. . . My Family . . .

Thanksgiving and Neil's Blessing Day

2011-12-05T12:52:00.001-07:00

We were lucky enough to be able to have Thanksgiving with both sides of our family this year. On Thursday we went to Dave's sister's house. On Friday we went to my parent's house. I loved being able to do both.

That Sunday we blessed Neil in our home. It was a nice, low-key event.

(My dad took all the pictures. Of course, Neil gets all the attention lately. :) Once that New Baby smell wears off he'll become just another grandchild. I am grateful for all of these great pictures. Thanks, Dad.)

Did the days get shorter?

2011-11-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

They must have... and why did no one warn me.

I do not get everything done that I would like to. The house needs a maid service. I usually need a shower or should have used my shower time to do something else that was important. Some days are better than others. I get things straightened, actually make dinner, and the kids get a bath. Other days I wonder where the time went.

Neil is a good baby. He is sweet. He eats/nurses well. He cries only when he needs something. He likes to be held and doesn't like to be left alone in a room while he is awake. He does pretty well at night. Last Monday he weighed 12 lbs. 5 oz. and was 23.5 inches. We are lucky to have such a great baby boy. Neil also has a few names that Izzy likes to call him: Franklin Baby, NeilLangston (said like it's one word), NeilFranklin, Frankie baby, etc. Corban had a "conversation" with him the other day. It was the cutest thing. Neil has been cooing and making more and more noises and it is fun to be able to interact with the smiles and sounds. The kids love their little brother. We all do.

I would tell you more, but the kids are asking for some help and I know this will not be published anytime soon if I don't do so now. Hope you are all doing well. We are slowly getting our act together. I love my family.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Who is who?

2011-11-09T17:07:00.001-07:00

Look at it. Take a guess.

Answer: (from left to right) Dave, Corban, Izzy, and Neil.

I love Corban's pictures.

Who is who? by Izzy

2011-10-24T08:41:00.001-06:00

Our family by Izzy.

Daddy, Corban, Neil, Izzy, Mommy.

A few recent pictures. . .

2011-10-03T21:20:00.000-06:00

Things are going well. Neil is such a sweet boy. The days seem to be flying by without me being able to accomplish much, but I am trying to just enjoy my time with the kids. My house is suffering for it, but that is alright. I need to just enjoy and love these kids while I can. The necessities get "done" for now and life still goes on even if I don't get to do the projects that fill my mental to-do list.

Since I haven't really figured out how to fit everything I want to do into my day... blogging/computer time is going to be pretty low on my list until I get the swing of things. For now, here are a few pictures taken my my father, of course. (Thank you, Dad.)

Babies

2011-10-03T21:18:00.000-06:00

Here are Corban's and Isabelle's hospital pictures from the days they were born.

The more I look at him, I think that Neil looks the most like Corban (and Dave)... but he also has some of Izzy in him.

Poor little Neil all bruised and swollen.

Teaching

2011-10-03T21:00:00.000-06:00

Found this hanging on Mister Corban's wall along with 2 lists of neighbor kids/students. He said he wants to be a teacher. I said that would be great, and that he could go to school to become one. He said he wants to just be a kid and be a teacher. He said Ms. Petty already taught him how to be a teacher- She does something and then the class does it. (So that's all there is to teaching.)

Then he asked if we could buy some desks.

He holds "class" a few times a week, and the neighborhood kids actually go along with it.

Neil Franklin Langston

2011-09-25T22:22:00.000-06:00

We welcomed our baby boy into the world on September 19th.

He weighed 9 lb. 4 oz. and was 22 in. long.

He arrived at 6:25pm.

It was a quick and intense labor.

I had my supportive family, my loving husband, and my amazing Dr. to help me through the delivery.

He was nameless for 4 days, until we decided on Neil Franklin Langston.

We love this little guy. He is so sweet. I will write up the "birth story" soon for those who have been asking about it. It was a great day. We are all recovering well.

First day of school! First day of school!

2011-08-23T13:45:00.002-06:00

While our morning wasn't quite this enthusiastic we were still excited. I think I was more like Nemo and he was more like the dad. He did get ready fairly quickly and ate up all of his breakfast without being told twice. I am excited, but a little nervous.

Like last year, I let Corban walk with the neighbor kids to school. I follow a few minutes later with the smaller kids in tow. By the time I made it to school Corban was seated, getting out his supplies to work on his assignment, and talking with the boy next to him. So far so good.

Corban decided that he wants to bring lunch from home rather than get a tray, but I wonder if after seeing the other kids or not wanting what I send him with he will change his mind. Finding things that are healthy, that can sit in a lunch bag all day, and that he will eat without being nagged may prove difficult. He doesn't like sandwiches as much as he used to.Even though we agreed to have him take a sandwich (last night) he changed his tune this morning so we had to compromise a bit this morning. Any ideas for foods? I will just have to have great breakfasts and good snacks after school. At least he had a few healthy items I know he will eat- carrots, apples, and almonds. I am such a bum and didn't plan well so I didn't get over to the school for lunch time, and kind of trying not to beat myself up over it. Oh, well. What's done is done. I think I will try to strap all extra kids in the stroller tomorrow and brave the lunch room or maybe I will just have to wait until Friday (then I can get Izzy a sitter) so I can go eat with him. I know he will be fine, but boy do I have nervousness in my system today. It feels like the first time I sent him off on the bus for his preschool- I worried the whole time he was gone and he was having a great time and probably didn't think about me at all. Too much newness. At the school today he seemed content and I think I am just being worried. Let's hope the transition goes well. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them.

Happily getting to work.

Many things to think about.

2011-07-29T14:45:00.001-06:00

I spent a few minutes during nap/quiet time writing down some of my thoughts. You can go read them if you want.
(Just click on "my thoughts" and the link will take you there.) I ought to just combine the 2 blogs to simplify things. I don't know how to do that or I would have already.

