THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY...

another baby???

2012-01-29T09:16:00.002-07:00

{15 weeks}

It still hasn't really hit me yet. Like... not at all. I seriously can't imagine going through the newborn stage again. It's not so much the pregnancy part that I hate, because I actually LOVE being pregnant. I just seriously can't fathom doing the newborn thing again. But, I guess I better get used to the idea. I'm currently almost 16 weeks pregnant and this baby will be coming whether we're ready or not. Tim, bless his heart, has actually come to terms with all of this a lot faster than I have. He's excited! He's always been drawn to big families. So he's excited and he hoping for another boy.

I know in the end, when this baby is born I will love it like no other and I have no doubt that this baby will complete the Compton family. Did I mention that Tim will be scheduled to get the big 'V' while I'm still pregnant?! Yes, this is true... we need to make sure we will not be receiving anymore little suprise baby Comptons. :o)

And just for fun....

How far along? 16 weeks on Wed.

Total weight gain? ehem... 13 lbs. Yikes! I've never gained weight with any of my pregnancies this fast before. My TOTAL weight gain with Allie was 13 lbs!!!

Maternity clothes? definitly YES on pants but I'm wearing maternity and regular tops

Stretch marks? no new ones. I don't think there is any room on my abdomen for any new ones. Lord help me!

Sleep? sleeping pretty good right now. Just waking up with my newborn 14 month old several times per night.

Best moment of the week? nothing to do with MY pregnancy, but I'll be visiting a very dear friend in the hospital today who is about to have her first baby.

Movement? no 'for sure' movement. Hoping it's coming soon though!

Food cravings? sweet potoato fries please!

Anything making you feel sick? pre cooked chicken

Gender? Tim & I both think BOY

Labor signs? no signs of labor thank God. I'm all stitched up!

Symptoms? oily skin and some serious round ligament pains during the night.

Belly button in or out? belly button in

Wedding ring on or off? wedding ring still on

Moody or happy? for the most part happy but Tim can often make me cry pretty easily

Looking forward to? feeling some kicks and finding out the gender in a few weeks {Feb 24th}

A bit late... but that's how I role...

2012-01-05T14:25:00.001-07:00

alas....... MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS... ehem...

#1}finish certain projects around the house. Such as...

my dresser that I converted into a tv armoir several years ago. It used to be a natural wood color that went with the rest of our bedroom set. I painted it an espresso color, put new knobs on and took the 2 drawers out and converted them into shelves for our receivers. Now, 3 years later, the shelves still need to be painted and the whole dresser desperatly needs to be sealed. I also need to conceal the cords from the tv on the wall.

This whole mantel needs to be ripped off. Beings that Tim works at lumbar yard, it shouldn't really be too expensive at all. Idealy, I'd love a chunky distressed wood mantel, stained the same espresso color as my tv armoir. I just HATE this cookie cutter oak mantel. Ick!

This project is a little harder to see... but it's there. I LOVED the creamy butter cream yellow we had on our walls in our old home. So, I painted our living room in this house with the same paint. Only... we ran out of paint. So I need to get the tiny bit of paint we have left matched so we can continue on. The wall colors in this whole house is an icky beige color. I would LOVE for the whole house to have my butter cream walls just like my hold home.

oh jeez... and then onto this eye sore of a kitchen. Again... hello 'cookie cutter' oak kitchen cabinets. We re-did the top cabinets last year. It was so much work and such a loooong process. But the bottom ones have GOT to get done. It makes my stomach churn to even think about how long that process will be with all of the drawers, cupboards & trim work. It's more than twice the amount of cabinets as the top ones. But I do LOOOVE the look of the top ones and it was super-duper cheap to do. Anyone want to volunteer??? Come on! Come help a preggo out!

And then this. The bench part of this hall tree needs to be removed all together and re-done. Pretty simple to do... I just need to convince Tim of that.

Other projects around the house... our down stairs bathroom & both kids bedrooms.

#2} Take care of myself. Put myself first more often. This seriously sounds selfish... but it's not... well, it is but in a good way. I really have let myself go since having my 2nd child. I'm no longer a petite size like I was in high school or even when Tim & I got married. And now that baby #4 is on it's way, I know I won't be losing any weight this year. But I can still take care of myself. I ALWAYS am putting my kids first. I feel like my life is KIDS KIDS KIDS... all day & all night. I always feel tired & run down. I don't wear makeup everyday anymore and I sure don't do my hair everyday anymore. My poor husband {not sure how we made baby #4 with me looking this way!}. I vow to change that though. I need more me time!

#3} De-clutter my house. Pretty much every single room in this house has some sort of toy{s} in it. Sometimes having a bigger house is not the best... just means more room to store STUFF. I'm sure The Arch loves us. We have stuff to donate to them every single month when they call. They know they can always count on the Compton family. But apparently, it's not enough. We still have so much stuff. I would just love to SIMPLIFY.

#4} Be a more patient mother. I'm fairly patient. But I'd love to be MORE patient. I wish I was the mom who liked make cookies with my kids... make home made play-doh... do lots of crafts. But I'm not. I like to hurry up and make the cookies real fast... because it's easier. And the thought of a big huge mess from making play-doh or any other big craft with my kids is just dreadful to me. It typically ends up with somthing getting spilled, someone crying or someone getting too frusturated. LOL! And I'm usually the one frusturated... and sometimes crying. :o)

Those are my New Years resolutions. Happy 2012 everyone!!! Here's to a year of lots of changes for the Compton's. A new baby and a new adventure for my hubby!

happy 1 year of life to my Hannah-bug...

2011-11-17T12:57:00.001-07:00

this little person has me absolutley wrapped around her finger. She has been a great addition to our family and makes us laugh every single day. As nervous as I was about having a 3rd baby, I absolutley CANNOT imagine my life without her. I never thought transitioning to 3 kids could be so easy. Allie plays mother hen with Hannah. She likes to love & protect her. Kole plays rough with her but now that Hannah is older, she loves it. She used to be terrified of him... for good reason! LOL! But now, no one can get Hannah to laugh the way Kole can. She just adores her big brother & sister. Being the 3rd child, she is one tough cookie! She can pretty much endure anything. LOL! We love you Hannah-buggy-boo!!!!

just random...

2011-11-13T21:33:00.001-07:00

It's 9:30pm on Sunday night and for some reason I'm feeling the need to post... that being said, I don't feel like I have anything exciting to post about. Sooooo... I am randomly choosing pictures with my eyes closed and I'll post them here... and then maybe write about them. Hows that?! Here goes...

#1} this one was taken about 1 month ago. Just nonchalantly ~~drinking~~ chugging her bottle.

#2} this picture cracks me up! Check out the size of the water gun Kole is hawling around... it's the same size as the kid!

#3} this one happens to be from the same album. Tim & the kids fishing off the end of our dock in McCall. I love this place! This place is pure heaven in the summer and I am SO SO SO glad our kids will have so many memories up here.

#4} Hannah watching intently as daddy cuts her finger nails

Ok... so thats it for the random pictures. And apparently my random mouse cursor did not pick any pictures of Allie. Sorry Allie... next time I guess! I'm going to hit the hay! I'm tired but I have to say it's been a great weekend. Tim & I put the kids to bed on Friday night and had a couple of gin & tonics together. We're so cool. But I like our kind of cool! Saturday we made a family shopping trip to the mall {bleh!}. Then went to Old Chicago and greased ourselves up with their Doubledecoroni Pizza {yum!} and ended our Saturday night having dinner with our neighbors. This morning we again had our neighbors over for a big yummy breakfast that included mickey mouse pancakes for the kiddos. Overall, it was a great lazy day for Tim & the kids and I got some errands & alone time I needed. We finished off our Sunday night with dinner at my dad & Colleen's. And thats that. I'm off to bed!

I love this boy...

2011-11-10T13:27:00.003-07:00

Kole recently turned 4 years old. I can't believe it! Unfortunatly, on his birthday he ended up getting a horrible flu bug. It came out of no where. He at least got to enjoy some special birthday pancakes before the bug came on. He was so miserable that we ended up skipping the presents & cake that day. We just didn't make a big deal out of his birthday that day. I figured that would save him some heartache of know he's missing out on an exciting day. We just saved the fun stuff for his actual birthday party... and I'm so glad we did!

things I want to remember...

*he definitly gives me a run for my money! He is the 'go-go-go-go... CRASH!' kinda kid. If only I had half the energy he does!

*he is such a good sleeper now. If you would have asked me when he was a little baby, my answer would have been totally diferent.

*he is a lover & a pleaser. He likes to sit by me on the couch in the evenings and rub my arm with his finger tips. lol! He likes to do it because he knows I like it. :o)

*he loves to do my hair.

*he ties anything he can get his hands on to pretty much anything else he can get his hands on. And damn if that kid can't tie a mean knot!

*he is VERY sensitive and he's got to be approached in a very careful way. He doesn't always know how to control his emotions. I'm still learning how to deal with this. It's something we struggle with pretty much every single day.

*he says the FUNNIEST things!!! Tim & I are always thinking, 'where did he learn that?!'

*he LOVES to play tricks on people and he is seriously good at it {just like his dad!}

*he likes to dress up and he's pretty good at picking his clothes out.

*that being said, he also likes to dress silly... bike helmet, life jacket & snow boots are among his favorite!

*his snow boots are his favorite shoes... whether it's summer or winter.

*he ALWAYS has somthing connected to his belt loop... ALWAYS. Whether it be a key chain or two or usually a make shift gun and/or sword through the belt loop {like a holster}.

*he ALWAYS tels me 'I wubs you mommy' :o)

I did a 'funny' the other day...

2011-10-05T14:05:00.004-06:00

Having the baby formula right next to the coffee pot is not a smart decision on my part. But... that is where it sits. And that is where it has always sat. I often get up EARLY in the morning {like 4:45am now-a-days!} and I'm the one who typically makes the coffee. There have been a number of times that I have almost scooped the formula into the coffee pot instead of the coffee. Oops. But I always catch myself... until a couple of weeks ago. I actually did it. I put one full scoop of formula into the coffee pot... oh yes I did.

the 7 year itch... but I'm not itchen...

2011-10-02T07:26:00.002-06:00

Happy 7 year anniversary to my hubby & I!!!
7 years sounds like a long time but it has gone by so quickly. 16 years of friendship... 10 years together... 7 years married... 5 years of being parents together... and he is still my very bestest friend. This guy makes me a better person and I love him for that. What a beautiful life we have made together.

{I wish I could find our jr. high picture from when we were 'going out' to add here}

let me just take a minute to show off my cute family real quick...

2011-09-29T10:20:00.004-06:00

jeeeez... I love these guys!!!

Facebook Detox...

2011-09-28T14:18:00.002-06:00

I just got done looking back at several years worth of blog entries. 4 years to be exact. While reading these entries, I kept thinking to myself, 'wow, I'm so glad I have these stories to look back on'. My entries range from, kids. financial wowes. house stuff. marriage. pregnancy. bedrest. wishes. wants. vacations. friends & family. hard times and good times. I can honestly say, I am so glad I have blogged over the years. CAN I SAY THAT ABOUT FACEBOOK???? Will I look back and say, 'wow, I'm so glad I facebooked about this & that'? No... probably not. And because of facebook, my blog has been horribly neglected. Facebook is a great way for people to connect. But I'm starting to feel too connected. Facebook is part of the reason why I didn't feel the need to go to my 10 year high school reunion. I already know what EVERY. SINGLE. person from high school is up to. I know if they're married, single, gay, how many kids, where they've been and what they ate for breakfast that day. And honestly, there are just some things that I don't want to know about certain friends & family. So my friends, this is why I'm doing a FACEBOOK DETOX. Starting on Monday, October 3rd , I will remove facebook from my favorites list and have Tim change my password. Instead, I will blog each day. I will do this for a week straight {and maaaybe even longer, who know!}. And I will be sooooo glad I did. :o}

I DARE YOU TO JOIN ME!!!!!!

Where did the time go?

2011-09-02T14:00:00.005-06:00

HOW DID I GO FROM THIS...

TO THIS, SO QUICKLY???

I still remember the day I found out I was pregnant with Allie. The day I found out she was a girl. The day I first felt her kick. The day she was born. We were new parents, neither of us had ever done any of this before. Everything that Allie did was new & exciting and at times, new and terrifying.

