One Bed...Two Beds...Who got BUNK BEDS!!!

Yep...you read it right, I caved and the boys got bunkbeds! The bedrooms in our house, while adequately sized, don't really fit two twin beds, a dresser and a nightstand all too well so we decided to get the boys bunkbeds. They are LOVING IT! and I mean LOVING IT! Jaker got up this morning and was excited to make his new bed! He told me I wasn't allowed up there...(I secretly think he heard Grampa Al tell Turtle that I shouldn't be making the bed up there in my bloated state!) So Jaker did it! He made his bed, without being asked and he did a pretty good job! Jokester actually stayed in his bed all night, didn't come in our room at all! I think this will be a good thing! Or at least I hope so!

This sounds silly, but it was a little emotional for me moving Jokester into Jakers room. (Can you tell I am pregnant?) I am so not ready for him to not be a baby anymore. The boys are both growing up way too fast! Is it too much to ask for them to stay little a bit longer? Jaker is already in school, learning to read, sounding out simple words, and playing video games on his DIDJ. Jokester is already potty training! He has #1 down pat... almost 100%, now if I could just get that #2 under control... that would be nice! Any suggestions on easing a kids fear of going #2 on the potty?

Without further ado, I unveil the pics of the boys new room! They truly do LOVE it!

Festivities!

How was your holidays? I can sum ours up in two words.... BUSY and FUN!

We had so much fun and we got SUPER SUPER spoiled!

Jaker with his prized Optimus Prime

Me looking bloated!!!

Joker and his cars!

Jaker and new clothes!

Joker really REALLY LOVED unwrapping...anything!

We had a week of festivities! Christmas Eve we had opportunity to spend some time with my Uncle Bob and Joyce! We had yummy homemade Clam Chowder, cheese ball, and of course my favorite wedding recption cookies! After about an hour of visiting we headed to the Nadauld's for a get together!

Christmas Morning, was great! We had a great time watching the boys open their gifts! Then we had the grandparents over for brunch! Waffles, sausage, scrambled eggs, muffins, the works! Then we headed to the Nadauld's for more fun! I think we made it home at midnight!

Saturday it was another Christmas party with more family!!! Breakfast with German Pancakes, sausage, egg nog... all the goods!

Needless to say we all gained probably 10 pounds!

Entertainment!

We had the opportunity to see Jaker PERFORM! If you know Jake, you know he LOVES the stage! Anything he can do to be in the limelight, he will do HAPPILY! He is so good at it! He doesn't have a shy bone in his body... contrary to popular belief! Lastnight was his Kindergarten program at the Little Learner's Academy! We thoroughly enjoyed it! Last year he had a program there as well, and I saw a side of My little Jake, that I never knew existed! HE'S a HAM!!!! Here are some pics of the event last night. They aren't the best since I am photographically challenged, and well, let's just say the camera has had it's better days!

This is a video of Jake telling what makes Christmas special to him...in case you can't hear it well... he says, "When Santa brings me Presents!" Yep, that's my boy!

Today I had the opportunity to meet up with my girlfriends from Jr. High and High School. We went to lunch at the sandwich shop we all worked at our Sophomore year! So many laughs! So many memories, and lots of inside jokes that our old boss, the owner, had no clue what we were talking about! It was a FANTASTIC Day! Here are some pics!

Thanks ladies for so many years of laughter and fun... and thank you to Super Grinders for HEARTBURN from Hell!!!

Home??? What's that?

