Funny

It's funny to me how much my outlook can change in the course of one day.

I went to bed last night feeling a little stressed.  My to-do list seems daunting. I haven't figured out what I am gifting to everyone for this holiday/birthday season not to mention the Christmas cards I have yet to make, etc.

Then, today I taught preschool which actually left me feeling pretty good (not that it leaves me feeling bad usually, just sometimes a little tired of preschool aged children).

I've had the opportunity to just "sit" a bit more than normal today as Devynee is feeling a little under the weather and lets me cuddle.  I even caught a 45 minute nap this afternoon (can't tell you the last time that happened).  Finally, I got to spend the entire evening with Ronnie (something that doesn't happen often in the month of December due to tithing settlements).

Life is looking pretty dang good.

And no, the length of my to-do list has not changed, just my perspective.

It's been hard

This blogging daily thing is no joke.  I thought I had lots of ideas to fill the days.  Surely I could come up with enough randomness to fill 30 posts.  Especially with a birthday thrown in there as well as a holiday, etc.

But these last five days or so have been torture.  I actually dread sitting down to blog because I feel like I have nothing to talk about.  I will not be a forever daily blogger, but I did enjoy the challenge that NaBloPoMo provides once (and only once) a year.

I've learned that my style of blogging fits my life pretty well.  I blog when I have things to say/time and then don't really feel guilty at all if I go a few weeks with nothing and then burst out with 5+ days of blogging.  I love being able to schedule posts so that I can work on posts for a few hours in one day and have them post once a day for the next week so family doesn't have to scroll down for ages to read everything I have just spewed out. :)

Overall, I would have never recorded many of the daily life things I have captured with this little blog of mine.  It will never be a money maker, but it will forever be a memory keeper.

Perfect.

So you pile it all on

I knew when I scheduled Easton and Devynee's well visits together as well as lined Kendree up for a flu shot that it would be a tear filled afternoon.  I was prepared.

Then, the doctor wanted some lab work done on Devynee (nothing to worry about, just investigating her small size and head) and I decided to take a bad day to worse.

I drove straight from the doctor's office (where a total of 11 shots had been doled out) to the lab, where Devynee had to have blood drawn and I got to explain the workings of the body in 4 year old terms, which was actually kind of fun (the explaining part, not the blood drawing part).

All things considered the kids did great for the rest of the night. 

I'm sure the pizza and ice cream helped.

Now, I'm sitting down and not moving and it. is. awesome.

The End.

A few of my favorite Christmas books

I'm not sure I could ever compile a list of Christmas books that is totally complete, but here are a few I pulled out of my Christmas box last night and sighed as I organized them. [in no particular order, just the order I pulled them out - all links are to Amazon, because I love them]

• Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright. A feel good story with a simple action that even the youngest of children can understand.  We all save our change for other things, why not to serve others?
• A Christmas Thief by Carol Lynn Pearson. Another classic feel good story, but I love how it centers around a nativity. 
• The Witch's Christmas by Norman Bridwell.  I love that witch.  I love her at Christmas.
• The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans. This one I actually have two extra copies of and I'll send it to you if you need one of your own.  Love, love, love.
• The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojceichowski.  I'm really hoping my kids will sit still for this one this year.  The illustrations are lovely and the story is too.  Another one about a nativity.  I'm a sucker for nativities.
• The Innkeeper's Wife by Lynda M. Wilson.  I love when I can relate to a story, and I can relate to this one. 
• The Other Wise Man by Henry van Dyke.  If you haven't read this one, you may as well just drop what you are doing now.
• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. I assume you are not breathing if you don't know about this book.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. My mom actually tried to memorize this book one time.  Read it with that in mind next time and you'll understand why she chose a different book to memorize. :)

I'm missing so many, it is almost embarrassing.  So tell me, what is your favorite?

When you drive for seven hours

And visit family, you can't NOT get a picture with the greatest great grandparents in the land.

The kiddos with Grandma-Great and Grand Dad:

And with sweet Grammy:

 

We had a wonderful Thankgiving weekend. The kids and I left Wednesday morning and rode with my mom and dad to Utah (thanks again for putting up with us).  Ronnie followed about three hours later.  We drove straight to the Mosida Handcart Site (near Elberta, Utah) where my grandparents are serving a mission as the directors.  They were gracious enough to host 35 of us in their house and the lodge and bunkhouse at the handcart site.  It was crazy, loud fun and we enjoyed every minute of it.

We were able to eat delicious food, share new ideas and crafts, let the kids loose (Easton and his cousin Alayna LOVED walking the 1/5 of a mile to the lodge from the house all. by. themselves), touring the LDS church dairy farm and using the metal detector to find the treasure that Grand Dad buried.

We headed back to Pleasant Grove on Saturday morning, ran a few Utah County errands and ate at In-N-Out TWICE.  Ronnie's life is complete for a week or so.

We couldn't have asked for better weather (I didn't even pack the kids' coats!) and it was great to see family that we haven't seen in years. It was a GREAT time.

Ready, Set, Go!

Quick, someone just let you know that they will be at your house in 15 minutes.  You have had a "normal"day at home and haven't focused on making the house neat and tidy. What would you rush to do in those 15 minutes?

Me?

• Pick up toys on living room floor
• Put away clothes on couch (it seems that I ALWAYS have a load waiting to be put away there - and by put away, I really mean move the pile to my bed)
• Clean/straighten the part of the kitchen counter that is visible from the living room
• Straighten desk/top of piano (as this is my work station, it gets paper clutter throughout the day)
• Finally, if I still have some time left, I would do the dishes that I KNOW are in the sink.

Devynee - 12 months

You got to see my sweet, little Devynee grow up in the last post, so how about some bullet points?

