Our Happy Little Family

Grandma and Grandpa Come to Visit!!!

2011-06-25T00:51:00.010-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit over Memorial Day weekend, and BOY were they welcomed. The anticipated hour FINALLY came and the kids we bouncing off the walls waiting for them to drive in from the Portland airport! Even Bubba got in on the commotion and started chasing Bug and Tman back and forth through the halls. It didn't stop when Grandma and Grandpa got here either. Bubba had fun playing chase with Grandpa while Bug and Tman went straight to what they love SO much! They made Grandma read to them... This was pretty much night one of their visit! It was so fun to have them come out and see our new home! We weren't the greatest about taking pictures the whole time, but here are a few of the adventures we were able to capture...
On Memorial Day we drove out to the coast to play at the beach (and I was reminded of how well I do in the back seat on road trips...ugh) and got to visit Tillamook. (OF COURSE WE WENT TO THE CHEESE FACTORY!!! )

Kent, Justin and I decided to try and conquer this sand dune on the beach. It was a long and treacherous journey! Brutal. Especially since my lungs weren't 100% to begin with. We got to the little ledge about 3/4 of the way up and decided that was good enough. My lungs were BURNING!!! (Justin had to go all the way...show off..lol) Who WOULDN'T be totally stoked about driving a loaf of Cheese?

We took them to the Carousel in Salem right by the Willamette River. All of the horses were carved by volunteers. AMAZING!!! It was designed to be a project to bring the community together, and everything was volunteer work. Very cool!

We had a blast showing Grandma and Grandpa around Salem and we were so glad they got to come out!

Bug's Donation

2011-06-24T15:19:00.007-05:00

I know this may be old news, since this was back in May, but Bug finally decided to donate her hair to Locks of Love. She has been going back and forth on wether or not she wanted to cut it. I was the little voice on her should saying "you want to cut your hair!!! you want to cut your hair!!!". She wasn't exactly interested in all the maintenance long hair requires, but I think she was a bit hesitant of change. When she let me brush it and blow dry it, it was GORGEOUS. But after all the fights...I didn't want to deal with it anymore. She was pretty excited to be able oge out of school to get her hair cut though. This is the second time she's donated her hair to Locks of Love. WOW! Rare for a five year old.

I cut her pony tail. Kinda scary, actually.

May

2011-06-15T03:28:00.013-05:00

May generally consisted of enjoying the spring weather, deciding how much we loved our cat, and a birthday party for Bug's dog, Martha....

I saw the post man approaching our door with this ball and thought "he must have found it in the gutter and thinks it's ours". Nope. My sister and her family Mailed us a ball. That was pretty stinkin cool! :)

Martha's Birtday party. Tman and I made cupcakes while bug was a school and threw Martha quite the party!

Poor Milo got sick and we had to decide how much we liked him. :( Apparently we like him alot because we paid alot of money for him to go into surgery. He felt better immediately, though, thank goodness and he's back to his obnoxiously friendly self.

This little visitor come onto our deck a few nights after Milo had his surgery and they had a stare down. This may have been the culpret of his injury...and he came to mock Milo in his "Cone of Shame"

I guess this is how you make Bologna fancy...?!?!?!

Ah, the laundry basket. Carries launry AND entertains the kids.

Patterns???!?!?!

2011-06-15T02:59:00.013-05:00

Tell me what you see...
Did you notice a pattern???......... NO? ok. What about now....

Hmmmmmm...Maybe it was just me...

March

2011-05-16T23:48:00.015-05:00

March was a fun month and kept us busy!!! Lots of exciting things happened. Ants in the kitchen...(THAT was fun), Bubba started showing so much personality (you'll see in the pics below) and Bug lost another tooth...and started doing her own make-up. I'll keep it short and sweet so you can see the pictures, and so I can move on and get more blogging done. The pictures are the good part anyway, right?

I got to tear the kitchen apart bit by but trying to get rid of the ants setting up shop in our food. Thankfully after weeks of fighting the nasty bugger, my mother-in-law referred an ant bait that worked like a charm. PHEW!!! I was definately glad to be done with them!

T man playin in the basement.

Bubba started standing up on his own...
Bug lost another tooth! EXCITING!!

Cute cuddles with Milo

Bubba helping unload the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Very helpful if you ask me.

Bubba LOVES to help Vacuum. He will always take a free ride...or just get in your way so you can't finish.

More dishwasher fun. He started up just kneeling next to it, and then figured out he could get on top of it. We always have to try and load the dishwasher when he's not paying attention, so we can get it done without having to reload everything. :)

Bug LOVES to play with her make-up!!! Can you tell? Luckily this was AFTER church.

One of my stud muffins. Such cute chubby cheeks!

Mama's boy

Love it!

February

2011-03-06T22:46:00.006-06:00

February flew by WAY too fast! I hardly had time to get used to the idea that it was already here, and now it's March. It's hard to believe we've already been in Oregon for three months now. Here are a few pictures (and a video, if I can get it to work) showing what we were up to last month.

My Green Smoothie Boy.

(Some of you may have heard of the "Green Smoothie Girl". Those of you who haven't, She basically lives off of "green smoothies" ( spinach smoothies) in an effort to eat more raw fruits and veggies for a healthier diet.) I have yet to meet someone in Oregon who doesn't drink these green smoothies, (Not sure if this is an Oregon diet trend, or a Mormon diet trend...who knows) so Justin and I decided, what the heck, we'll try it. Surprisingly, they aren't that bad...as long as you put enough fruit in them. Otherwise they can taste a bit like licking your lawn after a fresh mowing. We don't take in nearly as seriously as "The Green Smoothie Girl" or most of the people around us (you're supposed to drink four cups of green smoothie a day! ) but the kids LOVE them! Bug wouldn't drink them until we started putting berried in them so that it wasn't "green" but purple. Hence, Tman's Green Smoothie Face. This is what he looks like every time he has one. It's been a really good supplement in our attempts to eat healthier. How appropriate that after I make a comment like "in our attempts to eat healthier" that I follow it up with a picture of Pizza. Yep. That's how we roll. :)

Valentines Dinner.

For some reason, since we've moved to Oregon, we've made Monday night our traditional "Monday Pizza Night". Since valentines was on Monday this year, this is how we celebrated. Heart shaped pizzas with a heart shaped homemade peanut butter cup.

Tasty Goodness.

(We drank our Green smoothie for the day, so we were justified! HA!)

My surprise birthday breakfast. Justin got up with the kids to make me breakfast. :)

Bubba is becoming as mobile as mobile gets. He didn't take long to figure out the crawling thing, and now there is no containing him. The other day I went into the laundry room and when I came out he was half way up the stairs. These kids keep me on my toes, that's for sure! :)

Happy Birthday to my Favorite Four Year Old!!!

2011-01-27T00:32:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe that four years ago now I was in the hospital holding my brand new baby boy! Sappy, I know, but it really is sureal how fast time flies. My sweet little boy has given us so many laughs, so many giggles, so many adventures and so many memories. He's such a stud an I'm so grateful to be his Mommy! Justin had the day off today, so we got to have a really fun family day. We went to a local children's science center and the kids had a blast. Then we came home had had (at the request of the birthday boy) sloppy joes and twisted cheetos for dinner. It was so fun to be able to Celebrate T's birthday and we are looking forward to Grandma and Grandpa Y coming down this weekend for some more celebrating! :) Because my computer is loading very slowly, I will save the pictures until later...except this one. Cuz it's so darn cute!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Bug's Bullseye

2011-01-27T00:17:00.003-06:00

yes, it's just a cute magnetic game...but still. You gotta hand it to her! :)

Bug Lost Her First Tooth!!!!!

2011-01-21T23:28:00.003-06:00

Today our Netflix movie was delivered just in time for Family Movie Night. We watched "The Tooth Fairy". It was very appropriate considering Bug had her first loose tooth. Well, by the end of the movie, Bug was VERY motivated to get that tooth out. We wiggled it around and told her we would try again tomorrow. She wouldn't stand for that, so she went in the bathroom and wiggled it 'til it came out! That little tooth is tucked away safe under her pillow. I'm wondering what kind of image she has of "the tooth fairy" now. Too bad we don't have any hockey gear to dress up in. :)

Right after she pulled it out.

Showing her curious brotherHer little toothless grin after she tucked her tooth safely under her pillow.

Visitors

2011-01-08T15:14:00.003-06:00

The kids love to watch the squirrels that wander our yard and we occassionally put peanuts out for them. This morning when we were eating our pancake breakfast (Thanks Justin :D) we looked out the window and saw our little friends looking for some goodies on the deck. We threw a few out for them and then look out a few minutes later and this is what we saw:

Let me introduce you.

The one on the Right is Chubbs. The one on the left is Scout.

Scout stays in the tree starring at you. Chubbs is just chubby.

They just sat there waiting....and waiting...and waiting.

They would make quite the book ends, wouldn't you say?

Finally I broke down and gave them a few more cuz they were so cute.

The next time we looked out the window THIS is what we saw:

The word is spreading. :)

Next I'll try to get a picture of the Blue Jays.

