Audrey's First Soccer Game

Audrey started soccer today! She sooo needed an outlet for all her energy and is very athletic, so we've been looking very forward for when she could finally sign up for soccer.

We are so proud of her for how hard she played tonight! It was so much harder than she thought, but she stuck with it, after running off the field several times to tell us she was done and wanted to go home, but she stuck with it. For the first half, she was practically the only one on her team that was aware of where the ball was and that you were supposed to try and get it (and I think she was the best kicker and runner on our team, but that's just my opinion;). She was trying really hard not to get frustrated that whenever she got the ball, someone either took it from her, or she couldn't get it quite in the goal. Put she kept going, and finally she asked the coach if she could be the goalie. She loved it! Good job, sweetie!!


Nervous Anticipation


A Few Pointers (I think she's listening)


Our Firecracker


Can I kick it now?


In The Lead


In The Lead Again


Great Catch!


True Calling


So does this make me an official soccer mom now?

We're So Lucky!

There was a drawing at the girls' new dentist for tickets to go see Wall-E and we were one of the families to win! Plus, there will be more prizes at the movie! Rock on!!!!

Whew!

It's official: I'm all caught up with everyone's blogs on my Google Reader!! Yeah! (It only took me a week of diligence!) And for those of you who haven't converted to the wonderfulness of Google Reader and RSS feeds, I'll try to get to yours soon.

Friends Are a Gift

We made some friends!! Yippee! A gal in our ward that I have come to know in the Mother's Room at church, invited us to dinner at their house last night (isn't that one of the easiest and greatest places to make friends, the Mother's Lounge?). They are such an awesome couple and we had so much fun chatting and eating fabulous food (I have no idea how I could even come close to that to invite them over here for dinner:). So now I just hope they didn't think we're really boring or weird (I sound like I'm in Junior High, don't I). And we're going to the neighbor's house tomorrow to play, so that'll be fun too.

Plus, the Wilson's from our old ward came and visited us this weekend and we had so much fun catching up and playing. Thanks for visiting us guys!

The hardest part about moving was leaving so many good friends behind. I know, I'm whining again, sorry. I just have to have a pity party every other day or so until things gets better I guess. Our neighborhood and ward felt so close and this new one does not (I'm still miffed that the 3 new sisters that have moved in since we have were cheerily welcomed and introduced in Relief Society and I was not!). But Jeromy and I have been trying really hard to get out of our comfort zone to make it work here.

Anyway, we're loving our house now and wish you all could come and see it! If you can afford the gas, you're all welcome!! Until then, I'll try to start posting pictures as more and more areas of the house become more presentable.

Okay, Obsessed

I will admit that I'm a fanatic of Psych! So that's why we created this awesome cool widget for the most awesomest show ever!!!!! Yipeeee!!!

Obsessed?

Some may think I'm a fanatic about these books, but seriously, I think I'll be able to live for the next 42 days, 2 hours, and 4 minutes. I just happened upon this widget today and thought it was cool. (I am excited though!)

Audrey win's an Oscar

Tonight I was putting Audrey down for bed and she wasn't going quietly. After 5 books, 4 stories, and two songs I was ready to make my exit. That is when the following scene took place:

Jeromy: Audrey, It's time to go to bed.
Audrey: But Daddy, just one more story.
Cue puppy dog eyes, suddenly long flapping eyelashes, longing gaze, and hypnotizing powers.
Jeromy: Audrey, it is late. You need to go to bed.
Audrey: But Daddy...
Jeromy: No Audrey, lay down and go to bed.
Cue eyes filling with tears, slight quiver of the bottom lip, ease into a frown, prepare to cover face with hands, start line strong - but end it nearly in a wisper.
Audrey: Daddy, you're breaking my heart.
Cue shocked expression from "Daddy" followed by a:
Jeromy: What?
Audrey: Daddy, you're hurting my feelings.
Cue 5 more books, 4 extra stories, two verses, and 1 lecture followed by a promise to be stronger.

The Best $100 We've Ever Spent

When we bought our couch at RCWilley, they were doing a promotion for this swing set for only $100, so we got it. It takes up a good chunk of our yard, but it's worth it. We're so excited to be able to send the kids out back and play! And the girls are so excited too! They're so willing to do anything for us if it means they can go play out back. Boy, it was a bear to put together though, I'll tell ya. Oh, and since we got it just a few days ago, Audrey has learned how to pump her legs! Yeah!!!





And speaking of spending money, this is the best $60 we've ever spent. Jacob just loves his Big Toy! And I just love how he "devours" the star he's chewing on. I could just eat him he's so cute!

New Couch!

I can be so gloomy sometimes, yikes. Sorry 'bout that. So here's something a bit more cheerful. Our couch finally came!! We're so excited! It even has feathers in the cushions so it's way comfy. Now we're just waiting on the ottoman. What do you think?