I am not much of a blogger anymore, and that is fine with me. I share when I can. I don't really try to "catch up" on past activities/events. My Facebook is updated more frequently than my blogs. That's ok, isn't it?

Big Sister

2011-07-29T14:36:00.003-06:00

Listening to my baby bump trying to hear her brother. She sat up and said, "I heard him say, 'I love you, big sister.'" She loves talking to, tickling, and snuggling her future brother.

Determined Little Girl

2011-07-12T18:24:00.002-06:00

A couple days ago Izzy matter-of-factually told me she "knows how to ride a 2 wheeler now."
She wanted her training wheels off. I was concerned that the bike is still slightly tall for her, but told her to ask her dad to take them off.
Well, he did and she fell. . . and fell. . . and fell. But, she got back up, and took a breath and pretended she wasn't hurt even when I could tell that some of the falls were getting to her. She was making minimal progress and I asked if she wanted the trainers back on the bike. She refused and repeated to me the line about knowing how. We cheered her on and kept telling her "good fall," "keep practicing," and "try again."
Yesterday she hardly touched the bike.

This video was this evening. . .

She is incredible, determined, and so proud of herself. She should be. She proved me wrong.
She is headstrong like her momma.

She still has "rough landings" and is figuring it all out, but she rode her bike a bunch of times up and down the cul-de-sac in front of our house. I am so happy for her. She is such a big girl.

"She is on her way to earning her beard!"

2011-07-11T21:23:00.000-06:00

That is what Dave said about this picture.

I cooked a turkey today. Izzy was excited. She claimed one of the legs last time I cooked a bird, and this time was no different. I am not the type to eat meat off a bone. She totally gets this side of herself from her Papi. (I don't know how to spell it. She calls Dave "Pop-ee" sometimes.) Why do poultry legs remind me of hefty mid-evil men/kings?

Happy Summer!

2011-07-07T12:28:00.000-06:00

It's crazy that June is over. June was busy month. Summer is going by so fast. Baby #3's e.t.a. is in 10 weeks and 3 days- maybe sooner if you go by the ultrasound due date that said he was due 4 days sooner than Sept 19. I am headstrong and like to ignore the fact that I am pregnant. I get a lot more accomplished that way, and really there isn't much I can't do now. But I am definitely beginning to be slowed down and a bit uncomfortable. I have been able to feel slight pressure (that is steadily getting stronger) on my lower rib cage for about a month. I am glad for my Omeprazole Rx. My ankles even swelled a little the other day. Otherwise I have still been feeling great. I miss 2nd trimester- the best part of pregnancy, besides being able to feel the baby move. This pregnancy has been strange, not much weight gain because my appetite is strange and I have food taste issues and aversions, I threw up the glucose test orange drink (that was kind of a funny experience-open the car door on the way to the doctor, lean out, light changes green, drive away... I really tried to keep it in), just found out I am slightly anemic (boo), etc. I am a little nervous for the transition from 2 to 3 kids. It will be a great adventure though.

Oh, and this post is kind of long. Just thought I would warn you.

-School is out, the neighborhood kids are always about and playing. We've been using our little bounce house frequently. . . though I have had to be strict about the "rules" because we had to repair a tear in it. Really that isn't bad to have had the bouncer for a few years and just now have had our first repair.

-We have been bowling a few times thanks to the Kids Bowl Free program. You still have to pay for shoes so for 3 people it's about $8 (2 games each).

-Corban and Izzy got to have a sleep over with Grandma and Grandpa Doxey while I went to Manti for youth conference. It was fun to see the pageant again and especially fun to be camping with all "my girls."

-While the kids were with my parents my dad took them to "Cantelope Island" (Corban just keeps calling it that... It's Antelope Island.) They loved it and have told many about seeing a buffalo and other animals.

-Corban is enjoying T-Ball... He likes practice more than the games. He gets bored waiting for the action. Maybe he needs to try something different next time, like wrestling, basketball, or a martial art.
He's also got the whole sleeping in church thing down.

-At the end of the month I was lucky enough to attend a few days of Girls' Camp. We had so much fun.

-We went to Planet Play and were not impressed. At least I bought our deal on City Deals.... would have been upset paying full price.

-For the first July weekend we went up to my parents (sans Dave-he had to work all weekend) for our Gordon Doxey Family reunion/4th of July weekend/celebration of my Dad's birthday. Rebecca wasn't able to come down this year for our little "reunion" so we missed her and her family. Corban mentioned a few times that he wished Carter and Alayna were there. At least my parents and Lindsay's family were able to visit her during June. We all ended up a bit reddened by the sun after our swimming party. It was fun. (My kids still think you wear your life jackets all the time, even when you can touch the bottom... Izzy took hers off eventually and was trying to learn a few things about swimming. I think it is time for swim lessons.)

Grandpa Doxey

Corban

Loving their cap guns!

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Gordon!

-July 5 is a popular birthday because not only is it my Dad's birthday, but also Dave's brother Jacob and our nieces Emily and Keiti. So we went to a party for the latter 3 on Tuesday. Dave was even able to come! It's a big deal because it seems like so many of the family functions are on workdays for him.

Happy Birthday Keiti, Emily, and Jake!
Picture taken from my Mom-in-law here.

Happy Summertime!

School

2011-06-13T23:01:00.000-06:00

She said they were playing school and she was the teacher.

She had a book open on her lap and was pointing to things with a pencil.

It was very adorable to find her like this. She has now convinced 3 different neighbor kids to "play" this scenario. She loves being in charge.

Next comes 1st grade?

