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!