Note to Self

This is more for me than for any of you, but I thought I should post it here so I can refer back to it later, and maybe even learn something new by writing down the old. Plus, maybe I'll get some kind-hearted, tried-and-true tips from other parents? (hint-hint;)

In an effort to figure out my strongly stubborn daughter, I want to make a list of things that I've learned work well with her, but can't exactly recall on our hardest of days (why is that?). So here's a list of them, in no particular order:

-The power of choice: if it's okay for her to decide about something, then by all means, let her decide!
-Give her responsibilities so she feels like Mommy's Big Helper.
-One-on-one time with her on a regular basis is vital. Make sure many of these are very silly!
-She gets cranky when hungry and/or tired. Just be prepared.
-Although it takes much more effort, a happy-go-lucky tone works so much better than a you're-in-trouble-missy tone
-Routines help her feel more in control
-Her temper is a mirror of my own. She learns how to deal with frustration from watching me, so set a good example, would ya Hil?
-Discipline immediately after the offense, have the punishment fit the crime, follow through, consistency, yada yada yada. (it's getting late and I can't remember anything else)

I know these sound pretty basic to you all, but they were hard ones for us to learn. I'm ashamed to admit how crazy it's gotten, but feel like I need to announce it so we can build a support system. Great, now she sounds like such a monster child, and she's not. We love her and are so glad to have her. Our lives seriously wouldn't be the same. She's such a great big sister to her siblings and (usually) loves to take care of them. She is always so honest with us. I'm amazed at how at just 4 years of age she can explain her feelings so well and get to the root of what's really bothering her. I know adults that can't do that. And by golly is she smart! She remembers practically everything that is told to her (we just wonder what she repeats back to her Primary teachers;). We love her dearly and that is why we are working so hard to be good parents for her.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings. I'm probably not making much sense anyway because of the hour.

(By the way Megan, the chart idea for her "accidents" problem worked like a charm! We hardly have to use the chart, because the threat of taking stickers off if she makes a mess was enough. Thanks!)

Frustration

I've been dealing with a bit of frustration lately and need to get it out. (Sorry in advance.)

-I don't get to blog near as much as I would like. I have a bunch of pictures I want to post, but by the time I get the kids in bed and clean up a bit, I'm done. I just want to go to bed so I can keep my goals of waking up early and exercising. Ugh. And I really want to keep current with friends' blogs, but I have something like 120 new posts on my Google Reader account; I don't know, I'm too scared to look anymore.

-I've got 3 book clubs going on this month, and normally I'd be lucky to finish 1 book in a month, but 3? Plus, there's the ones I want to finish before the summer's over that are sitting there, taunting me each time I pass them. Oh well. Maybe when the kids are in high school I'll be able to read all day??? It's just so hard not to get too involved with a book that I neglect the family all day long or stay up ALL night. Does anybody have any tips on how to step away from the book you're reading?!?

-It has been a very difficult week with Audrey. Okay, it's been longer than that (by about 2 years, maybe?), but this week especially. She had a hard time moving and acted out a bit because of the stress. That was to be expected, and we tried to focus on happy things with her to distract her. She was very excited about the new house, so that helped. But lately she's just been so defiant and it's really hard for me to control my temper when she openly rebels against us like that, so we've been spiraling. Why is it that I seem to be able to figure her out only to forget all that I learned a few months later when we both regress? Yikes. But today was a pretty good day. I was able to stay calm and we both made it through a tantrum okay and actually happy. But by bedtime I was emotionally tired and had Jeromy deal with her for me, and in so doing it took ALMOST TWO HOURS to get them into bed! Mount on top of this that I was trying really hard to get everything done (laundry, dishes, etc.) before bedtime so that I could finish my book tonight for my book club tomorrow night, and... you get the idea.


So, here I vent to make myself feel better, and my sweet husband is making me a snack in the kitchen because I've just told him that I need a break and so I'll be up late. Did I mention that he has to wake up in 5 1/2 hours? Thanks, hon, you're the kindest person I know.

Can Shelf Plans

Wow, I didn't think so many of you would be so interested in making a can shelf like mine (sometimes I feel like I'm the only one with a passion for storing food). I'm so happy to share these plans with everyone! Here is the link to the plans for my can shelf.

http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FN_503.pdf

It's a big pdf file, sorry, but just scroll down till you get to page 92 (or 10-7). You basically need: 4-2x4's, a bunch of plywood, little strips of wood so the cans don't roll off the shelf, strips of cardboard (I've got a bunch of leftover boxes if anyone needs them!) to separate the different rows of cans, lots of nails, a few L-brackets, screws, thin wood strips for the sides of the shelves, and your food storage. We didn't do the little cut outs at the end of the shelves because it was too time consuming and we figured we were adult enough to know how to get a can off the shelf without pinching our fingers. I know the plans look intimidating, but where there's a will, there's a way! Please let me know if you get stuck or have any questions!

If you have a minute, you might want to check out the rest of the document (I know, it's huge, but most of the pages have huge fonts). It's designed for a food storage course complete with handouts and transparencies. It's got some great information if you're interested.

Since we're on the subject of food storage, does anybody have any ideas, recipes, websites, etc. they'd like to share?

Our Seven-Month-Old

Jacob is now 7 months old, can you believe it?!?! He is growing so fast: rolling over, always wanting to stand on your lap, not sit in it (we just can't get him to bend his legs!), eating solid foods, starting to scoot on the floor, and on Monday we noticed his first tooth! Time flies. He is such a delightful little guy. We're so glad he's joined our family. We love you, Jacob!

Here are some random pictures we've taken of him in the last month or so.

Jacob fell asleep while my Mom and I were unpacking. Poor guy!

His first pear! An actual slice of pear in a mesh bag thingy. He devoured it, putting the whole thing in his mouth and sucking on it till it was just a little bit of brown pulp, ew.

Jacob's first Rice Rusk (a cracker-like wafer that dissolves really easily). He liked this as well, lunging his head towards the cracker in impatience. And they're so dry that once we put it in his mouth, it would stick to his lips!

Uuuuurrrrrrggh!