When she was a baby, I couldn't wait for her to role over, crawl, walk... go to school. Now, fast forward 5 years, and here we are. I always thought that I wouldn't cry when I let her go, but as the first day of school got closer and closer, I got a little more nervous. And then finally came the day. We were both excited! We got out of the car and I walked her to the playground. I could feel her clinging to my leg and her body was tense. As soon as the bell rang, all the kids scattered to their different line up spots. I quickly ushered Allie to her line and she was all 'nervous smiles'. I stood back and waved and and kept nodding my head while giving her the thumbs up to assure her that she could do this and she would be just fine. While standing in line, she just couldn't take her eyes off of me. So I kept reassuring her with my big cheesy smile and my thumbs in the air. Before I knew it, her teacher was leading them to the classroom in a single file line. Thats when MY tears came. I knew from there on out, I couldn't be the one to protect her when things got hard at school. I couldn't lead her in the right direction if she got lost in the hallways and I wouldn't be there to hug her when she needed me. I will never forget Allie's first day of kindergarten.

It's kind of a special time for me right now. I'm ushering my first born off to kindergarten, a time that so many parents dream about, while one of my very best friends is about to welcome her first child. Shane & I grew up together.... we were best friends, and that is an understatement. As we became older we sort of went our seperate ways but we never forgot about eachother. Shane has always held a special place in my heart. Today, I am so thankful to have her back in my life and help her welcome her first born.

Shane,

you will always remember the day you found out you were pregnant, and today... the day you find out if it's a boy or a girl, the first time you feel that little kick and the day your sweet baby is born. But don't rush things... take it one day at a time. Be patient. Because before you know it, you will be giving that big cheesy smile with your thumbs in the air, waving goodbye as your little one walks off to kindergarten.

10 minutes of free writting... READY? GO!

2011-07-25T12:39:00.002-06:00

I'll be glad I did this once the 10 minutes is over! Just thinking about sitting down and blogging gives me cramps. We are one busy family right now but I love it! I think I thrive on it! Tim started school. So he's typically busy typing away at the computer most evening and sometimes early mornings. Although sometimes are hard not having him 'around', I am so glad he is doing this. There is no doubt in my mind that he is going to be where he wants to be {career wise} in the next 5 years. That makes me happy! He'll also be starting EMT school in the fall on top of working on his associates degree. As you know, we have 3 kids now. lol! That's why I don't blog much. My Hannah bug is 8 months old now. 3 kids sounds like a lot but I feel like I've really really gotten to enjoy this little gal to the fullest extent. I'm not a first time mom anymore... I've been there, done that so at this point nothing scares me. I kind of have a passive personality anyways. I'm naturally just not a worrier... and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. But I kinda like it. It makes my life a lot easier. lol! In fact, on Saturday, Kole took too big of a bite of pancake and sausage together and was choking on it. I calmly picked him up, bent him over my knee and beat the hell out of his back and did the ol' fish hook down his throat. It eventually came flying out. All while Tim is freaking out, breathing hard, sweating & shaking. And he wants to be a fire fighter? lol! Anywhoo... I need to be better about this blogging stuff. I know I'll regret it in the long run if I don't. One night last week, I went back and read all of my blogs from the very beginning {2007}. I soooo enjoyed it. I laughed & I cried and I'm so glad I have some of those memories, whether good or bad, on record. Welp, there's my 10 minutes of randomness. I'll post photos someday. For now, those photos remain on my camera {all 1000+ of them!} because my laptop has a stroke anytime I try to download anything to it. :o}

It's a GIRL... and she's 5 months old...

2011-03-29T12:06:00.011-06:00

LOL!!!! I'm ba-aaack! Wow... one blog post in a year??? I'm embarassed. Well, my cerclage & progesterone injections were a SUCCESS! I delivered our (gender suprise) baby at 12:12am on November 16th 2010. Yes, thats almost 5 MONTHS ago! Sorry Hannah... let the 3rd child syndrome begin! Here's a short version of the story. On November 9th (a Tuesday), I got my cerclage removed. It was sooo painful but I was glad it was over with. I immediatly dialated to 2cm and was about 80% effaced. That Friday, I was kind of not feeling well, but decided to go out with some friends to watch the BSU bowl game at Buffalo Wild Wings. When my friend Lynsay picked me up, I had been contracting every 5 minutes but failed to tell her this until we actually got to the resturaunt. I contracted the whole time we were there and was really freaking everyone out. lol! Finally Tim & I decided we should head straight to the hospital. When we got there, I was 4cm dialated & 100% effaced. By the time they admitted me into my room and hooked me up to an iv, it was like midnight. This is my 3rd kid... I know how things go and I knew I'd need pitocin to get me past 4cm and figured they wouldn't give me pitocin until the morning. So, knowing this, I sent Tim home to sleep. Have you ever slept in a hospital chair? He has many times (remember, I was in the hospital for 7 weeks with Kole?) and vinyl hospital chairs are not comfortable. So I get cozy in my hospital bed and settle in for the night, basically knowing nothing would happen that night. Several hours later, the nurse comes in and checks me... no change. I'm still 4cm dialated. So, she goes and calls the on-call dr. (they couldn't get a hold of my own dr.). Pretty soon, the nurse comes in and says... 'Dr. so&so wants you to go home.' WHAT??? WHAT?!?!?! I am 4cm dialated, 100% effaced and contracting every 4 minutes... AND IT'S 2AM... AND I AM HERE BY MYSELF?!' So after crying & begging, it was apparent that this kumquat of a dr. was still hell bent on sending me home. The nurses felt sooo bad. One nurse even offered to drive me home, and get this... one nurse offered to CALL ME A CAB. Seriously?! lol! No thanks. So, I'm sitting on the edge of the bed sobbing and I call Tim. He answers the phone (still sleeping!) and I tell him that they're sending me home. His reply? 'ok'... and hangs up. Well, he apparently wasn't going to be picking me up. lol! So I called my mom and she came to the rescue. I think I returned to the Triage center like 3 more times over that weekend. Finally that Monday, I went into my dr.'s office and he broke up my scar tissue from my cerclage. That scar tissue was holding me at 5cm dialated for the whole weekend. I was admitted that night into the same room that I was in the Friday before (funny- huh?!). I got my iv, got my pitocin and QUICKLY got my epidural after that. That epidural was a joke! Tim, my mom, and my friends Lynsay & Anna were there with me. I think I went from 5cm to 10cm within about 30 minutes. I pushed out our suprise baby within about 15 minutes or so. Tim got to help deliver her. And it was a GIRL! I have to say, it was so much fun not knowing the gender but in my heart of hearts, I knew it was a girl... I just knew. Miss Hannah was 6lbs 5oz. and she was totally healthy. She was our first non-nicu baby. WOW! That was long! Just one of those stories that you want to remember forever... so why not write it down... right? Pictures! Pictures!

Saying good-bye to the kids. Hannah was born about 12 hours later.

my bestest friends suprised me! :o} (look at the narly bruise on my arm from the iv they put in on that dreadful Friday they sent me home. %$#@!)

Hannah Dee Compton

I love this man... but thats a whole nother blog post! He has been through SO much with me.

The picture says it all...

2010-05-24T13:11:00.002-06:00

... Thats right. I think pretty much everyone knows by now that I'm knocked up... again! We've made it 'out of the woods' and have hit the 12 week mark. Finally! We're a little bit of both... excited and nervous. But for me, I'd say mostly nervous! For those who know me, they know that I don't finish things that I start. I am soooo good at starting a craft/project and then not finishing it. Thats pretty much how my pregnancies go as well. I cook em' and then evict em' early! Not this one though... we're doing things a little different this time around. I go in on Friday morning for a cerclage surgery (if you don't know what a cerclage is, google it). I won't go into too much detail. That plus some progesterone injections each week should hopefully hold me up without any bedrest until November/December. Wish us luck! By the way, my due date is December 4th and we are NOT finding out the sex of the baby. :o}

omg... she's blogging!

2010-03-03T13:07:00.006-07:00

wOw! Do I suck at blogging or what?

Let me catch you up on my life... We had a whirl wind of a Christmas. Our little family had the flu (yet again) for this last one. Poor Kole has only had one Christmas in his little life that he has actually gotten to celebrate without having the flu. We survived though! We visited all the families and on Christmas night Tim got to use his new BBQ that Mrs. Santa brought him and cooked us a delicious prime rib! The kids were stoked with their presents and all was well!

In December we got pregnant with #3. We were both so excited! I had all the regular fun symptoms up until I hit about 5 weeks. They started to go away. Soon after I started spotting (just barely). My dr. agreed to do an u/s and there was no baby. 1 week later (at 7 weeks) I finally miscarried. Emotionally it wasn't too hard on me. Poor Tim was heart broken though. I think the hardest part for me (and still is) is thinking about how far along I should have been by now. Thanks Babycenter.com for reminding me that I should have been 13 weeks today. Ugh.

January & February flew by, thank God. I hate January & February. Like... really hate. They're the worst 2 months of the whole year. Why did I have to be born in one of the worst months of the year?! Thanks mom & dad! The last couple of days have been sunny & warm. Ohhh, I love spring!

Allie definitly has given me a run for my money in these past 3 months. Who ever made up the saying about 'terrible two's' should be shot. Two is NOTHING. NOTHING! I think she broke me down to tears every single day in the months of January & February. Side note: are we seeing a pattern here?.... January... February? Bad months. Luckily, she seems to be doing better now. She is really transitioning from toddler to kid right before my eyes. It's crazy! Her favorite past time now is doing puzzles. She is really good at them!

Kole... Kole is just naughty. He also gives me a run for my money... just in a different way. I throw a load of laundry on the couch to fold and he throws them off. I sit him at the table to eat some cheese crackers and he squishes them all. I put the newspapers in a stack and he throws them around the living room. You get the point. He is all boy. He is a lover though. When I walk into his room in the mornings to get him from his crib, he turns over and says in his sweet little voice, 'hi mommy'. He can really melt my heart.

When people hear that I want 3 kids, I always hear the gasp like 'your crazy!'. I'm not kidding... every single time. I'm not going to lie, though, sometimes I gasp at the thought of having 3 kids as well. Sometimes I think to myself, 'Am I crazy???' These 2 kids already give me a run for my money each day! I'm already exhausted by the end of each day. Do I really want 3 kids? And my answer is... Yes, I want 3 kids and if we could afford it we'd have even more than that. As a mother, my kids are the reason I get up everyday. They are the reason that my heart smiles everyday. They bring the laughter into our home. Who wouldn't want to add more? Tim & I have always had a place in our hearts for 3 children. And yes, I want 3 kids... so get over it damn it! LOL! Enough with all of this gushy stuff. Basically when I really think about it... we already have two kids... whats one more?!

Anyways, here's to birds chirping, warm days & a sunny, happy spring!!! And I'll leave you with some random unedited pictures from the last 3 months...

Allie jumping at the trampoline gym in Seattle...

my sicky kids on Christmas Eve....

back to normal on Christmas Day...

oh they just lub eachother...

playing with playdough...

he's going to kill me when he's older...

she just loves this dog...

And I have to show off my new bedroom that we just finished this weekend. Ok... I wouldn't say finished. It still has a ways to go but the majority of it is done.

Isn't my hubs the BEST ever?!

2009-12-29T13:01:00.003-07:00

Look at what my hubby built me!!!

{before}

{mid}

{ta-daaa!!!}

I just love it! We so desperately needs somewhere to hang our coats & the daycare kid's coats. Having them just piled on the stairs was driving me nuts! Luckily it was driving Tim nuts enough to actually do something about it! And... that's why I love the guy! The little seat cushions that you see are on hinges and we can hide all of our shoes in there. And if you could actually see the coat hooks in person, you might just shriek! Cause they're big, beautiful & rot iron. They're gorgeous! I love my man!!! Of course I apholstered the cushions, painted & put the decor on top... I gotta give myself a little credit here! ;o}

hello... meet my mormon closet...

2009-11-17T13:38:00.002-07:00

No... I'm not preparing for the end of the world or some sort of disaster. No... nothing like that.

Hello... my name is Jacki and I am preparing for another baby. Yes... another baby. Now don't get all excited just yet. I am not preggo. Not yet.

As most of you know, I don't carry a baby in my tummy very well. You see, these said babies like to come out early. Too early. Which requires me to do months & months of bedrest.

