School Lunch

Last night Eliza and Brian didn't get home until about 11:30. Yikes! Her tooth ended up being abscessed, so they basically did a root canal on a baby tooth. They also filled a cavity on the other side and re-sealed the back molars. All with no anesthesia. And Brian said she did great. So hopefully her mouth is on the mend.

This morning Kari and I hiked, doing the usual loop two times. We felt pretty good about that! After I got home, I took Ellie and Hattie to Safeway to get some donuts. Libby had earned one for her bedtime chart that we have been doing with her. After a healthy breakfast of donuts and Brian leaving for work, the rest of us got ready and everyone did their chores and started packing. We hurried and got done so we could have some fun. We dropped of an Rx for Eliza, then we went to see Grandpa at his summer program. Today was the magic trick man and the yo-yo guy. First we watched the yo-yo guy do some pretty amazing yo yo tricks, then the kids each got a yo yo and got to try. That was fun. Next we were awed by the magic tricks. The kids also got a couple to take home and practice. After the two classes, we went to the cafeteria for lunch. The kids loved eating in the cafeteria. It was corn dog or bean burrito day. It actually wasn't too bad--especially when followed up with an ice cream. We all had a fun time.






My mom took the oldest three girls home with her to play for a bit and I took Hattie to Wal-Mart to get the oil changed in the van, then we came home and she took a nap. Tonight we packed some more, then went to a little farewell/moving party for two different families/friends who are both moving out of state. Then it was back home for more packing fun.

Bad Teeth Gene

Today was one of those days that seems to have gone on forever. It was a good day, but started early and is ending late! I took Eliza to swimming early. Brian went into work late, so I didn't have to take everyone. It worked out well since Libby ended up sleeping until 8:30. I think she needed her rest! Eliza enjoyed swimming-she has her first meet on Saturday. I think she is excited and nervous since she's never competed in swimming before. After swimming we stopped by my mom's house. Eliza ended up staying there since I had a doctor's appointment at 10. My friend Jenny watched the other girls, so that saved me from having to drive Eliza back there, then back to my appt. Anyway...my appointment went well. Everything looks great. I have my fetal anatomy ultrasound in a couple weeks, so I am anxious for that. After that was done, I gathered up all the girls and then we went out to my brother's house. I got to drop off all four girls for a play date while I got to hang out by myself. I guess it wasn't too fair since last week he only left two of his kids to play and I got to leave four. But I won't complain! I stopped by a quilting store out in Surprise. I found some cute fabrics there for future reference. I mailed off a CD of photos I needed to get out and just went to a couple other stores. Then I grabbed some ice cream for Brian and Aleeda (and me) and took it to his office and stayed and visited for a bit before heading back to pick up the girls.

When we got home, Hattie took a nap and everyone else did their chores since we were gone all morning. Before I knew it, it was time to make dinner, then we went to Brian's parents' for swimming.

Today Eliza said her tooth hurt. It was the same tooth where she had some food stuck a couple days ago but was able to get out. So I figured maybe it was from that, so I had her gargle with salt water, but she was still complaining about it. When we went to Brian's parents' tonight, we had his dad look at it and he could tell there was a cavity. So they went into the office tonight so he could fill it before we leave. Poor girl--she is so good about brushing and even flossing, but I think she just inherited Brian's bad teeth gene.

Recap

I didn't realize I'm a bit behind on updating. On Sunday, church went well. My lesson was about the plan of salvation and as part of it, I shared a story called "The Bridge." It's long but good if you want to read it.

"The Bridge"

There was once a big turntable bridge which spanned a large river. During the day, the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river parallel with the banks allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times of each day a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river allowing the train to cross.

A switchman sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train’s light. He stepped to the controls and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position but to his horror he found the locking control didn’t work. If the bridge was not locked securely into position, it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came onto it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard.

He left the bridge, turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever which he could use to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train passed. He could hear the rumble of the train now and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives would depend on this man’s strength.

Then, coming across the bridge from the other direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. “Daddy, where are you?” His four year old son was crossing the bridge to look or him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, "Run, Run!" But the train was too close, the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left the lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety, but he realized he could not get back to the lever. Either the people on the train or his little son must die.

He took just a moment to make his decision. The train sped swiftly and safely on its way and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny, broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the crushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of a sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They didn’t see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked to tell his wife how he had sacrificed their son.

Now, if you can comprehend the thoughts which went through this man’s heart, you can begin to understand the love of our Heavenly Father when he sacrificed his son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that he caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His son died? And how does he feel, when we speed along through life without giving a thought to what was done for us through Jesus.

When was the last time you thanked Him for this most precious of gifts?

*****
Isn't that a great story? Makes you really think.

In the evening, we went to my parents' for dinner.

Monday Kari and I hiked but a little earlier than normal so I could be home in time to get everyone up and ready for swim team. My mom watched my brother's kids, so we went over there after so the kids could play. After playing and lunch, we went down to where my dad is doing the summer program for the city and we got to have ice cream. After getting home, we had nap time for Hattie and quiet time for the rest of us. On Sunday in Relief Society, we were given the challenge to do all the requirements for the new young women's value of virtue by October. The big project for that is to read the entire Book of Mormon by then, too. So I've been reading and reading. I'm already in 2nd Nephi, so hopefully I'll finish! Monday night we did a couple of errands and had family home evening. For the lesson we talked about virtue and I showed a little video about it.

Tuesday we were up early again for swim team. This time I got to drop all but Eliza off at my parents' while I took Eliza. It was so fun to take her since I could just sit and watch instead of chase the whole time or pick up spilled goldfish or what not. After swimming we came home and did our chores. Eliza went to her friend Katie's to play and Libby's friend Sadie came over for a bit, too. The day went pretty quickly. Last night I took pictures at a couple other wards' mutual activities for the camp craft. We need to have their pictures developed by the time we get to camp so they can put them on the project.