What do you do with a fully potty-trained 4-year-old that doesn't seem to be able to make it to the potty in time? She waits till the last minute then sprints for the bathroom, but doesn't get her panties off (or more correctly, princess/ballerina paraphernalia) fast enough, and then she yells for me to come clean her and the floor up. I am really getting sick of this!!

My Can Shelf

Isn't it a thing of beauty? I'm so excited that I finally have my cans up and can cook with them now without having to go on a scavenger hunt in the basement. But after spending a whole day putting those cans away, I found a couple more boxes of stuff that needs to go on there, so I'm hoping it fits (crossing my fingers!). I love food storage!!



By the way, if you want the plans to make a can shelf of your own, let me know. It's fairly simple and only about $50 worth of lumber. But you need to have rafters or something to attach it to.

Little Brother

This morning I asked the girls if they would watch Jacob on my bedroom floor so I could finish getting ready for the day. This is what I saw when I came out. I almost got upset at Audrey for picking up her little brother when she's not supposed to, but then I saw how cute they were together and had to run and get the camera. So cute!





They are definitely brother and sister, are they not?

How Do You Find a Preschool?

Audrey told me how:

Audrey: Mom! We need to find a preschool for me!
Me: You're right! We do need to do that. Well, how do you think we could find one?
Audrey: We could follow the school bus!

What a smartey.

I'm So Thankful For Blogs!

My dear friend Megan said it best when she posted her Blogimony here. I must agree with her 100%! Please read and become converted:) (I should also add that blogs have made this whole moving transition a WHOLE lot easier!)

We Can't Wait!!

1 month and 3 days till Pysch Season 2 comes out on DVD, and 1 month and 13 days till Pysch Season 3 premieres on USA. This is the sole reason we have cable right now. Yeah!!

Apple Tree

We are so thrilled to actually have a backyard now! Well, I guess we technically had a backyard at our townhouse, if you can call a cement slab a yard. Anyhow, the girls have been loving the lawn, and I'm so excited to plant vegetables around the sides of the yard. Today we had a little FHE about gardens and then planted an apple tree. So fun! We hope to get a lot more done the rest of the week, and I hope to take lots of pictures. Right now the part of our house that looks the best is our lawn, so that's what I'm posting pictures of. Pictures of the inside are going to have to wait a little while, sorry!

New Callings

So yesterday Jeromy and I got callings. They called us, sustained us, and set us apart and gave us our visiting teaching/home teaching routes too. I was telling Jeromy that it's hard to feel part of a ward until you have a job. And he said that Pres. Hinckley said every new convert (which I kind of feel like lately) needs a responsibility, a friend, and nourishment by the good word. So two down, one to go. Oh, ya, our callings. We're on the activities committee. Cool, huh.

Lazy Excuses

I said I was back to the blogging world, and then I didn't do anything. I didn't post anything, I didn't read others' blogs, nada. I'm such a liar. I've also been pretty lazy around the house lately by reading instead of unpacking (in all fairness though I had just a few days to read a book for a book club).

But it's all about to change!! (Hint: This is my way of giving myself some motivation, if I tell people what I hope to do, then I have to do it or else I'd be lying.) I miss blogging so much and my friends even more, so I'm desperate to get back into it.

I guess I haven't been that lazy, actually. We've been to EVERY furniture store in a 30 mile radius in the last couple of weeks, and finally purchased a cute brown couch last night (it's a cloth sectional with feathers in the padding!). The sad part is it won't be here for about a month:( And we went to Jeromy's parents' house for Memorial Day weekend and had a lot of fun up there for 3 days.

To top off all of these excuses, Audrey has been learning the wonders of the internet. I was trying to think of things for her to do to stay out of my hair so I could unpack, and so I showed her the Wiggles website and all the cool games and stuff on it (and after a week of me getting sick of the songs, I showed her Playhouse Disney's website). It took her about an hour to figure out how to use a computer, and now she can navigate herself around those websites pretty well. Pretty impressive! Anyway, we only have the one computer unpacked right now and she's been hogging it. And now she's broken off the H key on the laptop's keyboard. It's a good thing I don't use that one much ;)

So there you have it. Lazy, full of excuses, and dying to get back into the swing of things. That's me. I hope I'm making sense right now, cuz I'm actually pretty tired. Well, I better go read others' blogs now!!

I'm back!!

I can finally blog again after not having internet, phone, or TV for a week and a half. Yikes! I hope I don't have to do that again. It reminded me how dependent we've become of the internet. Crazy. Anyway, now that I've got internet, I can finally check everyone else's blogs! Get ready to hear a whole lot of backlogged comments from me!

Well, we're all moved in and all unpacked! Just kidding; I wish we were all unpacked. My mom flew in last week and she was an amazing help! We got a ton unpacked and lots of stuff done, so now I just have the miscellaneous boxes of junk left that I don't feel like even opening, plus all the food storage. That'll probably take me awhile.

We are loving our new house! We've got a huge loft upstairs that all the toys are in and that's where I'm going to put my computer, craft stuff, coupon stuff, etc. in so I can do whatever while the kids play. I'm really excited about that. And it's really nice to have Jeromy home by 6pm every night, and he doesn't have to go to bed super early in order to get up super early to beat traffic. Yeah!!!

But alas, our ward isn't the same. We had such an exceptional ward in Provo, that I'm afraid it's hard to beat, or even match. The Primary consists of over 100 kids, so that's good, the girls will have a lot of friends. But the Relief Society only has about 20-25 women attending each week, and they didn't even introduce me the first week. I had to make that happen our second week. It's just strange. Hardly anybody has introduced themselves, so I kind of feel lost in the crowd (although our next-door neighbors have been really nice). Oh well, the church is true and they offer the sacrament and teach my children. What else do I need?