There may be fierce competition for those peanuts.

Boots

2011-01-08T15:09:00.003-06:00

The other day I came into my Bathroon to this. T decided to try on my boots. It was hilarious! Check it out! I love the monster PJ/boot combo! :)

Funny Story

2011-01-07T00:08:00.005-06:00

Yesterday I overhear the kids playing in the TV room. My sister just got married and had to purge alot of her stuff, so we inherited her couch, among other things. It seems to be the cool place to play righ now, so the kids had some little toddler link toys and they were hanging them over the back of the couch. T decided they were going fishing. He kept saying things like "I'll be Uncle Roger and you go fishing and I'll come save you". Bug would "accidentally" drop something over the couch and say "HELP!!! UNCLE ROGER!!!! I DROPPED SOMETHING" and Heroic Uncle Roger would jump in, hold his breathe (puffed cheeks and all), swim around "under water" and find what ever Bug dropped. It was so random and so funny to watch. I got the camera to take a picture of them fishing and said "T, look at me for the picture". He got really annoyed with me and said "MY NAME IS UNCLE WOGER!". They sure love Uncle Roger. :)

IT's 2011!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2011-01-01T03:05:00.006-06:00

2011, Here's your Welcoming committee

Happy New Year!

The Last Six Months...So Long 2010

2010-12-31T23:42:00.016-06:00

The last six months is a bit blurry, now that I actually have time to look back on it. If I wrote every detail about it, you would be reading a novel, So I'll let the pictures tell most of the store....

We welcomed "Bubba" into the family in June.

We got ALOT of family time through the summer.

Bug got to spend her 5th Birthday with Grandpa Felix.

(They share a birthday, so that was pretty special)

They started the morning by picking fresh raspberries for breakfast

from Grandma and Grandpa's raspberry bushes.

Bug started Kindergarten..*sniff*sniff*

Grandma and Grandpa 'foli' and Aunt Christine came out for our

annual trip to Grand Island for a half marathon/5k

We moved from NE to the West Coast.

*note*at this point, we didn't have a place to live and

were VERY MUCH walking by faith :)

I got to help plan my sister's wedding. She let me do her invitations,

her decorations and her flowers. Here Cynthia and I

are assembling our bouquets. (more pics to come as soon as I get my hands on them!)

All the girls..and a cute baby boy :)

We finally found a place to live and FINALLY got our stuff back.

Watching the delivery from the front door.

Such a cute house! Even cuter family!

The decorated Christmas tree. The kids did a great job!

Bubba is loving solid food. (He just turned six months old )

Bug and Tman helping out with Christmas baking

And we got to spend our first Christmas ever with my parents!

(and their newly remodeled basement was beautiful!!!)

This barely touches all the events of this years. Justin is loving his new job and we are really loving our new home. (despite the leak in the basement, the broken furnace, and the broken water heater. lol) We are so very very blessed. It's a given that we truly miss our friends and family in Omaha! They have all been such a huge comfort and blessing to us. What amazing people we call friends. We hope you have all had a great Christmas and Happy New Year. (YES..I am posting this at 1am on January 1, 2011! I can now say I am caught up on blogging for 2010... :)

The Greatest Show On Earth!!!

2010-08-27T22:05:00.002-05:00

After getting back from Kansas, Justin and I found out that The Greatest Show On Earth was going to be in Omaha and we decided to treat the kids and take them. (I've never been to a circus before, so I was a bit excited to have an excuse to go.) The kids were pretty interested in it for the most part, but it was a kinda long for their attention spans. Some of those stunts were beyond my comprehension...but I tend to be a bit of a wimp about heights. We got to the Quest Center early for the pre-show fun and we got to see the performers upclose and personal. The kids loved that part! It was pretty fun and we can all say we've been to the circus now!

Showing off tickets at the entrance

Giant mammoth pregnant lady VS. Itty bitty circus girl.
Who do you think will win?
Not quite sure why I wanted to take this picture anymore. lol

Pre-show entertainment from the lovely lady elephant!
She even painted a picture!

After the show, waiting to go see the animals

Preface To Visiting Roger

2010-08-26T08:58:00.004-05:00

I forgot to include these in the last post. When we promised Roger that we would visit, the kids were SO excited and wouldn't stop talking about it! Even though they didn't even really know what fishing was, they were constantly asking me when we were going to go fishing at Rogers. We got them some fishing poles to take down to Kansas and for Family Night the Monday before we went down, we had the kids practice with their poles. We were pleasantly suprised. Even though they weren't really going to be casting their lines, we showed them how and by the end of the practice session they were hitting the back fence with their practice lures. They still ask if they can go out back and practice with their fishing poles. :)

they needed a little boost. :)
It was a bit frustrating at times.

It quickly turned into a game of "Tease Milo" and they thought it was hilarious when he attacked their practice lures and they "caught a cat fish"

Trip to Kansas

2010-08-25T22:57:00.008-05:00

In an earlier post, I talked about my Uncle Roger coming up to Omaha. We had promised to come see him as soon as we could, which ended up being right after Justin graduated. Oddly enough, the last time we had gone down to see him when I was 7 months pregnant with Bug. Going down this time, I was 7 months pregnant with baby #3. It had been way too long! He's an outdoorsman, and had three ponds on his beautiful land, the biggest one being less than 100 yards from his house, (hence why I've procrastinated visiting him for so long with little kids, being the paranoid mom that I am). The kids were required to wear life jackets when ever they went outside, so that my nerves wouldn't be completely shot by the end of the two day trip. Lucky for my kids, my cousin's kids were over when we arrived, and they were very happy to have play mates. Our two day visit consisted of chatting, fishing (and sometimes catching), exploring, planting, riding Roger's Gator tractor, playing in sand, relaxing (as much as I could do with my curious children being around a large body of water), and..of course, how could I forget..Justin giving paddle boat rides. It was so great to see my aunt and uncle and my cousin(who I haven't seen in about ten years) and I'm glad they let us come enjoy their company and their gorgeous land.

Justin doing what he did best...give paddle boat rides.

(I handed that one over to him! I wasn't about to go out paddling 7 months pregnant. LOL)
Bug and T-Man playing in the 'sand box'. It was quite the hit!
I may need to invest in one, if I could just keep Milo out of it! :)

Bug wandered away from her fishing pole,

so T-man got to claim her catch with Roger. (notice the pink princess fishing pole. lol)

Justin and T-Man showing off Justin's catch

Roger and Bug out fishing. That's pretty close to what

we looked like through the entire trip! It was great!

JUSTIN GRADUATED!!!!

2010-08-18T16:43:00.009-05:00

YEAH!!!! Justin graduated from Creighton with his doctorate in Physical Therapy on May 15th, 2010. What a cool celebration for our family!!! His hooding ceremony was my personal favorite of the whole experience, because that's what set it apart from a 'normal' graduation. It was very personal and special, (compared to the actual graduation, which was held at the Quest Center Omaha. I was a bit shocked to walk in and see that the facility didn't want to waste an opportunity for revenue and had opened their concessions. Nothin' like watchin a graduation with popcorn and a soda, right? lol) Bug and Tman behaved marvelously for both ceremonies, and after the actual graduation ceremony we went out as a family to none other than...Red Robin! The kids LOVED it! I am SO incredibley proud of Justin for all that he's accomplished and for all the hard work he has put in for our family's behalf! I love him more than anything and am so lukcy to have SUCH an amazing husband! Thanks for all you do Justin, and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Justin with the kids following the hooding ceremony
me and my 'almost' physical therapist

Justin and his parents

Entering just after receiving his diploma!!! WOHOOO!!

Our beautiful family after the ceremony

Baby Steps

2010-08-18T16:40:00.002-05:00

I've been hounded all summer because I haven't been updating. I have alot! I know! So...instead of spending two hours doing one giant update, I'm going to split them up, since most of the events this summer were fairly large events, and deserve there own posts! :) Will I ever grow out of this "on again, off again" blogging habit? Who knows...

Our Last Family Night Before Baby

2010-06-29T06:50:00.004-05:00

Time FLIES. We are less than half way through the summer and I'm already SO behind on all the fun things we've done. Graduation, the Circus, an awesome trip to visit my uncle in Kansas, and the list goes on. I will definately attempt an update on all of those things, but for now, I will focus on last night. Monday night. Family Night. Our kids talk about it all week, and when Monday comes they can't wait to start Family Night. Last night was our last Family Night before we will have the baby so we talked to the kids about what babies need and how they can be helpers. T-Man LOVED that I borrowed 'Bear" to be our 'practice baby'. Bug got to feed the baby. T got to learn how to put the diaper on. They both helped dress and doctor the baby. I was suprised at how well they did, and it made me really happy when they got really excited talking about all the ways we can show the baby we love him. They are going to be great siblings, and I couldn't have been blessed with a better family! Luckily Justin thought to take pictures in the middle (with my awesome new camera!!! YEAH...now to take classes to learn how to use it to it's full potential...posts to come...). My mom flew in last Tuesday so the kids have had a blast with G-ma Foli, and I can tell she is going to be a life saver entertaining the kids after the baby is here. I hope she doesn't set the expectation too high. :/
So here are the pictures of our last Family Night before the little guy gets here.

