LAST, but certainly not LEAST…

Since small children in our family are starting to tell everyone they see…Check out Sylvie’s shirt!

Yes, you can consider this an announcement!!  Coming (not so soon) some time next Spring/Summer 2012!!

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And now…for a little Pregnancy Etiquette 101.1  {because people loose their brains when it comes to what to say/not say to pregnant women…} – I blame this section on hormones.  Please forgive me.

First of all, I’ll spare you the basics other than to say…

NEVER comment on a woman’s weight, ask if it was an accident, comment on the name of their future child in any other way than positively, touch a woman’s belly, give them horror stories to think about, make them wait behind you in the bathroom line, etc. etc. etc.

Now for the needed additions that have so blatantly come to my attention in the last few weeks:

Not all women are teeny tiny BETWEEN pregnancies.  Some of us are even a little tummy heavy and get asked (too) often if we’re expecting.  You’d think that people actually recognize this as a fact of life and that not everyone is the same size.  Big belly does not = pregnant.  THUS, big belly now does not mean I’m already 5-6 months pregnant.  Anyone who’s been tiny and pregnant may remember that you really don’t start showing until your 4th or 5th month.  You may (or my not) remember that I had this same belly 8 months ago and so it’s probably still just my chub and not a reason for you to tell me that you’ve known for some time I was expecting and you’ve just been waiting for the announcement. OR that in those pictures you just saw of me last month (when I wasn’t pregnant) that you were all discussing the possibility that we had one on the way, OR that you could tell because I always carry high and then rub my tummy.  It hurts my feelings just as much as if I wasn’t pregnant and you asked if I was.  And, in the next 3-4 months when I my chub is sticking out like I’m 8 months pregnant please recognize that it’s just because I can no longer suck it in or hide it under elastic because there’s a teeny tiny bump underneath…so leave the twins/triplets/diabetes questions in your brain.  Thanks.

Oh, and YES this is number 5.  NO this does not mean that we’re having 10, 20 or even 6.  It just means we’re having a 5th.  And we’re VERY excited about it!

Okay, sorry, but I don’t think I could take anymore weight/tummy comments.  I already have a mirror.

10-9-2011 Week in Review

I am SUPER WOMAN!…and Ryan is Super Man.  He has built so many new shelves for our attic and I have cleared out over half a deck (it’s a big deck) worth of stuff.  I’ve even SOLD SOME FOR MONEY!)  Ella’s track out started today and so far she and Sylvie are doing…okay…ish.  It helped that we had some friends over for the day to keep them busy.

Here are some of the things I found…

This pig was given to me by Dade many years ago for Mother’s Day or Christmas…he says I can get rid of it but I have to have this picture as my FB profile pic for a week!…stay tuned for THAT!

I parted with a lot of sentimental things but it was a good purge.  I have pictures and more space in my home!

Tuesday was more photoshoots….fun fun fun!

Wednesday I rushed like a mad woman over to Corben’s school to have a PT Conf with all of his core teachers.  When I got there, no one knew what I was talking about.  The councilor who scheduled the appt with me never wrote it down and completely forgot.  AAARRRGGHGHH!  So we walked around to see if any of his teachers could even be found and I did find one who could talk to me for a few minutes.  That was helpful but I’m pretty frustrated.

Thursday my Sistas came over!  They helped me sort through a few more items on the deck and then we hung out and enjoyed each other’s company while our kiddos played.  I LOVE them.  L.O.V.E.

Saturday was Arbor Day celebration in our little town and they had us all out to see the new town park plans!

       

We then went on a hay ride to view what’s going to be the new 74 acre park! It’s going to have a YMCA with indoor pool, 4 soccer fields, playground, 2 dog parks, amphitheater, skate park, camping, 2 ponds for fishing and plenty of biking and hiking trails!  We’re super excited!!

      

Dade spent the day out of town at a Leadership Training meeting where he met the 2nd Councilor in the Young Men’s General Presidency!  He spoke with Dade for a bit and gave Dade this really awesome Medallion!!

