Nish Family Fun

Who's with me?

2010-05-26T21:03:00.001-07:00

OK, so I am laying out my summer plans, in hopes that this year..I will stick to them! Here is the thing, every summer I hope for fantastic, magical things to happen. This is the time that the family will find our bond and unity. That the children will realize that behaving well is not an option. That I will do so much to parent them well, that they will never feel capable of doing any wrong. And, of course, that I will get beautifully tan..and maybe thin..in the process. So far the only one of those that works without fail is the beautifully tan part, cuz lets face it girls, I get amazingly dark! Its all I got, so dont be haters!! However, this year will be different. I wont hope for too much magic, and I will acknowledge that despite my now awesome parenting, my kids will still be mean, and grumpy, and disobedient. I, however, am going to do this because I want to. And I am going to document it, well, because I again, want proof! So here are my thoughts for the summer..laugh as needed..it helps manage the stress of it all..
1- I want to work on memorizing the Articles of Faith. So, each week we will work on a new one (with a few easier ones in the same week) The girls will write them, so they can practice good penmanship too. And each day we will recite/sing them.
2-I really do want to have a book club type thing for the girls. Not exactly sure how to make it work, but I envision doing one a month, or maybe every 3 weeks, and having a cute little party at the end. This one is a work in progress!
3- I have come up with a theme for each week of the summer, and a corresponding "field trip" for each of them. I want to get books, movies, and other things that will relate. I may even suggest that the girls do some sort of report on a book..a book report, picture..just something that demonstrates their understanding. They could teach us all a lesson..not sure yet! Anyway, I also want to do 2-3 crafts a week that also go with the theme. ARE YOU STILL WITH ME HERE???
So, I will list the themes, with the assigned field trips, and hope that if you have any fabulous ideas, books, or other that would work..you can just let me know. You..any of you that read this..ha..are more than welcome to find a way to join me. I will post every week what we will be doing, including outings, so that those who feel they may like me enough to put up with my children...or like my children enough to put up with me..may join. OK, are you ready now..here is the list. Then I am done for now..seriously!!
1-Sports. Haylee at b-ball, volley ball camp. Kids all learning about different sports. Go to a Rangers game.(we have free tickets)
2- Going to the Zoo. All kinds of animal fun. Head to the Frank Buck zoo maybe ( we have passes), and Sharkarosa or Fossil Rim..where you drive through and feed the animals.
3-Water Fun. Slip-n-slide, water ballon games, water gun fights..etc. Visit a big water park with Grandma and Papa coming in to visit.
4- America- Patriotic themed events to prep for 4th of July. Greet the troops maybe..visit veterans...not sure yet. Leave for FL this week too.
5-Beach/under the sea. We will be in Florida, so lots of fun there!!
6-Pirates- (for RJ:) we will do treasure maps, maybe try geo-caching, and earn gold coins to go to Chuck e cheese
7- In the garden. All things bugs, flowers, and veggies. Head to the farmers market..maybe a pick your own place if avail.
8 Book of Mormon characters. learn stories, make our own items to remind us, visit the church book store and temple grounds? No clue on this one yet really!!
9- Rainbow. Focus on one color each day and eat foods from that color, dress in that color etc...lots of crafty fun. No plans for field trip yet
10- Outer space- visit the planetarium, stay up one night to look at the stars etc...MAYBE..just maybe..camp in the back yard..no promises though..ha.
11- Back to school fun- shopping if needed, all BTS activities. Get ready for the year...have a big deal family dinner with plan for the school year etc.
Hmm..looks like a short summer when you realize its only 11 weeks. There are still more grand ideas, but I didnt want to overwhelm you with my greatness..haha! Please comment to share your thoughts, ideas, suggestions..you name it and I want to hear it. Websites you love too!!Cant wait to try this out and see if I can pull it off.

Jensen

2010-05-23T20:36:00.001-07:00

Below you will see the shutterfly book that I created for Jensen's family. As most of you remember, Jensen was a little girl that I cared for for 3 years of her life. It turned out to be almost half of her life actually, as she died at school over a month ago. I have to admit, its been pretty challenging for me to deal with. It feels like there is always a dark cloud, looming over everything I do each day. We have our normal routines, life is still blissful, and busy, and full of wonderful things. But, its still there. I lost a sense of trust that day. I knew that children died, but I had never been a part of it. And, to think that a child could die from choking was beyond my imagination. We all take precautions, and they did too. This was just an accident, plain and simple. No blame! But, I still find myself angry. Not at the school, the staff, God, anyone really..just angry! Mad that her life was cut so short, and that Jaden was left with out his sister. He will hardly remember her in the end. It is with that thought in mind that I created the book. I wanted to help him remember, when he was afraid that he was forgetting. Jensen's family seems to be doing well. Honestly, I have not had as much contact as I should have. One thing I know about myself is that I dont do well with emotional! I did great when there was work to be done, tasks to complete. I could be a rock, and I knew it. I did my part, handled several details, and then wasnt sure what to do with myself next. Jenny and I weren't "girlfriends" per se. We didnt talk on the phone, so it didnt seem natural to start. But, in some very small way, I understood her pain. Her friends love her, but most didnt know Jensen. Dont know Jaden..I loved them both. So, I am trying harder to get more involved, even if its hard. We talk, we laugh, we even shed a tear at time. I am grateful for the experience. I have learned a lot about myself, compassion, and life in general. I hope to never know her grief, but if I were to, I only hope to handle it with half of the grace they have. And, with that said..I hope you enjoy sneaking a peek into her sweet spirit!

jensen

2010-05-23T20:34:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Twinkies

2010-05-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, it was Twinkie (aka twin) day at school. I am documenting this for one reason only..to have a record that I did indeed care about those silly days at school and went out of my way to make them successful!! They wont be able to claim otherwise..here is the proof! The girls wanted to participate, but were struggling to figure out what everyone had that could be the same. They each had 2 friends to match, creating triplets, so it got a bit more challenging. Super mom to the rescue:) I went to walmart and purchased all of them a t-shirt that matched. Then, at the last minute, Haylee tells us that her teacher said they should give out m&m's, because the girls last names started with M,N, and M. So, super dad gets involved, and stops by the store on the way home from work to purchase the needed treat. He looked for bags of plain, fun sized, m&m's, but couldnt find them. So, he comes home with 2 huge bags of mixed, fun size, m&m's..just to ensure she had what she needed. We are fortunate to be at a great school, with good friends for the girls. Grace is with Anna and Sophie. Those three are together all the time. They are goofy and funny, good in school, and hard working girls. Cant wait to see what the summer will bring for them:) Haylee is with Brianna and Hannah. She has known Brianna since Kindergarten, and has remained friends with her on some level, ever since. Hanna is new this year, and is a sweet girl. Haylee is friends with lots of kids, and has a hard time"chosing" one or two for something. She is so compassionate and loves to include everyone. I am just so grateful that there are so many good kids to choose from!!

Sitting still

2010-05-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures to enjoy of an attempted photo shoot for Michelle. In case I havent sung her praises enough, she is amazing!! She made the girls bows for these dresses, after seeing that I had put bows in that werent the right shade of pink:) In fact, any bows that you see in my daughters' hair are compliments of Michelle, and she is not to be held responsible if I chose bows that dont match exactly right. Anyway, I wanted her to see the girls in their cute matching outfits, but as you can see, my models werent feeling too cooperative. This is about half of the attempts, but not one of them turned out "well". However, I think they are perfect! They capture what life is like most days, and how challenging it can be to even get two of the five to sit still and cooperate. They are growing up so fast. Mallory is almost 1..unbelievable!! I still remember when my family found out I was expecting, somewhat accidentally, on Halloween in 2008. Now I have a 10 month old that is cruising all over the place. And Courtlyn, well she is something else. Fiesty as can be..she is taking after Grace a good bit. Very spirited little girls. She is learning so much every day, and is getting funnier by the minute. I am still trying to find the best way to parent her, she defies a lot of my previous thinking, but its great to see her grow! Love my baby girls!

Wink, Wink..

2010-04-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

OK, so these pictures seriously make me laugh out loud! Somehow, RJ figured out how to wink a long time ago. He has also figured out how to use it to his advantage. I can be really getting onto him for any number of things..hitting Courtlyn, taking a toy from Carson, telling Grace she is stupid..you name it! He sits quietly, waiting until I am at the climax of my rebuking...and he winks! Yep, totally not kidding! He winks at me. I try not to laugh, really I do. Most of the time I want to smack him right in the face for winking at me..this is not the time! He is in trouble! But, he absolutely does it..and keeps doing it, back and forth, until I laugh. He is seriously setting himself up to be the class clown! I am so worried! He knows its wrong, but he also knows he is cute. Well, Courtlyn would not be left out of this fun, so she learned how to wink too. Hers is a bit more thought out and deliberate, but she winks none the less. I convinced them to let me take these pictures, and I look at them everyday..just to giggle! Enjoy! More blogging later:)

At a loss

2010-03-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I could say I was truly at a loss..but I am. In fact, I remember the last time I felt this way!! It was in 2006. RJ had just been born at the end of May. We were enjoying having our little boy, and the fun that the summer was bringing. A close friend was having some struggles..but nothing we couldnt work through! Then, on a hot Sunday, mid July, that friend was diagnosed with bone cancer. It didnt look good. The next day, my mom was taken to the hospital for appendicitis..it ruptured at the hospital leaving her very sick! It didnt look good..not as bad as cancer we thought..but it wasnt good. That was one of the toughest weeks I can recall having in my life. I know it had a lot to do with not being able to control the outcome. There was nothing I could do to help, and I knew it. I was scared, truly scared, and that wasn't a common feeling for me either! But, miraculously..that friend is cancer free, and due in Sept with her miracle baby! And, we all know my mom wouldnt be taken down either! The outcome was good..the struggle was there, but it ended well!
That sick feeling has washed over me again. I got the worst phone call I have ever had today! Jenny, the mother of two kids, Jensen and Jaden, that I babysat for 4 years, called me today to tell me that Jensen had died. I wish so much that I could take back my first words.."Are you kidding?" NO..who kids about that! I know that..but it is what I said. She was 7. She choked on an apple at school as far as they can tell. Choked..at school! I am at a loss. I spent more time with her than anyone else during the school year, for almost 3 years!! Then, when she went to school, I kept her little brother Jaden still, until he went to kindergarten this year. He will be 6 on Saturday. I am so grateful that she called, I know that it was tough. She shared as much information as she knew, cried with me for a minute, promised to keep us updated, and went on to make more phone calls. To tell more people that her little girl was gone. I am at a loss! I struggle with the feelings that instantly come to grab my children and hold them tight..never to send them away again. I know it is not the right answer..I do, so I push that feeling aside, and make preparations for school tomorrow. I havent told them yet. I am not sure how. We dont see Jensen and Jaden every day, or very often any more, but she was a part of their lives for 4 years. That is a lot in kid years. It's hard to put in words the loss that I feel. She is not my child, but I helped raise her. She said things like "Im just sayin'" because I did. She learned to ride a bike without training wheels in front of my house. She called my mom "crazy grandma" just like my kids did. I took her to the library every week, taught her songs..I am at a loss! There is nothing I can do. I will pray, for Jenny, Jeff, and especially my little Jaden. He doesnt understand. I will pray for the poor nurse at school who tried with all her might to save that little girl and couldnt. For the children who have to sit next to her empty desk and try to figure out what happened. And, I will hold my children a little closer each day, and work with all my might to make mornings more pleasant. I will continue to tell them I love them before anyone leaves, even when they think they are getting too old for it. I hope we will all do that. And..maybe you could say an extra prayer for them too! I truly am at a loss!

Dinner guests!

2010-03-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

Look who graced us with their presence! A few princesses, a dancer (Haylee), and Spider Man came and ate with us tonight! They were lovely dinner guests too. I mean, Spider Man was having a difficult time accepting his meal, he actually said he "hated potatoes!!" (Which is a whole other issue!! I have told that boy numerous times that we dont say HATE, but its not registering with him.) Haylee actually made all of dinner, with a little supervision from me. She made baked potatoes and salad. She got to cut with a sharp knife and everything. She is feeling rather grown up today. But, then, she decides to join in the dress up fun with the other kids, and I remember that she is still a little girl. Other fun today included RJ, along with the rest of the kids, watching the old Star Wars movie..the very first one that came out. It was a gloomy day for sure, it even snowed tonight!! But, it was perfect for a movie. RJ has taken quite an interest in Star Wars lately, so when Ryan walked in with the actual movie this morning, RJ was thrilled. He is turning into such a little man these days! He is proof that there is more nature than nuture in raising boys. He can make a gun out of anything, despite the fact that he has never really seen anything with a gun/shooter until today. He believes strongly in the power of superheros, and lives to play guys with Carson. He is a rough and tumble kind of kid, depsite being raised with 4 girls..definitely nature over nuture!!
Things are pretty slow these days. Spring break has ended, and we had a pretty good time. The girls spent the night with grandma several nights, we spent many days outside and at the park..it was around 70 all week!! I took the girls and their cousins skating, with my mom, and we even made smore's at grandma's too. Daddy took the girls on a date to see "Alice in Wonderland", which they really enjoyed. I think they had a pretty good week. I enjoy having them home, I really miss them when they are at school. Ryan is back to working full time nights, which is tough on us all, but we are making the transition well. We are looking forward to birthday season for us, not to mention Easter! Grace will be 7 in two weeks..I just cant believe how fast they are all growing. In a little over 2 months, I will have a 10 year old, a 7 year old, and a 4 year old. A month later Mallory will turn 1 (June 30th) and Courtlyn turns 3 at the end of Aug..she is our "out there" birthday for sure. Time is flying by faster than I want it to! I need to work harder at enjoying all of the little moments for sure! Stop wishing my life away, dreaming of a bigger house, our next vacation, newer cars..time to focus on where we are and love it!!

Why so many!!

2010-03-06T20:10:00.001-08:00

You cant imagine the number of times I get asked that question.."Why so many?"..or some other version of it!! "Are you done?", "Dont you know what causes this?", "Did you plan on having so many?", and on and on! I realize that as a mother of 5 children, wrestling my way through Wal-Mart, natural curiosity may get the best of some people. Every so often, I get admirers..mostly of the elderly variety. They stop, smile at the baby, tell me how beautiful all of my children are, and kindly express their appreciation for how well behaved my 5 little monkeys are! They quickly remind me how blessed I am, and often share that they wish they could have had more children of their own. I like them much better than the looks of shock, rude questions, and obnoxious statements like.."Boy, you have your hands full!!" The statement itself doesnt actually bother me, just the tone in which it is delivered! Truth be told, I can be found wondering the same thing most days! Why do we have 5 children, and are we done? And, yes, for the record..I do have my hands full!I dont know if we will have more, I wish I did..it would make things so much easier for me! But I dont..I suspect that there is one more that will join us in the future, but I am too busy with my current brood to spend much time focusing on it!
My children cause me hours of grief, concern, stress and frustration..its true! Motherhood is impressively hard, and most of the time I realize that I am not doing it well enough! But every so often, I get a little gift from the heavens that assures me, I might be doing okay after all! Tonight, I was given such a reminder!

The little children were less than thrilled about having to go to bed tonight! Daddy had to leave even earlier than usual for his night shift, so I was on my own! It is tough not to have help when those 5 little monkeys need to get in bed. I am tired, they are tired, and sometimes that can make for a disaster..and it almost did! Then, my sweet Haylee extended me a tender mercy! She asked if RJ could come sleep with her. She would read to him, and sing to him, and help ensure that he stayed in bed. YES..YES..YES!! Oh, please let this work..just for tonight! And..I am happy to say that it did. She asked me which songs RJ likes, and off they went. 30 min. later, when I went to lay Mallory in bed, I found RJ sleeping snug as can be, wrapped up in the loving arms of his oldest sister! Grace thought that it was a great idea, and she decided to take on Courtlyn. Well...I knew that Court would be a bit less willing, but we gave it a shot. Grace climbed in bed with her, read to her, and sang her list of songs too. I sat on the couch and fed Mallory..peacefully! It wasnt as easy for Grace, but she tried..Courtlyn is 2 though, and would not be conquered. (We just took her binky too, so the cards were stacked against Miss Grace!!) But, I just allowed Court to come sit with me, and Grace drifted off to sleep. About 20 min later, Courtlyn asked to go back to bed with Grace..yep..asked to go to bed! Normally, this is quite a process, but not today. Grace had sung, Grace had read, and Grace was lying asleep,waiting for her little partner to climb back in bed. Her "spot" was made ready, just waiting to welcome her to sleep. So, Courtlyn climbed in bed, kissed me good night, and that was it! Seriously!! No crying for her binky, a drink, another song, another book..you get the idea! Nothing...she had Grace, and she was happy!
So, there is my answer! That is why so many! Because they have each other! Sometimes, the kids switch around who they want to play with, and that is ok..there are several people to choose from. My older girls are learning compassion, and service. They are being given opportunities to grow and stretch themselves each day, to sacrifice and give love to someone..what a great thing. My little ones are also learning that there are lots of people that can love them. They too have to share, and sacrifice everything from toys to time with me, but they have other peope around to help fill in the gaps sometimes! I know that tomorrow will come, and things will return to their normally chaotic pace. But, I also know, that I will continue to get these moments that will remind me of why we have 5 kids, and that I am blessed to be their mother! I wouldnt trade it for anything..I love my monkeys! All 5 of them!

Warning, Massive posts ahead..starting with some mischief!

2010-02-20T14:11:00.000-08:00

I have been a major blog slacker recently, I know it, and when I dont..my family reminds me of it..so here are several that have been waiting in the wings! Really, we are pretty boring, but this is all I got!! Enjoy:)

This first set is of our sweet Courtlyn! Isnt she beautiful! She came out of my bathroom oh so proud of herself for putting on my "nakeup" all by herself! I asked her why she did that, and she replied.."Because I a beautiful princess and princess needs nakeup on they mouthes!" DUH MOM!! I had two choices..scold her, make her wipe off the make up, and put her in time out..or..call Ryan in, laugh about it, and take lots of pictures! Pretty glad I chose door number 2!! Courltyn is a full fledged 2.5 year old. She is as naughty and fiesty as they come. She can scream like you cant imagine..no seriously..its worse that you are thinking right now I promise! BUT..look at that face! This little girl melts us everytime, and she knows it! Courtlyn will flash a smile for anyone, insisits on a hug and kiss before you leave the house, no matter who you are, and can laugh so hard it makes YOU cry. She is so adorable! She is pretty smart and is just waiting for me to get going on the potty training thing. BLAH!! And, we are gonna have to take her binky soon..ugh! I know I can do it, I just have to make the decision and get it done! I just want to get over those two humps with her, but I fear that I may not have the energy right now. Fortunately, I have had enough children to realize that it will happen when we are all ready, and whenever that is..I will be OK! Life is crazy busy with the mundane things, but I am trying hard to make time to enjoy them while they are so little. I just know that someday, I will be sad that there is no one to crawl into my bed anymore, no one to cry at me that they hurt until I can kiss it better, and no one to ask me for one more song when its bed time! Having so many little ones can be tough, but I fear that this many teenagers and older children will be harder, so I will keep them little for as long as I can! Enjoy the rest of the posts...

