Luke's interview

Luke was watching an interview conducted by our good friend Steve to his 6 year old, Lily. He thought it was pretty cool so he asked that he get interviewed too. Im not as fancy as Steve, or as digitally savvy, so this one will just be typed.

Mom: What is your favorite color?
Luke: red

Mom: Whats your favorite song?
Luke: Each of us is a flower

Mom: Whats your favorite book?
Luke: The Book of Mormon

Mom: Whos your best friend?
Luke: Lance

Mom: Whats your favorite subject in School?
Luke: Whats a subject?... Science.

Mom: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Luke: A Pediatric brain Surgeon

Mom: Whats your favorite thing to do for fun?
Luke: Play sharks

Mom: Describe your Mom
Luke: Mom is so beautiful but not as beautiful as Ella.

Mom: Describe Dad
Luke: Dads really handsome but not as handsome as me

Mom: If you could be anyone, who would it be?
Luke: Greg, from Diary of a wimpy kid.

Mom: Who are you the most like in our Family?
Luke: Dad

Mom: If there was a fire and you could only take 1 thing with you, what would it be?
Luke: Water, so I could put the fire out

Mom: Whats your favorite treat?
Luke: Tofu-tie Cuties

Mom: Tell me something you like most about Ella
Luke: She has the most beautiful eyes.

Mom: Tell me something you like about Olivia
Luke: She's cute and silly

Mom: What are you most looking forward to about the new baby?
Luke: She'll be cute. And Im excited to snuggle her

Mom: What do you think about being the only boy?
Luke: Its good cuz I like it. I get to have all the girlfriends.

Mom: What are you the most excited about this Summer?
Luke: swimming lessons, because Im so good at it.

Mom: Who's the smartest person you know?
Luke: me

Mom: What do you want to know about or learn, that you dont know now?
Luke: I want to learn more about spiders

Lazy

I am, admittedly, lazy. Its something I make a conscious effort to do better at... but then I get too lazy to do that too. Im not a big cooker, I'd love to bake more (but its so much work) it kills me to have to do laundry or to clean the house so I put it off until it becomes a big undertaking. That doesn't help with my motivation either. Though, eventually, bathrooms get embarrassing, toilets must be scrubbed, I run out of maternity clothes, which I seem to have few of, and I have no choice but to get up and get moving.

But today was a good day. I was determined to make myself, and my Husband, proud. I made a juicy meatloaf (not as good as Grandma's but Im working on it) and some fantastic cheesy mashed potatoes. One we were finished eating dinner I started on homemade banana cream cheese bars, which I've been dying to try. They're in the oven and in another 15 minutes I'll get started on my cream cheese frosting to smother on top.

So the house needs a little TLC and I am constantly reminded at how badly my pantry, among other things, needs organizing. But... Im taking it little by little. I think I have been mentally preparing myself for a hot Summer, 3 little kids to entertain, and dealing with all of the tiredness and aches that come along with being in your last trimester. It will be a crazy Summer. I will desperately miss having my Husbands help. I have been worried about it since November and its hard to believe its upon us.

So, here's to being more organized, less lazy and more patient. And especially to my banana bars.... please taste as good as Im hoping you will.

Dance parties!!

These girls beg for dance parties every single day! And Mom delivers. Olivia has started to really bust her little moves (usually accompanied by singing along in her own language) and its pretty cute. She especially like getting up on her stage, or lego's case turned up-side-down. And Ella never holds back. She seriously will start busting a move in singing time at Church. Not quite appropriate for "Follow the Prophet." We're working on that one.

I Love being a Mom to 2, soon to be 3, girls. Here's to many more years of fun music and dance parties.

Happy Birthday D-love

Happy 33rd to this hottie...



You are truly the greatest thing to happen to me. I am so, so grateful for you. Thank you for all that you do, from getting up with the kids in the morning to let a fat pregnant Woman get more rest, to always doing the dishes because you know how much I hate it. I dont know how you juggle life with a busy Family and your straight A (for years now) education. You amaze me on a daily basis. I could never do the things that you do. And you do them all perfectly!!! (except for the yard work)

Happy Birthday! We love you.

Cloth.. week 2

This will be short and to the point.

Week 2. I am still loving the world of cloth, I mean it too. I am totally committed to this and wish I would have done it earlier.

The G diapers are no longer. Luckily I got the for 25% off so the resale makes it so that I wont have lost any money on them. I am grateful for them. They are the initial reason I started this whole thing. I just came to see that they were the one's that actually ended up being the most work. The regular cloth AIO's or pockets (my 2 favorites, and all I use) are even un-intimidating on the go. I just bring along my dry bag and transfer into my pail when I get home. No biggie.

Here are my newest find. Other than this Swaddlebee's I am still loving and using the same few as before. I adore them all and feel I have a great mix.