I had a dr.'s appt a couple of weeks ago to discuss 'family planning'. Most women would take their spouse... you know... like... their husband's. I took my mom. LOL! Yep, I took my mom. Tim was out of town and I had already had this appt scheduled forever, so I wasn't about to reschedule! I chose my mom because, A) she was probably the most concerned about us having another child and B) I needed another set of ears so I wouldn't have selective hearing incase the news was not good. Well, turns out the news was good... not just good but GrEaT! In the past 2 years since I've had Kole, they've come up with a new progesterone shot that I will be getting once per week while in the 2nd trimester. This shot along with a cerclage will most likely ward off any preterm labor that I might have. My dr. felt very confident that this will work for us with little to no bedrest. And I trust him.

Soooo... Tim & I are doing everything & anything that we can to prepare for this upcoming baby/pregnancy. We setup a new 'baby saving account' and by June we will have about 4+ months worth of income setup... just incase. And you know that 'mormon closet' I showed you up there? Well, I took on a new toddler in my daycare. She is here about 2 hours each day, 4 days per week and I am taking the extra income from her and stocking my mormon closet! My plan is to have at least 4 months worth of non perishable goods stacked on these shelves by the time I have a baby.

Do you think I might be nesting already??? Noooo....

Anyways, pray hard for us... think positive... wish... send good vibes... do a little dance... do whatever it is you do! We want a healthy pregnancy & baby! :o)

September 3, 2011...

2009-11-07T13:27:00.001-07:00

From Yahoo news today (11/7/2009)...

RUSTON, La. – Is it cowardice or collusion?
Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier is all but begging for a major opponent – any major opponent – to play his Broncos, particularly in 2011. He can hardly get his calls returned. Not by the SEC. Not by the Big Ten. Not by anyone.

Bleymaier is making a nearly unheard of offer in college football scheduling – Boise will bring its popular, high-profile, top-10 team to any stadium in any town to play any big name team in America in 2011. And they don’t have to return the date in Idaho.
So far, no one has bit.
ESPN has even become involved trying to broker a deal that will almost assuredly be nationally televised. Still no luck.

It’s the kind of non-conference game that should have schools salivating. Boise delivers an opponent that will challenge your players, exposure that will extend your brand and a home game that will excite your fans.
“It’s been surprising how many big schools have not been receptive of us coming to their place,” Bleymaier said.
This is the conundrum for the upstart program and every non-major conference school trying to battle for national respect.
Boise is 44-4 over the past four seasons, including 4-1 against major conference opponents. Yet that doesn’t guarantee the Broncos a slot in a big money BCS bowl due to the level of competition they play in the Western Athletic Conference.
The school acknowledges it needs to play tougher teams. Yet how can they beat quality opponents if quality opponents won’t play them?
What Boise is left with is games like Friday’s here. They traveled 2,000 miles to beat Louisiana Tech 45-35, a conference game, and improve to 9-0 on the season. For that they practically had to apologize because it wasn’t a blowout.
“That’s how it always is when we play,” coach Chris Petersen said. “It’s never good enough. It’s good enough for us, we won. If you’re looking to win by so much, if you’re looking for style points, if you’re looking to play for the polls, which we’re not, it’s not going to be good enough.”
Petersen has had it with arguing about whether the Broncos deserve a BCS bid. All he can do is win games. His team beat the one major opponent that would play them this year – a 19-8 victory over Oregon in the season opener. That same Oregon team is now 8-1.
Yet he deals with questions about who his team plays in the WAC. Boise won consecutive games this year by a combined score of 99-16 and dropped from No. 4 to No. 7 in the BCS standings. Petersen said he wouldn’t be surprised if they dropped again this week. They may again put together a perfect season only to be left out.
The only answer is to play better non-conference opponents. Next season they have games against Oregon State and Virginia Tech. After that though, things may be drying up. In 2011, they can’t get one game, let alone two.
So are the big schools scared of playing Boise? Avoiding tough non-conference opponents is the new trend in college football thanks to the BCS. The championship system discourages dangerous, if exciting, out-of-league scheduling as it continues to sap the life out of the regular season.
Or, perhaps, this is how the major conferences are going to deal with the Broncos.
Put it this way, if no one good agrees to play Boise then Boise can’t beat anyone any good. And if Boise can’t beat anyone any good, then how can they ever argue they’re deserving of a spot in a $17.5 million BCS bowl?
“I don’t think it’s collusion,” Bleymaier said. “I think it’s athletic directors going to their football coaches and saying, ‘hey, what about playing this school?’ If coaches had their druthers they’d play sisters of the poor 11 times.”
Still, the frustration is obvious.
“Some of those schools that are saying ‘let them play our schedule’ won’t play us,” Bleymaier said.
That no one will accept Boise State’s offer is absurd. This isn’t a decade ago, when playing the program was no-win situation. If you won, you were supposed to win because no one had heard of them. If you lost (which was likely) it was a disaster.
There can’t be any college fans left who don’t know how good Petersen’s team is. A game against Boise would bolster anyone’s home schedule. It would be a huge game. The television exposure would be invaluable.
Maybe Florida and Texas don’t need a game with Boise (they can ride non-conference cupcakes to the title game). A middle of the pack Big Ten or Big 12 team certainly does though. Boise’s program is more famous than all of them – the Broncos are on true national television seven times this season alone.
Yet no one wants the game. They’ll schedule mismatches from the old Division I-AA instead (and charge full ticket price). Bleymaier has to keep his composure as he listens to the critics.
Last year Utah went 13-0 yet didn’t have a chance to play for the BCS title. At a Congressional subcommittee hearing University of Nebraska chancellor and BCS figurehead Harvey Perlman was asked what the Utes could’ve done differently.
“They could have played the schedule Nebraska did,” Perlman said.
While it’s par for the course for the BCS to have a leader who has no idea how college football works, what can a Boise State do in the face of that kind of ignorance?
Would Boise accept an invitation to join the Big 12?
“Yeah, of course,” Bleymaier said. “If we were in their conference we’d play that schedule.”
Not only is that not happening they can’t get one game against the league. While Bleymaier won’t say specifically which schools have turned him down, he will say that the open date remains – Sept. 3, 2011. The offer stands, the Broncos will go anywhere.
And, lo and behold, guess which major conference school happens to have an open date? How about Harvey Perlman’s Nebraska, the one-time powerhouse which could use all the big attention grabbing games it can get these days?
Don’t hold your breath on that one – chicken or collusion, the result is the same.

I just love these 2 pictures of my little man...

2009-10-19T13:03:00.002-06:00

look at that dirty face. He is such a boy...

it's one of those weird gut feelings...

2009-10-16T10:36:00.003-06:00

For some reason, the last couple of days I've had this weird, overwhelming feeling of discontent... antsyness... bottled up creativity... a caged bird, if you will. I feel like I can't sit down. I feel like I want to move far away. I have this overwhelming WANT to create somthing new... with my craftiness AND far more important... my life. Maybe I'm just going through a 'mid 20's crisis'. Or maybe there are so many projects in this house to start & finish and I'm just overwhelmed. Or maybe it's because this house doesn't feel like my home... yet. We've been here 7 months and I keep waiting & waiting for it to feel like home and it just doesn't. I've been stairing at this blank canvas that has been sitting on my table for the last week or so. I'm dying to do somthing with it. I have somthing in mind but I need to work up the courage to actually do it... and finish it. Maybe thats all I need... to let some creative juices flow. I plan on spending some time at our local scrapbook store this weekend and sitting down... by myself... and working on my project. Maybe such a simple project like that will help me get rid of this discontent... antsyness & bottled up creativity. Lets hope! :o)

week 1...

2009-09-06T17:51:00.002-06:00

Let me just say... I am very proud of myself! I'm doing a weekly weigh in at my dad's house because he's got the 'fancy' scale and... well... he's throwing a little insentive my way if I make it to my goal! Yay! Sooo, I headed that way to do the ol' weigh in. Success!!! I lost 4lbs this week! No kidding! And no, I'm absolutly not starving myself! I've changed 3 things in my life...

#really watch what I eat, including portion control
#run/walk every night 1.5 miles (I have a loop!)
#don't eat after 7pm

Now, I know that 4lbs a week is probably not a realistic amount to lose each week but I'll still be happy with 2 or 3lbs. I'll update again next Sunday! :o)

I'm putting it out there...

2009-08-25T21:29:00.004-06:00

I'm putting this out there for all the world to see! I figure if I do so, I may be less likely to fail... right? I'd like to think so anyway...

ehem!

On October 2nd we are headed to Seattle for a quick 5th anniversary trip with some friends and I am soooo excited! Although, I'd be more excited if I could fit into a cute pair of jeans while I'm there... minus the love handles.

Now... going back in time. From last December to about February I lost 15lbs. Since then I've totally plateaued and maybe even gained a few back.

So I'm putten it out there for all the world to see! I am going to lose 12lbs by October 2nd. That gives me 5 weeks and breaks down to almost 2.5lbs per week. I think it's do-able... right?!

So... I need YOU to ask me how I'm doing once in awhile... or every fricken day maybe! I'll try & keep a little update now and then but in the mean time... just watch my little ticker on the left hand side here and you should see it start going down (insert hopeful face here).

I'm excited! I have my plan in place & my goal in mind. I am going to do this! I am sooo incredibly sick of feeling icky about myself. GO ME!

ohhh... somebody's gonna be sooooo fired!!!

2009-08-20T13:51:00.002-06:00

Ok, this is REAL... REALLY REAL!!! I saw this this morning on the actual Sears website. It has been taken down now, obviously. Ok, really?! LMAO! LMAO! LMAO! I think someone was super-duper mad at there boss. Fortunately for them, they probably won't have to worry about that pestery boss anymore because something tells me they will no longer have a job at Sears. OMG LMAO again!

http://community.babycenter.com/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmz.com%2Ftag%2FCookingBabies%2F

Ok to set things straight... I'm not a supporter of baby cooking, nor do I think it's funny... but this, this is funny! Someone has some serious balls and no need for a job!

backyard projects...

2009-06-28T20:38:00.004-06:00

My dear Timmy has been working, what seems like, endlessly on our backyard. You see, when we first moved in here the backyard was not complete. The previous owners only completed half the backyard and left the other half totally neglected and without sprinklers. I just don't understand... 5 years... 5 years these people lived here! Soooo... when we moved in, that was basically one of the firsts on our 'to do' list.

This is sorta how it looked, except the weeds actually used to stand up to our thighs. This is what it looked like after we sprayed & weed eated and installed a sprinkler system (now... when I say 'we' I actually mean Tim). Ehem...

Here we are after we laid sod...

And this poor pathetic excuse for a tree didn't make it into the new landscape plans....

Instead... we made a cute little fire pit out of it! Lol! Really, this tree had no chance. It was dead. We just laid the brick around it, Tim cut the tree level with the top of the brick and we plan on burning our first fire in it (including the tree) tonight!

I'm pretty proud of our backyard and I'm pretty darn proud of Tim for taking on such a long, frusturating project. There were many times that we thought this project would never end. I'm so glad we're past the icky part and I can just focus on planting flowers, trees and shrubs. I can't wait for about 4 years when everything is full grown, big & pretty.

Andddd... just for fun...

Allie wearing funny glasses yesterday...

Kole enjoying some bbq'd corn on the cob for the first time tonight...

I just love summer... don't you?! :o}

I have a stalker...

2009-06-20T08:23:00.003-06:00

He showed up at my living room window several times yesterday. I called the authorities (my mom). She pretty much just told me to shut my blinds and hope he goes away. I tried it but no, he just moved to the back door so I shut those too. He didn't come back at all yesterday. I thought maybe he was gone for good. Then... 6:20am this Saturday morning... he was at my bedroom window!!! Peeking in on us while we were sleeping! When will this end? When will I ever find peace in my own home???

Not only does he look in my window... he also knocks.

aint she purdy...

2009-06-19T20:01:00.004-06:00

Ohhhh she's such a friggen joy. The thing that I'd like to know is WHY oh WHY do they make such a big deal about the age of 2? Terrible 2's?! Huh! They should call them 'a walk in the park 2's'. 2 is nothin! Not only do we know everything at the age of 3, we also don't need any help at the age of 3 and we also get a little sneaky at the age of 3.