Swaddling the 'baby'
Holding the baby
They're pro's already! :)
Making sure 'baby' is healthy
Three Generations

Money Makes the World Go Round! Unfortunately

2010-04-12T14:05:00.005-05:00

We've had quite an exciting few weeks, were everything we own seems to be breaking all at the same time...it's been fun!!! The Pontiac was making an awful sound for a few weeks, and luckily one of our good friends saved us ALOT of money and helped Justin fix it. That was on Tuesday. On Friday, Justin hit a deer going 60 mph on his way to work and came within $200 of totalling the Corolla. (Why they didn't just total it, I don't know...but I'm not complaining, because it's by FAR our more gas efficient car, and it has sentimental value...our first car..awwwww.lol) I'm just glad that the deer didn't come flying through his windsheild! :) Since this lovely incedent, our kitchen table has broken, our vacuum has broken (it's ancient, so no suprise..but WHY NOW?) and I killed my car battery listening to the radio while I detailed my car. Smart, I know. On the bright side, we were able to pay off our pontiac! That was awesome! AND...Justin graduates in FIVE WEEKS AND FIVE DAYS...but who's counting??? So, our family is still happy and healthy, and that's all that matters! Life is good!

Justin rolled his eyes at me when I made him take these pictures, but I have been looking forward to paying off the car for so long that I couldn't help it. LOL

Family Pictures

2010-03-12T20:37:00.006-06:00

We had our family portraits taken the beginning of February, and it has taken me this long to get around to posting them. (Don't worry, I bought a CD, so I have the right's needed to put them on my blog! I'm legal!). I just wanted something simple to document our family right now since we are facing alot of changes this year, not to mention, the kids. They change on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, and it's so hard to keep up with them. I would hate to look back at these years and not be able to remember them the way they are. SOOO... For family members: be expecting a copy in the mail....but remember...it's taken me this long to get them on my blog, so don't be watching the mail too closely. I HOPE I can get them out soon, but we'll see. They aren't the GREATEST, but they sure are cute, and that's what we were going for. I was really anxious to document T-Man and his "Bear" and "Ball Blanky" because anyone who knows T-Man, knows he's not T-Man without his left arm around his bear and his right arm supporting the two fingers that are inevitabley always in his mouth. That bear and blanket have been attached to his side for who knows how long, and his fingers have been in his mouth just as long, if not longer. Bear has been lost so many times that I was afraid he would really REALLY get lost before we could get pictures with him. Bug wanted to take pictures with her favorite dog "Martha" and her "Pink Blanky" as well. She's had her favorite pink blanky since she was born as well, and boy do they love their blankets! The picture turned out perfectly! This is one cute family, if I do say so myself! I'm bias, I know...

Visit With Uncle Roger

2010-03-12T20:23:00.003-06:00

My favoritest uncle in the whole world is in Omaha doing testing for the dental program at Creighton University, and luckily we were able to get together with him tonight. We went out to a cute little Pizza place called Bene's Pizza and then came back to our house to chat a little. Once the kids warmed up to him, the couldn't get enough of him. Bug LOVED playing Go Fish with him, and they thought it was SOOOO cool that we put their carseats in his Yukon to ride to the pizza place. They kept commenting on how much bigger his car was than ours. Doesn't take much to beat a Grand Am, but hey. They were sad to see him go, but we plan on visiting him in Kansas soon after Justin graduates. He has several ponds on his land, and the kids are very excited to go fishing, to play with his dogs, to ride around on his 'gator' tractor, and so much more! He has quite the outdoor wonderland. I'm already looking forward to visiting him again!

Oh Yeah...I forgot to mention...

2010-03-02T15:44:00.004-06:00

(OK..so I didn't really forget, I just haven't been advertising) that we are having a BOY!!!! We went in for our ultrasound just before we went to San Diego, and we were glad to find out that not only is the pregnancy going well so far, we are having another boy. Both kids were pretty hyped up for a girl (heck, so was I) but we were all very excited when we found out it was a boy. The kids had fun going to the ultrasound with us, and they got pretty excited when our doctor took them to get treats from his office.

When ever I tell Bug that the baby is kicking, her eyes get really wide and then she puts her had on my belly and waits. Interesting how she's just pre-programmed. :)

I felt pretty dumb when the doctor walked in while we were taking this picture. ha.

San Diego

2010-02-22T20:23:00.004-06:00

Justin and I got to go to San Diego last week for a physical therapy conference called CSM. We've decided to try and make it an annual trip so we get a vacation to ourselves every year. It's been pretty darn fun. We get a week away from the kids, the kids get a week away from us, and by the end, we miss each other enough that it almost hurts, and then we get to see each other. This year our trip wasn't as extravagant as last year (our Vegas trip) because #1: this is our last sememster of school, and therefore we won't be getting another loan check this summer...Hello real world, and #2: I'm pregnant, so it's not like there was a WHOLE lot I could shop for considering the Gaslamp Quarter shops (or any other store in the area) specialized in maternity. So given that there wasn't a whole lot of splurging going on, it was fun to walk around and discover a city we've never been to. We became regulars at the 7Eleven around the corner from our hotel, and we would stop there every night to get our breakfast for the next day. (Only so much fridge space, ya know....considering the hotel loads it 3/4 of the way full with over priced alcoholic beverages that they want you to drink.) The highlights of the trip had to be getting away from the NE cold and being able to enjoy sunny 70 degree weather for a week, forced exercise, seeing that the least amount of walking we did in any given day was at least three miles, getting hit on twice in less than an hour (Justin was in class) especially considering I'm 20 weeks pregnant..(hello confidence booster), going to the gorgeous San Diego LDS Temple, being able to see one of my best friends from high school after a seven year drought, and knowing that my kids missed us as much as we missed them.
The morning we picked them up from my best friend's house, T-Man kepts saying "Me sad when you gone and Me at A and D's house, but you home with Me now, so Me happy". Bug's and T-Man's welome home hugs were priceless!!! ANYWAY..Here's what we have documented....enjoy (especially all you in NE...this may be the only sun you see for a few more months...LOL)

Waiting for our luggage in San Diego
The Gaslamp Quarter in the back

Walking around the water front

The Gorgeous San Diego temple

These pictures don't do the temple justice!!!!

Justin and I at the reception for alumni, faculty, and students of Jesuit colleges

My awesome name tag. Notice the spelling.

Didn't know it was that difficult to copy a name twice onto a name tag. LOL

In front of our hotel the last night.

The morning we left we got to go to breakfast with Sarah and Jeff.

Yummy food and great company!!! A good way to end the trip.

(Sarah, Thanks so much for Driving down!!! We're really glad we got to see you and meet Jeff! I totally forgot to plant gas money in your purse before you left...don't think you got off so easy! It won't be seven years til I see you again!)

GIDDY UP HORSEY!!!!

2010-02-22T15:08:00.003-06:00

This is how I found my son entertaining himself while I cleaned the other day. Of course Bug thought it would be fun to join in, so they both rode the couches and had a blast. "GIDDY UP HORSEY!!!" (Bug just walked over to see what I was doing. With out me saying a word, when she saw the pictures she immediately went and mounted my couch and said "Giddy UP Horsey"...right on cue. lol)

T-Man's B-Day

2010-02-04T09:58:00.004-06:00

I'm a month behind, I know, but I won't forgive myself if I skip T's birthday. So here are some pics of his Big day. We started off by going to Boingz and letting the kids terrorize the inflatable jungle gym, then he chose to go to Burger King for lunch where both kids got a big ice cream in honor of his birthday. T had his party that Saturday and him and his little buddies has a blast just playing, eating green cupcakes, and opening presents. All week he was SO excited to tell me "ME FREE???(three)....ME FREE NOW!!! Me big...me FREE!!!" Time sure flies!!!

Happy Birthday Tman

2010-01-26T22:03:00.003-06:00

My baby boy is three today! I had big plans of posting cute pictures of when he was born and a current picture, but today ended up being such a fun jam-packed day that I never got to it...but I have lots of birthday pictures! What a cute little boy Tman is! Today was such a fun family day and we all got to make Tman feel so special! He sure took to the attention well! Anyway, I couldn't let the day pass with out posting on his birthday....So...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TMAN!!!! We love you and are so glad you are part of our family!

Backyard Snow Drift

2010-01-15T13:05:00.002-06:00

This week the weather warmed up enough that the kids could actually go outside to play in the snow. They were so excited. I think they thought I've just been a boring mom but it has just been way too cold to go out. After getting them settled, I felt comfortable enough just going inside and letting them play. The next thing I know, I look outside just in time to see the second picture. THAT is how big that snow drift is.

Their feet are probably higher than where their heads

SHOULD be if they were on the grass. T-Man was able to easily lean over the

fence and when they were done, they would just slide down the "mountain".

