Family Picture

I wanted this one after the other ones, but oh well. I love that we're all smiling. I like the setting, I like the colors that we're wearing. I just don't think that it's very flattering of me. Oh well at least we all have a smile on our face! I once heard someone say that the problem with blogs is that they aren't real. That people just type whatever they want to make their life seem perfect. I have seen some like that and they are pretty annoying. I want you all to know that ours is real. We have been really blessed with a wonderful marriage and two beautiful healthy kids. Some days are frustrating and hard, but I think everyone has those days. I love my family and I'm so thankful that they will be with me forever!

Family Pictures

B tells me often that he hopes he makes me happy. I tell him that he does. I hope that this picture can be a testament to him that he does. I don't remember what he said right before the picture was taken, but it obviously made me laugh! I love you B! More than you will ever know!

If K was smiling I think this picture would be my favorite. While I was uploading them I couldn't remember what ones I had already put on. There is one where we are all smiling, so I will stick it on. I still really like this picture.

I love my girl! This picture wasn't posed. Our photographer, Janneke Marquez, told us when she started that she liked candid shots best. B was trying to get K to stop freaking out and smile. While he was talking to him, M and I were just talking and smiling. I think this is such an awesome picture!

How could you not love this one?! There is only one person in the world that could get them both to smile like this. That would be their daddy! He was telling them that he was going to come get them. He would crouch down and act like he was coming towards them. This was their response. I love it!

Is it hot in here? Or is it just me?!

So what's with the weather? It has been nice to not turn on the heater, but it gets too cold at night to turn on the AC again. Or maybe it doesn't. Here is M clearly warm enough without any blankets. I found her like this when I went to check on her before I went to sleep. Next I went to K's room. This is what I found.....

Too hot child number 2! Here is more evidence that it is way too hot for November. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the nice weather, But hot? I don't like hot in November that's for sure. I decided it was time to check the thermostat before going to bed.

Yes you read right. 78 degrees inside our house in November. The heater has not been turned on this year. This was at midnight. I should have called time and temp to see what it was like outside. I just can't bring myself to turn the AC on again. During the day we open the windows and I really think it would be too cold in the morning if we had the AC on. I guess we will just be thankful that we are warm and not too cold!

Happy Halloween!

Aren't they so cute! M was a fairy and K was a spider. If I had remembered that I had the camera, I would have taken pictures while they were trick-or-treating. Alas, it is not to be. At least we got this one!

So long tonsils!

B says that he doesn't really remember not suffering from chronic sore throat. This year has for sure been the worst sore throat year on record. We went to Hawaii in February. He got a sore throat two days before we were supposed to leave. Said sore throat finally went away the second week in September. Now you may be thinking to yourself,"Self, that surely is an exaggeration." But I assure you, it is not. He finally decided to go to an ENT. There the two master minds, B and the Dr, decided it was time for the tonsils to come out. (I don't know why it takes a co-pay and a medical degree before it's a good idea. When I suggested the idea, I was turned down! No hard feelings, I'm just sayin'....) Here he is, happy as a clam before surgery.

This is what I walked into after they told me that I could come back. I'm not gonna lie, I was relieved when they said he was awake and in recovery. I know it's a simple surgery, but I was still nervous. I can't imagine having him go through a major surgery. I would fall apart!

I know that this looks like it must be a very posh hospital that they let me sit in a recliner with a pillow, but things aren't always what they seem. You see I have this weird thing that I can't see someone in pain. It makes me all lightheaded and hot. So I walked in saw B, the ice pack and heard him ask for a pain killer and that was the end of me feeling good. All the sudden I got really hot and it started going black all around me. Ya know, like I was going to pass out. I laid down on the floor of the hospital. NASTY! I know, but it's a very natural reaction when one feels like they are going to pass out. B had to call the nurse. We had to switch recovery rooms so that I could have a recliner. The nurse wanted to put me in a wheel chair, but I insisted that I was fine to walk across the hall. B got a card in the mail the other day from his nurse, on the inside she had written,"I hope BOTH of you are feeling better!" Embarrassing right?!