2011-06-08T12:18:00.000-06:00

Corban had his last day of school Friday, June 3. He is in kindergarten no more. I am so excited for him, and yet I have bits of anxiety about him being at school the full day. He'll be in a larger class.
He'll have to eat lunch at school... and I will not be there to make him eat more bites before he says he is done.
We are still trying to figure out his medication. I hate medicating him, but I know he needs the help it can give. I just wish there was a blood test he could take to know what he needs and we didn't have to keep experimenting.

I am so proud of him. He is a good boy and summer is going well so far. I hope I can keep things structured for all of our sakes.

Any suggestions for a smooth transition to 1st grade?

Blurry, but cute.

He was very happy to learn we have what he calls a "Wii"/"Intendo."

Definitely Pregnant.

2011-06-08T12:05:00.001-06:00

I have been feeling quite pregnant lately. I am only 25 weeks/around 6 months pregnant. I will include a picture, but I don't really like it. Corban was kind enough to take it.

Not a great picture, but this is my belly today.
6/8/11

Not that I didn't feel pregnant before, but it was less "noticeable." I was tired or sick. 1st trimester was fine, but I just didn't like food. 2nd trimester is the best. I love 2nd trimester. I may have had a few other minor issues but most things I can deal with (read: ignore) and still function as if I wasn't pregnant. Well, there have been a few hormonal days. They deserve to be mentioned. Silly hormones.

My main "symptoms" as of late:
-I had my first stranger-touching-my-belly-without-permission encounter. Those are always ... fun.
-Heartburn is starting to become a daily thing. It's not terrible yet, but I am prepared with my filled prescription.
-I can feel baby making himself at home in there; Acting like he owns the place. He moves like crazy sometimes, but he is still too little for me to share the magic that is feeling a baby move under the skin.
-I also have been feeling a little pressure on my ribs already. Oh, boy. It starts. I guess with 3rd trimester right around the corner I should expect this.
-I've also been having strange dreams again, but I think that is mostly because I fall asleep watching reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I must say I am getting pretty good at hunting down demons and vampires.

Anyway, I am getting excited for Baby/John the Baptist/Neil/He-who-has-not-been-named to join our family. (I will probably never decide on a name. Any suggestions?) I am still a little nervous. The fact that we are going to have a 3rd child is feeling very real. I guess it is time I start taking stock of what I have and buying necessities. Plus, I might be crazy enough to be cloth diapering this time around... still trying to decide. I had no idea there are so many options.

After he took the picture of my belly Corban wanted a picture of us all.

P.S. I have been thinking much about labor and delivery. I have many ideas/things I want to try. My doctor said he is fine about me not wanting to be "strapped to the bed" and will just intermittently check the baby. HOORAY for that! I hate just lying there. This way I can get up and move around instead of just lying there relying on petocin to do the work for me. :) We shall see. Like I said, I have many ideas, and I am just glad that the doctor didn't shoot any of them down. But I am sure once I get into the delivery room I will be requesting my usual order of "Ok, I think I need the epidural right now."

Is a belly

2011-06-03T10:18:00.000-06:00

Izzy has been writing her name for a few months now. Very cute. She thinks she has the "z" down. . . Issy and Izzy sound the same, right?

Posing at the park.

She climbed up and asked me, as she often does, to take her pick-cha. I told her I would take her picture "in a minute," because I was talking to a few friends. She tilted her head and said she would wait. Just another example of her tenacious personality.

I am going to attempt fixing her hair today. You can see her uneven bangs and sides from her last hair cutting adventure. She is such a silly. Next time I am just going to shave it.

Boxing Gloves and All. . .

2011-05-23T18:00:00.000-06:00

Corban drew this picture. It is a boxing ring. The contenders are siblings. Any guesses who they might be? It's supposed to be Corban on the left and and Izzy on the right. :) They have big gloves and everything. He is so cool.

Baby Boy Langston

2011-04-29T18:29:00.000-06:00

She said he is 12 oz. so about 3 sticks of butter in your hand.

He was kicking a lot so she couldn't get both feet, but above you can see one of them. :)

The scary skull face.

And just in case you wanted to see . . .

Gender?

2011-04-28T12:22:00.001-06:00

The big question?

Will baby #3 look like this...

(Corban's hospital photo, 2005.)

or this?

(Isabelle's hospital photo, 2007.)

You can count on the blue background!

(Google image)

This morning we went as a family to get my ultrasound. The kids were a little bored as they checked for everything- head size, heart having the correct number of chambers, etc. Izzy was so mad when "It has outdoor plumbing" was heard. She told us to make it a girl. Sorry, Sis, no can do. Corban immediately spoke up that he would be named John and when Dave said "Neil" I was afraid it would turn into a fisticuffs.

Baby is normal. Everything is how it should be. Has 2 arms and 2 legs. She said he is about the size of 3 sticks of butter. So go go hold 3 sticks of butter in your hand and you will know how big our son is. Somewhere around 12 oz. (in weight) if I am remembering correctly. He is measuring 4 days bigger in size, but the due date will remain the same. Sept. 19.

I have gained 1 lb since my last visit- that's 3 pounds less than my starting weight. Let's hope my appetite doesn't grow too much. I am close to the weight (about 5 lbs less) than I was when I delivered Corban. I don't mind gaining weight, but I also have been happy that I haven't gained much. I started out heavier this pregnancy so gaining less is totally fine and doctor approved. He said he was proud of me, but I have to admit that I haven't had much do to with it. I just listen to my body. Eat when I am hungry and try to be active, though I don't do much formal exercising. I chase kids around and try to walk when I can. That has been enough for now. I get you could count furniture moving and such as exercise. Anyway, I am rambling, but that is what I do.

Here's to a healthy baby boy come Sept! Thanks for checking up on us. I love you all!

(The ultrasound pictures will be posted soon. I just need to scan them.)

