Pack, Pack... Barf, barf... Clean, Clean... Flush, flush...

Krew got a bug on Monday. There was much yuckiness.

But he's feeling much better now. Because he gave it to me.
And we're supposed to be leaving today for Washington to see the fam for Christmas. And I'm in charge of Jocelyn's class party, sending treats for Gage's. Plus packing and loading the car (which could take me a week with my organizational skills) cleaning the house, and remembering every gift and where it is and what it's wrapped in and... having a tummy bug like this has given me another unexpected gift:
Contractions.
Timeable at about 6-7 minutes for the last 2 days. And they kinda hurt.
And you know how it makes me feel?
Afraid.
These are not baby-birthing contractions. They are just the kind that make me remember the baby-birthing contractions alot more clearly.
Since this is not my first rodeo, you'd think I'd be prepared and could deal! Right?!? But I am weak. And the realization that I am still a weenie after all these kids is, well, a big fat slice of humble pie. Sheesh.
For now, I will be treating any signs of pre-term labor with trashy magazines and junk food while I curl up in the seat next to Tony as he drives us all to Washington.
(Such a good sport, that one. Drives the whole way every time and never complains. I just have to worry about the kids and the snacks! He's a keeper.)
And hopefully, this little bug will have run it's course by the time we get there on Friday and we won't share with anyone else, because I am looking forward to the most lovely, yucky free, Christmas Day ever!
(I will be taking ziplock bags in the car, though. Just in case. For easy disposal of tummy messes, if you get my drift. I mean, I do have 3 other kids that haven't had it yet... Maybe that's why Tony offers to drive.)

Work Party...

Last night we went to Tony's work party, which is actually quite the shindig! We went to this westerny-themed place called the Timbermine, where I had never been before, but my steak was quite tasty. So was the red velvet cheesecake! Yummers.

They did however, use mannequins dressed as festive saloon girls all around as decorations. So bizarre, I should've taken a picture!

Anyway, after our scrumptious dinner they play games and give away awesome prizes! Like iPads and big LCD TVs, Kindles and Nooks, Playstations and Xboxs. Cash! Giftcards! There are over 50 employees, and everyone gets a really nice gift...

Tony wins 2 of the games. Which means he has two different opportunities to CHOOSE a prize or STEAL someone else's. TWO! CHANCES!

So what does he choose?

Out of all those goodies?

Nikon Monarch Binoculars. In Real Tree camouflage. Good grief.

He walked out of that party so pleased I thought he'd bust his buttons.

(And frankly, I was thinking he was an idiot till I googled them this morning and found out they retail for $299.99. Guess the jokes on me, right?)

For the birthday boy...

Happy 33rd to Tony!On a rare moment, we were at the house together, alone with our children.

I had made his favorite "Party Chip" cake, the kind with the frosting with the little candies in it. We couldn't find the candles, so I just stuck a few matches in the cake and told him he could blow those out instead. It took us a couple tries because Krew kept blowing them out as soon as they were lit.

We sing.

Out go the matchstick candles.

"What did you wish for Daddy?"

"This is my wish," he says, grinning at our little crowd.

Mine too.

Love you. Hope we have many more happy years.

Neighbor gifts; So lame I don't even care if you copy...

I love taking treats and goodies and cards to people! I keep my eyes peeled all year for things that spark my imagination! And this year I found so many! Too many...

But the thought of cooking over a hot, steamy stove for an entire day made me want to cry or throw up. These days I can go either way."We wanted to 'POP' in to wish you a Merry Christmas." I know. You get it.

So this is what the aunts, uncles, and cousins are getting: a 2-liter of soda.
I know.
Thrilling.
I did add some cute little tags and ribbons to make myself feel better.
I suppose I could also wrap a little box of popcorn to go with... but I think I will be busy that day cleaning marker off the walls. Again! Those little devils...

Eight is Great!!

Look at my grown-up little man!! When, oh when, did he get so big? He and Jossy had lovely little birthdays, where we just invited a few friends and took them to a skating/bouncing/arcade/germ fest type of place... which they ALL loved! I loved that there was zero clean-up, minimal prep, and similar costs to doing a home party.

The big event was Gage's baptism! (We had it the Saturday after Thanksgiving since all the fam was going to be more available-ish.)
Somehow, I ended up not taking a single photo. Tragic, I know! My mom and sis took a few, so I will have to beg copies from them, but that morning was madness and whilst trying to deal with all hullabaloo: had to fill the font ourselves, so Tony goes early and Ta-Da! the font is still full with freezing, buggy water from the last baptism. Let's just say Uncle Brandon saved the day with some sport shorts and some mad swimming skillz. Bishopric member was late, and couldn't get the closet with the baptismal clothing to open, Krew has diarrhea during welcome. No wipes.
You know how it goes.
We got started a little late, but the service ended up being so special. I felt such an overwhelming joy that this was happening for our son, that Tony could be the one performing the ordinances and that we could all be there together for my big little boy! I will remember it always.
Thanks to everyone who helped make it such a special day for Gage! You're the best!

Caught red handed...

Or black-handed! Har har.

