Peanuts and Chinas

Yesterday was my ultrasound! We got up and started getting ready at about 8:00. The ultrasound was scheluled for 11:00. I was so excited! I woke up at 7:15 because I couldn't sleep. At 9:30 my mom and grandma got to my house. I had invited them because I wasn't sure if Ray could come--which thankfully, wasn't the case. While the girls were eating their breakfast, they were talking about if it was a girl or a boy. Abby, my middle child, commented that if it was a girl it would be boring because we already have enough girls. I sat down with them and explained what would be happening at the office. I told them the Dr. Would be checking the baby's heart, brain, lungs, stomach, etc.. and after all that he would see if he could tell us if we were having a brother or a sister. I then asked my youngest what the baby would have if it was a boy. "Peanuts!" she said, and then went on to tell me that her and her sisters had a china. I've always tried to teach them the correct terms, but they don't always hear them the right way. LOL. When we arrived, we got right in. No waiting is good when you have 3 excited children with you. The radiologist showed us it's head first. We got a really good profile picture. We saw the front of it's face and the kids were so excited to see that there really was a baby in there. It's heartbeat was 156 beats per minute. It measured a little big, which made the due date July 28 instead of August 5. Everything looked great. We finally got to that moment and I instantly knew what it was, because I had never seen one of these before. It's a BOY! It took the rest of them to see, but the doctor pointed it out and I just started crying. "Emma, it has peanuts!" I said. The girls all squealed and said "We're having a brother!" My mom was crying and Ray just stared at the screen for a minute. He asked the radiologist twice if he was sure. It was such an exciting experience. We are all so excited to have a little boy in our house. Now the biggest trick is being patient for him to get here.

Hormones, butterflies, and anticipation

Again, it's been forever. Only because I still don't feel that great all the time and sitting at the computer is just hard for me. I have tons of pictures that I want to post, but I need my husband to fix the connection for me. When it gets done, I will post a picture of this belly that is growing. I will be 17 weeks tomorrow. (Saturday) Almost half-way! I can't believe it. It feels like it's been forever. My hormones are out of control. I am so irritable. I have no patience with my kids at all, ever. I feel bad because this isn't their fault, but they get a lot of the repercussions. It will be nice to feel normal again someday. Hugs and kisses are in short supply with me lately and hopefully will be re-stocked soon!

On the brighter side--I felt the baby move last Saturday. That is always such a blessed time. It always makes me want to shout, "There really is something in there!" I have felt it several times since then. The kids are anxious to be able to feel it. I'm sure it will be at least another month, but they will love it. I told them that right now it feels like I have little butterflies in my tummy. The ultrasound is scheduled for March 14. I am so excited to see what this little stranger is. All the girls want a brother and of course, so does daddy. I ,on the other hand,really don't care. A boy would definitely even out some of the estrogen floating around this place. Daddy could use a fishing pal and I think it would be a lot of fun to see how different a boy would be. If it's a girl, I already have all the stuff and I totally know how to do girls. Four weddings... We need to start saving now!

Going on a field trip

I'm feeling quite a bit better. Good thing, because I was about ready to lock myself in a padded room. I haven't thrown up for a week and two days. My kids thought I was dying! Emma was shocked when I walked downstairs the other day. She said "Abby--mom totally walked down the stairs". Pretty funny.

Today we are going to Brigham to celebrate my dad's 50th birthday. It will be my first time out since I've felt well. I am so excited. It is going to be hilarious. Tomorrow my little sister, Nicki, is having a baby shower. I don't know if I can handle all this excitement! I am definitely ready to have some fun. I'll take pics and post them soon!

Sick, bored, and ready to move on

Wow! It's been a month and it seems like a year! I found out two days after Thanksgiving that we are expecting our fourth baby. Am I excited? YES! But, oh, so sick. During the past month I've lost about 12 lbs. and thrown up more times that I'd like to count. All I've done is lay on the couch and lay on the bed. My house is honestly just disgusting. Days feel like weeks, and I get so bored just laying there, but there's not much else to do. I did, however, get a new medicine called Zofran. It is extrememly expensive, luckily insurance covers most of it. It has helped a lot. I haven't lost my cookies now for about 3 days. It's a start. Tomorrow marks my 10th week, so I'm 1/4 of the way there. Cross your fingers that the next 3/4 will be better!

I'm still alive!