Rescuing Worms

2011-04-19T11:37:00.000-06:00

This is Izzy (and her faithful sidekick, Elliott) "rescuing" worms on our way home from the school. She would collect a bunch and then tosses them onto the grass and says things like, "Go back in the soil. . . all of you, all of you! Go back in the soil." And, "Here you go, worms. Go back to where you live.Go back." And then she would just throw the pile onto a lawn. Or she would hold one out and scream, "mom! This one has guts all over it." That made me want to gag a bit.

Needless to say our walk home took a little longer than normal. :)

Oh, and yesterday she told me she was thirsty for some "excellent water."

I love my kids. They say the funniest things. Like the other day (and you may have already read this on Facebook) Corban told Dave they should play Rock-Paper-Scissors to see who gets to name the baby. It was so random and it was very fun to listen to him direct game after game of RPS. Corban also told Dave that we need to have another baby. We thought he was talking about the one currently being incubated, but he mentioned the slide in the backyard and said, "We need someone to cover the slide." Which we finally understood as 4th child. He told us 6 months back that we needed a baby because we had only 2 kids and 3 swings. So you heard it hear first, apparently the size of your swing set determines the number of children you should have in your family. :) He has been adamant that he wants the coming child to be named John and then said that the 4th child would be named John the Baptist "from the Gospel of Christ." We are shocked again and again by their comments. Kids are awesome!

A little late, but that's ok.

2011-03-27T17:44:00.000-06:00

Corban was so excited to get this belated gift.

I put it together myself! I like to make things. It was supposed to be a "two man" job, but I didn't want to wait for someone to help me. I was too excited. Dave said maybe it was done by the required amount, "You are eating for two."

Either way this boy is happy to have his own hoop.

Sunday Best... Almost.

2011-03-13T17:44:00.000-06:00

Corban ditched his tie and Izzy changed into snow boots after church. They then asked me to take their picture. Corban grabbed the little shopping cart for Izzy to sit. Who needs a professional when you have Corban calling the shots?

My crazy kids sure know how to pose lying down. Would this be considered creativity or laziness?

Self-Portrait by Corban.

2011-03-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

He drew this about a month ago.

I don't know why there is a tiny house, but it's there.

He is always drawing and making paper airplanes. I love how artistic he can be.

He's already drawing better than his mom.

He also loves playing basketball with the neighbor kids lately.

I can't believe he is going to be 6 years-old this month.

He is such a good boy.

Happy Sept 19th!

2011-03-03T00:24:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you, but I am planning to have a very happy (and probably exhausting) Sept 19th...
or whichever day baby #3 decides to make her/his grand entrance.

That is right. The pictures in this post are of our (Mine and Dave's, of course...and don't let Dave tell you otherwise... he likes to tease) unborn child.

I am 11 weeks and 2 days (3 days by the time you read this... it's late) along.
The doctor gave us an estimated arrival date of September 19, 2011. I would enjoy this child being born on it's due date. I have a thing with numbers...Corban and I were both born on the 19th of our birth months (March and Oct). So the 19th would be swell. (Ya, I already know that I am moderately quirky.) Sept 19 is also my cousin Andrea's birthday.There are many friends with birthdays in Sept who are voting the child be born on their day. Corban was born 12 days early. Izzy was born on her due date... and so was I. :) We shall see. I like to let nature take her course, then I drive myself to the hospital... both times. True story.

For now we will just enjoy the pregnancy... until the summer heat comes and I start cursing and demanding snow-cones at all hours of the night. I get rather warm as a pregnant lady and I have always dreaded being pregnant during the summer... oh, boy. I'll just have to find some adorable and flattering dresses. What wouldn't look good on a whale of a woman? It's going to be very exciting so stay tuned.

Oh, yes. I almost forgot, many people have been requesting information on my current "feeling" status. I have it fairly easy compared to some ladies. I feel nauseated at different times throughout the day, but I rarely dispose of my stomach contents. That happens much closer to the end of pregnancy when heartburn takes over my life. Many foods taste "wrong" lately, and I currently have a bag of Doritos still UNOPENED in the cupboard. Something wrong with me? Yes, I'm pregnant. I have enjoyed fruit, especially strawberries. I am tired and have a little trouble sleeping. And sometimes I have the reoccurring dream/hallucination of a man or something evil in my room. It's ok, really. It's not as bad as it seems. Maybe it's as bad sometimes, but then I just turn on the lights and watch a movie or come downstairs and write a really long post (i.e. this one) for others to skim through and "skip to the end."

I really am excited about this little bundle. I have always felt like we were missing someone. He (Dave is voting for a boy) or she (either way is fine with me) will bring another dimension to our little family. I love babies.

By the time this baby is born Corban will be in 1st grade! Izzy will be in preschool, as long as she stays toilet trained, but I can't make any promises.

Corban and Izzy are both fascinated by the growing babe. Izzy keeps asking when it will come out and then when I had my Dr appt today she asked if I was going to get the baby out of my belly to bring it home. Not, yet. :) Then I had to explain why not yet. You know, the baby can't survive outside until it develops more.
Corban has been asking some very great questions about how the baby breaths, eats, goes to the bathroom, etc while inside my stomach. I have been very frank and open and even shown then pictures and videos of development. They were excited to see pictures of our baby from my ultrasound today and Izzy grabbed them to show them off to a neighbor who came to the door. I think she may be excited.

Anyway, I don't blog much anymore, but maybe I can post some updates once in a while. Thanks for all of your well wishes and love. I have an amazing group of family and friends in my life. We are very blessed. I love you all!

2011-01-24T14:38:00.001-07:00

2011-01-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

Posing with Barbie.

2010-11-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

This girl is always tilting her head and asking for me to take her picture.

Though often disheveled and creative in her dress she is always a cutie to me.

(I never fight her about her wardrobe; I am just glad she is dressed.)

My son, the artist.