Another new 'thing' of hers is changing her clothes 856,000 times a day. a typical outfit for Allie one minute may be a long sleeve shirt with one arm through the sleeve & one arm through the neck hole, a ballerina skirt & some dress shoes on the wrong feet. However, look away for 5 seconds and that outfit might very well change.

At least I still have my sweet snuggly little boy. ;o)

dance dance dance...

2009-06-04T08:17:00.003-06:00

Allie had her first dance recital a few weeks ago. All of the little girls did so good and believe it or not, there was no crying on stage. None of em'! At first, when the curtain opened the girls were all stunned and just kind of stood there in ahhh of the crowd. Once the shock wore off they all started dancing. It was funny, the whole time Allie was a little off from everyone else, as you will see in some of the pictures. But hey, I was just glad she didn't just stand there and cry. We were so proud of our little dancer!

(below... Allie is on the far left sitting)

(below... you can see Allie is the only one going to the far right. LOL!)

just look at what I have to deal with every day...

2009-06-03T23:03:00.002-06:00

it's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it.

ok, I promise I'll blog about my life real soon... we've had a lot of changes going on in the last 5 weeks. When I get half a second to myself, I'll fill ya in. Promise! As for right now... it's late. Good night!

FaMiLy PiCtUrEs...

2009-05-14T14:48:00.007-06:00

We had our family pictures done with the Turner side of the family on Mothers Day. Although we were only able to stay for a short time, it was a lot of fun and Carina did a great job! Check out her work at http://www.carinadewitt.com/. Now... leave it to me to want to edit already great work. LOL! I just like to play around with my photoshop so here are my versions of some of her (already great!) photos that Carina did...

ps... I don't think I am violating any rules by doing this because she is giving us a cd of all the photos anyway to do as we want :o)

Don't you just wanna eat up their cuteness...

2009-05-09T00:06:00.002-06:00

The above picture was taken at home. Of course, she poses like crazy... but once we get in front of the real camera at the studio, she won't even crack a smile. You'll see below how she perfected the 'victorian' style frown. You would think that someone just told her that Santa isn't real.

Allie with her best friend Chloe

And here's the whole class. If you do click on the picture, it looks weird only cause I had to tastefully blurr out the little girls faces. I'm sure not every mom wants their kid on the internet. ;o)

baby news...

2009-04-29T18:26:00.004-06:00

no... not me... my cousin Lisa! Lisa allowed me to be in the room for the birth of her first baby girl. And I cannot tell you enough how much I loved every minute of it! This was Lisa's first baby and she did amazing! Jakoby Kae was born at 12:39pm on Thursday, April 23rd, weighing in at a whopping 8lbs 6oz. Of course I hauled along my camera and took about 13 cazillion pictures and I've finally gotten the chance to 'doll a few up'. Thank you, Lisa, for letting me in on your little miracle. It truely was an amazing experience!

I cant wait to show you!

2009-03-30T13:09:00.002-06:00

I can't wait to show my latest project! This is one I'm very proud of! Only, I can't show you til I'm all done... and I'm not. Just imagine... 2 bird feeders, a beautiful tv stand & a mirror... all from one old dresser that I didn't use anymore! EeeEek!!!

aAaaAaaaaAAakkKkkkk!

2009-03-24T14:13:00.002-06:00

Look at these... aaak!

Are these NOT the cutest things you've ever seen in your life?! Seriously!!! I could eat them up! AUNT KATE!!! I know you're good with felt! I know a cute little 2 year old blondie that would look ADORABLE in one of these! And maybe even a cute little 26 year old too! ;o}
pweeeaaase!!!!!!!!

i love this old girl...

2009-03-16T14:37:00.003-06:00

and I love that I... FINALLY TOOK A DECENT PICTURE WITHOUT A FLASH!!! Big step, people! BIG! BIG step in the photography world! Eeeek!!!

I heart babies...

2009-03-16T10:23:00.008-06:00

I know it's a little late... buuuuut... we had Lisa's baby shower last weekend and it turned out great! Here are some of the pictures, and Lisa, you are more than welcome to take any of these pics and save them for yourself! THANKS TO ALL WHO CAME!!!

Grace of Small Things...

2009-03-06T14:05:00.002-07:00

My aunt Kate occasionally does a blog titled, 'Grace of Small Things'. I always enjoy reading hers and I find it's a nice reminder of... the small things in life. So here's mine. I am greatful today for...

*the sunshine peaking through my windows
*not turning on the tv today... just listening to relaxing music on low
*sleeping with Allie last night
*watching Kole learn to walk in his new shoes
*The only quiet time I get to myself during the day at naptime
*e-mailing a close friend today and setting up a dinner date for next week. I can't wait!
*the baby shower that I've planning for someone special tomorrow
*my husband returning home from out of town

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!

Bad blogger! Bad!

2009-03-03T12:34:00.006-07:00

Wow, long time no blog! And... where did February go??? I can't believe it's already March. I am sOoOoOooo incredibly ready for spring and even summer. Yesterday we got a little taste of spring/summer. It got up to 68 degrees!!! Aaack! And... then it rained. And today it's hailing golf balls. Welcome to Idaho everyone!

hOmE sWeEt HoMe...

This is the new nest. Ya know, I used to be very sad about leaving this house. After all, THIS is where I brought both of my children home to from the hospital. THIS is where I drank a bottle of wine while painting big stripes down the wall in the kid's playroom. THIS is where Tim built me my garden. THIS has the beautiful wood floors that I oh so love sooo much. But... we are ready to move on and create new memories in THIS house ('pointing up'). It's a lovely 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom with a den & a bonus room. It's got a beautiful garden area in the back thats surrounded by a little picket fence that I plan on painting turquoise & red (I know... sounds awful! But it won't be... promise!). It's got a 4 car garage & Tim plans on taking part of it for a 'man cave' and doing whatever he pleases with it since I won't let him touch any other part of the house. It's got a cute little cubby sized room with 4ft ceilings just for the kids with a little door and everything. We are going to make THIS our home and I am confident that we will create lots of memories here for a long long time. I'm super excited to get my hands on it and bring it up (or down) to my taste!

What else? What else? I'm doing good. I'm now another year older. It feels weird to be closer to 30 than 20. Eeeek! I've seemed to plato on this weight loss thing. I'm stuck. I'm not losing and thankfully I'm not gaining either. And ya know, why do you always lose weight where you don't need to lose it? My butt was just fine the way it was and now... now I have no butt. No butt! Oh but don't worry everyone... my muffin top is still there! Ugh.

See this (look down). This is my birthday cake. My birthday is the day after Valentines Day and it has become a tradition that my mom (and if you know my mom, this is really no suprise) buys me a marked down heart shaped cake. It HAS to have the big orange sale sticker though or else it just won't cut it! I think the joke started a couple of years ago when I actually had the nerve to complain about always having a half priced heart cake. The next year my mom bought be a regular cake and I was quite disappointed. Turns out... my day old, big sale sticker, half priced heart cakes ARE pretty special to me after all!

Allie & Kole are getting naughtier by the minute. Allie is moving to the gut wrenching 3's. How come no one tells you about age 3? Theres not too much terrible about the 2's. 2's are nothin! She wants to do everything by herself and she's already asking to drive the car! How come I have the kid who stuffs her shirt and begs for the keys already?! She's 3... actually not even 3 yet!!! Kole, well... he's a boy. He pulls hair, he hits, he climbs stuff and he is just... a stinky little boy. Gotta love em'!

Tim is working hard. He has adjusted well to being back outside doing manual labor. Hey, at this point... we are just glad that he still has a job there. I'm actually quite proud of him. I have to do a little bragging here. Probuild, like many, has gone through a lot of lay offs. They are down from 85 employees to about 25 or so. Instead of laying Tim off, they offered him a different job. Yes, it's lower paying and it's manual labor but I really think the it says a lot about Tim and his work ethics. At first, he was a little embarrassed being 'demoted' but I have had to remind him several times that it's actually a huge compliment that they wanted to keep him. Out of all the lay offs they've done, he is the only one they offered an alternative to. I'm very proud of my man!

It seems as though we had a cold cold winter. Lots of couples staying in doors and um... making babies. LOL! No, not me! My best friend is prego & now my brother & sister in-law! I love it! I am so unbelievably happy for Jake & Heather (hi guys!). My heart aches for any women who goes through the infertility thing. I've been there, done that. I will always remember the day I finally saw 2 lines on a pregnancy test! I had been a POASA (pee on a stick-aholic). And they were always the same... negative. Until that one on December 10th 2005. I'm just so thrilled that Heather will get to experience the kicks, baby moving, baby hiccuping, wearing maternity clothes, labor & everything else (good & bad) that comes with expecting. I feel like my heart could explode with happiness for them! Love you guys!

And there ya have it! Thats what we've been up to. Sorry I've been such a bad blogger. I'm glad I'm finally getting somthing new up. I'm awfully sick of looking at that butt-ugly cake!

I'm sure we know someone...

2009-01-31T00:04:00.003-07:00

I'm sure we know someone who is getting married soon... right? I have the perfect cake for em'! Now don't all jump on this at once. k?

Aint she a beauty?!

I'm so stoked!

2009-01-30T08:19:00.003-07:00

I'm not sure if you've seen on the left side of my blog but I've been keeping a 'weight loss' ticker. And... notice how it says 10lbs lost?! I have officially lost 10lbs!!! I am so excited I can hardly sit here and type this! I just want to go run around the block 10 times! About 4 weeks ago, I started getting Vitamin B12, B6 & B-Complex injections 2-3 times per week. They are all natural and let me tell you, I LOVE THEM! I have successfully been able to go off & stay off of my anti-depressants, I have more energy & they are helping my lose weight. I would soooo suggest these to anyone who is low on energy, always sick, on anti-depressants or just needs to lose some weight! The only sucky thing... my insurance doesnt cover them. Thats alright though, I plan on probably just using them until late spring when its sunny & warm and we can go outside again.
I'd like to give a big shout out to... ME! LOL! WOOO-HOOO me!!!

And check out this little cutie!

2009-01-27T17:29:00.002-07:00

Gracie got to stay with us while Jake & Heather went to Las Vegas. We had so much fun with her! Allie was so sad to see her go. But then Allie got to have a 'surprise' sleepover at Gracie's house last weekend! They just adore eachother!

so I've been meaning to...

2009-01-27T09:42:00.003-07:00

post these FOREVER. Allie started dance 3 weeks ago. Ya, I know... she's only 2 but they are so entertaining & so so cute to watch. Plus, this girl teaches her dance classes out of her garage. She's done a good job turning her whole garage into a dance studio and she only charges $25 each month for the little ones to go once per week. They are learning ballett & tap. And here are the pics...

so. so. soooo inspiring!

2009-01-22T13:46:00.002-07:00

I can't seem to find the time to sit down and write a blog lately. Nothing too new with my family. We've all been sick with a cold. I took Kole to the dr. yesterday and he actually has the RSV virus again. Luckily, this time he is old enough that it shouldnt land him in the hospital. We should all be on the mend here shortly.

Tuesday, as we all know, was the inauguration of Barack Obama. I watched every part of every event with pride. My mom wrote a blog that I think I'll just copy & paste (hope you dont mind, mom!). It is amazing to me the excitment & inspiration that comes with this new change...

... ... ... ... ... ...

It WAS an exciting day yesterday. I agree with much of what was said; It's great to see a black President when not too long ago, they couldn't even use the same bathroom as a white person. But by far, the thing that excites me the most is seeing and hearing the next generation so inspired and seemingly ready and willing to get involved in our country.

No matter what channel I watched yesterday, I saw ad after ad, all day long, from many companies about getting involved and volunteering. Helping out our fellow humans - obviously inspired by our new President. While we can hope for change, and some people will "expect" it, it absolutely can't and won't happen until EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of us is willing to make it happen. We can't sit back and wait for the President to make our lives better.

If every individual who has an extra dollar would give that dollar to someone you know or a complete stranger who needs it, we can start making a difference. We can't let people go hungry - get that food out of your pantry that you know you won't eat and take it to the food bank.

Do you have old coats, blankets, gloves? Pack them up and get them in the car and head to the mission or to a local park where you know the homeless people stay during the day.

If you have extra, share it. If you have knowledge, put it to good use. It's so easy for us to "plan" on making a difference but also so easy to put it off or decide to let someone else do the work.

The economy is terrible now, the winter is cold, it seems to make us all depressed. But the best way out of depression, is to help someone. It's amazing how good it makes you feel to make a difference for even just one person.