Krew sure loves himself some markers! He also did his feet, his clothes, and part of our couch. I was sewing 15 feet away. Best mom ever. Lucky for me I only buy washable markers!

And I got these in the mail from one of my very fave online retailers. Could you not die of their tiny cuteness?!? Maybe we can leave the hospital in our matching sherpa booties...

Of course, I'll have to get Tony some...

The REAL lyrics:

"Baa baa black sheep have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, 3 bags full!
One for my master, one for the dame,
One for the little boy who lives down the drain..."

Love,
Lauren

P.S. She also asked me why those first people on the earth always wore trash.
What would I ever do without her?

Delightfully above freezing...

Too bad it's snowing here this morning!

Last night was perfect though- the air temp never dipped below 55! We were done before the sun went down, of course, but that is fine by me. Here's a few pics of the kiddos in their costumes before school: Jocelyn is Rosetta (Tinkerbell's friend) and Gage is Ash, the Pokemon Trainer. (I tried for WEEKS to talk him out of this one. But, alas. Pokemon won.)

Silvermist, Tink's other friend.
(I was a pumkin. I'm sure you can only imagine how lovely that was. And you'll have to since there are no pics.)
I got to help with Jocelyn and Gage's class parties, which was tiring but I'm glad I could be there. Krew helped too. LOTS. ;) Lauren's preschool only did a treat. Grinches.

A really awesome group shot. Krew was a dinosaur. Wouldn't wear the hat (shocker) but LOVED the tail! He kept looking behind him as we walked to make sure it was still there!

He really had the concept this year: "Cheets!" and he then would delicately choose one piece of candy and then say his lil' "Deet doot!" which I think is thank you. Melts my heart.

So does this:

I have another appointment tomorrow, and I am so looking forward to seeing him!

100 day countdown!

Our little mister has less than 100 days left of cookin'! I'm getting more and more anxious to meet him...
In my head he looks just like Krew. My last appointment they did a few more pictures for me in the fancy 3D, and he was covering his eyes in one of the pictures. The bottom half of his face, cheeks, lips, chin could have been a photograph of Krew.
I guess we'll just see if he's a blondie/bluey or a brownie/brownie! Cuz we got two of each! It would be fun to have a blonde, brown-eyed baby or a blue-eyed brunette baby too! Or green eyes... Our genes could really give us any combo... We could even have one with black hair (My dad has black hair).

Another thing that's sortof all over the place is our name choosin'. We keep going the rounds and never really agreeing on anything.
Tony has a great-great-great-great-ish grandfather name William Wallace. (Not "the" William Wallace, but obviously named after him.) He thought that would be a lovely name. I told him it was fine if he'd perform the blessing in a kilt and use a fake Scottish accent. He's considering it.
We like Bode, but there's already a Beau in the fam. I think it might be too confusing since we've already got 2 Ashleys, 2 Marks, 2 Davids, and 2 Jacksons to try to keep straight.
Jocelyn suggested Tommy. I kinda like it. Alot.
Gage suggested Jaron, which is also very nice. Unexpectedly tasteful from Gage.
I like Dylan. Tony asked if I was stuck in the 90's? I told him yes.
I also like Hayden. But we have a Kaden!
I saw the name Boone on a photography blog. Kinda love it! Love how it sounds with Gage and Krew.
Lauren suggested Tootie. Which is our family's word for flatulence. Classic.

You'd think by this point in the game, we'd have it narrowed down! I mean, we have done this before...

Back when I thought this baby might be a girl, we had only few names we both considered: Leah, Aven, Bridgit, Alexa or Avery. (Well, I like Bridgit. Tony thinks it sounds like the name for a little fluffy dog.)

So I guess we'll have to just wait and see! Only about 100 more days...

For him, this is like a totally huge deal. Me... not so much.

I guess it's just not quite as exciting for the ladies.

The best part of the day: Deer season for me is done! (Too bad for all you deer widows out there with an open tag.)

He has been looking for this EXACT buck several different evenings and again many Saturday mornings.

This morning he went up with my dad. Apparently he was the lucky charm!

Pictures of the cape Tony packed out. They were able to drag the carcass to a 4-wheeler and carry it out. I brought the truck up onto the range and we all came down together. After snapping a few little moments of the happy (and exhausted) hunters:

This was an OLD buck. Very gray and mature. Rare to find a truly wild buck this size/age.

(This is what I overheard the men saying. Didn't that just sound so smart?)

I love to see them so excited and truly giddy about something!

Way to go guys!

Spoiler ALERT...

See that little gem up there? That is probably one of about 5 pregnancy pictures I have ever had taken. Ever.

Not my most attractive stage.

And just so you know, this little gem will probably be making an appearance on our Christmas cards. Sorry to ruin the surprise. I know you were all really excited.

My dad took it for me with my little point and click. Photoshop is so handy! It's a composite of about 4 different images. Lauren and Krew looking at the camera in the same picture is IMPOSSIBLE!! I was actually considering not even having Krew in the picture he was such a wiggler!!

Still, didn't Markus do a pretty darn good job for a 55-ish year old man? High fives to you!

Jack and Joss-o-lanterns!

Tony was hunting all weekend and having the time of his life.

We were at home, wishing he was with us. Sniff. Church by myself is less fun. Ya know?

