Beautiful Chaos

And that's why I don't do crafts...

2011-03-02T13:49:00.001-08:00

I just had a very frustrating experience and I am going to vent here - If you don't want to read it, that's fine with me. I don't have PMS anymore (ONE good thing about having to have a hysterectomy at age 30!), but man I feel irritated right now. It's a combination of my eyes getting used to the contacts I got yesterday and the exerience I just had at Joann's craft store. Here's the story.

During the last week of January I saw a really cute idea for a Valentine's wreath from http://www.theidearoom.net/2010/01/felt-heart-wreath.html. (Sorry, for some reason my html link thingy isn't working so you'll have to cut & paste).

I thought it looked like a cute and simple project I could work on one night while watching a chic flick. I was actually excited because I haven't done anything crafty in awhile. I like to sew and quilt, but I often don't have time to work on a big project. I liked the idea of taking a few hours and completing a project that I could put on our front door and add to the joy of the lovey dovey holiday. All I needed to buy was a styrofoam heart wreath form and 3/4 yard of felt. Back in January I went to Joann's and bought some pretty fuschia felt and then searched the store for a heart wreath form. Ummmm, they were nowhere to be found. Apparently I'm not the only one in Orem, Utah with the heart wreath idea. So, I special ordered one and it was supposed to arrive a few days later. Fast forward to today...March 2nd...I still don't have a heart wreath form. I gave up on the idea when Valentine's Day came and went. I was disappointed, but I got over it...until today and the experience I had when I tried to get my money back.

So, I get to Joann's with my 6 year old son who just had two cavities filled at the dentist and our 2 yr old daughter who is already having a melt down for no apparent reason. I should have walked out the door right then, but I'm stubborn and I was already there, so I kept going. A return shouldn't take very long right? WRONG!!!!

I waited in line and I returned the nonexistent heart wreath form that yes, I had already paid for. Luckily I had saved the receipt in my big, fat George-like wallet (from Seinfeld, remember?) The problem came when I wanted to return the fabric. I had to get out of the return line and go wait in the endless line at the fabric cutting station to have my fabric measured and my receipt stamped before I could get my money back.

So I walked over to the cutting area, while carrying my crying 25 lb daughter, her care bear, and my heavy winter coat because I was breaking out in a sweat (it's 50 degrees out so I have no idea why I was wearing it). I grabbed number 26 and noticed that the number ticker thingy was already on number 18. So I only had to wait for 7 numbers before my own. That shouldn't take long, right? WRONG!!!! It took 40 minutes!!!! With a crying baby throwing a fit, that felt like an eternity!!!! There were only two workers measuring and cutting fabric, which isn't a big deal unless there is a mother-daughter pair hogging one of the workers and having 20 bolts of fabric measured and cut and making decisions and being wishy washy!!! Seriously! They were still there when my turn finally came and went.

And guess what... Joann's usually doesn't accept returns unless it is more than a yard. Ummm, excuse me? Couldn't the first cashier have told me that before I waited 40 minutes to have my 3/4 yard of felt measured? In my sassy old age, I am not accepting that and walking away, especially after waiting 6 weeks for a heart wreath form that never arrived, thanks to Joann's. You better bet I'm going to get my little receipt stamped. And I did. And I got my money back, all $5.78 of it!

I just don't think all of that hassle was worth it. And I realize...THAT'S WHY I DON'T DO CRAFTS!!!!!! I remember that it is a hassle almost every time I want to make something. I can't find what I am looking for or I have to wait forever to have fabric or ribbon cut. Does anyone else have this problem? Is this just a Utah problem or are fabric stores in the rest of the coutry as crowded? The mono-culture here kills me sometimes.

That being said, Brian and I are going to participate in the mono-culture tonight. We have tickets to the BYU men's basketball game! Go Jimmer!!! Maybe I can get some of my aggression out while I am screaming my head off in the Marriott Center...while wearing my glasses!!!!

If you have stretch marks, read this...

2011-02-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

I just read this and it brought new perspective to my tummy full of stretch marks. It is from http://www.mormonmommyblogs.com/2010/12/why-i-love-my-stretch-marks.html

"Do you remember that part in Gone With the Wind when Scarlet has just had her baby and is upset because Mammy can only get her corset laced up to 21 inches instead of her pre-pregnancy 19 inches ?

Mammy tells her, "Honey child, you done had a baby. You ain't never gun a be 19 inches again."

I think those are some of the wisest words of the entire show and lately they have been circulating through my mind a lot.

My little nursling will be 7 months old soon and my body is still not back to how it was before I was pregnant with her. Even though I've been back to my original weight for a few months (breastfeeding works wonders on my metabolism) my body is still different. I'm sure you wouldn't notice anything by looking at me, but I've lived in my body for a quarter of century and I can tell you that things aren't the same as before-- my hips are wider, my chest is a bit more saggy, my core muscles aren't quite as tight, and I have six purple marks on my side that remind me my belly really can stretch to an unfathomable size.

I just have to keep telling myself, "Heather child, you done had two babies. Your body ain't never gun a be the same again."

It has taken me awhile to come to terms with it, but it is true. No matter how hard I try my body is never gone to be the same as it was before I had my children. My children are literally parts of myself and they exist because my body sacrificed blood, cells, calcium, iron and millions of other particles to make them. I am literally missing pieces of my body that I will never be able to get back because they are now walking, talking, breathing, laughing, crying, and living in the form of two beautiful children. Becoming a mother, even if you don't physically give birth to a child, requires a huge sacrifice from your body and spirit. It is a sacrifice, that according to Elder Bruce C. Hafen of the First Quorum of the Seventy and his wife Marie K. Hafen, greatly parallels the sacrifice made by our Savior, they said:

"Just as a mother's body may be permanently marked with the signs of pregnancy and childbirth, [the Savior] said, 'I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands' (1 Ne. 21:15–16).

For both a mother and the Savior, those marks memorialize a wrenching sacrifice--the sacrifice of begetting life--for her, physical birth; for him, spiritual rebirth" It gives me strength to remember that just as Christ bears marks in his hands, feet and side as symbols of his blood sacrifice;

I too have stretch marks on my side that bear testimony to my sacrifice of blood and my willingness to bring life into the world. I find strength to go forward with my mothering by remembering that just as Christ's body was resurrected, making him complete physically and spiritually, that my body is constantly renewing itself and that one day I too will be complete, physically and spiritually. I also know that my joy is more full because of my children and that because of the sacrifice my body has made life will go forward and my family will go on eternally.

So for all the mothers our there I want to remind you to rejoice in your stretch marks, to be grateful for your extra weight and wider hips, to accept your c-section scar, and to find joy in the tired bags under your eyes because they are symbols of your sacrifice.

For all you who have yet to become mothers I want to remind you to rejoice in the blood you shed each month because it is a beautiful symbol of hope and it bears testimony to the promise of continuing life.

And for all you women who are struggling with loving and accepting your body I want to remind you that anything or anyone that belittles, exploits, demeans, or mistrusts your body is not from God. Your body is beautiful, mind boggling amazing, and so deeply symbolic of Christ. Also, remember that in the eternal scheme of things--"frankly my dear, no one will give a damn" if you had a 19 inch waist or not. If you are shocked by my swearing, you need to watch the end of Gone with the Wind."

I liked this post because I have had 3 babies and my body is never going to be the same. But, having my children is worth all of the internal damage my body sustained and required surgery to repair, every bit of saggy skin on my mid section that no amount of pilates will ever tighten enough, every scar, stretch mark, and worry wrinkle that are now a permanent part of my appearance. I am working on losing the last 20 pounds of baby weight (15 now!) that I have had off and on since my first pregnancy 8 years ago. I want to be active and healthy, but I don't want to obsess about my stretch marks anymore. They are ugly, but they are my battle scars and they remind me that yes, every sacrifice I make is worth it because I love our children. Besides, I don't need to wear a bikini anyways :).

My treadmill is my new best friend! I worked out 5 days this week for a total of 4 hours, 18 miles and 2300 calories burned! I have had more energy for taking care of our home and family. I have felt more positive and happy. And I have watched a lot of Oprah! It has been good to make time for myself.

Yay for Good Days!

2011-01-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for awhile. I just haven't felt like it to be honest :). Today was a good day. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill without stopping! I haven't done that since my surgery in Nov 2009. With the new year, I have a goal to run three times a week. I would like to compete in the Provo City half-marathon in May, but I'm not sure yet if I am capable of running that far or if my body can handle it.

Sammy stayed home from school today because he had a fever, cough, and sore throat. I had some one on one time with him while Holly took her nap and Josh was at kindergarten. We played Lego Harry Potter on the wii. We played for an hour and finished year one.

I have successfully kept the house clean for 4 days now. And I am doing my laundry tomorrow. I think I finally have a system that works for me. I have the laundry sorted (6-7 loads?) and one load is in the washer and will start automatically at 6:00 tomorrow morning - thanks to the timer on our washer. I take the laundry upstairs to fold since our bedrooms are on the top floor and it is easier for me to carry it that way. I fold in our bedroom while I watch The Biggest Loser, which I DVR every Tuesday night. Then I put the clothes away. I try to do it in one day or two if I have to, but I try not to drag it out any longer than two days. It has been nice to have a system and not feel the laundry nag everyday because laundry isn't really my thing.

I hear Sammy coughing right now. :( I was hoping he could go to school tomorrow. I think I will go see if he needs some cough medicine to help him get through the night.

Good night! I hope tomorrow will be good too.

Our Volcano

2010-03-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Sammy & Josh helped me make a volcano and then make it erupt. I did this as a project for a class I just finished. It was a lot of fun. I got the info from http://chemistry.about.com/b/2009/08/05/wordless-wednesday-chemical-volcano-eruption.htm

Happy Birthday Sammy!

2010-03-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

Sammy turned 7!

We just had a simple family birthday at home.

We do a big party for the kids on their even birthdays.

Sammy with his new clone trooper blaster. That boy loves Star Wars! I sometimes wonder when he will grow out of dress-up. He has such a vivid imagination! I love it!

Sugar Doll Award

2010-03-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

My sweet cousin, and fellow blogger, Elizabeth at http://cafelizbeth.blogspot.com gave me and my blog an award. Thanks, Elizabeth! I'm not sure that my blog warrants an award as I haven't updated it for a month, but I really appreciate it :). Now I am supposed to pass this award on to another blogger.

And the award goes to ..... my sister-in-law, Charlotte Brown at http://charlotteandjoebrown.blogspot.com/ for the beautiful stories she shares about mothering a child with special needs. Cha, you are an inspiration!

More Lemonade..

2010-02-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for First Grade Patriotic Programs and that I was able to go and watch and listen to Sammy as he loundly and proudly sang songs about our great country. He's such an intense little performer. He makes the funniest little faces. Oh, and he got kissed on the cheek by a girl in his class before the performance :).
Krispy Kreme - even though the doughnuts are fried and fattening, I love going with Brian and the kids when the "Hot Doughnut Now" light is on. We all love to watch the ride the doughnuts take on the doughnut machine as the dough proofs, rises, fries in oil, is flipped, dries a little, and takes an ride through an icing waterfall, eventually landing in our mouths. Yummy!

