had escaped it's owner (Jillian) and the whole time thought how happy I was that it wasn't real! It was found safe and sound lodged against the wall in the middle of the couch. Phew...disaster averted. And I promise...no more Zhu Zhu saga! LOL....that's enough for me!

no time.....

2010-01-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

Like the present....to get over this crap. 2009 wasn't a stellar year for me. I gained quite a bit of weight. it's amazing how fast I can pack on pounds. Seriously. It's unbelievable to me how fast. So, here I am saying publicly that this is over. I'm taking back control starting now. I've done it before and it's a fight but I'm worth it and the good thing is I don't have nearly as much weight to lose this time. I'm so disappointed in myself I could cry and throw things while pulling out my hair. But that would do me no good so I'll just be tenacious and stop offering myself lame excuses. I gained weight, it's not acceptable and it ends here.

I hate New Year resolutions, but this year I have one. I'm taking the weight back off come hell or high water! I had all this resolves to do better and then my alarm didn't go off this morning or it did and I slept like a log right through it just like the rest of my family! UGH! I woke up to my neighbor knocking on my front door to pick up my oldest daughter for school. I act as alarm clock for everyone in my house because No ONE gets up to an alarm!!! UGH!!!! How can I have 6 kids who sleep like logs through blaring and music and lights and whatever else device that was meant to awaken them??? I can't sleep through an alarm! I don't want to join the ranks!!! The frustration on that point is beyond what I can describe in words!
So this picture will serve as my before. I hate it and didn't want to post it because I don't like what I see in it (well, except for my adorable little C-jee Bee-gee!) Me, not so much. So I've posted it because I know it will make me look good in a few months...I can reflect back and think..wow. I've come a long way! But the proof is in the pudding (or lack of it, in this case)
2010 is a year about taking back my control and getting it together! I can do it..I've done it before and I'll do it again! Wish me luck...I'm gonna need it!

Fondue New Years Eve

2010-01-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

We had a fun New Years Eve doing fondue dessert with our 5 youngest kiddos. Kenzie went to her first dance and she also had a great time so that is good. These are a few pictures from the fun night we had. The girls kept telling us they were in heaven and though I'm sure I considered many times in 2009 actually putting them there I'm hoping this year will be less of that! They were sure cute this night! We had a great night. The twins were excited for the New year and all night kept asking if it was time yet. We had purchased soem little poppers to do and I think they were just concerned about doing those but whatever! It was fun! 2010 is going to be an awesome year! :D

Zhu Zhu What?

2009-12-29T16:16:00.001-08:00

So, unless you live under a rock you've probably heard about Zhu Zhu pets. I had. They were always sold out, but of course I'm a Mom and wanted "the toy of the year" for my girls. Plus, what's not to like about a pet hamster without the smell, mess, and overall distaste? Everywhere in creation was sold out of them and online they were going for upwards of 35 bucks. These are $8.00 toys folks! I do have a friend who stocks shelves at Target and I had asked her to let me know if they got in a shipment so I could be first there in the AM to get them. The call never came so I gave up. One day she did call me to tell me that they had a shipment of the accessories (homes, tubes, etc..) but no pets and they were flying off teh shelves. I told her oh well, I'm not gonna buy accessories without the pets, what would be the point of that? She told me she'd heard there were Pets at Hammond toys at Valley Fair Mall. I was skeptical but did happen to be at Target later that day when there were only about 4 or 5 of the accessories left. I grabbed a few and put them in my (special Target hiding place) Don't ask, it's classified ;)

That evening I dragged Shad to Valley Fair Mall and sure enough, they had stacks of them left. They were $14.99 but I could deal with that. So we bought a grey, white and a light brown one and knew we would be the awesomest parents in town (like we already aren't) We went back to Target and someone had removed one of my hidden things and left the other two..go figure?? But anyway, they had just recently put more out so we grabbed one of them. We really didn't get what made these things all the rage but oh well.

Fast forward to Christmas morning. The girls opened them and were thrilled to get them. They knew what they were. They were the first toys that got opened and no lie, they played and giggled and loved those stupid things for hours! I have never - with any toy, had that mugh glee and giggling and they were in love.

Now to the bad part. By the end of Christmas day the pets no longer moved. All three of them. I mena, I can see one or even two, but ALL THREE!?? The girls were so unhappy. They can't play with them anymore and have houses that pets can't play in and I am SO disappointed about this! I have written an email to teh company so I'll keep you all posted about it but man! What a sad thing, cuz these pets really are cute folks...and oh, so entertaining! The girls want their pets back!

Christmas Cookies!

2009-12-28T23:17:00.001-08:00

Looking back....

2009-12-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

This week I had the rare opportunity to look into my past and see what my future might've been had I continued down the path I originally started down. It was an interesting glimpse and I was grateful to *meet* the person who allowed me to take that look. Every choice we make in life has an outcome and we often wonder what if? What if we had made the other choice. I'm so blessed by the decisions I've made and the amazing people I have in my life. I saw what could've happened and it just made me all the more grateful for what has happened instead. I was also able to take some preconceived (and undeserved) notions I'd formed about someone and smash them into bits by really getting to know someone who is more than worthy of my good thoughts and feelings. I was blessed by the opportunity to talk to this person and see how much we are alike and how we have both been through much of the same trials in the same situations but she has had it worse than me and I wish her all the future happiness in the world that she can grab because it is deserved!