Hello blog world! I'm sure it seems like I've fallen off the face of the earth. Luckily, I haven't and it's just a case of craziness. I love the holidays. It's so fun to have so many fun things to do. I spent Thanksgiving in Brigham City with my family. Five days, in fact. The girls and I stayed at Grandma Greats house. It was such a nice break from life. We just played and had a good time. My friend Julie and I went shopping the morning after Thanksgiving. Yep, bright and early--4:00 a.m. to be exact. I got what I wanted though. Cabbage Patch dolls were on sale at Wal-Mart for $10, and after getting kicked in the ear and fighting the mob of women, I got not only one, but six. Julie ended up with six too. We took our time deciding which ones we wanted and gave the rest to a few very grateful women. Lucky for them, they didn't have to put their lives in danger. We had a great time. Julie took me out to breakfast (thanks again!) and she bought me a cute vest for my birthday. One night we got all bundled up and went to see a little Christmas village. Santa was there and everything. The kids got to sit on his lap and tell them what they wanted.

The next few weeks are busy too. I'm all done with Christmas for my family, I've just got to do my friends and a few brother-in-laws and we'll be set. This coming weekend we are meeting my family in Salt Lake to go to Temple square and have dinner. The next weekend I'm going to stay at my moms and finish some projects for gifts. We are spending this Christmas Eve with my family and then later on Christmas Day we will go to the in-laws. I'm really excited! Sadly, I'm sure my blogs will suffer. Hopefully, there will be lots of fun pics to post and fun stories to tell! Happy Holidays!

Week at a glance

My week has been so hectic. The kids have all been sick, including the ones I babysit. Last Sunday was my birthday and it sucked, for the most part. I just felt bad all day. Thirty was definitely not a fun one. At least it's over and I can move on. My two friends, Jamie and Missy, gave me a little birthday party. Cake and homemade icecream...MMMM. My friend Angel, crocheted me a scarf, and I love it. On Wednesday my little brother came home from his mission. We all got to go to the airport and pick him up. It was so good to see him. Two years is a long time. All the kids were great though. None of them were shy at all, which was suprising being that they were all so little when he left. Ray and I got to go on a date last night to a seminar about relationships and marriage. It was so good and I've used a few techniques on my kids today and it's worked! Maybe if I keep practicing, life will be easier around my house. Tomorrow is Ray's birthday and we are going to a friends house for dinner. I think we are going out again tonight also. I'm sure things aren't going to calm down anytime soon either. Thanksgiving, Christmas parties, School activities, and Christmas is right around the corner. Does life ever slow down?

Reggie the Rat

Two years ago I needed a bribe to make my girls stay in their own beds. I had a friend that told me rats were good pets. At first, I had this mental picture of the kind of rats you see in the movies. Big, ugly, smelly sewer rats. When we picked two out at the pet store, however, I changed my mind. We brought them home and named them Reggie and Peanut. They have been the best little pets. Emma carries them all over, pulls their tails, and makes them hang from her shirt. Neither one of them have ever bitten anybody. Ray and I get them out and hold them while we watch T.V.

Today, Reggie died. I am so sad. The kids are so sad. We all just cried and cried. We buried him in a little spot underneath our back porch stairs. Emma cried when I covered him because he couldn't see and he was all alone. We said a little prayer. None of the rest of the day has felt normal--just sad. Pets become such a part of your family. We are gonna miss him so much.

Drunk, or something like it

Whitney had a dentist appointment yesterday. She had a few cavities that needed to be fixed and her top front tooth had gotten chipped and needed to be repaired. She was given a dose of some sort of medicine that made her so LOOPY! Dr. Pearson carried her out to the van for me and she hugged him. That just isn't like her. At home, I laid her on the couch and put a blanket over her. A few minutes later I heard something. I went to see what is was and sure enough, it was Whit trying to walk. She looked like someone who had just walked out of a bar and didn't know which way was up or down. She was running into walls, falling down on her knees and crawling, and just laughing about the whole thing. I got out the camcorder and tried to catch some of it on video, but I was afraid she was going to fall and need a trip to the emergency room! It made for a very eventful day. Her sisters got a kick out of it. I wonder if they sell that stuff--There are definitely days that I could use it!

Novemer 8th

Don't you hate it when you have an hour and a half longer to sleep, but your brain turns on and won't stop? This was the case for me this morning. I need to go buy milk. Whitney has a dentist appointment in the morning. I forgot to pay car insurance and oh, crap, is there enough money in the account to cover it??? Dad is getting his surgery soon. I've been so worried about that, but honestly, do I have to worry at 6:00 in the morning? My 30th birthday is in 5 days. That sucks. I can't believe I'm not in my 20's anymore. Where did all that time go? It's just crazy to me the things that go through your mind when there aren't any distractions. I'm usually running through my day like a chicken with my head cut off, and there isn't any time to really "think". Maybe if I got up a little earlier in the morning I could meditate and my day would make more sense. I could stop and think about the things that are important. Busy-ness just gets in the way. As much as I like my sleep, I am glad to have those moments of alone time when I can gather myself and my thoughts and just be "me" for a few minutes.