B checking out the damage.

That is really gross! The Dr. warned him that he would be miserable for 7-14 days. He was right. B lost 15 ponds because he couldn't eat anything. We went to the ER one night because he was throwing up, obviously not keeping pain killers down and was really needing fluids. So we went, got him fluids, IV pain killers and Zofran. Zofran is supposed to be this amazing anti-nausea medicine. It's been my experience, and now B's experience, that if you take it while you're already nauseated, it doesn't do anything. Anyway, B is finally on the uphill climb of this ordeal. He was able to sit on the couch the other day and that's a huge improvement!

"I stuck!"

Now no one is really sure how K got himself into such a precarious situation, but he did none the less. I was making dinner and M came running into the kitchen telling me that K was stuck. I went running imagining that he was stuck and could be dying. When M stopped at the laundry closet I didn't know why, but I soon found out! Somehow, K had gotten himself in front of the washer, behind the folding closet door and couldn't get out. The doors wouldn't open all the way with him there, but thankfully they wouldn't close all the way either. I have no muscle and so thankfully B had just come home from work and was able to lift him out. I'm sure if B wasn't home, my mother super power adrenaline would have kicked in and I would have torn the closet door off and freed him from his dangerous situation! (Yeah, so dangerous that I was able to run get the camera and take a picture!) No worries ladies and gentlemen, he was able to walk away from the closet unharmed!

Dreams do come true!

So, the members of our family that are under 4 feet tall love slug bugs. I'm not talking they like it when they see one, they really love them! M tells me often that she thinks that we should buy one because,"Slug bugs are so cool!" Both M and K love to yell out,"Slug bug____"(fill in the blank with a color of your choice.) Well, I have been on the hunt looking for slug bugs that could be given to them for an upcoming holiday. The slug bugs were going to be placed in a certain article that usually is hung. Anyway, much to my chagrin, finding slug bugs is much harder than I anticipated. I even looked on line. I finally found some, but they were $26. I wanted them, but not that bad! Well, our dear friends, J & R found some for us! They gave them to us last night. Our children are in bed between 7 & 8. We stayed up until almost 9 playing with these wonderful pull back cars! Here they are from the side. B gets the blue, I get the yellow, M gets the red and K gets the black. Aren't they so awesome?!

Here is the front of them. I love that they look just like the real thing, just smaller.

From the back

How could I forget the top? I love them! They are so rad. Thanks J and R for getting them for us. They have already provided hours of entertainment!

What's not to love?

I walked into M's room and this is what I saw! I love this picture! M was telling K why she was coloring the orange orange and what color he should color his picture. This picture just screams serenity. Not that those two words should be used together, but that's how I feel. No screaming which K does just because he thinks it's funny. No fighting over the toy shopping cart, cars, babies, books or anything else one wants when the other one has it. No jumping, running or the occasional swinging on vines (sometimes I feel like that's what's happening). Just peaceful, calm coloring. I love it!

Yep, that about sums it up....

Last week in a neighboring city, the fire department had an open house. Their website made it sound like it would be so swell! So trying to get out of the house so B could do homework in peace, I decided to take our ever so anxious children to see the fire trucks, ambulances and air-med helicopter. It had been raining most of the week, so this was one of our first outings of the week. Both of them we so so so excited to go. This first picture tells it pretty much like it was. The fire trucks & ambulances were parked outside (that's where automobiles are usually put!) but because of the rain, they weren't open so that we could look at them. That was disappointment #1. #2- The air-med helicopter was only there at certain times, we had just missed it and didn't want to wait around the three hours for it to come back. #3- Smoky the Bear was there. Holy smokes! You would think that our children were being beaten when they saw him. They both screamed and buried their faces into my closest body part. K almost passed out from crying so hard(he does that on occasion). When I told him it was OK, he said,"The bear's gone?! Not coming this way?!" #4- There was a clown there. Now I thought most children liked clowns, not ours, they cried and cried. They didn't want to try on the fireman clothes that were there to try on and the weather didn't help their sad moods. There were two moments of happiness...