Chef Grace

2010-02-20T13:59:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year my mom got the girls the CUTEST aprons and cookbooks ever!! Seriously..they are so stinkin adorable! This has inspired a little more family cooking around here, and Grace loves it! Not only did they get the aprons and cookbooks, but we also got a great big silver bowl this year, just like the one my grandmother (Grander) gave my mother years ago! We only hope to use it as much as my mom did, and to create some great memories along the way. The first picture is Grace making some sticky chex mix for a family gathering, followed by several of her making a full dinner one night. We had pasta with cheese sauce, with brocolli and chicken added in. She did a great job, and enjoyed every minute of it! She is growing up so fast! I hope to remember to make sure I spend quality time doing fun things like this more often! She just glows when I can focus all of my attention on her:)

Lacey had a birthday

2010-02-20T13:53:00.000-08:00

Just had to throw a few in from Lacey's 2nd birthday! We went to the biggest Chuck-e-Cheese I have ever seen and the kids played to their hearts content! We have a tendancy to buy tons of tokens and let them go for as long as they will..thank goodness for coupons!! It is fun to try to capture a few family pictures on days like this, and these are some of the cuter ones that I got. I admit, that this is not the best picture of Lacey..but considering her mood that day..its not too bad! We seem to have a birthday curse around here, and the grumpiest kid is always the birthday child. Lacey was no exception. It is a funny thing for sure, but she was not the first of ours to be that way, and certainly wont be the last! She did get some super fun toys, that I am sure she is happily playing with to this day! And really, any time we have an excuse to let the kids go play somewhere while we chat..we take it!

Mallory!

2010-02-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

As you can see, it is tough being the baby in the family..pretty hard work! Somedays, she just gives up and falls asleep where ever she is. Might be the swing, the jumper, or the floor! Mallory is a fairly easy baby..still wont sleep thought the night..but other than that, she is great! She is laid back like RJ was. Mallory is 7.5 months old and feels no rush to sit up, eat food, or crawl! She is perfectly fine being doted on and having everything done for her. And, as you can see..she gets a lot of that. For some reason, RJ and Carson combine the dr set and the tools and care for their patients! Mallory is typically an easy patient, and never seems to mind the sight of a drill coming at her! Every one of the kids adore her, and love to care for her, make her laugh, and bring her toys when she seems bored! And of course, I had to throw in this cute picture of her with her Aunt Heather...aka..her other mother! One of the best things about living so close to family is having people that truly love your children, and Heather particularly tends to smother the babies with affection! Mallory loves every minute of it..as well as my other kiddos, and I wouldnt have it any other way!!

Jump for Joy

2010-02-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

Haylee is involved in jump rope club at school, and really seems to enjoy it. She also participated last year at the school previous to this. She practices once a week, and every so often, has a chance to participate in a little "competition". So, we signed up to go to the most recent event, and it was...well..a bit painful honestly! Pretty slow, fairly unorganized, and just over all not the way I would have hoped to be spending an evening..but..it was important to Haylee, so it was important to us! Ryan and I both went, getting a babysitter for the other kids. Fortunately, we were able to drop Haylee back off at home after the event and still make it to a movie! And, we did have some good friends to keep us company:) This is a competition against yourself, apparently, the goal is to try to beat your score from the previous event..or something..really, I dont even know!! haha! So, Haylee did everything she was supposed to and earned 4 or 5 blue ribbons and 1 yellow. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the look on her face right before she gets these ribbons and when they are handed to her. I am so glad I was able to capture that expression..such joy! She was thrilled to win first prize in so many things..we will keep it between us that she didnt actually "beat" anyone but herself..and since she had never done this before, it was fairly easy to do:) She is good at most everything she tries, and I am proud of her for always giving it her best effort. She is a shining star in our family for sure!

My little helpers!

2010-02-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

One random day recently I decided to throw together some chocolate chip cookies! This is not an abnormal thing in my house..I kinda like chocolate chip cookies, and the kids do too!! The fun part was inviting Carson and RJ to help out. RJ does not get chosen for this job too often, as the girls are usually around and take over for him. And Carson..well...his idea of helping to make cookies is to take them from the package and put them on the cookie sheet! OK..I will cut Kristen some slack, I have seen evidence of some serious sugar cookie making, but in her world, the chocolate chip cookies are left up to me and Pilsbury!! The boys loved every little bit! They got to cut the butter, pour everything in, turn on the mixer, and of course..taste the dough! These two are growing up way too fast, and I love that they are doing it together! They are all boy now, playing super hero's all day long, and rescuing anyone that seems to be in distress! Sadly, the one in distress is typically Courtlyn, and it is almost always one of the boys who are at fault! But, if they did not make her cry, how could they save her!? Love them to pieces, craziness and all! It is a whole new world for me with the boy thing, and many days I think it might get the best of me! But, RJ is a joy to have in our home, and might be the funniest of all of the kids! Love that boy!! (And his cousin sidekick:)

2010-02-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

Ok..seriously, I walked away from my last post and realized that there were more fun pictures to share. I posted a picture of RJ when he was not smiling, so I thought I should at least add that..then I just got a little carried away! I wont promise that this is the last of them...but at least for now! Ahh..even though they mess up my house, make me quite crazy most of the time, and cause me more worry than I even imagined..I sure do love those little people!!

A little update

2010-02-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

I am well aware of how long it has been since I have posted! I also know that most of you have seen these pictures, but I wanted them on here too, just in case. My SIL Nicole took lots of great pictures of the kids, and these are just a few of my favorites. We were not able to get one of Mallory, there was no where to sit her, and the kids were so cold by the time we got to her turn. I am hoping that we can get some of her soon, before she out grows that outfit at least:) I know everyone thinks that their children are the most beautiful children on the earth, but seriously..these are some adorable kids! It certainly helps them when they are being so bad...how can you really punish a face like this?? UGH!! They do seem to win far too many battles!!
Things are just moving along right now, and we are just trying to move with it! Ryan received some unsettling news from his employer, which has left us again looking for additional work. He will be back to working more nights, and the uncertainty that relying on night time work can bring. It seems that the owner over budgeted himself quite a bit. But, at least Ryan was not let go, which we realize is the misfortune of so many these days! He has already had some great conversations with other sleep companies, and he feels certain that he will be able to provide for our needs..and a few wants too:) It may mean more hours, but we are pretty good at handling most things that come our way! Ryan is also trying to decide if he should finish his schooling to become a nurse, and eventually get a masters degree in some nursing field. I support the idea as long as certain criteria are being met, but this job shift has put that conversation on the back burner for now!
All in all, we are just doing what is normal around here. Very little excitement to speak of. Haylee is doing gymnastics right now, which she is enjoying. I enjoy watching the kids learn new skills for sure. I suppose I should get some pictures of that to post too!! I think that I have discovered part of the reason for my absense..its called facebook! I swore off even messing with that, but one day, I agreed, and my life has not been the same since. I would like to say that I wish I had never gotten on, but that is not true. I have reconnected with some old friends, and that has been amazing. My very best friend in high school lives about 45 min. away, and we have had so much fun talking and hanging out! I just need to manage my time better, so that I am not checkin FB or chatting on there as often. I am hoping to get a better routing going with all things in my life..I need to take control back. OK..seriously, this is a long and boring post already, so I will spare you the details of my need to better my life, but just know that I am aware of the things I want to work on. Now..off to put the last two kids to bed, finish cleaning the kitchen, and watch "The Bachelor"! Speaking of wasting time..haha~~

We did celebrate Christmas...

2010-01-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

It feels to me like Christmas came and went so quickly this year, that I dont remember it being here. There are signs of it still lingering..decorations needing to return to their home, toys hanging out in the living room, and the extra pounds from some holiday eating..all evidence that Christmas was indeed here. And, there are the pictures! They are few..and they are TERRIBLE, but they are evidence, and that is what matters. Someday I will get a camera that takes good pictures..or figure out how to make the one I have do the job:) The kids enjoyed the morning quite a bit. We had my brother and his wife, along with their 4 children, stay with us for about 10 days over the holiday break. YES..you read that right. It is only effective if you are reading this and have seen my tiny house, but we made it work, and the kids had a great time with their cousins. The older boys, otherwise known as my husband and brother, also enjoyed playing together...like every night, on the wii. My 34th birthday came and went in the midst of all this crazy, and I sort of feel like everything else did too. We were unable to fit in all of the things that make Christmas meaningful..no nativity play, no advent scriptures, no Christmas story time..nothing!! I want a redo!! If sometime in February you come by my house and wonder why the lights are still up, as well as the decorations, just know that you may find us snuggled up inside reading the story of Jesus' birth! Time continues to fly by at a faster rate than I like, and some how, some way, I have to learn to catch up to it's pace! However, on Christmas morning, things slowed down just enough, for my kids to be just kids. Happy, surprised, laughing, funny little kids. RJ was the most entertaining..its so magical to a 3 year old boy. He was in awe that the cookies he decorated were eaten, that the elf had been picked up by Santa, and that the presents under the tree were just what he wanted. Now, I realize that it is not the spiritual side of Christmas that is being celebrated at that moment, but for me, it is still inspiring. I enjoy the thrill in their faces when a gift is unwrapped that suits them perfectly. Even Haylee, who learned about the truth behind Santa this year, was just as happy. It is almost even more fun with her, because she knows that we..and by we I mean I..picked out the perfect gift for her. I hope to always have a little one around to bring that magic to my house on Christmas morning. Whether is it my own children, neices and nephews, ore eventually grandchildren..I want to witness that sparkle in a child's eyes, that makes all of the hustle and bustle, and late night wrapping, worth while. For now, Christmas has ended, and the hope of a new year has come. I have not even gotten around to resolutions, but I will say that for me, I have decided to do one thing specifically this year. I resolve to ENJOY more! I hope you will enjoy many moments this year, great and small. And that I too, will enjoy more and worry less!

We even got snow!!

2010-01-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest Christmas miracles this year was the snow that fell on Christmas Eve. We dont even hope for a white Christmas around here, so when the weather men started predicting some bad weather, it's not like we actually believed them! I mean really..blizzard like conditions in Texas..when it was 76 degrees the day before! However, when we saw the flakes falling, we knew we were in for some fun. We decided to brave the roads..how bad could it be? The roads were certainly still warm from the last several days, so it should not be icy...right...WRONG! It was a bit scary on our trip to Braums, and the rest of the evening's activities were cancelled. We headed back home to spend the evening in the safety of our own four walls:) But, by Christmas day, there was still enough snow for playing, so after the presents had been opened, and cinnamon rolls consumed, it was time to head out doors. Do we have clothing appropriate for snow?? NOPE! Our kids' hands were so cold, noses were red and runny, and cheeks were as pink as could be..but their smiles stood out the most. They were cold, but they were happy. Courtlyn was not so sure she actually wanted to touch it..but after a while, she got the idea. I was more than willing to stay inside and keep an eye on the baby..someone has to make the sacrifice. But I was glad for the kids to have had the chance to frolic in the snow! And, I think that I can safely say, that is all the snow I want to see this winter!

Skating rink fun!

2009-12-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

OK, so I am sure you guys are wondering why I have not posted any Christmas pictures..but you will have to wait! Christmas was fun, the kids had presents,saw the family..you know...normal Christmas stuff! However, tonight we ventured out to do something that was definitely not the norm around here! For a while I have been wanting to take my girls roller skating, and with the addition of Ellie and Kyra, tonight felt like the perfect night for it! Nicole and I had NO intentions of skating..really, we are too old, too out of practice, too safe!! However...we got there and the sight, smell and sounds of the skating rink took over. The 80's vibe was everywhere, and for a brief moment, we were 15 again! (And I do say brief, cuz we are a bit sore now..a reminder that we are now indeed twice that age!!) The girls were so stinkin funny! Haylee whipped around the rink like she was born on skates! She had NO problems! Kyra was less confident, and unsteady for sure..but her persistence paid off! While it was a bit frustrating for her that Haylee was going so fast, she held her own and by the end of the night was skating around the rink without much difficulty! I was proud of her for continuing despite the falls. She even said she was ready to come back!! Then there was Miss Grace. She was not as quick on her feet as she wanted to be, but had a great attitude. Her confidence helped out..clearly she does not believe there is anything she cant do! She took many falls, laughed, and then tried again. While I appreciate that about her, I did wish she would take it a bit easier..she had me kinda nervous! There was A LOT of falling. Ellie was the funniest to watch for sure. She was the most cautious of the group! She had to get over the mental idea that she could not do this! But, with a lot of encouragement, and a lot of very graceful falling, she discovered a new talent. She may never be on a roller derby team, but she was happy, and had a great time. She definitely won the award for best faller..dont know how she managed to do it with such style:) Nicole and I held our own. We remembered how to skate backwards...Nicole better than myself..and did not take any falls! (OK, Nicole fell once, but that was totally Ellie's doing!!) We found ourselves dancing along when we should not have been..we are dorky mom's now remember..our kids thought we were dorks!! But all in all, it was a great night..that the kids are begging to do again and again! Might be a new mommy daughter thing! I hear its great exercise..if you can get past the blisters!! I am off to rest these weary bones...hope you enjoyed the pictures! We had a blast!!

2009-12-28T21:38:00.000-08:00

Just a few more pictures to show how much fun we were having!! It was a memorable night for sure:)

A visit with Santa

2009-12-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

So, as is my lot in life right now, things are quickly passing us by, and I am trying to at least grab a few of the important moments! We finally went to see Santa today, which was a fairly entertaining trip! First of all, I went to the mall with all 5 of my kids, and my 3 year old nephew Carson. So..I had the two littlest ones in the double stroller, Carson and RJ with their backpack..aka..leashes on, and Haylee and Grace leading them around. I suppose I warranted all of the looks I was getting, but really, they were amazingly good! This is a picture of the picture we got, so I know the quality is not good..but the look on Courtlyn's face is to die for!! She did not want Santa to touch her!! It is such a perfect rendition of a face we see far too often around here!! And, I just thought Mallory was looking so cute that Michelle needed to see the cuteness that she helped create! Love the bows and shirts Michelle!!

His and hers

2009-12-22T13:43:00.000-08:00

These pictures are a pretty good idea of what life is like around here! Courtlyn and RJ share a room, and as you can see, were sitting right next to each other playing. Courtlyn is all girl, and RJ is such a boy!! I just loved it when I walked in and saw them doing their own thing, right next to each other. Court looked a bit like old mother hubbard, with all of her little babies surrounding her. And RJ has gotten into super guys these days..he is either "Fat Man" or Super Man, and his trusty blankie serves as his make shift cape! And yes, I said Fat Man. It is really bat man, but for whatever reason, he swears its fat man. There is not much funnier than to hear him shout "Fat Man to the rescue" as he runs to save someone in distress. The best was when he sat with me and decided that he could be fat man, and I could be fat girl, and we could be fat friends and play together! I was crying I was laughing so hard, and he had no idea why! They are a pretty fierce two-some, with both good days and bad, but they are doing a great job of learning to play together. While it is a bit tough to have 2 kids so close in age, they are so stinkin funny that at the end of the day,at least I have laughed at them more than I have been mad at them!

Hmm..let me try this again!

2009-12-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

So, upon looking at that last picture, I realized that it looks grainy for some reason! Seriously people, even the pics I think look good, dont turn out! I was gonna delete that post, and leave this one for you to look at instead..but, I like sharing the process..in the end, it makes it funnier! And, we all know, I am all about the funny:)

Sometimes, you can make it better

2009-12-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

So, I wanted to play with the pictures just a bit, to see if there was anything I could do to improve them. I only have Picasa to play with...no cool stuff like photo shop here...and here is what I decided. The best thing to do is crop out the parts of the picture you dont like. It is better to have a nice picture of two, than a mediocre family picture of 5! Also, I kind of like black and white. No always, not even often, but sometimes it is sweet. Finally, I realized, that individually, my children are beautiful! I know I am their mother, it is my job to adore them, but so be it..I do adore them. And, I thought this picture of Haylee and Courtlyn was just cute enough to deserve a post of its own..even if it means I had to cut the other 3 cuties out of it!!

Family pictures...HAHAHA!!

2009-12-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

OK..can we all see the common thread here...I am not a photographer! I swear, I cant imagine how a person can be so bad at taking pictures, but in general..I AM!! Occassionally, I will get a great picture..but more often, this is the kind of stuff I get. Now, mind you, my subjects are a bit tempermental to say the least. It is almost impossible to get 5 children, under the age of 9, to all look at you, sit up, smile, and be content for even one MOMENT! I continue to say that I have given up on the idea of a family photo, but I do try every once in a while, just in case! I needed a picture of all of the kids in their Christmas shirts from Michelle. I tried..really I did, but you can see..it did not go well. They are much cuter in person I swear:) Funny thing, the one I have the hardest time getting to smile is actually Haylee. She is at quite an awkward stage right now, and smiling for pictures is almost like asking her to cut off her right arm. She says she is trying, but she looks like smiling is actually painful for her..I am certain it will improve, but it is hard to deal with right now. And, of course, I cant mention to her that she is not smiling nicely, or encourage her to try something different..we are talking pre-teen self esteem here people! Anyway...the other pictures were from this morning. They were dressed in some Christmas attire for church, and I thought they looked so cute..again, much better that these pictures display. I even tried to hang a black cloth behind them..hoping it would help! Here is the thing.. you have to make sure you get the whole picture on the cloth..hello!! Anyway, this is my life, 5 kids that are beautiful, and wrestless, and goofy, and awkward..combined with a mother that cant quite get it right in the photo dept. I wont be sending these pics to any competition, but it is a perfect rendering of our crazy life these days. I wouldnt have it any other way...

Haylee and Grace

2009-12-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

The girls had holiday shirt day last Friday, and fortunately, they were able to wear a custom made shirt from Michelle. They are always so proud to have something unique, esp. made by someone they know. The funniest thing is how much these shirts are talked about in school. Particularly for Haylee. She told me about several conversations between her and her friends..all in awe at her aunt's talent! They could not believe it..someone Haylee knows can sew that well. It really is cute to hear about. They took these pictures just before school, and of course, had to have one silly one. Sometimes, these two can be the worst of enemies, but I sure do enjoy the rare moments that they are having fun together, and still like to have matching clothes..wonder how much longer that is going to last??

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

We had a great day full of food, family, and fun! Things were fairly simple..in a great way! I dont have a ton of pictures, but we did get a few of the kids right before we went in to eat. Michelle made the girls these supe cute shirts, and bows, so we had to attempt a group shot. Not bad...not great, but not bad! Someday, they will all smile at the same time, but for now..3 out of 5 will have to do. At least Mallory and RJ are looking at me:) We hope each of you had a great Thanksgiving! There is much to be grateful for indeed. It's too late for a long post, but I had to get this picture out there soon..if only to prove that I do have 5 children, not just 4! More to come...

Just a few more..

2009-11-15T10:06:00.000-08:00

Dont you just love that picture of Courtlyn?? Oh that girl! She can scream a scream that really only dogs should be able to register. She has seriously made my ears ring! She is so sweet and funny and naughty and well, all of the things a 2 year old should be. However, when you see that face..those eyes..you just sort of melt and forget about all of it. The kids were excited to find the horses and ponies that had been hibernating in the garage for quite some time. Now that the floor was clean, they each had to grab as many as their little hands could hold, and play with them..for like an hour! Again, without fighting. I still revel in the miracle of that. (I admit, they are sort of making up for it today...none of us are feeling particularly well, so emotions are a tad higher!) We threw together a quick dinner of pasta, salad and some garlic bread, and all of them were happy with that. Again, sor of a miracle. We have some picky eaters among this crew for sure. Many family dinners go with meals completely untouched. We have given up. Not so much at home, I still stand my ground there. But, big family dinners, well, we have surrendered. Often times grandma or papa are there to resuce children that beg for mercy from their parents. They are offered more cupcakes, or popsicles, and on a good day...candy from the jars and grandma and papa's house. Once upon a time, I fought it. I insisted that my children had to eat a majority of what was offered. At least taste it. I have good eaters, but in the company of the chaos of cousins, they revert to 3 year olds. They are not hungry, they do not like it..whatever the excuse is, they dont want to eat. There is playing to be done, and for the sake of our own sanity, we have all thrown in the towel. Truth is, we adults tend to make things that we all like. We want to enjoy our meal, in peace! So, while the children are off playing, we get to sit and eat what we want. It is a nice system we have set up. Again, like good parents, we used to try to serve the kids first, cut up all of their meat, get several sippy cups of drinks, the whole nine yards. Now..we send them off to play, begging them to leave us alone for at least 20 minutes, and then..we will feed them..maybe! But, in the end, they are always around for the dessert portion of the evening, and because we tend to want to enjoy that part too, we opt to give in for the sake of peace. They are happy..we are happy..and it all works out. Of course, when we get home, they are STARVING..but that is what peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are for:)

A busy day indeed!!