Making Lemonade...

2010-02-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

My dad has this saying that goes something like this: "When life gives you a lemon, make lemonade!" And then he usually forms the fingers of his hand into a "U" which means, "smile". It used to work when I was a kid and a teenager, but adulthood has kind of beaten the optimism out of me and now it just kind of drives me crazy. Like you can really just smile and everything will be okay...when your children are all crying and screaming at the same time and you only had 3 hours of sleep last night...or when you wake up to a huge mess that your children made making their own breakfast - ice cream and pink milk....or when they have poured syrup all over the carpets while you were taking a shower...Or more serious problems that many of us face financially, physically, and emotionally. Life throws us a lot of lemons. Can we really find the sugar and make lemonade? It is so delicious afterall - and it quenches our thirst so perfectly.

Well, I'm turning 31 in a few weeks and my year of being 30 had a lot of lemons in it that kind of sat around and rotted and didn't help anyone. It's time to turn over a new leaf. Starting now...in the winter...the hardest time for me (I get depressed and want to move to a warmer climate every February because I'm just DONE with the cold!). I am going to make lemonade everyday (Josh would be happy if he thought this was literal) and kind of make a gratitude list to help me get through the next few weeks until Spring. Because it's true - my dad is right. You can make good choices, but sometimes things just happen. Life throws you lemons. You can try to make the best out of it and maybe it will sweeten up your life a little. Optimism can go a long way.

This is what I am grateful for today:

Our pediatrician gave me prescriptions for all three of my children even though one of them was at school. Josh & Holly have ear infections and Sammy has had a terrible cough for a month. It saved me another trip to the doctor - and another $25 copay.
Simple things that make life easier. Macey's in Orem sells premade pizza crust - 4 personal size crusts for about $3. Brian used them in the pizzas he made tonight for dinner and it was easy and delicious! And it was so nice to have a break after taking care of sick kids since 4 am. And I'm grateful for a loving husband who volunteered to make dinner - while dancing with our baby, Holly, to some Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
Hobbies. I ignored the dishes and the laundry and spent an hour or so sewing baby blankets today. I really enjoy sewing and I don't take the time to do it. It is service - I donate them - and I enjoy making them.
Silky pajamas - even if they're polyester really. Warm enough and cool enough - basically just right for winter and summer. I'm comfy and ready to snuggle my honey and watch something on tv.
Hope. Hoping that I will get some sleep tonight and that tomorrow I will feel better. I just don't run well on empty. This girl needs some sleep or she's cranky!

Well, that's all I can do for now. My eyelids are getting heavier and I'm yawning as a I type. Here's to making lemonade and hoping that Spring comes soon!

Sick of Sickness...

2010-01-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

I am sitting in the basement with my poor little Sammy boy who has thrown up so many times today we have lost count. It is 10:30 pm. He is asleep on the couch and I am worrying about him since he is having a hard time keeping anything down. My poor family. We have been sick a lot lately. Brian and I both had the most horrendous cold last weekend. Since we moved into our new home in the middle of December, I have only been able to go to church 3 times because I have been sick or one of our kids has been sick and I have stayed home with them. I just feel so tired and run down. It has been really hard.

I was thinking about 2009 and figured out that 3 times during the year I had to recover for 2 months at a time from giving birth, having bladder surgery, and having a hysterectomy. So, that's 6 months out of 1 year that my body spent recovering. That is a lot to go through in a year physically and emotionally. 2009 was a really hard year for me, especially the emotional trauma of having to have a hysterectomy. It's hard for me to even think about it. It makes me really sad. I have some medication that helps me with that, but it is still hard for me to accept that I will never - in this life - have another little tiny baby and that my body is broken in a way that cannot be fixed.

This scripture has new meaning to me:

Matthew 9:20-22

"And, behold, a woman who was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour."

I believe in Jesus Christ and that He lives. Because of His resurrection, my body will be made whole again and I will be able to have children again in the eternities. Even though I am crying, just knowing that gives me comfort and peace. My body is the way it is for a reason. My trials will strengthen me and teach me. Everything will be okay. I just have to remember to have faith and trust Him, even though it is really, really hard right now.

Decisions and Dr. Laura...

2009-11-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

I wrote this November 22, 2009 and at the time, it was too personal for me to post, but after writing my post from today (January 23, 2010) I am ready now. It really is amazing how the Lord takes care of us when we rely on Him. Everything worked out - and for the best. Miracles happen.

A few days ago Brian called me and he sounded a little choked up. He asked me a strange question, "Honey, did you just call Dr. Laura?" I laughed and asked him what that was all about. He told me about a lady who called Dr. Laura in tears because she was having a hysterectomy in a few days and her life was so crazy that she hadn't had a chance to deal with all of the emotional issues and the finality of it. My husband was almost in tears because he really thought it was me and he felt horrible that I had felt like I couldn't talk to him and had called Dr. Laura. It was very sweet and I am blessed to have such a good man. He has held me in his arms, and stroked my hair, while I have had tears streaming down my face. He has given me comfort and love when I have needed it during these past few months of pain and decision.

Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on how you look at it - stress is a distraction) since I decided two months ago that a hysterectomy is the only option for my health problems, my life has been totally crazy. We put our house up for sale and it was under contract two days later. We really didn't think it would sell until the springtime and we were going to take it off the market before my surgery. So, we've spent the last few weeks packing, searching for a new house, and hoping that the sale of our house will go through even though the sellers keep trying to extend their due diligence and financing/appraisal deadlines. Already there have been 6 addendums added to the buyer's contract. We are supposed to close and be moved out of our house less than a week after my surgery. We really want to move and we love the house we have chosen and I am trying not to worry about it. I'm trying to have faith that it will all work out.

It has been more stress than we anticipated and I haven't had a chance to work through the issues and emotions of having my uterus removed - mostly the finality of never being able to become pregnant again. I'm sure the reality of it all will all come crashing down on me on this week when I am laying in a hospital bed and my uterus is in some hospital waste disposal bag somewhere. What I have to try to remember is that I know it is the right thing to do. I made this decision after much prayer and fasting. My body is the way it is for a reason even though I don't know what that reason is. I am not happy about it. It isn't what I would have chosen for myself, but I am willing to submit to the Lord. I know it will all work out. I feel a sense of urgency about it. I feel that something really bad will happen to me if I don't do this soon. I feel like I won't survive another pregnancy. We weren't planning on it for awhile, but we were planning to have one more baby.

I wanted one more baby. I wanted a baby with Brian's eyes. I know it sounds silly, but I really did. I love Brian's eyes. It was his eyes that sparked our first conversation about marriage. One Thanksgiving, many years ago, we were cuddling on the couch in my apartment looking into each other's eyes. I was thinking about what our children would look like and I pictured them with dark hair, dark skin, and beautiful, sparkling, green eyes like Brian. For some reason I blurted out, "I hope our children have your eyes," and then my eyes got really big, I blushed and put my hand over my mouth. I couldn't believe I had said that out loud. I will always remember Brian's smile and how he explained the genetic scientific probability of it. Then he said, "So, you've been thinking about us that way too." And the rest is history.

I am so grateful for my three beautiful blonde haired, blue eyed children. I love my children. They are wonderful. Each of them is different and special in their own way. They make me smile, laugh, and cry. I love being their mother. It is one of the greatest blessings in my life. Being a mother has it's challenges, but it is worth it. I am so proud of Sammy for overcoming obstacles and learning how to read. Joshy is a sweet little boy. He always gives me hugs and kisses and when he's in a good mood he can brighten the room and make everyone smile. Holly is a fiesty little thing, but she's also snuggly and sweet. She has a lot of personality, the boys do too. Our family has a lot of fun together. It's a dream come true.

It has been a blessing that they look like me. It has been one of the tender mercies of the Lord. Most people would probably be shocked to learn this about me, but I have always struggled with poor self esteem and poor self image - maybe even self loathing at times. They have helped me realize my own beauty. From about the time I was 6 until a year or so after Sammy was born, I had a very negative self image, so much so that it has been a detriment to my spirit and my attitude about life. For years I hated looking at myself in the mirror because I picked out all of my faults - my nose, my eyebrows, my skin, my hair. It became worse when I went to BYU and all the girls were so perfect, skinny, and wore designer clothes. I always thought I was lucky that Brian saw past my boring appearance and my thrift shop clothes.

Sammy changed all of that for me. Everyone, even strangers, would comment on how gorgeous he is. A few strangers have even asked if they could take a picture with him because he is so cute. I remember a specific moment, while watching our wedding video - the one we played at our reception with pictures from our childhood up until we met. Family members watched and said, "Sammy looks just like you!" It hit me. They were right. He does look just like me. He is gorgeous, so I must be beautiful too. If he had dark hair, dark skin, and green eyes like Brian, I never would have realized that about myself and that has been a huge blessing. I don't even think about my image anymore. I don't love myself when I look in the mirror yet, but I don't hate myself either. I don't even think about it. I get myself ready and sometimes I even think that I look pretty and I am amazed by it and I wonder how it happened.

Still, I am left feeling a little like my body is broken and it is hard to deal with it in the craziness and confusion of packing and moving. I know that the issues with my body will work out and that it is God's will. I don't know if our move will work out and I'm stressed about that. Brian and I both really want to move. We really hope the sale of our house goes through and that we are making the right decisions. It's tough making all of these huge decisions at once. I want to pull my hair out! I just have to keep thinking, "It will be okay. It will be okay. Calm down. Breathe."

This is going to be one crazy week, one Thanksgiving we will always remember - not for the feast, but for all that happened surrounding it. When I don't let myself feel scared, I have comfort and peace in my heart. Brian and my brothers are going to give me a priesthood blessing tonight. I know everything is going to be okay. I'm just walking forward with faith relying upon the Lord and knowing that he'll take care of me, my family, and our housing situation one way or another. I have never depended so much on Him, but I know He's there. It really is going to be okay.

Changes...

2009-11-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

It has been months since I have posted. Since May, I think? I am not going to catch up, but I will say that life is very good. As far as the ADHD, we have it under control. Sammy and Josh are doing so well. Their medication has made a huge difference. Sammy is doing very well in school. He is reading above grade level and he consistently gets all of the words right on his weekly spelling tests. There is no longer the struggle to do homework or sit down with a book and read. He can focus and concentrate. It is a miracle. I am so proud of him. Joshy is doing very well too. He is much less moody and demanding. I have my happy boy back. Some may be skeptical about medication, and you can judge me, but I don't care. My boys are happy and doing well. I have peace in my home again.

Holly is a beautiful almost 11 month old. She has strawberry blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. She bring such a sweet and happy spirit into our home. We love her so much.