Today we got to "sleep in" since we didn't have to make it to swim. Nice!! So we took our time getting ready and getting our stuff done. We had to drop off some chocolate covered pretzels I had made for a young women's activity they were having, then we went to get a swim suit for Libby. Hers was getting a bit small. We were successful at TJ Maxx. I love going there and places like that or Marshalls. They have the nice Speedo ones for like $10. We came home, had lunch and this afternoon we went to the resort to swim. Tonight I had to go to mutual for the first little bit to take pictures of our ward girls for camp. It was a good day. I did love this quote on Stacy's blog though...
"Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Love that!

Video

I LOVE this video. Actually I loved the whole talk when I heard it in conference. Makes it even more motivating to keep a journal of some sort.

Still Around

I am still alive! You'd think with Brian home, I'd have more time. But I am so behind though in keeping track of what we've been up to. The week has been hard, too, with just kids not behaving or getting along, etc. Ugh. So I've been worn out and SOOO tired. I probably could have slept an additional 5 hours through the course of each day and been very happy. But, alas, that didn't happen, which probably why I was grumpy a few of the days, too. Anyway--the week is over and I'm hoping that the weekend and next week are better! Here is a quick rundown of our week for posterity's sake.

Monday: I can't really remember what we did except Kari and I walked in the morning. Oh yea! Rachel was nice enough to let us come over and swim. We had a great time.

Tuesday:
We got up really early so we could be at swim team at 8. We had signed up Libby and Eliza. Eliza was excited to go, but Libby on the other hand...well, let's just say we couldn't even get her to put her swimming suit on. Did I say it was a rough morning? Brian and I were both just SO frustrated with the whole situation and that she has such issues with things like this. We were at a loss, do we throw her in the water in her clothes? Do we wait to see if she'll change her mind? What do we do?!??! Ack. We tried to coerce her and talk her into getting her suit on and participating but no luck. So that day, we told her that she couldn't swim anywhere else unless she swam there. The more I thought about it today, I figured that could make for a LONG summer and I'm not sure what it would accomplish to do that. We decided to keep our word for that day. We went swimming that night at Brian's parents' and Libby had to sit out. She didn't like it, but at least we followed through. Eliza did well in her group--it'll be fun to see her get better throughout the summer. It was so frustrating though having to deal with Libby. I just wish I had a book with answers in it of how to deal with things like this. I felt like nothing we decided was the right answer.

Wednesday:
Kari and I walked again. Eliza and Libby got to take a class that my mom taught at Scrap Happy Sisters. It was a class for kids and they made a darling "Girl Power" book. My two girls took it along with their cousins Abby and Emma. They had a great time and LOVED creating their books. After the class, they got some lunch, then came home and showed off their creations.

Thursday:
We were up and ready early again for swim team. Libby wouldn't put her suit on again. Big surprise! Nothing we said or didn't say would help. So we decided that we are going to try to get a refund and we'll put her in swimming lessons just so she can have a little instruction this summer. We'd love to put her in gymnastics since she always talks about it and will actually participate for some odd reason, but it's a little pricey unfortunately. Hopefully we can find an opening for a lesson.

In the evening we all went to the library to get their "prize" for reading. They also got some new books.

Friday:
Today was actually a better day than any of the others. We got up and ready. The girls were good about getting their stuff done this morning. Maybe it helped that I bought bribes at the store last night--just some candy, but it's worth it to me! My brother brought Dallin and Abby over for a play date, so the kids had fun playing for a while, then eating lunch before playing some more.

This afternoon my parents came over and we went to a fundraiser they were having at the Cold Stone corporate office for Makenzie. The ice cream was free and they were accepting donations. So we were able to help and get some good ice cream! We thought they might have a few flavors to choose from or just have some already made up that we could have, but it was a free for all. Whatever you wanted, down to the size and even in a chocolate dipped waffle bowl if you wanted. I tried the new butterscotch jello pudding ice cream and they mixed in butterfinger, peanut butter cup and caramel. It was YUM!

After we got back home, we hurried and had dinner before heading out again to the Children's Museum of Phoenix. On the first Friday night of each month, they have free admission. We were a little nervous at first since the line was so long. It moved quickly but that was just to get a number, then you had to wait until they called your number to go in. Luckily, they had tons of sidewalk chalk to keep all the kids entertained. The time went pretty quickly and then it was our time to go in. My girls had a great time. They loved it and could have spent much longer there if it weren't already so late. We didn't do everything, but they spent time in the "market" where they "shopped" for groceries and even got to be the checkout person. Libby totally ate that up. I think working at Bashas is in her future! She had a ball "ringing up" kids' orders. From there we went to the restaurant where they could "make" food which was all made from fabrics and such. Hattie loved it in there, too. They did a noodle maze thing that you tried to get through. They also rode trikes in a trike wash. That was fun. They also had fun with a couple other activities. So fun! I am glad we went. It was a fun night.

Names

Everyone asks me if we have a name picked out for this baby. We don't! But we do have a list. "The List!" When I hear a name I like, I add it on. Or when I grow tired of a name on the list, it gets crossed off. It sure has evolved since we had Eliza! We don't like to settle on a name until we have seen the baby just to make sure they "look" like their name. Eliza was acutally going to be Libby until we saw her and she didn't look like a Libby to us. Anyway. And some people have strong opinoins about names, so we don't like to say until it's for sure because then those people can't complain or show their dislike for the name! But back to the list...for this baby here are the names still in the running...some are higher up than others, but we like to have options. And who knows, maybe we'll hear a new one(s) before October.
--Rowan (Brian says it sounds like a boy name though, but I like it)
--Jovie
--Remi
--Greta
--Eden
--Matilda
--Neely
--Tillie
--Hazel
--Millie
--Gretel
--Everest (Brian just came up with this one today...he is really liking it.)

Anyway...share your opinions if you want but it doesn't mean we'll listen! LOL.