At 12 months:

• Devynee weighs in at 16 lbs. 10 oz (2nd %tile) and is 29.25 inches long. Her head is 43.5 cm. The doctor had us order some additional blood tests as she has kind of flat lined on head and weight growth.
• Devynee loves to eat pretty much anything she can gum. Especially if it comes off of mom or dad's fork. She tolerates baby food, but also likes to mix it up with some "real" food for most meals.
• She takes two naps a day if we are home, but has stopped falling asleep when we are out and about. Her morning nap is usually about 1 - 1.5 hours and her afternoon nap is 2+ hours.  I don't know how long she would really sleep in the afternoon as Kendree usually wakes her up when she wakes up from her nap (as they are sleeping in the same room).
• Devynee sleeps through the night and goes to bed at 7:00 p.m.
• She is an early riser, but again, I'm never sure if that would be different if she wasn't sharing a room with an early riser. :)
• She still has no sign of any teeth.
• Devynee has definite opinions. She just can't communicate them other than screaming at you. 
• Devynee has perfected the crocodile tears.  Anytime she is upset you can bet that large tears will be streaming down her face.  She can turn them off in a second if she decides to though.
• She started "real" crawling on a regular basis just about 4-5 days before she turned one.  She still doesn't do it all of the time, but she's moving!
• She refuses to hold her own sippy cup.  This is maddening.
• She signs "more" and "all done" pretty regularly.  For everything else she relies on her screaming form of communication.
• Devynee will crawl over and lay her forehead on my foot if she wants me to pick her up.
• She is in size 12 month clothing.
• Devynee hates to have a headband on and I'm too lazy to fight it.  We'll visit this again when she is 18 months old.
• She is starting to have hair long enough to think about doing something with.  I haven't actually done anything with it, but I'm thinking. :)
• Devynee continues to have a "cross-eyed" look some of the time.  We plan to have her vision screened this month to see if there is anything we should/can do.

Devynee - 1 year! Seriously.

You'll indulge me a post full of pictures for my sweet girl's first birthday, right?

 

Just born

 1 week:

 1 month:

 Blessing Day:

 2 months:

 3 months:

 4 months:

 5 months:

 6 months:

 7 months:

 8 months:

 9 months:

 10 months (same outfit!):

11 months:

 

Thankful

I know you will be inundated with blogs all about how thankful everyone is today, but the bottom line is that it doesn't matter what other people are writing, I want to document how thankful I am for all that I have.

I am incredibly blessed.  I am thankful for my beautiful, crazy family.  For my loving husband and cute (and spunky) kiddos.  I am thankful for my extended family and the family I married into.  I am so thankful for friends, both near and far who help me, listen to me and let me be myself.  I am thankful to live in this country.  I don't know that I think about my freedom as much as I should, but I am so thankful for it.

I am thankful for my physical health and for the health of my family.  For our temporal blessings (house, food, clothing) and most importantly for my testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I am thankful for His atonement and for the chance I have to repent and become clean of wrongs that I do.  I am thankful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to raise my children to have testimonies of the gospel.  I am thankful to have a living prophet of God on earth today and to have the word of God in the scriptures.  I am thankful for prayer, for the connection with Heavenly Father that is so precious to me.

Thank you for listening and Happy Thanksgiving!

100 Children's Books

If there is one thing I could spend all of my money on, it is books.  Specifically children's books.  I love them.  I have to be even more diligent because Easton gets book orders now, best day ever.

 

I've been wanting to build up my children's library and have been scouring the internet for different children's book lists.  Caldecott winners, best books overall, etc.  I found this list published by Scholastic and thought it would be a great place to start. 

 

Books we own (and have read) are underlined and the ones I have read but do not own are in red. We do pretty decently with the top 50 and it goes downhill quickly from there.

 

I don't think any one list can contain all of my personal favorites, maybe I'll aspire to compile a list of my own...

 

1. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

2. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

4. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jacks Keats

5. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

7. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

9. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

10. Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

11. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

12. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

13. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

14. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

15. The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

16. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

17. Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt

18. When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan

19. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems

20. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

21. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

22. Corduroy by Don Freeman

23. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

24. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

25. The Giver by Lois Lowry

26. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

27. Black on White by Tana Hoban

28. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

29. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume

30. My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco

31. The Mitten by Jan Brett

32. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

33. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

34. Swimmy by Leo Lionni

35. Freight Train by Donald Crews

36. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

37. The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood

38. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

39. Zen Shorts by John J. Muth

40. Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton

41. Matilda by Roald Dahl

42. What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry

43. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

44. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

45. The Composition by Antonio Skarmeta

46. Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

47. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle

48. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

49. Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport

50. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

51. Sylvia Long's Mother Goose by Sylvia Long

52. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

53. The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

54. Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges

55. Smile! by Roberta Grobel Intrater

56. Living Sunlight by Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm

57. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

58. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull

59. Dear Juno by Soyung Pak

60. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes… by Annie Kubler

61. The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

62. Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

63. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

64. My Truck Is Stuck! by Kevin Lewis

65. Birds by Kevin Henkes

66. The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

67. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

68. Counting Kisses: A Kiss & Read Book by Karen Katz

69. The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks by Joanna Cole

70. Blackout by John Rocco

71. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

72. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

73. Tea With Milk by Allen Say

74. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

75. Holes by Louis Sachar

76. Peek-a Who? by Nina Laden

77. Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold

78. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

79. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

80. What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

81. Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman

82. Ivy + Bean by Annie Barrows

83. Yoko by Rosemary Wells

84. No No Yes Yes by Leslie Patricelli

85. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

86. Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

87. Rules by Cynthia Lord

88. Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

89. An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston

90. Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault

91. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh

92. What Shall We Do With the Boo Hoo Baby? by Cressida Cowell

93. We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States by David Catrow

94. I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis

95. A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

96. Gossie by Olivier Dunrea

97. The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

98. First Words by Roger Priddy

99. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman

100. Animalia by Graeme Base

Assumptions

As the ever dutiful wife, I like to think I know everything about Ronnie. 