2010-11-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

While playing at the park, he ran over to the pebbled-covered track and swiped lines in the ground.

I arrived next to him to see this creation. He is so cool.

(If you can't see the little stick-figure man, then I will give you a hint. He is standing near the head.)

"I'm a present, Mom."

2010-11-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

My son is sporadic. I love the times when he is sweet and silly.
This is a bag that came holding a pair of jeans I ordered a year ago. It sat around for a while in the laundry room. When I cleaned out the toy closet I found a need for it. It stores our giant Lego blocks, and now, occasionally holds my 40 lb son.

How do you do it?

2010-11-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

"A wise parent would never miss a chance to gather children together to learn of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Such moments are so rare in comparison with the efforts of the enemy. For every hour the power of doctrine is introduced into a child's life, there may be hundreds of hours of messages and images denying or ignoring the saving truths."
Henry B. Eyring

After reading this quote I thought about how many ways there are to teach my kids the doctrine of Jesus Christ: reading, singing, talking to them after a "naughty" moment, being a good example, etc. Corban is loving learning hymns (so far), and all I do is sing them acapella before prayer at bed. We have only done 2 so far, but he requests them over all other songs. Why didn't I do this before? :)

They also even want me to read scriptures sometimes, when at first it was "ah, mom. Not that book again." Seriously. They didn't like it, and now Corban will tell me to get my scriptures out at bedtime.

What are some ways that you teach your children good things?

I would love great ideas for sporadic learning as well as planned moments (like FHE).

Behold the scooter swing.

2010-11-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

Just in case you need help remembering the months of the year.

2010-11-01T18:07:00.001-06:00

Oh, well. What's done is done, right?

2010-11-01T18:07:00.000-06:00

Sister cute her own hair. Oh, Joy. I tried to fix it. But didn't have a lot of time, and had kids to babysit.
Maybe I can revamp the cut in a few days. For now I just told myself, That'll do, Rach. That'll do.
It's just hair. It will grow back.

(It sort of looks like Jimmy Carrey's hair from Dumb and Dumber, if you only look at her short bangs from the front.)

Happy Halloween.

2010-11-01T18:03:00.000-06:00

The pictures are really dark. Too bad.

Corban singing what is currently his favorite song.

2010-10-31T10:09:00.000-06:00

Corban likes to sing sometimes. He loves to whistle and make noise. I recently decided that besides the hymns he is learning (one a year) in primary I needed to step it up and start teaching him some of my favorites. So, a month ago at bed time I started singing "The Spirit of God." He loves it. Probably because of the fire in it. He called it the fire song the first few times he requested it, but now he calls it by name. He is cool.

How to train your dragon.

2010-10-25T19:04:00.000-06:00

Dave's sister Candice offered a dragon/dino costume for Corban to wear.

He wears it constantly. He wants to wear it everywhere. He wants to sleep in it. He loves it.

Thanks, Candice! I am not sure he will ever take it off to give it back.

It is fun to have a cuddly dragon around.

Corban's song about dragon training is pretty great. He loves the movie How to Train Your Dragon. I am thinking of buying the books for Christmas. Has anyone read them? I figure he may like them.

Lyrics by Corban:

How to train your dragon.

You don't know how.

You can train him now.

Or you can train him later.

Dragon, dragon, dragon.

I am so lucky to have such an awesome little guy. I love you, Corban!

She also sent over an adorable kitty costume for Izzy.

Pictures to come.

This kid is super cool.

2010-10-21T20:49:00.002-06:00

She is pretty cute.

2010-10-21T20:47:00.000-06:00

Life took over.

2010-10-21T20:44:00.002-06:00

A few things have happened since August.
I am not going to apologize for being MIA. Life took over and I was doing what I needed to be doing. It's true. I like the truth. I still have been Facebooking, but I can do that on my phone. :)

UPDATES:

-Corban went back to school. He loves Kindergarten and he gets to be in the regular class. Only very minor problems to report. One example: whistling, humming, making noises while he is working.

-I started watching more kids. I have 1-4 extra kids a day. I almost have it under control too! There were some really hard days for a while. Learning to juggle everything else (housework, bills, yard work, showering, etc.) has been a bit of a trial, but I really am getting the hang of it. It is even fun sometimes. It has helped me grow as a person. I love all the kids that I care for and I am glad they are in my life. I really am lucky. I am just practicing for when I am a grandma. You know, watch the kids and then you get to give them back.

-I am close to being done with my Personal Progress. This will be my 2nd medallion. This has really been a great thing in my life. The program is wonderful and it helps create good habits. I am so thankful for my calling with the YW. I love them so much. This calling has taught me so many things and I learn so much. I always thought I had so much to offer the YW and really I have gained more than I ever thought I could from them. They are fabulous. Each of them is so important.

-I had a birthday a few days ago. I am not even 30 yet. A few years back I seriously thought I was turning thirty, so I just feel like I should be 32 or something.

-I am not getting any smaller, but I am working on it.... in a turtle kind of way. I try to walk more and exercise when I can, but I love junk food and really just need to cut back. I am cutting back on the junk food, but I just haven't cut back enough yet. I will. Healthy me will make a comeback. It's cool. Winter is coming up and I just might need my fat layers to keep me warm. You never know.

-Izzy is almost toilet trained!!!! We are good for number 1 now. Number 2.... I don't want to talk about it.
Great job Isabelle!

-Dave is still commuting. Poor guy. He works so hard for us. We are lucky to have him.

-The kids are healthy.

-We have a working porch light. It hasn't worked since we moved in. Dave is amazing. He also put in a couple ceiling fans. He is so talented!

-The saddest order of business... the pup is living happily with a family in Provo. It was just too much for me to do all that we have been doing and then add a new puppy on to that. He was a good dog. Super cute. We miss him.