......Free popcorn! And.......

....When K saw the ambulance outside. Other than those two things, I would say it was a total disaster. When we left I asked why they had been so sad. K instantly started to cry and said," The bear gone?! He not coming this way?!" Oh dear! Next time we'll let someone else go and we'll look at their pictures and the fun they had and be glad we didn't go!

Oh sick

A few of things, I made pancakes this morning. I know it isn't Saturday, but I made them anyway. Growing up we ate certain things each morning of the week. Monday was fruit and toast. Tuesday was bread and gravy. Wednesday was french toast and for sure the second highlight food of my week. Thursday was eggs. Friday was mush. Saturday was either waffles or pancakes. Sunday was cereal and the number one meal of my week, maybe even my whole life! Anyway, I made pancakes this morning. I made them like I always do using my mom's recipe. The first side cooked just beautifully. When I checked the other side, this is what they looked like. Sick! I have this weird thing that I hate holes in things. I think they are so nasty. When there is snow on the ground and the snow on the trees starts to melt so water will drip from the tree branches falling into the snow below, it makes holes. If I see it I have to dig in the snow so the holes go away. I just don't like them. Anyway I could hardly eat these this morning. For all you science minds out there, why did this happen? They tasted fine, they just looked disgusting. I don't know what it is about holes that I don't like. Maybe it's because I think of worms when I think of holes. I don't know why, I just do. But I hate hate hate worms. I think they are worse than spiders. They make me cringe and give me chills at the same time. On the game, Fear Factor, when they had to lay in a box with worms I almost cried for them.Holes and worms, sick sick sick . Sorry about the novel, obviously holes really bother me!

It's quiet, perhaps too quiet

So today I was out visiting on the couch with my dear friend, H. Well I realized that it was far too quiet. I went to find K and I found him. He was having a wonderful time using a sharpie and coloring all over himself, our bedspread, and the floor. Yes the floor. Slowly count to ten... I was not so happy. Thankfully my oh so amazing brother-in-law, J is brilliant and knew how to get the sharpie out of the carpet! The bedspread and legs we're on our own for. Thankfully it came out of the carpet. That's what I was most concerned about because we're trying to sell our condo. Sharpie in carpet doesn't count as an upgrade.

Playing at Lake Powell

Cliff jumping at Lake Powell is one of my favorite things to do. I love this picture! Thanks for cliff jumping with me baby, It was awesome!

M loved the water. She loved to be in it. As long as she didn't have to ride on the tube, she was good. Here she is swimming with B.

I had a great time swimming with her. The water was cold because this swimming spot was in the shade, but we still had such a great time. Now you may be wondering where K is in all of these pictures....

...His favorite spot was on the beach where he was dry and warm. He thought the water was way too cold. If we put him in the water he cried because it was too cold for him. I promise I didn't stage this picture. He asked if he could have the floaty on. So, I put it on him. He played in the sand for a long time with his life jacket and floaty on. This picture totally cracks me up!

Lake Powell was awesome! I love my little family and that we were able to go. My sister and her family came with us. It was so fun to be with them and to be together! I am so so so happy that families are forever!

Yes I did!

This picture fills me with so much pride. Why you ask? Because I put this here tent up all by myself! Yes ladies and gentlemen, you read right, by myself! B was setting other things up, the tent needed to be put up, so I did it. Cool right?!

Doing a back flip off the boat? Crazy!

B wanted to try something he had never done before. So he thought to himself, "Self, I want to try a back flip off the back of the boat." So that's what he did. Here he is before he jumped. Here is his initial take off.

Making contact with the water and going in for the landing.

Here he is. Safe and sound and in one piece. It was so cool to watch him do this. Go B! Yeah!

Lake Powell

It doesn't matter how many times I go to Lake Powell, I just love it! It is such a beautiful place. I love the red rock. I'm not a huge fan of the water line, but I think the cliffs are still so awesome!