That is not quite true, but over the years I have answered questions (all about food) from friends and relatives and gotten it wrong.

Let me give you a few examples.

• I had noticed that Ronnie preferred homemade strawberry jam to raspberry jam which I thought was crazy.  I asked him about it and he said that he doesn't like the raspberry because the seeds get stuck in his teeth and drive him crazy.  A few months later someone was asking me about a food with raspberries in it and I told them that Ronnie doesn't like raspberries.  He has since clarified that he hates the seeds in raspberries but loves raspberries themselves.  I'm still not sure when the seeds are worth it and when they aren't. :)
• Ronnie had refused eating a few mint truffles that I purchased.  He also does not like mint chocolate chip ice cream.  I assumed he didn't really like mint except for actual mints that you suck on.  Apparently I was wrong again (although between you and me, I still don't really know of a food with mint flavor that he does like).
• Again, I had noticed that Ronnie either turned down things with nuts in them, or made comments when I made things with nuts that they were good "except the nuts."  And once again I assumed that he didn't like nuts and expressed that to someone.  I have since learned that he does not like desserts with nuts in them, but loves nuts by themselves. 

Good thing we are in this marriage thing forever, because I still have a lot to learn!

Traveling with kids

Let's face it (although I'm not quite ready to) the holiday season is upon us.  Heck, Thanksgiving is three days away!

What do the holidays bring? Traveling.

Traveling with kids? Welcome to 14 suitcases, a swing, a highchair, a bumbo, a pack n play, and a bag just full of toys.

It's the best.

I thought I would share a few of my favorite tricks.

1. Tin foil.  Don't go leaving me now, it really is awesome.  If I have any "surprises" for the kids, I make sure to remove all of the store packaging and then wrap the item in tin foil.  Or sometimes two or three layers of tin foil.  Tin foil is the BEST in the car.  It is compact, you can make it all stick together, and it takes your kids a minute to get through.  Then, when that is all done, you can make a ball and chuck it at the driver [kidding!].

2. Water bottle toppers.  No sippy cups to deal with, just regular water bottles (add a flavor packet for fun) and you are good. to. go. I keep one of these in each car and one in my diaper bag (yes, I own 5 of them, don't mock).

3. Magic coloring books.  You know the ones.  The ones where the paper is actually pre-colored and your kid uses one marker (ONE, only ONE) to make it all magically appear.  It is awesome.

4. Medicine.  Yes, it is one more (or a million more) thing to bring, but when you aren't trying to find a Wal-mart while on the road you'll be glad you threw in the children's ibuprofen.

Okay, so I guess I have less original ideas to contribute than I originally thought.  Hopefully my four measly ideas help you anyway. :)

The one blessing of flat feet

They make a mean footprint ghost during preschool Halloween craft time.

 

What? Too late for Halloween? During NaBloPoMo you have to put up with a little bit of random. :)

10 things

I love:

• Sitting right next to a portable heater. I loooove that warmth.
• The smell of Simple Green cleaner. 
• Walking slowly all by myself. Funny how being alone is so valuable after a kid or two (or three).
• Blue Bell Pistachio Almond ice cream.  It is better even than the Baskin Robbins version.
• Amazon.com. If I had to choose a favorite online retailer, they would win hands down.
• Jergen's Original Scent (Cherry Almond) lotion.  The smell is the best.  I can't do "smelly" lotions on a regular basis, but this stuff is the perfect amount of "smell."
• Post-it notes. Preferably the super sticky kind if I have an unlimited post-it note budget.
• The look of a heavy frost over trees, grass, etc.  This should not be confused with a heavy frost on my car.
• Talking to/getting to know others.  Don't get me wrong, I hate doing the awkward getting to know you/breaking the ice part of that, but love getting to know about someone new.  Perhaps that is one of the reasons I love blogs so much.  You get to know thoughts of, peer into another person's life and don't have to do the awkward bit to get there.
• Sticker books.  I say that I am buying them for my kids, but since they two that can appreciate them both need "help" to place the stickers in the designated place, I get to help organize.  Plus, I know WAY more about all of the Avengers and their back stories than I ever thought possible.

I dislike/miss:

• Membership cards.  I should be able to shop at Safeway/King Soopers/Kmart and get the same deals whether or not I am a member or have a reward card.  Can't we all just be "membership" friends?  In all fairness, I do get the value from a marketing/research standpoint but that doesn't mean I enjoy digging a card out/entering a phone number when I shop.
• Speed dialing.  In the day of the flip phone I had all eight available numbers programmed with those I talked to most. 2=Ronnie, 3=Mom, 4=Dad, 5=House, 6=Erica and 7, 8 and 9 were a little more floating (current roommates, close friends, co-workers, etc.).  Now, my smart phone has a way for me to have favorites list and all of those people are listed, but it just doesn't give me the same satisfaction as flipping open my phone, pressing and holding the 3 and then chatting with my mom. 
• Alarms.  Well, specifically the alarm on my smart phone.  When I set it, it tells me down to the minute how long until that alarm will go off before I can exit the screen.  I know I am only going to get six hours of sleep. I don't need the phone to tell me that and make me uber-aware. This is sounding like I hate my smart phone, when in reality I love the little bugger.
• Packing and then unpacking. If there is anything that can suck the fun out of a vacation (or family trip) it is the packing and unpacking.  Especially as a mom.  The lists I have to make! The laundry I have to do! ugg.
• Pinterest. I know, I know. But my to-do list and life are busy enough without the outside influence of thousands of people telling me about other things that I should do or have to do. I have tried it and have an account, but I just can't do it.  I can't.
• Presidential debates. I know that they only have three shots to sway those that aren't going to go out of their way to study the candidates, etc. but there was nothing that happened in the debates that swayed me in any way.  They only agitate me.
• Changing a crib sheet. Why can't this be easier?
• The subject line of a Microsoft Outlook email. They are NOT spellchecked. What kind of world do we live in?  Can we not set up the automatic spell check in the subject line?  I have sent more emails than I care to admit where the subject line looks like this: "HEllo Friend!" Okay, so maybe not with that subject as I only use Outlook at work but still, you get the idea. I just want that lovely red line to draw my attention, that doesn't seem like too much to ask.
• Green screen scenes in television shows.  Not the sit-coms where you expect the cheapy stuff, but the action shows where they really want you to believe something and then give you crappy special effects.
• Junk mail. The trees killed. The money wasted. Enough said.