So, whether you pay the change for the person ahead of you in the grocery store, buy a pack of diapers for a mother you know can't afford them, volunteer for a week at a kids camp, take a kid to the movie that you know can't afford to go, or even share a kind word with someonve who obviously needs it - no matter how big or small, let's share what we're doing to help get the country we love back to where it should be.

Don't let them be just words from a new President. Let's make them OUR words and give them meaning, "YES WE CAN!"

... ... ... ... ... ...

ahhh... isnt it refreshing to finally have some hope.

:o)

Oh no... I AM my mother's daughter...

2009-01-09T10:24:00.003-07:00

This morning, as I always do, I got out some plates for the kid's breakfast. I have these super easy frozen pancakes that they love. I just pop them in the microwave for a minute or so and they're done. Well, this morning... I did that. Only, I forgot the important part. The pancakes. Yes, that's right... I pulled out the kiddie plates and popped them in the microwave 'for a minute or so' and walked away. I laughed my arse off when I opened the microwave and realized what I had done.

Should I be worried? Shouldn't this kind of forgetfulness be something I should only have to worry about when I'm like... say 40+??? Looks like I not only inherited the good parts of my mom but also some of the weird. Hi mom! Love you!

2 going on... um... 20...

2009-01-05T12:43:00.003-07:00

About a week ago I was sitting at the computer typing away when Allie walked up to me with 2 balls stuffed down the front of her shirt...

Allie- 'wook-et me mommy, my boobies too.'
Me- 'oh Allie, your silly! Mommy isnt ready for you to have boobies. You're only 2!'
Allie- 'oh...' and walks away

soon Allie comes back with the balls out of her shirt...

Allie- 'wook-et mommy, my boobies gone... oh-tay?'
Me- 'Oh good! Phweee!!!'

And then yesterday... Tim was getting her dressed and found wads of kleenex stuffed down the front of her jammies!

Dear God, do you think this is a sign of whats to come?! The child is only 2!

Our Christmas in pictures... enjoy!

2008-12-26T22:36:00.009-07:00

BOYS!

2008-12-22T00:05:00.001-07:00

Get ready to pass some serious time girls...

2008-12-19T12:37:00.004-07:00

Ok... one of my new faves...
I am passing this on from one of the blogs that I love to read. You can see her link on the left side of my blog (Emily's little world). You can pretty much make up ANY type of outfit that you want. I put this one together this morning. I love this vintage, sorta chic look. LOVE IT! Now go to polyvore.com to make your own! Go!

Oh... and if you click on the image, it will take you to the list of each item & where you can get em'!

Rocken' around the Christmas tree by jackic10

MIA...

2008-12-17T10:32:00.003-07:00

It seems like I've been MIA from my blog for too long. I'm having a hard time making the commitment to my PC for the 1/2 hour+ it takes to actually write a blog. There are 2 factors that are keeping me away... my little snot noses running around & my motivation. It's not that I dont have anything to write about... because I do. Trust me, I do. I DO. And sometimes my thoughts & stories actually do make it to my PC screen but then I erase. Write-Erase. Write-Erase. Write-Erase. You get the point, its a vicious cycle. I'm thinking this entry will actually make the cut cause I'm sick of looking at my 'WANTED- flat computer screen' title.

First off, I'm impatiently waiting for my husband to call to let me know if he has a job or not. Ya, the economy is a bitch- isnt it.

I've been busy wrapping gifts, ruining yummy holiday treats, making Christmas projects with the kids & my most favorite... learning the art of Photoshop. See, my laptop committed suicide. Luckily,we've had our old dinosaur computer sitting in our hall closet for the past year. AND... AND!!!... that old dinosaur computer has Photoshop installed on it. YAY! I've spent many nap times & late into evenings teaching myself photoshop. By the way, THANKS KATE for the recommendation of 'Pioneer Women's photography Basics'. Life saver! Life saver, I say! Once I can actually make something look decent I'll post it on my blog. I've REALLY taking a liking to this photo & editing stuff. If I didnt have a husband, kids or laundry to do... I could sit here all day and edit. Or 'try' to edit I should say.

Allie has moved on to the new & fun phase.

'Allie, you better be nice!'..... 'why?'
'Allie, dont pick yur nose!'..... 'why?'

'Allie, git in your bed NOW!'..... 'why?'

'Allie, DOOOON'T!!!'..... 'why?'

Someday I'm going to think of something to say besides 'because I said so!' Any suggestions?

Kole is still his cute little self. I swear, I just love that little kid more & more each day. That is not saying, though, that I have days that I want to give him away. He'd probably go pretty fast with his looks & all. He's 14 months old and still not walking. But ya know what, I'm ok with that.

Last night Tim walked into the kitchen to find 2 little rugrats sitting IN our pots & pans drawer. I dont know who's little rugrats they are... but would someone please come and get them! They're wrecking my house!

WANTED- flat screen monitor....

2008-12-08T08:43:00.002-07:00

If anyone knows anyone who knows anyone... (you get the point!) that has an un-needed or un-wanted flat screen monitor... I need one! Mine took a nose dive! I would like to buy a used one so I can save some money. Im looking for under $60. I've already searched Craigslist with no luck. Soooo... pretty please keep your eyes & ears open for me!

A fun Sunday...

2008-12-07T22:37:00.003-07:00

We went out to the Hidden Springs Barn with 2 other families to do some family pictures. My good friend Debbie has a 'nice camera' too so between the 2 of us I think we got some pretty cute shots. I've been playing with a couple tonight & wanted to share. I am just loven this camera! Like Heather, I think I found my new hobby. We'll have to get together & play sometime!

Another cute one...

2008-12-05T17:02:00.002-07:00

sorry to bombard with photos... I just think this one is too cute not to share! Look at his little teeth!

My little guy...

2008-12-05T08:05:00.001-07:00

Just had to share this cute little face I got to wake up to this morning...

My husband has another talent I'd like to show off...

2008-12-04T09:59:00.002-07:00

ITS CALLED 'CLEARING OUT A ROOM'...

I forgot to mention...

2008-12-03T21:31:00.002-07:00

In my last post, I mentioned how great of an artist my husband is. So... if anyone can guess what he is drawing in the picture below, post your guess in the comments. If anyone gets it right, well... you'll get a really cool prize. Ha! Ha! Good luck! Oh, the clue... 'person, place or thing'.

And... we're back...

2008-12-03T14:03:00.011-07:00

We’ve been back from our vacation for a couple days now. I figure its probably time to blog about it.We had a great time! Tim & Allie headed there early Tuesday morning and Kole & I headed out after work on Wednesday. Both kids did really well on the plane. Kole cried for the first 10 minutes after take off and then went on to entertain the teenage girl sitting next to us. Wednesday was pretty uneventful. We got our stuff unpacked and just spent time with the family.
This is Patrick (HE is Tim’s cousin) wearing a wig. I think this picture is freaking hilarious!

Thursday morning we got up and had a wonderful breakfast. The boys spent most of the day tending to the turkey in the smoker and the girls hung out in the kitchen making (& eating!) the side dishes. More guests showed up around 2pm and we were eating by 6pm.

This is Angela. Her and her husband are from Scotland and still have their heavy accents. Angela was the life of the party. She told some great stories and her accent just made them that much better! It was ‘blutty this’ & ‘blutty that’. I just Loved her!

Friday at 4am a few of us girls got up to take advantage of the sales. It was actually a lot of fun! We drove around forever trying to find a coffee shop that was open that early. None to speak of! We got back home around 9am and everyone in the house was still sleeping. Later on we all loaded up and went to IKEA. I had never been but had always wanted to check it out. OMG… I could have spent hours in there. It is the coolest freaken store!

Friday night we had a great game of Pictionary. It was so much fun! And lets just say... my husband is the worst 'artist' EVER.Saturday we got up and headed down to Pikes Market. I just love walking through there and seeing all the colors of the veggies and all the home made crafties. My favorite, though, are the street performers. The kids got to ride on the carousel & we had lunch at Fisherman’s right on the water.
Sunday morning most of the clan headed back home to Idaho. The kids and I stayed behind for one more day. Debbie (Tim’s aunt) took me to the Container Store, we took the kids to the driving range and ended our day at a local dairy and had fresh ice cream.

And off we went, early Monday morning, back home. Both kids slept the whole plane ride home. We had a great time in Seattle but it was so nice to be home. You know what they say…
‘there’s no place like home.’

We're leaven on a jet plane...

2008-11-25T22:11:00.003-07:00

Tim & I went to Reno with the some friends & family this weekend. We had a blast! We got back late Sunday night and we will promptly be leaving again to Seattle. Actually, Allie & Tim already left this morning. Kole & I dropped them off at the airport around 6am this morning. I have to admit that I was quite jealous that Tim got to experience Allie's first plane ride with her. She LOVES planes! But I have to remember that I get to do a lot of things with her that Tim doesnt, so its ok. I know he was really looking forward to their couple days together alone. Kole and I will be leaving tomorrow night (Wednesday). I think he'll do just fine on the plane. We're going to visit Tim's mom's family for Thanksgiving. I just love Seattle! So many things to do & see! I cant wait! This will be Allie & Kole's first time there. I know I'll have fun snapping photos! I'll be sure to share them when we get back! But for now...

adios! Shalom! Ciao! Au Revoir! Sayonara! Good bye!

I just lub her...

2008-11-17T21:05:00.005-07:00

This is my Lisa (Hi Leesers!). I love this girl more than she probably knows. We go waaaay back... to birth actually. We have many memories together. I remember when we used to ride our bikes around her neighborhood block and taunt the cute boys that lived down the street. We had many lemonade stands together. We walked around the block selling old used books to people we didnt know. We painted the leaves of trees that surrounded our 'forts'. We walked to Albertsons countless times. We shared milk shakes & fries at Sunrise Cafe. We made cool things with her Light Brite. We played dolls. We watched Pretty Women & Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band over and over and over. We made up dances. We tanned on the deck. We pimped it in her little car downtown on the strip. I accompanied her the first time she ever drove the wrong way down a one way street. Lisa and I have had soooo many memories together. These are not even half of them. Once high school ended we kind of 'did our own thing' and went our separate ways. Now I'm married with 2 kids and my Lisa is having her first baby. I am SO COMPLETELY happy for her. I am so excited that she will get to see what it is like to love her baby and be loved by her baby. I feel maybe this pregnancy happened for a reason. Maybe Lisa & I will start a new journey together through adult life.

Lisa, I love you so so much... WAY more than you probably know. Every time I see you I can just feel myself light up. Even now, when I am around you I just get giggly. We have this history together like no one else has. I am so proud of you for what you were, what you are and what you are going to be. I KNOW you will be a great mom and I am so excited for you to feel the overwhelming feeling of love with your baby.

I LUB YOU!

ps- Lisa gets to find out (hopefully!) what she is having on Wednesday!!!

har! har! har!

2008-11-13T22:05:00.003-07:00

'if you're going to be a turd... go lay in the yard.'

Im not exactly sure why I find this so stinken funny. Maybe because this is what I want to tell my kids about 90% of the day. Or... maybe I secretly wish I was a turd and could lay in the yard all day. I dunno... maybe both.

HURRY & PUT YOUR CREATIVE CAPS ON, GIRLS!!!

2008-11-12T18:50:00.002-07:00

On today's show they were doing 'Clean Up Your Messy House' and featured Snapfish.com picture books to organize photos. They are offering FREE 8x11, 20 page custom photo books. All we pay is shipping (I'm not sure what that amount is yet, though). This offer is only good through Friday... I think. So... hurry up! Go! Git!

www.snapfish.com/info18

I tried my hand with...

2008-11-12T13:50:00.003-07:00

Fondant. My mother in law (Kandy) gave me some extra fondant that she had. It's been sitting in a little baggy in my cupboard for about a month now just waiting for the perfect time to come out. I'm pretty sure this stuff is like twinkies... it will last FOREVER. Well, Tuesday was my step mom's birthday (Colleen). I hate that word... step mom. So we'll call her 'my other mom'. :o) Anyway, it was her birthday so I pulled out the fondant to try my hand at cake making. I do have to say baking the cake was easy but working with the fondant was not. I'll need a lot of practice to perfect this project! As you can see, I edited the photo to 'look neat'. Well, I edited it for a reason. Sooo... 'fondant cake maker' I am not but 'photo editor' I am. hee! hee!

because this is freaken funny...