Harmony

2009-12-10T11:33:00.001-08:00

Our elementary school has a little extracurricular music program for 2nd-6th grade and this year both Emma and Celia decided to participate. They have practice every Monday and Wednesday at 7:30 AM until school starts which means they have to wake up early and I'm here to tell you that Celia really struggles with mornings so this is huge for her! She got up and did it all but once or twice even for the three weeks they were off track and these last few weeks leading up to their performance it was Monday through Wednesday so it's an accomplishment for them! They performed last night and a few other times over the past two weeks, their last performance is tonight at Barnes and Noble. They look so cute and did an awesome job singing their little hearts out! It was a short little play and it made me laugh a little that neither of them wanted anything more than to sing in the choir. If it had been me I would've wanted a solo or speaking part but they were just happy to be a part! Fun!

A christmas favorite or two...

2009-12-06T09:58:00.000-08:00

This is a video put together by an old friend from Michigan. This is one of my favorite Christmas songs and it can be done well or just be way too cheesy. This arrangement by Clay Aiken is hands down my favorite. This reminds me of the real reason we have Christmas trees and candy canes and I love to watch it and remind myself the reason for the season.

Kenzie's bday!

2009-11-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

Kenzie, my firstborn child turned 14 years old on November 21. I just can't believe how quickly the years seem to whiz by. It seems like just yesterday they placed her in my arms for the first time and now in one year she'll have a learners permit and be learning to drive a car! she's a great kid and she's been having a great year this year. She has a 4.0 GPA and a much better attitude this year than last and I thank God for that. Not that she's ever been a bad kid, because she hasn't. She had a few friends over (allison isn't pictured because she had to leave a little early) but anyway they went to walmart separated into 2 teams and did a scavenger hunt based on the letters in Kenzie's name like K: Is blue. Scented. smaller than a soda can. Then they had 10 dollars to buy the most things they could and only 5 could be food. It was fun and she also choseto not do cake, only ice cream. She's such a beautiful young woman I don't know wher she gets it!!!! hapy Birthday Kenzie!

Night Out...

2009-11-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

Also for Celia's bday she got to go out to dinner with her dad and me and her grandparents to Mimi's Cafe. It was very fun for her. I did her hair all pretty and then tried to take a picture of us but in like 5 tries she just kept looking off! It was funny. I would take the picture show it to her and then tell her, "Look at the camera!!" "I will, I will!!" she'd say. Then well, you can see. My attempts never quite worked out! After dinner I took her to see Michael Jackson's, This Is It, which she was also thrilled about. She love MJ and Kenzie had gone to a sneak peak with a friend and her family and then Shad and I went to see it teh next weekend and she figured she wouldn't get to see it. She loved it, she loves music and dancing!

Celia 11 part 2

2009-11-24T13:12:00.000-08:00

I'm so bad! These are pictures from Celia's birthday treat. She decided after doing all the cakes the day before she just wanted brownie sundaes for the family party. They were yummy and she was thrilled! It was a fun weekend with Celia! :) I still can't belive she's 11!

Doing alot with a little...

2009-11-24T13:01:00.000-08:00

Becca, our little inventor, after her shower the other day was combing her hair in the bathroom while I helped Jillian get dressed. She came out in teh above fashion. "Look Mom, I'm a bunny!" LOL So freaking cute! She's got an imagination on her and can often make so much out of something so dumb or little. I love that about her! Those are two combs, in case you couldn't tell! Cute girl!!! :D

PS...sorry I suck at blogging lately. With all I'm doing it's crazy!!! I'll try to be better!

Ace of Cake's!

2009-11-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

I spent all day yesterday baking cakes. I made 8 - 3 tiered mini cakes for Celia's birthday party today. She loves to watch Food Network and TLC and loves Cake Challenge, Ace of Cakes, and Cake Boss so we put our heads together and decided on an Ace of Cakes party. We bought mini cake pans in three sizes and 8 cake mixes to fill them. She chose milk chocolate cake after much debate in the cake aisle. I thought the debate time was a little excessive but I was informed that it was an important decision and there were many decisions, ie; Lemon, German chocolate (which I was told she'd never tried - NOT TRUE) Carrot Cake (Nasty), and 4 or 5 different flavors of chocolate. Well anyway, you get the stress level involved here, right?

So anyway I baked lovingly and then leveled, wrapped in aluminum foil and froze 24 cake layers. Each cake had to be cooked individually (all 3 layers at once) because we only bought one set of pans. They weren't that pricey but when you're looking at buying 8 - well....

This morning I took Celia to get her hair done and her nails done and then when we got home around noon I began making buttercream frosting. 8 pounds of confectioners sugar 8 cups of butter/crisco and 24 ounces of heavy whipping cream plus vanilla and salt and VOILA! A kitchen full of frosting. And would it be too terribly vain to say that my frosting was absolutely delicious? Cuz it was...OMG! Sooooo goood! The girls (who wanted to just skip the knives and eat it by the spoonfull lol) gave it rave reviews and I've had parents ask for the recipe. So anyway - yeah, apparently I make good buttercream frosting! Yippee! I was kinda proud - bet you can't tell...I'm the mistress of subtlety.