I'd love to hear 10 things about you!

Easton Says...

The first day that I dropped of the kids at my mom's house after Ron and I returned from San Francisco the kids were a little more concerned about when I would be back.  I explained that I would be back after they ate lunch, in four hours.  As I'm walking out the door, he yells, "See you in four minutes!"

Easton told me that he wanted to go on his mission to Denver.  I told him that Jesus and Heavenly Father choose where to send you on your mission. He then asked where Jesus sent Dad and I told him New York.  He then asked me if he will get married after his mission and I said that yes, he can get married after his mission.  He then gets a very serious look on his face and says, "I don't know who I want to marry yet, Chani or Bianca."  I eased his fears and told him that he won't need to figure that our for a while and he seemed to be okay with that.

The other day he kept on asking me about when Bianca had a "cattoon."  I kept on trying to correct him and thought he was saying "cartoon."  It wasn't until much later that I figured out he was saying tattoo and that he wanted to get a UW tattoo to wear to the next game.  He still calls them cattoons and it is too funny to correct right now.

2.75 years going on 20

Those who know Kendree know how verbal she is.  I don't remember her learning to talk any sooner than usual, but she sure has mastered complete sentences sooner than most kids her age.

This is awesome. And not awesome.

Getting to actually hear how she feels and what she wants is pretty great.

Having to hear how she feels and what she wants is sometimes not so great.

It does lead to some pretty great comments:

• Kendree went with my dad to get pizza while Ron and I were in San Francisco. They were standing in line behind a girl in a letterman's jacket from the local high school.  Kendree turned to the girl and said "Did you go to the game with Sarah?" Sarah had gone to a UW basketball game the day before, but the fact that she equated the high school team jacket with a game and then wondered if that girl had attended is pretty crazy.
• We were missing one of her shoes at my mom's house and I sent her to go look for it in the bedrooms.  She came running into the main room and yelled, "I found my missing shoe!" I guess there isn't anything specifically crazy about that, but whenever she says things that sound like they should be coming from Easton's mouth (which is the majority of the time) it kind of takes me back.
• When playing "I spy with my little eye" with my mom, she described the kitchen light as black, white and having shoulders (the iron curves a little like shoulders).  What two year old can use the word shoulders descriptively?
• We dropped off Easton at preschool this week and as we were walking out, she asked me, "Can I go to this preschool when I am four?"  I was happy that was a simple question and not a tantrum about wanting to go to preschool now.

The downside of her verbal skills from her side is that most adults around here (including Ron and I) expect her to act the age that she verbalizes.  I often find myself wanting her to act as Easton does or should and that isn't very fair to her.

I'll try to catch some conversations on video so you can all experience it.

Dude. I sewed.

I have had all of the materials to make this pillow since last October.  It took a backseat to all of my other preparations prior to having Devynee.  Finally, a year later, it came to be.

 

I took the instructions/general idea from the Halloween pillow pattern purchased long ago.

 

Now to tackle the Christmas fabric sitting in my basement for round three. :)

It's Memory Time!

That title has a lot more excitement to it if you imagine me saying it with jazz hands up by my face, doesn't it?

It's been a while since I have dedicated a post or two to memories of my childhood.  I thought it was time for another one.

My dad tells how I was terrified of dogs as a child.  Even up to the age of 8 or 10.  I seem to remember being bitten by a dog when I was about two, but I have no idea if that was just my way of rationalizing my fear or if it is true. According to my dad, I was in the front yard of our home when I was about nine and started screaming like my limb had been cut off.  He came running from the garage to find me crying hysterically because there was a dog.

Across the street.

On a leash.

So, he did the only thing he could do to get me over this fear.  We got a dog.

Pepper was a black lab/German Shepard mix (supposedly).  He was as friendly as all get out, but had lots of energy.  Energy that you wish you could bottle.  He would pace around our yard so much that he wore what we called the "Oregon Trail" down to the dirt.  When you took him for a walk, he walked you and you just worked to not get your arm pulled out of the socket.  If anything would have actually happened on one of our walks, I would have had no way of keeping him off another dog, etc.

But, it worked.  I got over my fear of dogs.  Then, we found Pepper a good home on a ranch where he could run free for the rest of his happy days. [That makes us sound so cruel, but Pepper lived with us for about three years when we realized we just couldn't give him the lifestyle that would make him happiest].

Now, this fear is coming back to bite me [oh the pun!].  My kids are the ones screaming as if they will die when a dog is near.  I know the only solution, but just don't want to do it. I think I need to work out a dog sitting gig for one day a month.  Just long enough to keep my kids from being wimps, but not committing me to taking care of an additional animal.

I already have four, you know.

For the 50th anniversary photo album

I know I just mentioned our trip, but I need to get these pictures up so we have documented proof.  Also, if we are anything like my parents, these may go down as the only pictures we have of the two of us together for quite some time.  I really need to be better about getting pictures of the two of us as a couple.  I found out just how rare those are when I gathered pictures for my grandparent's 50th anniversary. :)

 

The city from Alcatraz.  We stayed in the Union Square area.  I have no idea where that is when I look at these pictures, but it is gorgeous, nonetheless.