Bunch of Blondes

These are my sisters. This last weekend we all got together to have a girl's night out, so to speak. It lasted 2 1/2 days though. We met Friday night at the Crystal Inn. As soon as everyone got there, we hopped in Becky's Tahoe and went to find a place to eat. We ended up at Sizzler and had a yummy steak dinner. When we got back to the hotel, we all put our swimming suits on and went to sit in the hot tub. It was so refreshing to just sit, giggle, and not have to worry about anything. We all have so much fun together. Saturday we began our shopping spree. Our first stop was to Gateway. It makes me feel like I'm in California at an outdoor mall, only you walk swiftly to the next store, because you're freezing! We spent a few hours there. I mostly looked because of the lack of money. Jamie and Michelle, the two youngest, scored big at the Wet Seal. My favorite stop was at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory. I got a caramel, white chocolate, oreo covered apple. Good thing I don't go there every day. Gardners Village was next on our adventure. It's this place with all of these cute little pioneer looking houses with shops in them. You just go house to house, like you would at a home show, only you can buy stuff. Tai Pan was the last spot and it's a wholesale store of sorts. There was so much to look at, it gave me a headache. All of my married sisters have a knack for decorating, so we spent a long time there. We were going to go and eat at PF Changs,(my favorite chinese restraunt) but the wait was an hour long and a day of intense shopping like that makes you hungry. Waiting wasn't an option. We settled on Chuck-a-rama. That's where we are in the picture. After dinner, we went and sat in the hot tub again. Both nights we stayed up way past bedtime. It was at least 1:00, before we could stop giggling and go to sleep. Sunday we went to Park City to shop the outlet mall. That's where I scored. We went into Aeropastle and straight to the clearance rack. I got three shirts for $7.41. Who says you have to be rich? My stepmom, Lisa, got all of her Christmas shopping done for the whole family, even the grandkids. It was so fun. At the end of the trip, we hugged and said our good-byes. We decided that this was going to be a new tradition for us. Seven women shopping for two days. That is dangerous. I was pretty spoiled this last week. So much to do, so much fun. It's going to be hard to top.



Back: Mom (Lisa) and Becky
Middle: Holly and Michelle
Front: Nicki and Jamie

Best I could do...

Since I didn't get to take pictures, I bought a magazine. I needed at least one pic. of him! It really was a bummer, but Misti is right, I have the mental pictures forever! Isn't he sexy???

The Continuation of my Perfect Night

I didn't get any pictures at the concert. I was so mad because they wouldn't let me take in my camera. Only cell phone cameras and disposables were allowed. What a bummer! I could've taken some AWESOME pictures. Then I would've been like a teenager and pasted them all over my walls.

The name of the opening band was Antigone Rising. I've only heard one of their songs on the radio, and they were fun, but I was too busy paying attention to Rob while they were singing. A few ladies that were sitting behind me had come down and sat about six seats to my right. I had no idea what they were doing, because it was on the side of the stage where all of the control panels were. I looked down at them and they motioned for me to come sit by them. To our suprise, there was Rob, standing by the controls with a beanie on. Maybe so he wouldn't be recognized, but obviously that didn't work. I could've jumped right over the wall and touched him--He was that close! Of course, I'm too shy to do anything, so the ladies (who were drunk, might I add) were saying his name. I think for a while he was ignoring them, and I was embarrassed by them so I went back to my seat. BIG MISTAKE! As soon as I sat down, Rob turned to them, smiled and waved. MELT MY HEART! At least I was still close enought to see, but dang it! A minute later, he pulled out a cigarette, lit up, and stood there and smoked while he watched his opening act. I felt like a school girl with a crush. I was all giddy with butterflies and all. It isn't every day you are 10 feet away from your favorite singer!

The best part of all this is that my cute husband sat there and laughed and let me have my little crush. He didn't understand all these women with this crazy obession with one man. He thinks it's so funny that everyone goes crazy, just because the man sings good. ( I think he looks good too, but I guess Ray doesn't see that).

After the concert, we cranked my Rob Thomas cd. We drove around till we found a Denny's and shared a piece of carrot cake. On a scale of 1-10, I'd have to rate this date an 11. It's taken me two days to come off of my cloud. I hope it's not TOO long before I get to climb back on again.

I'M IN LOVE!!!