With that said, we miss all our friends like crazy!! Please come visit us if you can! I'm keeping my hairstylist and pediatrician in Provo because they're great and because then I'll have an excuse to go down and visit everyone. Love ya all!

Packing, Packing, and More Packing

My life consists of packing right now, and not much else. Although I've found a moment to blog a little, I don't have time to check everyone else's blogs :( So in a couple of weeks expect to hear from me on your blogs when I try to get current again.

We are all so excited to get into our new house. Tomorrow we close and then this weekend we move in. Everything is happening so fast that I feel like a whirlwind. Thanks to all who have offered to watch the girls so I can pack!! They are loving being able to see their friends one more time before we leave.

Yesterday was our last Sunday in our beloved Slate Canyon 11th ward. I tried really hard to not get emotional. It was hard. We've had 4 years, 3 babies, 2 jobs, and a ward split, not to mention many great and wonderful friends, all in this wonderful little area. It's hard to go, so lately I've been focusing on how exciting a new big home will be that's close to Jeromy's office, so I don't have to think about how sad I am. But I don't think I can hold it in much longer.

Audrey is pretty sad too. I wasn't sure how this move would affect a 4-year-old until we had a nice little conversation yesterday. Audrey didn't want to eat her dinner because she said she was tired. Exasperated, I sent her to bed (I thought just the threat would get her to eat, but she surprisingly and obediently went up to her bed). A few minutes later Jeromy went up to talk with her and he asked her what was wrong. She said she was sad because we were moving and she wouldn't see her friends ever again. He assured her that we will still live close enough to visit, but she was still sad.

So I went and had a little talk with her. I tried to cheer her up by telling her that she could write messages on the computer to her friends any time she wanted to, and maybe we could invite all of her friends up to the new house for a party once we get moved in. It cheered her up a little bit, and then she asked why we were moving. I told her that Daddy's work is kind of far away, and it takes him a long time to get home, but our new house is really close to his work, so he will be home faster. She was still sad so I thought I'd leave her alone for awhile.

A few minutes later she came downstairs and announced sadly, "I'm okay that we're moving now." I asked her why. She said, "I'm ready for Daddy Time." That just about broke my heart. I am so proud of her that she's so brave and selfless that she's willing to put the needs of the family above her wants. She constantly amazes me.

So thank you all for being wonderful neighbors and friends! Indeed it is hard to say good-bye, but I am so grateful for blogs and emails and phones so we can all keep in touch. And hey, it's not like we're moving that far away. We'll probably come down for various activities and such. And you are all welcome to come up and visit us anytime!!

We Found A House!!

Wow, they don't call it house-HUNTING for nothing! We really had to hunt this thing down and grab it before anyone else did. It's all happening so fast! We saw the house for the first time last Saturday, made an offer Tuesday, they officially accepted on Thursday, and we hope to close the deal in a week and a half and move in on the 3rd. Crazy!!!

So that means I have 2 weeks to pack, find renters, pick out appliances, etc. etc. (so don't be surprised if you don't hear from me for awhile!). I really hope the kids are good for me so I can pack like crazy- knock on wood.

We are really excited for our new home. It's right next to Ikea (yeah!) and is only 3 years old (double yeah!) and HUGE (triple yeah!)!!! But the main thing that I'm looking forward to is seeing Jeromy more often since he can probably get to work in 10 minutes. Awe-some! And I can send the kids out to the backyard to play! We're all very excited. The girls were actually confused when we pulled up to the church today because they were hoping to go to our new church already. And they aren't understanding why it's going to take more than a day to pack all of our belongings. They are very anxious to get into their new home!

We have LOVED this place so much. It's been perfect for our little family. And we've made the best of friends here. We are definitely going to miss you all!! It's very bittersweet to leave. And it's happening so fast that it's hard to process it all. Like our realtor said, "Sometimes it's better to just rip the band-aid off and be done." We'll see if that's true for us or not. At least we can all keep in touch through blogging, right?

I'm very grateful that everything seems to be falling into place now. And very grateful for the 4 wonderful years that we've had here. Thank you!!

Handsome Jeromy

I didn't want Jeromy to feel left out. I love you too, hon!

Strong Jacob

A week and a half ago, Jacob rolled over for the first time!! Both directions on the same day!! Man, he's growing so fast. I love him!

Brave Audrey

Last night I had a planning meeting for my new calling, and I had to leave right when the kids were getting ready for bed. Apparently, Kierra had a hard time that I was gone, so Audrey tried to comfort her. She told me about it when I got home. "Kierra was really sad when you left, and she wanted a hug. So I was brave for her and cuddled with her so she wouldn't be scared anymore. I was brave, huh. And then you came home and we could hug you!" I love her!

Compassionate Kierra

We were watching a movie with our babysitting group kids tonight, and it got a teensy bit scary (a turtle flying through the air holding onto a garden hose). One little girl said, "Mommy!" So Kierra tried to comfort her, saying, "Oh, it's okay, your Mommy will be back soon" (rubs her back) "It's late, huh. She'll be back soon, huh." By this time she was completely ignoring Kierra and watching the movie, but Kierra had to make sure that she was okay. I love her!

It's Been A Sad Day

Last week is behind me! Yeah!!! With all the cleaning for company, entertaining company, preparing a lesson for a mini-enrichment class, and planning a surprise birthday party for my dad, I was pretty well beat by the time Friday night was over. Whew! But it's all over and now I can resume house hunting (ugh).