Now for the changes. A month ago we decided to update our kitchen. We had pink formica countertops and natural oak cabinets. We peeled off the formica and laid down black, granite tile. We put in a slate brick tile back splask. And we painted the cabinets white. It's like a new kitchen.

I don't have a "before" picture, but trust me, the pink countertops were bad.

We have been thinking about selling our house for awhile for many reasons. One being that interest rates are really low right now making it a great time to upgrade. We decided to list it this week, but only for 30 days. It was on the MLS for 2 days and 1 couple looked at it and is making an offer that we are considering. Holy cow! That happened so fast. If it all works out, we will need to find a different house soon. And we aren't even sure where we should look.

I am also scheduled to have surgery during the week of Thanksgiving. I have been having some problems and I have decided to have a hysterectomy. It was a very hard decision to make, but I know it is the right thing to do. It's wierd that so many big decisions are happening right now.

I know that everything will work out. I know that the Lord has His hand in our lives right now and I know that He will guide us.

Vacation Pictures!

2009-05-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

My family with Tigger.

My boys and my husband LOVE the Lego Store in Downtown Disney!

Fun times making silly pictures with cousins.

Brian and the boys in front of the castle at night.

We drove down to Carlsbad to visit Scott & Leslie. This is Brian and I at the beach. Thanks to Scott for taking this picture of us.

Me and my buddy, Josh. I love his smile!

So, Things are Getting Better...

2009-05-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to keep up with this blog. We just got back from a quick, and much needed, vacation to California. We went to Disneyland for a day, the beach for a day with Brian's brother Scott and their boys, and then back to Disneyland with my brother, Joe, and his family. Wow! It was so much fun! I feel like we pressed a restart button for my little family. We've been so stressed and fighting so much with the kids lately that it was awesome to get away from it all and just go and have fun. We stayed at a hotel with comfy beds and a full breakfast bar in the morning. I got a break from cleaning anf doing laundry for 5 days! And I had a chance to really pay attention to Sam and Josh and notice how the ADHD medication affects them. With Sammy, it definately helps with his impulsiveness and crazy wild rowdiness. It calms him down. However, with Josh, I noticed that he just seemed sad and he wasn't the same old happy Joshy until his medication wore off. So, yesterday I didn't give him the Adderall and I really paid attention to his mood and he was better. So I'm a little confused about Josh. I think I'll just not give him the medication for now and see how he is. Maybe he was just responding to Sammy's craziness.

Anyways, we all had a great time! The boys were so brave. They even rode Grizzly Rapids! They went to the Haunted Mansion and the Tiki Room and they were scared of those the last time we went to D Land. We love Disneyland. I'll post some pictures later.

I'm just glad to be back to our happy family again.

It's been awhile....

2009-04-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

I admit that I have not been keeping up with this blog very well. I sometimes go through periods of feeling self conscious and I don't feel like putting my life out there for all to read about and possibly criticize. I realized today that maybe doing this blog will be somewhat cathartic and help someone else too.

I googled something today and a stranger's blog came up (http://prettyorganizedpalace.blogspot.com/) and just reading it gave me a boost. The post was about being a stay at home mom and how it is the most important job. I believe that and I am grateful that Brian is able to support our family financially on his income alone so that I can stay at home. However, I have had times when I have wished that I had studied something like law or medicine. I know I could've done it and I would have been good at it too. I think I would have received great satisfaction from a job well done and pats on the back through reviews, bonuses, raises, even a fat paycheck. Being a stay at home mom is hard. It's really tough. It's really, really, really hard. It is teaching me a lot about being unselfish. I don't have time to think about myself - or even shower for that matter. It seems that I am always running to and fro getting something for the kids every five minutes, making dinner, cleaning up messes, doing laundry, feeding, the baby, answering the phone or the door, and countless other things. It can be emotionall and physically exhausting. But I know it is the most important thing I will ever do in my life, and although it is hard, there will be huge payoffs in the future. And for now, I am paid with hugs and kisses. I am paid with the simple satisfaction of knowing that nobody can replace me. My calling in my life is to be the mother of my children. And they need me.

I turned 30 yesterday and the week leading up to my birthday was a rough one. I think I cried my eyes out 3 nights in a row. My poor, sweet husband is so loving and supportive. He helps me tremendously with the burdens I bare in raising our boys. We recently found out that both Sammy and Josh have ADHD and Oppositional Defiance Disorder. While I love my boys and they are very sweet at times, being their mother is extremely demanding and very tiring. It is a constant battle to keep peace in my home because Sammy and Josh tease and fight with each other almost nonstop. If they are in the same room together it is likely that one of them is bothering the other and the other is yelling, hitting, or whining. I am a constant conflict manager. I never imagined my home would be like this. I try to do everything I am supposed to do. I make healthy meals and snacks with whole grains, fruits and vegetables. I try to limit sugar intake. I limit tv and video game time. I read to my children daily and encourage them to play with toys that spark creativity and imagination (dress up, Legos, blocks, painting, puzzles, drawing, etc.). Having my kids behave the way they do often makes me feel like a failure, when I work really really hard to be a good mother and give them the things they need by way of time an attention.

It's frustrating when I read literature that suggests that ADHD and ODD are caused by poor parenting in oneway or another. It increases my feelings of failure and it isn't true. It's genetic and it is something that will last the rest of their lives. It is also seriously misunderstood in the eyes of the public. I'm trying to learn more about it and as I do, I will share.

Memory Game

2008-07-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

The Boredom is Beginning to Get to Us - All of Us!

2008-07-22T18:16:00.001-07:00

This is Sammy wearing an "Indiana Jones" mask that he made today. He was inspired by a book that we read about a boy who makes a Halloween monster mask. His mask looks more like a monster than Indiana Jones, but he likes it. He is chasing Josh with a whisk and a spatula. Wow! We are really bored. Kindergarten begins August 27th! I hope we can make it until then!

My first Smilebox Slideshow - We'll see if this works...

2008-07-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I'm back!

2008-07-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

So, I had a blog awhile ago, but I decided to delete it one day because I was scared some psycho would track down my cute little boys and take them from me. But, it is so much fun sharing our adventures with everyone and I think I can make this blog private. I'll have to find out. Anyways, I just want to say hello again to everyone (mostly my family and friends) who like to keep up with our silly stories and outings. Being a mom can be really challenging, but when I remember the good times I tend to forget the bad. Hope you enjoy!

Consider this the blog archive of "Our Little Piece of Heaven"

2008-07-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

So, I had a blog a few years ago and I took it down before blogspot created the privacy feature and any old creep could read my blog and comment about my kids. I wish I had just been patient for a few more months so I could have just imported the blog, but I didn't. I saved it as a word document. Oh well. I found this today and decided to repost it because it's hilarious and I love reading it. I can't figure out how to get the pictures over too without transferring all of them one at a time - and I just don't have time for that now. And the formatting kind of stinks too. Oh well, there are some funny stories in there if you want to read them.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005
What's up with the bass?
Brian and I recently began watching INXS:Rockstar and have decided that it is much better than American Idol. We have only watched it twice and we’re hooked! Last night was the concert show and Brian cranked up the bass. We like it when our house is thumpin’! That’s when we heard our subwoofer vibrating like a bad low rider. Brian and I looked at each other and realized that Sammy had found a new hiding place for his treasures. Unfortunately for Sammy, the subwoofer was actually a black hole. Once he put a toy in there, it was stuck inside the depths of the big, black box waiting to make a vibration, or in other words, a call for rescue. And what a rescue it was! After about fifteen minutes of shaking and turning the subwoofer, Brian pulled out two trains, half a deck of cards, eight hot wheels, a rubber ducky, four large marbles, and a ball! Becky
becky said...
Just checking to see if "commenting" works.
8:54 PM
Melissa said...
LoL! Thanks for the info, Becky!It's good to hear from you, and I enjoy getting your pics. I am so happy for you and your family. You guys sound like you have a blast.Melissa (Young)
9:45 PM
Anonymous said...
Funny! I am having the same trouble with cars and stuff in the plants. I am sure Sammy is just trying to keep stuff away from Joshie. We love our boys. Grama Doot Doot
4:09 PM
Monday, August 22, 2005
Monkeys and the Monster in the Mirror
The other night Brian and I were watching an old Hitchcock movie together after we had put our kids to bed. After awhile, we heard Sammy crying and we went upstairs to check on him. We suspected that he had crawled on top of his bookcase again and had gotten stuck there. Or maybe he had closed himself in his closet. But, we were wrong. Sammy was in bed crying pitifully. It made us very sad to see our little guy frightened and crying. We could see that his hand was bothering him because he was shaking and rubbing it. It looked like he had fallen asleep on top of his hand while his wrist was bent. When we asked him what was wrong, he said through his tears, "A monkey got my hand. A monkey got it!" I guess we have been watching too much of The Jungle Book.Josh can only say three things - Ma, Da, and Ah duh (all done). His real expertise is growling. He loves to crawl around the house and growl like a little monster, preferably while chasing Sammy and making him laugh. We don't really know where he got this from. He has such a sweet, easy going personality. The growling little monster just doesn't fit him.Well, Josh has been practicing his growl. I caught him in the act one day last week. It was about time for him to wake up from his morning nap. I thought I heard a sound coming from his room and I walked quietly upstairs to check on him. Outside his door I heard him growling loudly. I paused, but the growling continued. I cracked the door open and what I saw still makes me laugh. Joshy had his chubby little face plastered to the crib mirror. He was growling over and over again as loud as he could at his own reflection!Becky
chrissy said...
i put a link to your website. i hope that's ok :)i miss those boys....
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Five New Uses for Yogurt
Sammy will only eat food that he likes. This list is limited to fruit snacks, marshmallows, chocolate chips, and cookies (it's no wonder he bounces off the wall all day, but come on - he was in the 3% for weight at his 2 year check-up - the kid has to eat something). I thought I would try yogurt because he will eat it on occasion and it is a healthy snack - please believe that I try to feed him healthy foods! While Sammy was "eating" his yogurt, Josh woke up from his nap. During the three minutes I was upstairs with Josh, Sammy had come up with his own uses for yogurt.HAIR GEL
FACE CREAM
FURNITURE POLISHCARPET CLEANERFINGER PAINTI don't see HEALTHY SNACK on the list, do you?I have to admit that I get discouraged sometimes. I know Sammy is a little wild, but he is a good, sweet kid. Other parents probably think I'm a disaster with my helmeted baby in one arm growling and my two year old running around screaming like a hyena on crack. I think I've signed up for a very tough job - motherhood. But, it's the only job I want to be doing right now. The tender moments I have with my two sweet boys make up for the difficult, crazy times. And although I can't encourage his bad behavior by laughing in front of him, seeing Sammy with yogurt all over his hair and his face was actually very funny. I am reminded of a saying that I want to mount on my wall:LIVE WELL, LAUGH OFTEN, LOVE MUCHBecky

Adam said...
Good saying! I wish I could've seen that yogurt face...
Brian & Super Josh
posted by becky @ 8:18 PM 0 comments
Josh & Sam with their tissue paper Superman capes (it was Brian's idea)
posted by becky @ 8:16 PM 0 comments
Let me explain...
Today I figured out how to post pictures on the blog. I just wanted to give some background info and a little explanation.Basically, we were all bored and Sammy found some tissue paper left over from Tottie's birthday party. Sammy has really been into Buzz Lightyear (Buzz li-lee as Sammy says it) and flying lately. So, Brian asked him if he wanted to fly and made tissue paper capes, meaning that he stuffed tissue paper down the back of their shirts, nothing fancy.The boys went crazy. They ran around making flying sounds for at least 10 minutes (which is a long stint for them). We got it on video and snapped a few pictures. It was hilarious.Becky
chrissy said...
"To infinity and beyond!"cute boys...Is Josh walking?