Sunday Doings

Today we tried to get to church a few minutes earlier than normal since it was Tanner's homecoming from his mission in Thailand. We were lucky enough to get a soft seat. Sacrament was great...two youth speakers, a special musical number "And If It So Be that Ye Should Labor" by two of the youth, and then Tanner. It was great to hear him report on his mission. We have missed him!

During our regular Sunday school time, we had a joint RS/Priesthood meeting. Our ward mission leader was in charge and he showed the greatest video. It was the conversion stories/testimonies of several converts in our ward. It was so inspiring to watch and makes you want to open your mouth and teach others about the gospel. So the third hour, I taught my Sunday school lesson. It was about the Kirtland temple. It was a little harder in that there was a lot of information but we got through.

After church we went over to the Davis'. They had invited us over for lunch and to visit. We had a great time over there and the girls had fun playing with the other kids.

Today we just hung out at home, then I started making dinner. After dinner, I asked Brian, "Now, what will I make for dessert?" I ended up making spicy bars--his absolute favorite. I think I have made them once or twice since we have been married. His mom usually makes them and when I have, they just don't turn out the same. I told him I would make them if he promised not to compare! They turned out good though and everyone enjoyed them.

Here's to a new week of summer!

I Survived

After being gone at scout camp since early Monday morning, Brian finally got home late Friday night!! I was expecting him early Saturday afternoon, but he surprised me and got home Friday night. I was working on my lesson for Sunday, and I got a text from him that said, "Come open the front door." I was like what?!?! It was a great surprise.

Friday morning we got ready and I stopped at my mom's to pick up a couple things. We hung out there for a bit, then we went and picked up Eliza and Libby from their sleepover. They had fun doing make up and nails and going to breakfast. From there, we went to Karolyn's for a little swim get-together with a few other moms and kids. We had a great time visiting and the kids had a blast swimming. We came home and the afternoon was a little rough. I think we were all worn out from the week. But we made it through and everyone got to bed.

Today the girls were excited (and surprised) to see Brian. Today I had a baby shower to go to and Eliza had a birthday party. Brian and I got to go out tonight. We got a sitter and we went to dinner at Claim Jumper. I had gotten a gift card for my birthday, so we used that. The food was so good! Then we just did a couple of errands...Target, Wal-Mart and Bashas for milk. I am SOOO glad this week is over! I have dreaded it for a while, but happily it did go well and the girl did great overall.

Brian had a fun time. The first two days were spent with the 12 & 13 year olds, then the 14-18 year olds came for their "high adventure" activity. Basically they hiked 16 miles over various terrains over three days. They had coordinates that they had to figure out and get to their destination. Brian said they were up and down ravines and big inclines and such. He said it was hard but fun and pretty.

Today

Hattie let me sleep until 6:45 today. After we got our morning stuff done, we headed to the library. We caught a little bit of story/singing time, then my girls got some books and we got the tracking sheet thing for the summer reading program. I wish they had as good of "rewards" like when I was young. I remember getting coupons to food places and fun things like that. Now they give out "sticky hands" or "bouncy balls." What's up with that...a rip off! They had fun getting books though and they read them throughout the day.

My visiting teachers came over today, then my nieces came over to play with my girls. I was able to sneak out and do some errands. I had to get some paper for a layout I have to do for the family reunion coming up. Then I stopped by the site of where the newest temple will be in Phoenix. I gathered up some dirt and rocks (hope that is legal) for my Sunday school class this week. Our lesson is about temples, so I thought I would give them a little of it and have some cute message/goal to go with it. I stopped by Deseret Book and spent too much. I wanted to get Eliza a book or something to start preparing her for baptism. It's not until January, but if I wait, I'll get wrapped up with a new baby and holidays and it'll be here before I know it. So I found a couple that I thought would be good. I wish they had the one I had when I was 7. I still remember doing it. I also treated myself to a new book called Walking into a Hug: 52 Weeks to a Home That's More Embracing. It has a challenge each week to make your home better. It looked really good. I'll have to report how it goes! I also stopped at Wal-Mart for a couple items then came home. We hurried and ate dinner, then went to my in-laws for swimming and cupcakes for Luke's birthday. Eliza and Libby stayed behind for a girl cousins' sleepover and I took Hattie and Ellie home. Ellie was sad earlier in the day when E and L were packing, but I told her we'd get an ice cream cone on the way home. So we stopped at McDonalds for those tiny kid ice cream cones and they were free! What a treat. Now I'm just trying to get things cleaned up and ready for tomorrow!

Bread

Yesterday Hattie was up bright and early at 6. Ugh. We were up and ready pretty early to say the least! It was bread day. Eliza and Libby enjoyed helping since they are usually at school. I love the smell of my house after making bread. Yum! I enjoyed getting to use my new birthday gifts to make the bread. I think all I need now are Ove Gloves (and a wheat grinder, but that will have to be saved up for).

In the afternoon we met some other moms and kids at the pool for swimming and pizza. The water felt great and Eliza and Libby loved the two waterslides they have there. After eating pizza there for dinner, we came home and I put the two little ones down for bed, then Abbie came over to babysit while I went to volleyball. We won all our games for the night. It was fun. They'll be continuing with open play, but I'm not sure how much longer I can really play. Eliza and Libby were both sleeping when I got home, so that was worth the sitter right there!

Today Hattie let me sleep in until 6:15. Ha! Eliza was the late sleeper today, getting up at 7:30. She was so sweet--when she got up she said, "Mom, I'll take care of the girls and you go back to bed." So I did--well, kind of--with one ear open to what was going on. But she kept Hattie entertained for a while and Libby and Ellie were coloring. After we were up and ready and the girls had their morning tasks checked off (they are still loving that), we headed over to Karolyn's for a bread-making session. I NEVER thought that I would ever be teaching someone else how to make bread, but it happened. I thought it went well and we had delicious bread in the end. Karolyn had made some super yummy honey butter and we put that on a warm piece of bread. DIVINE!!! And it's so easy to make.