I use mostly one size snaps so that I can use them with the baby too, though I have a few sized to cut down on a bit of bulk. Luckily Olivia is so tiny that her clothes actually fit her better as opposed to some people's issue of having bottoms too tight.

So, I will let the cloth diaper thing rest for now. Life is good. I love not buying diapers. I am so happy with my choice to do this... and even Dave is now 100% on board. He was my toughest critic initially but came around after about a day or 2.... I knew he would!!!

10 more weeks!?

I must admit, I am totally terrified that 10 weeks from yesterday we will be a Family of 4!!! Its gone so fast. So, so fast. I think that it took me about 25 weeks to come to terms with the fact that this was really happening but I can honestly say that, at this point, I am getting excited to meet this little girl of ours. I am especially excited to watch the kids interact with her. I love that they will have another sibling to love and to grow up with.

I have been feeling really great. I've still been able to sleep pretty comfortably, which means everything! Im nervous about School coming to an end soon, its going to be a hard Summer. Dave will be working on his comprehensive exams every single day, pretty much ALL day long. He has over 100 books to read before he takes his test, which will end up being about a book a day until September. Its going to be interesting to be entertaining the kids, taking them to swim lessons, and doing the normal day-to-day tasks in the heat of Summer all while in my last trimester, and without Dave's help. Im literally praying that I will have enough patience and energy to do it.

So cross your fingers for me that I can resume my sanity throughout these next 10 weeks.

Again!?

It's been well documented, how well my baby girl sleeps. (I call her varying form's of "baby" as often as possible these days because pretty soon I wont really be able to rightly call her that) So when she had a terrible night last night, including waking up bawling 5 times through the night, my thoughts run away with me. I immediately assume she must be sick. This was more than teething, which she has also been doing, she was just sooooo sad.

So today I get in with the Doctor. I tell them I assume she has an ear infection. They get me in. My regular Doctor, who I know well and love, is not working and I must see Dr. Mark. This bum's me out but I assume there can be very little variance to looking into a 1 year old's ear so I agree.

I can tell that Dr. Mark doesn't have the same conclusion to a stirring baby as I do. "She didn't sleep well, huhh?" May have well just said, "You're wasting my time with this ear infection conclusion, paranoid Mom."

He looks into her ear and actually says, "There is a lot of wax blockage and I can't see what I need to. We can either irrigate it, which will really upset her, or I can just send you home with some numbing type drops that may give her some relief." I almost laugh. If I didnt care if he saw into her ear would I have gone to the trouble of bringing her in? By the way, they take her temp earlier in the visit and she has a fever. I think Im on the right track and ask that they irrigate it.

Nurse comes in. They irrigate it. She doesn't make a single peep, just touches her ear as the Nurse walks out and babbles. I assume she's saying" What the heck was that all about and why is there cotton in my ear?"

Doctor comes back in. Takes one look. "Wow... she definitely has an ear infection." Then the best part. "Im sure glad we decided to clean out that ear so that I could see this, its quite bad."

I dutifully thank him. Make an appointment for 2 weeks (with Dr. Gill) and, after a pleasant conversation with a few girls at the front desk (they know Olivia pretty well from her hundreds of visits in her 1st year) I leave with my prescription.

I am grateful for Mothers intuition, it rarely steers me wrong. And I'm even less of a fan of Dr. Mark. And I really hope my baby doesn't need to end up with tubes one day. I think this is ear infection number 6.

Cuz' she's just cute!

Thanks Aunt Jenny for my new dress, it's pretty darn cute, huhh?

Kinda' awesome

Is it wrong that I sorta" love this? Probably... but I dont care. (Sorry Toyota but I love my Honda)

Cloth Diapers.. the beginning

A few friends have asked how my big switch has been going. I thought I'd document it briefly (mostly for me) We are a few days into our new diapering and, though I never thought I'd ever say this... Im loving it!!! It is a lot easier and a lot less "gross" than I thought it would be.

I have done hours of research (there is so much to learn) and have decided on the below diapers. Im sure that over time I will have a few favorites that push their way to the top of my rotation but for now I truly love all 4 for various reasons. I think I have a great mix.

I have yet to have any leaking, even at night. And Olivia really likes them all. In fact, before I had my complete supply, we had to put a disposable on her at night. When I took off the Bumgenious and started to put the Pamper's on she actually got sad. Now Im sure part of it was because it was the middle of the night and she wanted to be back in her warm bed but I really do think she prefers the cloth. They are incredibly soft! (and so cute)

So, to sum up, Im a big fan. The storing and cleaning is a breeze and it in no way would keep me from continuing this new move (as I feared it may) I also cant tell you how giddy I get at the thought that I no longer will need to drop money on Pampers again!!! ( I should save, including start up costs on cloth, about $1000 on Olivia and $2000 on the baby by making this switch)

Cloth diapering is certainly not for everyone and I wouldn't try to convince anyone to do it. Im just hoping to track my journey and possibly encourage some, who have been thinking about the move, to see that they too can be successful in the switch. Trust me, there are several who think that I am crazy... but also plenty who have said they too have thought about doing it.