My friend Sharon came and taught the girls how to make flowers and borders and smooth their layers etc and it was a super fun day that I think Celia enjoyed completely which was the plan! All 8 of her invitee's attended and they were too cute!

BTW - I'd like to point out that the OMG above is OMGosh...not the other. It's mormon abbrevation. Just FYI

Oh - and one more thing, Celia got to have an 11th bday party because we just didn't give her her 10th last year. There wasn't any reason except we just didn't so she got hers this year! Generaly we only do 10 and 12.

Alll the love in the world

2009-11-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

Right here in this photograph. I was looking at pictures and thought how very blessed I am. Seriously, what an amazing family I've been gifted with. I'm living my dreams now more than ever and I couldn't be happier. My awesome hubby is supportive and wonderful and my girls, well, they're so fun to have. This picture was taken at Shad's awesome Omniture Halloween party. And Awesome is an enormous understatement for that party. It was 2 buildings full of living in the movies and TV...just soooo much fun! Man how I love these treasures... <3

Paige

2009-11-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

It came to my attention that I never posted a picture of our gorgeous Paige with her requested spider birthday cake that I made. So here's are little sunshine! Not bad...it's only days away from Celia's bday. She's come so far this year and we're so proud of her. She's doing great in school and at home. Love you Paigey!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T00:27:00.000-07:00

Kendra Telford:pink, punk witch, Kenzie: Athena Greek Goddess, Celia: baby, Emma: Little Red Riding Hood,
Jillian: Fairy, Becca: Witch, Paige: Giraffe

At long last!

2009-10-31T23:36:00.000-07:00

For some time Paige has been very concerned. She watched as her friends and every other child from her class lost teeth. Her teeth weren't even loose. She told me everytime someone else got a tooth on the board at school. Paige was out only child that didn't get teeth until she was 1. All the other girls got their teeth at much younger so it wasn't that odd that she wasn't losing them as soon as the rest of the girls did. So anyway, she finally had a loose tooth and then two and when her dad pulled them she was the happiest kid on the block! So, Paige is down two teeth and she couldn't be happier. The tooth fairy brought her $2.00...she was very generous. (I think that tooth fairy is pretty darn awesome) What a cute girl she is! :D

Might need a patent...

2009-10-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

Have you heard? Becca's an inventor. Yup, very ingenious. She used a sipper cereal bowl and a bamboo skewer (super long for roasting marshmallows over a camp-fire) and made herself, a conveyance tool or something similar. Who knows really, but she put her fun-sized(well of course it's fun-sized! She's having FUN!) candy bar in it to bring it upstairs. Oh - and teh outfit also needs a mention. Short brown shorts with a nice cozy long sleeve shirt. Nice! What fashion sense!

Laptop!

2009-10-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

The twins awaited their ride in the front room the other day and upon leaving I was informed that I wasn't allowed to touch their computers. This was the scene left on my living room coffee table...lol
Imagination is the best thing, isn't it??

Soccer Star

2009-10-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

Kenzie had a great season playing soccer! They ended their season at 6-2 which is pretty darn good! And the best thing is that Kenzie had a great time playing!

Paige 7, one more year!

2009-10-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

Paige Katherine Pulley was born 7 years ago today at 1:30 PM. She's a sunshine-y little soul who can smile at any situation. She and I have been through a lot together but I think right now we are doing ok. She loves school and she reminds us often to read with her. She's learning so much this year and doing great! She's gotten really good at cleaning her room and organizing things. We are blessed to have her in our life! :D Love you Paigey!

In this picture she is wearing an outfit that her Grammy and Popup sent her. She loved it! Thanks! :D

Baby Zuri

2009-10-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

Cute baby Elephant Zuri. She was born at the end of August. And a cute little snow leopard cub. I have tons of the twins but they are on an actual camera so who knows whether those will ever see the light of a computer screen!

Shad + 6

2009-10-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

I knew I married the best man ever. I was sure of it on that day in May 1997, but he does things all the time to cement that truth to me. I took the twins to the zoo a few weeks ago. The other girls were in school. There were lots of baby animals including: tiger cubs, snow leopard cub, baby giraffe, baby elephant and many others. The older girls were sad that they didn't get to go. Shad said he would take the four older girls and I would keep the twins home with me. Saturday came and he said he would take all 6! I was given the gift of peace and quiet. I spent the day editing my manuscript and got 42 pages done! So my hubby rocks! I always knew it but I sure love it when he does awesome stuff like that! Love you babe! Thanks! :D

Brace Yourself!

2009-10-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

Kenzie has a brand new look and she's so thrilled about it! She got her top braces on Friday. I thought it was something else when they brought out a pallet of colors for her to choose from for them. She didn't pick Halloween colors and went with her blues. We're not sure how long she'll be wearing them but she's really been great about it so far. She's a beauty!

CUT it OUT!!!!!

2009-09-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

The dolls have been covered to protect the innocent...Well, scissors. What can I say about scissors? I loathe them. I hide them. They find them. I put them up high, they climb up to get them. The worst part about this is Jillian's hair was finally growing out from the last time she butchered it and amongst the pink and orange hair you see in the garbage can is blondish-brown hair, human hair! UGH! We're having family photos done for the first time since the twins were 18 months old on October 24 so what better time to cut your hair, right? When they were asked why in heavens name they would do this I was told that Becca wanted Jillian to look like a leprachaun. Which if you'll remember is a leopard. Don't ask. I don't know. I just really, seriously wish they would STOP CUTTING HAIR ALREADY!!!! And the Barbies they styled. Yup, they joined the hair in the garbage after I took these pictures. I'm mean. I'm sick of it!