We have been SO SO Busy this month! It seems as though we have something going on pretty much EVERY NIGHT! Okay, I am exaggerating, but wow, we have been busy. Between company parties, parties with friends, hosting Bunco, a night of Kurt Bestor, Awards Banquets, who has time to shop for Christmas!
We have had so much fun this month. The company party this year was at the Flagship OC Tanner store (the store that won the award for Turtle!). It was truly exquisite! What a beautiful building inside and out. It was so enchanting! Being around jewelry of that caliber was....BREATHTAKING! After looking at some price tags, we could sell our home, and maybe be able to afford, A NECKLACE! Yeah, it is that expensive. But very beautiful nonetheless.
We had a great time spending last Friday evening with Turtle's ole buddies from High School. In the 12 years Turtle and I have been together, I have gotten to know these guys, and their wives. They are all so dang funny! I was able to witness first hand the six (YES SIX!) grown men watch the screen saver for the DVD player. Honestly, I think we all have gotten our healthy dose of The Office! The food was fabulous! The home was even more beautiful than I imagined! It was a lovely evening, full of great food, fun company, and of course lots of laughs! We had the chance to see a small clip of what the guys were like in 1999.... let's just say, they haven't changed a bit.
Saturday we saw Kurt Bestor at the Abravenel Hall. Every year, I am amazed at this man's talent. I love his music. I remember when I was in High School, my mother would blare his music through the house, and I couldn't STAND IT! UGH! (sorry Mom! It's true!) I thought it was so annoying. But now, I LOVE IT! He is so talented! Watching him perform truly is entertaining! What an amazing musician! His music just gets me. He has one song that literally brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it... any guesses on which one?
Between babysitting, school work and of course the shopping, in addition to the extra activities of December, my house has pretty much been neglected! It is pretty dirty, and I am pretty embarrassed about it! But hey, at least we are having a great time!

Kuddos to Turtle!

Lastnight, we had the opportunity to attend the ACEC (American Council of Engineering Companies) Awards banquet at the Hilton. Turtle had submitted a project that he worked on for an award. The project was the new OC Tanner Flagship store in SLC. Many of you may remember the building as the Hansen Planetarium. The work completed on this building was AMAZING! At the banquet I was able to see what they did to the building to retrofit it and make it what it is today. Simply AMAZING.

We had a great time socializing with the Architect he worked closely with, as well as the president of the RE &A (Turtle's employer) as well as the foremen from OC Tanner. It was a fabulous evening and experience. It was great to hear these men talk so highly of the handsome hubby. I have always known Turtle is a smart man. But to hear and see others tell me how great he is, is... well, gratifying. Turtle works really hard, and I am so proud of him!

As we sat through the awards, the projects that were submitted for awards were pretty dang cool. At the end of the evening, it was time for the announcement of the Grand Finale of Awards... the Grand Conceptor Award. We sat patiently, and I asked the hubby if he thought there was any chance his project would win it. He looked at me and said, "Probably not." Within minutes, the announcement was made.... Turtle's Project had won!!! It was so exciting! I am so proud of him! Here are some pics of the project. These are from the Deseret News in Sept. but it gives you an idea of how beautiful the project finished up!

Thanksgiving

I am so excited for Thanksgiving. I have many things to be grateful for... and trust me when I tell you, I have been thinking of my many blessings this past month.
1. My amazing hubby, Turtle... what would I do without him!
2. Two amazing little boys... who always keep me on my toes! Love ya boys!
3. Baby girl... I am SO excited!
4. My mom! I talk to her more than anyone else outside of my house!
5. My dad! I am grateful he survived his scare in June!
6. Turtle's fam... without them, what would Turtle be?
7. A Home. May not be the fanciest, but hey, I love it!
8. Turtle has a job.... HUGE BLESSING
There are many more... but these are just a few!
I wish there was more emphasis on Thanksgiving. Personally, it urks me when I go into a store, and Christmas music is playing the day after Halloween. It urks me to see Santa Clauses ALL OVER the valley when we haven't had one of the most important holidays of the year! I saddens me that kids these days ignore the holiday that we reflect on what we have, and only focus on the holiday where we get what we WANT! Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas too. I love the season, I love the family get togethers and parties etc, but I think Thanksgiving should be made a little more important~
In honor of THanksgiving, I have added the Turkey Song by Adam Sandler. It always cracks me up!
Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Time for an update!

We have had a fun past couple of weeks! Crazy busy... but nevertheless, FUN!

To start out, I began babysitting a couple of cute kiddos to make a little extra cash. I watch a little boy and a little girl. The boy is 4 1/2 and he fits right in with Jaker and Jokester. They are all so much alike, it's hard to believe they are not related. The little girl is just over a year, and an absolute sweetheart. I am seeing first hand the differences with having a girl in the house. She definitely rules the roost with the boys. But I can tell that my boys love her to pieces, and are even kind of protective of her.