Tonight was the best birthday present! Rob Thomas Rocks! I had such a good time and my throat hurts! I screamed so loud and danced my little heart out. I love that man. Did I forget to mention that I had front row on the lower bowl? So, that means I was right by the stage and could see every expression, every drop of sweat, and every adorable look. It was awesome. I made a friend named Janna, who danced and screamed with me. Our husbands weren't really into it that much. At one point she said to me, "On the count of three, lets scream 'we love you Rob', and we did and it made him smile. At least that's what we'd like to think. The rest of this blog is more for my benefit than anyone else's, so read on if you'd like, but I have to remember the details.

The opening song was "Something to be". He had the panels with graphics going while he was singing with all sorts of crazy things. His opening band was a girl band, but I can't remember their name--Anti something rising. They were pretty good. He sang almost every song on his new album and some old songs from his matchbox twenty days including PUSH, and one other one I can't remember, but will jot in down when I remember. He sang two new songs from his new album called "Something More" which I am going to ask Santa for. He said a couple cute things. He said that he talked to a good friend of his that gave him permission to sing "Smooth", I am assuming it was Santana, and he said that he had permission to F*** it up any way he wanted. Someone yelled that they loved him and he said "I love you too" with this cutest little giggle. His last song was "Illusion" , at least until we screamed long and stomped hard enough to bring him out again. They came out and sang 4 or 5 more songs and ended with "This is how a heart breaks".

I am so exhausted and I'll probably write more, just so I don't forget. I got a key chain (since I collect them) and paid $10. Holy Cow. It was worth it though. I'll post a pic of it, just in case anyone is interested.

To be continued....

Rob Thomas...

Did you ever have a very favorite singer when you were young? I love music and I never did. I liked all sorts of music growing up. Country, soft rock, rock, you name it, I liked it. Now that I'm older, (not much :p) my taste has changed and I am obsessed with Rob Thomas. He used to be with the group Matchbox Twenty, but they broke up last Christmas sometime. Which broke my heart, literally. I started crying! How dopey is that? WELL, for my birthday, My adorable husband bought me tickets for the Rob Thomas concert and guess what????

IT'S TONIGHT!!!! I'M SO EXCITED THAT I CAN'T CONCENTRATE ON ANYTHING!

My grandma is coming to stay with my kids and I get to go on a date with my handsome prince to go see my all time favorite singer. I couldn't ask for a better birthday present.

I'M GOING TO ROB THOMAS!!!!

My little sister

My little sister came to visit us yesterday with her boyfriend, Cody. WE had so much fun! Cody wrestled and played with the girls. It was fun to get to know him. When I got home from church, we all hopped in the car and went to Cabela's. That store rocks! It's like visiting the outdoors, a museum, and a store all in one. Very cool. If you've never been, I suggest checking it out. When we came home we had a nice Sunday dinner. Pork roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn, and rolls. YUMMY! After dinner we went to an ampitheater here by us and took some cool pictures. It would be a fabulous place to have our family pictures done. Annie wanted to have some pictures to do a scrapbook of her and Cody. It was freezing cold outside. We needed our coats! When we got home, we had some of the homemade oreo cookies that Annie made for us, and then sent them on their way. It's hard to live away from my family, but it sure is fun when they come to visit.

Leaves are falling all around

Our back yard is covered in leaves. It's going to take us hours to pick them all up and bag them. The mountains don't have any leaves anymore. Winter is almost here. I can't believe that Christmas is only a few months away. All three of my families have started drawing names so that we can begin our shopping. It seems like yesterday that it was July and we were watching fireworks. Time goes by so fast. (does that mean I'm having fun??) So, last weekend when my mom and grandma came they brought me some decorations. Fall leaves, gourds, colored corn, and pretend apples to put in a basket on my little bench. I decided to make it my little studio. For Christmas I'm going to make Mikaela's mom a cd with all the pictures that I've taken of Mikaela throughout the year. They turned out cute eh?

Busy, busy, Busy

Yesterday, grandpa came to spend the night with us. He brought his dog, Cricket, and a blueberry pie. *yummy* He also brought a package from Grandma with all sorts of fun things. The girls each got a trick-or-treat bag filled with Halloween socks, candy, and games. And what do you know? A new orange sweater just for me. I can't wait to wear it. Before bedtime, the girls hopped in bed by grandpa and gave him hugs and kisses so he could have sweet dreams.
We have been busy doing fun fall stuff. We decided to paint our pumpkins this year. It was fun.. and messy. Abby had her first real field trip last week, and I got to go. My friend, Jamie, watched Emma and Mikaela for me. I got to ride the bus and everything. It was fun. We went to pumpkinland. There was a corn maze, animals, playland, and a light alley. When we were finished, each child got to pick out their own pumpkin. It was super fun. Abby especially loved sticking her head in all these things. We had a great time and it was good for me to be able to spend time with just Abby. Okay, I take that back. I was in charge of 4 other kids, but Abby felt pretty cool having her mom there and her sisters weren't there to take away her glory.
The clown fits her well. Don't you think???