2009-11-14T22:35:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those rare days, when everything actually went quite well:) Like, start to finish, well! Yeah..I recognize the miracle of it, thus the blog post to preserve the memory. It all started with an invitation from a friend for Grace to spend the day with her. Well, that was great, except it just meant that Haylee needed someone to hang with too. Thank goodness for cousins close by! We called and asked for Ms. Kyra to come hang. Well, since Heather was off playing superwoman at church today, clearly Kierstin needed to come too! So, Haylee had a "friend" and so did RJ. We knew we were going to have some fun now for sure. I had planned that today would be our semi annual "clean out the garage" day, and the weather cooperated perfectly. So, with that news, even Kaden decided to join in on the fun:) I picked them all up this morning around 11:00am, and they played outside until 7:00pm..with a few breaks for food. We blocked off the end of the driveway with the cars, as you can see in the top picture, so the little kids could play on the driveway, or in the garage, with less worry about escapees!! Courltyn even took a pretty good nap, which made cleaning out the garage much easier. She slept, the 3 year olds hung out peacefully, and the other 3...remember, Grace was gone most of the time...hung out at the end of the cul-de-sac. It was FANTASTIC! There was no fighting..not with any of them..for 8 hours. I KNOW..glory in the moment people!! So, as you can see, we cleaned out the garage, the kids played until they were DIRTY!!, and the weather was amazing. Mallory even got to come hang out with us outside..could she be any cuter?? I think not. They had a great time together for sure. It is days like this that remind me of why we live so close to family. I was able to help Heather when she needed it, a favor often reciprocated, and the kids have their cousins to grow up with. Love it:)

RJ and Courtlyn

2009-11-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

Life with a 2 year old and a 3 year old is like riding a roller coaster for me. Sometimes you are up, and some times down! Sometimes you are riding to the top, hearing the click, click, click, waiting for the inevitable. It seems peaceful enough at the moment, but you know that it wont last. It can make you have a fierce headache, and a pit in your stomach at any given moment...usually through the whole ride if you are me! But, at the end of the ride, you are glad you did it, and can say that you might even be willing to do it again. (Though not immediately, sometimes you have to walk it off and forget how bad you felt a while ago!) That is everyday with these two! They are at a very challenging age right now. Courtlyn has finally turned on me, in a big way I might add. We get some crazy tantrums, frequently I might add, and RJ has no mercy! RJ is trying to be independant and assert his opinions, but he is much better at the assertive part than the reason part. However, sometimes we have moments that make it all worth it! Courtlyn CANT leave Mallory's toys alone! And the jumper being out was more than she could handle. She thinks it is hers, but clearly struggles to get in in properly! Cant you just see the plea for help in her eyes. I assisted her, after I grabbed the camera and laughed at her first! One day we decided to hit the park..it was a bit windy, but we made it. They had a great time chasing each other all through the trees. Those are the moments that I am glad they have each other. When they are cute, they are CUTE! Someday, they will be all grown up, and I hope they will be close. But I know that I will look back at these pictures, and wish they were that little again. Despite the fits, and all that comes with a 2 and a 3 year old, they are so much fun!

A Halloween preview

2009-10-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

We went to our ward Trunk or Treat tonight, and had a great time. It was a relatively simple affair, and due to the rain, we actually had to do it inside! But, the kids were super cute in their costumes, and were thrilled to have buckets full of candy..so it was a great night! They are all so cute in their costumes this year. And, aren't you all proud of me..I did not make them wear matching or coordinating costumes this year. Grace and Courltyn even wore borrowed or hand me down costumes. Stop laughing..this really is impressive for me! And, they are just as happy..and really, quite adorable. So..enjoy the preview..I gotta go do laundry:)

This is dedicated to Lori..our great music leader!

2009-10-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

Lets see if this works! These two are quite funny together, and one of the best things they do is sing songs for us that they learn in nursery. I think we may have the very best music leader in the whole church, right here in our ward! She has helped my big kids learn their primary songs, and my little ones have a great time in nursery and learn there too. Love our Lori for sure!! Now, I do recognize that this song is not a spiritual song, but its so cute, I had to share. Pay close attention to Courtlyn's face during the "earth shakes"! FUNNY STUFF! Oh..and dont mind my cell phone ringing in the background, its just my mom calling:) Enjoy

Dog Gone Fun Festival

2009-10-25T21:47:00.000-07:00

This was our first school function at our new school, Olive Stephens Elementary. While we are not actually supposed to attend this school, we asked for a transfer and I could not be happier! I am thrilled with the school staff, the parent involvement, and the great kids we have there. This past Friday night, we attended our little festival, and had a good time. The girls met up with friends, we adults mingled a good bit too, and even won the bid on a basket full of books, coloring materials, and gift cards to Barnes-n-Noble. One highlight for Haylee is that she got to help paint the kids hair at one of the booths. RJ thought that was so cool. The weather was perfect, the kids had a great time, and we raised thousands of dollars for the school. I would much rather do this than those stupid cookie and wrapping paper fundraisers any day!! Courltlyn and RJ were enthralled with all of the play grounds we have at the school. There are several to choose from..my favorite being the one that is completely gated in for the pre-k class:) You know I like that kind of security! After this, I am now looking forward to the Spring sock hop..which I am in charge of..haha! Wish me luck, at least I can see that there are lots of families who will be participating and helping out! All I can say is "Go Bulldogs!"

Getting ready for church!

2009-10-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for church this morning just wore poor Mallory out! Haylee was holding her, and decided to set her down for a minute. This is how we found her when I walked in..sitting straight up and totally asleep! She was so yummy! Those cheeks just hanging down..seriously, she is getting so big. Speaking of getting big, look at that beauty that is my oldest daughter. She looked so grown up to me this morning, I had to grab a few of her too. If you are either my mom, or myself, one thing you notice (only because we are particularly sensitive to it) is that her left eye still looks a bit off! I am not happy to be seeing that. I think I notice it sometimes, but pictures really are the best way to tell. She has had one surgery, and it looks like #2 is gonna have to happen! While I realize that most of you dont notice, and that in general it is just "cosmetic" but it has bothered me all of my life..specifically when I see a picture of myself! So, if I can get it fixed, I am going to do that. Fortunately, her gorgeousness outweighs that one small misalignment for sure!! She has just gotten so old to me. She is a great big sister, ADORED by all of her teachers at school, and praised every where we are for her kind spirit and helpful attitude. While she has her struggles, she is a great first child, and example to the rest of this crew. She gives me faith that I might be able to do this whole parenting thing..after all..she is turning out quite remarkably! From my youngest to my oldest, I have surely been blessed!

Crazy times!

2009-10-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I realize that I have been a negligent blogger to say the least! It is sort of hard, because really I feel like not much is going on that is picture worthy! But then again, I realize, that the everyday things the kids do is interesting to the family that does not live close..so I will try to do better. Here are a few random ones as of late. Miss Courtlyn has taken turning 2 quite seriously! She is funny, and spirited, and charming..all rolled into one little person. The pudding picture is just one example of my struggle. Clearly, she should not be doing what she is..but seriously, those eyes looking up at you like that..how can you get mad at those little eyes!! RJ is much the same way! He continues to be a bit of a struggle for me to parent..I just dont know what to do with him sometimes. But, again, that is the face I see..even after he has smacked Courtlyn for the twentieth time in as many minutes!! What do I do..they are just so darling. And, then there is Miss Mallory, who has gotten so sweet and fun these days. She smiles and laughs a lot, and is so even tempered..well 98% of the time! She kinda makes up for the craziness of the other 4. Get a look at those eye lashes..seriously, not fair! She is so big, and so happy, just like the rest of my crew! It is just what we do around here I guess. I just want to keep her little forever! There you have it..not a great post, but at least a few pictures to keep you entertained for a little bit.

Just what the doctor ordered!!

2009-10-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

I realize there have been no pictures...there is NOTHING going on to take a picture of. I do need to get some cute ones of Mallory, I know this, but my camera is acting stupid! I am working on it:)
I just had to say that I had the best day yesterday and I thought you should know about it. We started off with a visit with a friend. RJ got to play with his buddy Ammon at the park, while Melissa and I sat and talked. The weather was great..a few more bugs than I like, but we were by the lake..what can you do! Then we headed off to meet Heather for an impromptu lunch at our favorite place...McDonalds of course:) But, the kids played and we talked..it was nice. I came home and readied myself to see an old friend. I found her on facebook, of course, and when I realized she was still in Arlington, I just knew we had to meet up. We were the best of friends in middle school and early high school, but then several moves separated us. It was a BLAST!! It was as if we had just seen each other yesterday. Catching up was easy and fun..no awkwardness at all! We did not do anything special, walked around a few stores, at dinner, walked around the mall..had a bit of dessert, just simple but great. We talked for hours, and could have kept going for sure. I am thrilled to have Natalie back in my life, and know that we will be seeing more of each other...cant wait!!
On another note, as if I dont have enough going on..I have decided to become a Heritage Makers consultant:) I have been wanting to make these digital "scrapbook" storybooks for my kids for quite sometime, so when the opportunity presented itself to make them, and help others create their own..and make a little money in the process, I just had to jump on it. I am excited to have something that is my own, that takes me out of the mommy role for just a second, and challenges me to be creative and get out and meet more women. It will all be about balance for sure, but I will leave you with my personal insight gained yesterday..while I was in the shower no less..its my only quiet time, what can I say!? After a thoughtful conversation with my sister, I was left to contemplate a few things, and I realized what I already knew..I am expecting too much from myself. PERIOD! I get frustrated when I dont do everything that I KNOW I should be..I feel guilty for feeding the kids chicken nuggets, because I KNOW that they are not good for them. Here is the revelation part...during that thought process I heard, quite clearly I might say, these words come to my mind that changed my perspective! "I expect you to do what you CAN, not what you KNOW..if you did what you know, you would be perfect." That is the problem, we all know what we should be doing, but if we were able to always do it, we would be perfect, because for most of us, that is what we KNOW. We know what foods are healthy, and which are not. We know that we should be doing missionary work, and church callings, and not watching certain tv shows.the list goes on and on. We all have the knowledge, the struggle is having the ability to put that knowledge into every day life...most of us could certainly tell someone else all of the right answers to any concern or problem..its the application part we struggle with! So, I go forward with a bit of a changed perspective. I still need to improve, to do better each day than I did the day before. To set goals, and overcome the weaknesses that I have, but I think I will allow myself to slow down some, and just do what I can. Yeah..I realize that many of you already knew that...sometimes I just take a bit longer. What can I say?? Well, I am off to do laundry..haha. I guess it is finally time to get it off of my table..only to put it back on the next day, but for today, it will be clean!

Change is hard!!

2009-09-28T21:39:00.001-07:00

OK, so I put it out there that things were gonna be changing, and here is what I have learned..change is hard! I am working on things, some days are good, others like today..not so good! In fact, it was out right awful, and I realized that I still have so far to go. I had a very frustrating visit with a doctor that I had hoped would really be able to help me! But, alas, my hopes were dashed and I literally cried in his office! YEP..sure did, fell apart actually, it was not good. He did not seemed at all phased by it, nor did his nurse actually. But I was..I was so mad that he was not hearing me, mad that I was crying, mad that I couldnt stop crying and make him hear me...yep, it was pretty bad! The list of ailments that I am seeking cure for is too long, and boring for a blog post, but I can assure you that it goes beyond his decision that I have too many kids, and must depression! While I will accept that as part of the problem, it is more a symptom to me than the actual problem. It doesnt really explain why my feet, hands and even my sides are numb, nor why I am gaining weight like crazy..nor the headaches..like I said, its a long list!! I will press forward, hoping to find some actual help, but until then, I have to learn to work around it. I would like to think I have done a fairly good job at that, but the reality is, things are suffering around here, and I gotta handle it! So, I will be starting some new things, attempting some solutions, and i have decided to do an open blog to track the progress! Why, well mostly to keep up with it myself, and help find a way to keep me accountable. But also, because I think too many of us suffer alone. We put on our best "super mormon mom" faces for those around us, and head home to our own chaos..hoping no one stops by and catches a glimpse of our failings. But I have to believe that there are more people out there who struggle to have FHE, who yell at their kids when all else fails, who have laundry on the kitchen table..for days sometimes, and who feed their kids McDonalds more often that they want to admit! I have to believe you are out there some where, and that maybe my attempts at improvement will bring us all out of our laundry rooms, even if we dont have make up on, to help each other out some! Or, worst case scenario, I will realize I really am the only one, and all of you that I think can do no wrong actually dont..hmm..what do to then?!?! Go see a shrink I guess. I will begin working on it this week, and will keep you posted..of course!

Ch-Ch-ch- changes....

2009-09-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

OK, so it is time to admit to all (ok, to the select few of you that read my blog) that we are in the beginning stages of some much needed change in our family. I will likely start a different blog to journal this..and I may even make it public..not sure yet, but I figured if I put it out there, I will have to follow through with my plans right?! OK..so here's the deal..Ryan and I have gotten far too complacent in our lives, with everything from money to parenting, from our physical health to our spiritual, we are in a rut!! Due to our own stupidity, as well as some unfortunate circumstances, we have struggled with so much, for far too long. I am so ready to take control of my life..does that make sense?? Now, I am certain that at some point, we have all felt this way, and maybe even made some wonderful plans in order to improve, I know I have. But this time, I am soo serious. I have actually begun this transformation by insisting that I get my health issues in check, so I am seeing dr. after dr. until I get answers!! We have also started working on scripture study with the kids, and family prayer. We are currently trying to decide whether to start the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University on Tues. (Any one ever done that??Opinions??) There is much to improve, and I often find myself overwhelmed at this point, because I want to do everything all at once. This is not the plan this time. I hope to focus on a few things each month, and set myself up for at least a year of goal setting. My reason for the other blog will be to document how this is going..I want to be able to look back and see improvement..and I want to record it for my children. Partly so that when they are married with children, there will be some advice recorded, but also so that they cant say that I did not try to make our lives better!!
Now, what does this mean for the rest of you..well, not much likely! It may mean that I blog less often on here. It may mean that I turn down invitations to head out to dinner (going out to eat is not part of the Dave plan for sure!). It may mean that I will be asking for a bit more help with the kids, so that I can make it to all of these dr. appointments! It also may mean that you will see a peek into my life, and the struggles and triumphs that go along with it. Of course, maybe most people dont care to read about that, which again turns me to the decision of making the blog private or not. But, what if it could be inspirational for someone else out in the blog world, that comes across my other blog, and realizes they dealing with the same struggles. The goal is to be a better me, wife, mother, friend, member of the church...you get the idea. Maybe I leave it open for those of you who have it figured out to share your ideas and advice?? Ahh..much to consider, but know this...the decision has been made, and like it or not, the change is coming. I make no promises as to where this is headed, nor do I promise that I will be perfect in my attempts, but someday, I will read that blog, and remember what it took to get where I wanted to be all along! (And likely laugh at why I waited so long to start my life:)
Now, for those who might be thinking "Oh man, she is getting all serious on us..she kind of does funny better!!" dont worry..although I make take things seriously, I am never "serious". In my world, it is not worth it if I cant tell a funny story about it! Laughter is my vice..the thing I need on a daily basis..and the thing I hope to provide to a few others along the way. I am working on finding the joy in my journey, and maybe, taking a few of you on the ride with me:)

There's a Snake in my boots....

2009-09-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

Or, maybe in my parents house!! This might be the best picture EVER taken. I wont be able to retell the exact story, cuz I was laughing too hard to catch all of the details!! Fortunately, I had my camera out and caught this picture at just the right time. For those who dont know this, my parents live on a lake, and have many creatures that visit them! It might be a bobcat, a coyote, some rabbits..really, it a zoo over there. On this particular day, my mom came with some of us to see a movie, while dad stayed back to work on the house some. Apparently, while sitting alone at the table, dad heard some sort of thud..like something had just hit the ground, and looked down to find a snake..IN THE HOUSE!! This is the exact moment dad was telling mom about the snake, and he is describing how big the part of the snake was that he saw! I seriously dont know what is funnier, my moms expression during the telling of this story, or the image in my mind of my dads expression upon discovering their new housemate!! We were all in Chuck E Cheese laughing our butts off! Like tears in our eyes laughing at this story..and then the picture that accompanied it. This picture is for you Brittany..we are so sorry you could not be here to see it for yourself, but it was so stinkin' funny I knew you had to see it. Thanks mom and dad for the laughs, the great weekend, and this picture. A thousand words just dont do it justice!!

Chuck e cheese with the cousins!

2009-09-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

The kids were so cute together this past weekend, and Chuck E Cheese was no exception. Of course, when you give them hundreds of tokens, and a few hours to play, they are gonna have fun!! One of the funniest things was Miss Lacey. There were lights and sounds all around..games everywhere, and all she wanted was the dumb phone. She was not backing away either. She did try to bring it with her in order to play a different game with Courtlyn, but when she realized it would not work, she abandoned the duck game quickly. She is a spirited soul that girl..she fits right in:) RJ loved this airplane game that you could shoot at other planes..he is such a boy! And, lets face it..Courltyn is pretty happy and adorable no matter what she is doing. She will say "cheese" for any camera...she is a bit like Grace!! They all got along really well this weekend, including during the girl sleep over at my house. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of that, but they had fun. Cant wait for Christmas...okay, I can actually, but I cant wait to see the Whelan kids again!!

Labor Day weekend

2009-09-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

OK, well the first picture is of Mallory, but I was trying to get one of her smiling. It is not the best, but she is getting there! She smiles a lot, and actually cousin Ellie got Mallory's first laugh this past weekend. Ellie is pretty dang cute and funny, so it is fitting for sure. As you can see, the kids all had a great time this weekend! Thanks to Mike and Nicole for gracing us with your presence...too bad you had to go back to Austin. We are working on a plan to kidnap the kids, so if they are missing one day, you will have to travel to find them!! (PS..dont you just love how intese Kierstin looks on this horse!! This is serious business for sure:)

Mallory by Danielle

2009-08-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post these since I got the disk a few weeks ago..here she is!! When Mallory was one week old, my dear friend Danielle gifted us her talents. We stopped by the house one evening, and she grabbed some darling shots of our newest angel. Boy, she made it look so effortless too!! We all love the picture of her grinning, in fact, I am not sure who was more giddy about that picture, me or Danielle. Mallory was great, and clearly took some darling shots. As always, a big shout out to Michelle for the flower bow..you should just assume that if my girls have a cute hair accessory..it is because of her!! Thank you so much Danielle for the time and talent you gave us..we will cherish these forever. Hmm..arent they just yummy!!