As if having four kids isn't enough, I decided to help out a fellow Little Learner's parent and began chauffering Jaker's little classmate Lucy to school everyday. She is a smart little girl, and she definitely has her own opinion of things but she keeps me laughing. Needless to say, my car is filled to capacity lately, and honestly, I LOVE IT! I have the toddler tunes on, (yep, I forfeited my stereo to the kiddos!) and we all sing along and the kids have a great time. I told Turtle it is time to get a license plate or at least a Frame that says "KID HAULER!"

Halloween was a riot for the kids! The boys loved being Pirates! They even let me put some makeup on them to finish the effect. Jaker loved the festivities at both schools. We had quite the party at both schools and of course Jokester didn't mind being part of the action.

This past week, Turtle went to his very first Parent Teacher Conference. He went alone so he could talk one on one with the teacher, and I stayed home with the kiddos. Honestly... JAKER IS DOING FABULOUS! He LOVES going to school, and he is socializing so well! His teacher has nothing but great things to say about him, and I am so glad he thriving. I see major improvements with him each week, with handwriting, being able to tell me what a word starts with etc. He really is doing great. I was so worried about how well he was going to do. I really thought Oakcrest wasn't going to work out, but it is! And he LOVES IT! I am so grateful....

Here are some pics of the past couple of weeks...

Joker being Mummified!

Jake had so much fun making these scary hands, he made TWO!

ARG!!!!! Jaker's costume was made my AWESOME MOM, and Jokesters was made by me!

This is the little guy we have over every day. As you can see, he and Jaker have lots of fun together... and I am learning you never leave two little boys unattended with Pudding cups!

Everything is AMAZING...

And nobody is happy.
I saw this on Facebook.
I LOVED it. So I had to share!
Let me know what you think!

Slump...

I am in a major slump. I hate to admit it, but... I am. I have motivation to do absolutely nothing, except maybe eat! I have been this way since we got back from Disney last month. It's almost like a depression in a way. Like, "Oh, now we are back to real life!" Bummer! I can't say my house has ever been in more disarray than it has been thise past month. I try to pick up the pieces, I try to make it presentable... but I just have that "Bleh!" feeling. I need to snap out of it pretty dang quick. If the house isn't tidy, I ain't happy!
We have had a hectic couple of weeks. Doing what I don't know, but boy have we been busy. Between taking Jaker to and from school twice a day, taking him to swim once a week, and of course reading and homework everyday, I have quite a bit of time occupied... then you add in all the house work, running errands, grocery shopping, etc, it's almost like the days need an extra hour or two.
While we have been super busy, we have had some fun too. The kids had a playdate with their fave friends Ashton and Ransom. That brightened up their month. They keep asking when we can go see them again! They also had a playdate at McD's with Ethan and Logan and of course that was a huge hit... but other than that, their schedule is pretty full... at least Jaker's is.
Sometimes I feel bad because he doesn't have much of a social life being in school all day. I feel guilty because his playtime during the day isn't much since he has two schools worth of homework. The homework is fun of course, but it's with mom and dad, not with his buds. I know we are doing the right thing for now. He is thriving like it's no ones business. His teachers are impressed, and he is doing well.... maybe I am just a worry wart!
Anyhow, that's our life in a nutshell!

Meet my li'l Dinosaur...

I made this cake for a friend of a friend. I have had lots of fun over the last couple of years making cakes, not only for my family, but my friends too. My good friend Brandy, referred her friend to me, and I was given the challenge to make a Dinosaur cake. I looked online, and found the cutest ideas. I decided 3-D was the way to go! Check him out....

I had a great time making this cake. It was a challenge, but only because I had never done it before, but I sure had fun! The boys loved it too. I think having cake in the house with Jaker, could be compared to having an alcoholic in a liquor store... sometimes it was a bit tough for Jaker to resist the urge to have a taste or two.... Thank heavens for Cupcakes!

Super Speed...