Sunday, after church, we had a wonderful Ward Activity on Family History.  Dade got up and shared some experiences with the ward.  I’m so proud of that kid!

10-2-2011 Week in Review…

Okay, I’m WAY behind.  BUT the nice thing is that since I’m SO far behind I don’t have to be secretive about some of the things that were a secret…like my photo shoot on Wednesday!!  BUT, if we’re going to talk about Wednesday we have to first give a SHOUT OUT to my awesome and relatively young brother, JYMN!!  Happy Birthday, Jymn!!  I love you!

Now, on to the pictures…in preparation for a friend’s surprise for her hubby I helped to find her THIS car!!  It’s going to show up at his birthday party (which was before I’m actually getting this post posted…a month late.) and he’s going to be SO surprised!!  We, of course, had to go and check it out first!

That’s right folks, it’s the good ol’ General Lee!! Straight out of the Dukes of Hazzard!  I’m kind of a fan myself as I had the awesome opportunity when I was a kid to meet some of them.  I even have my picture with Enos…somewhere…

Friday I went and hung out with my awesome sister at her house.  We headed back in time to go to Ella’s end of quarter party at school.  Her face was so cute with a big butterfly face painted on it (that we later found out would cause a huge allergic reaction…sigh).  Still…cute.  She’s really loving school.  Hope she likes track out just as much!

Saturday we headed out early to a baptism for a little boy in Ryan’s new class at church.  He’s been called to teach in Primary (our children’s group) and when we got to the baptism, not only did they have him stand in as a witness (makes sure the baptism is done correctly – full submersion) but he gave an impromptu talk on the Holy Ghost and was asked to join the circle to bestow the Holy Ghost to this wonderful young man.  It was such a wonderful experience for us all.

The rest of the day was dedicated to listening to General Conference!  I especially LOVE the Saturday sessions.  I always feel like they put the best talks on Saturday.  It’s a shame so many miss them because they schedule other things to do.  Ryan did have to work so, out of a bit of craziness I decided it was a good day to pull EVERYTHING out of the attic and put it on the deck to be sorted and organized.  I did NOT finish before Ryan got home but he was excited.  Now, hopefully he can stand to stare at it all of Sunday as we don’t work on Sunday…

Sunday was 2 more sessions of Conference and we were excited because my brother Jason & his lovely wife invited us over to watch the 2nd session on their projection screen!  We ended up staying for dinner (D wraps – yum!) and had such a wonderful evening!!

Memory Lane…Tootsie Roll Pops

When I was a little girl we used to love getting Tootsie Roll Pops! I loved the commercials and I loved the yummy middle.  I remember that my dad used to say he was a tootsie roll pop. Hard and crunch on the outside but soft and squishy on the inside. Once I counted how many licks it took to get to the tootsie roll center and then sent in my number to the Tootsie Roll company to let them know.  I got a letter back in the mail along with a certificate with my number on it congratulating me on finding out.  I wish I still had that certificate…

Another thing about Tootsie Roll pops that I loved was looking for the Indian.  When I was 7 years old I was sure that seeing that star meant I was in for a free lollipop.  I even convinced a store clerk of it once and walked away with my free pop as happy as could be.  When I my kiddos asked me about the Indian I decided to find out and here’s what I found:

I found that the free lollipop idea isn’t true but I’ve heard that a lot of folks keep the star wrappers for Good Luck! Some hold on to them, some ball them up and make a wish!  Either way, Chief Shooting Star is just another reason Tootsie Roll Pops are so cool!

One of the many reasons I love my brother, Jymn…

For my birthday one year (like 10 years ago) my brother, Jymn, sent me the link to this website where he’d uploaded a picture of me. Best. Present. EVER.  LOL 

9-25-2011 Week in Review

Our week started off with a cute frog in the yard…

Tuesday continued the reptile theme as Ryan found it QUITE funny to wake me from a much needed sleep by placing a SNAPPING TURTLE in my BED.  Love people, it’s true love.  Corben wasn’t feeling well today so I went and picked him up from school early.

