Year End Wrap Up!

I saw this on Tib's blog last year and LOVED how simple and concise it was at re-capping the year, yet I never followed through with completing it myself. So, I am taking the bull by the horns this year and FINISHING it! Only problem is, this year was ALL ABOUT BABY for us, so the answers are pretty redundant, not as exciting as my 2008 re-cap might have been, but still a re-cap. So, without further adieu-in all it's glory-2009!

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

Ate NUTELLA! I am so in love:)

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I made PROGRESS towards some new year's resolutions but did not reach my overall goals in any of the problem areas of my life. My resolutions were things like: live in the moment, treasure the little things, drop the guilt etc. etc. Like I said, I made baby steps but still have a LONG way to go. This year I am already getting a jump start on going further with those goals with the help of this super fun book that came in the mail yesterday. I am hoping that this will help me break some old habits and set some new standards for greatness for me and my family!

I also am going to continue the tradition of picking a Word of the Year -I did this last year (I don't think I ever posted ANYTHING about it, but I thought of it often). I was amazed at how many times my word would pop into my head at difficult or overwhelming moments and it calmed me. My word for 2009 was: cherish. This year, my word will be: SEIZE. As in SEIZE the Day or SEIZE the moment. This will be my year to GET it DONE and quit procrastinating. It is my ONLY resolution because I think everything else will fall into place if I can get a grip on this one stumbling block of mine.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

YES! Some extended family, some friends, and FINALLY-me (hallelujah)!

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Sadly, I did attend one funeral this year. A fellow co-worker and friend.

5. What countries did you visit?

Never left the United States. Hardly left St. George.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

More sleep and the ability to fit into my regular pants (as opposed to maternity and/or larger sized pants).

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

May 14th. Brayden made his debut!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Bringing a healthy boy into the world and conquering breastfeeding!

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not being able to keep up on all the housework, to do lists, quality time with family etc. etc. without losing my cool.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not really. Just battled the little bout of baby blues that I always get after I have my babies. The only difference this time was that I was more aware of it, confronted it head on, came to terms with the fact that it is a hormone adjustment thing for me, and found ways to deal with it as best I could!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Um, the Bemis Easy Change Toilet Seat. I know, strange answer. Especially considering the fact that we bought a new vehicle this year too (our beloved Toyota Sienna which we love), but seriously-this toilet seat is amazing! It has changed my life:) Obviously, a woman with sons must have invented this. It is completely removable/washable and it makes me giddy every time I clean it:) Brilliant and WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF IT FIRST??? And, if YOU own one, why didn't you tell me about it before 2009???

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Steve- He is truly the most patient, amazing person.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

A few celebrities come to mind, Adam Lambert, Tiger Woods, The Gosselins etc. etc. Thankfully, no one that is close to me.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Brayden, Brayden, Brayden. And he was worth every PENNY, PENNY, PENNY!!!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Anything new having to do with being a mother to a newborn again. I was excited to wash the newborn clothes, get his room ready, go into the hospital to give birth, introduce him to his brothers, bring him home from the hospital, give him his first bath (you get the idea)!

16. What songs will always remind you of 2009?

Let's see, I will pick three:

Taylor Swift, Love Story This was on the radio virtually every time we were in the car. I have memories of Lewis, Conner and me singing at the top of our lungs on the way to school in Beaver Dam EVERY DAY!

Miley Cyrus, The Climb I am not a Miley fan but I have to admit, there were a couple of occasions this year when my baby was screaming for long stretches of time and I would pack him up into his car seat to go for a drive and this song would be on the radio. It actually lifted me up and helped me DEAL with that challenging moment. So, thank you Miley.

And then, for sure: Black Eyed Peas, I Gotta Feeling Just my favorite "feel good" song of the year.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier. We have so much to be thankful for and everything we could have wished for.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter. I have about 10 pounds to get off/or turn into lean muscle mass!
c) richer or poorer? Both. Richer; In friends and family. Poorer; monetarily. We have less money coming in now and we spent way too much money on Christmas this year. Whatever happened to the days when kids were giddy about getting a stocking with an orange and a fist full of peanuts???

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Sleeping and sleeping.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Complaining and worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

Refer to the Christmas post below.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

Yes. With my new babe!

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Sadly, I watched WAYYYYYY more T.V. this year due to the large amounts of time I spent camped in front of the tube nursing my baby. Even more sad perhaps is that my favorite shows were the Today Show (with Hoda and KLG) and Dr. Oz type shows. The Kathy Lee Gifford thing is REALLY a shocker to me. She used to bug me to death. I think that is partly why I started watching. Now she is a guilty pleasure to watch and I love to hear her voice her opinions about things.

I guess I just have never had a chance to experience these types of shows before, with being a working girl, so this has been new to me and I have grown to enjoy the little tid bits of info. I get from watching these shows. I have been guilty of holding off my ravenous child for a few extra minutes to be sure I am feeding him during a prime T.V. hour (one that would include either the Oz man or Kathy Lee Gifford). I know, so pathetic.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I have no room in my life for hate. There are people I dislike but I just don't include them in my sphere. Hate is a worthless emotion.