2008-11-02T21:33:00.004-07:00

ok... dont listen if you dont like the 'f' bomb. But its freaken funny! Mute my blog music at the bottom and turn up your speakers...

http://www.endofworld.net

Hee! Hee!

Ode' to October...

2008-11-02T20:40:00.010-07:00

Like many of you, I too love October... the colors, the leaves, the smell (mmmm, yummy Scentsy scents!), the decor, the pumpkins, the decorated front porches and Halloween. We've had a farely busy October. So, yet again... here is our month in pictures...

Earlier in the month a friend of mine & I took our kids to Linder Farms. Logan, Marinda's little boy, is about Allie's age. He comes to my house everyday for daycare. They are best little buddies! Usually Logan cries when he has to leave her in the evenings when his mom picks him up. They just adore each other! Anyways, we had so much fun at Linder Farms! We went on a hay ride, walked around a petting zoo, found our way through a maze, searched for pumpkins. By the time we were done, the kids were exhausted!

My friend Lynsay & I took our little girls to 'Boo at the Zoo' a couple of weeks ago. It was sooo unbelievably crowded but the girls had a good time. Zoo Boise just opened up the 'Out of Africa' section. It was pretty cool. They had 3 big lions. Allie was sooo intrigued by them. She could have stood there all day watching them. We also got to see the new giraffe and her baby. They are so cool looking!

And finally came Halloween night! Allie was a little under the weather. At first she really wanted nothing to do with her costume. We finally got it on her and out we went! The first house we walked to, I could tell she was a little nervous but once she realized they were handing out candy she had no problem running between houses as fast as she could. As you can see, she was a witch and Kole... well, he was a robber.

And last but not least...

Last night we had the 'adult' Halloween party. We wont go into too many details on that one. Don't judge me- k?

And now I look forward to November!!!

ho...hum...

2008-10-21T16:42:00.002-06:00

I haven't had anything to really blog about lately... for once. It's sort of a good thing. I took Allie to the pumpkin patch yesterday with a few friends. I'll post pictures when I download them off the camera. Other than that, we've just been hanging out.

:o}

some booty loven...

2008-10-16T16:38:00.000-06:00

hrr... hrr... (I'm not sure who this picture is actually bashing on but I think its funny!)

dinner time...

2008-10-15T14:28:00.000-06:00

As a child, I always looked forward to eating dinner at my mom's house. Why, you ask? Because we always sat at the table as a family. I'm not sure why but it was always a highlight of my weekends over there. And, to this day as an adult it is somthing from my childhood that I cherish. Recently Allie has developed some poor eating habits. Every night for dinner, Tim & I would sit in the living room in front of the t.v. to eat, Kole would sit next to Tim in the highchair and Allie at the kiddie table in the playroom while watching caroons. For awhile that arrangement worked for us. No, it may not have been the best choice but it worked. I recently decided that it was time for all of us to sit at the table. Last night I went out and picked up 2 plastic place mats & 2 booster seats. Dinner together was a success and it was so nice to sit with my family around the dinner table. We'll definitly be making it a regular thing and someday maybe Allie & Kole will look forward to eating together with their families.

and Kole even offered to do the dishes afterwards...

success!!!

2008-10-14T13:14:00.000-06:00

our dinner swap was today so I spent a good portion of Monday cooking & making a big mess in my kitchen! It was fun! And it looks like I got a variety of some yummy dinners out of the deal! I'd say it's definitly worth it. I spent about $94.oo on everything and I got 15 dinners. I even had some stuff left over from making my own so I put them in tins to put in my freezer... so really I got 18 dinners out of the deal. Yay!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY! (this ones long!)

2008-10-13T08:55:00.000-06:00

this is sort of a special birthday for me... as most know, my pregnancy with Kole was quite difficult. 14 total weeks on bedrest, 6 of those weeks were spent on hospital bedrest. This past month I couldn't help but think to myself on many occasions, 'this time last year...' . My whole time in the hospital, my dr. kept telling me that I just had to make it to 35 weeks. I remember the night before I had Kole... it was a Friday night which were always the nights that Tim spent with me. I told him that I 'knew' I was either going to have Kole that night or the next day... I just felt different. I went to bed contracting that night and woke up at 4am contracting even harder. I beeped the nurse and let her know that I was contracting. Of course, as an antipartum nurse her first instinct is to get the needle out and inject me with some terbutaline to stop the contractions. OHHH NO... NOT THIS DAY... this day I am EXACTLY 35 weeks and she is not going to 'terb me up'... No way! I was determined to finally get over to Labor and Delivery and have this baby! Finally! Well, I made it. About 4 hours after going to L&D I was ready to push. I seriously pushed 3 times and baby Kole was out. I didnt get to hold him long because soon he was wisked off to the NICU where he stayed for 14 days. We were so thrilled when we were able to bring him home. 3 days after he came home from the NICU it was already time for me to go back to work. Luckily, I was able to take him with me. For the first couple weeks, he was a very good, easy baby. He spent most his time sleeping, as do most babies. Then suddenly he started screaming night after night after night and then soon it started to consume our days too. I spent many many nights sleeping in the recliner with Kole. I remember one frustrating night well... Kole had been screaming and not eating all day. I finally broke down and took him to the ER where the dr. basically rushed us out the door saying it was just colic. I knew it wasnt and I was so angry. Finally several weeks later I diagnosed him myself with 'Silent Reflux'. Sure enough thats what it was and after we got him on some meds he was so much better. I actually started to like him a little bit. Kole's had a rough start... not only did he have his reflux issues for the first several months of his life, he also came down with RSV at just 3 months old and spent 2 nights in the hospital. At about 4 months he developed a rice allergy and vomitted day and night until his little body had nothing to give. At 6 months old (Easter morning) he broke his arm and was casted up for several weeks. Ya know... its sad because now that I think about it, the only parts of Kole's early months that I remember are all bad memories. Things have changed now though. He is a totally normal little guy. He may be small for his age but he is happy and healthy. I absolutly LOVE this little boy.

Sunday we celebrated his birthday. He had 2 parties! We had a party in the morning with coffee, chocolate milk and donuts and then a party in the afternoon with cake & a pinata. Today is his actual birthday. I am not watching any kids today so it's just me, Allie & Kole. I spent some 'mommy & Kole' time with him this morning snuggling on the couch while he drank his bottle. This day feels extra emotional for me because of all I have been through with this baby. I almost feel like its a birthday for both of us. Those 6 weeks I spent in the hospital really impacted my life and I so distinctly remember the feeling that I had one year ago today knowing that I was finally going to have this baby.

Allie made me a mother but Kole made me a better mother.

These were the first few days of Kole's life...

The first time I really got to hold him...

momma & Kole snuggling this morning.
I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY!

coupon clipper...

2008-10-10T13:12:00.000-06:00

Oprah, Dr. Phil & Suzie Orman have all really inspired me to 'coupon clip'. Sooo.... I joined the 'Bargain Board' on one of my mommy websites. Its just a munch of moms trading tips, secrets, ideas and coupons! One gal posted this...

www.hiimsarah.com/sp_001.php

Yes... I'm sure I will get some extra junk e-mails now but hey, I got a free jug of fabric softener & dryer sheets! Go git yourself some too!

Did I tell you...

2008-10-09T18:55:00.000-06:00

that I'm joining a 'dinner co-op'? Well, I am and I am really excited about it! I think this will be a great way to save money on our grocery bill and an even better way to eat 'outside the box'. I had a choice to either make 15 meals or 30. This being my first time, I chose 15. So this weekend I'll put on my apron & baking mitts and cook up 15 of the same meals, package them & then freeze them. Tuesday we will meet at a designated spot and swap! So, in the end... I'll end up with 15 different yummy meals to take home for my family! Wa-la! If I decide that I really like it this time, maybe I'll try doing 30 next month. Then I will trade and bring home 30 different meals. I am going to try a 'Mexican Cornbread Casserole'. Wish me luck!

September in a nutshell...

2008-10-06T21:43:00.000-06:00

So this is what happens when I dont take 10 minutes out of my day to blog. Ya'll get bombarded with photos & our crazy happenings. September was no exception. Lets start here...

This...

plus this...
equals this...
and this...
which leads to this.
Allie came out one day and had looked like she had dipped her head in the toilet. After all, that was the only water she could possibly reach. So, with that in mind, I am running through the house, to each bathroom fully expecting to find a water mess. Nope. So where the hell did she get this water?! I touched her head and... OMG (thats putting it mildly!)... she put the whole damn tub of Aquaphore on her head! This kid looked sopping wet! And... if none of you know, Aquaphore is WATER RESISTANT! I gave that child bath after bath after bath. Finally I read online that some people have luck with baking soda or corn starch. So, we tried the baking soda first and that did basically nothing. Long story short... we got it out after days and days of bathing.

Ok, so on to the next disaster. Here is cute Kole sitting all tall like a big boy getting ready for his first hair cut...

and then this happened...

lets just say we finished his haircut on the floor...
and now he looks like this.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL CPS (I swear I am a good mom!)

Sooo... I got this cool adirondak chair. I cant really tell you how I got it or I'd have to kill you but basically it was FREE. So, I turned this into...
this! Isn't it cute?! This red is the same color as our accents on our house. I love it! And best of all it cost me like $3.5o for the spray paint.

Tim and I also went bowling a couple times in the last few weeks. I suck but we had a good time!

And I think I may have a 'thing' for bowling shoes, crazy socks & rolled up pants. eh?

Mid September we had a 'girls night' and went to PF Changs for my good friend Lynsay's birthday. While there we also discovered it was almost Alex's birthday too!

Happy Birthday!
after dinner we headed to the movies. I know... we're liven the crazy life- huh?! We were all using the bathroom before the movie started and while, uh, 'going' we heard this really loud noise! It was like a hurricane! All the girls were like screaming and laughing because it was so loud. We came out of our stalls (all with tears in our eyes from laughing so hard!) and discovered it was the 'super mega hand dryer 5ooo). This thing had so much power it could literally rip your skin off ya! So... Lynsay decided to stick her face under it. And seriously, there was NO alcohal involved. Seriously.

Oh, and THIS is what I found in my garage one day! I'm not kidding, this thing was HUGE! I called Tim to make him come home from work and kill it. It was way to big for me to even kill. Instead of killing it, he put it in a jar so we could get a 'better look'. Are you ready for some 'heeby-jeebies'??? The spidar wasnt really all that huge. It just looked huge because it was carrying all its babies on its back!!!! SICK!

Allie was pushing around Kole in the diaper box the other day. I thought it was so funny! It reminded me so much of some pictures that I have of Jake & I doing the exact same thing. Those are some of my favorite pictures to look back on! Isn't it funny the things that kids come up with?! I love it! (and I swear, Allie's hair is not ALWAYS in her face... just most of the time!)

We had a big rainfall a couple of weeks ago so we sent the kids out to play in the street. LOL! Ok, I really am starting to sound like a bad mom- huh?! Eh, they survived & they had fun playing in the rain!

Alright, that just about wraps up September. Who knows what October will bring us. If my poor, neglected children make it through October that is. Bwaa-aaa-aaa!!!

4 Years Ago Today...

2008-10-02T15:57:00.001-06:00

We've had 4 happy, hard, fun & trying years together. We've created ourselves a beautiful family together and I really couldn't ask for more. Rich, poor... fat, skinny... hairy or bald we'll always have each other.

Happy Anniversary, hun!!! I love you!

xoxo

2008-10-01T08:59:00.000-06:00

www.armyofwomen.org

I signed up... have you?

this is what I've been busy doing...

2008-09-26T10:12:00.000-06:00

"too too pretty in pink"

"too too bsu"

I've had so much fun making these cute little tutu's! And Allie just LOVES them! She wont take the bsu one off. She keeps saying "Me pitty mamma?" I love it! I've had so much fun making these that I've decided to sell some. This is what I'm going to call my "business"...

They are fairly simple for me to make. I can crank one out in one day. I have been working on them during nap time and the more I do, the better I get. I think I can sell the bsu ones pretty easily. What little girl wouldn't want to chear on the best team ever in a orange & blue tutu?!

here's my prices...