Summer fun at Grandma and Papa's

2009-08-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

So, last night I called my mom and asked her if she had some hot dogs to throw on the grill?? Yep, thats right..totally invited ourselves over! But, the weather was so nice, and their backyard is the perfect place to spend an evening like that. So, we some of us gathered what we had and threw together a bit of dinner, followed by lots of popsicles, and filled with fun and games. The kids decided to play a game of baseball, which was great. I love when the older cousins find something to do together that does not involve antagonizing each other. Then, the littler cousins all decided they wanted to be on the hammock. Hmm..only one problem..no one there to help them! Then, our eldest member of the cousin clan surprises us all and comes to the rescue. He just about refused to allow me to capture the moment, but seriously, we had to try. It was so sweet:) He likes to pretend to be "over" all of us, and somedays he just may believe that he is, but truth be told, he loves being a part of this big and crazy family just as much as the rest of us do!! Thanks mom and dad for allowing us to crash your place, bum on your comfy patio furniture, and allow the kids to keep making these memories.

For Michelle

2009-08-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

Michelle (my almost SIL) got Courtlyn this cute little dress, then made the bow to match it, for her birthday..so we had to try it out:) She sure was cute, but Michelle was unable to make our last minute, invite ourselves over, dinner at my parents house. SO, here is a picture of just how darling it was on her! Thanks aunt Michelle. And, I had to throw in a few pics of our little partners in crime!! RJ generally tends to spend most of his time aggravating her..or some other sister in the room, but sometimes the stars align, and I get these cute pictures. They are really funny together too though. She is literally his little monkey. SHe copies EVERYTHING he does, and follows him all over. She was the child we truly felt the strongest about having. You have to remember, RJ was only 3 months old when we started trying for Courtlyn..who does that on purpose?? We just knew she needed to come. We feel very strongly that these two will need each other..we dont know when, and may never see one specific incidence where the years of two toddlers will pay off..but we know in our hearts that this is the way it was supposed to be. I remind myself of that frequently when I am in the throws of 3 children under 3, but I am grateful for each one of them!! Its a crazy good time around here for sure:)

First day of school

2009-08-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

I wont spend too much time writing about today, cuz I am DANG TIRED!! We had one of the busiest days ever. But, here is how it all started..my girls, looking cool! That was Haylee's request this year, some "cool" clothes. I guess plaid shorts and plain colored t-shirts weren't gonna cut it this year. They wanted hean skirts (straight and shorter ones to be precise) and black leggings underneath. And Haylee really wanted to find a shirt with a vest on it. They are growing up on me too fast! Haylee even picked out converse shoes! These two pictures of them individually were shot after I told them to strike a "cool pose." They are so funny, and you can see their personalities even in these pictures. School was great for them. They were beaming for sure!! They both think they have the best teachers ever. I am so proud of them both and know that they are going to have a very successful school year. Oh..and, honorable mention goes to the car in the background. It deserves its own post, but hey, I have not even done Courtlyn's birthday yet! Ryan just got a new car this week. He was heartbroken to see the old Lumina go..HAHAHA..but he got to trade it in for a 2006 VW Jetta. He is a happy man, and I am just glad to have 2 cars again! So, there you have it! Now I am off to bed, more later....

My back to school poem..hope it brings a smile:)

2009-08-24T18:36:00.001-07:00

The Night Before School Starts

Twas the night before school starts, and all through the house,
not a creature was stirring..not even a mouse (Ok,well except Courtlyn, but she's 2..its her new perrogative to be defiant.)
The new clothes were laid out by the children with care,
Thrilled that they finally have "cool stuff" to wear.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while visions of recess danced in their heads.

As Mama writes this poem, hoping the girls are asleep
dads at the office, earning his keep,
When in the kids room I hear such a clatter,
No worries, I already know what's the matter
Courtlyn has climbed out of her crib, yet again
I can hear from her crying, this battle she'll win!!

Each new school year brings a resolve to be better
But that starts tomorrow, now it's popcorn and Dr. Pepper!
I'm just as hopeful as the kids seem to be
Only I hope to add scriptures, prayer and FHE.
I plan to be organized, be more loving and kind
To add more discipline, get my dear kids to mind.
I am hopeful the schedule the new school year adds
will bring calm to our chaos, more "goods" than the "bads."

Now, dont get me wrong, I LOVE me some summer
No more swimming and snow cones..now that IS a bummer.
We sleep when we want, eat whenever we chose
We come and go as we please..we have nothing to lose!
Summers are carefree and fun most of the time
but too much of a good thing can weaken the mind! (and lets face it, there wasn't much to work with!!)

Tomorrow brings the start of a different fun
time to focus on my littler ones.
The weather will allow more outdoor exploring
the parks and the zoo..it sure wont be boring!

I hope you've enjoyed this fun little diddy
knowing you all find it really quite silly!
I have given this poem all that I've got
thanks for reading, whether you liked it or not!
This is the last thing I am going to write..

"Happy school year to all, and to all a good night!"

My "not-so-baby" girl

2009-08-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

I had to share this picture from the circus. We were playing with the camera during intermission, to keep Courtlyn from trying to run away, and I love this one of her and I. I am so sad to realize that she is turning 2 in a week! She has been forced out of the "baby of the family" role by her little sister, but she is still so cute that getting attention is not hard for her! She has taken turning 2 very seriously, and has decided to give us a good preview of the terrible 2's. But, really, this kid is so stinkin cute that you cant stay mad at her for long. I will post more about her in the coming days in honor of the big birthday girl, but for now, I just thought I should share this picture. It gets it's very own post and everything!!

When the circus comes to town..

2009-08-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

As part of our "staycation" with Grandma and Papa, we headed off to the circus one night. I was so pleasantly surprised by what a great time we had. We got a decent deal on the tickets, and although we sat fairly high up, it did not make it difficult to enjoy. In fact, we all said that we really could not see the point in paying for the more expensive seats. We had a great view, and the kids were mesmerized. Even little Mallory enjoyed all of the lights and sitting with her daddy most of the night. Courtlyn was cracking me up! She just kept saying "Oh wow, Oh wow..OH WOW!!" And RJ was quite into the music..he was movin and groovin with the best of them. Grace and Haylee really understood how amazing the acts were, and were thrilled to see such talent. Of course, they loved the horses, elephants and tigers..my animal loving daughters!! But there was much more to enjoy, and even we adults all had a great time. The kids were very well behaved, and payed attention the entire time! I am grateful for all of the fun things we got to do with Ryan's parents, but I think this activity takes the cake...it was GREAT!!

More Circus fun

2009-08-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

As you can clearly see, each of the kids had a great time. The food was way too expensive, and terrible at that, but the $7.50 that we spent on each ticket was well worth it. We will likely be making a tradition out of this. I had not been to the circus in I cant even think of how long. I mean, I actually dont remember going to the circus ever..not that I did not go as a kid..but my memory is TERRIBLE!! I mean, really bad! So, I hope to capture good pictures of things like this and continue to blog about it, if for no other reason, than to prove to my kids that I did indeed try to fill their lives with fun and excitement. Many days I think they feel like my sole purpose in life is to contribute to their misery by forcing them into child labor (also known around here as picking up after yourselves) Hope you enjoyed the pictures, and that you will consider adding a trip to the circus at least once in your family itenirary!

Water babies

2009-08-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

We could literally swim all day I think. I am blessed to have 4 children so far that share my love of the water. I look forward to the summer time because I know that it will be filled with days just like this. We packed the cooler and headed to a "new to us" city water park in Carrolton. We really enjoyed ourselves, as you can see. Sorry Courtlyn's picture is a bit blurry...without fail, she moves right when the picture takes!! There were fun little waterslides, buckets of dumping water, great tables to sit at for snacking, and wonderful company to enjoy! Not only did Grandma and Grandpa Nish..who we of course lovingly call "Old Grandma and Old Papa"...get to come with us, but Ryan even went as well. He had a lot of fun taking the kids down different slides and chasing them through the rainforest activities. So, if you are looking for something new to do on these last days of summer vacation, and you are in the area of course, may we give two thumbs up to the Rosemead Aquatics Center in Carrolton.

A big day!

2009-08-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

OK, we did bless Mallory today, which I should be blogging about, but Kristen has the pictures so I will do it later. Because the family was together for lunch after the blessing, and Courltyn is about to turn 2, we decided to go ahead and celebrate her birthday today too. She got lots of fun gifts..which I will also share later, but I had to get these pictures up there!! Her favorite gift at this point, is the new baby that makes sounds when she feeds her. She wanted her out immediately and held on to her for the rest of the night. She was a very good mom today..the baby was very well fed. You can see she even shared her blankie with her when she was cold!! But, as you can also see, she has learned that being a mother is very hard, very exhausting work!! She really did try to multi task. She tried so hard to leave the baby with someone else while she got her fairy wings and dress up shoes out. But she quickly realized that she cant leave RJ to tend to the baby, so she tossed her dress up attire aside, and sat with the baby until she could no longer take it. That last picture is a forshadowing of things to come...dont you like how the mom is asleep while the baby lays wide awake!! Ahh..parenting..what a big job it is for such a little girl.

A picture worth more than a thousand words...

2009-08-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

RJ decided that he felt bad for the hard work Courtlyn was doing caring for that baby, so he stepped in as king/princess for a while. If you could have seen his dad and grandpa while RJ was strutting around in his gear of choice. All I can say is this picture will most certainly be in the wedding slide show. What a man!!

For Brittany..

2009-08-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

Blankets are a pretty big deal around this house! As parents, we were pretty intent on the kids having a security item, something that would allow them to comfort themselves when we were not around. And, fortunately, for 4 of 5 of our children, those blankets have come from siblings. Haylee's blanket of choice was a VERY nice (and quite expensive) white chenille blanket from Heather and Larry. It had fringe, and she loved to run her fingers through it. Grace actually had a blanket that she fell in love with that was made by our dear friend Terry Schaeffer. Sadly, it was left at a car wash place, and when we realized it, we went in and it was gone..no where to be found again. I still mourn the loss of that afghan!! It was a very sentimental thing for me. But, it was also a bit of an emergency that it was gone. We were not as smart as we are now, and we only had ONE special blanket! Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers. I needed an afghan with fringe, and my neighbors grandmother quickly came to the rescue. That is how Grace's pink blanket came to be. RJ came along 3 years later, and so did the gift of our first blanket from Brittany. It was a minky dot on one side, satin on the other, pieve of magic. RJ loved that thing, and fortunately, we were able to go buy another one similar to that..which he happily took. So, at first we rotated them, but he quickly decided he needed to sleep with both. It was a wonderful thing, complimented by the love of his binky. 14.5 months later, Courtlyn joined the crew, and so did a lovely purple blanket from Aunt Brittany. She quickly decided that she too loved the feel of that soft, fuzzy fabric between her fingers. She actually tends to rub it on her nose sometimes, all while she happily sucks away on her binky. She also has another blanket, which she accepts equally. So, at this point we had 4 blankets (2 for RJ and 2 for Courltyn) that are all equally interchangeable. Since they worked so well, it was only natural for Brittany to once again bless us with a similar blanket for Miss Mallory. We are fortunate that she had 2 she was willing to send, as we have not been able to locate the type that we like. Here she is being trained to love the two things that buy us some sanity in their younger years...a binky and a blankie!! Although, when we first opened the box, which contained 3 different blankets, I quickly washed them and when Courltyn saw them in the laudry to fold, she grabbed all three, snuggled them at once, and just kept saying, "Oh wow..Oh wow..Oh wow!!"" It was so cute to see all three blankets in her arms..she was sure she had just won the lottery. Too bad I had to break the news to her that Brittany was indeed not showing her any favoritism by allowing her to amass the most blankets..they were for Mallory!! So far she likes them, and we certainly intend to keep it that way!! So, thank you Brittany for providing over 3 years of solace to our children..here's to hoping these latest blankets will buy us a few more!!
I did have to throw in a quick picture of Mallory in the bathtub cuz she is just so cute in there. She absolutely loves it, just like my other kids have. Doesnt she look so big though:( She is already almost 6 weeks old. My how time flies!!

A quick update.

2009-08-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

Well, things are honestly a bit Blah!! around here lately! I mean, we have not been to the pool in about 2 weeks. OK, I take that back, we went with several friends last Wed. but that does not count cuz it was overcast, rainy and like 85 degrees. It was fun because the kids all played wonderfully and we women folk sat out on the side and chatted away. But if I dont get in the water, and catch up on my vitamin D..it does not count! So, on one of our boring days, my dear children decided to set up a lemonade stand. They had begged for almost 2 months, and finally, I decided that despite my concerns that no one would come, they should get to have their fun. They were hysterical to say the least. Haylee made the sign, which clearly shows of her salesmanship! She sold one cup for $.50, but decided to offer a buy 2, get one free, deal. And for the record, no I did not go and adopt 2 children, these are the boys next door. Dont like them at all honestly, they are pretty rough, but what can you do when the kids are all outside?? Anyway..they sat and sold lots of lemonade from the end of our drive way. I do love how sweet our neighbors can be sometimes. Several of them came out and supported the cause, and the kids ended up with about $6 or so. They were delighted..and as you can see, Courtlyn and RJ were willing to support them too:) They were a sticky mess by the end of it all, but a happy crew indeed. I must say, while my kids can drive me to the brink of insanity many days, I am grateful that they LOVE to be outside. They do prefer the front yard, as it lends itself to meeting up with other kids, and biking around the cul-de-sac. My girls have spent all day, even in the 100 degree heat, outdoors. They will seek retreat in the garage, where there is a freezer full of popsicles, and a fan to help cool things off a bit. They literally come in only for potty breaks and to refill their water bottles. They always eat outside, and usually have to be coerced into doing so. I cant imagine how I would handle it if I had kids who insisted on watching t.v. or playing video games all day. I will wait to see how RJ turns out, cuz he sure does like him some t.v., but Courltyn is just like her sisters already, and can often be found in the back yard on the swing set.
Now, for the Mallory update. These pictures are terrible, honestly, but that is what makes them so funny. She was one month old that day:( boo..hooo..
but I could not get a nice picture of her for anything. She has gotten so big though. Not sure how much she weighs, but I am certain its at least 10 lbs. She is still a great baby! She eats every 3.5 hours or so, sleeps well, and is pretty content. HOWEVER...she has decided that she does not like to be put down. Not in the swing, not in the bouncy seat, not at all. And, as expected, she tends to want her momma over everyone else. It is sweet, but not condusive to getting much done:) But, these little baby moments just dont last forever, so we will enjoy them while we can. She has been a welcome addition to 0ur family, and as you can see, she is clearly a Nish baby. Although, I sort of think she looks a bit like my brother Michael's kids too..just a little:) I hope to have some more excitement over the next few weeks, as Ryan's parents will be here on Tuesday. Until then, I will be cleaning..wish me luck!!!

Disqualified!!

2009-07-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

So, these pictures, along with countless evidence mounting against me, officially disqualify me from winning any parenting awards today! I spent the better part of this day rearranging deck chairs on the titanic...oh I mean moving kids around in the two bedrooms we have for the millionth time!! I am hoping for that perfect combination of children in each room that will make me quit wanting a new house every night at bedtime. If they arent fighting, they are scared and dont want to be alone. Maybe one is crying and not wanting to go to bed, therefor keeping the other one up. Sometimes, one child is too busy talking and playing, and the other one (who is never at fault) cant get their all important sleep. Hence, the titanic reference! No matter how I move them around, there will always be a problem. But, since recently Haylee has decided that she can hear people in the garage, and comes out of her room crying scared about it, we had to move her to the other room. Now, Haylee and Grace are reunited, but in the bigger bedroom awaiting Mallory's readiness to bunk with them, and RJ and Courltyn are in the little room by the garage. It is actually the pink room (painted for the girls at one point) so we will be painting quite soon for sure!! RJ and Courltyn think this is all too fun right now!! It is finally quiet in there, so maybe they are asleep..OR..they are plotting my demise!! AHHH..I hear Courtlyn, so it must be the latter of the two. ANYWAYS..back to my photos...of course after all this work, I was not going to make dinner. We headed off to McDonalds,because they had the best toy of course, and brought home some yummy chicken and fries. I was feeding Mallory at this point, and Courtlyn was dumping her french fries all over the freshly vaccuumed floor! The good mom would make her pick them up and throw them in the trash, but this mom let them play their game instead. They decided to be lions (RJ's new favorite animal) and eat them off of the floor. I did say it was freshly vaccuumed! But really, look at the faces of those lions..how could you tell them no??? Somewhere in my mind I justify this poor parenting by telling myself that I am allowing their creativity and imagination to flourish! So, as you can see, I have given up hope that the mother of the year award will be coming my way, but hey..maybe I can come in the running for the mom with the most creative kids award??

Take me out to the ball game!

2009-07-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

Let me start by admitting that I am not a baseball fan! Honestly, I kind of find it boring to watch, and I really do hope RJ chooses a different sport like basket ball or soccer! When Ryan called me and told me that he had been given 4 seats and a parking pass to a Rangers game last night, lets just say I was not exactly enthusiastic. But, we had been saying we thought the girls might like it, so this was a good opportunity to take them. We had GREAT seats! Like, almost on the field I swear. Haylee wanted to catch a foul ball so badly, but I was secretly hoping none came our way, cuz I knew they would still be flying at a pretty good rate of speed! Can you say concussion anyone?? Anyway, after quite a bit of rearranging things, we headed down to Arlington. My sister kindly kept the younger kids so that we could go with just the big girls. They had a great time. I am fairly certain they did not care a whole lot about the game, but it was fun. The weather was PERFECT!! There were several home runs hit, which made the crowd quite excited. The girls loved eating cotton candy, doing the wave several times, clapping along with the crowd, seeing the fireworks, and just taking in all that is a baseball game. I missed the little kids a bit, and really looked forward to RJ being about a year older so that he could go and enjoy it too. We did realize that these are the experiences we want to create with our children, and that we should try to do more things like it. It was hard to pull it all together for me, mostly because it was the last minute, but I would love to take them again sometime.

It was fun, but very late!!

2009-07-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

So, a highlight for the girls was the items from the souvenier stand that their daddy let them buy. This is a big difference between Ryan and I for sure! I am a bit too practical and know how much cheaper I could get a hat and a baseball for the kids at a different place. I hated even spending money on cotton candy..and $4 for a water bottle..all I can say is OUCH! But, he was caught up in the magic of the moment, and allowed Grace to get a ball cap, as well as grabbing one for RJ, and Haylee got a "real" baseball. These pictures were taken at the end of all this fun. We called Lindsey (my fabulous sister who kept all 3 of my little kids so that we could go to said baseball game with just the girls!!!), and learned that during all of their fun, their little girl Lacey got hurt. My first worry was of course, if RJ had done something...he is a bit of a brut these days. But I was assured that my children had no part of her fall off the ottoman, which by the way, led to a broken collar bone:( I worried about leaving Mallory, and feel certain that I wont do it again for sometime, just cuz it was hard on me! I knew I was not ready to leave her, but wanted to focus all of my attention on the big girls for a night. It was worth it though, when I asked Haylee what her favorite part of the night was, she said getting to be with just me and daddy somewhere. I may have inadvertantly caused Mike and Lindsey to rethink their plans for any more children by the end of the night, but we had a good time:) They were so tired though, that when we got home, as you can see, every one of the kids were sleeping. Normally I would insist that the girls take a shower to wash off, but they went to bed in their clothes and everything. I get a little more lenient when they arent even going to bed until almost midnight! I am not sure that I am a converted baseball fan, but it was a special night to be with the girls and their daddy, and that makes it all worth it!

Lyla and Mallory...I just had to!!