He tried to make up for it by helping the kids carve their pumpkins. We started right after school, and the sun was out and the air was crisp. It was the perfect autumn day.

The kids drew on their designs and Tony was the official knife-weilder.

What did I get to do?

Scrape the guts!

Luckily, I have been completely desensitized to yuckiness after nearly 8 years (so far!) of diapers.

Krew was sitting there with us, watching me with my arsenal of spoons and scoops, Tony with his knives, and he runs in the house. He comes back out... with a wisk.

Which he used to smack the cat.

The finished art:

A choo-choo train

Ash the Pokemon trainer

and two girly girls! With bows!

(P.S. The cat is fine, and I washed the wisk.)

Now, I am not a professional. But...

I cut Lauren's hair myself.

I was nervous that she was going to end up with a flat-top (me, circa 1983.)

She's constantly putting her hair in her mouth and chewing on it, so I thought if I made it harder for her to do that, maybe she would stop.

This is her at 8:30 in the morning, browsing a toy catalogue, choosing the 200+ items she would like from Santa:
I love this hair cut for her. Too bad she still chews her hair.

Let's just go ahead and cook him a little longer...

This month at my monthly check-up the doctor surprised me with a 3D sneak preview!

(Have I ever mentioned how much I love this? Oh, I have? Sorry.)

There were some skinny little arms and legs, a beautiful top lip, and it looks like he's still a boy! ; ) I think this little guy needs to take his chunkies a little more seriously. Good thing he has a few more months to get squishier!

(And what is that weird thing that looks like it's pinching his nose? This is some bizarre, wonderful, miraculous technology!)

I wish I may, I wish I might...

I want one. I have wanted one for about, well, 4 years.

Nikon D7000. Camera and lenses: about $1750. Sniff.

And I would need all the Adobe software to go with it, right?

Why do I not buy it? Because I would prefer a house.

(But don't worry, the wishing star heard about the house too.)

Still... I think every gal deserves a wish list!

While my kids DO get their homework done every night, and I am caught up on the laundry, I have to say that lately my blog has been an...

EPIC FAIL.

We have been so busy, I feel like this has been put to the side for a bit. Which is okay... I will get to it. Eventually.

Doesn't he just melt your little heart? I know, mine too.

He hasn't been taking naps for months now and hardly sleeps at night because he crawls out of the pack-n-play lickety split! This is the hardest thing we are going through with him right now... Last night he went to bed at a quarter to 12 and was up before 7. He will be going strong all day. I wish I had his energy! And his golden curls.

So Krew turned 2 and Lauren turned 5 in August. They shared a dinosaur party, which was Lauren's idea and delighted them both! Easy Peasy!

Then school started, which is so busy but also so nice because it gets all of us back on a schedule.

Gage is doing a science club, football and soccer. Football is brutal! For the first 3 weeks it was 2 hours every night. Poor little Gage gets throttled pretty much every minute of those 2 hours. He is in the running for smallest guy on the team. He has asked several times if he can quit, but I'm the mean mom who says, "It's important for you to learn to do hard things." Then I feel bad. Still, there's only a few more weeks and we will BOTH stick it out. Then wrestling starts!

Jossy is doing soccer, violin, voice lessons and Science club. She tries so darn hard, it plumb near breaks my heart! She's pretty good at everything she tries, but I think that's because she gives 110% on everything she does, everyday single day.

Lauren is doing preschool and soccer. She is technically old enough to have started kindergarten, but when we took her into her assessment, I thought it was wise to let her grow another year. She didn't even know her last name! Best mom ever.

Krew does snacks and cartoons. But not naps. Sniff. He still doesn't talk very much, but seems to be quite coordinated! He does some awesome baby-ninja moves that are hilarious!

And the little man I can't wait to meet... you are making me fat.

I went in for another appointment, where they did their monthly ultrasound (which I love) and again the doctor said BOY. I am so excited for you to be here (not as excited to GET you here) and hopefully by then you won't have to share the crib with Krew. Tony and I keep debating names; mostly the same ones we considered last time for Krew, but we are open to suggestions! Middle name is still totally undecided.

Once we made it past that whole green stage that I just want to skip, I have to say I feel good! I feel strong and like my worn-out body is coping well! Hopefully, we can continue this blessing all the way to delivery!

Please adopt...

Whatever, everybody gets rid of their cats this way:

They are ready NOW. If you know of anybody like your sister, or your grandma, or a neighbor, the principal at your school, your mailman, a cat lady who just can't say no, ANYONE who might need a kitten or six, just let me know. Kay? Thanks a mill!

My new countdown...

My goodness, yes, it is there on purpose! Check out my new little ticker on that little sidey-bar there! I'd post a pic but I just still look kinda regular. Just a little thick-waisted is all.

My apologies to anyone who feels out of the loop. We just started telling people this week. I was still trying to wrap my own head around the idea of 5 kids with the oldest one BARELY being 8.

Pretty much loving my new OB. He does an ultrasound every visit, even though I'm not high risk or having multiples. It's just their policy. Bless them for their policy.