"big girl"... $14.oo

"tiny tot"... $12.oo

"itty bitty"... $10.oo

(ok... so I just went back and looked at my blog and you cant see the writting on my picture. The name of my business is "Too Too Cute". eh?)

www.tootoocute.blogspot.com

pictures in the park...

2008-09-17T15:45:00.001-06:00

here it is...

2008-09-09T13:57:00.000-06:00

I havent felt such achievment since...

2008-09-07T18:01:00.000-06:00

uh... childbirth.
I did it!
I finally did it!
I decided to give my sewing machine just one last try. The problem ended up being pretty simple now that I look back. My tension was too high. Thats it. That was my problem! So, I just finished my first rag quilt. Yes, its only about 2'x2', but thats ok. Its still super cute and I am super proud of it! Its in the washing machine now. When its done I'll take a picture of it and post it.

Go me!
:o}

Waaaaa!!!!!!

2008-09-05T23:10:00.000-06:00

RAKID-FRAKID PIECE OF JUNK!

I HATE MY SEWING MACHINE!
WHY?
WHY?
WHYYYYYYYY-EEEEEEE????
WHY CANT I JUST THREAD THE STUPID THING RIGHT?!
I HAVE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS FIGHTING WITH THIS THING.

ME- 0
SEWING MACHINE- 10

SEWING MACHINE= GARBAGE CAN

BAAA!

learn to stand up... check!

2008-08-27T18:41:00.000-06:00

I can add one more accomplishment for August. I just walked into Kole's room to get him from his nap and he was STANDING UP. What?! When did all this happen??? I am really in trouble now! I ran to get the camera but by the time I got back he was already sitting down, screaming his little guts out because I left the room in such a hurry. lol!

August...

2008-08-27T09:37:00.000-06:00

Where has August gone? Seriously. I havent been that great at posting lately so I'll do a little recap of our month...

First, we had Kole's 10 month checkup. Good news! He's a healthy little guy.

Then we had Grace's birthday party at the park. We had so much fun. Settlers Park is the neatest park and best of all it is walking distance from our house. This park has a HUGE playground, big musical instruments, a pirate ship water park, rock climbing wall and they play movies in the park every Friday night. I've heard that they will also be adding an ampitheator soon too.

We also did a lot of this...

and when we were lucky, daddy would do this...

We went to a Hawks game. This was Kole's first and he did pretty well. We cheat the system. We buy the cheap 1st base bleacher tickets but we get there early enough to get a good seat in the Hawks nest. Its first come first serve for seat there. Way better sitting there than trying to keep the kids contained in seats the whole time. We went with the Zimmer's. Allie absolutly loves the Zimmer kids. They are our saving grace because the Zimmer kids absolutly love our kids too and they do a lot of babysitting for us. Allie & Kole both got balls from the Hawks players. Cool! The Zimmer kids also took Allie to run the bases at the end of the game.

and of course we did this a few times...

And my squash were infested by squash bugs... dirty little bastards. My poor pumpkin plant is taking the brunt of it. Although I do still have 8 healthy pumpkins.

Allie's little friend Chloe came to play.

And I even took a couple of these...

And then sadly we said good-bye to Gracie. She started kindergarden on Monday so she wont be here anymore. She was such a good little helper but I know is is having tons of fun at school!

I've also been pretty busy with my Scentsy. I did a booth at the Western Idaho Fair about a week ago and got lots of leads out of that. I've been prepping for our busy season too. The Fall/Winter catalog comes out in September and that by far is the busiest season for me. I cant wait!

We put Allie in a toddler bed last night. She was so excited! It took her quite awhile to actually fall asleep but she finally did. We never had a problem with her getting out of bed or falling out. She did so good! Hopefully tonight she'll do just as well. I also started painting little critters on her wall. I'll have to do some pictures when its all done. Here are a few photos of her pretending to sleep in her bed and then one picture of a butterfly that I finished last night.

OH! And how could I forget?! Kole is now army crawling. He is literally scooten around the whole house and that little sucker is FAST! He goes straight for the cords, he's tipped our end table over on himself TWICE and he is constantly in the cupboards and drawers. He is all boy!

Of course we also did a lot of softball. Whats new with that though- right?! Tim and I traveled to Twin Falls without the kids last weekend for a tournament and we had a lot of fun. Although we didnt get much sleep in. We had late nights and early mornings. We also made it down to the horse races a few times. Thats always fun! And last but not least, I got to help photograph a wedding this month. What an experience that was! It was a lot of fun and we got to use our creative juices a little bit PLUS it was a day away from my kids. I loved it! Whoooo... I am exhausted just thinking about all of that. This weekend is Labor Day weekend. We're gearing up for a BSU Football game on Saturday, a girls craft day for Sunday morning and a Luau party on Sunday evening. Here's to another busy one!!!

my two baldies...

2008-08-21T10:53:00.000-06:00

Look at my 2 baldies...

CAN YOU TELL WHO IS WHO???

move over kids...

2008-08-15T14:16:00.000-06:00

there is ONE day a year that Tim manages to wakes up early.

no... its not Christmas.

its not to see what the Easter Bunny brought him.

nope... not even his birthday.

Its the start of FANTASY FOOTBALL. Let football season begin... and the attention of my husband... uh... end.

There is ONE plus side to this situation... I have a built in babysitter every Sunday.

:o)

so is it true...

2008-08-04T21:20:00.000-06:00

that if you hit your wrist with a bible it will make your ganglion tumor go away??? I've had this stupid thing for about 4 years now. All of a sudden its starting to get bigger and bigger and starting to be more and more painful. Hmmm... maybe I'll hold off on the bible and just ask my dr. when I go in on Friday.

Um, so other than my tumor (LOL!) things are going good. Uh... we are currently moving back into our house. Even though we never actually left. Long story, but we will remain on Aldgate Rd. after all. One good thing about packing and then unpacking... we have realized how much shit we have. Lets just say everything that we packed is not making it back into the Compton house. Oh, its so good to be home. And thank you all for your kind words.

On to other news... my aunt Kate is getting married in September at the Hidden Springs barn where I got married. I should be another beautiful fall day. She has put the planning & decorating into mine & my mom's hands. Bless her heart. Hey Kate, the pretty rocks for the center pieces weren't in our budget so we picked out these instead...

They were on clearance so we cant exactly take them back. We knew you'd like them though so we shouldnt have to worry about that. Im so glad that you are trusting us with you special day. ;o) Ok, in all seriousness, below are your table center pieces. Im not too sure about these branches that we picked up so we're going to return them (unless you really like them) and find the branches that resemble the ones in your inspiration photo.

Tim and I decided to get out of the house on Sunday and took the kids to the zoo. It was so much fun to watch Allie enjoy all the animals. She especially loved the "ooo-ooo-aaa-aaa's" (monkeys). Zoo Boise is adding in an African Safari to the mix. Its in the works now but once done they'll add a lion, giraffe & zebras. You will access this new addition from a boat, you'll enter into a village and then onto the animals.

This past weekend was also Scenty's big convention. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go but I heard through the grape vine that they're coming out with tons new & cool stuff including a mini warmer that plugs straight into a wall like a night light. They're perfect for bathrooms and laundry rooms. I think they are going to go like hot cakes for Christmas gifts.

Alrighty, I'll go ahead and end this post with some random pictures taken over the last week.

A Bad Day Gone Good...

2008-08-02T00:46:00.000-06:00

I just had the worst best day ever!

#1... we turned down a nice rental because of a crazy landlord
#2... we got turned down from another rental because Tim & I make commission
#3... by this time, feeling really low. Wondering how we are ever going to make it out of this.
#4... We pretty much have our whole house packed and ready to move but nowhere to move to.
#5... All my daycare kids went home early!!!!!!!!!!
#6... made an appt. with my doc. to start on some anti-depresents
#7... finally got Kole un-constipated (hopfully that means a good night sleep)
#8... We now may have hope to stay in our home!!!!! More on that later...
#9... I got to go grocery shopping BY MYSELF!!!!
#10... went out for drinks & dessert with a great girlfriend!!!!

At noon today, I seriously didnt know if this day could get any worse. But then this afternoon was great! I'm feeling quite chipper even though its 12:50am. :o}

And tomorrow should be a good one too. Me & mom are going out shopping for aunt Kate's wedding. I really cant wait. I miss the times that we used to have, just the 2of us... no kids to pack around. I think its gonna be another good one!

bu-bye house...

2008-07-30T22:14:00.000-06:00

Tim & I built this house in 2006. Never ever did we think we would be in the position that we are in now. Who does? We are selling our house because when it comes down to it, we just cant afford to live here anymore. The stories on the news are just that... stories. This time the "Housing Market Down", "Forclosure Rates Up", "Gas Prices Sky Rocket", "Are We In a Recession?" stories actually effect us. Its not just a story to us anymore... its reality.

It makes me sick to my stomach to think about someone else living in this house. I remember standing on Allie's window seal, full on pregnant painting it green. I remember laying on the floor in there while still pregnant & thinking how perfect her room was & just waiting for her to come. I picked EVERYTHING in her room and it was perfect. Same thing with Kole's room. I painted his wall a chocolate brown when I should have been laying in bed on bedrest. I rocked him to sleep countless nights in his rocking chair in the corner. My best memories in this house are laying on the floor with the kids in the playroom. Tim & I will lay in there for hours with them, just playing. Tim installed the sprinklers, Tim laid the sod, we both planted the flowers, Tim built me my raised garden, I planted the veggies in it. We hand picked everything for this house... the counters the cabinets, floors, paint, even the textures on the walls.

On one hand, it will be nice to get into a new house and start fresh. In some ways I cant wait to get out of this house because I think I associate this house with being broke. It feels a litte claustrophobic.

Tonight I'm just feeling a little down looking at all the naked walls & boxes that scatter this house. I dread the time that Allie will be wanting to go "home" when we do move into our new house. How do I explain to a 2 year old that we're not going "home", that this IS our "home"? I guess life goes on... after all this is just a house. So for now, bu-bye house...

eco-mowing...

2008-07-25T22:40:00.000-06:00

Tim & I will soon be in the market for a new mower. Ours is about 3 mowing jobs away from kicken the bucket. And I sooooooo want this one pictured above!!!!! Now, how to convince Tim??? I can tell him that I would mowe the lawn if we can buy this one but he & I both know that that wont be true for very long. Once the newness wears off and the coolness factor is gone... Tim will once again be the mower. Hmmmm (rubbing chin)...

Holy zucchini, Batman!!!...

2008-07-24T12:32:00.000-06:00

ok, yes... its another stupid blog about my garden.
But, But... look what I can do... I can grow a big ass zucchini...

a big ass (almost) pumpkin...

and a cat... lets see YOU do that!

And Im not sure if you can really see this pumpkin very well, but it grew between the fence & the garden box. Tim had a tough time pulling it out but when he finally did, he pulled out a pretty funny looken, flat pumpkin. This picture, I can tell you, doesnt do it justice...

I took a few pictures of some pretty flowers that I thought turned out nice. Take a look...

I was also excited to see the first signs of life on one of my hydrangea bush. I have never been able to grow my OWN hydrangea. I wont get too excited yet, though. They havent bloomed so I still have plenty of time to kill them...

And look what else I can grow really well...

I must say... I think these ones turned out pretty good!

who's in for a good toe sucken'???...

2008-07-21T15:26:00.000-06:00

Boy... technology has sure come a long way in the pedicure world!
For some reason, I just cant see this becoming a popular, widespread thing. However, I guess if I had the chance I'd do it... just to say I've done it.
C'mon,Wouldnt you???

Gramma's birthday suprise...

2008-07-17T09:41:00.000-06:00

Granma is going to see the Rockettes in NYC this winter. She was SO suprised, she cried. Gramma has always wanted to see the Rockettes! Hope you had a wonderful birthday, gramma! We love you!

ps- to listen to the words on the video, I think you can go down to the bottom of my blog and turn off my music.

Here are a few pictures of our picnic...

"We dont need no stinking patches!"...

2008-07-17T09:12:00.001-06:00

Ok... I have a few moments. The kids are watching Troop Beverly Hills. I seem to know EVERY. SINGLE. line of this movie and somehow cant seem to not mouth every line. But lets see if I can concentrate for just a few seconds to post some random pics.

"Are you drying your nails... or do you have a question?!"

Oh, sorry... back on track... Their are no order to these. Just some randoms of mostly the kids from the past couple weeks...