Wednesday Sylvie and I went and visited my SIL and went for a beautiful walk in the woods with cousins.  I just LOVE spending time with her. What a blessing she is to our family!  Ella came home from school and passed out on the LR floor.  She complained of a headache all night but no fever.

Thursday was SUPER busy.  I headed out EARLY to help a friend with a fun photo shoot.  Sylvie tagged a long.  Note the cute bruise in the middle of her forehead? It’s actually fading but was working it’s way into a nice unicorn horn there for a day or two.  She wacked herself with a medal she’d gotten for gymnastics. She’s also wearing lip gloss in this pic which is unusual but she had just seem my friend putting some on so I let her.

Friday night was my beloved SIL’s bridal shower and I missed it!  That evening I got the worst headache I’ve had in years and was down for the count.  Sorry, Amy! I love you!  Ella’s headache was doing much better though so that’s a good thing.

Friday started out early, once again.  Ryan headed out to go have breakfast with him mom who’s in town for his sister’s wedding.  He then decided to work from home/his brother’s house.  Must be nice!  Dade is still having sinus trouble and it was requested that he get an MRI so they can figure out what’s going on in that head of his.  We spent a good portion of the day getting that done.  Unfortunately, we were unaware that Dade would need an IV for the procedure.  He’s nervous about such things and likes to know exactly what’s going on before it happens.  The IV threw him and then I had to leave with Sylvie while he was placed in the MRI and they didn’t tell him what was going to happen.  They only said not to move.  Well, imagine having a 40 minute panic attack but staying perfectly still despite the IV burning, your skin itching, something in your eye, and an overwhelming need to get out of dodge.  It took him almost 2 hours to get back to feeling normal afterwards.  Poor kid, but I’m SO proud of him for holding still and sticking it out.  He knew he’d have to start over if he moved and THAT was NOT an option.  I was still feeling pretty bad today but managed to get a bit done.  I was kind of excited today because some of my photos have been circulating on Pinterest.  I opened up the main Pinterest page and found my own photo there!!  (See the cowboy and baby below?)  It’s been pinned HUNDREDS of times.  Mostly photographers wanting to recreate it but there were a lot of moms who think a cowboy holding a baby is heart melting!  It’s fun to see people appreciating your work!

My mom came over Fri night to help with the kids and I was able to drive out and spend a nice evening at my SIL’s rehearsal dinner (which in LDS land is really decorate for the wedding dinner).  It was so great spending time with them and getting to be artsy.  I love this family!

Saturday was the Glorious Day!  Meet Amy and John (my newest BIL)!!  They are SO perfect for each other!

Here’s all the cute and handsome cousins!

My little Princesses…

   

Dancing with Grandpa!

 

This pic of the girls dancing cracks me up.

In typical Ella fashion…she found a lizard and brought it into the reception. It was later released into the wild.

     

Alright, I know I should have more pictures from the wedding BUT there were so many great photographers there today that I took a break so I could TRY to keep track of my kids.  Key word being TRY.

Sunday started about 3am with a feverish Sylvie who also had a terrible Headache!  No church for her.  I, however, couldn’t miss today because it was finally time for our wards Primary Program!! The kids have been working hard since the beginning of the year to put on a great meeting and they sang their little hearts out.  I was SO proud of all of them.  Admittedly after church, though, I crashed into bed….snore.

Memory Lane…Things Dade wants to Teach Corben

Going through a lot of old papers in the attic and coming across some real gems!  I found a note Dade (age 4.5) and I wrote while I was pregnant with Corben (Probably summer 2000) entitled:

Things Dade Wants to teach Corben About:

• Bug catcher
• Big measuring tape
• How to hug a little bear
• a toy bike
• sheets and covers
• pillow
• movie
• pen
• scissors/cutting the right way
• pullups
• balloons
• lotion
• water bottle
• not touch glass
• not touch sharp things
• not touch things on fire
• How to use the bathroom
• How to use the TV
• listen to Mommy
• no glass in mouth
• don’t go to pumphouse {we were living at my mom’s at the time}
• stay off roof so no ticks
• eat when Mommy says so
• don’t touch pokey pine trees

21 Questions…

21 questions to ask your kids

1. What is something Mommy always says to you?

Dade: Dade, go to bed.