What Am I Thankful For?

2010-01-11T12:20:00.003-06:00

Last week got a bit gloomy and dark for our household last week being stuck inside for so long, so I've decided to lighten things up a little. (Maybe it has to do with the sun actually shining today and the weather forecast being alot warmer this week. Seems to make things alot happier for me!)

I'm not a huge New Years resolution person, because I think that resolutions should be made through out the year..not just at the beginning, but since it happens to be January, and I've made a goal, I suppose it would qualify as one. I want to be more positive! I notice that when I start feeling down and most frustrated with life it's because I've been focusing on all the negative. I sure married the right person, because Justin is an amazing example to me of staying positive and not worrying about things that don't matter. He tells me his favorite quote (on a regular basis):

"Don't sweat the small stuff! It' all small stuff"

So today, and hopefully for a while, I'm going to do my best to focus on the positives.

Here's a list of things I'm thankful for today...(why do the lists have to stop after Thanksgiving and Christmas?)

Of course I'm grateful for the basic stuff (a warm beautiful house, food on our table, clothes on our backs, working vehicles, an amazing family, etc.) But here are some more...

I'm grateful that I got to visit with a sweet friend

while I drove her around town this morning.

I'm thankful that the sun is shining and the snow is melting.

I'm thankful that my entire family is healthy and well, and that we get to

bring another sweet baby into it in a few months.

I'm thankful for my friendly fat cat who will love anyone who crosses his path.

I'm thankful for the 'Young Women' program at church, and that I get to work

with such stellar teenage girls who keep their standards high.

I'm grateful for amazing friends and neighbors, and

I'm thankful that I'm motivated to get things done today.

So since I'm motivated now, I better get off the computer and get my rear in gear before the motivation is gone! And remember: "Don't sweat the small stuff! It's all small stuff" (and be a friend...Remind me of this next week if/when this supposed storm hits and burries us in another 18 inches. LOL)

Winter Time Blues

2010-01-10T18:59:00.004-06:00

Little has happened in our wonderful lives here in Nebraska. Let me tell you why. Because we can't leave our house on a regular basis! We are enduring a terrible winter. Our first snow storm came December 9th.. Justin and Bug went out and shoveled the drive way by hand (since we don't have a snow blower). Bug had fun that time, because it wasn't bitterly cold and windy by then...

The second storm came a few weeks later...Christmas Eve to be exact. We decided to go over to Justin's parent's house that evening to spend time with them. We brought an overnight bag JUST IN CASE. We needed it.....for three days! We didn't get home until late Saturday evening and thus our family Christmas was postponed until Sunday morning. This is what we came home to on Saturday. The foot prints are from me. The snow went half way up my thigh! (Notice that our porch is completely gone)

Justin's dad had to come over Sunday morning with his snowblower...because there was no way we were doing that by hand if we didn't HAVE to!
The kids got to open their presents right before dad and grandpa went out to tackle the driveway... to summarize, this is what they looked like all morning...

Then, of course, the THIRD storm came last week. We were confined to our house for another three days, since we don't have 4WD (and even then, it wouldn't have mattered). I'm strongly considering leaving this frozen tundra in the near future. Luckily the forecast is calling for a heat wave (30 degrees...opposed to the -30 ALL last week) and lots of the snow should melt....just in time for a predicted FOURTH snow storm that is supposed to hit in a week or so and dump another 18 inches on us! My information is heresay, but SERIOUSLY!!!! ANOTHER STORM????? Where are we going to put the new snow? We don't have room for the snow we already have! Heaven help my sanity...because another week of being snowed in with nothing to do?!?.....not good!

SOOOO in an attempt to lighten my frustration, here are some thought (said to be from Jeff Foxworthy)that I have recently found to be mostly true and applicable to my life here in Nebraska.

Enjoy!

If you have gone from "heat" to "A/C" in the
same day and back again, you live in Nebraska.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to
fit over a snowsuit, you live in Nebraska.

If driving is better in the winter because the
potholes are filled with snow, you live in Nebraska.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter,
winter, still winter and road construction, you live in Nebraska.

If you have more hours on your snow blower than
miles on your car, you live in Nebraska.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow
during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Nebraska.

If you find 10 degrees "a little chilly", you
live in Nebraska.

I sure love the place when it's green and warm, but I'm DONE with winter!

Big News

2010-01-06T14:18:00.005-06:00

We're having a baby!!!! We're very excited for the new little one to join us in early July 2010! Both Bug and T-Man are very excited for the baby in Mommy's tummy, and both like to poke it when I'm not expecting it. T-Man and I got to hear the baby's heart beat, and both kids seem to be unanimous in wanting a girl. We should know what it is the next time we go in, because we will also be scheduling to see our specialist for an ultrasound. This year will bring LOTS of change. Bring it on!!!

Such A Boy

2009-11-12T12:15:00.004-06:00

After dropping Bug of at preschool this morning, T-man and I decided to go to the store on our never ending quest to find irish cream flavoring here in Omaha for some yummy hot chocolate. When we pulled into HyVee, T-man was very quick to spot the activity accross the street..CONSTRUCTION. I couldn't pass up letting him watch with as facinated with construction machinery as he's been, so I walked him over so we were just across the street from the construction. We sat there for about ten minutes just watching the digger dig it's hole, the bulldozer push dirt around, and the man on the roof walking around "really high in the air." T-man had a blast watching all the action, and it was just as fun for me to watch him! Random worthwhile stuff like this just makes my day. I'm glad we caught this on camera!

Trick-Or-Treat

2009-11-03T21:37:00.007-06:00

Halloween was definately a success in many different ways. I successfully completed the rediculously frustrating dragon costume for T-man, we successfully handed out all the candy we cleaned out of our cupboards (don't worry it wasn't old...it just needed to LEAVE. We had so much we didn't even need to buy any UGH)..and the kids successfully brought more candy back home! SO... T-man got pretty excited about his dragon costume and was thrilled to show off his tail to anyone who even mentioned it. Bug was a princess and she thought it was pretty cool that I actually let her wear make up. We had several different halloween events, so here's a compilation of pictures through out the week, and again, they aren't in chronological order. There's alot. I'm sorry. They're just too cute not to post.

T-man didn't want to walk around the neighborhood, and I refused to carry him, so this was our compromise. He would go to the door to trick-or-treat, come back, stand in front of the stoller, wait for me to lift him in (because his tail was too big that he couldn't do it himself) and then he would patiently hold his tail in his lap until we got to the next door. It was hilarious!

LOOK AT HER!!! SHE'S FOUR!!! What the heck am I going to do when she's 16? YIKES!!!
note to self...ban Bug from make-up til she graduates...Highschool, that is!!!
Me and T-man before we went out trick-or-treating. I'm just glad to be done making that thing!!!

Daddy's little princess

Me and my creation! What have I done??? ha. (this was the outfit that people were asking me "so what are you dressed up as?" HUH??????)

Bug and her friend tallying their loot from the annual Ward Trunk-or-Treat

Grandpa made the blog! He decided to wear T-man's dragon hat and T-man thought that was hilarious!

Bug and T-man stopping long enough for me to take a picture at the Ward Trunk-or-Treat

In the process of getting his dragon costume on. (Chili was served for dinner and I would have gone ballistic if any spilled on his costume, so he wasn't allowed to wear it until all food was put away..lol)

The Chili Queen. She ate all her chili without spilling any on her dress..WOHOO ( I obviously didnt' care as much about her dress...lol. She's about to outgrow it anyway. )

Official picture with the pumpkins. We go them in their PJ's and then realized we forgot to take pics, so we just went outside and took them.

Final Tigger pumpkin

Bugs Cat and Moon Pumpkin

Way to go Justin!!! The pumpkins turned out great!!!!

ALL RIGHT ALL RIGHT!!! I'LL UPDATE MY BLOG!!!

2009-10-29T22:01:00.006-05:00

I've had several complaints about my lack of blogging! Since my last post was back in July I have quite a bit to catch up on, so bare with me...the updates may not come in chronological order, but they will come. It's been so long that I guess the best approach will be to work backwards from the NOW.

What has happened this week? We just put the kids to bed tonight after some fun pumpkin carving (Thanks to Justin's Grandpa for the idea, and to Justin's mom for the dremel tool). The kids got to pick their design and then daddy had fun with the power tool.

(Sorry the pictures are out of order, but I got tired of fighting with it, and I want to go to bed..so here's whatcha get!)

Justin with one of his final creations

I got the dirty job this year...

Things got a little messy and the kids got tired of pumpkin flying into their eyes...

T-man showing off his Tigger design

The kids with their pumpkins

Bug with her cat design

The beginning stages of dremel tool pumkin carving

Justin's grandparents came for a visit last week and stayed until this Tuesday(we were sad to see them go so soon). I FINALLY remembered to take pictures...kinda. I wanted to get pictures of them with our whole family, but I forgot and decided to go back the next morning right before they left to at least get pictures of them with the kids. Turned out GREAT!!! So cute. They had so much fun with them!