"To infinity and beyond!"cute boys...Is Josh walking?
6:56 AM
becky said...
Josh is trying really hard to walk, but he isn't walking on his own yet! He's growing so fast!
5:56 PM
Today I figured out how to post pictures on the blog. I just wanted to give some background info and a little explanation.Basically, we were all bored and Sammy found some tissue paper left over from Tottie's birthday party. Sammy has really been into Buzz Lightyear (Buzz li-lee as Sammy says it) and flying lately. So, Brian asked him if he wanted to fly and made tissue paper capes, meaning that he stuffed tissue paper down the back of their shirts, nothing fancy.The boys went crazy. They ran around making flying sounds for at least 10 minutes (which is a long stint for them). We got it on video and snapped a few pictures. It was hilarious.Becky
posted by becky at 7:20 PM on Sep 03 2005

Super Sam and Super Josh to the rescue!
posted by becky @ 8:12 PM 0 comments
Becky & Josh
Bean Bag Chairs are the DEVIL
The pictures pretty much tell the story, but not all of it. What you see is exactly what I saw when I went to check on Sammy who was supposed to be taking a nap. It had been a rough day and I was looking forward to taking a nap and having some time to myself.Well, that didn't happen. Sammy, the tricky little monster, had figured out how to unzip the two zippers on his cute little log shaped bean bag chair and he dumped it out all over his room. It was "snow" and he loved it. I even played in it with him for a little while before starting to clean it up.After only 10 seconds our meager little vacuum was clogged. I walked next door to borrow my neighbor's shop vacuum. I made a tragic mistake - I left Sammy's door open! When I got back there were little Styrofoam balls all over the house - even in the toilet!!!Wow! It took 3 hours to clean it up and we are still finding them throughout the house and up Sammy's nose.A word to the wise - don't buy ANYTHING containing Styrofoam balls despite how cute it is or how perfectly it fits the decor. This was a small child sized bean bag chair people - not a "love sac." Don't be fooled. The slight chance that you might have to spend 3 hours cleaning up the mess is just not worth it - trust me!!!!!
Anonymous said...
This is so funny. Don't get discouraged. Sammy is a bright little boy much like every other little boy. Who knows, he might be famous someday and we can torture him with this. hee hee
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Styrofoam Pox
posted by becky @ 5:47 PM 2 comments
Heather said...
awesome.
12:59 PM
chrissy said...
whew...i giggled a lot, and a long time when i saw this. oh the funny....
6:49 PM

Sammy with the "snow"
posted by becky @ 5:27 PM 0 comments
Sammy and the exploding bean bag chair.
Adam said...
Wow! what a mess. looks like fun! heheheheeeee....
7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Thanks for sharing.
11:44 AM
It's been awhile
We have all been sick for the past few weeks. Brian had a sinus infection. Josh has Croup. Sammy has two ear infections. I'm not sure what I have, but I feel crappy. I thought I should write a little bit so I don't lose my audience. Brian and I went on a date Friday night. We went out to eat Mexican, played our favorite arcade game, Jurassic Park, and watched The Corpse Bride. It was nice to feel like an adult again. I loved the movie. The music was great. Danny Elfman has mad skills. If you haven't seen it yet, you really should soon so you can get into the excitement of Halloween. Brian and I love Halloween. Actually, we love Fall. I think it has something to do with the time of year we met and our first date being a haunted corn maze. Well, Sammy is pulling my arm and saying, "Mama, go." So I guess my time is up and it is nap time for the boys.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Here Comes Halloween!!!!!!
We are excited for Halloween! We woke our kids up one night and took them to the grocery store to pick out pumpkins. Sammy wanted a white pumpkin, which he promtply painted when we got home. Josh picked out a cute little pumpkin with a long stem. He mostly just chewed on the stem. Brian had the craving to carve. He's working on a really awesome witch pumpkin using a wood-carving method.We've had Halloween decorations up since the beginning of September and we add new decorations almost every week. I have always liked Halloween. Dressing up, watching scary movies, trick-or-treating, going to parties, and eating candy. It's a FUN holiday.I thought my family knew how to celebrate Halloween. Afterall we lived Halloween almost everyday. I grew up in a haunted farm house built in 1880 in the middle-of-nowhere, NC. I had many scary and disturbing experiences growing up. These are true stories.Playing murder in the dark amongst real ghosts was especially freaky. Imagine being naked in the shower in the bathroom of a house with NO heat and finding on the shower curtain a fuzzy spider the size of a cereal bowl covered with creepy crawly baby spiders. NOT FUN! And then there was the time I was trying to stay warm under my covers and I felt something squishy by my toes. It was a dead mouse - in my bed. We found a bat crawling down the hall and a black snake wrapped around the banister right outside of my room. There were rumors that an old sword was hidden in our house, of murders that had occurred there, and even of treasure hiding deep in the old well on our back porch (the kind of well with a bucket and a rope - not the modern kind connected to pipes). I had to convince myself that the sounds I heard during the night were critters crawling through the broken heating system or in the attic and not an unsettled spirit coming to get me.I don't really know why, but my brother used to have a cow doormat outside of his room that made a "Moo" sound whenever a person stepped on it. One night we kept hearing a "Moo" sound coming from upstairs. Everytime we walked upstairs and looked at the mat, the "moo" sound would stop. When we went back downstairs, the "moo" sound would start again until we went back upstairs to see if anything was standing on it. There never was. We think it was a ghost because we never saw anything on the mat and it still made the "moo" sound.My little brother saw a ghost girl wearing a tank top, booty shorts, and a pony tail. He saw her walk into the bathroom. He thought it was my sister. He was really freaked out when he found my sister in the living room. I find it funny that the ghost was wearing booty shorts, but David gets so freaked out whenever he talks about it that I believe him.My family hosted the church Halloween party at our house. We had a spook alley and a lot of games. My brother and I went around town doing pranks, such as switching around the high school marqee to say "Lice in My Ears" instead of "Alice in Wonderland" and something about sports. I dressed up for school and went to parties I probably shouldn't have gone to.I thought I knew how to celebrate Halloween - until I met Brian and his Halloween-LOVING family.The first time I met Brian's parents and most of his siblings was at their annual family Halloween party which was held in a barn decorated with about 30 of the most intricately carved pumpkins I had ever seen. Our beloved Maga and Papa were dressed as Ike and Tina Turner! Brian's sisters were dressed as Zena, Sleeping Beauty, and a cat. His brother was Rod Stewart. Sleeping Beauty's husband was dressed as Malificent. I had, at the last minute, donned an old high school dance costume, platform shoes, covered a watergun with aluminum foil, and sprayed my hair with glitter to become a "space queen". I had no idea that my last minute decision to go to the party that night would change my life. That was the night that I finally got Brian to notice me. Six months and a week later I became a part of this Halloween loving family.Brian and I now have two children who love all things Halloween. We knew it was true when the grumpy tiredness of being woken up became giddy laughter when we mentioned a trip to pick out pumpkins.
posted by becky @ 10:30 AM 3 comments
Sammy painting his white pumpkin
posted by becky @ 10:28 AM 1 comments
Josh with his pumpkin
chrissy said...
welcome to the fam. becky. :)evie is being max from wild things this year. and mike is being dracula. you know he's got the widow's peak, PLUS he can make real fangs now. OH SHOOKA SHOOKAi plan on being his victim.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Josh in the Dirt. Payson Lakes, UT. October 2005.
posted by becky @ 11:59 AM 0 comments
Brian & Sammy. Payson Lakes, UT. October 2005.
posted by becky @ 11:56 AM 0 comments
Becky & Josh. Payson Lakes, UT. October 2005.
posted by becky @ 11:53 AM 0 comments
Sammy throwing rocks. Payson Lakes. October 2005.
posted by becky @ 11:45 AM 0 comments
Weekly Gems
Sammy has learned to blow bubbles with his spit. Great.Josh stood on his own! (for about 3 seconds)We took our kids to Hee Haw Farms where we
walked through a corn mazeshot a corn cannon (it made both of our kids cry!)went on a hayrideBrian & Sammy vs. Becky & Josh. We raced around on adult-sized “Big Wheels”. Actually, they were more like go-carts with pedals. I could not stop laughing. It was so much fun. I need one of those. It brings out the redneck in me even though Brian kicked my butt – I was too paranoid of having a crash with Josh on my lap.We saw a pig as big as our car. His name is Leroy. He grossed me out. He just laid there snorting like pigs do. But I’m not sure he could get up without assistance. If he were to shop at Wal-Mart he would definitely need a Jazzy-chair.I sat on a hay bale with Josh and watched my sweet husband be a great father. He pushed Sammy on a little racecar around a little dirt racetrack at least 10 times while Sammy said, “Faster, Daddy, faster!” It almost makes me cry thinking about it. I think it is one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen.We took our kids up into the mountains to Payson Lakes. It was beautiful even though we missed most of the Fall colors. We had a picnic. Brian skipped rocks. Sammy threw rocks in the water. Josh ate some rocks. I took a few pictures. We saw about twenty deer in a meadow.
Sammy & Josh went to their first kids Halloween party dressed as monkeys. We were going to take them to “Boo at the Zoo” on Saturday, but we have to get our water softener fixed before we are poisoned by the tiny gold crystals it is putting into our water. Saturday morning is the next available appointment. I’m disappointed, but at least we’ll have more time to get ready for our Halloween Party! It’s gonna be a good one!Becky
posted by becky @ 11:13 AM 0 comments
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Close-up of Brian's Jack-o-Lantern (Arr matey, he's getting pretty good, aye!)
posted by becky @ 9:26 AM 0 comments
Brian's pirate pumpkin
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Our Halloween
Halloween was FABULOUS! My family came over for a party on Saturday and pumpkin carving on Sunday. We had a great time. Brian and I took Sammy and Josh trick-or-treating in our neighborhood last night. It was the first time for both of them and they were cute in their monkey costumes. Sammy called it “Little Einsteins trick-or-treating” Little Einsteins is one of his favorite shows. It comes on the Disney channel. The Halloween special focused on a catchy trick-or-treating song set to a tune by Edvard Grieg “We are here to trick-or-treat, trick-or-treat, trick-or-treat. We are here to trick-or treat, oh Happy Halloween!” Sammy even sang the song a few times.After trick-or-treating, we came home to eat pizza and hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters. We saw some sweet costumes. Napoleon Dynamite, Elmo, and Legolas were some of my favorites. Sammy loved answering the door with me. He was under the impression that when the trick-or-treaters were choosing a candy that he could choose a candy too! He had a collection of twice-licked Dumdums and half-chewed Starbursts on the couch.I was pleasantly surprised when three of my former fourth grade students knocked on our door. It was nice to see them. I remembered them as short, shy, sweet little fourth graders who always gave me a hug before leaving for the day. They are still sweet, but now they are almost teenagers in seventh grade going through puberty! My, how time flies! I am pleased that they remembered me with a smile and talked with me for a few minutes on our front porch.I hope you all had a nice Halloween too! Click on the links below if you want to see pictures from the party, pumpkin carving, and glow stick fun! Enjoy.Beckyhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/beckyandbrian/
Adam said...
You are looking hot in your costume, sis! Love you!!
5:55 PM
becky said...
Thanks bro! (If you can believe it, I wore that costume in my high school dance company! It makes a good disco costume. I'm just happy I can fit in it again after having two kids!)
9:16 AM
chrissy said...
where's my monkey pics? i want to see your cute boys... you two, and your pumpkins look great. Wish we could've been there with you.
9:08 AM
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Our two little monkey boys all dressed up for trick-or-treating.
posted by becky @ 10:09 AM 2 comments
Ayatollah Mugsy said...
In the humble opinion of this canine imam, those are some adorable monkey boys.
10:22 AM
Rachael said...
I think Brian looks more excited then the boys! HA!
10:25 PM