24. What was the best book you read?

I really thought that THIS year was going to be my year to get back into books. At the beginning of 2009, I had been TWO years without my beloved book clubs and had gotten out of the reading habit. Unfortunately for me, it has been harder to get BACK INTO it than I thought it would be. I set the bar high by trying to do the FIFTY Book Challenge. A few days ago, I updated my Goodreads shelf and sadly, I only made it half way to my goal. Also, MOST of the books I did read were NON-Fiction! I just couldn't seem to get into the "novel" groove, even with great titles like, The Hunger Games and A Thousand Splendid Suns sitting atop my night stand (both books have gotten RAVE reviews).

So, having said all that and scanning through my Goodreads book shelf, I'd have to say that the BEST book I read this year, was the memoir by Jeannete Walls called, The Glass Castle. It was riveting and a true story of hope and resilience.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Sia, thanks Jen! Love her!

26. What did you want and get?

A healthy baby.

A happy family.

Some contentment.

27. What did you want and not get?

Some sleep. Sigh.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

I haven't seen The Blind Side yet, but I have a feeling that will top whatever I put on here right now. But, for 2009, I guess the best movie was: Julie and Julia. I know, weird choice, but I didn't see a lot of movies and that one is fresh in my mind and was so inspiring to me. I love when a movie can pleasantly surprise you, which is what this one did. I wasn't expecting much, but ended up loving it and wanting to see the bonus features on the DVD (which are worth watching). I love that the women in this movie had ideas in their little brains and used them to turn their lives around for the better. I also enjoy well written movies and I thought it was so clever (very Sleepless in Seattle-ish) how the two life stories were intertwined so beautifully. Plus, Meryl Streep: amazing!

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 33 this year, I think. Is that right? I have gotten lazy about keeping track. I was born in '76, so you do the math. Anyway, my b-day was on a Sunday and it was all about relaxing and enjoying the day peacefully with family. Just a pleasant day.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I wish I could say nothing because my year was AMAZING and so fulfilling. But I'd have to say, my year could have been much more satisfying minus the ugly cloud of depression that plagued so many days. It is debilitating and ridiculous. It's so strange to be the happiest you've ever been and at the same time get so overly annoyed and crazy over little, stupid things that really don't matter. Again, hormones are not my friend, but the clouds have lifted and life is looking beautiful again:)

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Oh goodness. So very sad. So trying to cover all the flabby areas with whatever is in the closet that will cover it. So trying to look polished and professional in clothes that don't fit quite right. So not wanting to spend money on bigger clothes but not wanting to look silly in the too small duds. A no-win situation really.

2009 was a blur of borrowed maternity clothes, husband's closet raids, and clearance rack specials. Not really my best fashion year (not that I have ever had a good one). Definitely not my best.

32. What kept you sane?

Keeping a routine and saying "NO"! Also, I have to say that I turned to food quite a bit this year, mostly chocolate. Hence the sad fashion sitch.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I don't know if I fancied any celebrities. I really admired Taylor Swift this year though. She is such a talent powerhouse!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Healthcare.

35. Who was the best new person you met?

Brayden Taylor Peterson. Of course!

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

Never give up.

37. What are you looking forward to in 2010?

12 year anniversary with my sweetheart.
Conner turning 8.
Finishing some unfinished projects.
Remodeling bathrooms.
Reading more books.
Getting more organized and content.
Girl's Camp.
Family vacations.
Spending lots of time with friends and family.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

It is a tie between these two:

Oh, I just can't get enough.
How much do I need to fill me up?
It feels so good it must be love.
It's everything that I've been dreaming of

I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin
'Cause no matter what I do,
My heart is filled with you.

-Colbie Caillat, You Got Me

Happiness is just outside my window
Would it crash blowing 80-miles an hour?
Or is happiness a little more like knocking
On your door, and you just let it in?

-The Fray, Happiness

Okay! That was 2009! Looking forward to a FABULOUS 2010! BTW. Are you saying it- "Two-thousand-ten" or "Twenty-ten" ? Just wondering.

Random ?'s

Random ?'s

As of late, I have been putting a bit more energy into my blog and blogging in general. In doing so, I ran across a blog survey on my friend Lindsay's blog. To echo her sentiment, I was "pathetically flattered" that she would be interested in how I would fill out the survey (actually, she knows I am a sucker for peer pressure) AND, because she is such an AMAZING person, I figure the rest of my blogging friends will find it RIVETING reading as well. So, here it is. . .MY RANDOM QUESTIONS:

What is your current obsession? My new little baby is definitely my easy answer. I think about him night and day and day and night and can't seem to get enough of his baby sweetness.

What do you hate the most that everybody else seems to love? Milk. Especially when people just down a glass. It gives me the willies. I used to could handle a tiny bit of skim on my cereal (just enough to make it wet) but once I discovered soy milk, I wondered how I put up with choking down the cow's milk for so long? I just can't stand the thought of it. It is just very unpleasant to me. I am able to EAT milk when it takes on other forms, like cheese or ice cream, but very minimally. I am not a fan of dairy.

What are you wearing today? One of the only pair of pants that can house my big, cellulite infested bum and a favorite white shirt that covers my even more pathetic, flabby belly (what we put our bodies through for these little babies)!

What's for dinner? I actually cooked a WELL RECEIVED meal tonight (not easy to do with my picky Lewis ). Just a simple barbeque chicken recipe. It was pretty good I must say.