If you made it this far you actually care about what has been going on in our lives. Thanks. The blog is a back burner item. I wish I could make cute posts all the time, but it just isn't a necessity. I will update when I can. Facebook is just more simple. :)

There is never enough time in the day and I working on simplifying/having a good system to cut back on stress.

I am a work in progress.

I love you.

Chore Chart by Corban

2010-10-21T20:18:00.000-06:00

Can you guess everything?

Possible new member of the family

2010-08-23T19:56:00.000-06:00

Meet [insert cute puppy name here]. Dave brought him home on Saturday. He is adorable. He is tiny. He is part mini-poodle/part wiener dog. I guess you could call him a Wiener Doodle. Which then makes me say in my head, " a poodle, a noodle, a doodle." (What About Bob?)

I love his coloring.

This little fella (If you have any name suggestions... please, do tell) is only 3 weeks old. His mom was really sick and had to be rushed off to the Vet, so Dave offered to take one of the 5 or 6 puppies since they have to be bottle fed and the owners couldn't take care of them all. Poor little guy.

Anyway, I am allergic to dogs. So we may not be able to keep him. We will keep you posted.

(Those are my hands in the pictures. Dave can hold him in one hand.)

Reading time.

2010-08-23T19:47:00.000-06:00

My Izzy loves to get books from the library. Sometimes, long after I have told her goodnight I hear pages turning in her room. She loves to look at books. She also likes to rip them. Beware. She always ruins the spanish books that are really wordy. Oh, well. The library lets us continue checking things out as long as we pay for damages.

Anyone care for some delicious camera?

2010-08-23T19:44:00.000-06:00

This is what you get when you go to put some biscuits in the oven and you find a toy. Poor Izzy was so sad her toy camera was melted. I was just surprised to find the toy. At least it wasn't completely melted and was easily removed, though it was slightly stuck to the rack. I will be checking the oven before I turn it on from here on out. I am glad it was only a toy this time.

Fishing with Dad

2010-08-23T19:43:00.000-06:00

Payson lakes

YrLloypstsy wruxpWrypWinsYrYoSyspspWors or He is a cutie.

2010-08-23T19:42:00.000-06:00

FWD: Pix MESSAGE from Corban

Hanging

2010-08-23T19:41:00.001-06:00

Payback.

2010-08-23T19:41:00.000-06:00

Naturally, she had to give him a ride.

Passenger

2010-08-23T19:40:00.000-06:00

Cute. He keeps giving her rides.

2010-07-02T10:30:00.001-06:00

2010-07-02T10:30:00.000-06:00

Goofy kids and Sprinklers

2010-06-23T20:47:00.000-06:00

(The first shot looks like synchronized running. My kids are cool like that)

Izzy, Corban, Mommy

2010-06-23T20:43:00.000-06:00

and an airplane floating above us.

I love my Corban.

Parasols are great.

2010-06-23T20:42:00.000-06:00

Izzy had to pose with her new chinese parasol. She searched through her dresses for the perfect one and then asked me to take a picture. before I even showed her the picture I snapped she said, 'I like that one.' Thanks, Grandma Connie. We love you and are glad you have returned home safely.

Dragons

2010-06-15T21:43:00.002-06:00

You can barely hear him. He is telling a story about a dragon. He loves to make up stories, usually he is trying to scare Izzy. He is always telling her the piano is alive and it is hungry. Then he hides behind it and throws toys out. He says that the piano is throwing up. He is so funny.

Breakfast time.

2010-06-15T21:43:00.000-06:00

The kids are always telling me to take their pictures to send to Daddy. Corban will even take pictures of himself and picture message them to Dave. I still haven't figured out how he learned to text without help from us.

As you can see from the pictures of Izzy I really need to get the kitchen painted.... or I could just pretend I don't notice it.

Love

2010-06-10T14:56:00.000-06:00

I just love my husband and kids so much.
I am thankful for all I am learning because of them.
I am thankful that they forgive me so quickly.
I love the silly/awesome/amazing things the kids share with me.
I love them.
They make me happy.....

They also make me crazy, just a little bit.

Random cell phone pictures.

2010-06-08T15:31:00.000-06:00

An early shout out....

2010-06-02T14:47:00.000-06:00

Happy Anniversary to us!

7 June 2003-Present

He loves to color lately...

2010-05-30T12:12:00.000-06:00

How amazing? Pretty dang.

2010-05-30T12:07:00.001-06:00

His gross motor skills are outstanding! He has been able to do the monkey bars for some time now, but I have never seen him cross our swing set before. He continued his swinging-arm-over-arm business at least 6 more times. Awesome!

School's out for summer...

2010-05-30T11:53:00.000-06:00

It is crazy to think that Corban is going into Kindergarten this fall! He is just such a great kid. He "graduated" from preschool last week. His teacher told me he was a popular kid, that everyone wanted to sit by him and play with him. He hasn't had any aggressive outbursts in almost 2 months.... Thanks to his medication.

We have been so lucky. I am so grateful for all the help we have had the past 2 1/2 years from early intervention programs. Kids on the Move was wonderful and they transitioned us right into Alpine School District. He has had some wonderful teachers, and made so much improvement. When he first started the early intervention he only used about 9 words. When he entered the school district's program at 3 years-old he was still all over the the place and qualified with a "developmental delay." His teacher tested him on general knowledge and skills and he answered correctly about 10-26% of the time. When she gave him the same test recently he was correct about 86-100% of the time! His original teacher said she would have never believed he would make this much progress. He gets to attend regular kindergarten! I am so happy for him!

This is a gift he made us at school.

Corban's American Flag

2010-05-30T11:35:00.001-06:00

Backbends and trike tricks

2010-05-30T11:35:00.000-06:00

I love this kid!

2010-05-25T11:31:00.002-06:00

2010-05-25T00:11:00.000-06:00

Road trip!