Here's a recap (I'm sorry this is quite lengthy, but I'm treating this sorta as a journal page):

My dad's brother and his wife stayed with us last week (from Tues. to Fri.) while they visited their son and his family who are attending the Y. It was really nice to see them. The girls loved all the attention!

On Thursday night, I taught a mini-enrichment class on food storage and how to start obtaining your three-month supply of everyday foods. It's a topic that I'm pretty passionate about, so it was fun to prepare for, albeit stressful and bad timing. I am really loving my new calling!

Thursday was also a big day for Jeromy at work. He gave a 7 hour presentation to their biggest client and pulled it off so well that the boss gave everyone Friday off (partly because Jeromy was able to get through everything they needed to, and partly because they had all been working past 10pm the whole week). Way to go, hon!

So Friday was spent running errands for the big party (luckily, I had Jeromy there to help and wonderful neighbors to watch the girls- thanks again Wendy!), and getting the house ready for a new batch of company. My sister drove all the way from WA to make it just in time for the party (and I MEAN just in time- she got there a half an hour before my dad:). My dad had no idea! He showed up at the library expecting to take the girls to a cool puppet show. The library even put signs up and everything! He walked into one of their rooms to find: his brother and his wife, his sister and her husband, his mother, his sister-in-law and her husband, his in-laws, a few of his nieces and nephews, us, and even more surprisingly, his daughter and her children from Washington! It was great!! Happy 60th Dad!!!

Saturday was spent watching conference, going for a hike near Bridal Veil Falls, spending quality time with relatives, etc. etc. The guys went up to SLC for the priesthood session while us gals ordered chinese (one of my favorite family traditions!). My sisters and I even got to do a little shopping while Grandma watched all 6 grandkids. She's a trooper!

Sunday, more conference and hanging out.

On Monday, my sister and I took the kids to the Children's Museum at the Gateway up in SLC. They have a Sesame Street exhibit on The Body. It was really fun! We thought it was a little overpriced at $12 per person (over age one), but the kids had a blast.

Shelly and I went (with the kids, I might add, and yes, we're crazy) to Ikea on Tuesday. Loved it! They take your potty trained children for an hour for free! So we just had the babies and Kierra while we roamed the store. Then we picked up the other kids and had lunch at their cafe (yummy Swedish meatballs, mmmm). Awe-some! Then Jeromy took Audrey, Kierra, and my sister's 3-year-old home so we could go to Tai Pan Trading for awhile. And Cafe Rio for dinner! What more can a girl ask for?!?

So today my sister headed back home. And that is why it has been a sad day. We've just been kinda moping around all day because all the fun and excitement is over. It was fun while it lasted. Thanks for visiting, everyone!!!

My Day

2am: Go to sleep after spending way to much time on the computer (stupid, stupid, stupid)
10am: Wake up and feed kids, nurse baby, dress kids, talk to sis on phone, find necessary coupons for today's shopping
11:30am: Start getting kids in car
Noon: Arrive at Wal-Mart to get oil-changed
1:15pm: Pick up car, Jacob's still asleep, kids doing OK
1:30pm: Get lunch at "Old McDonald's"
2:15pm: Arrive at Costco
3:45pm: Get back to car after much whining and chasing, Jacob has fallen asleep again (thank you!)
4:00pm: Arrive home, put food away, change diapers, send kids downstairs to play, feed Jacob
5:00pm: Do dishes that weren't done all weekend, tidy up a little
6:00pm: Make and eat dinner, feed baby again, change Kierra again
7:30pm: Realize that Jeromy is not going to be home in time for me to go out again on a necessary shopping trip, start getting kids in car, top Jacob off
8:04pm: Drive by Staples (to use my $10 off anything $10 or more coupon that expires today) and read the sign on the door that says it closed 4 minutes ago
8:15pm: Arrive at Smith's to get prescription and deli meat deals, etc., deal with MUCH whining and yelling and hitting
9:15pm: Go to checkout with a screaming 4-year-old, crying 5-month old, and a scared 2-year-old, try to convince the checker that yes, I did buy that item so just scan the stupid coupon!
9:30pm: Get the kids and groceries in the car and pace the freezing cold parking lot talking on the phone with hubbie to calm me down before getting in a car of unhappy children (okay, child- betcha can't guess which one!)
9:45pm: Talk with Audrey and leave for home
10:00pm: Get home, unload kids and food, start getting kids ready for bed
10:15pm: Jeromy gets home and finishes putting kids to bed, feed and change Jacob
10:45pm: Have snack with Jeromy (who hasn't eaten dinner yet)
11:00pm: Jeromy goes to bed, I feed Jacob to sleep
11:15pm: Check email, blog, try to see straight
Midnight: Hilary, just go to bed already!!

Happy Anniversary, Hon!

Wow, 7 years! It's flown by! I really don't know what to say about how wonderful my sweet husband is. I think Shannon Hale was actually talking about my hubbie (except for the baldness and Star Trekkie stuff) when she said this:

http://oinks.squeetus.com/2008/03/an-ideal-husban.html

Thanks for the past 7 amazing years, Jeromy! I love you!!!