What would you eat for your last meal? Any meal prepared by my mom. She adds the love. Everything she makes is perfection! (I would LOVE for any ONE of my kids to say this about me someday. I have a LOT of work to do to get there.)

What's the last thing you bought? Some address labels from Staples. They ended up being the wrong size (I was dealing with a crying child while I was in there (and NO, it was NOT my baby Brayden crying, it was CONNER) so I was a touch distracted. Kind of a funny story actually: We were in the store all of ONE minute and Lewis took off somewhere. This threw Conner into near histerics. He is TERRIFIED of getting lost or of anyone in our family being seperated. The fact that Lewis wasn't RIGHT there was just too much and he was leaking crocodile tears. Although I think this is a sweet personality trait that he worries so much about his loved ones, this incident was ridiculous and I was SO embarrassed to be dealing with a seven-year-old cryer at the store. Of course, Lewis re-appeared right before I lined up at the check-out counter but by then, the entire store was staring at us. Anyway, I grabbed the wrong, dang labels and now my birth announcements will wait ONE MORE DAY before they get put into the mail! My baby is 2 months old and I am just BARELY sending out his announcement! I am awesome:)

What are you listening to right now? Some new tunes that I added to my playlist. I have neglected the darn playlist on this blog for so long. I finally added some songs and deleted some others yesterday. It is a work in progress though. There are a lot of good songs out there. I have been taking a liking to the Natasha Beddingfield one lately so I put that for #1.

What do you think of the person that tagged you? Lindsay Grantham. . .Love her, miss her. When I read her blog, I am reminded of how much she and I are alike (although, I think she might be a tad bit offended by that staement- we do kind of think the same about a lot of things) but she pulls off life so much better than I! She is way cooler than I'll EVA be. She has got it all figured out, that girl!

If you could have a house, fully paid for, and totally furnished anywhere in the world, where would it be? Not far from where I am right now! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE St. George and never want to leave, no matter HOW stinkin' hot it gets!

What is one of your hobbies? I'd have to say ORGANIZING. I feel like that is all I have been doing for the past few months. I had to completely re-organize my house to make room for our new little one and now I have to re-organize all of my teaching supplies in my preschool (to make room for all the CRAP I bought in the past two years for kindergarten). I know that "outside folk" must think the school districts supply all the classrooms, but really, honestly- we teachers end up forking over some big bucks to keep those classrooms ticking. I had NO idea how much I really bought until I had to bring it all home! Anyway, ORGANIZING- I love it! It's challenging to try to to make a small space function. I hate clutter. I am not a lover of junk lying around that is not being used. I love getting rid of stuff just as much (if not MORE than) as buying stuff, and organizing it all in the end makes me happy and content. I know, soooooo weird!

What are 3 things that annoy you most? I am still pretty hormonal right now, so the list of annoyances is longer than usual, but to narrow it down to the top three: 1) the never ending dust and debri that piles up day in and day out! 2) Sleep deprivation 3) Annoying sounds, like nose whistles or snoring (anything that would ADD to the sleep deprivation).

What is your favorite color? Love green, all shades!

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe?
I don't know if I even have one. I guess I would have to say the stretchy, comfy pants I am currently wearing.

What is your dream job? I would love to get paid to do something I love like scrapbooking, or organizing or something creative like that. I really love teaching and I love being a stay at home mom too, but I love the idea of being able to do FUN stuff and get paid to do it.

Describe your personal style. Cheap and Easy. I swear I have no style. HELP...personal shopper anyone, anyone!?

What are you going to do after this? Make myself a snack and cozy up with my current book (all the while, praying my baby stays fast asleep)!

What is your favorite "happy hour" at Sonic? I like their strawberry slushie drink. I haven't done happy hour in a long time, but I do like the drinks that have the real, fresh fruit and ice.

What inspires you? Amazing women who I can relate to but who are soooo much better than me. I think, "If they can do it, so can I!" Luckily, I have had great role models my whole life. Most of them are good friends. I can sit and chat with a group of them or just one of them and walk away ready to do better and try harder! I also love visiting blogs of more famous inspiring women. I am inspired by their lives and dedication to family.

Who was the last person you kissed? My sweet, delicious Brayden boy! Right on his neck, his favorite kissing spot (I even got giggles this time:)!

What are you currently reading? I'm in the middle of three different books. The Hunger Games (which I am not really loving yet), Enjoying the Journey, and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

What delighted you most today? Each time my baby boy drifted off to dreamland in my arms.

By what criteria do you judge a person? Speaking skills. I have a hard time with poor English. Sometimes it is hard to see past a thick southern drawl. I appreciate people who can speak well (I understand that I am not one of these people, but I ADMIRE them)!

What is on your agenda for tomorrow? More of the same, playing and organizing and loving every second of being HOME. I am hoping to take my Conner to a movie. He earned a date with is mom (lucky kid:)) and I am stoked for a dose of him plus some buttered popcorn (since I am in no hurry to rid my bum of all that cellulite)!

The rules: Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own.
Tag eight other people!

Laura, Jaime., Erika, Kari, Jill, Sarah S., Sarah K., Aunt Colleen

HAVE FUN!!!!!