Corben: Have you done your homework?

Ella: Uh, yes ma’am.

Sylvie: Um, Clean up stuff.

2. What makes Mommy happy?

Dade: Cleaning up.

Corben: Me getting my hw done.

Ella: Uh, do the right thing.

Sylvie: Um, Say yes sir

3. What makes Mommy sad?

Dade: Dirty house.

Corben: Me not getting my hw done.

Ella: Uh, not doing wrong choices

Sylvie: Um, Not cleaning up

4. How does Mommy make you laugh?

Dade: (long pause) …weirdness

Corben: She doesn’t. Except for that question.

Ella: Uh, when you tell me funny jokes

Sylvie: Um, tell funny jokes

5. What was Mommy like as a child?

Dade: Weirdness

Corben: Interesting…

Ella: Like your doll, Alyssa.

Sylvie: She used to like her teddy bear.

6. How old is Mommy?

Dade: 36

Corben: 38

Ella: Uh, 3-6

Sylvie: How old are you? I don’t know that? Guess.  Um…60

7. How tall is Mommy?

Dade: 5’5”

Corben: 5’ 1”

Ella: Uh, 100 lbs

Sylvie: I don’t know. Um, this tall.

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?

Dade: Cool art projects.

Corben: Yell at us.

Ella: Uh, help you.

Sylvie: Clean up.

9. What does Mommy do when you're not around?

Dade: Dances

Corben: I don’t’ know.

Ella: Uh, I’m hiding, maybe.

Sylvie: Um, she doesn’t play

10. If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?

Dade: Being Dade’s mom.

Corben: Yodeling

Ella: You might be a rock star.

Sylvie: Wearing fancy clothes

11. What is Mommy really good at?

Dade: (long pause and a sigh) photography

Corben: Yodeling

Ella: Uh, cleaning up the whole wide house

Sylvie: Cleaning up.

12. What is Mommy not very good at?

Dade: (long pause) … …I don’t know

Corben: Cooking

Ella: Uh, not climbing trees

Sylvie: Um, um, you’re not very good at um, being nice.  (You keep yelling at me!)

13. What does Mommy do for her job?

Dade: Play on the computer.

Corben: Photography

Ella: Uh, her helps people

Sylvie: Clean up.

14. What is Mommy's favorite food?

Dade: Pizza

Corben: I don’t know

Ella: Uh, mac & cheese and cereal

Sylvie: Pizza

15. What makes you proud of Mommy?

Dade: When she does smart things.

Corben: When she eats all of her dinner.

Ella: Uh, make good choices

Sylvie: Um, hugging you.

16. If Mommy were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Dade: Jimmy Neutron's mom

Corben: Sandy from SpongeBob

Ella: Uh, you better be a rock star, again!

Sylvie: Um, a unicorn! I love unicorns.

17. What do you and Mommy do together?

Dade: Talk about computer stuff.

Corben: Not much.

Ella: Uh, we take a walk on the road

Sylvie: Um, we play together and we love each other.

18. How are you and Mommy the same?

Dade: (long apuse) – apparently she can’t spell, just like me

Corben: Hmmm…okay let’s skip this question…

Ella: Uh, we could have short hair and have the same color face.

Sylvie: Um, loving each other.

19. How are you and Mommy different?

Dade: She’s a female.

Corben: Do I have to name them all?  I can’t count them all.

Ella: Uh, we look different, our family.

Sylvie: Um, I don’t know.

20. How do you know Mommy loves you?

Dade: She helps me with stuff.

Corben: She says so.

Ella: Uh, because we have a heart.

Sylvie: Because we play together and we love each other.

21. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go?

Dade:  Bed.

Corben: To bed

Ella: Uh, to the store.

Sylvie: Um, to Bug Fest