Well, that's all for today folks... (give me a break...I'm coming back from a four month deficite).

Agenda for tomorrow will be : displaying pumpkins (since we didn't get that far tonight) and the Play group Halloween party yesterday (Wednesday) when the kids got to test out their costumes for the first time!

Come Home To Kanesville

2009-07-09T23:04:00.002-05:00

Many of you know that I am going to be in a musical the last two weeks of July and rehearsals started this week. It has been SUCH a blast. It has been really hard to leave the kids for so long, and to not see Justin very much (if we're lucky we get an hour total between the morning and evening if he's still up when I get home). They are always on the back of my mind through rehearsals, but even though it's only day three, I've had a ton of fun. I was recruited to be a dancer as well as play the role I am playing, and that's been an experience in and of itself. I'm getting a crash course in Dancing 101. In three days, including travel time, I have put in close to 20-22 hours already, and we still have a week and a half of rehearsals....AHHH. It's a full time job. lol. Being my first play, though, I'll definately do it again. (we'll see how I feel on day 4...lol) So anyways, if ya'll are plannin on being in the mid-west in July, make sure you stop in and see "Come Home to Kanesville", not because I want people starring at me, the sore thumb of the dance team, but because it's a great message faith and endurance! YEEHAW!

My Garden

2009-07-07T14:05:00.004-05:00

This year I have started my very first veggie garden, and I have to show off my progress. I obviously had to do a container garden, because with the possibility of moving next year, I kinda didn't want to tear up our grass and create a headache for ourselves when we try to sell...sooo.. Here is how my garden is doing so far....

This was right after I planted everything. The two big red pots in back are beefsteak tomatoes, the white one next to them is a roma tomato plant, next to tht is a cantelope plant. The two front red pots are both bell peppers, and not shown is a pot with carrot seeds (didn't think a picture of dirt would be that exciting) and an upside down tomato planter with Roma tomatoes.

Here is the upside down Roma plant as of today. (the last time I checked it a few days ago it didn't have any fruit. Today it has clost to 15 tomatoes...YEAH)

The carrots. Standing about 8 inches tall (not like that really tells me how big the carrots are going to be, but hey...)

Here are the two pepper plants and the cantelope. Ther are both doing very well and have about 6-8 peppers on each plant right now. Here are some of the itty bitty peppers. The biggest one is about 3 inches long.This is the first and only cantelope fruit that has developed thus far. ( I didn't really check that closely this morning, so who knows. There are lots of flowers ready and the vines are starting to crawl over the side.
The three potted tomato plants. So big and heavy that we've had to bungie the cages to keep them from tipping over :)

Bug next to the tomato plant. Tall plant 'ey?

(notice the bungie keeping it from topling over)

some healthy tomatoes comin' in. Each Beefsteak tomato plant has about 10-15 tomatoes. We are going to have plenty. Any one need tomatoes?

We found on this morning that is starting to turn red....YIPPEE

If I Can Just Survive Summer....

2009-07-07T12:42:00.005-05:00

Summer has been busy....VERY busy! After we got home from Seattle in May, we had to start preparing for J and I to go on a Pioneer Trek, where we re-enact the trek that the early church members endured when the were moving west to the Salt Lake Valley. J and I were a "Ma and Pa" to the 14 to 18 year old teenagers that were participating. I made my pioneer dress and Justin's pioneer shirt (which was actually very fun). We had nine "kids" in our family, and we pulled our loaded handcart 22 miles in two very rainy and very muddy days. I participated in trek when I was a teenager, but our circumstances were VERY different (as in DRY). There was no way of escaping the mud (and keep in mind that it was Nebraska mud..which ultimately translates into clay). To give you an idea of what the trek felt like....think of "The Never Ending Story" when Atrayu is trudging through the swamp of sadness with his horse Artax. While looking for the Ancient Morla, Artax is overtaken by the saddness of the swamp and slowly sinks pittifully into the mud.....ok...now you know how Trek went,except it was a tad happier. LOL. The experience has definately helped me understand a lot more clearly what pioneers went through to move their families accross the county, and I am VERY thankful for our modern conveniences of cars, airplanes, and shelter, and......plumbing. It was a great experience though. For family night the Monday after we got back, we took Bug and T-man to the Mormon Trail Center by the Winter Quarters Temple to teach them about what mommy and daddy had done. Bug loved dressing up as a pioneer girl and we took some pictures of her with a handcart.

Me sewing up Mary Jane, our pioneer baby. I had to perform surgery because she was so heavy that she split a seam. The rule was that she could NEVER be put down. Someone had to hold her at ALL times, and the little stinker was HEAVY! No one complained about the weight she magically lost. :)

This is how muddy I was after the first day. By the end of our 22 mile journey the next day, the mud went ALOT higher! lol (notice my muddy sock line)

Me 'm Pa with Mary Jane

Bug at the Mormon Trail Center learning about the pioneers.

Once we got home I had a week to prepare to go to Girl's Camp for a week, which was very fun, but we had the opposite problem as Trek. We arrived early on Monday morning at around 8 am, and we were completely drenched in sweat just from setting up our tents. It was rediculous. The first two days of camp were so rediculously hot that we had to cut back activities to 50% the first day, and the second day was so hot that we were limited to "essential activity" and we were supposed to be drinking 2 quarts of water PER HOUR!!!! GEEZE! The GIANT slip 'N slide got ALOT of use those two days! (with heat index it was close to 110 degrees...which, in AZ isn't a big deal, but in NE with humidity...it'll kill you...as we now know looking at the death tole of cattle that week. Close to 4,000) I'm not quite sure how we survived..OH WAIT...yes I do....that afternoon when we all thought we would wither to nothing, a thunder storm that hadn't been predicted randomly formed out of no where over Little Souix (the scout ranch we were camping at). The thunder, lightening, and rain lasted probably about an hour but cooled down the temperature by TWENTY DEGREES..Folks...that was quite literally HEAVEN SENT. Maybe our Heavenly Father knew that he would be 300 virtuous women shorter on Earth if he didn't send that rain storm. lol. I am sincerely convinced that it was an answer to alot of prayers for relief. Again, I wouldn't change the experience. Once the weather cooled down the girls came to life again and the rest of the time we had at camp was great. The camp Ranger also enlightened us on him and his family's experience a little over a year ago when the tornado hit little souix head on, killing four scouts. It was a miracle he and his family survived. He described his house as looking like it had been put in a blender (and they were burried underneath it all) and they lost 95% of their belongings. It was mind boggling to listen to his descriptions. It was very humbling to listen to him tell what he could remember of the tornado and the tramatic experiences with his family that followed. Everyone at camp was given a flower and we laid them at the spot the 4 scouts were lost.
I don't have any pictures of Girls Camp because I kinda forgot my camera at home and have to rely on what other people took. (I've gathered a few on facebook, but I'm still sad that I don't have my own) Now, I've had a week and a half break since camp and it's on to "Come Home to Kaneville" a play about...you guessed it...PIONEERS...lol. They stayed in Kaneville for a while until it was safe to continue their journey to Salt Lake. We have our first rehearsal tonight, and I'm excited (and very nervous) since I've never been in a play before. It will be a new experience. The practices will be pretty intense considering we only have nine days of rehearsal before it opens...yikes. So once I survive this months adventure, it will be on to another and I'm sure you'll hear about it!!!

Last weekend in Seattle...and so much more

2009-05-30T21:56:00.008-05:00

So I have a bit of catching up to do....hmmm where to start. I suppose I should go back a few weeks. The last weekend we spent in Seattle was a blast. We definately put a big kink in the "biggest looser" contest...especially since four of the six contestants were all together and not exercising any restrain. The Friday before we left my sister wanted to take us to The Melting Pot. She's been wanting to take us there for over a year now, so my parents, my sister,Justin and I all went there to eat. Definately a cool place. Afterwards my parents took Justin and I to Benaroya Hall to enjoy Marvin Hamlisch conduct the Seattle Symphony. Pretty cool....there was even a bit of Dueling pianos in there too.

Enjoying the final course at The Melting Pot....hmmmmm....desert!

The next day, after taking the kids to the Factoria Mall Children's Museum so they could meet up with one of their neighbor friends that they played with through out our stay, I FINALLY took Justin to a Mariner's Baseball game with my dad and my sister. It was perfect weather. I've heard of a new food that had become quite popular at Safeco field...but unfortunately I resisted getting the Garlic fries. I would get a whiff of them and think "that smells good" only to realize that it was 50 ft away when I smelled it. When it got closer the garlic was so strong it almost made me want to cry. WOW. I did have to fight some curiousity though.

Watching the game

Dad being.....well....Dad

The after game photo!

So the whole Seattle trip turned out to be a great success and it was actually very bitter sweet leaving. I really could've stayed longer, but then, it's always better to end on a good note, right? lol. Not one person got sick while we were there (it must have all happened in Utah..ugh). I'm really glad that the kids were able to get to know my parents better, and they still ask for Bama and Papa Foli... :)

SOOOO...we got home just in time for Memorial Day weekend, and got to go to the pool with Grandma Lynne and Grandpa Kent. Bug took right to the pool again, like usual...but Tman thought it was too cold and stuck with squirting everyone with water toys on the sidelines, while mommy got FRIED!!!! I'm still dealing with the lovely sunburn.