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup honey

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl mix butter and honey until smooth. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. We added about a teaspoon of cinnamon for even sweeter flavor.

After bread, we came home, Hattie napped while the girls had quiet time. I got Libby to come read the new Friend next to me while I read the June Ensign. It has great articles that I have loved already. I loved the one called "The Refined Heavenly Home" or something like that. It's not online yet or I would link to it. It was great. This afternoon we met Kari and her kids at the pool again. This time--it was totally overcast and cold! We lasted about an hour, then went back to Kari's. The kids played while we (mostly Kari) made dinner--homemade pizza and the most tempting/yummy breadsticks ever. We tried to limit ourselves to just a couple. LOL. It was fun for the kids to play and us to visit.

Memorial Day

Since today was the first true week of summer, I started little lists for the girls each day. It has their daily tasks on it along with their chores for the day. I also put our schedule for the day and what they need to do during quiet time during Hattie's naps, etc (reading, worksheet, etc.). They (especially Libby) seem to like the structure and it has worked well so far. Today for Memorial Day, we decided to go to the National Memorial Cemetery to put flowers at Grandma Doris' grave. My parents came and picked us up and we went to Michaels to pick out some flowers. It took a while for them to each pick out something just right. We headed over to the cemetery and it was quite backed up to get in, but once we were in, it was fine. We found her headstone and the girls put their flowers in the vases they have there. We noticed her headstone was really dirty, so my dad got some water and paper towels from their car and they went to work washing it and making it shine. They admired their work and then looked around at the other headstones. It was a nice time. On the way home we stopped at Chick Fil A for lunch and also the 99cent store to get something for Libby as a reward for going to bed well for a certain number of days.

In the afternoon we went to Brian's parents' for swimming and BBQ. The water wasn't quite as cold as I had expected, so I was glad about that. Hattie had fun in a little ring I got her at the dollar store. Dinner was good, then the kids played a while before we headed home.

Sat & Sun

On Saturday morning, Brian had a last minute meeting to go over scout camp stuff. When he got home we at lunch and went to DI to drop several bags off from my nesting last week. We also stopped in to look around. It's always fun to see what "treasures" you can find. Brian found a new Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit game for $3. That was our only find. Too bad I'll never be able to play it with him since I wouldn't know ANY answers. We came home and let the girls play in the sprinklers for a bit. I made the vanilla coated popcorn for my Sunday school lesson. In the evening, my parents came over with pizza and we enjoyed dinner and playing.

Today was church. Sacrament was good--Brian and I said the prayers. A couple who just got back from their mission spoke. They said because of the economy senior couple missionaries going out is down 1/3. Their mission hasn't replaced them since they left. In Sunday School my lesson was about tithing. We talked about various aspects and shared experiences, but at the beginning, I gave each one a little bag with several kernels of popcorn in it and told them I hoped that would tide them over. Well at the end, I gave them a chance to give me the kernels and I gave them a bag of the coated popcorn to show that when we give the Lord a full tithe, we get back so much more than we started with. I think they enjoyed that. In Relief Society we had a great lesson from Elder Perry's talk about simplifying.

After church we had lunch, Brian went home teaching, our home teachers came over, we played games, I fell asleep, etc. For dinner we had spaghetti and brownies and ice cream for dessert. After dinner, Eliza put on Mary Poppins. I had to get after my girls to just sit down and watch. I don't know what it is about them! They won't sit and watch a movie (maybe the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree! LOL). But sometimes when we put a movie on, it would be nice for them to sit still and watch. Last night when my parents were over, they brought The Tale of Despereaux and not more than two minutes into it, they were running around and playing crazy! Argh....so tonight I got after them and they did sit still a little better. Little by little... Overall it was a good day.

Birthday, Last Day of School, Summer...etc

First my birthday--Brian told me not to plan anything on Wednesday for my birthday. I started by going walking with Kari, then I got home and got ready. My girls got off to school, then Brian and I headed out. Our first stop was to drop our girls off at his mom's for a little bit. We went to breakfast first at a little bakery on 83rd. I had a cinnamon roll. After that, Brian took me to a place to get a pedicure and manicure. It turned to be an adventure and something that is kind of funny now. But when I was telling Brian about it after he picked me up I got teary! I think because I know he tries so hard to plan nice things for me and to have it turn out less than desirable made me feel bad for him. Weird--I know, must be the hormones! But anyway... It was at this place that has a bunch of different "rooms" that each person leases out and makes her own. So I found the room I was supposed to be in and walked in and saw the lady who would be doing my services. Well, she was older...found out she is 62. Now nothing against older nail people, but I was a little nervous. So I got into the pedicure chair and the first thing she did was take a lemon that was cut in half and rubbed it on my knees and elbows. She said it was to get rid of any rough stuff. I could deal with that until the lemon juice dripped down my freshly shaven legs!!!! BURN!!! It took a bit for that to wear off, then I got to move on the the "digging" to get my toes looking nice. Ouch. She commented that she had to take her inhaler that morning which caused her to shake. Nice. Painting nails and shaky hand...not a good combo. But we get through the nail painting part and she says, "I can't do all that fancy nail art stuff..." So I thought she would just leave them a solid color. Oh no...she got out a container (that I thought might have diamonds in it). But no, she proceeded to drop flower decal things on my toes. I was like...I am not 10. And she put them on every toe. Oh--I forgot to mention that in her little space, she had her computer and her screen saver was a slide show of her pictures. It wasn't too bad, till one came of her husband who just had eyelid surgery. Nice. He is 73! She said he was 11 years older, so that is how I discovered her age. So on to the nails...that was pretty good except having to put my nails in a scalding hot lotion pot. Ouch. I picked out a light color so she painted that and then she busted out the glitter polish for a nice topper. Maybe it was her way of making me look young--like grade school young. I was also supposed to go for a hair treatment. Like a scalp something and head massage, but after my nails, I just sat in the chair, kind of waiting for her to move on to my head, but she never did. She collected my money and didn't say a word!! I was a little nervous what she would do with my hair, so maybe it was a good thing. So I took off and called Brian to tell him I was done. On my way out, I saw a friend, so we chatted for a minute. It was a good thing, so maybe the lady forgetting worked out for the best. So Brian came and picked me up and we ran a couple errands then went to Paradise for lunch. Brian picked up our girls from Rachel's who watched them for a while, too, and he did some errands with them while I did some myself. Brian had to go to work for a 5 o'clock appointment. After dinner, my girls and I went to Karlee's and she helped me fix my new swimming suit to make it decent to wear. After Brian got home, we enjoyed a super good ice cream cake from Dairy Queen.