2009-07-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

OK, so I had to get these two pictures together in one spot for comparison sake! My SIL Erin just gave birth to the first little beauty...Lyla Rose Pecore, on Friday, July 10th. She was more than a full pound less than Mallory, weighing in at 6lb 10 oz, but only a bit shorter..19 inches vs. Mallory's 19&3/4 inches. Without knowing it, she and I picked the exact same dresses for the girls to come home from the hospital in. They also share the same middle name, which was the middle name of Erin and Ryan's maternal grandmother, Virgina Rose. Her older daughter Mia is only 2 months older than Courltyn, and now with these latest two additions being so close in age, it sure makes it harder to live so far away from them. They live in Ft. Myers, FL , so not even on the north side...its WAAAAYYY down there at the bottom..a full two days drive away! We are wishing we were there right now though! But, this is the closest we are going to get of a picture of these two together for quite some time:( We miss them all, and hope that we can get some real pictures of all of the kids together sooner rather than later.

Sisters..

2009-07-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

So, Courltyn has been quite funny with Mallory lately. At first, she was not too sure how she felt about her being around, but now, she has taken her as her own! I really think Courtlyn believes that Mallory is her baby. She wants to hold her ALL the time, and when it is time to take her back, Courltyn holds on to that baby for dear life. She wraps both of her arms around her and tries her hardest not to let go. Of course, we dont let her do anything that would harm Mallory, but it is so funny to see her try to keep Mallory all to herself. You should see her try to say Mallory's name...it is pretty funny! She has taken the big sister role very seriously! She tries to help with her bottles, changing her diaper and making sure the swing is swinging at the right pace (something we have to watch for very carefully, Courtlyn is capable of pushing that baby swing pretty hard when she wants to!!!) I remember how much fun it was for me to watch Haylee care for Grace, I am still in awe of how much Haylee looks out for Grace...and quite frankly what she puts up with from her!! It is just as fun to watch these two girls together. They are actually closer in age, so I imagine they will have fun playing together as they get older. Our poor RJ is stuck right in the middle of these girls, but he seems to handle his own with every one of them. He is rough and tumble with the big girls, but sweet and gentle when it comes to Mallory. He is really growing up on me. He has become quite the helper around here..he offers to help with anything and everything he can think of. It is great to see each child adapt to a new little one in the house, and to see how they have reacted! I know 5 kids is crazy busy, there is lots of refereeing going on, but I love seeing those moments when the stars align and they are having a great time together. I sure do love being a mom..it is tough tough work, but lots of fun too!!

Little Firecrackers!!!

2009-07-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July!! We hope everyone had some serious fun! We started the day with a parade in town..well, when I say we I mean Ryan and the three oldest kids. I did not care that much, and it was really hot! But they enjoyed it and got some fun toys and candy thrown their way. After some much needed naps for all, we headed to Heathers for the evening. This top picture is the best I could get right before we left. It is our first picture as a family with 5 kids, and it has taught me that I may not get a good family picture for many more years. It is nearly impossible to get 5 children to sit still, look at the camera, and make a decent smile!!! Oh well, we have at least marked the occassion! We ate dinner, hung out, and then headed off to see some fireworks. We actually landed a pretty good spot for heading out as late as we did, and as you can see, the kids had fun. We pack lots of snacks to help keep everyone occupied, spread out chairs and blankets, and enjoy the show. Even our little Mallory got to go..she slept through the whole thing, but doesnt she look adorable. This last picture Ryan tried to get of the kids watching the fireworks, but Grace has a hard time not smiling and posing for a picture. So, Ryan told her not to do that, to just look like she is watching the fireworks, and this is what we got..Haylee pointing in awe, and Grace acting like it is the best thing she has ever seen. That girl was meant for the stage I swear. We had a great day, we are all quite tired and hoping that tomorrow truly will be a day of rest.

She's here!!!

2009-07-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Well world, here is your first look at Mallory Rose Nish! She was born on Tues. June 30th at 6:19 pm. She weighed 7lb 15oz and was 19 and 3/4in long. Not quite as big they thought...like by a pound or so, but perfect size for me! Labor took a bit longer than I would have liked, but I had a really good epidural so I did not mind it too much. While it took almost 7 hours to go from 2 cm to 4cm, it only took 2 hours after that and my water being broken, for Mallory to make her appearance. Really, I was fortunate to have a fairly easy labor and delivery, so I cant complain at all. She was perfectly healthy from the get go, and has been the same ever since. She eats and sleeps perfectly so far, and seems to have a fairly easy disposition. Although, several nurses did say that she was fairly fiesty in the beginning, I think that is just her defense mechanism kicking in..she knew she was coming home to 4 older siblings, 2 of which are very unpredictable. We are all so happy that she is finally here, and will post more when I am not so tired! We came home 24 hours after birth, and I am thrilled to be here. It is funny how much you can miss your other children in only 2 days, but I was ready to see them and get back to the routine of things. I promised the dr. I would try to take it easy, but it is certainly something I will have to work at, cuz I feel pretty good right now. Tired, but good. So, there you have it..more to come!!

A few more..

2009-07-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

Here she is in a few pictures when it was time to come home. Out of the hospital t-shirt and into her first dress:) It is funny how much hair she has, and how much we cant quite decide who she looks like. And, could her cheeks be any chubbier?? We have all fallen in love with her already!! Even Courtlyn decided after a few minutes that she would accept her. I am sure there will be many more pictures to come, but for now, this is all we've got:)

The time has come...

2009-06-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

So, I thought I would post a "labor day" update. I saw the dr. today, and had an ultrasound, which confirmed what I already knew...Mallory is one big baby!! I am exactly 37 weeks tomorrow, and she was said to be 8lbs. 11oz. and measuring at 39 weeks and 1 day. She has measured like that the whole time, but because I had a very early ultrasound at 6 weeks, the dr. feels confident that the due date of July 14th is still correct. While I do have big kids, RJ was the only one they actually moved my due date for, and otherwise no one else has ever measured this big before...so I am a bit nervous about that. However, we decided to go ahead and schedule an induction on Tuesday June 30th. YEAH!!!! One more week until I dont have to be pregnant!! Ohh..I mean, one more week until we get to meet our little Mallory:) I was 1 cm dilated today, but anyone who has had a baby knows you can be 1cm or more dilated for weeks, or you could go into labor the next day. I like the control of a scheduled induction, so while I would love for her to come soon, I really dont want to go into labor this week. Plus I have things to get done this week, baptisms to attend, etc..so it really just works better next week for me:) We are feeling pretty ready for her to come though, and have little left to do to prepare. I mean, I always like a clean house obviously, but other than that, we have everything we need. I am just looking forward to the end of this pregnancy and the beginning of raising these 5 children.
On another note, can I just say that while I saw it coming, "Jon and Kate Plus 8" was a bit sad to watch. I hate that they could not find a way to make it work..obviously, I dont know them and in the end, I really dont care much about their lives, but I have watched the show for a few years, and it does just make me sad to see how quickly things can just fall apart. It is hard to learn your lessons a little too late, and if nothing else, it makes me really think about how important it is that we put our marriage relationship before the kids. It is hard to remember that when you are in the throws of raising so many young kids, who truly rely on you for everything. They take a lot out of me, and often times it is easy to think that Ryan is an adult and needs to just be able to take care of himself and understand that I am done being needed. But, things like this just prove to me how important it is to make each other a higher priority. We need to date more, to chat more about things other than the kids, and for crying out loud, take a vacation without them at some point!! I dont know when that will be, but I can see how easily the relationship that started this family can get lost in the chaos, and one day you can look at each other and realize that you dont have anything in common any more. Dont worry ...we are not there..but I sure do want to work harder to make sure we never get there. I see why people say that a good marriage does take hard work, but I know that it is so worth it, and fortunately, I have a great man to work with:) So..there you have it...the random thoughts of a hormonal pregnant woman who clearly watches too much t.v. and needs to get a life of her own!!! Someday......

Daddy's hair do's?!?!!!

2009-06-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those moments in your life when you fall in love with your spouse all over again?? And, then, at that moment, you realize that it is for far different reasons than the ones you fell in love with him when you were dating! I was out for a few hours this morning, and I came home to this crew with their lovely hair do's all created by their dad. I wish I could have seen it really! I wish I could have been a fly on the wall to witness him sitting down on the floor with hair bows, combs, brushes, gel, detangler and hairspray spread out every where. I wish I could have seen the anticipation on each of his daughters faces as they anxiously awaited their turn in the salon....the giggles that must have occurred as they witnessed each creation...the smile on his face with a job well done:) This was all promted, he said, with an attempt to get Courtlyn's ever growing mane out of her face, and turned into an hours worth of fun..and a memory that I hope will last a lifetime. When he sent me the pictures on my phone today I was so proud that he is the father of these beautiful children of mine. I am so grateful that they have a daddy who knows how to play with them!! Who can ignore a mess even when I cant. He builds train tracks better than anyone else, gives the best horse rides in town, and can tickle the kids like no one else. Then, when all of that is done, he snuggles them close and hates when they decide it is time to get up. I am often too aware of his faults when it comes to parenting..he is far more laid back and relaxed about most things than I am, and many days it can cause a bit of friction..but today, I am grateful!! He loves these 5 children we have created together with all of his heart! He works hard, and lately long hours, to provide the best that he can for them. We both still have a lot to learn and a long way to go in the parenting department, but it is moments like this that remind me how fortunate I am that he is the partner I chose to take this journey with me! Happy Fathers Day Ryan...I love you!!

Evidence...

2009-06-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to save it in the record books that every once in a while, I am a cool mom!! I may not be teaching my children the more valuable lessons in life...well unless you consider learning that sometimes it's ok to eat ice cream for dinner a valuable lesson..but hey..at least they think I am cool. I am all about the lazy days of summer, and this dinner is proof of that! We went swimming this morning, which we do most days of the week, and came home for some pure chillin' out. The kids rested some, and when we got up around 3:00, I was hungry. I decided to eat some left over Cafe Rio pork tacos, and the kids all thought that was a good idea. So, since we basically had a decent meal at 3:30 or so, I knew there was no point in making them an actual dinner..so brownies with ice cream seemed like a good fit. If only you could have heard the sqeals of delight out of these 4 kids..even Courtlyn thought it was great. And the joy of telling daddy what was for dinner when he got home was almost more than they could bear. Of course, he thought it was a great idea, and got right in on the fun without missing a beat!
I am sorry that we dont have any more great pictures, we pretty much do the same thing everyday, and I cant seem to remember to take the camera to the pool. I am very orchestrated in my pool excursions, as is pointed out by many of my friends when we are together. It is serious business be 36 weeks pregnant and taking 4 kids to the pool. I pack the cooler full of lunch and snacks, one bag full of towels, swim diapers and pull ups, and clothes for the little ones to change into...and the other bag has goggles, pool toys, floaties, swimmers ear, conditioning spray, a wide toothed comb and some hair things (in case we need to run somewhere after the pool of course), keys and cell phone, cash and credit cards, and of course, my Bahama Bucks punch card!! Everything has a place, and is checked every night before bed to ensure that all towels are dry and folded, swim suits are dry and in a central location, and the cooler is cleaned out ready for the next days meal. It is a lot of work in the morning to pull this off, and can even feel like a lot of work to haul everything around...but I have a system that works for us most days, and gets me several hours of play in the morning, and a few hours of quiet in the afternoons!!
I also spend much of my time anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little Mallory. I have an appointment scheduled for Monday, and we will decide when to schedule the induction. Lets all pray that the dr. says we can have her on June 30th..but we shall see!! That would be exactly 38 weeks, so I may not get my wish..but Mallory is measuring a bit big right now, so I just might:) Other than that, all is well! Ryan is getting used to his new job. It is a tough schedule right now but we are hoping that his efforts will be noticed, and pay off in the end. It does not help that we are down to one car right now, but we can hang in there for a few more months until we are ready to get another one. It is such a blessing that he works in Highland Village, and an even better bonus that my sister works there too now, and drives right past our house just about to get to work..so she takes him when she can!! In all the chaos, we really are fortunate to be at this place in our lives, and know that it only gets better from here!!

A fun filled day

2009-05-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

What activities could make a 3 year olds birthday great?? Well, how about we start it all off with a new train table when you wake up!! We had some friends actually give us the table, which we put together last night. One thing we did not realize was how little track there was, so we will be purchasing some more, but he did not mind!! We got a decent deal on a lot of used Thomas trains, so we bought those for him too..with some help from some extended family. Even used, those Thomas trains are not cheap!! Needless to say, he was one happy boy, and all of the other kids seemed pretty happy too. It was even more exciting when daddy came home from cleaning the church with DONUTS..even with sprinkles and chocolate milk!! Next we cleaned up and headed to the store for the binky/ bike trade off (more about that in the next post!) A little bike riding, some lunch, a last minute birthday cookie cake, and then it was off to the POOL!! I am not sure who was the happiest about that trip, but we all had a great time. The little 2 did great with their floaties on and the big girls swam like fish. Best of all, I felt wonderful! 8 months pregnant and floating with no pain or pressure is a great thing. Getting a picture of the kids was clearly not going to happen, but we had to mark the occassion at least. Finally, we headed to Grandma and Papa's house for some hot dogs and s'mores. When I asked RJ a little while ago what he wanted to do on his birthday, he said he wanted to go to Grandmas house to have smarshmallows on a stick with a fire, and hit golf balls with Papa. Well, clearly they could not say no to that, so several of us gathered for a beautiful evening on the lake:) The kids had a great time as always, and we adults sat there in the recently aquired lawn chairs soaking it all in. We all talk about my parents selling their house, and there are a million reasons that they should..it is a money trap for sure!! However, on nights like tonight, its hard not to think that it is all worth it. (Easy for me to say, I am not paying for it:) Thanks to everyone who helped make today special for our boy! We had a great time, and look forward to many more summer days doing exactly the same thing!!

Birthday Boy!!

2009-05-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

Look at our little man getting bigger every day!RJ turned 3 today, and I just cant believe it. 3 seems so big to me..not that he is clearly not BIG, but 3 year olds are certainly not babies anymore. Here we have a few pictures of one of the featured items from his gift list. He got a new big boy bike! That is the good thing! The bad thing is that he had to trade his much loved binky's for it! It seems a bit calous for a mom to force a boy to give up his most prized possession on his special day...and really this may come up in therapy one day..but it had to be done! He was thrilled with his bike, he cant pedal it yet, but he has been wanting it for some time now. He was quite pitiful tonight at bedtime, and only fell asleep when I laid down with him on my bed. I certainly dont want to replace one bad habit with another, but we had a very long, busy day, and he just needed to get to sleep. I hope tomorrow goes a bit better..I dont think I have ever seen him so sad:( All in all he clearly had a super fun and busy day. He is such a challenge for me sometimes, but then again he can melt my heart in a second. I love you little man, and cant wait to see all the wonderful things that you will do this year!!

For Melissa...

2009-05-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

OK, so my friend Melissa tagged me on her blog, and only because she is such a good friend, will I accept. I dont do "tags" normally, nor do I forward all of those emails that swear if I dont then the world will end. It is just not usually my thing, but, for you my dear..I will reply. The tag is that you post 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, and 3 random/surprising facts about me. I imagine this is going to take me quite a bit of time, as honestly, I am just not that interesting...but I will try!!! Here we go....
Joys:
1- Obviously, my children!! But, it is not in the times that one might usually suspect..like when they are sleeping! Though I do enjoy that greatly, my greatest joy comes when I see them caring for each other. When Grace holds the door open for Haylee while she is on her crutches, or RJ gives his binky and blanky to Courtlyn when she is sad. I take joy in Haylee teaching the children things, and every time I see Courtlyn's face light up when her dad walks in the room. I guess my joy is in their love for each other, and the simple ways it shows up!
2- My parents being grandparents. I am so grateful to live near them and to watch the love and joy that the grandchildren each bring to them. I love watching my kids run to them and share in the little things that keep their relationship unique. It may be a simple song, or a silly game, but each child of mine has a special place in their hearts. I love them as my parents for sure, but if it is possible, I think I love them even more as the grandparents to my children.
3-Watching my husband succeed. I love seeing him achieve things that he doubted he would ever do. He has always told me that I see more in him that what he ever thought possible, and I am thrilled to see some of that faith in his intellect and abilities come true. It has been a long road, with many twists and turns, but I have great joy in watching him finally realize his talents and abilities to do more than he dreamed of!
OK, that was sweet and mushy enough right?? Now for my fears
1-I fear that I will be a good enough wife and mother. I worry often about how I am doing in those two categories, and frequently find more short comings than successes. I guess it is healthy to always want to do better, but I probably have taken the mom guilt thing a bit too far. I need to work on that.
2- I totally fear getting into a car wreck. Like to the point that I think about it everytime I am driving I swear. I am keenly aware of the responsibility I have behind the wheel for my safety, and others, but dont have a great deal of trust that other people will always do what they are supposed to! (And I have seen plenty of evidence to back that up!)
3- I fear that I will lose myself in my children and never figure out what else I have to offer. I take my job as a mom very seriously, but sometimes I realize that it has gone too far. I have never left them to go on a vacation for example. I do want to be a great mom, but I need to figure out how to be a great person outside of that too. I really am afraid that when my kids are grown, I wont know what to do with myself and I will be lonely and miserable without them. Hmm..therapy anyone!!
Now, for my goals..gosh, do you people really even want to know all of this?? You can totally stop reading anytime you want..really!!
1-I want to be more healthy...not just physically either. My number one goal is to figure out the health issues that have been a part of my life for so long, but that are also threatening my children. I want to study and learn, force doctors to do what it takes, and then find the strength to carry through with whatever is necessary to be well. I feel like conquering that will enable me to get stronger mentally and spiritually, but that for me, the physical health has to come first.
2- Find more me time, and figure out what to do with that time!! With the years of Ryans schooling, job changes, and babysitting, I have definitely lost myself, so I really want to work on doing things that make me feel good...without guilt of course! This one is a fairly lofty goal, but I hope to set small goals that help along the way
3- I really want to work on being more financially stable. Meaning actually sticking to a budget, having savings and food storage, and feeling prepared for whatever may come. I want to make better money decisions so that in the end, we can have the security we need as well as the family vacations that I really long for!!
Umm...current obsessions..Anyone who knows me should be able to guess number one
1- THE POOL!! I love the pool, I love the sun, I love a cooler packed with fruit and juice boxes, the smell of sunscreen...ahh...bring it on!!! I cant wait
2- I am a bit blogger obsessed these days. I read peoples blogs I dont even know, but I am so fascinated by other peoples lives, I cant help myself!!
3- Clearly, I am busy collecting children right now:) With baby number 5 on the way, I am a bit obsessed with my kids and what makes them tick. I think about parenting a lot, read books, come up with plans (most of which dont ever happen) but I sure do think about being a good mom a lot!! Ohh how I wish it really was the thought that counts!!
OK, now for the toughest part...3 random or surprising facts! First of all, I am in no way a random person, I am quite boring and predictable actually. And, I am no surprise either. I tend to be an open book about most anything in my life, so it will be difficult for me to find something that most people dont already know about me. Esp. since the majority of my readers are my sisters and mom, so really, there is not much to tell...I will do my best though!
1-one thing that people may not know about me is that I dream of being a motivational type speaker one day. I enjoy public speaking, and while I realize that I may not be the most eloquent of speakers, I dont struggle with it. I realize that I have to get motivated myself in order to help others, but someday...maybe..I would like to be some sort of public/motivational speaker. While I dont fit into this category by any means, I love going to Time Out for Women and hearing those speakers, and would love to find a way to do something like that for other moms. Again...it is a dream, the one that lies in the way back of my mind...but that is how far I had to reach to find something surprising.
2- While it is not surprising per se, many of you may not know that I served a mission with the deaf. I remember being 12 and learning about the deaf missions in the church when it was introduced in our ward, and truly knowing at that point that someday I would be one of those missionaries. I was blessed to pick up the language pretty quickly, and really felt fortunate to serve among the deaf. It was one of the most difficult periods of my life, the mission was brutal, but it taught me a lot. I love ASL and only wish that my hands and arms would keep up, but I am in way too much pain to sign for even 5 minutes. I do miss it though, and still try to interpret things in my mind from time to time. I have not been great about teaching my kids, which I find just lame, but am considering working on that some this summer...we shall see!!
3-Ok, this is just hard...another random fact...ahh!! Ok, really, I may have to get back to you on this one. Like I said, I am just not that random. But I am mostly done, and if I come up with something, you will be the first to know. But for now, I need to go to bed, so number 3 will have to wait. I am supposed to tag 3 people, but really, I say, if it interests you, go ahead, if not...you wont be hurting my feelings:) It is fun to think about these things, I will admit...kind of hard, but fun. So, there you have it...I hope it has at least provided some interesting reading material for those of you who are struggling to get some sleep and are up way to late!