Attack of the KILLER MONKEYS!!!
posted by becky @ 10:06 AM 0 comments
Ooo-oo-AH-AH! Monkey Josh
KayseaLove said...
Ohhhhhh sooooooooo cuteeeeeeee! Thanks for sharing!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Pushing My Buttons
I encountered two obstacles while trying to do the laundry today. Sammy and Josh, the troublesome pair, were both trying to pull the folded clothes off the couch. I said sweetly to Josh in my mommy tone, “No, no Joshy.” He promptly crawled over to the window to play with the blinds. After telling Sammy, “No!” several times, he continued his naughty behavior. He even began to crawl and talk like Josh hoping that I would use my mommy voice and treat him like a baby. With a hint of frustration in my voice I said to him, “YOU'RE PUSHING MY BUTTONS, MISTER!” Sammy looked up at me with those deep blue eyes, laughed, crawled onto my lap, and with one of his tiny fingers and a teasing smile, he slowly and deliberately pushed every button on my shirt!
Anonymous said...
What an obedient child he is.
9:47 AM
Becky said...
Hee hee!
9:47 AM
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
I tried to snap a picture of Joshy's first haircut. At least Josh is holding still!
posted by becky @ 1:59 PM 2 comments
Brian and Sammy painting the racecars they built together.
Rachael said...
Awww, He looks so cute Becky! So after hearing about your blog, and having no life. I searched google and found it! Yeah I am totally a stalker.Anyway I loved al lthe picturs. Josh and Sammy are so cute! See ya later!
10:24 PM
Anonymous said...
He is so cute. He has transformed into our little boy Joshy, no longer a baby.
9:51 AM
Just say NO!
Do you ever have moments when you begin to think that you might be going crazy? This morning my neighbor called and asked if I would watch her 2 little boys for an hour while she went walking. So you might be thinking, "2 more little boys for an hour. That's not a big deal." But, I didn't really want to do it since I already had a little girl and two other little boys I tend regularly for a little extra money. Apparently I don't have the ability to say, "No," or even, "I am already tending 3 extra kids." Instead I said, "No problem. Send them over. It will be fun."FUN? SEVEN kids under the age of 5, including 1 baby who ALWAYS has a poopy diaper? Whu-WHAT WAS I THINKING? FUN would have been swapping places with my neighbor and going on the walk (since it is BEAUTIFUL outside today with the snow-capped mountains). That's where the part about being crazy comes in. Brian and I both have the "get along gang syndrome" where we would rather put ourselves in a stressful situation than say No. It happens quite often. We tend to be the "peacemakers" and it is starting to get old for both of us.How does it work for NORMAL people who don't feel bad or selfish for saying NO?Can't we be NICE people and JUST SAY NO?
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Sammy playing in the leaves (He was so sad after we cleaned them up. He kept saying,"Don't put away. Don't put a-way-ee!"
posted by becky @ 9:30 AM 1 comments
Josh playing in the leaves
Thursday, December 08, 2005
"Think of a Magical Thought...."
I have my mind on our upcoming vacation, but before we leave I thought I would write. We have been really busy since Thanksgiving. Brian and I hosted my family for Thanksgiving dinner (minus my brother, Adam and my dad. We missed you both very much!) It's always fun when we get together.Brian's little sister, Chrissy, flew in from Cleveland with her 21 month old daugter, Evie. It was great to see them. They left yesterday and I wish we could've spent more time with them. I don't know when we'll see them again. It's tough having family spread across the US. We miss you all!We saw the new Harry Potter movie and I loved it. You-know-who was a freak show though. He was frightening, but just as I had imagined him. Very evil - especially his snakelike nose and pointy, fanged teeth.We wanted to spread the Christmas cheer early this year, so I made about 300 caramel/chocolate dipped pretzel sticks to give as gifts to our neighbors and friends. Last year, I made toffee and homemade caramel. I think the pretzels are much easier. We delivered them last night and it was freezing outside!!!!! Brian made hot cocoa and a sandwich for me when we got home. (He is so sweet!) We are leaving tomorrow for California. We haven't been on vacation for over 2 years when we went camping in Yellow Stone with my mom. We have been planning this vacation for a few months and we are so excited. We're going to hang out with Scott, Leslie, their kids, Heather & Grandma King, go to the beach, the zoo, Sea World, Knotts Berry Farm, & 3 days of Disneyland. I think all of my brothers and sisters are going to meet at Disneyland. Good times. I'm sure I'll have many funny stories to share. I'll post some pictures when we get back.Happy Holidays Everybody!Love ya!Becky
posted by becky @ 10:46 AM 0 comments
What snowman is complete without a nose? (Special thanks goes to Maga for the "snowman kit")
posted by becky @ 10:42 AM 2 comments
Heather said...
cutest pictures EVER.
10:51 AM
chrissy said...
have fun in disneyland. you know i'm dying to be there with you.
9:31 PM

Sammy Hugging His Snowman
posted by becky @ 10:38 AM 0 comments
Becky & Josh in the Snow
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Sammy & Brian riding the Buzz Lightyear ride (This is Sammy's favorite ride - I think he rode it at least 10 times!)
posted by becky @ 1:09 PM 0 comments
Becky & Sammy riding a ride at Disneyland
posted by becky @ 1:04 PM 0 comments
Brian & Sammy on the Merry-Go-Round at the Wild Animal Park
posted by becky @ 1:00 PM 0 comments
Joshy at the beach
Rachael said...
Awww! Welcome back! Looks like you guys had so much fun. I love all the pictures, especially Joshy at the Beach!
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Hello again!!!
I can't believe it has been a month since my last entry. I never have been consistent at journal writing. It's probably because I think too much and want to be completely accurate in word choice, etc. Thinking is a little difficult for me lately. I feel like an airhead! I promise I really did graduate from college. I'm not lying! However, at the moment, my vocabulary is slightly limited due to the lack of intelligent conversation I have with myself and my one and two year olds all day long. My conversations mostly involve the words "no", "don't", "hit", "your", "brother", "please", "be", "nice", and "thank you." I love being a fulltime mom. It's what I have always wanted to do most. Ahh, but I do miss feeling intelligent - and beautiful! There's just not enough time or energy in my body to do it all.Here are some of our exciting January events:Sammy and Josh went sledding for the first time.
Josh has added a few new words to his vocabulary: trains, Sam, & treat.
Sammy and Josh went to "story time" at the library. They only lasted 2 minutes before running/super fast crawling around the room causing all of the other children to do the same. I think we'll try again in about three months.
Sammy and Josh have created many lovely paintings of "roller coasters and bumpy cars," "hoctopuses," and "rocket ships going into space."
With love,
Becky & the boys
PS At the moment we are listening to "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and Sammy is running around the room flapping his arms and saying, "Look momma! I'm a dragon." So cute. So precious. I wouldn't give this up for anything.
chrissy said...
i miss those cute boys. :)
Monday, February 27, 2006
Ahh! Some Time to Myself
I had a great weekend! I feel so refreshed and rejuvenated. I love our beautiful little boys, but occasionally I need to get away. Brian was kind enough to watch the boys for a few hours on Saturday so I could have some time to myself. I went shopping and got my hair cut. It was nice to spend a little time and $ on myself. (I say that while sitting here in my Christmas pajamas at 11 AM!) I finally bought some new skirts! Most of my skirts are at least 7 years old. It's a little embarrassing that I haven't really bought a skirt since before Brian and I met. I have been watching What Not to Wear on TLC so I actually bought two complete outfits - skirts and shirts with matching shoes and accessories. I wore one outfit to church yesterday even though we were only there for 15 minutes before Sammy and Josh started screaming their heads off. We threw in the towel and came home without even finishing the first meeting. Oh well. It was nice to look good for 15 minutes before changing into jeans and a t-shirt!I love having short hair! Short hair is so sassy and fun. I probably felt more elegant and beautiful with long hair, but it was boring and it took too long to style. My hair was almost to my waist when I got it cut a year ago and I haven't had any regrets. Since then, I have been going shorter and shorter. Now it is slightly above my chin. I might give in to Brian and grow it out one day, but for now I love my hair! I have been getting my hair cut at Remedez salon and day spa in the mall for about a year now. It's more expensive than a Great Clips or Fantastic Sam's, but a good haircut with a scalp massage is worth every penny. This time on my search for the restroom I stumbled into the day spa. Just being in there made me feel relaxed. The lights were dimmed. There was soft music playing and the glow and scent of aromatherapy candles. I had a brief thought that a massage might be nice, but I don't know how I feel about some strange man or woman rubbing oil all over my body. Kinda gives me the heebie jeebies.Well, Joshy is taking a nap and Sammy is playing in his room. That's my cue to take a shower.Check ya later!becky
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Joshy is just about to go down the slide. He is such a brave little boy. He can get around this park almost as well as Sammy. I thought he would be scared since he's only 18 months old! We are trying to transition him over to the bottom bunk bed in Sammy's room. We'll have to wait and see how that works out!
posted by becky @ 12:51 PM 1 comments
Adam said...
go Joshy go!

Sammy at the park. This was two weeks ago. It was 60 degrees! Now it is 40 degrees. It snowed over the weekend and more snow is expected! Where did Spring go?

Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Phat Phamily Photo Phun...
After almost 6 years of marriage and 2 kids, we finally have a professional family portrait hanging in our home (other than wedding pictures or vacation snapshots). I poked fun at Brian and blamed him for it, but it was mostly my fault. For the past three years I have either been pregnant or trying to lose the baby weight - since Sammy and Josh are only 18 months apart! If any of you have seen the family photo taken at the July 2004 family reunion you will understand (and I would like to confiscate and destroy them ASAP!). Pregnancy does not agree with me - at least the 60 pounds that comes along with it making me look like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from the Ghostbusters movie. I didn't want that hanging on my wall! Finally, I have lost most of the weight - thanks to our trusty elliptical runner, Pilates, and my new favorites - Dance Dance Revolution and Core Secrets.I planned our coordinating outfits and made the appointment a month in advance. Unfortunately, Sammy cut his own hair just a few weeks before. That's why he has a big bald spot in the front of his head! Even the stylist couldn't hide it. But, I guess it adds character!The actual taking of the pictures was quite tricky. Getting a three year old and an 18 month old to hold still and smile at the same time is complicated. The stuffed dog and sneezing trick sure worked even though it was wierd.It went kind of like this:(photographer placing stuffed dog on top of her head)photographer: where's my doggy? where's my doggy? Is he on my (pause. hands to nose) hea-hea-hea-chooo (doggy falls off head to the floor)It worked everytime - like 10 times or maybe 20. Maybe that's why the kids are cracking up and Brian and I have really strained, wierd smiles I have never seen before. Where do photographers learn those skills anyways?becky
posted by becky @ 12:36 PM 1 comments
Rachael (your neighbor) said...
Oh man! You guys are soooo cute! It turned out so awesome. Sammy and Joshy look like they are having a blast. oh and the matching outfits...can't wait until I get to do that!I had no idea Sammy had cut his hair til you pointed it out. I think it looks fine. And definitely something you can look back and laugh at!
10:16 PM

Joshua March 2006.
posted by becky @ 11:43 AM 0 comments
Sammy March 2006. He's doing his pirate face. "Arrrr!"
posted by becky @ 11:41 AM 0 comments
Sammy & Joshy. March 2006.
posted by becky @ 11:39 AM 0 comments
Our family portrait. March 2006.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
It's Fun, You Should Do It!
Five Movies You Can Watch Over and Over:1. Back to the Future2. Serendipity3. The Wedding Singer4. Goonies5. Men In BlackFive embarrassing Songs that You Know All the Words To:1. "I like Big Butts" by Sir Mix-a-lot.2. "Ice, Ice, Baby" by Vanilla Ice.3. "Roam" by The B-52’s.4. "Do You Love Me Now That I Can Dance" by the Contours (6th grade cheerleading routine).5. "Just Like a Prayer" by Madonna – only because when I was 11, Joe and my best friend, Olivia Farmer, did a music video of it with about 50 candles burning in my room! I was a back-up singer/dancer. Oh, that is so funny!Five Memorable Halloween Costumes:1. Witch with red wig and fake black fingernails, preschool through 3rd grade2. Not mine, but still memorable – a missionary dressed as a Smurf – blue body paint and a loin cloth – so funny!3. Solar System – high school4. Disco Barbie – junior in college. Girls’ Choice Dance. My date was Disco Ken. I never had a more successful church dance. I think I had a partner for every song – fast and slow. It goes to show that most guys want a bimbo. Without the stuffed bra and long, crimped, frizzy blonde wig, I was but an intelligent brunette in belle bottoms and polyester. It was fun for a night, but I prefer wit and sass to boobs and a#@.5. Space Queen – junior in college. Brian's Family's Halloween Party. Only because it’s what made Brian notice me.Five Celebrities You Believe May Secretly be Alien:1. Cher2. Jessica Simpson3. Bill Clinton4. Joaquin Phoenix5. Snoop DoggFive Occupations that You Know You Could Never Do:1. Road Construction – Everybody HATES you!2. Professional Football Player – makes me laugh just thinking about it. I can’t catch and I hate contact sports!3. Professional Cheerleader – I’m not comfortable with that much cleavage showing and I don’t think my moves from 6th grade would work anymore. “If you don’t like my peaches, then don’t shake my tree! Cause I’m a Moncure Panther, fresh as can be. Fresh as can be…” Wow, if only you could’ve been there.4. Zookeeper – uncanny fear of being eaten by a beast – no joke! Brian can tell you all about it. That would be one of the worst ways to die. I’ve been scared to take the trash out after dark ever since Char told me about the mountain lions perusing the streets in Utah county. What the crap!!!!!5. Politician – I don’t like confrontation or debating. I’d never get elected anyways.Five Books You've Recently Read Outside of Schoolwork:1. Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen (currently reading)2. Head to Toe, Eric Carle (Sam & Josh’s new favorite)3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling4. Gymboree Toddler Play, Dr. Wendy S. Masi5. The Horse and His Boy, C.S. Lewis (listened to CD on road trip – hope that counts)Five Ways to Perfectly Spend an Afternoon:1. Walking to the park with Brian and the kids.2. Taking a fat nap snuggled up to Brian while the kids are asleep.3. Watching re-runs of Friends while eating a snack.4. Working on a crafty project such as 1 of the 4 quilts I’ve started, yet not finished.5. Playing soccer with Brian and the boys.Five Lines You Blatantly Stole From a Movie, TV, a Commercial, or Song:1. “Willow, you eeeeediot!” spoken with a high-pitched goat voice (from Willow)2. “To infinity and beyond!” from Toy Story. I have to say it every time I lift Sammy off of a high surface such as the kitchen counter or his bunk bed.3. “Wags, the dog. He likes to tango. Wags, the dog. He calls it Rango (because he’s a dog). Wags, the Dog. He likes to tango. Doo doo doo doo doo doo. Doo doo. Hey!” From The Wiggles. Except I change the Wags the dog part to Joshua and he says “Hey” at the end. It’s a song I sing while changing Josh’s diaper so he doesn’t wriggle away.4. “Is it secret? Is it safe?” Gandalf The Fellowship of the Rings5. “I’ve fallen. AND I CAN’T GET UP!!!!!!!” from a First Alert commercial in the 80’s with little old cranky lady screaming it. Makes me laugh every time. The new commercials aren’t as good.Not Your 5 Favorite Foods, But the 5 You're Most Likely Eating:1. A bowl of cereal – preferably some sugary type such as Froot Loops or Pops2. Chips and Salsa with sour cream and cilantro mixed in.3. My “mac-daddy” quesadilla – cheese, black beans & corn. Yum!4. Scrambled Eggs & pancakes.5. Leftovers from the fridge.Five People Who Must Immediately Respond:1. Adam – one of the coolest guys I know. He’s also my brother.2. Rachael – my neighbor across the street with whom I e-mail more than visit – sad, I know.3. I don’t know anyone else with a blog who hasn’t already done this.4. If you would like to do this - copy, paste, edit and post it on your blog and place a link to your blog in my comments.5. Thanks!
Rachael said...
Hey I know all the words to the "Baby got back" song too. I used to sing it to Gavin when I would run out of lullabye's HA! I am totally doing this on my blog.
7:25 PM
Adam said...
ch-ch-check it out
8:38 PM
Monday, April 03, 2006
We took Sam and Josh to Home Depot on Saturday to build bird feeders. Sammy is such a big boy! He helped nail and screw the bird feeder together. This is Sammy painting his finished project.
posted by becky @ 11:35 AM 0 comments
Joshy painting his bird feeder.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Joshy's Bad Hair Day!
posted by becky @ 4:21 PM 0 comments
You better run! Here comes the Incredible Hulk!!!! (Sammy sprayed Chloraceptic a.k.a. "sore throat spray" all over Joshy's room. Luckily the walls are already bright green, but the carpet and Sammy's hands were stained green!
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
We had a family party at our house last Saturday. Using a few Sharpes, some dye, and 10 dozen boiled eggs, we put our own spin on dying Easter eggs. These are some of the eggs we created. Most of them were designed by my brother, Joe (soon to be graduating from BYU with a BFA in graphic design!). Favorites not pictured include Andy's Passover egg, Becky's Duck, Adam's San Francisco vignette, Andy's Puffer Fish, and Sammy's green hand, I mean egg :)Top Row: Jack-o-lantern, Dracula, Frankenstein, Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, & Marge Simpson.Middle Row: Andy, Tottie, Heather, David, Brian & Becky.Bottom Row: Amelia, Cha, Joe, Adam, Sammy & Josh.Try it next year!
posted by becky @ 4:23 PM 2 comments
Rachael said...
You guys are so awesome! Those are the coolest eggs ever. We didn't even paint eggs this year. Maybe when Gavin is a little older we will.
8:10 PM
10019 said...
Very Cute!
12:43 PM

Sammy hunting for eggs in our backyard.
posted by becky @ 4:19 PM 0 comments
Joshy's first Easter egg hunt.
posted by becky @ 4:14 PM 1 comments
Rachael said...
Did they have a blast hunting eggs? Gavin went to three different egg hunts and was totally into it. In fact when we got home with all his eggs he took them out of the basket and threw them around and then recollected them.
8:12 PM

Adam reading to Sammy & Josh. What an awesome uncle!!!!! "Unca Ada" as Joshy says, flew in from San Francisco last week to visit. We miss him already!
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Hot Wheels Stunt Track Driver
I'm trying to take a minute to create a post, as it has been few weeks since my last one. It is a little difficult with Joshy hanging on one arm and Sammy's incessant whining about a chair. He thinks I am at the computer to play the Hot Wheels game that Brian got at Staples for 1 cent. It was a great buy, except that it has somehow crashed the graphics on our computer! Now instead of looking normal, our pictures and icons look negative with bright greens, pinks, and yellows. I have to admit that even thought the game seems like it was created in the late 80's, I even like it. During Brian's trip to Louisiana I found myself playing it at night after I put the kids to bed. I earned four new cars and a new board! The kids love it and have been inspired to build their own tracks throughout the house, with Brian's help of course. One track went from Sammy's room upstairs and down one flight of stairs, around the corner, down another flight of stairs, and into a basket in the family room.
In other news, Brian and I had our sixth anniversary a few weeks ago! Cha and Tottie were kind enough to watch our kids so that we could get away by ourselves. We celebrated by having a romantic overnighter at a bed and breakfast in Midway by the Provo River. We were upgraded to the "Presidential Suite", which encompassed the entire top floor of the 19th century millhouse. We had a fireplace and a private balcony directly over a 15 ft. waterfall. The mountains and wildlife were beautiful. It was very relaxing and probably the most romantic thing we have ever done. The next time we go Brian wants us to play a round of golf together at a course he loves nearby.
Well, some guys are here to clean our couches since Sammy spilled pink milk on them the other day!
Adam said...
Happy Anniversary, sis! I'm glad you two found each other.Miss you!-adam
9:54 AM