Please help!!!

2009-09-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hello all....one of my dearest friend's little boy was tragically pulled under a lawn mower on Thursday and his leg had to be amputated just above his calf. It's awful but what makes it worse is that both his parents are self employed and insurance isn't great at all. Please, if you've ever wanted to donate to a good cause. The Mery's are an awesome family and it would relieve their minds so much to not have to worry about money while they are caring for their son and his ongoing medical needs...please visit http://www.karsenmery.blogspot.com for a link to donate and the full story...

Thanks again!

Melony

cabbage patch kid

2009-09-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

Last year Emma got a little tiny cabbage plant from school. It sat on the kitchen counter for weeks and she watered it dilligently until finally she and Celia planted it in our garden area in the back yard. It really took off and this was her end result! She did a pretty great job with it, I think! Our little cabbage patch kid just might have a green thumb! She would be alone in the family...we are SO not gardeners!

Lep-rachaun....

2009-09-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

Jillian put these ears on this morning and came in to show us. We told her they were such cute leopard ears. She said, "Look! I'm a leprechaun! lol :) Kids say the darndest things!

Horseshoes

2009-09-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

Becca likes to put her toys in things. Barbies always seem to end up on the three stairs that lead to our master bedroom, which is so awesome when I'm headed up them my arms full of laundry or something equally untransparent. I can't say I've never tripped on a Barbie couch but I am grateful that as of yet it hasn't been a Barbie car or jeep. This would not be pretty. Ok.....take a moment, get your mental picture....

There now, wasn't that fun? That's what I'm here for, to provide amusement.

So I found these my little ponies lined up, as such, in Celia's shoes, which were, of course, in my bedroom. Cuz where else would they be?? Anyway..I liked that the one shoe had another shoe in it. Not too sure what that was about but no one asked me so...

In other news, Becca has been giving me fits at preschool. She's in la la land and doesn't listen to her teacher. The last few times I've picked them up the teacher has had to pull me aside to talk to me about her. In all the years my girls have been going to that preschool, 10+ I have NEVER EVER been pulled aside to talk to a teacher about one of my kids! So of course in that respect the twins would be the wild card. Aren't they always! Anyway, I've talked to her, begged her, yelled at her etc... about listening and following directions. She hasn't listened. Today I told her that is she did not listen that she would have to stay home while Jillian went to school. She said good. I want to watch a movie. I said, No...you stay home, you clean the house. That's what I do when you're gone. So you'll clean if you're home.

When I picked her up today she got a good report. hmm. I needed more proof my life is unfun. lol

Zero to Hero

2009-09-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

On September 11, 2001 I woke up and had to drive Shad downtown to work. We bundled our three kids into the car and got underway. The radio had the news on and we tried flipping past to a different channel thinking that it was off it's channel or something. We weren't really listening to what was being said yet. But then we heard a plane had crashed into tower one of the WTC. I was a little freaked out about that but then plane two hit and I really started freaking out. I felt so unsafe and frightened about the world. I couldn't stop watching the coverage. In late July early August, I had a miscarriage at about 6 weeks along. I hadn't even known I was pregnant(nor had we wanted or planned it) so I wasn't upset about the loss but I was still breastfeeding, 1 year old Emma at the time and my hormones went nuts for some reason. I got downright depressed and that just doesn't happen to me. So, I'd been in a really bad place for awhile when this happened. I was actually in counseling and had a counseling appointment scheduled for that day. Anway, I've never been so proud to be an American before that day. The stories I heard of heroism and selflessness made me proud of who we are and what we stand for. Many other nations may think we are bad for whatever reason but I think we stand United when it really counts and that's worth so much to me. Patriotism was never really my thing and I always took our country for granted not really giving it much thought. After that day though my patiotism grew immensely. I do think our nation is full of heros and people that do things above and beyond themselves. I hope we can forever remember the feelings that were inspired in us in the days, weeks and months following the attacks and that we can embrace them and remember all that was and is still sacrfificed for the freedoms we take for granted every day. I am lucky to be alive and to have the things that I have...Our nation is a great nation.

I had the oppotunity to go to ground "Zero" just a few years ago. When we entered the "area" it was nothing but a huge whole in the ground that you could barely see. Really it was so unremarkable to the eye, due to all the construction barriers and such but I felt it. I FELT the spirit of the many, many innocents that lost their lives there that day, it was very solemn for me. It really hit me in the heart. Every time I hear it called ground Zero I cringe. I feel like it's so many spirits, so many lives and to me that isn't Zero, it's hero. So I like to think of it as Ground Hero...where people did amazing things for other people. Also we can't forget the other plane, whose passengers saved so many lives from being needlessly taken by giving up their own. Some cowards on planes that day may have succeeded in their mission but they fell far short of their GOAL. Ground Hero is a testament to the fact that the American spirit is alive and well and no one will ever squash it with acts of cowardice and terror. So I AM proud to be an American...because, at least I know I'm free...I won't forget the "people" who died and gave that right to me so I proudly stand up next to you and defend her still today...cuz there aint no doubt I LOVE this land! God Bless the USA!