 

Oh, look at that.  [kids, these can be used in the future, I'm sure.]

Alcatraz as seen from the ferry. It really is a gorgeous place with such interesting history.

 

We had quite the laugh about the two bridges easily seen on our travels (the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge).  Mistakes were made about which was which, disappointment on the fact that the GGB is not actually golden, but instead "International Orange" etc.

Ronnie and I were in San Francisco about five years ago and had done some of the touristy things, but had a few things we definitely wanted to cross off our list: Walk part of the Golden Gate Bridge, ride a cable car and visit Alcatraz.

Our final night in San Fran, dinner was getting over about 9:00 p.m. and my legs had had enough.  I had walked what seemed like 30 miles that day and my body was letting me know that it wanted to get back to its regular sedentary lifestyle.  We had not yet ridden a cable car and Ronnie had found out that they ran until midnight and was determined to do it.  I had told him that I would be dragging my sorry self home in a cab [thankyouverymuch].

As we exited the restaurant we discovered that cabs were hard to come by on Saturday nights on Pier 39, so I reluctantly hobbled my way down 3-4 city blocks to pick up the cable car.

I have to say that I am glad I did, it was easily one of my favorite parts of the trip.  Ronnie enjoyed hanging off the side "Rice-a-Roni" style while I enjoyed the ride from my seat and had minor heart attacks as he acted like he didn't have three kids he needed to get home to [I tease].

See, he looks blissfully happy here, doesn't he?

 And look!  Another couple shot!

Last, but not least, proof that we walked part of the Golden Gate Bridge.  We totally made it to the first tower.

 Thanks San Fran, hope to see you again!

Also, thanks to G&G Wyo for taking upon themselves the task of three cute, but lively kiddos.  We owe you big time!

Those crazy southern Californians

Before I even begin, let me say that I married a man from southern California and one of my dearest friends is also from southern California, so I feel like I can say these things. :)

Ronnie loves In N Out Burger.

Like really loves it.

If there is an In N Out even kind of nearby anywhere we are going.  You can bet with 100% surety that we will be visiting it at some point.

It is as if In N Out is his lifeline.  It keeps him connected to his beloved California.

So, with that in mind...

Ronnie and I just returned from a wonderful retreat for his firm.  It was in San Francisco and awesome.  Two of the mornings we were there, Ronnie had meetings so I hung out with different spouses of the other attorneys.  On one such adventure, I noticed an In N Out .  It was our last full day in San Francisco and we were pretty tightly scheduled with other activities.  I chose to not disclose* the existence of the In N Out to Ronnie.

Fast forward about 8 hours.  We have 1.5 hours before dinner and are walking the streets of Pier 39, killing time.  We start to wander in the direction of In N Out. Ronnie noticed it, I admitted to already knowing about it and then...

What do we do next?

Find ourselves ordering a cheeseburger "animal style" and two shakes as our dinner appetizer.

It was like the cosmos aligned so that Ronnie could be connected once more.**

Yum.

*Look at me getting all "lawyer-y" on you.
**But really what is it with the intense love of the place?  It's good, just not life changing.

Things I have done in the last three days I have never done before

In no particular order:

• Ride a cable car
• Tour Alcatraz
• Fly sans kids*
• Sleep until I want to get up*
• Visit Sausalito
• Walk on the Golden Gate Bridge

Any guesses on where I have been?

*So maybe I have done these things before, but it hasn't happened since I had kids. :)

And then I tell you something you already know

I've alluded to it in a few different posts and most who read this blog already know what I'm going to say...

Our ward [church congregation] got a new Bishop a little over a month ago.

That bishop's first name is Ronnie.

To say we were (and are) overwhelmed with this call to serve the Lord is a gross understatement. 

We've felt so blessed since the call and know that with the Lord's help we can do whatever he needs us to do.  I say we because although Ronnie is the bishop, I think we've had more people ask how I am doing with everything. So far, things are better than I prepared myself for.  Ronnie essentially has an additional job on top of his income-earning job, so obviously he is away from home more than he used to be.  He deals with so much that I don't know about and since I can't help with that stuff, I try to hold down the fort at home with as little* complaining as possible.

I have felt a noticeable spirit of peace personally and in our home.  I know we can do hard things. Now if anyone has magic tricks up their sleeves to make all of my kids sit reverently during sacrament meeting with no trips to the bathroom, be sure to let me know. :)

*Don't go thinking that I haven't had to shut the door of my room to have a little alone time every so often.

Currently [November 2012]

As if we haven't learned enough about KaLee in the last two posts, I thought I would throw in one more.  Hey, this is my blog after all.

Reading: Nothing. I finished These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner yesterday.  I loved it.  It is a well known fact by those close to me that I love a good pioneer story.  Give me some Little House any day.

Watching: Teen Witch. Gotta love the cheesy 80s movies.  Anyone have the rap memorized?

Procrastinating: Putting away the rest of my folded clothes.  I just hate it.

Wanting: A lot, but considering I just bought some new boots, I suppose I can suppress the rest for a bit.

Craving: Pumpkin pie.  Luckily I have some in the fridge...

Wearing: Khakis and a teal v-neck shirt from Target.  Classic mom uniform if you ask me.

Relieved by: Kendree having got the whole "potty training" officially figured out. (knock on wood)

Missing: Downton Abbey

Stressing about: Everything I have to get done before Christmas.  I'm regretting not having my gifts at least "planned" by now.

Addicted to: Pretty much any Halloween candy. The small sizes, they are too convenient.