Our First 2 Weeks with Brayden

So, today, our baby Brayden is OFFICIALLY 2 weeks old! I had better get documenting his first little "firsts" before he is all grown up and ready for college! I can't believe how fast the time has already gone. The other day, Steve said, "You have been enjoying being a new mom even more than I thought you would." I have to admit, he is RIGHT! I have been literally over the moon with joy taking care of the needs of my new little man. It has been so long since someone truly "needed" me for their very survival! I am finding the most curious things exciting, like:

LAUNDRY!!!and organizing his room. . .

his closet, his toys, his bed. . .



















or just taking pictures of the things I think are cute, like how he sleeps with his mouth wide open. . .

I have just been loving all of it!


Well, his first two weeks have been pretty up and down. A little rough and rugged, but for the most part, sweet and peaceful. He is a super calm baby and doesn't fuss much. He has only been waking up twice in the night and he is pretty peaceful about it. Just wants to eat and look around a bit. Not really any crying which I am grateful for.


It is funny, Lewis hasn't held Brayden all that much. I think he is afraid that he will cry and just doesn't want to get him "riled up!" But Conner asks to hold Brayden every chance he can get. He loves to snuggle with him and try to fix his every stir by shoving the binky in. Both brothers have been very sweet with the baby and patient too as we've been trying to get used to the whole thing.


Here is a recap of Brayden's first TWO WEEKS:

Thursday, May 14th, First moments in the hospital being poked and prodded:











Thursday Evening:My new boy and I spent ONE magical night in the hospital. I really LOVE staying in the hospital. I know that many people like to get out as soon as possible, but I love being waited on, having food delivered at the touch of a button, relying on other CAPABLE nurses to dote on my son and teach me their tried and true tricks, and just feeling the need to do NOTHING but take care of myself and my baby-no housework lurking about! If the room hadn't been so dang small this time, I might have liked to have stayed longer. It was so enjoyable! It was also fun to have the visitors that I had. Sunnie's family, my mom and brother, Laura and Ginny and Katie. I'm not usually big on all the "media" attention after having a baby. I like to kind of keep on the down low. But, these few visitors were super fun and made the whole experience that much better.

Friday, May 15th, Coming Home!
It was a little hairy actually. We had just sold our car like DAYS before this baby was born and Steve and I spent the entire day Wednesday looking for vans around town. We finally found one we liked, a 2008 Toyota Sienna with low mileage and in great condition. It was a good price too, so we sort of got the ball rolling on buying it, but the sale couldn't be completed until a few days later and after it had been detailed etc. So, we actually drove our new baby home in our neighbor's truck! For some reason (this happens at all of our children's births) our camera had a malfunction. This time it was the battery that had run out (I made sure I had plenty of MEMORY on the stick, but our battery was overlooked). So, I have no pics of some of the hospital stuff-like going home in Carolyn's truck. Oh well, it will remain a fun memory. So, we went home and got settled a bit and then we headed out again to buy our new van. So, new baby and new car came home in the same day. We have pretty horrible timing when it comes to some things.


Saturday, May 16th, First Outing with Dad:
Brayden had a slightly high bilirubin count at the hospital, but not high enough to warrant staying an extra day (which was the case with Lewis and Conner). So, Steve had to take him into the doc's to have his first foot prick (so sad). His bilirubin ended up being sky high on this day and so, he was ordered to sleep in the "suitcase" (photo therapy lights) for the next few days and nights. This is something both of our other sons have had to do, but it doesn't make it any easier. This little boy of ours is very strong and kept kicking his legs and waking himself up. We finally found ways to tame him, but we were exhausted after three days of jaundice. I think Brayden was tired of it too. By the time I took him in to get his last foot prick on Tuesday, he didn't even cry! He was so used to the pain I guess. What a little trooper/sweetheart!











Thursday, May 21st, First time away from my new boy.
I HATED to have to leave him, but I really had no choice. I owed it to my Kindergarten kids to show up at their graduation and wish them well on their journey to first grade. Luckily, Sunnie was able to come and "hang out" with Brayden. Grandma Peterson was planning to, but she fell and did something terrible to her arm, so Sunnie stepped in. It was nice to be able to leave (since I had to) knowing he was in good hands. I got to the school MINUTES before the graduation started, I did my part, took some pictures with the kids, gave some last minute instructions to my sub, and then headed back home. I made it back by noon and before the baby woke up! PHEW!

Brayden and I spent the rest of the day catching up on our zzzzzzz's and trying to get back in the nursing groove (jaundice really took its toll on us).. Then, that night, I left the baby AGAIN so I could go to Laura's wedding! I know I COULD have brought the baby and my whole family actually, but it had already been a crazy day and I just needed to relax! It was fun being with friends and watching Laura get married. She and Kurt look so happy and I am soooo excited for her!When I left for the wedding, I put my baby in his little bed looking like this:

When I got home two hours later, I swear he had not moved! Here is is in the exact same position! I am lucky to have such a great little sleeper boy!

Saturday, May 23rd, First Road Trip!
We went to Vegas for Brayden's newborn photo shoot with Erin. She was obviously in her element, propping my nine-day-old son up with baskets and hats and molding his little body this way and that! I was amazed by her patience and skill! Also, I was relieved little Brayden man cooperated and that his "infected" eye from a clogged tear duct (something that popped up the NIGHT before our trip) was clearing up. Lewis and Conner were good sports too (they played Wi like the whole time). Everyone did great! Here are some "behind the scenes" images of the event. To see some of the favorite images of the day, scroll down to the next post and click on the link to Erin's photography blog. It is worth the click!