It could be the best ice cream cake I've had. It was "chocolate extreme"...a layer of chocolate ice cream, a layer of fudge and crunched cookie, then another layer of ice cream. On top were brownie bits and the most delicious chocolate bits. SO good. It was a fun birthday.
Now on to Thursday...the last day of school. I was really nervous about this day for Libby. I thought she would either throw a fit and not what to go to school since it was their kindergarten celebration/performance. Or I worried that she would go but when she saw us, she would just come down and sit with us. Well, she surprised both Brian and I. But it was a proud moment and hopefully a big/little step for Libby. First, the teachers sent a note home that said no blue jeans or denim. So I kind of wondered what Libby would wear. I wasn't going to battle that one though and I was going to just let her wear whatever she wanted. But she wore a t-shirt and some knit pants. She said off and on the night before and Thursday morning that she didn't want to do the performance, etc, but we tried to just change the subject. Well, she went to school just fine, so I was relieved I didn't have to fight her on that, but we figured she'd be sitting by us during the celebration. We got there and sat down, then they brought the kindergartners in. Brian and I both tried to lay low and more or less hide. We knew she saw us but we didn't want to make her nervous. She sat up with her class the whole time and stood up when she was supposed to, etc. We were so pleased.

(doing some actions!)

(standing up alone!!)
When it was her class' turn to be introduced, the teacher said each student's name and what they wanted to be when they grow up. When she got to Libby, Libby stood up when she was supposed it. She wanted to be an illustrator. We could see her lips moving a little bit during the songs and she did some of the movements. We were so thrilled it went well. Libby got to leave after the celebration, then we went back a little later for Eliza. That afternoon we met a bunch of friends at the pool for lunch and swimming. It has been overcast for a couple days, which as been wonderful!!! The water was a bit cold, but it didn't stop the kids. That afternoon my parents came over and took Libby to Sonic to celebrate. We didn't invite anyone to the celebration since we thought it would make things worse, but they wanted to congratulate her.

On Thursday night I got to go out with some friends to celebrate my birthday. We went to Babbo's for dinner. We had a great time in a little secluded corner of the restaurant. The food was great--Rachel and I shared the chipotle chicken, then we all had the fried dough balls for dessert. YUM!!! After dinner we headed to the mall to the new Forever 21. We had fun looking around for new clothes. I found one shirt. They had some cute owl shirts, but they didn't have my size. Too bad! Overall it was a fun girls' night out and birthday celebration.

Today was the first day of summer. It was a long day!! It just seemed to drag on. Kari and I were going to walk, but it was raining so we went back to bed instead for a bit. Today after Brian went to work, the girls did their morning chores and played a little bit, then we ran a couple errands, came home and had lunch, Eliza watched TV and Libby and Ellie helped me make laundry detergent and sweep and mop the floors. We went out front for a bit, too, since the weather was so nice.

Tonight we had a sitter come while Brian and I went on a date night. We went to Johnny Rockets for dinner (had a coupon). We ended up being their FOREVER...slow, slow service. Ugh. Then we went to a little homecoming party for a missionary who just came home. We finished at Wal-Mart and Cold Stone.

Otter Pops

This morning Brian took the kids to school, then came home and got me and I took him to work. His car needed a little more work (read: expensive) so he got that taken care of today. After dropping him off, we came home and did stuff at home. Eliza's class (and all the 1st grade) had a water day at the park and my assignment was to bring 30 frozen otter pops to the park at a certain time. So we packed up and took those--Eliza shared some of her pizza with Ellie and Hattie then they all got otter pops. Eliza had a fun time at the activity.

After school we tried to stay busy. I have learned that if I have a project to do with Libby to keep her busy, things go much smoother. Yesterday she helped me "nest" and today she helped me clean. She is so funny like that. She loves to do things--whether it be sort or clean or organize, etc. So she cleaned toilets and mirrors and counters today. We had to go pick Brian up, so we did that, picked up his car and came home and ate. Tonight I had volleyball--we did mediocre. We had someone who hadn't played with us before so that was a little harder, but we had fun. Now I get to catch up on Idol!

"Nesting"

Today I was in the cleaning and purging mood. Brian told Eliza the official word for it is "nesting." True. But I spent all morning cleaning out a hall closet and my bathroom linen closet. I went through blankets and sheets and pillowcases and organized and labeled. It looks so much better.

Then I moved on to my linen closet. It took a while but feels great to have it done! I also did the drawers in my bathroom and under the sink cabinets.

It didn't end there. After I picked up my girls from school, Libby helped me clean the playroom. We had one bag of throw away and one bag for DI. We put all the baby toys where the nursery will be and everything else is in the playroom. In Hattie's room we had a hutch type thing that is in two pieces. We moved the bottom piece (actually Brian had a neighbor come help) to the wall right when you walk in the front door. I've been wanting something there for the longest time, so this will work for a while. I just have to decorate the top now. It was a productive day. Terri invited us over for an impromptu lunch. It was fun to visit and let the kids play. Makenzie was there and is getting around very well and chatted my ears off! It was great to see that though and to see her doing well.