And THIS is what we woke up to yesterday morning...

And finally, here are a few pics of my veggies. We have a couple of pumpkins. One is about the size of a football and the other is the size of a softball. We also have some zuccini & onions and some decent sized tomoatoes.

Ok, thats my randomness for the day. Now back to Troop Beverly Hills...

So many things to blog about... so little time to blog...

2008-07-17T08:43:00.000-06:00

I have several different topics to blog about. I just need to decide which to start with...

My grandma's birthday video
Our weekend trip to Montana
A recap of Allie's last to years for her B-day
Our decision on our house

I'll try to hop on a little later during nap time and write somthing on one of these topics.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the coolest gramma on the block...

2008-07-10T14:14:00.000-06:00

I dont think anyone has a gramma like mine. she's not one who sits down and knits or bakes (although, I'm sure she can do those things well). But this is more her thing...

One of my best memories with my grandma was just last summer up in McCall. There was a water volleyball game going on and gramma wanted to be a part of it. She wasnt afraid of anything! She got down and dirty just like the rest of em' and to top it off... lets just say she won the white wet t-shirt contest!

gramma can be classy (which is what she typically goes with) when she wants to...

a redneck when she wants to...

a hilbilly when she wants to (this is gramma drinking homemade wine out of a gas can)...

gramma is also not afraid to get down on the dance floor...

and she can even be a Jamaican when she want to. My gramma makes dreadlocks look good...

But above all, she is a good grandma, great grandma & mom...

gramma,
I just want you to know how much you mean to our whole entire family. You are the glue that holds us all together and we love and cherish you so much for it. All of your kids, grandkids and great grandkids are so proud to call you "ours".
I love you, gramma.
Happy Birthday!

the "woodstock of softball"...

2008-07-09T10:53:00.000-06:00

We spent a great weekend in McCall once again. Of course 4th of July usually brings about a bagillion extra people into McCall and even more than that when it falls on a Friday, such as this year. Typically we have between 4-10 people on an average weekend. THIS weekend we hosted 57 people. It was a blast! Tim's aunt Debbie & her family came from Seattle and brought some of their friends. When Debbie comes she always brings a butt load of sea food. It only makes sense because since hubby is a big wig for Ocean Beauty. This year she brought prawns, muscles & oisters. Yummy! To add to the chaos this year, Tim's softball team played in a tournement up there. So we had the softball team there as well. All in all it was a good weekend and Tim's team took 3rd in the tourny.

THIS coming weekend we are venturing to Anaconda, MT for another softball tourny. We are leaving the kids behind and in their place we will be taking a gallon of vodka (ok, not really that much). I'm really excited to "let loose" this weekend. I typically dont really drink when I have the kids around so this should be fun. We took this trip last year and it we had an unbelievably good time. I can only hope to top it this year!

Heres a little video of last years tournament...

I'll be sure to take some pictures!

For serious offenders...

2008-07-02T09:36:00.000-06:00

I've known some kids in my life that could have used this. Luckily neither of my kids are escapers (yet!) but if they even try I'm pullen out the ol' pack-n-play 5000!

Ok, seriously... THATS FUNNY!

Im so relieved!!!!!!

2008-07-01T15:49:00.000-06:00

I just have to share...
Tim and I have been stressing over our 1 and only car. We have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and recently it has been down shifting very violantly. We have been dreading taking it in to find out it is probably somthing with the transmission and it is probably going to cost a bagillion dollars. A bagillion dollars is a lot when you dont have it! Well, it finally got soooo bad that we HAD to make an appt. Turns out it only needs some fuel injection fluid added for the next few times we put gas in the car. And guess how much the whole diagnostic & fuel injection fluid cost... $30.00!!!! Woo-Hoo!!!! just had to share a bit of my happiness... :o)

Just because... I have nothing to write about...

2008-07-01T09:44:00.000-06:00

I WANT TO HEAR YOUR ANSWERS TOO SO YA'LL BETTER FILL ER' OUT!!!

What was the last thing you made into a heart?
paper… for Mother’s Day I helped Gracie decorate her bag with hearts for her mommy.

How tall is the last person you hugged?
oh he’s probably a whopping 28” long (if that!). His name is Kole.

Speaking of hugs, who is the best hugger you know?
oh that that’s definitely a tie between Tim & Allie

Think about the last pair of socks you wore.
oh man, I cant even remember the last time I wore socks. They were probably just white ankle socks though

What show/concert do you want to attend next?
Hopefully the Dave Mathews & O.A.R concert in Seattle!

What are you listening to right now?
Sara Barellis from my Blog and also a little news in the background.

Last website you went to was what?
Im a nerd… myspace.

How do you look up new music?
usually I will go to www.myplaylist.com

What is your favorite color ice pop?
red

Would you be in a porn magazine for $6,592?
no… because nobody would want to see let alone PAY to see this (points at self) naked. I’ve had 2 kids! C’mon!!!

Whats your favorite Blog to read?
www.mattlogelin.com oh man, I could go on forever about this guy. He is on my links list. If you haven’t read his blog you should check it out (with a BOX of Kleenex!). Him and his wife just had a baby in March and his wife died the day after giving birth, on the way to go see her new baby in the NICU. Now, he is raising his daughter alone. He is an AMAZING writer and photographer and most of all an AMAZING dad! He writes daily and his feelings are just so raw. You will be INSPIRED and hooked once you read! He has a link on the top right so you can start from the beginning of his story if you want. Can you tell I love this blog??? LOL!

What is something you wish you had more of?
money!

Who does your MySpace top 8 consist of?
oh, my sister, a few friends and a few of my online mommy friends.

Who is your favorite band?
Jack Johnson & O.A.R.

Do you have an addiction? What is it?
unfortunately, food. And to be more specific… sugar. Ick!

What is the coolest band name you have ever heard?
The Naked Brothers Band. For some reason it’s a little creepy and to make matters worse they’re a band on Nickelodian.

Do you like poetry?
not so much. I like to read stuff I understand.

If the last person you dated said they were in love with you, what would you say?
well, since the last person I dated was Tim, I’d probably say “I love you too”.

What were you last sad about?
I missed my Timmy but he’s home now. :o)

Who is the hottest member of the opposite sex you've seen in the last week?
HELLO!!!!!.... TIM COMPTON! Ya, have you seen this guy?!

Has anyone ever said they would die for you?
Hmmmm…. I don’t think so. But I’m sure my hubby and any of my parents would. And I would do the same. Oh, actually… Jake went to Afghanistan for a year. I think that’s pretty much saying he would die for anyone (including me!). Love you Jake!!!

What is your favorite alcoholic drink?
That would be a Long Island Iced Tea. Love em’!

Does it annoy you when people type like they're ghetto?
LOL! Uh, no? I guess it just helps animate the story.

Do you always answer your phone?
Uh… no. Is that bad?

Who do you text the most?
well, seeing how I am the worst texter in America… I don’t text much but it would have to be Megan.

Are you mean?
no, Im more of a push-over. But if you get in my face I’ll be quick to get right back into yours. I get that from my dad. Thanks dad!

If you could start your name with any random letter, what would it be?
I don’t really care. But, when I think of our future kids names (LOL! I know what your all thinking!) I am always drawn to the letter “C”.

Who were the last three people to send you a message on myspace?
my friend Angela, my friend Angela and my niece Katie

Do you like thunderstorms?
I think they are really exciting! We’ve had some pretty good ones role through here in the last 24 hours.

Do you like the rain?
I don’t mind the rain as long as I can be snuggled up inside my home. My favorite rain though would have to be up in McCall. Laying in bed, the rain hitting the tin roof, the wind blowing through the trees. Ahhhhh…. Nothing better!

When was the last time you were sick?
Christmas, Tim & I had an awful flue bug!

Have you ever been into drugs?
no I have never been into them although in high school I did a few. Hi mom! Hi dad!

Does something hurt on you right now?
Oddly enough, I have this little spot on my nose that has been super sore for about 2 weeks. Its even effecting the nerves down into one of my teeth. I think I’m going to have to go see a doc because I am convinced I have cancer of the nose.

What is your current mood?
“ho-hum”

Have you ever kissed anyone whose name started with an E?
hmmm… I don’t think so.

What time do you normally go to sleep every day?
about 11pm

Do you like cheese?
yes! My whole family does. We go through probably 60 string cheeses per month.

Last shirt you wore?
I am wearing a pink tank top right now.

How many times a week do you shower?
oh probably 5. Is that sick? I’m just being honest.

Name one thing that grosses you out?
elbows. And Tim knows it. He always sticks his elbow in my back when we’re in bed and it totally gives me the heeby-jeebies! Oh, and the word “pit”… unless your talking about Brad Pitt of course. There is nothing gross about that guy!

If your best friend made out with your boyfriend/girlfriend, what would you do?
I would be confused bc I don't have a boyfriend. LOL!

Who do you know that can make you feel better if you're not feeling happy?
Well, Tim tries but Allie is the one that usually succeeds!

What are you doing besides this?
just this. The house is pretty quiet right now.

Are you logged into any instant messenger programs?
not right now.

Do you have any dishes in your room?
Probably just a glass.

Are you someone who remembers dates?
absolutely NOT! I am probably the worst for that. But I know someone who is really good. Hi friend! You know who you are!

What is your favorite television channel?
Discovery Health, TLC, Reel, HGTV

What would you do if your ex died?
I would be sad. I don’t hate any of my ex boyfriends.

Would you rather get shot or get injected?
what a morbid question but I’ll answer… injected.

What are you doing?
seriously?! Didn’t we already answer this question twice already?!

Do you hate when people call you when you're sleeping?
uh… well I don’t really take naps anymore (thanks to my kids) and I also don’t sleep in anymore (thanks to my kids) and no one really calls me in the middle of the night.

What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you?
probably finding out my mom had cancer the second time around.

If your friend did something bad and you didn't know, but it had to do with you, would you expect them to be a man and tell you?
uuuhhh… sure? Man up!

Do you take your phone to the bathroom with you?
not usually. Although I do take it in when I am in the shower if Tim’s not home.

Do you take the phone to bed with you?
Again, if Tim is gone I take the phone and put it by my bed and I also put my cell phone by my bed too in case someone cut the phone lines. Ok, Im only thinking of the worst, people!!

Whats the best thing that has happened to you today?
Seeing Kole’s smiling face when he woke up! Oh, and getting some KILLER deals at Albertsons this morning.

Whats the worst thing that has happened to you today?
Driving my car, with the check engine light on and knowing that we really don’t have the money to fix it right now. I think something is really wrong with the transmission because it is shifting really hard. :o(

The greens of my garden...

2008-06-27T14:20:00.000-06:00

this is a garden...

this is a garden on drugs...

Tim built me this nice planter box for a raised garden. We planted everything mid May. I cant imagine how big everything will be by the end of the summer. I just thought I'd go out today and take some fun pictures of all the green we have.

and a pretty rose...

and here, we have where used to lay a watermelon plant... up until YESTERDAY. I have no idea what happened to it. It is completly gone... GONE! Explain that!

The birdies have been gettin wild in this Corona bucket... that is now used as a, ahem... birdbath. Ok, I have a little hillbilly in me. Its my mom's fault!

and just a few more randoms...

HAVE A HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!

2008-06-26T15:48:00.000-06:00

What can I say... my kids are going to be geniouses... or however you spell it...

2008-06-26T14:32:00.001-06:00

they both have taken a liking to calculators. I took this picture of Kole the othe day playing with his calculator and then remembered that I had one similar of Allie.

Evolution...

2008-06-24T09:41:00.000-06:00

the dangerous life of...

2008-06-19T16:51:00.000-06:00

ROCK HUNTING! I took these pictures of Allie a couple weeks ago when we went on a rock hunt. And when I say rock hunt, I mean a walk around the block, stealing rocks out of our neighbors yards. Allie has this "bike" that has a little basket in the front... perfect for rocks. She dressed herself...

I had to take Kole to the dr. this morning because he's got another ear infection (or probably the last one just never went away). I just took him in 2 weeks ago for the same thing. Poor little guy. Not such a happy camper today... Although this smile would lead you to believe differently...

2nd child syndrome...

2008-06-18T21:53:00.000-06:00

I feel guilty if I dont blog about both kids. So, uh, well... Kole hasnt really done anything too amazing lately but here are some super cute pictures of the little guy...

CHECK OUT THAT SMILE!