He says he thinks it's a boy, but I thought it all just looked like toes. I am unconvinced. But luckily, we get to see again next month, so it's no biggy! (Tony, of course, is sure and always has been sure that it is a boy.)

February 3rd, you just got a great big red circle around you on my calendar!

Yay and Yikes simultaneously!

Back to the 'Burg...

A little bit ago, we had an unexpected little run back to Rexburg. Tony had some work and a family reunion with some second-cousins (which we only really sneaked in for some grub). It was such a nice little weekend. We got to see some old friends and neighbors and Grandma and Grandpa Jenks. It was lovely. A few friends were out of THE COUNTRY. Byrams-to-not-single-anyone-out. Sheesh, the nerve!
Tony let me pick where we ate- two bowls of Creamy sausage pasta at Craigo's YUM- and he let me go wander around the craft store that I miss so much.
I bought paper.
And since I've had over a year to think about it, I made you a little list.

Where Idaho rocks the house:
Better fabric and craft stores, especially Home Fabrics.
Better parks
Better library
I preferred the tiny, neighborhood elementary schools.
I miss my friends and neighbors, and miss living on a street where my kids had friends. I still miss my house.
Better DownEast Home store
A TEMPLE in TOWN...
Better local grocery store
And I have to say I loved the big, active LDS population in Rexburg.
You don't feel like cooking? Fast food? Take your pick. It's a college town for crying out loud!
Cheap movies theater.
Fewer rattlesnakes. And maybe just fewer snakes.


Where Utah takes the cake:
It's prettier here. By FAR.
Taxes are seriously 1/7th of Madison County's. (Which is why they have better parks and libraries.)
I get to be by family and old friends.
Better hospitals. And seeing a specialist doesn't mean leaving the state!
Bigger selection of shopping within an hour's drive. For pretty much anything you could want.
Tai Pan Trading. My personal treat.
IKEA.
These guys KNOW how to do snow-removal.
The mountains buffer the sunrise and sunset. On that wide, flat plain the sun was up earlier and down later. Summer= LONG DAYS!
I get to see Tony every day.
Milder winters and LESS wind- I didn't say no wind. But less.
Not so many hobo spiders.
Immediate access to mountains and range ground. It's like therapy sometimes.
Better ball fields.
Easier to find places for swimming lessons. Since more than one person has a pool.


Honestly I could go on and on, but who else is going to change Krew's diaper?

Living both places I have been so impressed by the people I meet. We've met some wonderful folks who have enriched our lives. Such a blessing.
And someday we'll get a place of our own again and I so look forward to being able to make a home for our family.
We drove past a few of our old houses; we had such nice memories in each. We showed the kids some of our first apartments, mostly crappy ones, and they were like, "I don't remember living there." That's cuz you weren't born yet. "Oh."
It was strange for them to imagine me and Tony living a life without them. I can hardly remember it myself. Love them...
Cheers to Idaho!

Batter up!

Last night of the co-ed league was last night... It's kind of bitter sweet. It was so fun to have something sociable to do with Tony and the family. The kids loved coming and getting a snowcone, I loved having a little "me-time." Tony loved just getting out and playing a little ball. This was at the championship game, taken with my awesome phone-camera, which seems to be the only way we get any pics on the bloggy: (Notice Uncle Scott coaching first base. Having him there cheering us on/coaching us made me feel like a kid again.)

AWKWARD. You know those couples who take adorable shots of themselves to record all their mischief and adventures? We will never be one of those couples. HA!

Some of the team:

Bonus:

WE WON!!

We got free tee shirts. Finished the season undefeated (not that I really helped. They only invited me because they needed girls and they wanted Tony to play.)

Still sooo fun.

I hope we can do it again next summer!

Did you know they have free parking at the zoo?

Well, maybe it wasn't free. But we didn't pay, so hopefully our assumption was right.

The kids loved the monkeys. Gage noticed that there weren't any chimpanzees. Sorry that the twenty other kinds of monkeys didn't take the cake. (And how does he know that specific type of monkey? I barely do!)

It was so stinkin' hot, I thought we were going to be puddles by the end of the afternoon. We thought we'd hide out in the reptile house (shady and cool) but sadly, it smells. BAD. So gag or melt. Dilemma.... Do you like how I did a really good job of lining my camera's frame up with the background? Yup, awesome phone pic.

Right after this, Lauren fell off the dinosaur backwards.
She's awesome like that.

I believe in miracles...

This is Jocelyn's baseball coach and his family.
Ian was on her team.
They are one of the most humble, gracious, fun, faithful families I have ever met, and they recognize this tremendous blessing.
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Summer Vacay...

Isn't summer supposed to time off? To me it feels like time ON! We have been so busy, that you must forgive poor little neglected bloggy.
The kids rocked at swimming lessons, we did Lagoon, and the library several times, and 4-wheelers, and playing with cousins CONSTANTLY since Jen's come to visit. Lots of yard work, and gardening, and the park and snow cones and BASEBALL out our ears!
For the last month, I have been at a ball diamond every night of the week. Now we've just cut down to Wednesdays and Thursdays for the adult leagues (Tony's mens' league is Wed, Co-ed league is Thurs.) I am embarrassingly bad. I used to say rusty, but that doesn't seem to quite capture the level of my ineptitude. Still, it has been so fun to sneak away for an hour and do something with other adults. I have some pretty fun cousins! Hopefully I can get a picture sometime during the season...