I am feeling pretty confident at this point, though I know there are still sure to be many a hiccup. I am excited to attend a free class in Denver on Saturday all about cloth diapering. I am amazed at how much there is out there for support in this venture.

Below are the 4 I have been using...


bumgenius organic AIO
Rumparooz G2- these have seemed the best for long nights

Gdiapers with biodegradable flushable inserts and cloth inserts. I only use the flushable inserts when out and about because I can just toss 'em in the toilet or trash. They will still only take 34 days to break down, as opposed to 500 years. Some people use the flushable liners all the time but that is a very expensive way to do cloth diapers.

DryBees Hybrid AIO. These are nice and trim with leggings or tighter fitting pants. The Gdiapers are super trim too (the most trim of them all)

My cute little gymnast

Oh how I love this peanut. (check out the cute cloth diapers... I have lost my mind.. and I love it)

Mom's

(cant forget this member of our Family...27 weeks pregnant with another sweet Daughter)

"Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.” Boyd K. Packer

Its easy to say why I love to be a Mom. These kids are my greatest blessing. Being their Mother makes me a better person. It is a sacred calling that I revere.

I loved this story line in the novel "The Invisible Women"

A rich man came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

There are many a day when I feel as though so many of the things that I do on a daily basis go unnoticed. But I know that the Lord sees. He see's everything. Each cut that I clean out, each bowl of oatmeal that I make. He see's me do my best to lead by example, to teach values, and Scripture. And nothing is too small for him to notice and to smile upon.

My Children are the Cathedrals that I am building.

"As Mothers we cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women."

buddies

We moved here when Luke was 4. Almost the exact age that Ella is now. Its hard to believe that its been that long and yet that short. We have made many life-long friends and this has, hands down, been our favorite place that we've ever lived. We love the weather, the Schools, the Church, the neighborhood, the parks and the array of fun things to do. Above all else, we love the people.

As I watched Luke with 2 of his buddies yesterday I got sad. Very sad. It hit me that in just 1 short year he would be saying good-bye to some of the best and only friends he's ever known. Friends who he sits with in Church each week, friends who's homes he's been welcomed and invited into frequently, friends who he runs around playing freeze tag with on a daily basis at School. He has learned and grown so much from so many of these great kids. And they are a great group of kids. I imagine them all in a few years, hanging out with eachother in School, talking about cute girls and sports. And it makes me sad to know that Luke will not be there to join in. That he won't be growing up with these boys and girls whom I love so much.

I know we will move on to more friends and great experiences next year. I know this. But my heart still breaks a little bit. I want Luke to grow up with these kids. With these Schools and this support group of Parents and Teachers.

So all I can do is enjoy this time that we have left and to try not to let it get me too down. All I can do is hope and pray that we will be led to another home that we will love as much as we do Parker, CO. And all I can do is to be so, so thankful that we've had all of these wonderful friendships, experiences and memories. We have truly been, and will continue to be, blessed by our life here.






Luke, Lance and Caden... I'm telling you, girls are going to be doodling these boys names on notebooks in no time

19 months

(having my editing software on the outs has forced me to be more careful behind the lens. There are a few things I'd have loved to do to this image but your so cute Im happy with just about every shot of you)

You are such a fun girl. I love days like today when its just you and I. These are treasured times that I know will all too quickly be eliminated from our lazy Monday and Wednesday mornings. Replaced by the sounds and chaos that come with a new baby. But I know that you wont mind. Because I have seen how in love you are with babies.

At 19 months you sure continue to steal our hearts. All of us. You spontaneously run to your brother and sister several times each day, melting them with your hugs and kisses. You love to be where they are and do what they do. You think that you are the same age. Seeing no need for such things as sitting in high chairs or boosters, eating with your hands (you always prefer silverware) or drinking out of sippy cups (thought Im just not willing to let you move up to the next stage there) You love to blow your own nose and wipe your own face. You even try to clean yourself in the bath. Yes, you try desperately to be just like Luke and Ella. And I love it!

You are still shy and a bit coy but you love to share your huge grins from a safe distance. As long as we are close by you are actually quite social and love to play with friends. At Church you always flirt with Kyle, Lance and Jackson Kirkpatrick. I think because they all look so much alike you dont care which one your making eyes at. I suppose you have a thing for blondes.

You are still a great sleeper and eater. Our best thus far.

Oh how your life is about to change sweet Olivia. But I know that you are going to be just about the sweetest, kindest, most loving big Sister there could be. And I know it will be one of my greatest blessings to watch you girls together over the years.