I love the rock with the blue sky and the reflection in the water. This trip was for sure one of the highlights of the summer!

Changes

So it's official, B got accepted to school across the country. Just a couple of months ago I was feeling like my life was stagnant. Now, we are putting our condo up for sale and making the move. When we checked the mail and I saw the huge envelope, I knew that we were going to move. I almost started to hyperventilate. B asked if I was going to have a heart attack. I told him I might. When he open the package I cried. I'm excited for B and that he got into his top pick of schools. But I'm really not excited to be so far away from family. I get lost driving around town now, and I've lived here my whole life. I don't know what I'm going to do there. Thankfully we'll have a GPS, but I still get nervous. I know that this is what Heavenly Father wants for us and that we will be ok. Maybe moving across the country is what we need to get our baby. Even if it's not, I know that everything will work out.

Man she's smart!

So the other day we went to grandma's house. M saw a computer sitting on the couch and asked if she could look at pictures. I told her that I didn't know how to get to the pictures, so she needed to wait until aunt J could come help her. I went and got a drink of water or something like that. I came back into the living room and M had the computer open and on her lap. I asked her what she was doing. She told me that she was looking at pictures. I went to see and sure enough she had gotten into aunt J's pictures. I have no idea how she knows how to get onto a computer, find the place the pictures are kept, open it and look at them. I can't figure out how to change the color of the text on this here blog. Maybe I should ask M. She probably knows!

Thank you!

You can all put your worried minds at ease! B came home to me unscathed! Except for the parking ticket he got, he was none worse for the wear and he got awesome pictures!This is my favorite picture that he got. The green is beautiful next to the ocean.

He was able to go out on the pier and see dolphins playing. I think dolphins seem so friendly. If I ever came in contact with one in the wild I might be tempted to play with it. I'm pretty sure I would try to make it jump out of the water by throwing my arm over my head. Ya know like they do at Seaworld? I'm sure the dolphin would jump!

He claims all he saw was dolphins. I'm pretty sure there's a good chance that this one could be a shark ready to eat him!

You can't see the picture very well, so I'll just tell you what it is. This is a PANTHER crossing sign. At first I asked him if there was a school nearby that had a panther as it's mascot. No, no there isn't. This sign isn't a joke either. Panthers cross in this area and the 4 surrounding miles. SCARY!

Please!

Dear pilot, fellow drivers and all bad guys:
My dear husband will be flying, driving and being around you for the first part of this week. I REALLY need him. So all I am asking is that you return him to me when he is ready to come home. He needs to be here to see his kids grow up and to grow old with me. Thank you so much!

"I stayed in the lines!"

M has been practicing trying so hard to stay in the lines when she colors. Today she did it! She was so proud of herself. Who can blame her? I think these trees look awesome.

The local Grotto

Thanks to my brilliant younger sister, we learned that there is a grotto close to our house. We went up the other day to check it out. There is a really short easy hike that we took. The water was so cold it hurt my feet, But we still had a really good time.

I love my kids! They make me so happy. They loved the hike.

B with M and K. We had such a great time! I am so thankful that we love to be together as a family and that there are beautiful things like this grotto to look at.

While we were at Priest Lake, both B and I tried wake surfing. Of course B got up and looked awesome. Me on the other hand, well look at the picture. It was fun even if I did look stupid!

Every night M and K would come into our sleeping bag. One morning we tried to take a picture of us "sleeping" but M and K kept smiling. I love this picture!

The top picture is of B and K switching hats. I think the picture is so cute! The picture under it is me and B sliding down a rock slide that is at Priest Lake. The water was really cold because it comes from a spring. M and K wanted nothing to do with it because the water was way too cold. I love to watch B water ski. He says that he doesn't like this picture because he doesn't have a big spray and his ski is too far out of the water. I think that he is a coo-coo crazy head! I think that he looks awesome!

One morning M found grandma B's makeup. I don't know if it's eye shadow or blush all over her, but I think it is so cute!