Here are some pictures from the past week.
From soccer on Saturday:


From our 4-wheel drive:

Eliza and Libby's teacher gifts for this year. I got a zipper bag from Karlee , and we filled it fun things...hand sanitizer, lip gloss, gum, tissues, chocolates and a gift card.

Winner and Catching Up

Thanks for all who entered to win a free pass to my class. Even if it don't win, it's only $10, so think about still signing up. But, I went to random.org and the winner is....

JILLIAN! I'll e-mail you with the scoop on what to do now. Congrats.

On Thursday Rachel watched my girls while I went to my monthly doctor appointment. Happily, I didn't have as long of a wait as normal. I did have time to get most of my Sunday School lesson done. But I heard the heartbeat. I know we had the ultrasound a couple weeks ago, but I still haven't felt her move yet, so it was just good to hear her heartbeat. Later on I ended up taking Ellie in to the doctor. A few days prior she would mention that hear ear hurt, but no crying and she didn't say much else. Then she said it again on Thursday and so I thought maybe she had some wax in it or something that they needed to get out. Turns out she had an ear infection. So we got the antibiotic. She didn't like the taste though--even gagged on it. The next morning I called the pharmacy (love Target pharmacy) and he said to bring it in and they can change the flavor. This time she chose bubble gum. I was worried that if they added bubble gum to the nasty flavor it would be doubly-gross, but somehow the new flavor masks the old...strange but true. She loved this one and takes it easily now, thank goodness.

On Friday evening, we loaded up and went for a 4x4 drive. I told Brian--"Remind me not to do this when I am pregnant." I got so jarred around. We drove for a bit--a trail by Lake Pleasant, went on a short hike, then drove back.

Saturday started out with Eliza's last soccer game of the season. They did great--winning by 1 point. Eliza played hard again and had fun. The rest of the day, Eliza went with my parents all around the valley posing for pictures. My mom is doing another project for a class and needs "city scape" pictures, so Eliza got to be the "model." The rest of us came home. I took Libby and Ellie to Justice. Libby decided she didn't want a couple of the pairs of shorts we had bought earlier in the week. Justice had some "soft" sweat-type shorts that she really likes, so we got those instead. During the day we made cupcakes for my lesson, watched Nemo, did laundry and then went swimming. Hattie even got to go on the slide this time...she was a little nervous at the end, but wanted to go again and again. That night we got Sarah to babysit (like the good old days). Brian and I grabbed some dinner and went to TJ Maxx and Barnes and Noble. Libby was being difficult for Sarah at bedtime (sorry, Sarah!!!), so we came home and had to take care of that.

Church went well today. My lesson in Sunday school was about the sabbath day. I had made cupcakes but didn't frost them. I told them that we would need to do that before we ate them. So I pulled out some BBQ sauce, mustard, sesame seeds and mustard seeds. Of course, you wouldn't think about putting those on your cupcake, so I related it to the fact that there are certain things that don't go well with the Sabbath day. Then we talked about what does go well and what we should be doing on Sunday. For each one I pulled out a "good" topping--frosting, sprinkles, etc. At the end they got to make their cupcake and eat it. I am enjoyed teaching again and this class is great.

This afternoon we went to my parents' for dinner. It was mine and Kamille's birthday dinner...mine is Wednesday and hers is on Thursday. My mom made Becky's warm sandwiches (thanks, Becky, for sharing the recipe!) and she made some baked potato fries. My grandpa and Dovetta came and they brought veggies and dip. Everything was delicious, then we topped it off with dessert--cheesecake and a to-die-for chocolate pie from Costco. YUM!!! I also got my gift from my parents...I got a nice digital scale for making bread, a scraper that I use to divide my bread dough and a slitter to slit the tops of the bread before it goes in the oven. It will all go to great use!!! And I won't have to wait for my mom to finish to use hers. Grandpa and Dovetta gave me a gift too--a very nice afghan that Dovetta made. It must have taken her forever--it was neat that she would take the time to make it for me. Kamille got one, too. It was a fun night!

Giveaway

I am giving away one free pass into my Altered Inspiration class. Who wants it? Leave a comment and your favorite girl name (hey, I need all the ideas I can take). And I'll randomly pick a winner on Sunday night. This little book featured in my class is so fun and easy to make. The book I use is geared toward a significant other, but once you learn the concept in the class, you can apply it towards any book. It's an instant download class, so you download all the handouts and info and work at your own pace. This would be a great summer project or perfect for Father's Day coming up. Good luck!

Low Key

This week has been pretty low-key. On Tuesday I went to get some more fabric. A friend is having me make some burp cloths for her to give to a couple of her friends as gifts. So I've been working on that. Libby and Ellie are great helpers when I do that. Plus it keeps them out of mischief. They like to hand me pins or put the pins back in the pin cushion when I am sewing. We also spent a while looking on etsy for some vinyl for the baby's room. I have to decide what we want, but they have some really cute trees that I am thinking about. Last night was volleyball. there were only three of us, but we won our first two games which put us in the championship game for the night. We lost that one, but it was still fun.

Today I was lazy in that I didn't get ready until after 10, but I was cleaning house before that. A mother's work is never done.

Moving Rooms

This morning Kari and I walked in her neighborhood. We don't like that it's getting warmer and warmer!! Kari watched my girls later in the morning so I could go for my yearly dermatologist appointment. With a family history of skin cancer, I like to just be safe. She did find one that looked a little different than the others. Although she said she wasn't too concerned that it would turn out to be anything, bad, just because it didn't look like any of the others, she thought it best to remove it. It was on the back of my right calf and so small--like if I ever would have noticed it, I would have thought it was a freckle. It took no time at all for the numbing shot and removal, and other then some burning here and there it hasn't really bothered me today. But this is your reminder to go to the dermatologist and get an exam every year--just to be safe!

I stopped by Karlee's this afternoon to get some fabric and to get a couple zipper bags for teacher gifts for the end of the year. I plan to fill them with some fun things: tissues, chapstick, mints, gum and probably a little gift card to somewhere fun.