We're the Wishy-Washy Wilsons

(Say that 5 times fast)

If you ask us how the house hunting is going, the answer is different every day. It's so discouraging to look all over the place and not find anything remotely likeable AND affordable! So last week we heard a rumor that the ward had a calling in mind for me, so we thought long and hard about staying here because maybe the Lord needed us here for a little bit longer. By Friday, we were pretty set with that decision, so we took it to the temple on Saturday. Our answer: probably not a good idea: the kids need their dad around more often after all (plus they really could use a yard). And then Sunday I got a new calling (Relief Society Provident Living Specialist- I'm so excited!). So now we're back to the drawing board to find a house, and meanwhile I'll work hard at my calling until we find somewhere to move. And while all of this is going on (house hunting, organizing 2 activities per month, potty training Kierra, dealing with a baby who won't sleep more than 45 minutes during the day, etc.), my house is in shambles.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I hope everyone had their fill of corned beef and cabbage! Although, I think I've decided that it's not that great, it's just a tradition that I feel like I have to do every year to remember my Irish heritage. My poor cousins, we made them all a big corned beef dinner last night, and I'm sure that nobody really liked it. I didn't really. I'll have to make it up to them and have them over for something actually yummy.


I made it up to the husband and kids tonight by having everything green (huge hit)! We had green eggs (eggsaroneous, actually- Shelly we'll always be grateful for that recipe!), bacon (okay, that's not green, but oh well), pears, broccoli w/ Asiago sauce (thank you Costco!), green jello fruit salad, and green Kool-Aid. Oh, and Lime Chiffon for dessert. All on a nice green tablecloth with green plates, etc. and gold napkins. What can I say, I LOVE holidays!!


Kierra didn't like the whole "pinching if you're not wearing green" thing, so she was very quick to put a green shirt on. She was so stressed about it that she tried to find some green pants to go with it, just in case. Then the rest of the day, she would point at random things and say, "We don't pinch the couch, that's naughty, huh Mommy?" Yes, sweetie, that's naughty. But I don't think that quite calls for a time-out:)

Skincare

I need a new skincare regime. Any recommendations?

The Park

It's been getting so nice outside, so a few of us neighborhood moms decided to meet at the park this week. It seems like forever since we've been! As luck would have it, it was cloudy and kinda cold the day we chose to go. Oh well. The moms still had fun chatting! I wasn't all mean though, I made it up to the girls by having hot cocoa as soon as we came home.


Kierra tried to warm up in the stroller.

Salsa Stew and Avocado Salad

We tried a couple new recipes this week and everyone enjoyed them! The stew was actually called black bean soup or something like that, but I tweaked it a little and changed the name to Salsa Stew just for Jeromy (he has this weird thing about not liking soups but loving stews. Example: I told him that soup was on the stove for dinner and he said, rather sadly, "Oh. We're having soup for dinner?" and I replied, "Actually, we're having Salsa Stew!" He then said, "Oooooooh, that sounds good!" He's silly:)


Salsa Stew
(By the way this would be a good food storage recipe, minus the sour cream and cheese. I have GOT to figure out how to make sour cream and cheese with powdered milk!)

1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes
2 C. salsa (use mild- I accidentally used medium and we had to dump a ton of sour cream in it for the girls, well, for us too actually;)
1 C. water
2 small cans chicken chunks
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. taco seasoning

Mix all ingredients in a big soup pot. Simmer 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips.

(Oh, and it was also really good the next day with grilled cheese!)


Avocado Salad
(I actually got this from my friend Johanna, but I didn't have all of the ingredients. She uses a packet of Zesty Italian salad dressing mix and fresh lemon juice, both of which I didn't have. Still good:) Also, olives might be a good addition.)

2 avocados, chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 can black beans
1 can corn (or use the Mexicorn for more flavor)
About 4 squirts Ken's Steakhouse Lite Northern Italian with Basil and Romano salad dressing

Stir together and serve as is or with tortilla chips.

Storytime at the Library

Can I just say how ANNOYING some people can be!

I recently promised myself that I would try really hard to take the kids to the library once a week for storytime. They love it and it gets us out of the house. It was kind of a rough morning waking up late, finding clean clothes that match, and trying to get the kids out the door. You know, the usual. So I'm in a sour mood by the time we all get into the car, and then Jacob cried the whole way to the library (ok- so it's only 7 minutes away, but still). So I was trying to plan it all out: Take Audrey to her storytime class, find a seat on the comfy chairs and nurse Jacob happy for a few minutes before Kierra's class starts and I need to pay attention to her. Okay, go!

So I get Audrey to her class, find a comfy seat, get Jacob out of the stroller, and wait! Kierra where are you running off to!!! So I put the stroller behind my seat and put the nursing blanket on the seat to save my place while I try to catch Kierra who keeps running farther and farther away (sooo unlike her). I find Kierra on the other side of the library who says, "Leave me alone, Mommy," which usually means she needs to poop. So we head to the bathroom while I'm trying to figure out how to take her diaper off and get her up on the potty and wipe her, etc. all while holding an infant. Luckily, they had a baby bench seat thingy next to the pot complete with a strap. Phew! That'll hold him for a few minutes if he doesn't squirm too much. So Kierra does her business (yeah, Kierra!) and we go back to the storytime area right before they start. What do we find? The whole library is absolutely full, standing room only, and someone is SITTING ON MY BLANKET!!