Today has been one of those days... You know the kind... the ones where you run around like a chicken with your head cut off. You race to get everything done by a specified time! Then you get to that specified time with a HUGE sigh of relief! You finish the event you were working towards and then realize... Wow, why was I so stressed out about this???
Today I was prepping for having dinner ready for the missionaries. I don't know why I was so stressed about it... but I was pretty wigged out about it. All day today, I have cleaned... cleaned the bathrooms, mopped the floors, vaccummed, folded laundry, ironed, straightened, and then straightend yet again (I do have two sons you know!), prepare a meal, and then of course teach P.E up at Jaker's school. It was CRAZINESS. I was so worried about the house being perfect, about the meal being fabulous, that I didn't realize just why I was doing all of this... almost like I was just zoned in on the tasks to be done, without realizing the purpose.
When the missionaries showed up, (super cool guys by the way) Jaker and Jokester were so excited. Jaker's eyes lit up... like, "Wow, you're a MISSIONARY!!!" We have talked about missionaries to Jaker, he knows that his daddy served a mission, and of course they learn about missionaries in Primary, but wow, having a missionary in the house... now that is COOL! I am glad I had the opportunity to have the missionaries over. I am sure the children scared them away for a while, but it was a good experience nonetheless!
The other bonus is,.... Hey... My housework is done for tomorrow! YAY ME!

First Photos....

Last week was an exciting week for our family. We had our first ultrasound of our li'l bun in the oven. It was a great experience. Turtle and I took the boys with us and they got to see their new sibling. Jaker was the most excited. He was absolutely positive that we were having a sister. Joker followed Jaker's suit, and was also pretty certain that we were having a baby girl.

I was pretty sure we were having a son. I have always felt that I was going to have my own little team of line backers. Turtle, well I am not sure what he thought, I am pretty sure he thought it was a boy as well.

As I laid on the table, I was amazed, just as I was with the boys, at the beauty of this child. It is absolutely amazing to see this little person moving all over the place. We saw every part of this baby and everything looked great! SUCH A BLESSING! As we watched the ultrasound on the screen, the Sonographer said, "Do you want to know the gender?". Of COURSE I thought! I am not one for surprises. With the boys, I was pretty sure I knew what they were since they were in perfect pose to show us what they were. This baby was no different, but I wasn't sure what the gender was. That's when the sonographer chimed...

"IT'S A GIRL!!!"

Justin and I looked at eachother with a look of "NUH UH!!!" I was really surprised. We are all so excited for a little girl to soften up our house. I am sure the sea of pink and lavendar will be lovely in our house! I am looking forward to sharing all the fun things I had with my mom and still have. The sewing, the shopping, girl talk, all the good stuff! I know the boys will be happy with a girl.

As of today I am about 18 1/2 weeks along. I am feeling good for the most part. The biggest challenge I have is INSOMNIA! What to do people do at 3am? I find it to be the perfect time to catch up on all the shows that are on my DVR. I also get to watch some documentaries that I otherwise would never know existed... and of course who doesn't love spending a couple of hours playing Solitaire on their cell phone! Good times! Here is a picture of me as of today! Jaker is the photographer!

Come, Come Ye Saints....

Yesterday as Turtle and I sat and watched conference, Mo-Tab sang this song. I have heard this song a gazillion times before.... no really a gazillion. It is actually one of my favorite hymns. Why? I don't know, but I have always enjoyed singing it, and listening to it is fun too.
As I sat there, I really paid attention to the lyrics of that song. Now, I know that the pioneers went through a lot, okay, sheer Hell, I know that. But I never realized just how strong they were til I paid attention to the verse which states:
Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
’Tis not so, all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward,
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take;
Our God will never us forsake,
And soon we’ll have this tale to tell,
All is well! All is well!
I don't know why this verse hit me with such an impact this weekend, but nevertheless, It Did. So many times, I find myself in my own little pity party. Poor Me, so and so is angry with me, why can't my family work issues out etc. etc., but in the grand scheme of things my trials are so simple and meager compared to what the pioneers endured. Burying their young, spouses, family and friends. Experiencing the worst of weather conditions, not to mention the labor they endured.
These people were amazing. Just had to share that!

HAPPIEST Place ON EARTH!!!