Last but not least, this last Thursday, Justin and I We SO excited to go to Wicked, and Justin won "The Wicked Lottery" so we got to go with our good friends/neighbors and we had a great time with them. I LOVED the play. I highly recommend it. I'm SO glad we went. So now I think I'm caught up.....sorry to have to cram.

The Weekend With My Grandparents

2009-05-11T23:24:00.007-05:00

This weekend we took the kids down to Kennewick to see my Grandparents. My Grandparents haven't seen Bug since she was about seven or eight months old, so it was really fun for them to see her again and to meet Tman for the first time. It was a GREAT visit with them. My grandpa told us stories about his family, and how they met, and I got to spend a lot of time just talking to both of them and getting to know them better. I think the kids had a great time, especially when all my aunts and uncles and cousins came over for a BBQ on Saturday night. We originally planned on driving down Saturday morning and then leave late saturday night, but we were having so much fun that we just stayed overnight at my granparents house. We had a nice relaxing morning with them and I was really hard to tear ourselves away to drive home. I miss them and always get excited every time I get to visit them. So now we are back in Renton and will be home in exactly one week from now. YEAH. It's been a great visit, but I think I'm finally transitioning into "I'm ready to be home" mode. I miss all our friends in Omaha and especially my kitty! He's been so lonely! :(

Grandpa showing the kids around his workshop. He loves to polish rocks and make jewelry out of them, and the kids each got to pick a special rock out of his collection. I always remember getting stuff like that from him!

Some of my cousins.

Bug being a "puppy" and her new found friend/cousin was abliged to walk her.lol

and then they switched. Bug wanted to walk the dog.

I love this picture of me and my grandpa. Isn't he cute!

Pictures before we left. We had to tear ourselves away. We would have stayed there all week if we could! It was so good to spend time with them!

Justin figured out how to use the camera's timer, so we were all able to get into a picture. I'm so glad I remembered to take pictures this time. I already miss my granparenst. At least the kids finally got to meet their great grandparents and it's been documented!

Our Trip So Far

2009-05-04T17:54:00.010-05:00

So now that we've been able to settle ourselves in Seattle and take a few pictures, I figure I should give everyone an update. The first two weeks have been very successful, and this is turning out to be MUCH more pleasant than our Utah clinical. The kids have tons to do and thus we haven't had to deal with their boredom tantrums. We have had great weather the majority of the time, and when it has rained, it hasn't been too bad.

The kids LOVE being in the yard and helping with the yard work. (It's so much bigger than our yard in Omaha and there is SOOOO many things for them to explore...T-man has taken quite the liking to pointing out EVERY bug he finds.) Bug even helped Grandma Y plant her annual garden. She got to go to the nursery and grandma let her pick all the flowers.

My parents cats (who are normally quite anti-social with anyone that that is not an adult) are very friendly with the kids. I'm AMAZED at how they've warmed up to them. Normally when there are kids in the house, the cats are no where to be found. But they have even approached the kids and want them to pet them. YEAH.

My parents left to go to Mexico for the week, so this week we have the house all to ourselves. PARTY AT THEIR HOUSE!!! WOOHOOO! jk. (I never did that as a teenager, so I feel like I should make up for that some how...lol)

And finally, J's clinical is going great, and we have two more weeks to go. He gets to meet with a potential residency clinic tomorrow and get a foot in the door for when he has to apply. So in exactly two weeks from now we will be in our very own home, petting our poor lonely kitty! Until then, I'm going to continue to enjoy the time I have here, and soak up all the Seattle greenery!

T-man in the front yard. In the background is the infamous giant tree. It's starting to get it's leaves, and hopefully we'll be able to see it full of life before we leave.

Bug playing in the gravel pile in the backyard. This gravel pile has entertained the kids for HOURS. I'm not complaining. It's been great. Maybe I should put a gravel pile in our backyard when I get home...If it keeps them THIS entertained, then maybe it would be worth it. lol

Bug's Jenga tower. This is how we entertain ourselves while Tman sleeps.

Bug in front of the garden she helped Grandma Y plant. She can even name most of the flowers!

Random shot of Tman on a beautiful sunny day

Bug in front of her FREE play kitchen and fridge. One of my parent's neighbors had these out in their front yard with a free sign and I couldn't pass it up. JACK POT. It has been another GREAT entertainer for them. Play kitchens, gravel piles, dirt...what more could a kid ask for?

Bug and Tman having a picnic in the front yard on a nice day. They are always so cute together. I love sneaking up on them and just listening to them talk and play together. They are SO cute!

Aunt Christy, Tman and Bug sharing a drink at Taco Bell before we drop her off at the airport.

DRINK UP!! (The kids thought this was hilarious!)

Spring Time Activities

2009-04-19T17:33:00.009-05:00

Well, I kinda have to work backwards a bit, since it's been so long since I've posted anything. We were so frantic trying to get ready to go to Washington that I didn't have much time to think about blogging. Now that I've got all the time in the world, I can look back and see what has actually happened in the last two weeks. Oh..and I suppose I should update on my running progress. I got sick last a week and a half ago, and it really hindered my running schedule since I felt like I got hit by a bus and it was a really weird virus. I had gotten up to about 5 or 6 miles at a time, but then I couldn't run at all after I got sick. Because of that, and being exhausted from traveling, I wasn't able to run the half marathon in southern WA with my dad and my sister. I was REALLY bummed. BUT.....We have already found another one in Spokane on May 16th (2 days before we fly home)...SO I'm hoping that by posting this, and making sure everyone knows about the race...it will motivate me to get in gear again, and not let this one slip through my fingers. I CAN do this!

SURE...They'll smile for a picture after the SNEAK the candy I was bribing them with.

Sitting happily (now that they've gotten a piece of bribery candy) with their Easter baskets.

Bug in the Butterfly house at The Henry Doorly Zoo.

She was a bit hesitant to get that close to it for the picture, but I would be too...

that thing could be Mothra's relative. It's the size of her head!

A butterfly bench. Couldn't pass it up.

T man swinging with the monkeys in the Jungle

Bug in the Desert Dome

A gorgeous day to be outside (and of course, play with daddy).

WE LOVE SPRING!!!

What have We started?

2009-03-19T21:05:00.004-05:00

Talking with my sister a month or two ago, we decided that it would be a good idea to start a "family Biggest Looser" competition, not because we think we're fat, but more so that our family can work on creating healthier eating and excersicing habits. My sister has been a runner since she came out of our mother's womb, and my dad took up running a few years ago. Both have run several half marathons. I'm the type of person that sees an accomplishment and decides "that would be cool to say I did that.." even if I don't enjoy that particular activity. So I've personally watched my 54 year old Dad complete two half marathons, among the many others that he's done and decided..."I want to do it too". What a better time than now to start since we are trying to create healthy habits. It was a huge mental block for me to get over the initial thought of "WHY the heck would anyone EVER want to run 13 miles?" but once I forced myself outside I found it easier than I thought. So on Tuesday I finally got past the fear of a five mile run. I DID IT!! I ran 5 miles, and although I have many more to go before I'm able to keep up with my dad and my sister, I'm proud of myself. As for the Biggest Looser competition, I did great the first week and dropped close to three pounds, but have since gained it all back. I won't suprise me if I get to the end of this three month competition and weigh exactly what I did when I started.

LAS VEGAS

2009-02-15T21:10:00.018-06:00

Last week J and I got to go to Las Vegas for his PT Convention and we left the kids with grandma. It was so fun. It was a bit of a culture shock the first night we got there and I was a tad irritated with some of the advertising around the city...but once I got some food, some sleep, and an attitude change I was able to decide to have a good time, and I did. We went to The Blue Man Group and The Tournament of Kings Dinner and show, and we did LOTS of shopping. Happy Valentine's Day to ME. YEAH. I got a purse, shoes, and so much more. Shopping is GREAT therapy for me. lol. It was so nice to be able to have time alone with my husband too, and I didn't worry about my kids as much as I thought I would...because I knew they were in good hands. We have some good stories too! ha. We were totally exhausted by the end of our trip. Over all, it was a GREAT trip, and I'm glad a I went!

My Baby Boy is TWO!

2009-01-27T22:01:00.008-06:00

T man turned two yesterday! I can't believe it! Where does the time go. My little baby is a solid brick of BOY. ugh. It's been a fun two years having him around, and we look forward to many more! Him and His big sister make us happier than happy. They sure are good kids!

Yummy Ice Cream Cone Cup Cakes

PRESENTS!!! The Best part!