2010-05-25T00:10:00.001-06:00

They woke up in New Mexico!

We took a very quick trip to New Mexico to pick up my new (to me) Volvo wagon. I love it. Thanks Dave. It was a fun trip. Thanks Dan for your help. The kids were a bit crazy. We all went a little crazy from being trapped in a car for so long, but it was fun to be trapped as a family. Or maybe it seems like it was fun now that it is over. I love my family.

It's those dang scissors again...

2010-05-19T00:55:00.005-06:00

Just a little snip there and a cut here. Now let me look at you....

Perfect! (She is so mad at me for taking her picture, she was moody the night I took this. I don't know where she gets it... I am never moody. Never. I am perfect. Poor and perfect, with eyes like the sea after a storm.....)

I found strands of hair on the floor in the bathroom. Upset I charged in the kids room, even though it was bedtime. I left the light off, but quickly looked through Izzy's hair. I couldn't tell from where the hair had been cut . . . until the morning. Then I noticed short hair near her part that blended in surprisingly well. You really can't tell unless you are looking for it, but she has an amoeba shaped section of very short hair. Oh, well. It's hair. It will grow back. Btw, it was Corban's doing, but you probably guessed that.

And now for something completely different . . .

The kids LOVED playing in the freezer box. (Yay! We got a freezer.) Sadly, the box couldn't keep up with all of Corban's renovations. After too many windows and doors the poor thing kept collapsing and was condemned a hazard. It met it's fate on garbage day.

Happy fruit.

2010-05-19T00:49:00.000-06:00

Last week I found many a fruit with a face.

Corban.

Need I say more?

Tiny Dancer

2010-05-19T00:41:00.000-06:00

This picture of Elliott having a snack is especially great because of my little dancer in the background.

I LOVE YOU?

2010-05-10T09:53:00.000-06:00

She is so happy she can do "love signs" now.

So cute to watch her trying to hurry and make her fingers work as the bus drives off or we are leaving, etc

I heart your face.

2010-05-10T09:50:00.002-06:00

I pledge...

2010-05-10T09:50:00.000-06:00

Way to go Alpine School District! I didn't know he knew this. What a great surprise.

Nice Shootin' Tex

2010-04-25T12:19:00.018-06:00

Now, you may or may not approve of weapons/guns, but just keep in mind that we keep our guns in a safe and the kids have no access to them. (Mom, I thought you could use the reassurance.) I didn't grow up with guns... I think my Dad had a BB gun in the bottom of his closet. I was intimidated by guns and didn't want to even touch one. I did shoot a shot gun at a YSA activity after HS. I have friends who love guns and go hunting. I think that I understand both points of view. I used to be afraid of them, took a class about them, have them in a safe in my home, and over time my view changed. Becoming more educated about them- how they work, how to use them, etc.- helped me to become more open to the idea of owning and handling guns. I actually really like them now. I enjoy going shooting, but am still a lousy shot. I am getting better... Look out bad guys, I can actually hit the target 3-6 times out of 12 shots with my 9mm. Not bad. Not very good, but not bad. At least we have a shot gun so if someone was dumb enough to break into our house (dumb because we don't have anything to steal) then they might have to see me go Mark Wahlberg on them.

Not this Mark Wahlberg...

aka Marky Mark

But THIS one...

(Say hello to your motha for me.)

As you can see from these pictures we were crazy and took both kids shooting with us. Corban has been a few times, but this was Izzy's first time around guns.... we couldn't find a sitter. Anyway, they listened really well and I think it went better than I expected. I had imagined trying to keep them in the car (i.e. wrestling, crying, tying them up) while Dan and Dave had some fun. We chatted with the kids about guns and safety and the only times you can shoot a gun. They had a chance to shoot the 22 with Dan and Daddy's help. It was kind of fun.

2010-04-25T11:59:00.000-06:00

We have been through quite a bit of chalk this year.... and it isn't even summer yet.

The kids love it when I draw their outline so they can color themselves.

Yep... definitely cute!

2010-04-25T11:50:00.000-06:00

The Cutest Girl!

2010-04-25T11:34:00.000-06:00

I love being a silly with my Iz. She is awesome!

(The picture is a bit dark, but her face is priceless!)

Our Randomness

2010-04-23T12:53:00.000-06:00

Corban loves Clifford, the big yellow dog. Sometimes he projects his own wants and emotions through him.

This picture shows Clifford after Corban dressed him for school a few weeks ago, underwear and all.

Izzy sporting her head wrap for the Primary activity.

I let Corban pick 3 to 5 words at a time to put on the white board so we can practice spelling and recognizing words. A few weeks back he surprised me with these. Normally he chooses words like cat, dog, cow, mom, dad, etc. I didn't know he knew the word zombie.

(I think sting ray is supposed to be one word, stingray. Oops.)

3D glasses

2010-04-13T23:16:00.000-06:00

Corban can't get enough of the chalk/3D glasses combo.

I was pleasantly surprised to use them and they actually work!

Thanks, Grandma Nina!

Happy Easter.

2010-04-13T23:14:00.000-06:00

I know we are late in spreading Easter cheer.

Remind you of anyone?

2010-03-31T14:24:00.001-06:00

Alright, so I got a little carried away yesterday while trimming my hair.

I went from this....

(I am lady in the back, next to "Marty Jr." and holding the little sheila in the red dress.)

to this...

Of course, you want to see the back.
(Corban took this picture.)

I know, you are thinking you have seen this cut before.

I didn't realize how similar it was to Izzy's cut until I was done.

I am destined to be my daughter's twin.

The side view.

I really didn't mean to go this short. I was going to go a couple inches shorter and one of the layers looked choppy. I had a Danielle come over and she tried to get it to look right, but she was being timid and just kept saying she hadn't cut hair much. I told her not to be scared... It's hair, it will grow back. She had to leave before she could fix it because of an appointment, so I did what had to be done and chopped it all off. What do you think?