After school, I started the arduous task of going through the baby clothes. From there, it turned into a huge avalanche. First off, that task was a bear. But I got through it--getting rid of any clothes that I have seen just way too much with baby girls. While I was doing that, Eliza begged to switch rooms. Brian and I have been throwing around the idea of switching around the girls to different rooms to change up the dynamics around here. Eliza and Libby are like oil and water, so we thought maybe if they weren't in the same room, things might be better. Before I knew it, we were moving clothes and belongings all around. It took forever and it was one of those jobs that gets way worse before it gets better. But, happily, we were able to finish and I hope it'll be a good change. Libby and Ellie are together and Eliza is in where Ellie was. Hattie will join her pretty soon and they'll be roommates. After that task was done, I took Eliza and Libby to Target and Kohls trying to find Libby some new shorts. She had like three pairs she would rotate through. We were able to find her four pair. Now if she would just find a different skirt or dress to wear to church!

Mother's Day and Pictures

Here are a few pictures to catch up from a couple weeks. Brian's car had a big milestone last week.

And just a few pictures from the past couple weeks. I think Eliza found the camera and took a few.





My grandpa made Hattie a new prayer rug to match her room. She loves it.

Today was a nice Mother's Day. Eliza and Libby have been planning some things for a while. They asked my mom to help them with a "project" for me, so they went over there on Friday night and worked on it for hours. My morning started out with breakfast in bed. I got toaster streudels. While my girls were with my mom on Friday night, they picked some up at the store. I guess they had asked her what I liked and she remembered that was one of my favorites growing up. Anytime it was my birthday, my dad would always make me streudels for breakfast in bed. It was fun to have those. But everyone came in with breakfast and wished me a happy mother's day. Eliza had made me a cute paper crown that I got to wear while eating. While eating, I opened my gifts. Eliza and Libby made the most creative bag. They taped together about 4 or 5 scrapbook papers and put one on the bottom and used ribbon for the handles. It was such a great idea. From Brian I got one of those fun musical cards that also had a recorded message from the girls: "We love you, Mom!" Inside was a gift card to get a pedicure. I can't wait! Eliza gave me a cute note she had made at school. Then I got to the "projects" they had worked on. Each had made a little mini album. I guess my mom only cut the paper and they did all the rest. There were some pictures of them in each book and it was filled with cute paper they had picked out along with very cute stickers. They were so pleased with their work and it was darling. It means a lot that it was their idea and their work.








After those festivities, we hurried and got ready for church. Church went well. We had several youth speakers talk about mothers and the primary children sang. Eliza was the only one who went up. Libby wouldn't and Ellie wouldn't either! Stinker! The moms got a big candy bar at the end of sacrament meeting. Sunday school went well. I really do enjoy teaching again and I enjoy the kids in the class. Chelsea gave a great lesson in relief society about being courageous even amidst adversity.

After church we did the typical things--tidy up from the morning tornado and eat lunch. I did get to lay down for a little nap before leaving to visit Brian's mom to wish her a happy mother's day. Then we were home again making dinner and my parents came over to enjoy the meal. Then we played for a bit before eating some no bake cookies that I hurried and made. Overall it was a great day. I tried really hard this year not to have too high of expectations for Mother's day because when I do, the day turns out to be a let down. I used to think it should be a day where I am free from doing anything. I should be pampered and the kids should not argue or give me any trouble all day! But today, I just decided I would get what I would get. I knew the kids would probably have some disagreements because they are well, kids, and I knew that I would still have to do some things to keep the house running smoothly. And guess what...with those "expectations" I had a better day!

And here are some pictures of that darling book my mom made for me for Mother's Day.

Dinner

On Friday, I watched Hayden for a little bit while Jenny went to a Mother's Day thing at one of her kid's classes. When she came back, she took Ellie and Hattie back to her house with her and I went to visit Terri (and Makenzie) at the hospital. Kenzie was doing some physical therapy when I got there. I visited for a minute, then I took Terri to lunch. We went to Zoe's Kitchen. Yum! We had a nice time eating and visiting.

Today was busy--Eliza had a soccer game. It was the day she and Abby played against each other. Eliza didn't really want to play against her cousin. They both did great. Eliza's team ended up winning 2-1, but both teams played well. Eliza had an assist and was so thrilled with herself. I think she thought she scored the goal, but she was so excited for her team to score! It has been a while! After the game, my parents took my girls to Sonic, so I could run home and get the stuff for Nanci's shower and head off. They brought my girls home and we had a sitter come over. Brian was at mud soccer with the youth. Nanci's shower was fun. Becky had a cute sign in for baby Paige's scrapbook and had decorated little notebooks as favors. The food was yum, too! After I got home, we went swimming at the resort. It was so hot today, so it felt good in the water. Hattie and Ellie had a blast jumping in and out. Ellie even got to go on the slide with Brian. She loved it. Eliza and Libby (and Brian) rode many times, sometimes head first.

This evening, I took pictures of a family whose photos I did a couple years ago. From there, I met Brian (who had gotten the sitter before) and we were off for date night. We met my parents and Brian and Kamille at BJ's for dinner. My parents wanted to take us out for Mother's Day. It was nice to eat and visit. At dinner, my mom gave Kamille and I our Mother's Day gift. She had taken a darling quote book called Mother: A Verb and she filled it with pictures of my girls and various other embellishments (rubbings, tabs, accents, etc.). It is DARLING!! I love it. What a treasure. It was a fun night!

Altered Inspiration

My class that I am teaching with Big Picture Scrapbooking is up for registration! It's called "Altered Inspiration" and it's a little "altered" quote book. It's such a quick, fun little book you could make for a significant other and you can apply the idea to anything! If you are interested, click here to register. I'd love to have you in "class!"

Idea Gathering

I've been pondering in my mind things I want to do in the nursery. I found THE cutest stitchery patterns that I want to stitch onto fabric and "frame" in embroidery hoops to put up. As I was looking, I found this necklace that I thought was darling.