Dreading: The full blast of winter.  It's coming. I know it is.

Needing: A cleaning lady. I know I can do it myself but I just. don't. want. to.

Annoyed by: My lack of patience.  I start every day with the best intentions.  I actually think the days that I don't think about it as much go better.  I know I have a 4 year old, 2 year old and 11 month old.  I should just expect the chaos and chill a little bit.

Suffering from: Lack of crafting motivation.  That never happens to me.  I have chosen reading over crafting for the last week.  Crazy.

Feeling guilty about: My neglect of meal planning for the last 2-3 weeks (so long I don't even know).  It has to stop.

Tired of: Dirty floors (wonder who has the power to change that...)

Thankful for: Loving family and friends.  I seriously have it so good.

Enjoying: Any quality time with my husband that I can get.

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving.

Hoping: To get a handle on my to-do list.

Loving: November temperatures in the 60s.  Just remind me of this in April/May.

Perhaps I shouldn't compose these at the end of the day.  I feel that this came off on the tired and crabby side, when in actuality, things are pretty great.  Just leave with happy smiling faces on your mind, instead of my whining. :)

A day in the life... (numero dos)

A few months ago, I did a post outlining my days when I travel to Laramie to work.  I thought it was time to bring that back, but on a day that I stay in Cheyenne so you can see what my life is like (and I can remember in the future). 

6:30 a.m. Easton wakes up and turns on his room light.  This signals to Kendree that she can make noise, I guess, because she starts calling to me from her crib. I get Kendree out of her crib, Devynee out of her crib and meet Easton in the living room.  We just sit.
6:40 a.m. I decide to get moving.  I change Devynee's diaper and put her in her high chair.
6:43 a.m. I make breakfast for both Kendree and Devynee. 
6:51 a.m. Food in front of the girls, I get clothes for the girls and bring them out to the living room.  I ask Easton to get dressed.
6:55 a.m. Kendree wants more toast, which I make. I start feeding Devynee baby food.
7:15 a.m. Girls are clean and playing.  I jump in the shower.
7:40 a.m. I'm dressed and have make-up on.  I throw my hair up for now and go out to get the girls dressed.
7:52 a.m. I do Kendree's hair.
8:00 a.m. I get Easton's breakfast (he wasn't interested earlier).
8:05 a.m. I start the first of many loads of laundry I need to do today.
8:11 a.m. Gather everything for the day and put it in the diaper bag.  Check my recipe for pumpkin pie as I'm sure there is at least one thing (pie crusts) if not more that I need to grab at the store.
8:20 a.m. Get jackets on all three kids.  Make sure that Easton and Kendree have gone to the bathroom.
8:23 a.m. Open garage door and send older two kids out to get in the car.  Easton being able to open the car door and make sure Kendree can get in is a lifesaver these days.
8:25 a.m. Finish getting Devynee strapped into her car seat and head out the door.
8:28 a.m. Everyone is buckled and we are off to preschool!
8:29 a.m. I see a text from my mom come through on my phone.  I call her back (hands free of course) to chat about a baby shower gift).
8:38 a.m. I pull into the parking lot to drop Easton off.  The preschool situation is a little annoying as the teacher expects parents to come in with their child and help them practice their name and another short activity when you drop them off.  Easton's friend Bianca is in his class, so Chelsea (Bianca's mom) and I take turns taking the two kids in.  The other adult stays with the four younger siblings in the parking lot we can avoid a sibling parade every day.
8:50 a.m. I walk back out to the car after successfully dropping off Bianca and Easton.
8:52 a.m. After chatting with Chels for a minute, I pull out to head to Safeway for my pie crusts.
9:04 a.m. Arrive at Safeway, shop.
9:29 a.m. Pull out of Safeway, head to voting polls.
9:33 a.m. Get to voting location. Wait in the frigid wind (it is 50 degrees, but the wind is killer!) with two cute, but cold little girls.
9:38 a.m. Realize (after asking) that the line I'm in is to register (I've done that!), so I move inside. Would it kill them to have a sign up informing people?
9:58 a.m. Finish doing my civic duty. Load up to head home.
10:03 a.m. Get home. Immediately put Devynee in her crib so she can get an hour nap before we have to leave to get Easton from preschool.
10:06 a.m. Unload groceries from car.
10:15 a.m. Sit down to answer a few emails for work.
10:37 a.m. Put groceries away.
10:41 a.m. Help Kendree set up some toys so she can continue playing.
10:46 a.m. Switch laundry over, start new load in washer. Dump dry towels on couch and procrastinate folding them.
10:55 a.m. Clean up last of breakfast mess, talk with Ronnie on the phone about the rest of the day.