With or without bangs?

I kind of like to have both options, but I am thinking of just letting them (the fringe) grow out. I have had the bangs for maybe 8 months. Dave does not like the bangs and (come to find out) never really has... they remind him of a certain female neighbor, and he prefers to "see my face." I don't want to look like an old lady. I am so used to the bangs that I am scared of my whole face exposed. Maybe if I wasn't prone to adult breakouts I wouldn't be afraid of my own face.

Oh, well. At least I still have my younth..... on my walk over to the YW General Meeting last saturday, I was near this cute young girl and she, being the friendly gal that she is, started a conversation.We shared what wards we attend and then she told me the school she attends. There was a pause, then she said, "so . . . what school do you go to?"

Lego Truck

2010-03-31T13:40:00.000-06:00

Corban wanted to build cars, trucks, and planes all morning- he is so cute.

Isn't he the creative?

2010-03-31T13:39:00.000-06:00

Rocks

2010-03-31T12:59:00.000-06:00

This is the top of Corban's dresser. Did you know Corban started collecting rocks? He just picks up random rocks off the road when playing or coming home from the park, or even walking through a parking lot. Cute.

Tie my shoe

2010-03-31T12:37:00.000-06:00

Walking home from the park the other day, we crossed the street and Corban did this.

I asked what he was doing. "Tie my shoe," he said.

Way to go!

2010-03-26T16:58:00.000-06:00

I love this! Thank you, Blogger.
I am so happy there are more options for the template and design of my blogs!

2010-03-23T09:47:00.000-06:00

WELCOME spring!

2010-03-17T12:52:00.001-06:00

Who says a bike can't pull a trailer?

2010-03-17T12:52:00.000-06:00

Happy St Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T12:50:00.000-06:00

Green cupcakes are a nice way to celebrate!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Innocence

2010-03-16T20:15:00.000-06:00

Corban loves to show me words and letters. He pointed out some graffiti on the sidewalk on the way to the park. "Look mom, A-S-5."

My little cuties

2010-03-15T16:05:00.001-06:00

They love to watch the 'Tornado' in the tub when they get out of the bath. They mostly take showers, so they might like tornados more because they are a rarity.

Peek-A-Boo!

2010-03-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

PEEK-A-BOO!

My cute little buddy. She is such a sweet girl when we run errands while Corban is at school. Now if they both could be sweet when they are together, that would be ideal. Why is it that two good kids have a hard time when they are together? The funniest thing is that even though they fight and get on each other's nerves when they are separated they start asking for their sibling. I don't get it.

Only 7 left for a complete set!

2010-03-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

The kids love to put quarters into this map. The trick is getting them to understand if they are putting in the right one. I bought this map off Jordan years ago and then half filled it. I then forgot about it. We found it a few weeks ago and the kids are sure cute about it. We went through all of our change, and all of Uncle Dan's change and are only in need of 7 more. Kind of fun.

No Cavities!

2010-03-05T22:14:00.001-07:00

Being the wonderful mother that I am I took my kids to the dentist on Monday. Here comes the wonderful part, this was their first visit; better late than never, right? Well, I guess I haven't done all wrong. Things went well. NO CAVITIES! They saw the kids simultaneously so Izzy watched Corb and it made a great difference. She was trying so hard to hold still even when she didn't like it. Her little body would wiggle and she would make tiny noises letting you know she wanted to put her hands up to assist the dentist in getting the heck away from her mouth. They did great. The only part that didn't go well was with dental pick, you know that little curved pokey thingy, Corban would not let the dentist come near him with it. Next time, maybe.

We also recently had well checks for both kiddos. They both needed a few immunizations to catch up and Corban is still mad at the nurse (and me) for making him get shots when he didn't want to get them. Izzy was furious as well, but once she heard the word sucker she wiggled down from my hip and stopped crying so she could go pick her sucker from the drawer. She is 95 percentile in weight. Our little Helga... only 5% of kids her age weigh more than her. At least she is over 3 feet tall so it isn't so bad. She is just our husky girl.

This last picture is Corban being very enthusiastic about his homework. He actually was enjoying himself, the angle of the picture makes his eyes look droopy. He loves school and we just got him registered for Kindergarten! He is very excited to go to Holly's school (our neighbor friend).

Well, if you have to go to the doctor/dentist soon I hope your visit goes well.

I love

2010-02-26T10:23:00.001-07:00

MY FAMILY!

Bad Sorting?

2010-02-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

Jenga is one of the best purchases I have ever made in the toy department. I have used it in Singing Time (How Firm a Foundation was the song I was trying to teach.) I have used it in regular play and my kids love to build towers and play dominos with the blocks.

Today, the kids started to fight over the blocks, and I naturally slid the pile toward me and started to divide the lot in two. The kids are used to this and don't fight it normally. Half way through Corban grabs at the pile so he can get more, I pull them back and continue. I am almost finished when Corban tells me I am not a good sorter. "Why not?" I say.

"You are not a good sorter because you are always fair, and I don't want it to be fair."

As a wise woman (Grandma Connie) said, "At least he's honest."

Yes, now if I could get him to always tell the truth when he brakes something. A quick "Izzy did it" and I know who really did something.

Silly Eaters

2010-02-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

Spelling

2010-02-11T06:11:00.010-07:00

Late one night Corban asked if he could have a drink of soda. There was barely any left in the CF Pepsi bottle and Dave told him he couldn't have it now, because it was bed time, but that he could have the rest of it later. Corban went to the "junk" drawer, grabbed a sharpie, and proceeded to claim his soda for later.

Corban is getting so good at recognizing letters and words. We write words on the white board and he practices them. He also tells me things like, "Monkey starts with M." I am so proud of him.