Locks of Love

2009-01-27T21:48:00.006-06:00

Bug and I decided to donate our hair today to Locks of Love. Those of you that talk to me often are probably glad, so I will finally stop bugging you about whether or not I should cut my hair. ha. Now I can start talking about growing it out...jk. Bug did really well, and although she may not completely understand the importance or significance of what's she is doing, I love that she was willing to do it. I also think it's absolutely awesome that she can donate her hair....and she's THREE! How COOL! She was such a super trooper. It was fun being able to do it as mother and daughter and we both like our hair short (despite the last minute panic I went through right before cutting it).

Before

After

Favorite Song

2009-01-19T16:46:00.004-06:00

Even though I haven't made a ton of updates lately, I've been putting some time into deciding what songs are good enough to put on my blog. "It Won't Be Like This For Long" is my favorite song. Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in the monotonous every day stuff, and this song is such a good reminder to live in the moment, because it won't always be there. I look at my kids and just wish I could push a "pause" button or something, because I just can't imagine them not being my adorable sweet little angels. They are both getting so big, and THEY WON'T STOP IT!! Their little childhood phases are So cute, and I've found that I am becoming more senimental that I ever thought I would be. I'm sad when I have to say good bye to their chubby cheeks, their short wobbley legs, their little waddling diaper butts, and their indeciferable jabber. I can't believe that someday they won't need me anymore! I guess I better put the effort into doing a good job while I have them.

There's NO place like HOME!!!

2008-12-22T15:19:00.004-06:00

WE'RE HOME!!! YEAHHHH!!! We are finally home in Omaha after a long trip to Utah. We made the trip back home in about 18.5 hours...it was great (mumble mumble). The closer we got to home, the slower the speed limit went. What awful torture, but we finally made it. We are so greatful to have been able to stay with J's incredibley generous grandma who let us stay with her, even though she is still dealing with some injuries from a few months back. It was great getting to know her better and spending so much time with her (despite us being sick for the first two weeks of being there). We then got to go visit J's other Grandma and Grandpa in Brigham City and I love them too! We have been so lucky to have our families come together so easily. It's like we've been related forever! ha. ( I hope that feeling isn't one sided...lol). I wish we could have stayed a little longer with J's Grandparents in Brigham, but I was very anxious to be in my own home and to rescue my poor lonely kitty, Milo. We only had a one day window to get through Wyoming and Nebraska without snow so we had to take it. We got held up a bit in Cheyenne when our front tire started going flat and we had to spend 2.5 hours at a mechanic (who thankfully was open on Sunday....we would have been stranded there otherwise) and suprisingly the mishap only set us back an hour behind our planned schedule. We got home at 3:30 am to an anxious attention hungry cat ( which I loved, because I missed him too) and despite only getting 5 hours of sleep before we had to get up with the kids, we were very well rested when we woke up. Something about being in your own bed that helps you sleep better...huh. Anyway, I can't wait to see friends, and ENJOY BEING HOME. And tonight...I sleep in MY OWN BED AGAIN!!!! YEAH!

WHAT NEXT????

2008-12-11T23:14:00.004-06:00

For those of you who are following our trip to Utah...I don't have anything fun to report. Some of you know that last week Bug caught a cold which inevitable spread to everyone, including our incredibley gracious host, J's grandma, and I felt horrible. It wasn't a huge suprise because it was a long stressful drive for everyone getting here and it's a new community with new germs. The REAL fun started on Monday morning at 2 am when Tman woke up puking. J and I were up for the next 3.5 hours with him puking all over us every 15-30 minutes. We had taken them to a mall playground that Saturday where we suspect he picked up the stomach flu. Then when I went to the Gym on Tuesday I was SO excited to see a big fat warning on the door of the gym's daycare stating that if you had brought your child into their child care between thursday and saturday that they may have been exposed to "hand, foot and mouth" ( which for those of you that don't know, it is a lovely illness where kids get sores all over their hands, their feet and their mouth/throat...highly contagious...sounds fun..huh?). Go figure, I brought them in on Friday. My luck just keeps getting better huh? To our excitment Justin showed signs of the wonderful stomach flu on Tuesday night, and I, lucky me, was only 6 hours behind him. Needless to say....I think we are all glad that I'm unable to post pictures...ha. Anyway, It's one thing being miserable, useless and contagious at home, but it's a completely different thing being miserable, useless and contagious in someone else's home. Luckily it was only a 24 hour bug, but now I have to live in fear that Bug and J's Grandma are going to get it. UGH!!! I will feel so horrible if they get it. Anyway, I wish I could tell you about great snowboarding trips (even though Utah doesn't have much snow right now) or our great family outtings to museums, or zoos, or maybe even visiting with friends and family, BUT we've been too busy being sick, so we can't. Aren't we FUN??? What will next week bring?

Dying to Blog

2008-12-03T01:49:00.002-06:00

I'm so sad that I can't update you with pictures right now, but seeing as we are not at home and don't have the proper equipment to download onto J's Grandma's computer, I can't give you any. We did however get our family pictures taken last Monday before we left Omaha by a good Friend, Loralee, and they turned out great. As soon as I have them, I will post them. Things are still good in Utah. Despite all of us coming down with head colds once we got here, we are all making quick recoveries thus far. We are definitely anticipating getting out of the house and getting some fresh crisp air tomorrow. If I can figure out how to download pics here, I'll post them asap, but so far there hadn't been anything exciting. Just hanging out acclimatizing to the high altitude..ugh..that'll wear ya out. lol.

Are We There Yet?

2008-11-29T11:54:00.002-06:00

We survived the dreaded drive to Utah yesterday, and surprisingly, the kids did GREAT! The last drive we took out here last summer was awful, but they did so good yesterday. I think Tman's attention span has grown significantly since the last trip, and that helped a ton. So now that we are here, we can relax, unpack, and enjoy the stay with Grandma Neola. The only thing to worry about now is my poor sweet kitty Milo. I hope his friends keep him company and give him the attention he needs. Isn't it amazind how we give human characteristics to animals? I've felt awful for the last week, because I was afraid that Milo might think we abandoned him , or that we didn't love him. ugh. Anyway, hopefully the drive back goes as smoothly as the drive out. Until then, we'll miss our beds, we'll miss our house, we'll miss our cat, and we'll miss our friends.

Defend Yourself!

2008-11-19T13:06:00.003-06:00

A good friend of mine invited me to go to a self defense class last night, and WOW. It was great. I have to admit I am a "what if....." kind of girl. I always ask myself what I would do if some drastic thing happened to me like someone pulling a gun on me, or trying to take my children, and in my imagination I always end up the unconquerable hero. (Now if any of you see me spacing off, you'll know that I'm day dreaming about kicking someone's butt..haha) But in reality fear and adrenaline are debilitating sometimes. I went to this self defense class last night and learned SO much, and it made me so much more confident and empowered! So why would I keep it for myself? I think everyone should get out there and take a self defense course! If you can find one near you, the course I took last night was called "FAST Defense" and I HIGHLY recommend it. It does a great job of helping you recognize the adrenaline rush, and teaches you the easiest ways to defend yourself. You don't have to remember any type of complicated kung fu. It's plain and simple...so go find a class RIGHT NOW and learn to defend yourself!

Ahhh, the Holidays

2008-11-17T20:45:00.005-06:00

Well, it is officially baking season in my book. Last friday some good friends from church had their 5th Annual Cookie Swap. Oh, but don't let the fun title fool you. It's a fierce competition of cookie tasting and judging. Last year we came in second with our self-standing chocolate chip turkey cookies. This year we came home with nothing for our layered sour cream cookie turkey. sad day. lol. Next year I'll plan better..ya know...before the morning of the cookie swap. It was still great to hang out with friends and put ourselves into a sugar coma though. So since I didn't have a blog last year, I'm going to post a picture of last year's entry as well.

Entry 2008

Entry 2007

I've turned into a "MOM"

2008-11-13T18:55:00.004-06:00

Not the good kind...I mean the kind that doesn't do her hair or make up before she leaves the house...or even changes out of her pajamas for that matter. I laughed at myself this morning because I tried to look at myself in other people's views (particularly the other mom's from Bug's preschool group) and I just LAUGHED!!! No matter how empty my week is, I wake up Thursday morning only to look at the clock and realize that I have less time than I would like to get up, get the kids up, feed them, dress them, and get Bug to preschool. Usually what ends up happening is that I neglect to get myself ready. I left the house this morning in a mad dash only to realize I still had yesterday's make up on, my hair was EVERYWHERE...(luckily I had a hooded sweatshirt that I was able to partially hide it with) and I was still wearing my pajamas. I don't really view myself as a frumpy mom that doesn't take care of myself, but there are certainly days where others may see me and definately think that I'm that kind of person. Luckily I'm secure enough with my inability to go to bed early enough to wake up and get ready for the day..and I'm ok with that. Besides if I had worried so much about getting ready for the day T-Man and I wouldn't have had a great morning together. It also helped that Bug went home with a friend to play after preschool and T-man and I were able to have extra time. Thanks to Lacey! In my eyes being a mom is so much easier and SO much more fun when I'm able to let go of things like putting my make up on, or doing my hair and focus on having fun. Don't get me wrong...I'm not giving up make up or my flat iron, but love that I looked like crap today and I STILL had a great day!