Crazy Hair day!

2009-09-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

It's crazy hair day at the school for Celia, Emma and Paige! Here is a picture of what they dreamed up! Emma did her own bangs and helped Paige but in the end I did end up helping them! They were loving the way it turned out and walked out of here sure that their respective classes would win!

Kenzie the Artiste!

2009-09-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

I know..I'm a horrible blogger lately but there just hasn't been much to blog about. Life is boring and I'm working like a fiend on my book. Here is a little film of all the art Kenzie has on her wall rigth now since she is soon to be taking it all down when she moves out of her room. I'l lmake sure I take pictures of it when it's all done. she picked pretty colors!

8th grade

2009-08-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

Kenzie had her first day of 8th grade today..I can't believe my oldest daughter is in 8th grade and almost 14 years old!!! Wow....her outfit is pretty snazzy too. You can't see it well but her shirt is a deep, dark purple. Very pretty! :) Sure love her!

Someone's in the Kitchen with Kenzie..

2009-08-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

Today was Kenzie's last day of freedom for the summer. She starts school tomorrow and she isn't thrilled but I am hoping it will be a good year for her this year. Today she had her friend Allison over and they made a dessert together for her Girls Camp awards night. They had fun and there was much giggling. We were sorry Allison had to leave before she was able to sample her handiwork! What I love about these two is their difference in height. They have been friends for years and a few years ago Kenzie was over at her house the first time. Allison's dad came home and wondered who the woman in his house was...Kenzie is so tall and she is learning to be happy about it even buying a pair of wedge shoes for school this year! Way to go Kenzie!

1st Grader Paige Kat!

2009-08-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

Beautiful paige started first grade last week a day after the other girls and I didn't get her picture so here she is! She wore her first day outfit today again so it worked out well to do a photo! She loves her teacher and first grade so far! :)And yes folks, that is NEON! memories...and I can't say I get that really, I didn't like Neon when it was in for me. But I do have to admit she looks pretty darn cute and she was happy so that was all that mattered to me!

4th and 5th grade

2009-08-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

The girls started school on Monday and I took our anual photos. These are they! Paige started 1st grade the next day and I didn't get a photo of her!! I will have to take one this next week in her outfit she chose for the first day. It's great that they all seem quite happy with their teachers this year and everything so far is going smooth. I am hoping that continues for the duration!

Emma is 9

2009-08-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

I am a horrible blogger lately and I apologize for that. Writing a book and being a Mom simultaneously has taken over my life lately. Emma had a very low key birthday this year but I feel like it is justified since her last two have been pretty big productions. 2 years ago she had a rockstar party and last year it was a modeling party and so I feel ok about the fact that this year was less then spectacular. We had cake and she got to go shopping and pick out whatever she wanted within a $ limit. She loved it. She got a camera from her Grammy and Popup and that was well received too(after we finally traded it in yesterday, she has been inseperable with it)

Today was Kenzie's first soccor game and I didn't take any pictures so I will make sure I get some next weekend!

She's a puppy

2009-08-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

Jillian told Kenzie that Becca was in the toybox because she was a puppy but we didn't think anything of it. When it was dinner time and everyone showed up but Becca Kenzie went up to look for her and found her like you see above. Ha ha ha....oh, to fit in a toy box!? I could shut the top and hide away. They'd never find me!

Gateway...

2009-08-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I woke up feeling brave. I felt as if I could take on the world, or just my 6 girls, but whatever. I decided to take them downtown the the dancing fountains at The Gateway so they could play in the water. Now when they ask to swim, EVERY DAY, I remind them that when you are running through a sprinkler you are not actually swimming. This is a concept they don't seem to get and I don't know why it bugs me so much but it does. Oh...look, I've digressed, again. Anyway, one would think a child that asked to go swimming EVERY DAY would be beyond happy to spend a few hours down in the water. I was under those same delusions. Because I am a believer, people! I expect the best!

We got down there and I parked at the farthest parking lot away from it because I'm~~ridiculously directionally challenged~~ all about getting exercise. So complaining ensued upon my planned little stroll through the shopping area. The hungry chant began as we passed by restaurants we would NOT under any circumstances be frequenting. I'm not that brave. I informed them about my no eating rules and they ~~whined and complained~~ accepted it readily and smiled cheerfully because their mother was doing something nice for them.

When we arrived at the fountain their was much excitement throughout the ranks. I told Kenzie, who is too cool to run through a fountain, that she could go check out stores. It wasn't necessary for her to hang out with me. She declined. It is apparently uncool and, well, lonely to shop by yourself. Upon hearing this I told her I love to shop alone, in fact that is my favorite way to shop, ALONE! But then I admit I did think about it and remember that at her age I wouldn't have been caught dead at a mall by myself. So, I let it go, thankful for her companionship.

I must ask myself why this day would be my day of courage because it also happened to be the day that trees and fences a plenty blew over as a result of the wind...well, bravery was on my side. I was pretty sure my kids weren't going to blow away. And if they did.....well, I don't think I'll finish that sentence. The first complaints came minutes into the "fun" about cold. I knew this would happen. Plus, I don't know about you but when I'm in my shower I don't get out every 5 minutes to dry off before getting back in again, do you? My girls think that they need their towel as soon as they get wet just cuz it's there. I guess they need to mark them as their own or something.