The fun just never stops

I have had a crazy life the past few days. On Wednesday, Tayvens mom called and told me that she wasn't going to be bringing him anymore. She made a few excuses, but I know the real reason is because Emma scratched him. My life will be a little less hectic, but we need the money. Thus begins my quest for a new child to tend. Emma hasn't scratched anyone since, so maybe I scared her enough that we're done with that. I was on the phone yesterday and went upstairs to get something and when I came back down, Emma had found her big sisters scissors and had cut her bangs clear to the top of her head. She looks ridiculous. It could've been worse, and I knew it, but I still had to freak out and let her know that it was not acceptable. Then today I was getting ready for the day. (make-up, hair, etc.) Her and Kaydien, (another little boy I tend) said they were going to play in the playroom. After about ten minutes, I go downstairs to check on them and Emma had gotten into a brand new box of cheerio's and they were spread from one end of the basement to the next. I feel like I am losing my mind! I do not know what to do with this child. I took her on a "date" last night, thinking that maybe she just needed some attention. Didn't work I guess. Maybe she needs T's memo, but I doubt she'd listen either!

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Visitors

Tonight my mom and grandma are coming to spend the weekend. I am so excited for that. Nobody ever really visits us, and it will be a welcome break for me. Tomorrow my church is doing a super Saturday. Basically, that is where all the women get together and do fun crafty things like paint, quilt, sew, and have lunch. They have a nursery provided for the little kids, so my kids will be occupied from 9-1. I ordered some new embroidery patterns. I'm excited about doing those. Tomorrow night Ray is going to watch the girls. The big girls are going to go to a movie. Then on Sunday, my girls are in a primary program. They have parts that they've memorized and everything. It will be fun for them to have their grandma's there to watch them. It should be a fun weekend.

Does anyone else have anything interesting going on???

Love Thy Neighbor

As bad as our world can be sometimes, if you pay attention there are all sorts of good things going on too. I have awesome neighbors. They are so friendly and always willing to share what they have. Today our neighbor across the street from us brought us a whole big grocery sack full of yellow apples. They are so yummy! We don't know them super well. They are an older couple with grandkids. Glenda and Herbie are their names. Glenda tells me sometimes of how she watches my kids out the window. She laughs at all the struggles I have and remembers how her kids used to do the same things. They watch our house for us when we are away, or just when I am off taking the kids to school. Glenda has had to come several times to shut the front door because one of us forgot. Two weeks ago our neighbors, Brent and Noreen, had planned to put a couch they got from a friend down in their basement. When they learned it wouldn't fit, Brent came and asked me if we wanted it or knew anyone who did. The couch we had was old and worn. This one is in great shape and even has a hide-a-bed. Jack and Idona Barnes are another couple in our church who I just love. They remind me of my great grandparents. They have an awesome garden. They planted quite a few tomato plants and have been so willing to share them with our family. I LOVE tomatoes. Their generosity has fed our family many tomato sandwiches and lots of homemade salsa. We've gotten peas, peaches and all sorts of good stuff from other neighbors. I just feel so blessed to live around such giving people. Just when I start thinking how bad things are and how rotten people can be, someone shows an act of kindness and reminds me that the world isn't so bad and that there really are angels among us!

Terrible three's

Why is it that when it comes to age, two year olds get a bad rep? I have never had problems with my two year olds. My trial begins when they are three. At least when they are two they are still little enough that they don't know they are doing something wrong, or at least don't quite understand the consequences. Emma, it seems, turned into a monster about the time she was turning three. She is always scratching and pinching everyone. Today she scratched Tayvens face. (he's one of the little boys I tend.) His mom was pretty upset, which I don't blame her. I'm pretty upset about it too. The two older princesses have scars from their encounters with their little sister. I just have no idea how to stop her. She even does it to her dad and to me. Spanking, time outs, long talks, and threats have not solved the issue. If she keeps doing it, Tayven's mom will stop bringing him. The most frustrating thing is that most of the time she is a sweetheart. I don't know what could be bringing out this naughty side of her. Is it just her age? Whatever it is, she's not going to like the consequence that happens next time she does it. I'm going to scratch her back and I won't be nice about it. We'll see if that tames the little beast!