We just got back from a family Vacay in CALIFORNIA! It was FANTASTIC! The boys have been looking forward to this trip for quite some time now.
In March we were invited by Gramma and Grampa to go to DISNEYLAND & stay in their timeshare with them! We immediately jumped at the chance! What a perfect EARLY Christmas present to the boys! They have been so excited! Not only about going to Disneyland, but going with GRAMMA AND GRAMPA! Can it get any better???? Absolutely not!!!!
We started on the journey last Sunday. We got up bright & early... okay maybe not bright, it was 4:30AM. The boys were great troopers! They got up & were excited to go fly on an airplane! So off we went! We boarded our flight & took off at 7:15am. Jaker was awake for the entire flight! He talked and talked and talked to his Gramma and Grampa! He colored Pictures, read stories! It was great for him! Jokester did great too, he took a quick cat nap in the middle of our flight!
Once we landed we had a good 6 hours to kill before we could check into the timeshare. We stopped and had breakfast and then it was off to see the L.A LDS temple! It was beautiful! So clean, beautiful flowers, amazing trees, and the of course the calm quietness of the temple grounds!
We spent two days in Disneyland! The boys were in HEAVEN! Absolute EUPHORIA! Jaker had his favorite rides. Some I am quite surprised at because they scared me... but not my boy... he loved the scary stuff... like Tower of Terror (seriously this kid is a small version of his FATHER!), Pirates of the Carribean, the Madderhorn, Splash Mountain, and of course... STARWARS!!! Joker loved the Buzz Light Year Ride, Pirates, Teacups, and It's a Small World. Both the children LOVED meeting the characters. They had no problems waiting in line to meet their favorites like, Pluto, Mickey Mouse, Minnie, The Incredibles (who doesn't love them!), Sulley, and many others! They had such a great time! Disney was FABULOUS!
Then it was off to California Adventure! What an ADVENTURE! Turtle and the Boys talked me into going on this massive Ferris wheel. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't dig heights. I am not a fan, I can handle the scariest of roller coasters, but put me on a ferris wheel, and it's not pretty. Anyway, we get on this ferris wheel, and we decide the boys would probably be most entertained by a "swinging Gondola". Entertained they were! Holy Smokes! They were laughing HYSTERICALLY! They LOVED IT! I on the other hand was ready to toss my lunch... but at least the boys had fun! This Gondola swung so much that Jokester fell flat on the floor, but he was laughing so hard he couldn't cry! It was great! (Although I will NEVER ride a Ferris Wheel again!)
We spent a day on the beach. It was Beautiful. We watched a lot of surfers! It was fun to watch. It was great to take in the ocean air, and play in the sand. I have never loved having sand between my toes... but there is something about the BEACH.... the ocean beach... it's different. That sand is amazing! I loved it! We played in the water for a bit until it proved to be way over our heads. Jaker and I had a really scary experience, and let's just say, I will think twice before I EVER let the children play in the ocean, or myself for that matter.
We also had a fun filled day at Knottsberry Farm! I have only been one other time, and honestly it was so much fun!!!! It was great the day we went! We literally walked on to everyride! No lines at all! Jaker once again proved to be just like his father and wanted to ride all the massive Roller Coasters! The one he could ride on was quite intense, but boy did he love it! It was called the Sidewinder! We were able to see video of him during his ride, and he was just ROLLING with laughter! The boys loved the Log ride there. They were very excited to get wet... it was pretty hot that day!
All in all the trip was AMAZING! I can't thank my parents enough for inviting us to go! I know my boys will remember it for years to come! The boys are already missing their grandparents! We had such a phenomenal time!

Another First!

Yep... Jaker started his second Kindergarten at Little Learners Academy. Honestly, I am SO excited for him! He is going to learn so much with Miss Christiansen, and at the same time, he is going to have so MUCH FUN!!!! I am really excited for him. There are 14 students in his class. If that isn't the most optimal situation, I don't know what is!!!! He is already making friends in his new school, and he still misses his Mrs. Parker at Oakcrest! (He's off track.. yeah ALREADY!)

People think it is crazy to have him in two schools. I get reactions like... "Oh you must really be trying to ship him off." I assure you, that is not the reason at all! There are benefits to both schools.

Oakcrest Pros:

Going to school with friends in the neighborhood.

Becoming familiar with large crowds, and assemblies (which he is not too fond of.)

Getting extra help he needs with speech and occupational therapy.

Learning to adapt to a public school setting. (Heaven knows we can't afford Private school forever!)

Little Learners Pros:

Super small class size. (14 students in a class??? BEAT THAT!)

Musical based learning... Jaker digs it!

More one on one teaching.