Wednesday, May 27th, The Saddest Day so far. . .
This was Brayden's circumcision day. Poor guy. This is just the saddest thing I can imagine. I don't remember the other boys' being as traumatic but Steve says they were. I think I just try to shut out the horrible memory of it all. I was in the hallway of the doc's office hearing him scream and then I nursed him right after, though he didn't really want to. He just kept screaming as we walked out of the building. THEN, here's the REAL kicker! We realized, shortly after exiting the building, that our new van had been involved in a FREAK patio furniture accident! A nurse in the driveway asked us, "Is this your car?" we looked at it, noticed all the broken glass spewed out along the side of it and the missing window at the back of it, and then said, "yes!" The nurse then informed us that there was a weird, "FREAKY" wind that had just blown through the parking lot and someone's patio umbrella (maybe in the back of someone's truck) had flown across the parking lot and into our window!!!!! Can you believe that? I was totally bugged!!! Here I am, carrying my poor little circumsized baby in his car seat who, by the way, is SCREAMING and rather than being able to go home, we are stuck in the heat of the day having to deal with this freak window predicament! I was NOT having it! I just said, "Steve, I want to get this baby home. I don't care about the window. I don't want to get to the bottom of it, I just want to get him home!!!!" The nurse kept wanting to ask people what they saw and really get to the bottom of it, but I finally said, "Ya know what? I really don't care. I just need some baby Tylenol for my baby and I want to go home." So, she grabbed the Tylenol and wished us well on our way. Once home, I tended to our sad little boy and Steve took the van to the "Glass Doctor" for some estimates. Of course, our lame insurance has a $500 deductible, so we are now just having to pay for the $300 replacement fee on this window! Just what we NEEDED on top of our huge collection of medical bills! NICE! Don't you just ever wonder, WHY??? Why this mess? What are we supposed to learn from this???













Thursday, May 28th TODAY!
So, now we are here in the now. Today, Brayden survived a night of pain and tenderness due to his little procedure yesterday. He did better than I expected and only woke up twice (no crying)-YEAH! He seems to be on the mend today. Not as traumatized as yesterday. Currently, as I type up this post, Conner is reading Brayden his first little book, Goodnight Moon. This was all Conner's idea. I didn't think he could pull off holding the baby AND read a book at the same time, but he DID it! Brayden seemed to like it!

I sure hope the next few weeks can be a little more relaxed and smooth as we enjoy this time with Brayden that already seems to be going too fast.

Mom, what about the laundry?

Here's a funny little statement I heard this morning:
"Mom, the laundry is almost up to Jesus!"
I was in my bathroom getting ready so I did not know what the boys were talking about. I pictured a huge pile of laundry trailing the skies and reaching for the heavens. I heard Lewis giggle, "Yeah, it's so tall. I bet it'll touch Jesus by tonight!" Okay. I had to see what the heck they were talking about.



Oh yeah. I moved the laundry hamper from the master bath and out into the hallway last night in hopes it would motivate me to do a load or two as I passed by. No dice on getting any more laundry done but yep, looks like it's just about to touch Jesus!

Get used to it boys. If I can't stay on top of the laundry now, I can't imagine how it will be with two more little bodies around here to dirty up more clothes. Hey! I have an idea. I'm thinkin' you're at JUST the right age to learn how to run that washing machine and dryer! Who wants to separate the darks from the lights? Anyone? Boys?

CH CH CH CHanges!

Okay, Okay! I know I have been TOTALLY neglecting this blog. I feel hugely guilty about it but for some reason I am not really doing anything about it! Steve has even been on my case. We have tons of fun stuff going on and I am dropping the ball on recording it in our history. Plus, I had such grand plans for this year and my little blog and it bothers me that I am just throwing those plans out the window! I pictured a makeover, not just in overall appearance, but I was going to try to post one little blurb every day. This was my solution to the sunken Project 365 plans (the Becky Higgins project that I missed the boat on). It is a way of recording sort of the little moments in life and I was stoked to get into that frame of mind. Especially since lately I have only been blogging like MAJOR events. I am forgetting to jot down the little moments and that was one of the reasons I liked blogging in the first place. Anyway, I wanted to turn over a new leaf and do just little snippets of what either happened in the day, something funny someone said or little thoughts and pieces of conversation. I even had the first couple weeks kind of mapped out and just NEVER did it! Now I am just finding myself completely dropping the ball all together. How pathetic.

I still really want to follow through with some of my plans but once my life completely changes in April, I'm not sure WHAT I will be able to accomplish as far as the cyber world is concerned? I still have not been successful with getting my blog "published" into a family book. The website I was going to use (blurb.com) no longer works with Blogger. Bummer. I haven't had time to shop around for anything else. Is there anyone out there that has done some research in this area that knows more than me? Please share your knowledge! I also have a huge "nesting" to do list that I try to chip away at every day, but I have such little energy (um, it will be nice when that comes back) I'm not making much progress.

Here is just a little list of what I need to get done:

1. Substitute plans for the entire last month of school
2. Prep for Kindergarten Graduation
3. Prepare all "end of year" stuff for the students
4. Preschool Stuff (I think I'm going to try and do at least one session):)
5. Re-arrange my ENTIRE house, practically! We need to move the boys downstairs and set up two nurseries upstairs. This will involve refiguring storage, hanging shelves, buying furniture, painting and on and on!
6. Clean everything! Simplify! Downsize! Declutter!