Long live summer!

My one-year-old can ride scooter better than your one-year-old.

This isn't even him at his fastest! Such a funny little boy... Now you can imagine how we have so many accidents.

Soggy city...

This post is only interesting to about three people. Sorry. But check out this flooding! No joke, this pasture had cows in it until about a week ago. They ran out of places to stand, and the farmer finally moved them.
Bye bye new fence.



This fence got pushed down by debris.

And speaking of debris- the septic tank at the folks place is full. It has been for roughly ten years. Last week it finally began rejecting new entries. One of the kiddos used the potty downstairs. It would not flush! I, being more resourceful and less intelligent, plunge the dickens out of it. DEBRIS begins backing up into the bathtub. Can't clean the tub because there is nowhere for the water to drain. Awesome.

I beg my dad to call the septic tank guy the next morning. Then cleaned the tub with the same vigor I used to plunge that toilet. I think I have chemical burns on my hands. But who wants to bathe their kids in the poo tub?

Happy Birthday Basement!

We have lived with you for a whole year, as of today! Maybe Happy Anniversary would be more appropriate.

It has slowly gotten more and more crowded here in the bat cave because there are things I knew I wouldn't need for a few months, but as time dragged on- I brought in more of our stuff.

Because you can live without your IKEA kid dishes for 6 weeks. Not a year.

I thought by now we would be starting a house. And now I wouldn't be surprised if we waited another 2 years for all the red tape to untangle itself. So maybe we'll rent a place. Or stay. We'll see how it goes... The kids honestly don't mind it here.

It is harder on me; I read this little ditty in a house magazine and thought how did that author know how I feel and think even though I can't articulate it myself? She must be one smart lady...

"For those of us who hold the title, mom-ness weaves through our lives like no other purpose, tapping ever corner of our creativity, our determination, and our love. And, I might add, forever changing the way we view our homes. Because, for moms, houses are so much more that a style statement; they're an integral part of our ecosystem for shaping healthy, happy kids. In a hundred subtle ways, our homes communicate to our children about the things we value; the basket by the sofa for books and magazines, the stool in the kitchen that invites a chat, the art supplies and backyard games." By Gayle Goodson Butler.

I would add the music that you choose to play, the movies, videogames and entertainment we allow. Pets. The possibility of adding more brothers and sisters. Dinners at the table together. Having friends over and having parties for no good reason. Parking in a GARAGE in the winter. Choosing colors and details in a child's bedroom so they feel like I see of each of them as an individual; so they know that I KNOW them.

And I know this sounds like crazy-talk, but I kinda feel like renting whatever we can find is not the answer.
My kids need long term. My son, especially, needs to not change to a third school by his third year of school. (He is still traumatized by our last move.) My daughters need me to know other families well enough that I know when it's safe to say yes to a sleep-over. Tony needs somewhere to work at home in the evenings. Krew needs to get out of the Pack-n-Play in our room. The chunker barely fits. And he snores.

Hmmmm. Renting. It is an answer, I just don't know if it's THE answer.

Gage gets unexpectedly beat out...

I know. This is getting so old. The slide at the park will never be as fun again. I anticipate a visit from Child Protective Services any time now. Which will be nice, I expect they will help me make a padded room.

(On a happier note, I am now pretty much a pro at closing superficial wounds. I'm going to bill Tony. I've saved us almost $2000 this month alone! Woohooo!)

I guess he's the winner this month...

Owwie of the Month Club winner, that is. This one was earned on the bus from playing too rough with kids who are too big. I guess it's like the chihuahua-that-thinks-it's-a-bulldog sort of thing. He was embarrassed that he had cried in front of his friends. The busdriver, thankfully, is a friend of mine who has 6 kids (5 boys) and didn't freak out... Instead of stitches, I went to the pharmacy and got myself some Steri-strips and superglue. Fixed him right up. And saved myself about a thousand bucks. And I gotta say, after seeing how they do it in the ER about 5 times now, I think I did just as good a job as they do. And what little boy doesn't have a scar of some kind by their eye? Answer me that.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Congratulations to my sweet sister who got her first daughter for Mother's Day! Four boys and a girl... finally!

And some tender, heartwarming words of inspiration from Elder Jeffery R. Holland to help us all remember the sanctity and challenge of the mothers' task:
(I highlighted some of my favorite parts!)
"You can’t possibly do this alone, but you do have help. The Master of Heaven and Earth is there to bless you—He who resolutely goes after the lost sheep, sweeps thoroughly to find the lost coin, waits everlastingly for the return of the prodigal son. Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are and better than you have ever been as you try to make honest effort, however feeble you may sometimes feel that to be.

Remember, remember all the days of your motherhood: “Ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.” Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.”

You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master’s garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their responsibility as mothers, 'Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.' And it will make your children whole as well."

Yikes.

So Jen took some cute pictures of the fam while we were up in Washington... I'm still working on getting them edited and posted due to technical difficulties, but it's still on the list! Don't you worry-

Things here are super busy. I feel like everyone is trying to fit in everything before school ends (Pet day and park day and field trips and we signed Lauren up for a second preschool, soccer and juggling 3 different baseball leagues and Primary presidency meetings and...) So we're busy. So my posts are lame.