Another broken bone...

2009-05-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

OK, so we have survived for nearly nine years of child rearing with no broken bones, yet somehow we have managed 2 kids in a few months!! Today was field day at school, so they brought in a bounce house. Fun right??!! Well, unless you are the unlucky child that lands on her big toe wrong and totally breaks it!! We got the call from the nurse, and so Ryan took Haylee up to Urgent Care to have it x-rayed. It was actually the same place we took Courltyn, do you think they might be considering calling CPS yet?? Anyway, sure enough, it was broken, not just sprained. Can you see the lovely shades of blue surroundign her toe a bit? Unfortunately, there is not much we can do about it right now. She is on crutches, and likely will be for the next few weeks. Right now it is "buddy wrapped" with athletic tape, until we can see the podiatrist next week to make sure there is nothing else we need to do. The worst part of this for Haylee is that she wont be able to attend the volleyball/basketball camp the first week of summer that she has been looking forward to for months!! Hmm..gotta come up with some way to make up for that one, but I am thinking that a trip to the great wolf lodge will work when Grandma and Grandpa come in from Ohio in Aug. The best part for Haylee will be going to school with crutches! She, like most 9 year old girls, enjoys the attention and drama that crutches will create for her, so I am sure it will be an interesting last 2 weeks of school. You know me, as long as she can get into the pool, I am not worried about much else:) It has helped make for an already chaotic day, but hey, that is what you get when you have 4.5 kids right. Never a dull moment!

Our first taste of summer

2009-05-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from a few weeks ago, from my crappy camera no less, but I just had to share:) We had a fairly hot Friday recently, and of course my kids were outside playing. They are so great, they dont care how hot it is, they just love to be outside. I am so grateful for active kids that would prefer riding bikes or playing soccer in the backyard, to watching t.v or playing video games any day!! (And, lets face it, it gives me a nice break:) We live on a very quiet cul-de-sac, so when the neighborhood kids are all out playing, Haylee and Grace are allowed to join them in the front. The little two are super happy to play in the backyard, and will do so for hours. So, after giving them popsicles and realizing that their faces were still bright red, the only other thing to do was turn on the sprinklers!! They all got their swimsuits (yes, the girls match, thanks to Sam's club and Speedo swimsuits!) and off they went. Clearly everyone loved it. Courtlyn was not too sure at first, but it did not take her long to decide that it was a great time. Her favorite part was actually playing in the puddle the water created at the end of the drive way. This just made me all the more ready for summer, when we can spend hours at the pool. Of course our nice HOT weather has been replaced by lots of rain, making me unsure as to how the pool temperature will be at first, but we all know that the kids dont really care:) You all know where I will be in 2 weeks when school gets out...YEAH!!!!

A New Venture..

2009-05-12T20:15:00.001-07:00

So, as some of you may be aware, we have been in the throws of job hunting for a little while now. While Ryan has a job, it has not been providing him with the consistency that he needs, and quite frankly, he doesnt like working there. So, he has been searching for a little while, and within the last week, received 3 different offers. The final offer was accepted today, and it was the one we had been waiting for!! It is a good bit more income, a whole lot closer to home, and the best part, a job that will challenge him to spread his wings and grow. We are anxious for the opportunities that can arise from this job, and are hopeful that a bright future in the industry will stem from making this change! So, a big congratulations to my husband!! He underestimates his abilities often, and I am thrilled to see that someone has seen him for who he is..and more importantly, who he can become!! And, it means that within the next few months, we should have our husband and daddy back home in the evenings. The plan is that he should start doing more and more administrative and research work.
The other good news is that I had some yummy Graeters ice cream tonight:) Few of you will know why that is important, but to explain..it is a little taste of home for me:) Graeters is a "french pot ice cream store" based in Cincinnati that holds lots of fun memories! It was a popular hang out in highschool and continued to be a great treat for years to come. Well, as luck would have it, Kroger (also a Cincinnati based co. I think) has started carrying it here. It was EXPENSIVE!!! but quite yummy to say the least. I could only eat a little, as sweets and I dont get along really well right now, but sometimes you have to make the sacrifice for some Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream from Graeters. YUMMY!!
The kids are all doing well. We are just so ready for school to be out I think. They have all recently had their checkups and here are their official stats..
Haylee, 9 yr old, 51 inches tall and 70 lbs. She is in the 75% and healthy as can be! Haylee is a sporty girl, who is looking forward to playing volleyball and basketball
Grace, 6 yr old, 47 inches tall, and almost 50 lbs (cant recall exactly) She is in the 75% for height, 60th for weight. She is long and lean, and super agile! We may have a gymnast/dancer on our hands.
RJ, 3 yr old (almost) is obviously..HUGE!! He is 41 inches tall and 40 lbs. He is over the 97% and is destined for football according to most people. I am not convinced yet, and still hope for a basketball player! That is if he can "man up" and stop all of this WHINING!!
Courltyn was 20 months old for this check up, and while I cant recall how tall she is, I can tell you she is 30 lbs. She too is a big girl, and sits nicely in the 95% for both height and weight. She is a busy body for sure, and can often be found on top of something she should not be!! (Hence the broken foot already) But, that girl is so stinkin cute that you just cant get onto her for much!!

There you have it...pictures to come very soon I promise!! Our life is getting better everyday, and the combination of a great new job, the promise of the sun and pool, and the joy our little Mallory will bring, is sure to make it even better over the next few months!!

**You know, re-reading this post, it sort of sounds like I am putting my kids up on the auction block or something. I am not trying to sell them, well, not permanently at least, just trying to record where they are right now so that when they ask in the future, I know where to find it.***

Haylees night out!

2009-05-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I finally have something at least remotely interesting to blog about!! I know it has been a while, but really, life has been quite mundane around here, and honestly, I am feeling a bit blah and pregnant right now, so I dont really have anything great to report:) But, Haylee turning 9 this weekend is a great thing to report, so I will start with that. (OH, and I should mention that today is actually our 10th wedding anniversary, but seeing how we had Haylee 2 days after our 1st anniversary, its mostly been about her ever since. We will be celebrating a little next weekend, so I will get to that later.) Anyway, this year Haylee got to go to do something special and she chose dinner at Shogun. It is a Japanese hibachi restaurant, so the girls had quite the experience. I am back to using the lame camera since the one I borrowed from my mom has lost battery power. It is one of those special rechargeable ones, and naturally, I dont have the charger...its not my camera really, so I cant complain! I should have given it back a long time ago, but really, I know she does not take too many pictures most of the time, so the extended stay at my house has at least allowed it to get some good use!! ANYWAY!! I took a picture of the crew outside of the restaurant. Haylee invited her friend Ashtyn, and of course Grace and Kyra had to come along too. My dear sister Heather even stayed with the little ones so that Ryan could join us too. THANKS HEATHER!!!!! As you can see, the girls were mesmerized. It was such a treat to watch their faces as the chef worked his magic. And, they even tried new foods. We all had shrimp, steak, chicken and rice..some fried and some just plain. The girls were so funny with their chopsticks..they felt so grown up!! All in all it was a fun experience for Haylee and the rest of the girls, and one that they will surely be talking about for some time. We will also be going to Bahama Bucks with the family tomorrow, and then on her actual birthday, we will have her favorite meal for dinner, some cake and her presents. What a fun weekend to celebrate this very special girl!! We love you Haylee:)

Happy Easter to us!!?????

2009-04-10T20:06:00.001-07:00

Again, a post with no pictures..I will work on that I promise. I just wanted to share what we will be doing, and have been doing, to celebrate this wonderful weekend. Cleaning up throw up!! That is right...the stomach bug has hit, and it does not seem to be slowing down. Haylee started on Thursday morning, and was miserable for the whole day! Then, RJ started running a fever Thurs. afternoon, and complaining that his stomach hurt. He has hardly eaten since, is still running a fever off an on, but has yet to throw up. I thought things were getting better..though I was keenly aware of this possibility..I hoped it would only claim the first two victims and then move on to another house. No such luck..it has claimed our littlest angel tonight. Miss Courltyn has thrown up twice now, and is running a mild fever as well. It is so funny to see how it is affecting each kid differently. Haylee was absolutely miserable!! Stayed in her room, cried that she thought it was unfair she had to feel this way, swore that it would never get better etc!! RJ has been fairly low key! Laying around all day, literally, watching Noggin, and willingly going to sleep when he knew he was just too tired. He is not eating much, but he does not seem to mind. He suffers in more silence, although occassionaly, he has come to sit on me only to mumble the words "I not feeling so good mom". It is just enough to keep us feeling bad for him. Courltyn cried when she threw up, but has been immediately back to smiling and laughing. She is now laying on the floor in the LR on a blanket, watching Dora, and singing along as usual!! Now it is Grace's turn. Will she get it?? I imagine so..many families have met the fate of this virus lately, so I dont imagine she will find herself free from it. And then there is Ryan and I. I am quite frankly used to throwing up these days, and obviously, life will go on regardless of how I feel. Clearly I worry most about Ryan getting it! He will likely fare about like Haylee did. He does not quite handle throwing up with the same grace that I do...I have had years more practice I suppose. Sadly, this throws out our holiday fun plans, but I guess we will just have to do something simple and quiet around here. We shall see. All I can say is wish me luck...it is not easy being nauseous and cleaning up after another person!! Ahh..she is beconing now....

EDIT*** I just had to add that although this is no fun, I am actually grateful for a few things right now!! I am first of all grateful that RJ and Courltyn are both attatched to similar blankets (Courtlyn has no strong preference for one or the other) and that I had the insight to make sure each of them has two blankets..meaning I have 3 available for Courtlyn's use tonight...RJ has to have at least one!! There is one in the washer, one fresh out of the dryer, and one ready to be washed!! I am grateful that recently Kierstin donated several pairs of pj's, as we are currently on the 4th pair tonight!! I am also grateful that at the last minute I decided to get a new package of binkies to put in Courltyn's easter basket. I know I am supposed to be stopping them at some point, but we were down to only one or two that I could find, and they were kind of cute ones. We have opened that package to provide a binky while I sterilize the other one! Finally, I am grateful for Courltyn's sweet temperment. She cries until she is done throwing up, and seriously, is laughing and talking immediately, like I have just gotten her up for a pajama party! Love that girl to pieces!!

We have decided!!

2009-04-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

So, after a pleasant night out with out the children, at enrichment meeting, I am feeling a bit better:) I am not going to have to babysit next year, so in 2 more months I will be a free bird...unless you count the two that will be coming home from school for the summer, oh..and that new baby that will be joining us! She is the real reason for this post actually! We have finally decided on a name for our newest addition. Her name will be Mallory Rose:) Ryan actually really likes it now, which does not surprise me. Sometimes it takes him a little bit of thinking about a name to come around..he was very much this way with Grace's name. So, we have agreed and Mallory it is. While i still have an affection for using two ee's at the end in honor of Haylee...I just dont like the way it looks. So there you have it.
We are getting so close to summer, I can feel it!! I am more than ready for June to hit!! I just love the smell of sunscreen on a kid, the tan lines that form so quickly on my girls, the mess of a pool bag packed and ready to go in the car, and best of all...the smell of chlorine at the pool! Top it off with a cooler full of watermelon, cherries, or nectarines and a snow cone on the way home, and you have the perfect day in my world!! Plus, I never feel as fat if I am at least tan, which fortunately, I do really well:) I dont need as much make up either, which is always good. Ahh...all I have to do is get through Easter, 2 birthdays, our 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, the end of school madness...and summer will be here. I can do it..I can make it that much longer!

A little homesick...

2009-04-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

It seems strange to me that still, after almost 5 years of living in Texas that I could still have these moments, times when I miss my life in Ohio. It was a good day, Grace had a sweet little party, and the kids literally played outside all day. I should have been watching General Conference, but the swirl of activity and no husband to sit with me to help control the chaos, proved more than I could have done. So, why, at the end of a reasonably good day, do I still miss that life? Maybe it was the simplicity of it all..after all, we only had 2 kids in Ohio. Ryan and I met there, fell in love there, and started our life there. His parents were there, and a ward of familiar faces that watched us grow from teenagers to missionaries, to parents! What I miss the most though, is the friendships. Ryan grew up there, and I miss his friends for him. He has yet to make that kind of friend here, and I am not sure if he will or not. It is harder for him than it is for me to meet new people and forge a friendship. Although, I say that, it seems to have been harder for me these last few years that I would have thought. I have moved all of my life, made friends easily every where I went, but we have yet to find our groove here. I wonder why it has been different this time? I have so much family here that maybe I have not needed to depend on friends like I did in Ohio. Maybe it is because of our horrible schedule. I have not really had a husband home at nights to enable a "girls night out" very often, and babysitting during the day has left me stuck at home with too many kids. I miss many ward activities because it is just too hard by myselft sometimes. Maybe it is me..I am more cynical these days, under much more pressure, and sometimes I may not be the most fun to be around. Maybe it is this quiet little street that we live on, not really in the middle of activity. Our first house was on a cul-de-sac in a newly built neighborhood, and on days like today, we would have all been out chatting while the kids played out front. Then someone would have started the grill and asked who had what to throw together for dinner. Some might have some hot dogs, while others could whip up some sort of fruit salad. Grab the paper plates, throw your meat on the grill..put whatever sodas or juice boxes we might have in a cooler, and just sit out until we finally could not see each other any more it was so dark. But now, the kids are older and dont seem to require as much supervision. Parents here have no need, or desire for that matter, to come together to chat, and keep watch over the kids. It wasnt a particularly nice neighborhood, just a bunch of people in their starter homes, but we did not seem to care. I had great friends that I went to church with. Friends that knew even going to Target was more fun with someone else...and for sure we did not dare go to the mall by ourselves!! We played games on Friday nights, celebrated every kids birthday like we were a family, and talked on the phone too often probably. We watched each others kids for any reason at all, and even in our bad moments, we knew we were understood. Sometimes, in the late hours after a long day..heightened for sure by pregnancy hormones, I miss it all terribly!! I find myself aware of activity all around me, with people I know relatively well, but for some reason, I remain in this place. I dont often post things this personal, for many reasons. I hope not to offend someone who might read this and get the wrong impression for one. Also, my family reads this, and I would not want them to think that I dont want to be here with them. They are a big part of why we came, and a major reason why we will always stay!! I have my siblings and parents, and my kids have cousins everywhere. It is worth it! Sometimes I just need to purge my thoughts I guess, and this blog seems to be the closest thing to a journal I have. Fortunately for my husband, unfortunately for me, he works at night and misses out on having to listen to my ramblings late at night when I cant sleep for all the thoughts swirling in my head. I bet many husbands wish they had the fortune of not listening to their wives late night rants!!! Isnt that always when we seem to want to talk:) I am just in awe sometimes that this still does not feel like home. I need to work harder at that! I want it to feel like home, like Ohio did. I never thought I would say that Ohio felt like home honestly, and I thought that I was quite ready to leave! The sad truth is that I know there is no going back either. I have to move forward...even if we did move right back to where we left, it would be different!! (Well...except for Ryan and his friend Jon..I am certain no amount of time or distance will ever change that relationship!!) It is what I will work on, I need it. I hope to focus a little more on the things that I need, the things that make me feel good. And for me, that is friendships! Nights out without kids, days at the playplace with the kids running around, lazy summer days spent at the pool for hours! It is what refuels me, gives me strength to care for this expanding family of mine, pure and simple comraderie ( I am pretty sure I spelled that wrong, but whatever:) Friends, and sleep...sleep helps refuel me too...so that is where I shall head now, since 12:51 is not the time to solve the girls night out problem..I will attempt to sleep.

Happy Birthday Grace!

2009-04-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

So, our little Gracie is growing up!! She is going to be 6 tomorrow, but I wanted to post tonight (while I am making her cupcakes for school) because I worried tomorrow would come and I would just be too busy!! These are just a few of my favorite pictures of Grace from this last year. As you can see, she is always ready to smile for the camera! She is in kindergarten, and loving life. Right now she is 49 inches tall and about 44 lbs. Long and lean..just like her mother:) HAHAHA!! Clearly, we are not quite sure where she got it, but it sure does make buying pants for her not much fun!! Grace is a very unique child to say the least. Sometimes I wonder if there is another mother raising a little girl just like Grace, or if I was the only one blessed with such a spirit. She is a very strong spirit indeed. She is very smart, funny, opinionated, outgoing, and physically as agile as any kid I have seen. She is not afraid to try anything, from new foods to tricks on the monkey bars..you name it, and she will do it at least once. She does well in school, and from what I hear, she is wonderful in church too. Obviously she has a face that could melt you no matter how much trouble she might be in. Really, it is a standing joke in the family...I hear the words "but look at that face" fairly often, esp. when we all know she has been up to no good. One thing I love about Miss Grace though, is how quick she is to get over things, forgive and forget. She can not get her way, or have someone hurt her feelings, but she is over it very quickly. She is very affectionate (which she clearly gets from her dad, I am not so touchy feely myself:). She wont go anywhere, or let us leave, without a hug and a kiss. Grace loves to draw and play outside. Actually, for her birthday gifts, she asked for "sports toys" as she calls them. She requested a tennis racket and a new soccer ball. We also decided she might like a bat, ball, glove and t-ball stand, so I threw those it too. She also wanted some craft supplies, so she got that too. Of course, tonight she mentions that she wants a "diamond" (aka cubic zirconia) neclace to replace the one she got for Christmas that she has since lost. Guess I will be looking for that sometime tomorrow:) All in all, our Grace...who wants everyone to know that her name is Grace, not Gracie...is a bright kid with the world at her feet. We love every little inch of her, and hope that she has a wonderful birthday!! Happy Birthday my girl!!

2009-04-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Just a few more pictures of our dear Grace to enjoy on her special day!! I will have to look through the old ones to gather some of her in her younger years...she was a pretty cute baby for sure:) We love you Grace!!!

Our first broken bone..s!!