How am I supposed to feed Jacob and keep Kierra close enough to me but where she can actually see what's going on? I'm so peeved and fuming. How could someone not see that I was saving that place? And then just sit down on top of someone's blanket? After a few minutes, she looks around and sees me standing beside the stroller and trying to keep Kierra entertained (because she can't even see what's going on and it's not like we can just leave because we have to wait for Audrey to come out of her class) and then she notices that she's sitting on something, so she KINDLY removes the blanket and hangs it over the back of the chair. Oh, thanks, don't overdo yourself. I've only got a hungry little boy to nurse and it's just so easily done while standing! LUCKILY, he was in good spirits and was just fine to be held. But what to do when I have to put him in his seat to go home and he's still hungry, so he cries the whole way home too? Ugh. Finally it was all over, and I was trying to show Audrey where we were without moving into the crowd, and in the process lost Kierra. Yikes! Get me out of this madhouse!! Did I mention that I can get pretty claustrophobic around crowds, especially if I'm stressed out?


Whew. Vent over.

I guess if I had been better prepared (i.e. had clothes actually clean and put away, kids fed and happy, etc.) before we left, the blanket incident would've just rolled off my back. Oh well. And the kids all enjoyed themselves, so all's well that ends well, right?

Twilight Moms Website

For any current or future fans of the Twilight series books, you have GOT to check this website out! The description on the home page is hilarious!!!

http://www.twilightmoms.com

Awful Reading Habit

Do any of you have a hard time putting a book down even if it's awful? When I read a book, I have to read every single page for some weird reason. I guess I think the author deserves it or what if I miss something important and don't get all of the context?!? I don't know. I'll pick up a great parenting book that I think will help, but if the chapter that will really help me is chapter 7, well, I've got to read 6 chapters first even if they're of no use to me. By chapter 2 or 3 I'm beginning to think that maybe this book isn't for me, and so I put it away, full of guilt for not finishing. Yet had I just read chapter 7 it would've solved my problem!! Ugh. I only have myself to blame.

I'm reading a juvenile lit novel right now that I'm just not getting into, and I'm pretty easy to entertain! Only I'm half way through it. I figure I've invested so much into this book, I might as well see how it turns out, but it's almost painful to pick it up again. I have so many books on my "To Read Next" list that are just sitting there waiting for me because of this stupid book, so Jeromy is trying to convince me to just forget about it and get a different book. But I just can't. I'd rather drag on this torture even longer so I can feed this weird neurosis of mine. Ya, I'm crazy.

Honorary Mainiac

I just spent the last week in the state of Maine visiting a customer. I asked several people what they like to be called. The majority said they prefer Mainiac over Mainer or Mainian. It wasn't a conclusive study and I am not suggesting you should start every or any conversation with a native from the great state of Maine by saying, "Oh, so you're a Mainiac?"

While there I was able to experience freezing rain. When we woke up the next morning I found our rental van covered in a 1/2 in. of ice. We chiseled at it for a good half hour and finally got the two front doors and one of the side doors to open. My first ice sculpture... da da da da... a mini van.

We were able to have a little fun. We went to the the huge L.L. Bean outlet there outside of Portland Maine and shot some arrows in their indoor shooting range.



Being in Maine with the locals was a real treat. They took us to several fun and tasty Maine restaurants. I was able to enjoy real Maine oysters, mussels, clams, and mmmm mmmm lobster!


It wasn't all fun and games though, I was there on business you know...

Crock Pot Recipe Request

Does anybody have any fabulous crock pot recipes they'd like to share? It's so nice to get dinner done during the day when Jacob is having a sporadic nap, and then I don't have to stress as much when everyone is getting cranky in the bewitching hour before Daddy comes home. Please share!

To-Do List

Does anyone else battle with a mutant to-do list that just keeps growing and growing no matter how much you hack at it?

A New Toy

Jacob got a new toy this past weekend. He loves it, yet I think his sisters might like it more. Jeromy went a little camera happy with the new camera. Sorry. But can you blame him? Jacob's so cute!! So can you tell the difference between the old photos and the new? Oh, and excuse the nakedness, the doctor has assured us it's just a phase. And is it a rule that the baby stops smiling as soon as you turn the camera on?


"Help! I'm feeling a little overwhelmed!"


"Ooh, what's that?"


"Are they done playing with me yet?"


"I'll just tune them out."

Cookie Monster

The other night we were having a calm dinner (strange, I know), waiting for Daddy to come home, and Audrey said this out of the blue:

"So, Mommy, what is UP with Cookie Monster on Sesame Street?!? Ca-RAY-zee!!!"

Leave it to Audrey to liven up an ordinary meal. She cracks me up.

Babysitting Club Puppet Theater

As a lot of you know, we are part of a babysitting club with some friends. We babysit 8 kids (plus little Jacob) once a month, and then have 3 Friday nights to ourselves while everyone else takes their turns. We highly recommend it! Anyway, these pictures are from our turn a few weeks ago. My mom made us the wonderful puppet curtain for Christmas and it was a huge hit with all the kids, especially when it was Jeromy's turn to do a show. Lots of fun.

Plus, I wanted to show the difference between our old photos (taken on my phone) and our new photos (taken on our new camera- yeah!). These are with the phone, the next post will be from the new camera! I know, you can't wait, can you?!



Digging for something, Kierra? Lovely.



The captivated audience.



The puppeteer.

House Hunting Update

Thank you all for your encouraging comments about our house hunting woes. I have such awesome friends!

We have been all over looking at houses this week. It's been crazy, and my disheveled house can testify. We've been having a hard time finding a neighborhood we like that we can afford and vice versa. It seems that the more we look, the pickier we get about what we want. And then when we can't find what we want, we almost feel like staying put for a couple more years would be okay (and a whole lot less stressful). We are really running out of time before our great quote isn't locked in anymore, but Jeromy is going to be gone all next week. So it seems that we are going to take a little break from home shopping, at least for a few days. I think it'd be good to sit back and ponder about it all before plunging in again. But I will let you know of any updates. Thanks for the love!