I did want to share a scary story. I guess I'm just still amazed that we dodged this bullet. I'm honestly sick when I think about it...
Saturday night we had a hot dog roast in the back yard with my parents. It was very nice and of course, the kids loved it. We even bought those jumbo marshmallows that are so awesome! Afterwards, Tony said he was going to run down to the storage unit to get the kids' bikes; I was helping clean up the BBQ stuff. The kids were all playing in the yard. I take in an armload of stuff and think "I should go get Krew before Tony leaves." I walk out the garage and see Tony running down the driveway. So I run, because the urgency in his movement is obvious.
I see my little precious baby getting up in the driveway exactly where Tony had just been parked. He had a big, bloody scrape on his cheek and his hands were all black. Neither of us saw what happened, but we think Tony backed over him. The truck must have knocked him down and then passed over him. We don't know what happened. All the other possibilities are also scary: was he climbing up on the running board and fell when the truck moved? Was he standing by the tires and got his jacket caught and was dragged down?
For the last few days I haven't wanted to let him out of my sight. I keep kissing him and holding him and following him around and giving him extra treats. I wanted to sleep with him, but I don't fit in the playpen. ;) And I've said about a thousand prayers of gratitude for the narrow miss. Of all the blessings I've begged in my life, the prayers said for my children are the only ones that I really care are heard.
So hug your kids. It's been about ten minutes since I hugged mine- so they're due for another!

The low down on the lock out...

Hmmmm. What a conundrum! Have you ever been anxiously anticipating your next blissful read of a dear friend's (or a secretly beloved acquaintance) next blog post, only to find that you did not make the list? And then it happens again. And again. Sniff. Tear. This is my email: allijenks@hotmail.com Please check for me on your invite lists. Pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top??

Road trip!!

For Easter this year, the kids also have spring break. The timing is ideal for us to go "back to the Basin!" And get this... Tony is even arranging to (GASP) take time off of work! OMIGOSH! All teasing aside, I am pretty excited about our little road trip. We're doing a baby shower for Jen (my double sister/sister-in-law) and I'm hoping she'll agree to do some new pictures for me. Hint hint. Then maybe you can all see my from-the-box hair color! So very much looking forward to seeing all the fam and doing fun Easter stuff! And since we will be leaving in exactly one week, I have lots of things to get ready. I'm honestly getting the kids' suitcases out and packed already. I'm pathetic. Combo of me being excited and it takes me that long to make sure we have everything washed and packed. Not so much looking forward to the 11 hour car ride. Not so much. But it's worth it.

Next month...

Next month it will be a year that we have lived in the basement. I miss my Christmas decorations. My sweet little Easter garland. I miss my bed. I miss making a big sloppy breakfast mess and leaving it in the sink till dinner. So I looked at pictures of my old house. It cheered me up! Because I know most of this stuff is in storage and we'll all be together again soon. So until then, four-poster bed....

Mountains. Molehills. They're the same 'round here.

April Fool's Day. Short of teaching my kids pranks that will likely get them suspended, how do you keep this day fun?

Answer me that.

Since pretty much our entire life revolves around eating, here's what we came up with:

We started the meal with pie. It was gorgeous and delicious with a flawless crust. And filled with chicken and vegetables. I know you're imagining it now.

(And you're going to have to because it got eaten before the portrait session. And the crust was ugly.)

For dessert we had hamburgers and hot dogs:

Notice the "Baconator" in the middle I made especially for Tony. Nilla wafers and peppermint patties. Circus peanuts and orange sticks. All trimmings were molded out of fruity Tootsie Rolls. (Throw those puppies in the microwave for 4 seconds; putty in your hands.)

And Krew's first potty training went so well we used it for a centerpeice!!

Okay fine. It's jello. And Baby Ruths. My mom was so grossed out she wouldn't even eat it. Gage would only eat it if I fished out the poop and showed him it was really just candy.

Apparently he thinks I am a really good cook.

Prank of the day: Bucket of ice water thrown on Tony in the shower. My kids helped. And they saw his bum. (They must still be really innocent because they didn't really seem to notice.)

Their squeals of laughter are extra delicious when it involves mischief.

Prophets and punches. Oh, and bite-marks.

Can I just start off by saying how wonderful Conference was this weekend? Warmed my soul right down to my little soul-toes! I wish it could be monthly. Or even quarterly would be awesome... Now on to more grim matters: Someone in our house whose name starts with GAGE got into a fist fight at school. The principal called it "a pretty bad tussle for some first-graders." After throwing up at my own wedding and having four babies, I didn't think I could ever feel embarrassed again. Yet somehow, talking to the principal and the other mom made me want to excuse myself to go DIE. I don't know exactly what happened because I was not there, but apparently Gage was chasing a girl who is cute. Other boy didn't like it because he also thinks girl is cute. Boy bites Gage's thumb. Gage does a wrestling-style take down. Boy pulls Gage's hair. Gage punches and at about this time during the "altercation" loses his temper and his mind. Neither boy was seriously injured. Sheesh. Funny side note: Tony and I were BOTH sent to the principals' office in first grade for fighting. (I was framed.) And we both grew up to be relatively non-violent people with short criminal records. That gives me hope.