Oh the list could go on and on. Those are my top priority though, besides the stuff that is usually and constatnly on the "to do" list already! I keep thinking in the back of my mind, advice from a friend "rest while you can." But I don't see how that can be possible. There is too much to do and we are running low on time.

So, my apologies to the blog world, and my husband (who I never realized enjoyed my updated posts so much) for being such a major slacker! I know I will figure it all out soon and get the ball rolling. I look forward to being "on top of things" again! Oh, I will be SO grateful when that day comes and I am optomistic that it will!

Our FAVE FIVE this WEEK!

Lewis starts Basketball- Lewis is stoked to be playing basketball and I gotta say, I am too. Basketball is my favorite sport, so I am excited to get out there on the pavement with him and teach him some of the basics. He had such a great first practice. I have a confession though, we as parents totally spaced his first game this Saturday. Well, we didn't space it, we just got mixed up on the time. He ended up only getting to play for a few minutes. When we first told him we had goofed, he got so sad- total tears and all. Steve and I felt HORRIBLE! But, he perked up after the game and I explained to him that when I was a little girl, I didn't even get the opportunity to play ANY kind of sports. This seemed to help put things in perspective for him. Even though his parents biffed this one game, he is still a pretty lucky boy to be able to have all of the opportunities that he has. This is a pretty short season with only six more games to play, but he is absolutely on fire about it and it will be short, but I know it will be super sweet! (Maybe I'll remember to take some pictures this week too!)

Fixing the Playground- So when we built our house five years ago, the goal was for me to be able to do a preschool in our basement so I could be home with our boys and still make a little money and do what I love-TEACH! That first year was crazy. We moved in on the same day that I did my first preschool open house and we didn't even have grass! I still can't believe people actually signed their kids up to come! Anyway, by that first summer, we had our grass and Steve went to the ends of the earth to get this play set for our yard (I don't have a picture and my camera is M.I.A. right now, so just imagine a "wannabe" Costco play set with smaller scale everything but which includes swings, a slide and a little loft area). It was from Walmart and it was only like $300 which was about all we could afford. The only problem was, it was always sold out at all of the Walmarts we would go to. Steve finally found one when he was doing practicum work in Vegas and he snatched it up (if I recall correctly, he had come down with the stomach flu too and was on his death bed trying to figure out a way to get the dang thing home). Anyway, this play set started off fufilling our needs just great, but over the years, it has been worn down and has gotten so rickety that I almost am afraid to let the kids even get on it! Anyway, my friend Marci who has been running my school for me while I've been doing Kindergarten this past two years finally came up with a solution. Apparently her father-in-law is a genius with wood and he found a way to correctly reinforce this little play set and now it works better than ever! I am just sooo grateful to have this figured out and to not have to worry about it anymore or try to figure out how to come up with the funds to replace it. I am so glad there are handy people in this world (since Steve and I are not) and that they are willing to help out such a cause. Amazing, amazing! I am so grateful!

New Computer Armoire-

Another thing we had been putting up with for the past five years was a rickety old computer armoire that BARELY functioned. The doors BARELY opened and closed and the filing cabinets had to be duct taped shut because they no longer worked. We don't have an actual office in our home, so we needed a place to house our computer that could be closed up and out of sight when not in use. Well, earlier this fall one other piece of this old armoire broke and I had HAD it. I began looking on line, just to browse and get an idea of price range for a new one. Our old armoire was one of those fake wood Sauder brands and it just did not hold up over time, so I knew I needed to step up a bit. Well, I found this particular armoire at several different sites but it was a particularly GREAT deal at one site. Well, to make a long story short, the reason it was such a good deal, was I only bought the BOTTOM! I felt like such a dork when it came and I realized I had only purchased one part of it (of COURSE it was too good to be true)! So, after awhile, we decided the only solution was to order the top as well (this time we ordered from a local retailer who could guarantee mess ups) and it FINALLY came last weekend! Steve was totally mad at me at first when this whole incident went down, but now that we have a fully functioning armoire, he is glad we have it. I was soooo thrilled to get rid of the old one-this is just so nice. It's like REAL furniture a grown up would buy! It is really beautiful. Anyway, I obviously have not gotten a chance to organize all of our junk yet, and it appears I need to dust a couple of areas (funny what pictures show that you normally can't see) but I cannot WAIT to get on that! Here's to being organized and free of duct taped filing cabinets!!!!

Getting Our First Christmas Card-

So, one of my FAVORITE things about Christmas is getting greetings from long lost family and friends, through the old fashioned mail box! I love opening the mail and seeing those envelopes ready to be ripped into and read. I love hearing about what people are up to and seeing how people have grown and changed over the years. I totally keep my Christmas cards (all of them) filed in a special box that I intend to go through when I am old and gray. I am really not a "keeper" of much, so this shows how much I adore Christmas cards. I also really enjoy the whole process of making cards and sending them out. I am not a great cook or a seamstress or anything like that, but I do like to keep track of our family memories through scrapbooking and I totally LOVE the process of card making and the feeling of ending the year with a really great memento of our family. Even if I only do that ONE project and plop it in our scrapbook, it is a really good reminder of our year (I always type up a few paragraphs about our year to go alongside our card in the scrapbook) and our family's life. It has been hard for me to find time to do handmade cards this past couple of years, but this year, I have decided I will make the time. I am sure it will be simple, but it will definitely get done.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Our first Christmas card arrived this week and I was so excited! This year, the first card came from our good friends in Pennsylvania, the Stathams. They got the coveted first spot on our door and now I get to look at their beautiful grins for the next month or so. She too is a lover of the handmade cards and I totally appreciate them! Take a look at how cute that family is! On the inside it says: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14 Merry Christmas! Love, The Statham Family

Thanks so much Jen- I am now officially inspired to take on my Christmas Card tradition!