2009-03-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened! After nearly 9 years of escaping a child with a broken bone, Miss Courtlyn decided to change all that! Some of our children seemed to be trying to break something with the crazy things they have done, and poor Courtlyn just misses her landing, and ends up with several broken bones in her foot! The bottom picture is of her returning to the scene of the crime. Last night RJ decided to jump off of those toy buckets, which really does not surprise me at all! What did surprise me was that Courtlyn decided that imitation was the best form of flattery, and attemted the same jump! Like they say in the Olypmics..If she had just stuck her landing! However, her body decided to go one way, and her foot the other. It actually took me a while to figure out that she had hurt her foot. She cried when she fell, but stopped when I picked her up. It was right during meal preparation, which for Courtlyn is a VERY crabby time of day, so when she fussed when I tried to put her down, I really just assumed it was one of those nights. She did not scream in pain, or cry any more that usual. After daddy washed her off in the shower and I tried to stand her up to get dressed, I saw her pull her foot up when she stood. Then, I looked at her foot..thinking maybe she had something stuck on it, and it was nicely swollen. Of course, this was all about 30 minutes before Ryan had to be at work! I felt like things were in control, so we called the babysitter (we love her!!) and I went to the urgent care while Ryan headed to work. Courtlyn was her usual self..playful, charming, and happy as could be!! No one believed she had broken anything due to her lack of crying. She even went and got her x-rays (without her pregnant mom no less) and didnt shed a tear. The dr. came back and gave us the bad news..she had indeed broken a bone in her foot. So, we took those x-rays to the pediatric orthopedic specialists today, where we learned that she had indeed broken 3 bones, and likely a 4th! So..a pink cast for 4 weeks was the prescription for this ailment...along with encouraging me to keep her calm..you know, no running around, playing at the park..jumping off of furniture etc..for the 4 weeks of the cast and 4 weeks after! UMMM..has anyone ever tried to slow down a 19 month old? She was already trying to climb on the couch tonight! How am I supposed to send all of the other kids outside to play on the swing set, while keeping her inside...that is her VERY favorite place to be?! She was so good today too...almost unbelievably good honestly! Again, no tears, no fighting, no problems. She has taken to the cast pretty well, and is hobbling around everywhere. It is frustrating her, you can tell, but she is doing the best she can. And really, at least she is cute in a little pink cast. So, there is the story of just another exciting day in our house. Never a dull moment, but fortunately, we have learned to take it all in stride!!

Michaels coupons and name that baby:)

2009-03-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

So, I am putting out my plea to anyone who has a Michael's coupon laying around:) We have scheduled Grace's birthday party there, and my super good deal turned out not to be quite so. The first few people I talked to told me that the $50 I was paying would cover the party, including supplies...however, it includes the room, and a person to work it, but all of the craft supplies are additional. So, I would at least like to use coupons for the tote bags, paints and stencils!!! If you have one laying around, please send it my way..gotta save money where I can. Esp. because I am a bit irritated with the store right now..they should have offered some sort of discount on the supplies, but, not so much! Oh well, in the end, it still will be a relatively inexpensive party, and Grace cant wait. She is very excited!!
In other news, we are still struggling to name this little girl. I know everyone likes Sydnee..and it is not off of my list, its just that I dont have that feeling..you know the one you get when you hear your kids name and you know it is hers. I have known that with all of my kids before they were born...except RJ, but that was just because Ryan was not sure he wanted a Ryan Jr. I have loved the name Malloree/Mallory for a while, but Ryan has not been convinced. He is coming around, but still on the fence. We are also considering Rylee..and maybe even our newest idea of Saydee. Gosh..this is so hard..we are just running out of girls names that we love:) I am surprised at how much I am having to ponder this, it is not usually like this. This may be another one of those times that we have one or two picked out, and we name her when she is born. I dont love that idea, but we really may just have to see her first. We shall see..as always, we welcome your opinions. It is fun to hear what others think...it may not make the decision, but it helps:)

Fort Worth Stockyards

2009-03-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

So, for one of the planned adventures over spring break, my mom and I decided to head on down to the Ft. Worth Stockyards for the day. Neither one of us had ever been, nor did we really know what we were in for, but hey..that is half the adventure right there. Fortunately, for the most part, we had a very cooperative crew. It took us a bit to get down there, and even when we got there, we ended up going down the 'cattle crossing' walkways..which people werent actually supposed to do..but what did we know! We met up with some goats in the petting zoo, saw some very strange men dressed as indians waiting for us to pay for a picture, and then made our way to the human maze. That was funny!! I had the two little ones also, so I could not head in with them. There is a raised observation deck, so we felt like the 4 kids could go in on their own, with mom watching from above...after all, she could see them the whole time right?? WRONG!! They were too short, and I swear, I thought I might witness my mom have a heart attack right there. I admit that I hate not being able to see the kids...which is why I almost never go to those big wooden parks that everyone else raves about. I just dont understand how parents can just sit there while their kids go play forever, not knowing exactly where they are!! Dont they know child predators hang around at spots like that?? Anyway, clearly I inherited some of my mothers neurosis!! But, she was also worried that they would feel scared, or confused. I felt confident that if that were the case, some nice stranger would help them out, but we had no need to worry. While they were in there for a greuling 29 minutes, they were having the time of their lives. There was a point at which mom finally could see them, and felt more assured of their well being. They loved it!! We opted to go down where the stores were, and head in for a root beer float or milkshake at this cute little sandwich and soda shop. They each ate a few bites of their ice cream (while I being the pregnant one needed a full on sandwich to curb my hunger pangs!!) By now, Courtlyn and RJ are showing that they needed a nap. I hoped that they would sleep on the hour ride down there, or maybe doze off in the stroller, but no such luck. I wish I had been able to leave them, as being 25 weeks pregnant and pushing a double stroller full of about 70 lbs worth of kids, over brick streets was almost more than I could do. I was in pain the next day for sure. Overall though, it was fun. And really, if I want my big kids to experience things, I have to deal with the trouble of having little ones in tow too...that is what happens when you have 4..almost 5 kids! Family activities are very important to me though, and I am really glad we were able to go. The girls spent most of spring break with my mom..spending hours painting, golfing, going to chuck-e-cheese (twice), eating out..lots, and overall just having a great time. Friday Ryan and I took them to the zoo in Gainsville, went to look at a house in Bartonville (dont worry..the taxes alone were out of our league!!) and then enjoyed dinner at a relatively new place called Freddy's!! Yummo is all I can say! It was a great week, and honestly I am sad for school to start tomorrow. It means I go back to babysitting (including two more as of Tuesday) and the girls go back to being gone all the time. Worst of all though, it means we all have to get up early. We are a family of sleepers, and last week, even the little ones slept until at least 8:30)!! Summer is around the corner though, I can feel it. And we have 3 big birthdays to celebrate, along with Easter, to keep us going until then. I just have to tell myself to hang in there until the pools open:)

Our big boy!

2009-03-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

So, RJ has been asking for a big boy bed for quite some time now. He can get out of his crib with ease, so it wasnt the confinement that was holding us back. We found the one we wanted, but alas..no one has dropped $500 at our doorstep, so it was time to come up with a simpler plan, a toddler bed from Wally world. With the girls at my moms for a few days of spring break, we decided to make the move. If we had a rough night, then we could all just sleep in. And with the girls gone, and no school, it meant I was free to focus on him. Part of the deal with the big bed was that he has to leave his binky and blanky with the bed...no more binky during the day. I realize that we should not have let him walk around with it anyway, but sometimes it is just about survival, and he is one whiny kid!! To my surprise, he stayed in it all night! There was a bit of trouble assembling it, and while Ryan is gifted at many things, this is not the kind of thing he is patient with. Things just didn't fit perfectly, or required some re-assembly at times. It was a bed from walmart...what did we expect?? But, with a little encouragement from his wise and calm wife:) we got the job done. There has been quite a bit of jumping on this bed this morning by both of my little angels, but what can you do?? He picked some Spider man bedding, so he has officially grown up. (I sort of hoped he would pick Diego or Thomas..but it had to be Spider Man!!) I am not sure I am ready for all that boy stuff, but he is almost 3, so I guess I cant stop it!!

Grace's Show Pony

2009-03-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Here she is..Startlight is her name, and she is quite the racing horse!! About a week or so ago, Grace had to make a stick horse in order to race with her classmates at school. Well...clearly, this was a dad project if ever there was one. And, he took it seriously. We used a small broom that we had, and then he began to formulate a plan. There were rough drafts on paper, models of what was to be used, a first attempt, and finally...Starlight was born. Ryan is a very detailed and meticulous planner. If it had been up to me, she would have had a stuffed sock with eyes painted on it, at the end of the stick! But, daddy and Grace cut out black foam pieces to form the head, stitched it all together with black yarn (and some glue for security), and sewed hair for the main in holes that mommy punched out. The final touch was the bridle of course, accompanied by her number on her desk. She apparently was quite the beauty at school that day, and won a race or two. She had a good time creating this, and having the opportunity for dad to be focused on only her. He did a great job, of course, and even handled the painted potato the next week, for the potato races. (Sorry, forgot to take pics of that beauty!!) We are thankful to have a dad with the ability and willingess to handle these things...mom just has not got the talent or patience!!

We've narrowed it down!!

2009-03-15T14:56:00.001-07:00

OK, so we are welcoming your vote on our two competing names. for the time being at least!) We are strongly considering Sydnee Rose or Catherine Rose. (We would call her Cate). Normally I would think to spell Cathering with a "K", but when I look through both family lines of names, everyone spells it with a "C", so I think we would too. I would be willing to spell Sydnee with an "ie" as well..Sydnie...but it seems logical to do it with an "ee" because of Haylee. The Young Women voted today, and strongly disliked Larkin (it was a possibility) and agreed that while I like the name Paige, I am not sure that I like Paige Nish..something about the way it sounds that I just dont like!! Anyway...cast your votes. The YW voted for Sydnee, which is honestly where I am leaning right now too...but I still do like Catherine. Hmm..too many girls to name...Cooper would have been so much easier:) Cant wait to see what you think!

WHY???!!

2009-03-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

OK, the title of this blog indicates that I have a few things on my mind..so, I shall throw them out there into the blog world, if for no other reason than to clear my brain. I have no good pictures right now, so go ahead and be let down about that one. I will work on it! Back to the why!!
1- Why, why, why, am I still throwing up at almost 23 weeks pregnant!? I look like I have been to war today..burst capillaries all over my face!! This is just getting old!!
2- Why do people always ask when you are miserable pregnant with your now 5th child, if you will be having any more children? First of all, that is sort of a personal question, but secondly, who wants to commit to doing this again, when you are in the throws of dealing with a crummy pregnancy!! I find it so funny. When people are getting married, everyone starts asking when they will have a child, and clearly the cycle never ends. Let us all learn to celebrate where we are, and let the future hold what it may. For the record, I make no commitments either way right now!
3- Why did I not make zucchini bread before now? I have been wanting some, and decided that I ought to take something to my dear friend Melissa, who recently had twin girls!! Then, I had some pumpkin bread the other day, which RJ loved, so that was yesterdays adventure, and the zuchinni was todays! Yummy..and in my world, good for breakfast, lunch or dinner:)
4-Why do we have to go from such BEAUTIFUL weather, to dreary and 43 degrees?? Fortunately, it looks like the weather should be nice and spring like for Spring break next week, so I guess I should just be happy to get it out of the way now!! Can I just say...I cant wait for Spring break!! I get to sleep in for days in a row..YEAH ME!! I have this terrible inability to sleep at night..I mean like true insomnia! I could be so tired, but the minute I lay down, I am wide awake! Around 3 or 4 am is perfect sleeping time, and if I could, I would sleep until 10am. That is true...sad, but true:) All I can say is thanks mom!!
I am sounding a bit whiny huh?? I am sorry, I am feeling a bit whiny today, but we all know, I will get over it, and the world will continue to spin on its axis:) I am sure a visit to Melissa and those little girls will be just the right thing to cheer me up! Obviously, because they are so dang cute, and who does not find peace when in the presence of those tiny spirits! But, more than likely, it will give me perspective..babies are much easier to deal with in the belly, no matter how sick I feel, and..well..I could be having two:) I can always count on good friends to keep me grounded! I am off to put the kids to bed, and go get the bean burrito from Taco bell that I have been wanting all morning! Yes, I know, it sounds terriblem, but not to me! Again..at least I know my mom understands my need for taco bell when I am sick:)

It's a......

2009-03-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

Well, we went to the ultrasound today, and saw our perfectly healthy baby GIRL!! Yeah, another girl:) RJ holds on to his status as king around here, and we get to keep on doing what apparently Heavenly Father thinks we are at least decent at...raising girls:) Or maybe He is just going to keep giving us another shot at getting it right!! We were pretty certain it was a girl, given the fact that I am still throwing up, so there was not much surprise for us. We are happy, and really only cared if she was healthy. Now...to pick out a name. We had talked about Brooklyn, but I think that one is out. We have no clue right now, but we do like Paige, and Katherine (Kate), and Syndie, and Claire...who knows though. We have time, so hopefully something will grow on us. I will say the highest contender right now is Paige, but we all know how quickly that can change:) Right now I am about 21 weeks, measuring in the ultrasound at about 22 weeks and 3 days..so for sure we will have her the first week of July..maybe the 5th or 6th (we have scheduled inductions..my dr. is really nice to me, and it has worked for 3 other pregnancies, so why mess with a good thing:). So..there you have it..another Nish girl...poor Grandma and Papa Nish..they will have 6 girls and only one grandson by then..but hey..we do have some pretty cute girls:) Ryan is already worried about 4 weddings, but I am sure we will figure it out by then...lets get through elementary school first:)

My Beauties!!!

2009-02-25T18:31:00.000-08:00

OK, seriously, we have beautiful children! OK, now that I got that out of the way..I am well aware that everyone thinks their children are beautiful, and that is the way it should be, so I am proud to add myself to that list of parents!! We went to my sisters house for her to take some real pictures with her super camera, these are just a few that I snapped on my own while they played. I did a little editing..as much as picasa will allow a techno idiot like me to do! But, I am pleased with these pictures for sure, and so I had to share:) They are looking so much older everyday that it makes me sad, but they are growing into great kids. I hope you all enjoy them almost as much as I did!!

Bill

2009-02-21T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally did it today!! For those of you unaware of the importance of today..it was the day that I freed myself from a dog I obviously wish we had not gotten! The problem is, my animal loving children were cursed with a mother who, quite frankly, does not like animals AT ALL! This is our second try at a dog, I want them to have a pet to love and care for, but we are not meant for it. The kids are clearly too young, I dont want to be forced to care for said pet, Ryan is too busy..and a bit to lazy about it honestly, and the kids are just too young! So..after almost 2 months of threats, conversation, and out right begging Ryan to handle it, I finally said that this was it..TODAY was the deadline! He peed everywhere, barked for no reason, and was just generally annoying to me. No one really took good care of him, the kids just liked the idea of him mostly, so mean old mom had to step in!! There were some tears..of course..and there are sure to be more. Haylee knows all too well when to use her trump cards, and getting rid of her dog is sure to become her favorite one! Grace even cried, but I think it had more to do with her competitive spirit..after all Haylee could not be the only one getting attention for this!! So, being that Bill was Haylee's 8th birthday present, I took her shopping for a replacement..yes, it was bribery, I know..but justified I figured. I mean, we were taking away her gift, it did not seem fair not to compensate her for that. So, here you can see what the girls did to clear their heads of all this sorrow...they painted. Haylee found these little plaster critters that you could paint, and she just thought they were great. We found these paints there too, for $10, and had to have them. The little things were like $.44 a piece, so we got several! I am sure we will be getting more too, as they were quite happy to let their creative juices flow. Then, as a pre-emtive strike, Daddy rented them a movie to watch before bed. See, we all knew that as soon as we told Haylee is was bed time, the water works would begin, so we opted for the distraction tecnique! Lets hope it works!! In the future, no matter what I say, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, let me get sucked into another animal in this house! I may be depriving my children of some right of passage, but lets face it, I am already screwing them up, so this may only add a session or two to their therapy later!! I am certain that for the rest of their lives, I will hear about this sad day, and be reminded of the loss they suffered, but again, I figure it will be on the list of all of the other things that I have done to ruin their lives! At least I am not cleaning up dog pee anymore! There is some guilt that is just worth the price I will pay!

Longing....

2009-02-15T20:11:00.000-08:00

I think that I spend too much time longing. ***WARNING..this is going to be one of those rare posts in which I try to put lots of thoughts out there, in hopes that it will at least be cleansing to my soul. Read at your own risk****Now, back to the longing! We are hearing a lot about having joy now, and about not wishing your life away, but I have realized that this is a real struggle for me!! I sit in my quaint (which is a nice way to say way to small, but still pretty cute) home, wishing for it to be bigger. And to be better decorated, with nice landscaping, and neighbors that my kids can play with. But then I start thinking about my bigger dream. Do I want to invest in making this home work, when what I really feel like I want is to move onto some land, in a charming old home, full of character and warmth. We will miraculously know how to (and want to) cultivate said land into a lush garden that will help us survive! The children, who would be home schooled at this point, will have many adventures in our acreage, that will make me happy that we made said move. I dont want to homeschool my children for what would seem to be "normal" reasons...I mean our school is great, the kids are learning a ton, and I have no worries about 'bad influences', in fact, I welcome them. I want my kids to be forced to be strong, to stand up for themselves, and to be an influence for good. I long to homeschool in my dreams because I hate the schedule that school puts on us. I have no time to teach the kids what I really want them to learn. I spend most of my day hurrying them off to school. welcoming home the tired and somewhat grumpy kids this school sends back to me after 7 hours or so, only to spend the rest of the evening strugging to motivate all of us to do the things that we have to to! Homework, dinner, chores, reading, relaxing, piano, sports, church activities, showers, and bed! We have not read scriptures in that time, or prayed, or had the time to actually let Haylee help me with dinner as she so often requests. She wants to grow a garden, and learn to sew, and take walks with the family, but I cant find the time! So, I spend some of that time wishing for a simpler life! Where school would actually only take up the time it takes for my children to master a concept, not the whole class. But, of course, they still have to be social, so there is co-op, and recreation classes, etc. And then, the doubting/realistic side of me says..."Umm, hello, you are neither a gardener,nor a homeschool mom!!" I like to think that I would learn to be those things in hopes of the life I desire, but maybe I would hate it...really HATE it! And, I would just cry for a walmart to take me away, and our friend McDonalds to provide dinner! You see, this life in my dreams is pretty far from the life we live..which is maybe why I dream of it. We have a good life, it is true, but I do find it lacking in family unity and that ever elusive joy! Obviously I struggle with health issues, that have even interefered with my mental clarity, not to mention what pregnancy can do to a girl! But, I hope, no I plan, to conquer the Goliath that is my thyroid, gluten intolerance, and general unhealthiness, after the baby comes!!! Here is my question...does everyone pine for this life?? Or, do most people really want to live the suburban-soccer mom life? I dont not want to be that woman either..I am not sure which dream I really want!! I just know I want things to be more natural for us. I want our home to feel like a sanctuary, not like another battle ground. I was watching Brothers and Sisters, wishing that I did not even care...and then a commercial for The Bachelor came on, and again I felt angry with myself that I am so wrapped up in television shows!! How silly is that...yet, can I force myself to actually give it up in search for the life I want? Do I really have to even? (I did warn you, so dont start complaining about my ramblings now that you are into it this far!!) It is like knowing that chocolate cake and coke are making you fat, yet you continue to eat it..why..well I dont know, but it is hard to change!! That is the real gist of it..it is really hard to change!! And sometimes I am actually afraid of dreaming for a better life, wondering if I could actually be capable of doing all that I dream of. I have always struggled with self doubt, that is no surprise to anyone who knows me, but now it just makes me angry because I realize that it is standing between me and a better life for my family. It is hard to believe you can change, after you have "tried" and failed several times. You lose trust in yourself, as you would with any one! This is all getting deeper and a bit more personal that I intended, but here it is! I want to find joy in this journey, each step of it, and I am all too aware of the "right things to do", what I clearly lack is discipline and belief that it can be done. OK, and energy, I really lack energy right now. So, I will continue to work, to figure out what my dream really is, and lay out plans for accomplishing it!! And, I will continue to wonder if everyone feels the pull of a simple life out on some land in the country, or if really, I am as crazy as I have always suspected!! Thanks for reading my rant..I promise that it wont happen often..more pictures of the kids and tales of their comings and goings, I promise!! Off to get some rest, to attempt to find some of that ever ellusive energy!!