Is there a mouse in the house?

This is not a new story, but I wanted to share before I forgot it...

Jocelyn's hair is pretty long. And it tangles somethin' fierce.
I always tease her in the mornings while we're trying to brush out all the tangles:
"Did you let a mouse make a little nest in your hair during the night?"
She always giggles.
"Uh oh. He had a little friend sleeping over here, too."
Brush, brush, brush.
You get the idea.
One night I was putting her to bed, and she had all her hair fanned out on her pillow, with a little shoe box with a Barbie pillow and a wash rag in the bottom. It was sitting on her hair, right above her head.
"Mom- it's to keep those mice out of my hair in the night!"
I laughed and told her she was a thoughtful, special little girl. Cuz she is.

Saint Pat's and all those sneaky Leprechauns!!

We've been close lately, and me and the old man Pat.

I was informed that St. Patrick's Day is LAME by Gage, because I didn't make as big of a deal as, say, like Christmas. I am ashamed.
So we did try to make it more fun- decorations, green clothes, little cheap hats and necklaces for everyone in their classes, I hosted a preschool party for Lauren's class and let the big kids sluff school and come to the party.
Then we made little plates of treats to sneak over to the neighbors (Leprechauns are sneaky, you see, so we had to be too). We were just going to ring and then doorbell-ditch, but we got caught a lot. It was so funny to see them sneak up to the door all quiet and then once it was rung, they would all yell "RUN!!!" and hammer those little feet back to the get-away car.

I asked the kids if they had liked all the fun stuff we had invented, and by far the doorbell ditching thing was their favorite.
Me: "You guys want to do it again next year?"
Them: "Yeah!!"
Me: "Who should we make treats for next year?"
Pause.
Gage: "Who is the slowest person we know?"
He's always thoughtful like that.

We capped the night off with our local wrestling tournament. Gage took fourth. Out of four.
He did really good though, and wasn't sad about losing until the last match. He had tried his hardest, and looked up to the score board and saw that he had only made one point (the other kid only had a couple more) and he hung his little head and started crying. They held up the other kids' hand and he walked over to Tony and just buried his head in his neck and bawled. It broke my heart. (I could tell Tony was hurting for him, too.) So we took him out for a cheeseburger and let him stay up late with us watching the "Gnome-mobile". He has recovered completely. Just like I tell Tony, a cheeseburger will do it every time. Or Oreos.

We did have an interesting little conversation on the way home, though. Mostly just Tony talking and me listening, really, which is unusual. He said that if our kids are going to do sports, he has to be around. And he can't do it with the job he has now. (FYI his current job is in a city almost 2 hours from our house. Add a 4 hour round-trip commute to a full work day and you have yourself an absentee father.) He mentioned that when we took the kids outside to throw the ball around last Sunday, he noticed an improvement in less than an hour. I told him that I thought that would be wonderful if he could be around more.
So the conversation just sort of stopped there, because this is something that I have been just a hopin' and a prayin' for! It's not a bad job, but our kids are getting older now and they need him to be around. Especially Gage, since his only brother is a toddler and we do not live in a neighborhood where he is regularly around other boys. I am anxious to see if this was just passing talk to sooth his bruised heart, or if he actually intends to make some changes.

Maybe we'll get lucky and find him a job closer to home.
And isn't today the day to hope for luck?
Yes. Yes it is.

Hmmmmmm... Things to do Today.

Gage wrote this yesterday at church. He followed it exactly:

1. Go to church.
2. Change clothes.
3. Eat lunch.
4. Clean dishes.
5. Go downstairs.

Things to do tonight:
1. Brush teeth.
2. Go to my room.
3. Get in bed.
4. Say prayers.
5. Go to "sleep."
6. Sneak my DS lite.

Apparently, he got my stealth gene. (Which is none, by the way.)

Awwwww..... twinners.

Have you ever had the fortuitous occasion of finding a toy that looks like your child?

When Jossy was little, she kinda looked like her Dumbo toy, with those big, round blue eyes and tiny little mouth. (Their ears were nothing alike, thankfully.)

We were at the grocery store and saw these cute little piggy banks, and had to get one! The similarity is even more striking in real life.Do you like his new fake smile? Precious.

T.M.I. (But we're all grown ups here, right?)

Remember all those cute little New Year's resolutions I posted? You do? Oh good, cuz I have actually been working on them! I knew you were wondering how that was all going... Sorry to have made you wait so long to find out...

I have been the non-snacking PRO for two months. I have made nutritious meals for my family and my parents (while catering to my mom's strange "allergy" to spices) almost every night and I no longer allow myself treats after dinner. I haven't drank soda in two months; only milk, juice, and water. Not that I was a big soda drinker before, but still... I have served salad with dinner 4 times a week, and often eat it for lunch.
SO GUESS HOW MUCH WEIGHT I'VE LOST????

3 pounds. In eight weeks. Boo.
That's the kind of weight I could gain back in one night with a good hearty Taggart's binge.