Tonight was camp kick-off for girls camp. The lady who is doing crafts with Becky and I, made us each the cutest apron. It was made with a kitchen towel. She added grommets, ribbon and a pocket. It is the cutest thing. I'll have to get a picture.

Other than that, let's see what we've been up to. Yesterday was Costco and Sprouts. I went to volleyball at night. The first game there were only two of us and the other team had 7. Funny thing is that we actually won. The next game I had to miss--I had to run Eliza home. She had a headache and ended up throwing up. I think she get migraines. Ugh. She was fine this morning. The last game there were four of us and we won that, too. It was a fun night playing.

Today Brian spent most of his day getting his car fixed. His brakes practically went out. If you wanted to stop, you had to use both feet and give it all you've got. So that is fixed along with another expensive thing that he has been waiting to fix. $695 later, it's good as new! Sickening!

I'll probably be getting out my maternity clothes soon. My pants/shorts are still fitting me, but I am wearing the same 3-4 t-shirts over and over. I always hate having to switch over because once I do, there is no turning back. So here we go, I guess!

Weekend Recap

Sunday we got up and ready for church and made it on time--even got a soft seat. We had three baby blessings, so that made it nice in that it went quickly after those were over and the sacrament. We didn't even have to go out once. It was great. My lesson went well in Sunday school. I did an object lesson to teach about the law of consecration. Hopefully it made sense and they understood it better. In the afternoon my parents and brother and his family came over for dinner. It was fun. I was a little ornery all day though as I felt that every thing I did to try to keep the house clean was always messed up by someone! You know--the house going from clean to dirty in like 10 seconds.

This morning Kari and I went walking. I have been so tired lately, so getting up has been killer! When I got home, I sat on the couch and feel asleep. Of course it only last a few minutes as I had to get up and help with getting ready for school. But I felt SOOO tired all morning. Ugh. This morning, I convinced my mom to come to the fabric store with me to look for fabric for a baby shower I have coming up. First we went to The Bernina Connection where I bought three different fabrics. I also found some totally cute fabric for the nursery! Ellie and Hattie had a great time looking at all the cute fabrics. In fact, Hattie walked around and pointed at fabric and said, "So cute. So cute." It was funny. On the way home we stopped at 35th Ave. Sew and Vac where they had even more cute fabric. On my way out, I asked about them repairing my sewing machine. We were telling them it was mechanical and a Brother machine. Right after that, Hattie lifted up her shirt, pointed at her tummy and said, "Brother, brother." At first I was like, Huh? Then I realized she was saying she had a brother in her tummy. It was SO funny. Before we knew what we were having I would ask her if I had a brother or sister in my tummy. I guess I know what she wanted! We stopped at one more fabric store on the way home just to see their selection. We were hoping they had the lines we wanted since all their fabric is $6.95 a yard, but they didn't. I will be taking my machine there to be fixed though as they have a much better price than the other place.

After dropping my mom off, we went home and filled the time until going to get the kids from school. This afternoon went really well, which was so nice. Hattie took a nap and the other girls were just really good. Libby was especially good--just no tantrums or making someone upset or getting upset with someone. I even had time to start the baby shower gift. And I even made dinner. I was bemusing with Kari the other day while walking that I need some new recipes that that I feel like I make the same things over and over and over again. So last week I cleaned out my recipe section above my microwave and found a few new recipes that I wanted to try. So tonight was a Kraft recipe for One-Pan Taco Beef and Noodle Skillet. It was a thumbs up from everyone. I wouldn't necessarily invite special guests over who are expecting a gourmet dinner, but for a regular family dinner, it was great and very easy/quick.

Last night we went to the school to see my nieces choir concert. It was a "stroll down Broadway." We enjoyed the songs and had a fun time. After we went to Jared and Chrystalyn's for treats.

Date, Soccer, Wedding, Etc.

Friday we hung out at home most of the day. Ellie acted sick in the morning, but has turned out to be fine, thank goodness. In the afternoon we played out front for a bit. It was nice when it was overcast. The neighbors had some rock delivered for their yard, so the dad told my girls to play in it. LOL. Who knew it could be so fun (and messy). They loved it. That evening my cousin babysat and Brian and I went out. We hit Chili's in Trimonto for dinner with a gift certificate we had gotten because of some poor service a few weeks before. Then we went up to the outlets. Brian had a gift card at Nike since Christmas, and we finally went and he got some much needed basketball shoes. We also hit Naartjie and I bought two darling little outfits.

This morning Eliza had a soccer game. They lost 1-0 again, but her team played great. Eliza did really well, too, and was more aggressive (in a good way) than I have seen her play. We came home and Brian helped the neighbor lay sod in his yard and the girls and I hung out inside and out. My neighbor came over and we chatted for a minute. I told her I was expecting and a girl. She was like, "Erin--I think you need to stop having kids! (I think half joking, half not.)" Then she asked, "How are you going to take care of another one?" I said, "Just like this!" (As both Ellie and Hattie were on my lap. She said, "But they grow up!" They have one child--who is almost ready to graduate. I was a little self-conscious about it, but figured, well, I guess some people just don't want to have lots of kids! I can't worry about it.

This afternoon and evening, I assisted my cousin's wife photographing a wedding. We started with the bride getting ready, then we took pictures of the groomsmen, then the bride and her bridesmaids, etc. That was all at the Point Squaw Peak. From there we jaunted over to Aunt Chilada's for the actual ceremony and reception. I was just her backup photographer, so I didn't feel all the pressure. It was just fun to stand back and get what shots I could get. I'll have to see if any turned out good enough to post! It was good experience though and I had a good time. It sure was interesting with that wedding party. When we got to the bride's suite, she and some other bridesmaids were already drinking. It didn't end--in fact, right after the ceremony a several of the wedding party were pretty hammered. I just sat back and wondered why!?! Just makes you grateful for my own values and friends and family.