The best part!!!

2009-02-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

How could I forget to include pictures from the best part of our traditional valentines day dinner...the dessert??!! Every year we break out the fondue pot for some yummy chocolate dipped goodness, and the kids literally eat it up! We serve bananas, strawberries, pound cake, and marshmallows. Fortunately they all went straight to the bath after this, but look how happy they are at the time. This was RJ's first year to understand what was happening, and to be given the sword...um, I mean skewer..or maybe I did mean sword. We were worried that he might use it to take out his sister in the seat next to him, but he showed restraint! However, when Courtlyn saw him with it, she started saying "pew..pew..pew" (That is my best attempt at typing the sound of a 1 year old, immitating a 2 year old, making shooting noises when he is holding anything that might resemble a weapon...you know like a toy hammer, a toy drill, some well crafted legos, a hairdryer, a skewer apparently..you know..ANYTHING he can get his hands on!!) RJ has really proven to us that being a boy is more a result of nature than nuture! It is genetically encoded to assume that anything can be used as a weapon when one is feeling threatened..or bored! And that each type of weapon, car, airplane, etc..has its own distinct sound, which I swear only boys can recreate perfectly! Even his father is well aware that a machine gun sounds far different than a shot gun, and that a mustang makes a much different noise, than say..my van for example!! Not that I dont know that they all sound different, but my ability to recreate those sounds is horrible..sort of like when Ryan tries to talk with any sort of accent! I know you ladies know just what I am saying! Why can they distinguish between two different pieces of machinery, but all folks with an accent...English, Scottish, Australian, Asian..you name it..they all sound Middle Eastern when the man in my life tries to speak with an 'accent" OK, I realize what a random turn this blog has taken...but this is the way my mind works folks..maybe I really do have ADD??!! Or..I am just on my 5th pregnancy, and this is just the way it is! Either way, I am off to get some sleep now, or at least attempt it. Happy Valentine's day again!!

A Poor Man's Valentine:)

2009-02-14T19:42:00.000-08:00

So, here is the official pictures of our annual family Valentine's day dinner. I titled it a poor mans valentine because...well..it was just that! The decorations all came from the dollar store, or from construction paper we already had! Ryan did spend $3 on their little puppies, which was sweet! He also picked up a card for each of them, which I never do because I sort of find store bought cards a waste of money! And, he actually bought them from a real store, not the dollar store, which is where I tend to buy cards if I feel I must have one. The bouquet in the middle of the table is not flowers..he knows better. Flowers are nice, and if we just had money to throw away in 2-4 days, then really, I think they would be a lovely touch. But, I dont need them in order to make me feel loved. You see, I am far to practical for that. I want him to get up with the kids in the morning so that I dont have to, or to clean the kitchen while I am having fun at a baby shower, or to do something little for the kids without me even asking. You see, after almost 10 years of marraige, today is evidence that my husband does actually know the way to my heart, because he did all three of those things..and more! Our meal consisted of some heart pizzas ordered from Papa Murphy's (which BTW, was our first order from that place, but certainly not our last!! The pizza was tasty..not greasy at all..yumm-o!) Anyway, I also made some salad, because believe it or not, my children have all decided of late that salad is a new favorite. The funniest one is RJ! He can eat and eat salad..he may not eat anything else you offer, but some salad makes the boy happy. Mind you, it does have Ranch dressing on it, and lets face it, everything tastes better with some Hidden Valley on top!! But, it is entertaining none the less. So, we lit the candles, turned of all of the other lights, and proceed to enjoy our meal. It was simple and sweet..chaotic too, but over all the kids were happy. Grace said this was the best day of her life, and Haylee quickly agreed! I will admit that the joy was short lived, but I tell myself that I am creating these memories not only for their happiness now, but for the future! And, I take pictures to prove that I actually did do things that qualify as traditions. We have always done a candle lit dinner with the family on v-day. I know, how romantic, but clearly Ryan and I are not exactly the "romantic" type. We are happiest when we have all of the kids around us, doing something that makes them happy. I am well aware that the day will come all to quickly that they will not all be here, and we will be left to celebrate days like this in a quiet, romantic place, but for now, this is what makes us happy! So, happy valentines day to all..I hope you enjoyed yours as much as we did!!

One of those days!!

2009-02-05T18:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was just one of those days!! You kow it is bad when you have to scoot your clean laundry down on the table so that your children can sit down to eat dinner! I was pretty sick yesterday...somehow I did not get the memo that you are not supposed to be throwing up anymore when you are 17 weeks pregnant!! ARGHH! So, we all kind of had to make the best out of it. As you can see..RJ is in his pajamas..still! From the night before:) And, I had to show you all what I actually threw together for dinner. I gave the kids a choice of eggs with pancakes (the frozen ones of course:)..or mac-n-cheese with applesauce and veggies. They all chose eggs with mac-n-cheese and applesauce. Does that count as a well rounded meal..a protien, a carb, with some dairy I might add, and a fruit..it was after all,all natural applesauce!! Haylee is not pictured here because she decided to eat in her room. She had a pretty "melting down about everything" kind of day, so we both thought it might be best for her just to spend the evening in her room, to get away from it all:) Who knew an 8 year old needed calgon too?!! Anyway, the next picture you can see Courtlyn screaming...something she had been doing on and off all day! You see..she is not getting one or two teeth in..she is getting 6! All at the same time. She is such a joy right now, let me tell ya. The final picture was one we took of Carson the other day. He was here and I was fixing Courtlyn's hair. He decided he too needed a bow..in fact he outright insisted on it! It was rather funny, and Ryan thought we needed a picture for his future wife:) At least this way we can get an idea of what Kristen's little girl might look like someday:) Things are slowly getting better..althought at this current moment Courtlyn (who is supposed to be sleeping) is screaming! The lazy mom in me has just sent Haylee in with a cup of warm milk laced with some Motrin for her pain, and Benadryl for my need to sleep! Ahh, now she is quiet! I love warm milk..it is terrible for me to send her to bed with a sippy cup..I know, but right now, I just dont care!! I did get to enjoy an evening of good t.v. last night. Of course, American Idol was on, so that is always fun for me to watch. But then, Life came back last night, and of course LOST!! Wow, some pretty major information came out last night...did you see who was still alive. I am holding out such hope that if he can still be alive, then so can Charlie!! Ahh..Charlie..I really want him back. Maybe someday, you never know with this show!! Well, I am off to finish that laundry that I started yesterday..someday I will have it all together..or at least be able to afford to pay someone else to make it look like I do!!

To end the night!

2009-01-27T20:49:00.000-08:00

So, after all of our going bonkers fun, we chose to lay low and do dinner and a movie at home!! Haylee and Grace surprisingly picked a Scooby Doo movie, and we picniced on the horse blanket with a fun meal. Grace decided to write up our menu on the new favorite toy around here....a dry erase board! Let me translate for you line by line! Living room, the, in, picnic (for some reason she started at the top with the end of the sentence..she meant picinic in the living room) Ok next...brownies..sweets, fruit(check mark) good for your body, chips(check mark) good for your body(we will need to work on that one:), sandwiches(final check mark) good for your body! Seriously, that was so funny I had to preserve it. She is learning so much at school, but the english language is so difficult! If only we could spell everything just like it sounds!! Then Haylee wanted to draw a picture of what she has recently been reading. She is working on reading the American Girl series of books to earn an American girl doll, and she is reading her very favorite ones yet! Kaya is a native american, and I think Haylee thinks that would be the best character she could wish for. They ride horses all day and live outside in tents...what could be better!! She actually wants the Kaya doll, and has a genuine interest in all things native american (ok..she calls them indians..is that politically incorrect??) Anyway..she really is quite the artist, which obviously came from her father!! I even had an art teacher in high school tell me I was not artistic or creative. Not like she was telling me something I did not already know, but they did not have a theater class at that high school, and I needed another fine art credit! Needless to say, though it made my mother mad, she was not far from the truth..I can hardly draw a straight line. Fortunately, their father is quite the artist, so it works out well for them. She gets rave reviews from all of her teachers at school, and she really likes drawing..horses mostly! I just love watching each of my children as their talents emmerge!! I still hope to have some athletic children..neither of which Ryan nor I were, but we want to work pretty hard to keep our kids healthy, and to create strong girls..and a boy:) who feel comfortable playing sports...at least at church!! We really feel strongly about it after we watched Oprah together from today( and I saw yesterdays!) I cant imagine what I would do if my children were so overweight..better encourage more stuff that is actually "good for our bodies" and less chips and brownies huh?? Well at least they did have fruit and ham and cheese sandwiches!!

We went Bonkers!!

2009-01-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday (which was Monday BTW) we decided to keep the kids home from school and have a family day. Ryan had Sun. night and Mon. night off which is rare, so he could spend the whole day with us:) We did what any sane parent would do..took them to a place where they could run around like crazy so that they would be super tired when we got home! They love a local place called "Going Bonkers" and were thrilled to be able to go. It is super fun for each of them, and RJ is big enough for the big mazes..not really old enough since it says the bigger mazes are for ages 4 and up, but he is pretty much the size of a 4 year old, so we figured it counts!! He loved it, and the girls enjoyed chasing him all around. Daddy even got in on some of the action, but unfortunately, someone had to stay grounded to take care of Courtlyn, so I willingly volunteered. It was several hours of fun, we even stupidly paid for their astronomically priced food!! It was good, but we could have had a good meal at a restraunt for that price!! They dont let you take your own food in any more, so next time, we will either eat before, or at least hit the McDonalds dollar menu first!! But they had fun, and we loved being with them..who knew we would have one..likely two more days off of school due to this stinkin ice storm coming. Ahh well, at least my kids will sleep in!!!

Miss Courtlyn

2009-01-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

OK, seriously, could she be any cuter?? Yesterday she decided that she needed to play us a tune..and she even graced us with a song! I am not sure at all what she was playing, or singing, but she was having a great time! She must have been feeling the Christmas spirit still, cuz she kept finding Christmas songs in our little song book! She was so funny..and so loud! But really, how can you say no to that face???? She is growing so much everyday! She repeats everything we say, throws herself on the floor to pitch some nice fits, plays pretty well with RJ now, eats almost anything we put in front of her, and is only 2 weeks away from going to nursery! OHHH..blessed day is all I can say about that. She really is sweet though, and is doing some pretty funny things, so we are quick to forget the naughty moments! We sure do love her, and cant imagine our family without her!

I'm a Big Kid Now....

2009-01-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

OK, really, is there anything cuter than a 2 year old in their first underwear!! (We are having to get used to that term, because clearly, they are NOT panties!!) I am shocked to say that RJ is doing remarkably well with potty training this week. Here is the thing...last week I thought I would ask him if he wanted to try, he agreed, and so he went a few times. That was enough to convince me that maybe he could do this...ok, that maybe I could do this! I have dreaded the thought of trying to potty train him..after all, boys are harder I hear, and he has a degree in testing my will to parent most days, so clearly this one thing could put us both over the edge. He wont be 3 until the end of May, so I really did not expect much at this point, but I am willing to try. He was completely dry all day yesterday! He went in several public bathrooms, and even woke up from a nap dry! One thing he does not have a handle on right now is the whole pooping thing, so we have dealt with that, but really, this is more than I expected from him, so I am not to bummed about that at the close of day 2. He did have 2 accidents today, mostly due to my lack of attention, but again, I am pretty relaxed about it all. I am struggling with the whole boy thing..which way should he sit..or should he just stand...and then, they actually have to aim!! I mean, I am trying to teach this kid how to hold himself and not make a mess everywhere. It is a joke honestly, but I am handling it pretty well!! He has a motorcylce waiting for him, when he finally does decide to poop in the potty, but really, if he would even tell me he needs a diaper or pull up for that, it would be better. Any sound advice out there from those moms who have conquered this feat with their little boy. The girls really were just different. And, he is not telling me he has to go yet (unless you count tonight when he got out of his bed and said he had to go potty!! He did go, but I am well aware of the bait and switch plan he had!!) But, again, I am OK with that for now, and hope that as time goes by, he will understand it. I dont want to push him, but I am also thinking I dont want to lose this momentum either!! Wish me luck!! Ohh, and I just thought I would throw out this picture of the big kids, as they all gathered around for American Idol 2009!! Obviously, Miss Haylee thinks this is the best show ever, and she fully intends to audition someday..we shall see about that in another 10 years or so:) But, it is fun to watch, and we are glad that it is usually a show we can all watch..although I was worried about whether I was going to have to explain the term "Sexual Chocolate" to my 5 and 8 year olds. Seriously, could they have said sexual one more time..I even fast forwarded it a bit, but it did not help much. Oh, and Haylee was disgusted by the girl in the bikini. She thought it was immodest for one thing, but also stated that her mom must have been so disappointed that she chose to be on TV looking like that!! She said that if she wanted people to believe she could sing, then she should dress nice and do a good job singing..it is a singing show after all, not a swim suit show, she reminded me. I am certain that if Grace had still been up, she would have been arguing with Miss Modesty, by declaring that it was pretty cute, and that her shoes were pretty, and her long hair! She and Haylee have a bit of a different opinion when it comes to things like that....all I can say is wish me luck!!

Old Standby's!

2009-01-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

Do you ever find yourself watching a movie or a t.v show that you have seen at least a hundred times, but you dont care! You flip through the channels, which are filled with lots of things you have never seen before. Things that could actually teach you something, or at least be new enough to entertain. But no...the minute you see your old standby on, you flip to the channel at watch the show/ movie like it was the first time. I am watching "A Walk to Remeber" on TBS..AGAIN!! I cant even say it is for the incredible acting, or for the riveting story line, really it is a pretty sappy, predictable, teen flick. But I love it..and I admit that I love it. And I am forgoing other very important matters, just because I am yet again, captivated by this silly little movie. I have a few of those, and they all seem to be some what of teen flicks..why is that. I cant resist the movie "10 Things I hate about you"(with Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles! Or that silly movie with Freddie Prinze Jr.,"She's All That." Seriously, they are terrible, but I am glued to the t.v.! Oh, and if I catch "Pretty Woman" on, you better believe I am watching it! And, how about "Steal Magnolias". I even cry every time..I know she is going to die..I have seen it..and for the most part I am not a crier in movies..but come on...Julia Roberts dies, and Sally Fields may be the best grieving mother ever!! It is a sickness I am sure. What is worse, is that I have taken the time to pause the movie, just to blog about it! Not to clean my kitchen, or to do my laundry, but to blog. Now I KNOW I have a sickness...at least share some of your favorite, "not so classics" to make me feel like I am in good company!! Ahh, the movie has come back on, and they are about to get married...AGAIN! Gotta go:)

Sleeping babies!

2009-01-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

These were just so cute, I had to share! Poor RJ did not adjust well to the recent time change for church. We now go at 11 am. which is great for me, but coming home in the middle of his usual nap time proved to be more than he could bear. He fell asleep on the way home, and though he said he wanted to eat on the way in, sitting him in the chair to keep him awake, proved to be futile! He was so stinkin' cute though!! Then there is our poor Courtlyn! She has had a pretty nasty cold since about Saturday, and has been great at making sure we all know she is miserable! No fever, just a pretty yucky cold. This is actually 2 nights ago, when we decided to put her in the pumpkin seat (you know the infant car seat) to sleep because when she laid down, she got so congested that she would just cough and cough. It was pretty funny to see her in there though, she looked enormous!! It has worked pretty well for the last two nights.. she still woke up, but I could just rock her back to sleep. I am hoping for some sleep tonight though. But, I am sure I speak too soon...RJ started the congestion etc today, and has told me at least a hundred times..in his whiniest voice, that he is sick! He asked to go to bed at about 7, after requesting some medicine of course, so we shall see. Wish me luck!

Reunited, and it feels so good!!!

2009-01-03T17:59:00.000-08:00

No one around here will likely understand my love for Jersey Mikes, but I just had to share!! In fact, the only person in my life that I know is keenly aware of how important this day is for me, is my dear friend Jennifer back in Ohio!! Jersey Mikes is a sub shop that I have gone to since my high school days in Ohio! After I graduated from HS, however, my love of this place only grew stronger! It has seen me through many theater dress rehearsals, a few dates, including to my now fabulous husband, early marraige, and 2 children. It was during those pregnancies that my affection for Jersey Mikes grew to the place it has in my heart now. I was..and still am...a pretty sick pregnant woman, but Haylee was the worst one! One of the few things that sounded good, and tasted just as good, was a sub from our favorite shop! Many lunches were had during that time, back when things were simple, and Jen only had her oldest daughter:) The best part was...I never threw up Jersey Mikes!! A turkey sandwich, with lettuce, tomato, and ranch dressing...sometimes with some bacon...along with a Dr.Pepper and a shared bag of doritos could make us some pretty happy girls. Jersey Mikes accompanied us on many pool trips during the summer, saw us both trough more pregnancies, and then d-day! The day we left Cincinnati and thus, left Jersey Mikes! For years..years I tell you, I have not had the pleasure of his company! I have suffered with 2 more pregnancies with out him..it has been a long road! I have cheated on him with the likes of Subway, and the New York Sub Hub, but nothing beats your first love!! About a month ago, when driving down a road not frequently traveled by us, in Lewisville, we spotted the sign! OH, the songs of joy..but it is not at all convenient to where we live..not far, maybe 15 minutes, but still! Well today was an 80 degree day, and I was feeling particularly ill! All I could think of was a sub..then I remembered..like a flash of brilliance in my mind...Jersey Mikes was open! Could I convince my husband that we needed to go?? Was it worth spending the money?? What a waste of a perfectly good afternoon, that should have been spend with the family cleaning up the yard! But, alas, Jersey Mikes won out in the end, and it was fabulous! FABULOUS I TELL YA! Who loves a sub place this much, clearly it is not a healthy relationship, but dont get between a pregnant woman and her food love! We capped it off with a great time at a park the kids have not been to in a while, but we love. Then, I realized that we were just up the street from another guilty pleasure..BAHAMA BUCKS! Umm, for those who are not aware of this place, it is only the best snow cone place in the world! But, ahh, the money..what a waste! It was 80 degrees though, and nothing tops of some Jersey Mikes like a good snow cone! (again, only Jen understands this need as well..the snow cone place up the street from jersey Mikes in Ohio was another big stop for us..black cherry with lemon mixed, I still get it everytime:)! Of course, again, my husband succomed to the pressure that is pleasing his pregnant wife, and off we went! We did all get the smallest size if that helps:) It was perfect..like the beginning of summer kind of perfect. It wont last, the cold weather will come, and I will only have my memories, but for today..I was a happy girl! (And, now that I know Jersey Mikes is just as good as I remembered it, any time, any one wants to go, I would be HAPPY to accompany you:)

Girls night...

2008-12-31T13:11:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from the girls night had at my house the other night. Haylee, Grace, Kyra and Ellie all slept over and played a ton! The dolls were well cared for that night...they had sleeping bags (and a tent), and each had a girl to care for them. The next day, Haylee got up and made a special breakfast all by herself..ok mostly by herself! She made chocolate chip pancakes, with a special ingredient (a tsp. of sugar:), and cut up strawberries. She served them with a bit of whipped cream, and the girls loved it! Then, they had to get themselves, and their dolls, ready for a big photo shoot, which was apparently happening in the back yard. Haylee took my old camera, and off they went to pose their models! I have yet to see those pics, but I may have to share if they are good! It has been a fun, busy, and exciting time around here. We have been out several times...including one night with just the adults! 7 0f the 8 siblings were there, with their spouses, and our parents! It was fun. I must admit, though, I am kinda looking forward to the laziness that is January!! I hope for NOTHING to be happening at all:) We will miss those who have to return to their homes though, and wish we could see everyone more often!!