Here is a picture of him at his new desk. He was able to choose where he wanted to sit. Notice he sat between TWO cute girls! He's a flirt, what can I say???

If I could be a personal spokesperson for Little Learners, I would. They worked so hard with Jaker last year and he made phenomenal progress! It was amazing to see the improvements in his speech, letter recognition, sounds, and socializing skills. I am so grateful that I am able to have him in there for another year. It wouldn't be possible if there weren't angels out there (you know who you are) helping us! THANK YOU!

We have Handrails!!!!

I am happy to announce that we have HANDRAILS!!! YAY!!!! Turtle has done such a great job! It is so nice having a perfectionist for a husband!

Facelift...

Just on the blog, not on me. Besides if I were to have any plastic surgery, I have a few areas that need more help (i.e toosh...gut.. you get the picture!)
I just found a new website that I LOVE! Its www.shabbyblogs.com. Have to admit, I love their styles. Simplistic, cutesy, feminine, and absolutely ADORABLE! I found some awesome backgrounds and voila... here's the new blog!
I put some tunes on from my younger years. These are songs that bring back memories. Some from when I was just little... you know the good stuff that my parents listened to. Neil Diamond, Air Supply... they always take me back to the road trips we had. My sister and I used to drive my parents CRAZY asking them to replay that song... after about 10 times of listening to the same song, we had to change it! I wish I could say I have outgrown the need to replay the same song over and over... but... NOPE! Still do it! Now I drive my husband crazy!
Other stuff reminds me of Jr. High and High School. Cranberries is huge! I loved them back then. I rediscovered this love last weekend when we were flipping through channels on the way back from Bear Lake. So I had to add them too! If you hate the tunes... sorry. I'm not changing them anytime soon!

Going through the archives...

Look how CUTE!!!

This is Jake when he was 18 months old. I had just put him in his crib because he was climbing up on the table. He was crying for about thirty seconds and then all the sudden I heard a big THUD! I ran to his room, and he was LAUGHING! He figured out how to escape the crib!

Fun trip to the Lake!

This weekend we had a Spur-of-the-Moment trip planned! It was FANTASTIC! I mean that in every way possible. It kinda was talked about last Friday, but nothing really set in stone. Turtle talked to his best buddy Oli Monday or Tuesday, kinda kicked a few ideas around, and bam, by Thursday, we are planning the last minute details in time to take off for Bear Lake on Thursday Night. (Yep, you read that right, Jaker missed a day of KINDERGARTEN! I am so going to H-E-double Hockey Sticks!)
We stayed at our friends cabin which is right by the lake. Super cool, Super Fun, and Super Convenient! The boys loved it! We had great food, great friends, great WATER (oh yes, talk about temptation for me!) and of course great scenery. Ang, my good friend really knows how to cook! I had salmon steak for the first time, and I LIKED IT! It was AWESOME! We really got spoiled this weekend!
Luckily my parents took in the pooch. He had a great time with them, frankly I think he enjoyed the R & R, that came with the peace and tranquility of the G-parents home! He got a little depressed that we left him, but my parents made it up to him! G-pa is great about letting Magellan follow him everywhere he went, they have a bond. Every animal loves my dad I swear (okay maybe not our cat Peach we had when I was growing up... but you know most animals!)
We got back this afternoon! It was such a nice weekend! We are so lucky!
Here is a quote from the weekend I had to share....
Jake: "Mom, put your ski on!"
Me: "Jake, I'm not skiing, I have a baby in my belly."
Jake: "So, what's it gonna fall out???"
***I cracked up quite a bit at that one!****

Justified.