After the cold cries the hungry cries returned with a vengeance. Lucky me. "No." I told them, again. When I finally told them they could mark those towels as their own and I found a place in the shade. The soaking wet 8 and 10 year old's decided they would go shopping with the 13yo. Um, no. I don't think the shopkeepers wanted wetlands in their stores best to keep that outside. So now the potty cries made their appearance. This one is my favorite. Of all of them this is the riskiest to ignore. It's a 50/50 crap shoot on that one and if you lose so does everyone around you. I did say No, though. I was feeling optimistic, although with all the complaints I don't know why.

So that last choice worked out OK for everyone. And how you ask did I repay these glorious children for their complaining? I took them for ice cream at a store on the premises. I'm a pillar of strength and fortitude.

Self confidence A+

2009-08-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

I went into Emma's room the other night for some reason and found the above picture. Why did I pause, well, in the corner of her mirror I noticed a little thing really but it made me stop and think. In the corner of her mirror is a small, wallet sized photo of who you ask....Ahhh- it's her! It made me laugh that she had a picture of herself there at first but then when I really thought about it I thought how great is that? She likes herself and that isn't a bad thing. With all the negative media out there for young girls, to be skinnier, to be trendier, to be longer, to be better, etc.. my little girl likes herself! I was really happy to see that and it wasn't funny anymore but it made me smile! Way to go Emma!

Lily

2009-08-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last week my girls were thrilled that we got to babysit for a friend's little baby, Lily. When I told them we would be watching her you should have seen the glee. Lily was well cared for the entire time she was here....VERY well. She was only here for an hour - hour and a half but that hour and a half will be treasured for months to come. Celia is a great little babysitter at almost 11. She walked her when she was sad and then ended up sitting and rocking her to sleep all be herself. (well with no guidance from me, that is) It was fun. They were so enthralled with her! Little mommies!!!

Identity crisis...FAIL

2009-07-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

I admit that when they were tiny they did look somewhat similar but somewhat is all I would say about that. As we have learned in previous posts these are "Turtle Twins" not identical. (That directly according to Jillian) But Jillian doesn't understand the idea that she does not resemble her sister adequately enough to pretend to be her or try to fool us into believing it. When I learned they were fraternal twins I knew I would never deal with the whole them switching places scenario and have to say I was pleased. It would be one less thing for my scatterbrained, blonde, self to live in fear of. However, yesterday every time I called Jillian, for whatever reason, she would not come or respond. After ~~screaming at the top of my lungs, repeatedly~~ kindly and sweetly searching for her, I would get a response like this, "I'm not Jillian. I'm Becca!" said like a ~~devil~~ angel.

Uh - I think someone forgot to tell her, in twin heaven, or whatever, that she can't do the whole "identity swap bit" as a fraternal twin? It won't fly. At the very least, she has been misinformed. This DOES NOT work. This fact however did not seem to deter her in the very least. The identity crisis is still in play this morning....SIGH

Do they look that much alike to you? NO!This isn't going to work out for you sweetie! Find a new gag!

Beautiful Kenzie

2009-07-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

She was asked to paint a home plate for Girls Camp this year and she did a really great job on it. The theme is "A League of Their Own" so this is a plate that will be a competition...apparently something to do with stealing home or something. I just thought she looked so pretty and she was doing what she loves so I snapped a few pictures of her!

Photo Op

2009-07-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

Becca has a fascination with my camera. She and Paige. These are pictures taken by Paige of Becca. She apparently is comfortable in front of the camera. The problem here is that when they steal it and play with it, well, it's just not a god crime to try to do in secret. It records the criminal so we know exactly who had it. I was impressed though last time they even played with lighting and got the black and white photos. Plus the chocolate face also helped identify the person who had gotten into the chocolate. So helpful.

Girl Scout Camp

2009-07-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

I did it! I survived a camping trip! Woohoo! Anyone who knows me well, knows I am NOT a camper but I am a co-leader for my Daughter Emma's girl scout troop and the troop leader is one of my best friends. I couldn't let her or my daughter down so I went and we had a good time despite the bugs, utter lack of sleep and one of our girls throwing up the last night. It was kinda funny because we went to bed that last night and around 11:30 one of the leaders came to our tent saying that one of our girls had thrown up but her and her buddy had just gone down to the lodge to sleep in the health center and all was fine. She couldn't tell us what the girls name was and we were curious so we got up and went down to check on the girls. All 4 were sound asleep in their sleeping bags. Hmmm. We told the counselor and went back to bed. At about 12:30 the girls were at our tent to tell us that Jazmine had thrown up but fallin back to sleep. In our haze we told them to go back to bed and we would clean it up in the morning. They were back about a half hour later to tell us that she had woke up and was crying so we got up and took her down to the healkth center and then spent the whole next morning cleaning it all up. Great!

Plus, I don't sleep when I'm not home. I don't know why. Even at an expensive hotel. It's crazy. I even took sleeping pills and still laid awake. YUCK! I hate that!!!

But I survived! Woohoo!

Doctor! Doctor!