So this is what that number means to me: it means I have become a woman of a certain age. That certain age being the one where I have to get off my honey-bunners and work out! Be the woman sweating profusely with a face the color of an under-ripe plum while pushing a jog stroller and trailing children of various ages on their bikes behind her. The people who drive past, thinking "Should I stop and help her? She looks like she's not gonna make it..." or "That's a lot of kids. Oh look, there's another one crashed in the sage brush over there..."

All of this to be less embarrassed at the mommy-and-me swim class!

And to feel fit and strong, but mostly the swim thing.

So here's to the next 3 pounds; may you please not take me another 8 weeks to be rid of you. Cheers.

Curly Krew turns 18!

My little big boy is 18 months old today. His personality is in full swing and he is such a joy to me and everyone else in the fam. He weighs in at almost 30 lbs., so I have one strong arm and one flabby arm. And he gives the BEST kisses. Check out this pucker!It will only be another 6 months or so till he passes Lauren in the weight department. She weighs 35 pounds. I gotta say, Krew still only has four teeth, two top, two bottom, and two more tops on the way. It takes a ton of work to maintain a physique like his with four teeth. He is constantly pulling on my leg and pointing to the cupboard or the fridge.

He LUURRVVSS to take a warm bath in the morning to wash off the night's peed diaper smell. On this day, he wouldn't even wait for me to undress him. You can't see it, but there's about 4 inches of water in that tub. Do you know what happens when an overnight, peed diaper is soaked in warm water. Nothing good. That's what.

He says three words:

Hot.
Owwie.
Uh Oh.

I will leave it to your imaginations to decide what his experiences with our family have been like.

He has also decided that he is too old for naps. Lauren and Jossy stopped taking naps about this age too. I'm so sad, because I love his naps. They are the only time when I can do anything that requires cleaning products, sharp things, or pens. Boo.
Or do important things like blog or shop online for things I'm not going to actually buy.
So, here's a happy one and a half to the one and only Krew-B1-Kanoobi, the Scooby Krew. I love you.

Hhmmmm.... Tin and Aluminum?

The traditional gift giving theme for a tenth anniversary. And I'm stumped.
'Cause that's what today is. . . our tenth anniversary. And I think my gift for Tony of new snow boots is lame. (But he needed some, so I got him some. But they do not contain any tin. Or aluminum. At least, that is what I imagine. They do have little metal eyelets, I wonder what those are made of. Maybe brass? Now I'm rambling.)

So who'd have every imagined we'd put up with each other for ten whole years? I know. Lots of people. This post will probably be a complete shocker and awer to a few out there...
But I can't say I'm surprised. Even when he drives me crazy, or makes a mess, or delivers bad news, or makes another mess, I can't seem to ever forget that he is indeed my best friend. He puts up with all my crazies, even the ones I try to hide from myself.
And I love his twinkly little eyes when he laughs, and his wide hands that are like bear paws. I LOVE that he still has his hair! I also love that a minimal amount of that hair has migrated to his back. (Given his family history, this is a reasonable concern.) I love that he still wears the same size pants as when we were married. I love how he sleeps with his palm to his forehead like he's trying to hold a sticker on or something. I love that when he gets home from work, he always has an anxious look on his face, hoping someone will run to give him a hug and yell "Daddy's home!" So many things...
So I think we're having a pretty good life together.

Here's to the next ten! Happy Anniversary.

At the Pharm...

We have had the sickies at our house. I honestly almost have a six pack from coughing so hard. Too bad it's covered by a couple inches of baby leftovers! Maybe it will inspire me to excercise a few of my other muscles...
Krew and Jossy have been feeling so yucky I took them to the doctor today. Lauren had to come with us, (she's feeling just as healthy and spunky as always) and we had another one of those cringe-worthy moments:

So we're waiting at the pharmacy for our prescriptions, and a heavy lady walks by with crutches. I'm a little unsure of what happens next because I ran to keep Krew from shoplifting pregnancy tests and multi-vitamins,

but it ends with me getting a dirty look from crutch-lady...

and Lauren telling me "I didn't say FAT."
Me: "Oh? Good."
Her: "I only said FAT BUTT."

Oh.

Christmas Shmishmus...

I know that if I have any hope of recording Christmas 2010 for scrapbooking purposes, I need to do an actual post. But the thought of finding all the camera stuff right now makes me feel exhausted. So I might get to it... I might not...

But Happy New Years!
This year I plan to...

Teach Lauren the alphabet (because she's old enough to start kindergarten this year, and I'm still undecided if she's actually going to go because she's stubborn as a dead mule and refuses to learn.)

Lose ALL my baby weight. (Yes. Krew IS almost 18 months old. But I'm saying I've still got some chunkiness from when I was a baby!)

Move out of my parents' basement. (This one is kind of huge. I should've put it first. Having your mother tell you how to do your hair while you're doing your daughters' hair will kill your soul.)

I kinda like to start with low expectations. Then we're all less likely to be disappointed... Yes? Agreed? Hopefully I'll be able to do a few other things I have in mind too, but if I talk about it then I have to do it... so shrouded in silence they will stay. Just in case it turns out I have to drive carpool or blog or something.

Welcome 2011!