11:02 a.m. While talking with Ronnie, realize I have to leave NOW to go get Easton.  Put Kendree in the car, run and grab sleeping Devynee out of her crib and head to preschool.
11:15 a.m. Arrive at preschool and head into the classroom to pick up Bianca and Easton.
11:20 a.m. Come back out to the cars and head home for lunch.
11:35 a.m. Kids are unloaded. Heat up spaghetti for Kendree and Easton's lunches.  See how Devynee likes Vienna sausages (she likes to make a mess with them, not so much eat them).
11:47 a.m. Sit down to feed Devynee baby food.
11:51 a.m. Other kids are done. They request a little Sprout to wind down before Kendree's nap.
11:57 a.m. Finish feeding Devynee.  Hand her some goldfish to entertain her.  She throws them on the floor.
12:01 p.m. Call mom to see if my measurement for evaporated milk in the pumpkin pie recipe is right.  She's not home.
12:03 p.m. Call Jordan (who is at home) to look up the pumpkin pie recipe. My measurement is correct.
12:05 p.m. Get Devynee out of the high chair and let her roam free on the floor.
12:08 p.m. Clean up lunch dishes.
12:13 p.m. Make myself an elk roast sandwich for lunch.  Sit at the table to eat like a normal human being. (hooray!)
12:30 p.m. I get a call from my office. Talk to a nice man about a scholarship.
12:41 p.m. The kids are glued to the TV so I decide to let them finish the show they are watching. Sprout is educational, right? I start making my pumpkin pies.
12:50 p.m. Pies are in the oven. I clean up mess.
1:00 p.m. TV off. Kendree heads to the bathroom. I change Devynee's diaper.
1:10 p.m. Both girls are in their cribs. I start sending a few more emails for work. Easton has started on his chores.
1:15 p.m. Kendree is having a dance party, which is keeping Devynee awake.  I go in and remind her to lay down already. I go back to my emails.
1:32 p.m. Easton is done with his chores.  He requests the ipod to play some games.
2:05 p.m. I'm finished with the really pressing emails for work and start writing this post.
2:41 p.m. Time to change the laundry! I take out the dress shirts to hang up, but start the rest again (jeans are still wet).
2:52 p.m. Put pumpkin pies in the fridge to chill completely.
2:53 p.m. Caught up on personal email and a few blogs.
3:11 p.m. Sent a few more work emails and continued working on a electronic filing project. (See how my work is all of the time? Most don't know how I do it, and the answer is in 10-20 minute stints).
3:16 p.m. Officially changed over the laundry. :)
3:20 p.m. Folded laundry
3:32 p.m. The girls woke up from their nap. I get them both out.
3:35 p.m. Empty and load the dishwasher and hand wash dishes as necessary. Also wipe down counters and sweep kitchen and dining room.
3:57 p.m. Get out frozen shredded chicken to thaw. Check on other ingredients for kid friendly "enchiladas" we are having for dinner.
4:04 p.m. Change Devynee's diaper.
4:10 p.m. Do general clean up of desk area, taking random things to their random locations
4:20 p.m. Read Kendree three books
4:32 p.m. Changed over laundry again.  Folded load and put away everything I had folded all day.
4:51 p.m. Preheated oven and read Kendree four more books.
5:02 p.m. Made enchiladas
5:10 p.m. Put enchiladas in oven.  Set table and got out all other dinner stuff. Moderated a fight between Easton and Kendree.  They were both put in time out during this time. Also fed Devynee her dinner. 
5:32 p.m. Daddy is home!
5:35 p.m. Dinner is ready, we all sit down to eat.
5:54 p.m. Done eating.  The kids want some pumpkin pie. Easton inhales his (mama's boy), the girls taste a bit and decide they are done.
6:02 p.m. Ron leaves for church. He has a few interviews. I clean up dinner, kids, etc.
6:14 p.m. Get jackets and shoes on kids. Change Devynee's diaper so we can head to the church.
6:23 p.m. Finally in the car, head to the church.
6:33 p.m. Arrive at church. Drop off Easton in nursery, Devynee with Ron and Kendree decides she has to go to the bathroom (or just try out the church pottys, which are oh, so, exciting!)
6:40 p.m. Drop off Kendree in nursery.  Ron will take all three kids home when he is done.
6:40 p.m. Arrive late to the Relief Society meeting.  Etch some Pyrex, make a gratitude journal and an "I love you because..." sign. Chat with lovely women. Enjoy kid-free time.
8:29 p.m. Leave church to head home.
8:38 p.m. Arrive home. Ron is watching election coverage. I complete kitchen/dining room clean up that didn't get done before we left.
8:50 p.m. I decide that I just want to read my book (These is My Words) and settle in on the couch to do so. Ronnie continues to watch election coverage and enter his time for work.
9:45 p.m. Ron gives me our legal documents to look over (we are finally getting our will, power of attorney, etc. all completed.
10:02 p.m. All looks good, I go back to my book.
10:30 p.m. Ron heads to bed.  I can't quite tear myself away.
11:15 p.m. I finally decide I have to just stop. I get ready for bed.
11:25 p.m. Read scriptures and say prayer, then lights out!