2009-07-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

The proof is in the pudding, right? Well, I believe as a child of the 80's and a fan of 80's new wave style music we did a good job at raising our kids with decent music taste. The video that follows makes me feel validation in a way that can't be described. We were sitting at dinner the other night when Becca broke into this song. My camera happened to be sitting right next to me and I had to capture the moment of validation and parental success for future generations to see. It can be done! We are so proud! What a moment! :) And no, this is not a tongue in cheek moment...It is sheer wonderment that she has good musical taste!

More pics from the 4th!

2009-07-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

Fire and Ice (well, cream anyway)

2009-07-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

We had my Mom and Dad here for Independence day for the first time. It was way fun! We decided to have our own coldstone creamery dessert sundaes and we also set like 50 bucks on fire! who doesn't love to set money on fire! We had our "Road of Fire"! My parents had never experienced the Road of Fire before so I think they enjoyed that. We grilled steak and cooked baked potatoes on the grill and had corn on the cobb. My Mom colored with the girls, did their nails and just played with them and my Dad did his usual best at riling tyhem up beyomd belief. Only he can do this the way it needs to be done. The girls love to sit on his lap and laugh and laugh and laugh with him. It was fun setting our money on fire but you know what's even more fun than that? Neighbors setting more money on fire than we did! Woohooo!!!! :) Hope everyone had a happy 4th!

Swingset fun!

2009-06-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

Self explanatory, except that the evening was complete with blisters (Emma) and A hurt arm (Paige)...Adventure never fails the Pulley Family! The girls could hardly wait for their Dad to come home from work yesterday. He told them he would put the swings and slide up so he was pretty much assaulted as soon as he walked in. Good man! Now he's a hero. Wonder if there's anyway I could become a heroine? If putting up swings is all it takes I should be able to figure something out, right?

Scratch that, "It" WILL happen. Especially if you think it won't...

2009-06-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that when you expressly think one outcome will occur you are pretty much guaranteed the exact opposite, right? Yeah, well today was many stupid mistakes and they all worked against me. The plan for today was to finish cementing the monster galvanized steel swingset which nature has been conspiring against getting it in. We got it a few weeks ago but for some unknown reason (RAIN) we haven't been able to get the thing in the ground! (RAIN) Finally on Monday we got two holes done but alas (MORE RAIN)we weren't able to get back to it until today. (Did I mention RAIN?)

So, the plan was set. The cement had been chilling in the garage waiting for it's golden opportunity to commence holding, which is it's main job. I started to contemplate my fashion choices for the day. It was to be a warm, sunny day and I got a farmer style sunburn at the Teddy Bear picnic Thursday so I thought, hey, I will only be in my backyard. No one will see me and I decided I would just wear a tank top and paint splattered shorts. Maybe correct some of the farmerness. My reasoning was that it was really the same as a swimsuit anyway and who would see me? We went out, I coated myself in sunblock 45 and we realized that #1 we needed three more bags of cement and #2 our radio was broken. We are music geeks abd we need music to function especially in hard work situations and we had to go buy the cement so why not.

Shad wanted me to go with him. I was wearing the tank top, which I NEVER wear. He said, oh come on, let's just go no one will see you anyway. I agreed, hesitantly. I was a little worried but figured he was probably right. So trooper that I am I decided to go along. I have gone very few places in a swimsuit but it has happened. Ok, maybe not since I had 6 kids, but whatever. I digress, We head into Best Buy(yes BEST Buy, in the immodest, paint splattered, and unflattering getup, I know there is a God, and he was not happy with me) intending to go right back to the iPod radio area and then rigth back out.

On the way back though, I get the pleasure of, you guessed it, running into someone I know. And not just someone, James Dashner, author of several well known books with an awesome book coming out VERY soon. And yes, sadly for him I do know him, since we met at a book signing (although truth be told I doubt he remembers that) and then again, at the writers workshop at BYU. And of course, James is friendly and feels obligated to say hello. My embarrassment could have lit fireworks at this point but again, whatever. So, the moral of this story is if you think something won't happen, don't bank on it...it WILL.

But in hyappier news the swingset cement is DONE! Woohoo! Now we just wait until the cement sets up and we add swings, slide, kids and Voila! Wonderland! Awesome!

Oh, and one more thing, if you didn't know 80 pounds of cement feels more like 180pounds. Just FYI... Thanks to my husband for hauling almost all of it. He rocks! Speaking of rocks did you check out the size of the one above which was about a foot or more underground? It was a freaking boulder and it wasn't the only one. Digging in West Jordan completely sucks, well, at least my part of WJ.

Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Michael Jackson songs is not the most popular but I love it. I remember it playing over and over on the video screen while I worked in Mr J department at Jacobson's in East Grand Rapids. I always picked that video because I loved the song. It is on my workout playlist and I just love it. A lot can, and I fear, will be said about Mr. Jackson but he left an impact on the world. If you are over 25, or so, chances are, you have a memory that includes a Michael Jackson song and that is saying something. It is sad that his eccentricities in his personal life severely overshadowed his talent. The cost of fame can be so high.

Teddy Bears, Kids and Marching bands OH MY!