Friday, June 16, 2006

posted by becky @ 9:02 PM 0 comments
Cabin Fever!!!!!
My grandparents have a cabin up in the Uinta mountains, which they share amongst their children. My mom was assigned this weekend, but she had to work and gave her weekend to us!!! (Thanks mom!) We came up here last night (Thursday) to get away for a little while. Brian brought his laptop to do a little work. It's amazing! We are out in the middle of nowhere and there is a wireless internet connection! Technology is incredible.Last night the kids snuggled up and watch a movie together. It was a little chilly in the cabin - around 60 degrees! It's a beautiful day today. The kids are itching to ride the 4-wheeler down to the river. They have an obsession with throwing rocks into water - mud puddles, swimming pools, lakes, etc. Sammy found the helmet and has been wearing it around the cabin for about 10 minutes now.
Sammy is also singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and "Take me to the River, Drop Me in the Water" courtesy of the Bigmouth Billy Bass hanging on the wall. Goodtimes.
Becky
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Success!!!
After 3 years, hundreds of soiled diapers, and many hours on my behalf fretting about all of the possible methods and fears of emotional damage, I am happy to announce that Sammy is now a "BIG BOY!" He passed his final test when the line to the port-o-potties at the July 4th parade was far too long for him to wait, so we found a secluded grassy spot which he happily watered. Way to go, Sammy!
Adam said...
Yay! Good job, Sammy! Uncle Adam loves you and misses you =)
7:03 PM
Grandma said...
ALL RIGHT Sammy!!! Grandma is so proud of you. You are a "big boy" now. That's great.
5:05 PM
Rachael said...
Way to go on the potty trainign Becky! That is awesome. I am dreading the day I will have to train Gavin. I will let him go until he is 5 HA!
11:55 PM
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Stop and smell the...daisies!
Joshy taking time to smell the daisies. (At first he stopped to smell a dry, wilted daisy- like the ones in the background. I kindly redirected him.)Cheeto-faced Joshy. He's cute, but he REFUSES to play in the water. We are watching Sammy get squirted.One of these things is not like the other. Sammy loves getting squirted. Joshy, on the other hand, prefers his dry bench and Cheetos.Posing by the waterfall garden.

4-wheeling at the cabin. After 3 years of going to the cabin, Brian finally figured out how to put it in reverse! Now they are going "backwards, like Mater!!!! (from the Pixar CARS movie, for those of you who have not seen it!)
chrissy said...
you guys look cute and happy. I'm excited to see you soon. Hey I thought of you because I came across some sweet Goonies tees. Check them out...http://search.80stees.com/
7:19 AM
becky said...
thanks for the 80s tees website! i am tempted by several shirts, one in particular. it has a a close up of E.T. in front of the moon. the shirt says, "i can moonwalk." i thought it was funny, especially since i think break dancing is awesome and i can moonwalk!
11:46 AM
Anonymous said...
You have a cute family and I am so proud of Brian for figuring out that important little reverse thing with the 4-wheeler. Only 3 years huh? I'd a told ya for nothing how to do it. Sure do love those little boys. dute dute
4:27 PM
Monday, July 24, 2006
This is the Place
One of the perks of living in Utah is that we have our own state holiday on July 24th named, "Pioneer Day." See the following link for more info on the Mormon Pioneers. http://www.lds.org/gospellibrary/pioneer/pioneerstory.htmNormally this would be the prime time to take a trip to Disneyland or some other fun place out of state to enjoy a vacation with fewer people who don't celebrate our holiday. This year, we celebrated our Mormon pioneer heritage with a campout in our backyard, water balloon and "squirky gun" fights, s'mores over a campfire, trips to the pool, ice cream, and snuggling under the stars watching the sponteneous neighborhood fireworks show. Our city, Spanish Fork, hosts an annual "Fiesta Days" rodeo this weekend. We still haven't found the desire to go, but we will watch the fireworks show tonight from our backyard.We are finishing up a 3-day weekend packed full of fun, to make up for the 4th of July weekend that Brian worked straight through managing an important project at the big PR. It has been brutally hot in Utah Valley, breaking 100 degrees almost everyday for over a week. While we weren't in an air conditioned house or car, most of our activities included H2O, and lots of it.We went to the Spanish Fork City Pool. This time, Josh actually enjoyed it, instead of screaming in my ear the whole time like he usually does. Sammy and Josh made us go down the "round and round" slide at least 4 times. I'm not complaining - I love water slides! We were also invited to Liz's pool in Alpine where Sammy found the courage to jump off of the diving board, even though he can't swim. I think Brian's bribe of stopping for ice cream on the way home pushed him over the edge, literally!Here are a few pictures of our vacation at home. Hope you enjoy. Oh, and here is a link to a video of Sammy singing a campfire song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Kt0IfIGw0becky
In our backyard cooking mallows.Joshy, can you say, "Chubby bunny?"Sammy in Lizzie's pool. RI-CO-Laaah!
Daddy and Joshy taking a nap after swimming.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Oh, Mrs. Butterworth, how I HATE YOU!!!!!!
Yesterday started out like any other day. I woke up at 7am, kissed Brian good-bye, got the boys out of bed and made pancakes (ca-cakes, as Joshy would say). When the boys were settled, I worked out on the elliptical runner, took a shower and got dressed. Then I heard a knock on my bedroom door. That's where things get sticky. This is what I saw:

At first I could see that something was wierd, but I couldn't put my finger on it. He was messy, shiny and concerned. Then I noticed toilet paper sticking to his hand. So, I followed Sammy into his room and gasped.

Here's a closer look:

Immediately, I noticed the stain on the floor, but what scared me was that I knew that bottle of syrup had been 3/4 full when I left it on the counter before going upstairs to take a shower. I did a little exploring to find the rest of it. This is what I found:

This is the floor in Joshy's room. It kind of looks like a Modern Art piece to me. At least my boys are creative and I know they must've had a lot of fun making the mess (I wish I had a surveilance video). I tried not to flip out, although I must admit that I let a few curse words slip.
I also found syrup on the floor in the hallway and in the family room. Joshy and Sammy were covered from head to toe with syrup. Their clothes were pasted to their bodies and they cried as I pulled their shirts up over their heads. After plopping them into the bathtub, I frantically called professional carpet cleaning services until I found one that could arrive ASAP. I got the kids out of the tub, dressed them, made a picnic lunch and locked them outside to play on our swing set, while I moved the furniture all by myself and vaccummed in preparation for the carpet cleaner. Surprisingly, all of the syrup came out and the carpet looks better than it has in the 2 years we've lived here.
I can't quite laugh about this yet. This mess was $105 and took an entire day to clean up. I can think of many other ways I'd like to spend a hundred bucks (that's why our date this week consists of frisbee golf at a local park with my mom baby-sitting, instead of steaks at Ruby River and a movie). This incident was worse than the others that have come before. It definately tops the list.
Do you remember the bean bag incident? See http://photos1.blogger.com/img/155/7456/640/Sammy%20is%20Messy.jpg.
Or the Chloraseptic spray, which by the way, did not come out of the carpet. http://ourlittlepieceofheaven.blogspot.com/2006/04/you-better-run-here-comes-incredible.html
Honestly, I have just consigned myself to a life of cleaning up ridiculous messes caused by my curiously rowdy little boys who I love so very much. I hate to think of what could be next, but I know it won't really surprise me.
becky
Rachael said...
I love the look on Sammy's face. It made me laugh. Little rascals! Makes me fear my boys getting older. I wonder what they will do?Also if something like this ever happens again call me and I will bring my carpet machine over. That way you can save some money.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Ups and Downs
Last weekend began like most. Brian took me out on a fun date! We had a break in the heat wave and spent some time outside together at Bicentennial Park in Provo. It was a gorgeous day and the mountains were spectacular. We lost our discs a few times in the “rough”, but enjoyed our first shot at Frisbee golf. (Brian is much better than I am!) Then we caught a showing of M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water. We loved it. The plot was interesting and suspenseful. It has a positive message about human potential (we are greater than we think we are and we can rise to the occasion), which I think is a little unique in our day.Saturday started well. Joshy and I saw doggies, a goat, and butterflies on our jog (he was in the stroller, of course) while Sammy and Brian went to Home Depot to build a pencil box. (Home Depot provides free building projects for kids every month. We try to take Sammy because he loves to build with his daddy!) Brian brought a pencil box home for Josh and both Sammy and Josh painted their boxes. Sammy keeps his racecars in it now!We went up to Liz’s parents’ pool for Ben’s surprise party. We had a good time. It’s always nice to spend time with family and our kids love swimming. Sammy loves to jump off the side of the pool into Brian’s arms. Brian and I drove separately since he was in charge of getting Ben to the party. On my way home, I stopped by my mom’s house to visit with my grandparents and a few cousins I haven’t seen in a while. I came home to find three vases of roses in different rooms of our house. Brian had stopped on his way home to buy brownies and roses for me. What a sweetie!For those of you who might think I’m sharing too much, you can either stop reading now or get over it. Many of you know that our two little ones are 18 months apart and we had a hard time with both of them when they were babies. We want more children, but we want to wait a few years until we can handle the stress of a newborn again. We are using a highly effective form of birth control (the “Copper T” IUD which lasts for 10 years, not that we want to wait THAT long!) Thus, I was very surprised when I took a home pregnancy test Saturday night and got this result: PREGNANT. I asked Brian to come upstairs and I cried as I shared the news. I expected him to be stressed out about it, but he was excited. He hopped on the internet and found all of the details like the due date, quickening date, when we could find out the sex, etc. We were guessing whether or not “it” was a boy or a girl. I started to get excited too. Pregnancy is hard, but it is also amazing and full of little miracles.Then I noticed the expiration date on the package: Nov 2005. The test had been left over from a pack we purchased when I was first pregnant with Joshy. I called the E.P.T. hotline and they suggested that the result couldn’t be trusted and that I take another test. I took 5 more tests in the next 24 hours. The results were all: NOT PREGNANT. Now Brian and I were both confused. We had unexpectedly become really excited about having a “surprise” baby. I made an appointment Monday morning to see my doctor. The basic test at the Dr.’s office was negative, so my blood was drawn to be tested in the lab. We would have the results Tuesday morning. I was told that there was a risk of a tubal pregnancy and surgery may be required.Brian and I were scared. Not only could our baby be in danger, but it might have to be removed from my fallopian tube and that could leave me infertile. I was really worried and I did not feel right about removing a baby from my body (even though I understand it is okay because it would endanger my health) and possible complications from surgery. For over 24 hours, we waited and stressed about the possibilities. After phone stalking the nurses and leaving sob filled voicemails, I finally got the results over the phone at 2:30 pm yesterday afternoon. That’s not quite “morning.”The result of my blood test was completely negative. I am not pregnant. There is nothing to worry about. My period is just a week late for some unknown reason (maybe because I have been running a lot lately? I don’t know). The baby isn’t at risk because the baby isn’t there. The expired test gave an inaccurate result that took our emotions on a nauseating roller coaster. Brian and I are relieved that I don’t have a tubal pregnancy, but we are NOT relieved that there is NO baby in my tummy. We are sad. I feel pretty down right now. It’s kind of weird. I am sad about losing a baby that wasn’t there. As Brian’s father said on Sunday, “You can always go back to the drawing board!” We just might consider that, even if it is a few years earlier than we had planned.becky
Friday, September 01, 2006
Just to Update You...
1. Sammy started preschool this week and he loves it! He goes to "skull" Tuesdays and Thursdays for 2 hours. Next week he starts his creative movement class. It teaches rhythm and dance. It's not ballet, tap, or any girlie type of dance class, but they will have a performance at the end of the year. I'm really looking forward to that!2. Josh thinks his weenie is "poo-poos". When he's in the bath or we're changing his diaper, he covers himself with his hand and says, "No! Poo-poos!" I don't really get it. 3. I've lost 7 pounds in the last 3 months! Wa-hoo!!! I recently joined the gym and met with a personal trainer last night who mostly just tried to get me to sign up for a year's committment at $160/mo. No way! I just called my dad who has been teaching fitness at NC State for over 30 years and he gave me a personalized fitness plan plan including nutrition, strength training, and cardio. I hope to lose at least 15 more pounds before next summer! 4. Our garage door broke again!!!! Brian has been building shelves in the garage and a baby gate on the top shelf became stuck in the garage as it opened and now the garage door is hanging unbalanced and crooked. I hope Brian can fix it. I hate paying for stupid home repairs like this!!!!5. Happy Labor Day everybody!!!! For us, that means we are putting up Halloween decorations! Sammy and Josh are going to be pirates this year. We found cute dinosaur costumes at the Children's Place, but then I found Pirate Costumes. Sammy wears his everyday. At this moment he is wearing it, but it didn't come with pants so his underwear is sticking out. It's really funny.Have a great weekend! Love, Becky
Adam said...
Hi Becky!Great job on getting in shape! Glad to hear your family is doing well. Give the boys kisses and hugs for us. We wanna see a picture of Sammy the Pirate. Tell Brian we said "Hi"Love you,Adam & Scott
Monday, September 18, 2006
"Hey, Mom! Mom! It's coldy, coldy outside!!!"
It was cold this weekend! We had to turn on the heat Sunday morning after temperatures outside reached below freezing. I love this time of year when summer turns to fall. The leaves are changing and it's sweater weather! I made chili and potato soup on Saturday and had my first cup of hot chocolate Friday morning.The only downside is that with the Spanish Fork wind (sometimes gusting up to 50 mph) it is a little too chilly in the morning for kids to play outside. They are a little stir crazy and cranky. We are in the process of redecorating Sammy's room and making it "Sammy and Joshy's" room, so that we can turn Joshy's room into an office. We have painted the beds red and are going to paint the walls blue. Brian made big chalkboards to put over each bed. It is going to be really cute, but I'm nervous about Sam and Josh actually sleeping in the same room together. Sammy has been sleeping in Josh's room and it isn't working out so well. They stay up really late at night talking and playing (often until 11 or so). Then they wake each other up in the night (12:30 am and 1:00 am last night). And worst of all, they wake each other up early in the morning (5:45 am on Saturday). This is a recipe for all around crankiness. I'm looking forward to naptime in a few hours and I hope it will all work out in the end.As we say so long to summer, I wanted to share a few pictures from recent weeks. I hope you enjoy!love,becky
"tenting" a.k.a. camping
Joshy's first campout!
Sammy's preschool class. Aren't they cute?!
After our trip to the zoo - lunch and mommy's favorite dessert at the Olive Garden (Black Tie Mousse Cake!) Yum!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Happy Fall Everybody!!!
October has been a busy month so far! Let me tell you about a few of the fun and funny things we have been up to as a family. October began with LDS general conference and an opportunity to listen to the leadership of our church speak http://www.lds.org/. During the Sunday morning session, we packed our boys into the car and listened to conference while driving up the canyon to Payson Lakes. The fall colors were beautiful and it was a perfect day for a walk around the lake.