Feeling the Holiday Spirit- I am grateful to have been able to taste a little of the holiday spirit this week in so many different ways. If you look around, there are lots of ways to get distracted from the true spirit of the season. But, if you look even further, there are plenty of opportunities to feel the great joy too. Through GIVING and sharing, I have definitely been lifted up and I can't wait for the Christmas season to unravel even more. Soon, our boys will help us execute a "Twelve Days of Christmas" to some needy families and I look forward to seeing their little faces light up as they feel the spirit of giving too. It really is the most wonderful time of the year! Hope you can feel the spirit in your neck of the woods too:)

Can someone come and deck MY halls? PLEASE?

By this time last year, here is what my house looked like:

Everything was spic and span (notice the sheen of the floors), all of our decorations were up and most of the presents were bought and stored away. I had Christmas cards AT LEAST figured out and had a pretty good jump start on neighbor gifts and school staff gifts. I even went as far as to take these pictures so I could REMEMBER where I put everything so I didn't have to RE-FIGURE it out for next year (am I the only one who has such a poor short term memory)? Anyway, in a nutshell, I was as ON THE BALL as one could be! So what is my problem this year? Currently, my house looks like this:




The LAST thing I feel like doing right now is lugging all the Christmas stuff in and getting the house ready (let alone getting the floors to the perfect sheen). I don't have a clue what I'm sending for Christmas cards nor do I have any idea what the neighbors and co-workers will be getting from us. I didn't even make it to all the Black Friday events that I usually go to (Steve went instead). I just can't seem to even find the DESIRE to get going with the holidays this year and it's freaking me out a little. I am hoping that I can blame it on the fact that we were a little under the weather this Thanksgiving and have been a bit sleep deprived for the last few nights. But then again, usually the ENJOYMENT of decking the halls gives me a little adrenaline even if I am tired. So who knows?!

Anyway, just thought I'd blog it out a bit. See if any of the rest of you are having "Christmas Withdrawals" too? Probably not. This is so bazaar! Hopefully I'll snap out of it! Otherwise, it might be Christmas BREAK before I actually get my act together! Yikes. I really could use a decorating fairy to come over and deck our halls RIGHT NOW! Anyone?

The Sun'l Come Out. . .

So, the week started pretty rocky, but ended up being pretty O.K. Tuesday morning, Conner woke up sicker than sick. I got my substitute plans ready and prepared to stay home with him (how convenient that this would occur the day after the chipped tooth and broken dryer?!? I guess someone is looking out for me:)) I mean, NO fun at all for poor Conner, but I was able to get my tooth fixed and, at least, get started on figuring out what to do with the dryer thanks to this day off. Well, we had a guy come and look at it and as I was walking by the room, I noticed him pulling out layer after layer of lint. I asked, "Is that normal?" he said, "Well it is and it isn't." He proceeded to explain the whole process of what a dryer does and where the lint goes etc. etc. and then he showed me the BURNED pieces of lint and my dryer!


Apparently, there was a small FIRE in my dryer!!! Yikes! He said he has seen much worse damage but that it's a good thing it stopped working. Some people's dryers will keep on working, even when things start smoldering and that is when house fires occur. Anyway, we priced new dryers and decided getting this one fixed was the best deal. He changed some coil thingys, re-lubricated some other thingy and ordered a new seal (since the old one melted a little bit). He also cleaned out all the nasty lint build up and vents and assured me that it won't happen again, especially if I get my duct work cleaned in the next three years as is recommended (every 8-10 years you should have this done-just F.Y.I.). Anyway, crazy, craziness! But, my dryer is now functioning and it feels sooooo great to not have twenty gazillion piles all over the place!

Also, people have been asking me about that chipped tooth. I am embarrassed to say that it happened because I was trying to remove a staple out of some paper with my teeth. Now, I have done this a million times in my life. I guess it was time that fate stepped in to teach me a lesson. It really wasn't that noticeable to the onlooker, the chip was tiny off the front bottom part of the tooth. It was really just buggin' me. I couldn't stop messing with it. Anyway, fifteen minutes in the dentist chair (and $50 dollars) later, it is fixed! Take a look:

















Ha! Just Kidding! Those are some funny teeth Lewis won at his Pack meeting this week! Of course I have to be the cool mom who tries them on and lets her kid take a picture of it! Seriously though, here is the results of the dental visit. Good as new:


Also, Tuesday was the day Steve left for his monthly meetings out of town, so DENNY'S DAY for us (who can resist free food for the kids???)! Conner was still not feeling that great, but much better than he was earlier in the day. He ate applesauce and French fries. Lewis ate his entire meal (French toast sticks and fruit, the rest of Conner's (mini hot dogs) and even some of mine: Cinnamon-Apple French toast! He must be growing.