If you made it to the end, three cheers for you!

And...ANOTHER 25 things about KaLee

These posts take me almost a year to compose.  It is hard to come up with 25 things that seem worth sharing.  My other two posts similar to this one are linked at the bottom.

Enjoy! (or just skip to the next blog on your reader, whatev).

1. I have anxious energy. Most days it is almost painful for me to just sit and watch a movie or television show (there are those days when I can manage :) ). All of the other days I am sewing, working on cards, crocheting, etc.
2. I keep a wish list in the back of my planner so I can add to it whenever I think of something I would like to have (but don't have the money for myself).
3. Cooking is not my favorite thing.
4. I can not remember the outcomes of movies.  A lot of times if I haven't seen it in a few years, it is like a totally new experience all over again.
5. I love online shopping.  The thought of skipping stores altogether is heavenly.
6. I love my freckles.  Funny how something you despise as a child/teen can be one of your favorite things about yourself later on, and one of the things you find so cute on your kids.
7. I talk really fast and really loud when I am excited.
8. I'm really blunt, which leads to me apologizing to several people a month for things coming out that I really should have kept to myself.
9. If I know that a story is funny, I spend the entire time I am listening with a big grin on my face ready to laugh at any given moment (this happens most often when members of my family are telling a story).
10. I do not suck on hard candy.  I bite it and chew it.  Even when I think to myself "I'm going to suck on this entire (enter name of hard candy here)," I never, ever make it to the end.
11. I am not someone who has to get out of the house.  A few weeks ago, it was Saturday morning before I realized that I hadn't left the house since attending church the Sunday before.  This is working out splendidly with three kids, as going out with all three is quite the ordeal.
12. While I feel like we had little choice (what with two stainless steel appliances coming with the house when we bought it), I only like the look of my stainless steel appliances IMMEDIATELY after I have cleaned them.  Dumb stainless steel.
13. In the winter, super glue is my best friend.  My thumbs crack all of the time and super glue is the only thing that works so I can continue to do laundry, wash dishes, etc.
14. I totally make my own laundry soap.  I know, I am THAT cool.
15. I always feel sorry for people that are allergic to nuts.  I love them and can't imagine some desserts, salads, etc. without them!
16. I think I am getting over my extreme hatred of sweeping.  Mainly because I recently realized what a quick, instant gratification chore it is.  I can sweep for two minutes (if that) and the kitchen feels totally clean.  It's not quite up to the "make your bed and your room is instantly clean" standard, but it is pretty darn close.
17. I purposely hide books from myself so that I can function as a normal human being.
18. I now understand why our neighbors in Laramie vacuumed every. single. night. after they put their kids to bed. They had five kids and I had one and I couldn't imagine why that was necessary.  I am now on the nightly vacuuming schedule.
19. I perform best when I am tightly scheduled.  I'm still learning balance in my life, but I get a heck of a lot done on days that I am busy!
20. If I could have any ice cream stocked in my freezer, it would be Baskin Robbins.  I would need all of the flavors though, because I have a hard time committing to a single flavor at a time.
21. I can't resist mini sized Heath bars.  They are my first choice every time (when available).
22. Also food related - I can eat anything if A1 sauce is slathered on top.
23. I am always, ALWAYS shocked when I walk out of the Dollar Store having spent over $20 when I went in for just two things. Yet, it happens again and again.
24. I like to talk on the phone while I do my chores.  Makes the time go faster.  This is also why my mom, sister and close friends get a daily phone call.
25. Don't tell anyone, but I don't even feel that guilty for my love of Diet Dr. Pepper.  Anything that tastes that good is meant to be consumed. :)

Wanna learn even more about me?
50 things about KaLee
25 more things about KaLee

Devynee - 11 months

At 11 months:

• Devynee has decided to start voicing her opinions and likes and dislikes with ear piercing screams.  Gotta love it.
• She still does her push-up crawl, but balances and takes a few "steps" in classic crawling position.
• She finally pulls herself into a sitting position on her own.  She has always preferred her belly to sitting as she would rather be moving, than stationary.
• Devynee babbles all of the time.
• She signs "more" consistently.  We are still working on "eat" "drink" and "all done."
• Devynee loves to eat, but is a skinny little thing.
• She is in size 9 month clothes.
• Devynee love, love, loves her brother and sister.  Even when they are giving some "tough love" she just eats it up.
• She continues to sleep through the night (7:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.)and takes two naps daily.  Her morning nap is about 1.5 hours long and her afternoon nap is about 2.5 hours.
• Devynee follows us all around the house, but isn't super fast so she normally gets where we are right when we are all going somewhere else.  She is pretty patient with this arrangement for the first little while and then screams at us to pick her up and include her. :)
• She still doesn't have any teeth and no sign of any coming in.
• Devynee only nurses in the morning. 
• She seems to have gotten the hang of the sippy cup.  I even tried {gasp} going to a bottle if it meant I could get some liquids in the girl, since she is WAAAAY too busy to bother with nursing. Thankfully it seems the sippy is the preferred liquid intake method.
• Continues to be the content, happy, smiley baby that we know and love (unless she isn't in which case we chalk it up to a myriad of reasons).

Pumpkins

Like every other LDS family I talked to, we carved our pumpkins for Family Home Evening on Monday before Halloween.

 

Kendree and I tackled the "Kitty Bat" in the template book that came with our carvers. I was pretty pleased and a 2.5 year old is thrilled with anything, so it was a win-win.

 Daddy and Easton did a custom drawn face. Everyone there was equally as pleased.

Devynee was already in bed when all of this was done, so I drew her pumpkin's face on with a Sharpie (as seen behind Easton's shoulder). The wicked-sweet UW pumpkin was courtesy our friend Debbie. (see Kandice, we love UW too--just try to find a UW football jersey that comes with the key component-the HELMET!) :)

 I have to say, I'm glad that Halloween is over.  I tend to get a little Halloween-ed out by the 31st.

Instagram: October

Someone put on her skirt all by herself...

 

Enjoying the first snow of the year!

Bathtime education

So where IS Waldo?

Just imagine Kendree saying "I'm holding her haaaaaand!"

Happy Halloween!

While I loved the family theme we had going on last year, Easton had his heart set on being a BYU football player and I just didn't see how we were going to make that a reality for the entire family.  So, we had costumes in pairs and poor little Devynee was left out.

We had our ward Halloween party last weekend and I've found that my free time at ward events is not what it used to be.  Here are the only two pictures I took that night.

My football player and cheerleader right before heading out to trick or treat.

 Mama made him take the helmet off so she could see his face.

 Three cuties.

Wenda and Waldo.  Ronnie had to be Waldo as part of an organization he is in this year.  We are seriously lacking in adult costumes at our house, so we decided that we would use this excuse to get ourselves a matching set.  I plan to wear these puppies until they fall apart. They really are the perfect costume.  Comfortable and you are pretty much wearing all your own clothes.

 Camera timer family shot.  Not too shabby.

 Our darling little turtle (bow so you know she is a girl).

 And a side view so you can see that shell.

All of the kids have been this turtle for their first Halloween (the perk of having all of your children in the fall/winter).  I bought it from BabyStart back when they existed and spent a real $30 dollars on it and I am determined to get my money's worth! :) See Easton as a turtle. See Kendree as a turtle.

Trick or treating was a success.  The kids came home with TONS of candy and had the time of their lives.  Our neighborhood is the perfect size for young kids.  You can walk around one block for the really young, two for a little older and the whole thing in just under two hours.

Happy Halloween!