New Camera

Our new camera came in the mail today! I'm so excited that I can take good pictures now! So you can all be expecting some better pictures in the near future. Yeah!!!

I Am So Grateful For My Food Storage Today

Last night, right after everyone got in bed, Kierra came down to the kitchen looking for her sippy cup. She opened the fridge, realized she couldn't reach it on the top shelf, and went back to bed....without closing the door. So, after 2 garbage bags and 4 spoiled gallons of milk, I am very grateful for my food storage.

Does That Make Jeromy a Box of French Fries?

Kierra is trying to convince me that I'm a cheeseburger. She's playing with her toys singing a song, "Mommy is a cheeseburger, Mommy is a cheeseburger" over and over again. Should I take that as a compliment?

Strong As An Ox

Just about every time the girls want Daddy to do something for them, he has them say please first, and then "You're as strong as an ox, Daddy" second.

Audrey just brought up a baby doll stroller from the basement for Kierra. Kierra thanked her as she was doing it, and Audrey replied, "I'm strong as an ox, isn't I? Oxes are boys, didn't you know that?" Well, Jeromy, I guess they think you're as strong as a boy.

We're Ward Snobs

I've heard from many that blogging can be a form of therapy. So I'm going to give it a try.

As many of you know, we're looking to move so that we're closer to Jeromy's work and so we can have a yard for the kids (okay, let's face it, a bigger house for all my stuff). We went looking at some houses on Saturday and fell in love with one. It's big, has a big yard, and a lot of extras. The kitchen is awesome, with black granite counters and cherry wood cabinets, brand new stainless steel appliances, and lots of storage. All of the bathrooms have gorgeous granite counters and beautiful brand new cabinets. The master bath even has a vanity. 2 closets (one of them a walk-in) in the master bedroom, a laundry shoot, brand new carpet, and a big food storage area for all my couponing trophies. But the best of all was the backyard. A huge deck with a built-in jacuzzi. On the other side of the deck, it's kind of circular with built-in seating, so it's perfect for a fire pit, with plenty of room for a grill also. Plus, a sandpit with a swing set, lots of trees, and a good-size lawn for the kids to run around. Ya, it was the wow factor throughout.


We can really picture ourselves in that house. So, we thought it would be wise if we went to that ward on Sunday to check it out before we went any further. That's what my parents always did when they were moving, so why not? In retrospect, it probably wasn't a great idea. First of all, what if the owners were there (luckily that house was vacant)? Or what if we offended somebody by saying that we were just checking out the ward, and then we moved in? Or what if we didn't like the ward but love the house? You can probably guess what happened. Our whole married lives (almost 7 years), we've been in wards that had mostly people our age, so we've gotten kind of used to it. This ward was an older ward; I didn't see anybody our age, which to me means that it would be harder (but not impossible) to make friends. I already don't look forward to starting over in that respect, and would just rather stay here so I don't have to go back to my comfort zone of insecurities. Anyway, we just weren't feeling it there. And now we feel like ward snobs, cuz the church is true everywhere, so what are we worrying about? And maybe the Lord could really use us there or something. Or maybe we could use a little humbling.

Maybe the best thing for my "therapy session" would be to list pros and cons:

Pros:
-15 minutes from Jeromy's work (instead of at LEAST 30 minutes- and his work is going to be getting more time intensive very soon)
-big yard with extras (did I mention the wrap around porch?)
-really nice kitchen
-2 stories with 4 bedrooms
-lots of storage
-room to grow in unfinished basement
-a garage!

Cons:
-Not in Utah County (so it has that bigger city feel- not a big feeling of community)
-Different kind of ward
-Older house
-No new furniture for awhile
-No toy room for the kids till we can save enough to finish basement
-Start over making friends (for me AND the kids)
-Oh, and the WHOLE house inside is painted PEACH, ilch
-No more babysitting group, i.e. no more dates for awhile :(

So I guess the question is would I rather have a bigger house, a husband, and no friends or a smaller house, no husband, and lots of friends. Jeromy will be uber busy both ways anyway. And if we stay we could afford to buy new furniture and finish the basement. Jeromy says I'll always have my virtual friends. Har har. He makes me sound like a video game fanatic. I love my husband dearly so the best way to support him would be to move as close to work as possible. So we're going to see a few more houses tomorrow to cover all the bases before we make any more decisions.

Sorry for sounding like such a whiner. I guess I need to just be grateful for this opportunity.

My Three-Month-Old

I've had some complaints that I don't post enough pictures of our little one. Sorry. When he's awake AND happy, I usually just want him all to myself and I don't think to get the camera out. Maybe that'll change when we get a brand spankin' new camera. I hope so, he's so adorable! This was taken on his 3-month birthday, on the 7th. Should we have a poll to see who everyone thinks he looks like? So far (and for the most part), my family thinks he looks like Jeromy and Jeromy's family thinks he looks like me. I'm the only one that will claim him by saying he looks like both of us! What does everyone else think?


This one was taken over a month ago, but I thought it was so cute that the girls were nice enough to share a toy with their little bro. I think what happened is that Kierra wanted to put Ariel down for a nap, and since Jacob was asleep in his chair, she thought he could use some company.

Twilight the Movie is Coming!!!!!!!!!!!

For any fans of the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, you need to check out her website. She just visited the set where they've just begun filming. She's just posted some pictures of the cast here. AWESOME (picture me singing the word)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I've got chills.