Hey-standing invitation to whoever wants to join us on our monthly visit to Denny's! Let me know and I'll keep you posted when we go next. There are always a ton of moms there with their kids (I'm thinking their husbands must be out of town or at meetings too)! Anyway, we always have a lot of fun!

Balancing Act

Well, it has been officially 16 days of school and I am still trying to find an equal balance in my life. Obviously, my blogging fun has suffered. I have missed checking in on everyone! I am also surprised that some people have actually sent me a little hate mail for not updating in over two weeks. Funny to see that I have some "regulars". So, I am taking the initiative right now and forgoing my plans to do a little light reading and getting this new post up. It is all about the balancing act! Trying to find a way to work hard, see results with my students at school, keep up on daily chores, and spend time with loved ones doing things I love! I am actually proud of myself today for taking the time to visit with neighbors instead of hurrying inside to get dishes put away. I'm also proud that I spent time watching my boys and reveling in them and the joy they bring. I remember when they were littler and Steve would suggest that our family should go to the park. I would just cringe at the thought! They were still little and needed help on the monkey bars, being pushed on the swings and being reminded not to eat the sand etc. I know it sounds terrible that I wouldn't want to go, but I was always taking the boys to the park on my own and I looked at that time that Steve was with us as a family to do more relaxing or productive things. I had a really hard time just relaxing and enjoying family moments because I was always thinking about the next thing I needed to get done. On one particular trip, I told Steve I'd go if I could bring a "project" to work on so he could hang with the kids. I look back now and realize how silly I was. Why couldn't I have just enjoyed the moment as well as my husband and just revel in our boys? Life is so fleeting and these are the moments I am already regretting. So, lately I have been trying to be less "project driven" and more "quality of life driven"! I am also learning when to say 'when' and, not bite off more than I can chew. I'm trying harder this year to not please everyone because you can NEVER please everyone! My motto, "do my best" that's all I can do! So, here is a little sneak peek at some of the ways we have tried to fit fun and enjoyment in to the mix of endless, busy, back to school work and not feel guilty about the enjoyment of them.

Broadway in the Desert!

This was an AMAZING play! The music was mesmerizing and could not have been done any better! I think the Tuacahn plays just get better and better every time I go. Steve and I were so appreciative of our neighbor Carolyn for letting the boys sleep over so we could see this play (we didn't get home until 12:30) but it was worth it. We needed this date night and how can you get any better than Broadway in the Desert?

Fishing on Monroe Mountain-

This ended up being a "father's and sons" escape with Steve's parents and Aunt Pam, Uncle Dale and Grandpa Staples. I felt a LITTLE bit guilty about not going, but it did not last very long! Steve was very aware that I was exhausted and needed some time to decompress. This break away from all worries and strife was just what I needed and to know that the boys were having the time of their lives made it even better!

Girls Only Brunch!

While the boys were out fishing, I had some "girl time!" This was supposed to be breakfast, but since the Bear Paw (the most fabulous breakfast food around) was so stinkin' crowded, by the time we ate, it was brunch! These are some of my favorite people whom I work with and we all decided to live it up and meet for this yummy and relaxing meal. The fun did not stop there though! We saw Mama Mia later that day and now I can FINALLY know what everyone has been raving about! It was awesome and fun and I can't wait to see it again (mom)! Also, Pearce Brosnon (spelling?) wasn't as bad as everyone made him out to be.
I thought it was a perfect movie, Pearce and all!:)

Two (TOO) Cute Boys!

Top three reasons I love this picture:
1. His smile!
2. The fact that he's loving his new chore!
3. The little towel tucked into his shorts, just like dad:)

Okay. Picture four crazy kids, in a tiny room, with the lights off, the piano keyboard cranked with some jazzy ditty and the Lite Brite holding its own as the disco ball! A sight to behold for sure! Too bad this was the only picture that turned out of Lewis, Conner and their friends Courtney and Makenzie!
(I think the disco Lite Brite was pretty genius!)

Hangin' with Old Friends!

Everyone should have friends like these guys! They are the salt of the earth and we were so lucky to be in the same ward with them back in the day. Steve and Jeremy became fast friends and it turns out, I've known Wendy since she was a little girl (she was in my home ward growing up)! The point is, these guys would go to the ends of the earth for you and they are so fun to be with too! Their cute kids add a lot of fun to the house when they come over. I realize it is important to make time to be with friends, even if your house is a total disaster, it doesn't matter, invite those friends inside! They fill your cup every time:)

Snuggling. . .Need I Say More?

How adorable are these two boys? Kirk, my twelve year old bro is the coolest kid I know!
And Little Grant, they don't come much sweeter than this!

How adorable are these two boys? Kirk, my twelve year old bro is the coolest kid I know!

And Little Grant, they don't come much sweeter than this!

Ya know what? This post took me less time then I thought! I think I might actually be able to squeeze in that little bit of light reading! I am re-reading the book "Simple Abundance" as mentioned by my cute neighbor Nancy. She's got me all excited about doing my gratitude lists and finding the positives out of life rather than dwelling on the inevitable negatives. So, let's all go out there and have a wonderful week! Here's to the balancing act! Good Luck and hopefully I can check in on your blogs soon. Thankfully, life is beginning to balance out!