Halloween

2008-11-11T16:55:00.006-06:00

Here are a few pictures of the kids at our ward halloween party the day before Halloween. ( sorry..no pictures from Halloween day. We were too "pictured out" to take any more. We just wanted to be DONE with Halloween!) Random snap shot of the kids...that was the best

option for not getting intentionally scowled at

Can you tell Bug wasn't particularly fond of having pictures taken that night?

The stuffed scarecrow and his beloved teddy bear

Bug with her friend...and chili on her face

Carving Jacketie Lanterns

2008-11-10T22:42:00.014-06:00

For Family Night the Monday before Halloween, we carved our "Jacketie Lanterns" as Bug likes to call them. Here are some pictures of the process. We decided since it was the kids' first time we would let them help us gut the pumpkins and make a mess. Both of them were grossed out and didn't want to do it, so J and I ended up having to help....just a little. lol It was so fun to watch the kids. Milo was tracking through the mess investigating the madness. It was a very fun night, and the kids are still talking about pumpkins and jacketie lanterns and Bug keeps asking if it's Halloween again?

The finished product

Final Display

Pumpkin Patch Marathon

2008-10-30T13:43:00.027-05:00

This year was the first year we have taken the kids to a pumpkin patch, and we ended up going several times. The kids loved being able to run around in such open areas, and they loved the animals so we just kept coming back. October was a nice change from the everyday routine, and the kids learned alot about animals and shapes. The fall setting was absolutely beautiful, and the weather was perfect to stick around for a while to take pictures. I have SOOO many more pictures, but these were some of my favorites from each trip in no particular order. Sorry there's ALOT. Some of my ABSOLUTE favorites from this group of pics are Bug's first pony ride, Both of the kids' first encounters with chicks, and the kids with Daddy on the tractor. This post was exceptionally frustrating and uncooperative. could be the equiptment, I suppose. Our computere has been acting particulalarly pathetic the last few weeks. Technology is definately a love/hate relationship! Don't ya think?

Photography Ambitions

2008-10-12T13:43:00.000-05:00

I've always loved photography (the appropriate kind that is) and I've thought about taking some classes lately. When I went to Seattle in March my dad let me play around with his really cool, really expensive, high tech digital camera, and it was so fun. I couldn't put it down..and I didn't even know what I was doing. I think I'm going to take a course, and take it to a higher level! These are some pics I took with my dad's camera... they are lame, I know... but at least I can say I did it!

Here are some flowers from my mom's garden

Bug the Hobbit. Friend of the Tree Ents

Daddy and Bug coming home from feeding the Llama next door

Grandpa and Bug getting ready to go on a walk with their Stormy Kromer hats

Before

After

Leap Year Party

2008-10-09T22:29:00.000-05:00

I have so much to catch up on, and I'm going to start back in February. (the last half, anyway...The first half will have to come later since we have to download the pictures from J's parents computer). I'm going to start at the end of February when we were able to go back to my parent's house in Seattle. It all started when my brother found out he was going to be deployed again, so we wanted to have a family get together before he left. So I thought "Why not make the date easy to remember and do it on Leap Year..since it only come around every four years"...not to mention it's my birthday and what better present than to have all of my family together? It was also very special since it was the first time I was able to meet my newest sister-in-Law Trish. We weren't able to go to their wedding, unfortunately, and so this was the first time meeting her. She is GREAT. She fits in perfectly with our family! So here are a few pictures of the Shin Dig on February 29, 2008.

This is my sleeping brother-in-law Eric, My brother Tony, and his Wife Trisha

Christine...need I say more?lol

The Cake. (I'm refraining from any other comments)

Do you like our party hats?

My oldest brother Jason, and my Duck.....I mean my Dad. Sorry. I get so confused sometimes.

Halloween Costumes

2008-10-09T21:27:00.000-05:00

k. So for the last three weeks I have been asking Bug what she wants to be for Halloween so I could get a head start on making their costumes. This is her answer ...."I want to sneak on bats!!!"

What the heck am I supposed to do with that? The only thing I can think of is giving her a butterfly net and a bat shirt???!?!? Any other ideas? I'm open for suggestions. There's always the other option of not giving her an option and choosing for her. I thought it would be cute to do something as a family....but what. I actually only enjoy the idea of wearing a costume because it would be cute for the kids. I haven't worn a costume in HOW long? Anyway...If you have any suggestions for "sneaking on bats" please let me know. Here is a picture of the first costume I made for Bug. I was SOOO proud of it...still am. Last year I didn't make they because I was way behind on planning...so I really want to make one for Bubba since he's never had his very own before. Feed back appreciated!!!!

Til next time!

SLACKER

2008-10-07T14:15:00.000-05:00

So I'm realizing what a slacker I've been about checking other people's blogs and updating my own. I was finally able to checkout Lindsey's only to find that I've had several surveys passed on to me. I have work to do! Lindsey...this is for YOU!!

3 Things...

The Rules: List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 surprising facts,

and then tag 3 people

3 Joys:

1. My family....DUH!?!?! I have an amazing husband, and the two CUTEST toddlers in the world. "joy" doesn't do them justice!!

2. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My life would not be the same with out it. Temples bless me with an eternal family (refer to joy #1....I get them FOREVER) and I love my calling. Being able to share my testimony with the YW is amazing, and some of my best friends are the women I serve with. I can't say how much I look up to them and enjoy being with them

3. Volleyball. corny, I know, but when you stuff block someone or slam the ball down, or dig someone...that has got to be one of the biggest rushes. AWESOME!!

3 Fears:

1. Loosing one of my joys...the first one specifically. (I've had to learn NOT to dwell on the possibilities, though..not healthy)

2. That my kids won't know how much I love them!

3. Spiders...DOUBLE DUH!!!

3 Current Obsessions/Collections

1. Money..but I can't seem to collect very much of it..lol

2. Crafts. Lately it's been sewing Justin's secret project (most of you probably already know what it is, but since Justin may look at this I can't say what it is), aprons for the kids(dinner time can get REALLY messy) and scrapbooking (although that may be classified as a collection...since I've been collecting , more than I've been using..ugh)

3. ebay. need I say more..lol

3 Suprising Facts

(Don't expect too much)

1. a month or two ago, I ALMOST started thinking about having another kid....yeah...NOT gonna happen right now.

2. I have TEN fingers and TEN toes

3. I wear a size 2 ( PSYCH!!!)

(told you..not very suprising)

I tag Cynthia, keri, and Angie

A Visit from Uncle Nathan

2008-08-21T14:45:00.001-05:00

Uncle Nathan got to come visit last week, and Bug and Bubba had a blast with him. he got stuck playing lots of tea parties (which invovled wearing chairs as hats, as you can see )(It came from the book "Go Dogs Go" when they wear their Party Hats in the Party Tree...Bug will put almost anything on her head and say "Do you like my party hat?"). I think they wore him out by the end of his visit and he was ready to go home and have a break from his vacation. lol. These two rugrats are BUSY...and now Uncle Nathan knows just HOW busy.

Happy Birthday Bug!

2008-08-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

Bug had her third birthday the beginning of August. Can't believe it's already been three years! Holy Cow. She and Bubba had fun unwrapping her cool presents, and then we ate some yummy cake.... (it's chocolate!!!) Hailey helped me make it and she was very proud of it. She was a great helper!

Rest Stop in Cedar City

2008-08-21T12:50:00.000-05:00

We had to stop in Cedar City on the way back from Pheonix. The kids had fun running circles around this tree, so finally we decided to put them in it. Here we have a classic Bubba smile (This is his new smile lately), Bug's cute girlie pose, and finally both of them with Daddy. So cute!

Road Trip to Arizona

2008-08-21T12:41:00.000-05:00

I love this picture. After stopping in Utah for a few days we got to drive down to Pheonix to visit my oldest sister and her family. Bug and Bubba had a blast with their cousins. They had lots of fun swimming in their pool, and sleeping in their rooms. Bubba did SO good with their two big boxers Sugar and Roxy. He was hesitant at first, but he warmed up really quickly because they were so nice and gentle with him. I wouldn't recommend them for gaurd dogs...lol

The Coolest Playground EVER

2008-08-21T12:31:00.000-05:00

We got to go on a road trip to Utah with Grandma Lynne. Aunt Lindsey showed us a REALLY cool castle playground in Logan. The kids had fun climbing all over the castle and eating snowcones....or dumbing them all over the place.

Giant Golf Ball

2008-08-21T12:24:00.000-05:00

The kids playing at the mall in July. The toys are cute, but I wish the mall provided a giant vat of purel to dip them in after they're done playing...ew! I'm sure Grandpa Kent will be proud of this picture.

Future Wrestler..ugh

2008-07-17T21:15:00.000-05:00

The baby boy's (I'm sure the nicknames will change constantly, but today, that's what we'll call him) favorite thing to do the last few days is to play with Milo. This usually consists of Milo getting beat up by a toddler. Very funny. But he takes it like a....well...cat. He's got to be the most gentle, patient, and forgiving cat I've ever met.