Our Family at Payson Lake, October 1, 2006.
Brian had his 32nd birthday on October 4th! Happy Birthday, sweets! We are so lucky to have you. You are amazing. We love you so much! Along with the BYU shirt and Star Wars Transformer that the kids and I picked out for Brian , he is starting a woodworking shop with a new table saw and router. He wants his first project to be an end table for the boys' room. He is quite the handy wood worker. He already built our entertainment center and shelves in our garage! I hope he will eventually have the skills to build a bedroom set for our room! That would be a nice 10 year anniversary gift (hint, hint!).
My mom and my nephew, Simon, took a trip with the boys and I to Utah's Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake. The boys loved the animals and the train ride. At one point, I played a hugging game with Josh. I snapped this picture as he came toward me with his arms ready to hug. I love that face!
Joshy ready for a hug!
I think I mentioned that for Joshy's birthday last month we gave him a kitchen set. Some of you may have been a little wary of a kitchen set for a boy, but boys cook too. Josh loves his kitchen. Here's a picture to prove it!
Iron Chef America! In this corner, Joshy Flay!
We are just returning from a camping trip to Zion's National Park. We went with Brian's parents and all of his brothers and sisters and their spouses and children (except for Chrissy and her family, who live in Ohio, we missed you!). We had a great time! The weather was perfect Thursday and Friday. I have been to Zion's with Brian's family twice before during the summer when it was hot and nasty since there are no showers!!!! But, the fall weather was perfect - except for the rain. I didn't know it rained so much in the desert. It started Friday night and by Saturday morning we were all packing up and ready to go home, 1 day early. 0.8 inches of rain fell in a 12 hour period! That is a lot of rain for Zion's where there is more red mud than grass. Our tent was amazing and we stayed dry, but others weren't as lucky. I was a little disappointed because Brian and I had planned to rent bikes and a kid trailer and go on an 18-mile biking expedition through Zion's on Saturday, but we'll just have to do that next time. We went on a few small hikes with the kids and they loved their "tenting" experience. We definately want to do it again. Here are a few pictures from our trip:
Sammy snuggling his cousin, Josie, by the campfire.
Joshy eating treats by the campfire.
Amelia, Sammy, and Josh playing playdough with Maga.Sammy took this picture of his dirty feet while "helping" Brian pack up our things during the rainstorm.
Becky
chrissy said...
you guys sure are cute! happy birthday brian! we love you (and tried to call...but no answer) and hope you have a great late bday on us. :)

Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Our "Poosky" Adventures
I know that Halloween has passed, but I have been too busy to write about it until today. Poosky is how Joshy says spooky and we went on many poosky adventures this fall. There was one Friday when Brian took off early from work. We loaded up our kids into the car, grabbed our jackets, and headed to Hee-haws for the second year in a row. Most of you probably know that my first date with Brian, and the first time we ever really spoke to each other (other than flirting), was a walk through a haunted corn maze under the moonlight and the stars seven years ago. That was the first time we held hands and the first time Brian put his arm around me (he had to protect me from a freaky gorilla!). While we walked and talked for almost three hours, not really wanting to find our way out of the maze, we formed a connection that sparked our romance. It is where it all began.

Going to a corn maze is a fall tradition for us. This year we took our boys with us. They enjoyed the hayride, animal train ride, looking at the animals, pedal-powered go-carts, and most of all going down the huge, super fast, tube slide made from a large water drainage pipe.
They became bored with the maze after their popcorn was all gone and it started to get dark. Sammy’s legs started to hurt from walking and Josh wanted to walk, but he is too slow. Pretty soon with each of us carrying a child, we just started cutting through the maze and headed for the lights. Next year I think we’ll go back to Hee-haws with the kids for the hayride and other activities, but we’ll do the corn maze on a date night for just the two of us.We did many fun things with Sammy and Joshy’s friends. We painted pumpkins. We decorated sugar cookies at Ethan's house with Jaxon and Jaden. My mom and my nephew, Simon, came along to a costume bowling party with about 20 other toddlers and their moms. It was hilarious to watch the kids bowl. With the bumpers down, Sammy got three spares in a row!
We were too tired this year to throw a big Halloween party, but we did have my side of the family over for a costume dinner. It’s always fun to dress up. I forgot to take pictures of everybody, but here’s a list of people and their costumes. Joe was a Sim (I’ve never played so I didn’t really get it, but whatever!). Cha looked gorgeous as Marilyn Monroe. Miles was a mummy. Simon was Thomas. Baby Amelia was a pretty little garden princess. David was Michael Scofield from the TV show, Prison Break. Heather was a cheerleader. Tottie was a triceratops. Andy was the sun. Brian, Sammy, and Joshua were pirates. I was a pirate wench. We had a campfire in the back yard and sat around talking. The kids played with glow sticks in the backyard for about an hour. Good times.
We carved jack-o-lanterns with Brian’s family over at Char and Joe’s house. (If you are confused about the names, you aren’t alone. I have a brother named Joe who married a Charlotte. She goes by Cha. Brian has a sister named Charlotte who married a Joe. She goes by Char. The Joes just go by Joe. It is very confusing. We also have a Scott on each side, a Heather on each side, and an Amelia on each side. People, come up with original names, please – for the sake of my confused kids!) Anyways, we carved pumpkins. Brian didn’t actually finish his. I threw it in the trash yesterday, uncompleted. If you know Brian that should tell you how stressed and busy we have been. He just didn’t have it in him to sit down and carve a pumpkin this year. He is studying for the LSAT and applying to law school, while still going to work each day and continuing to be a vital member of the company he works for. He is doing very well on his practice tests. He has had an LSAT prep class twice a week for the past six weeks. Now, he only has the class once a week, but he studies at least 30 minutes every night. Since I might have to be the bread winner for a little while should Brian get in and decide to go to a 3 year fulltime law program, I thought I should renew my expired teaching license. So, I am currently taking 6 graduate level education college credits online and on TV. It is hard to think like a student and like a teacher while staying at home with my kids. I am doing pretty well in my classes, but my house is a wreck and my kids now watch way too much TV. It will all be over soon. My classes are done in the middle of December and then I will have more than the 100 licensure points required. Brian takes the LSAT Dec. 2. He is currently applying to the law schools at BYU and the University of Utah. We are not sure what we will do if he gets in. I just wanted to be prepared and able to work next year if I need to.
Oh, and Sammy had a Halloween program at his preschool. It was so cute. They sang songs and danced. It was Sammy's first school performance ever! He did a great job!. Click on the link below to see a video of the dancing pirate!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgzkTTBTG50We also went trick-or-treating with cousins and with grandma doot doot. That's what the kids call my mom!
Well, I hope you enjoy the pictures and video. I need to watch some TV classes and do my assignments. Wahoo! So, I better go for now. I hope you all remember to vote today!!!becky

That was my last post and then I took a break for like 2 years! Crazy! But, now I'm back!