2009-06-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today was the Kindergarten Teddy Bear picnic. Thanks to Kenzie, I was able to go help out with it. They had 5 classes and rotated them through 5 different activities at a park right next to the school. I was in charge of bear graphing and organizing. We were into our 4th group when we heard the music. Marching down the street of the neighborhood the park is in was the Copper Hills High School marching band. They were in formation and tossing flags and everything and the kids were goners. We just let them go over to the street to watch them. The band was cool too they stopped and played for the kids. It was really fun and the kids thought it was the best. Who doesn't love a parade without having to fight a crowd? What a fun morning!

Just like Old Times

2009-06-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

In this day and age of DS's, iPod's, XBox, Playstation, Big screen TV, movies etc etc... it was a great thing as a Mom to walk inside after stepping out onto the porch to have a quiet phone conversation with my brother to find Celia and her friend, Hannah entertaining themselves so simply Friday afternoon. I remember doing this as a girl and the ridiculous fun they were to do. And the girls clearly knew the rhymes so it wasn't something they were trying out. It is something they do! It is just nice to know that entertainment can still be classic and unplugged. My girls are forever taking their DS's to their friends houses and playing them together while listening to their iPods. How is that playing with a friend??? Just yesterday(and it happens ALL the time) Paige road her bike to a friends house and the friend came over here. Paige wanted to play Barbies and the friend said she wasn't interested. The friend came to ask me what movie I could put on. I told her they should go play. They can watch movies when they are alone but they can't play ponies, or Barbies or Petshops or one of the other many toys we have. She was not thrilled with this. She told me, No, she really wanted to just watch a movie.

I really can't remember going to a friends to play and spending that time watching movies. We played! I mean, if we had a sleepover, and it was dark, sometimes we would watch a movie, but I remember playing late into the night. It makes me crazy all the kids that come over here and just want to sit in front of a TV. We do a lot of music in my house. I let my kids play video games sparingly. I just wish the world were a simpler place.

I enjoy reading. Kenzie does too but the rest of my girls aren't that into it. Emma is my next best hope of liking books but I fear she will never enjoy them the way Kenzie and I do. Maybe I am the mean Mom for trying to encourag ethem to play but I hope in the end I am the smart Mom too....

Monumental changes...

2009-06-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Any one who knows me well, knows I have been in love with the same man for 22 years or so...Sadly he never returned my affections and so I found a man who surpassed his exalted hotness and did the only smart thing grabbed him and married him, FAST. But, just because you are on a diet doesn't mean you cannot peruse the menu, as it were, and I have my list as does my handsome husband which is all in good fun because at the end of the day he is my prince charming.

But there is still that matter of the list...The list has had the same guys on it for many years but Robert Downey Jr. has always been at the top. No matter who I added he stayed in the top slot. He had me at Chances Are....if you are a RDJ fan you know what I mean. So the list has my star Shad followed by the numbers. Tonight something monumental occured. I felt the winds of change blow over me as I sat down at the movie with my honey. I went to see The Proposal with my Star...and I cheated on my number one. It happened so fast I was powerless to stop it. It was completely unplanned, but as I said, there has been this "thing" for 22 years and well, it was just time to move on. Sorry Robert...I truly never thought this would happen. I hope you can forgive me and move on to someone else's number 1 spot. I will always cherish the times we spent together (in 1 1/2 - 2 hour segments, of course) I know it is no consolation but you are still my number 2. However, Ryan Reynolds has become my number 1.

In closing I would just like to say, don't think I'm fickle, I stayed with Robert through drug problems, jailings,and even Two Girls and a Guy, never waivering but it has taken it's toll.

Hello Ryan. :) Welcome to #1

Paige

2009-06-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

Paige got a cute haircut and I took a picture of her on Tuesday. She and I are in a constant control battle and over the past few months things have been pretty difficult and have come to a head. Like her Mom, Popup and sister Celia, she has ADHD. She has been taking Straterra and I came to the realization recently that it just wasn't doing much for her. It works great for Celia but it doesn't seem to be making a difference for Paige. I took her to the Doctor Monday and he prescribed Vivance(spelling???) Anyway, he said it was a wonder drug and said it is just great. So Tuesday I gave it to her in the morning as I was told. I felt like a horrible Mom as she dealt with stomach pain, weepiness and lethargy all day. The worst part was, her spirit had evaporated, leaving behind a shell of my sweet Paige. I missed her smile. She always has one for everyone. It made me sad. Behavioral problems need to be treated but is it worth losing her spirit? So the next morning(Wednesday) she threw up twice first thing in the morning. I worried and fretted about this whole thing. I called the doc and they said to still give it to her, so I did, with a LOT of reluctance. As the day progressed Wednesday she wasn't feeling ill and the lethargy seemed lessened. She got one headache midday that we were able to treat with some tylenol but I still missed her smile. She was so well behaved I felt like I had a different kid. She organized and cleaned things without being asked, she stayed with me at three different stores, she helped when I asked. She was wonderful...but I was still wondering whether it was worth not seeing her smile that lights up her whole face. Thursday was much better. I have seen her smile return a little bit and a bit of her pep peeking through, so I am hoping that as time goes on we will get more and more of her spirit back and keep the great behavior with the Paige everyone knows and loves. This has been so hard for me. I feel like a bad Mom. I love her so much, but admit it has been really hard to like her for a while. We need something to change positively for both of our sakes. We are giving this medicine a month and I hope and pray it works and we still get to keep Paige the way we always have had her.