This morning was my second appointment for baby # 3. How exciting! The whole way to the doctor's office (trust me I had time to think in rush hour traffic!) I kept thinking, what if's! What if we are having twins. What if I am not really pregnant, and I just made these symptoms up these past 12 weeks. What if he can't find a heartbeat... what if what if WHAT IF!!!
As I was driving, (I am telling you it took a while to get to the doctor!) I thought wow, I am SO LUCKY! Why you ask???
1. I don't have to work anymore and therefore no longer have to try to fight traffic to get somewhere on time!
2 I get to spend all day with my sweet little dudes who make life so much fun!
3. And last but not least, I have an amazing hubby, who is not only fantastic to me, but fantastic to my kiddos!
Kay.. so back to the appointment. I get there, and I am of course I am 12 minutes late. To me that is on time, but to everyone else, that is considered late! (good thing I can't get fired!!!) I sit in the waiting room and I wait... and I wait... I wait some more, and finally they call my name! YES!!! I get to hear the heartbeat! I am so excited, I swear I am GIDDY! So off I go... to pee in a cup, and find out how much I weigh! Then it is back to the waiting room! Talk about wrecking my morning! So I wait a little longer and then it is FINALLY my turn! YES!
I go in my room, and I wait. And I wait a little longer, (are you starting to see a trend with the waiting???) and finally Dr. Quinn comes in! YES! I finally get to hear this little baby! So he gets that little radar thing out, squeezes out the goo on my gut and starts moving it around looking for the heartbeat. It probably only took a couple of minutes but to me, IT WAS HOURS!!! I admit, I was nervous! What if the baby isn't in there??? What if I made it all up! Then finally... BAM! I hear it! This fast paced little thumper just ticking away! It was at that moment, I got teary eyed. (I am really emotional can you tell?) I was so excited to hear this little heartbeat! It was fast and it was strong! And the baby was moving all over the place! (sounds like a true Nadauld!)
It was at that moment, I had a total feeling of JUSTIFICATION! I really haven't made it all up! This nausea and exhaustion and weight gain???? There is a reason! It's not all in my head and I am SO HAPPY!! I can't wait to meet this little spirit! We are all so excited!!!! But boy, I am going to have my hands FULL!

Signs Your Kids are Growing Up...

1. Your five year old gets embarrassed when you come to volunteer in his kindergarten class.
2. Your Two year old insists on doing everything himself. (i.e. getting in and out of the car, putting on shoes, folding blankets and putting his clothes on.)
3. Your five year old tells you that he doesn't like the shirt you picked out, it isn't cool.
4. Your five year old tells Gramma while at the store that he doesn't need anymore toys, he has plenty.
5. Your two year old insists on putting his milk cup in the microwave... afterall, mom might spill it.
6. Both your boys tell eachother what to do... and it is an exact repeat of what you always say. (ex. "don't jump on Bed Jadub," "Joey, you need to share with your brother." and the best one is to eachother, "We don't say shutup!")
7. Both boys offering to help one another out... if they drop toys etc.
And my all time FAVORITE!!!
Your five year old tells you it is too late to go to dinner with Gramma and Grampa, he has school in the morning and he still needs to shower.

Naughty 1 and Naughty 2...

Don't misunderstand, they are both EQUALLY NAUGHTY, but I used numbers to distinguish between the two.
Tonight I made the error of taking two children to the grocery store. WalMart of all places. The most cluttered, toy filled, little gadget, piece of candy here and there, store in the UNIVERSE! I take my kids to the grocery store all the time... but tonight... let's just say it was an experience that will plague me for a VERY LONG TIME! They were naughty... no really... like strangers staring at me with that "Holy crap woman, CONTROL YOUR KIDS!" look. Yeah,.... it was one of those experiences.
I only share it because frankly, I am miffed...REALLY REALLY REALLY MIFFED! Here's the rundown....
1. Walk in the store... Jake wants in the cart, so I put him in, keep in mind he is 42 lbs, not exactly light!!! Then 2 seconds later he pitches a fit because now he wants out!!!! (I should have known I was in for it AND RAN!!!!)
2. We go to produce (I don't like the Walmart Produce...but never the less it was convenient) I pick out some nectarines that were pretty good, and of course the boys fight over who gets to hold them.
3. Off to frozen foods... Jake decides this would be a great time to try and hang upside down on the cart as if it were a jungle gym... he gets grease ALL OVER his hands and starts pitching a fit that his hands are dirty... (yeah cuz I didn't warn you about that along with the fact that you are going to fall and bust your face!!!!)
4. After a few more minutes we end up in the Health/beauty aisle. By now, Joe has thrown enough of a tantrum that I agree to let him walk instead of sit in the cart. BIG MISTAKE! He runs up and down the aisle knocking stuff on the floor then refusing to pick it up!!! (this is where those nasty looks come in!) After getting firm with him and his ignoring me... I tap him on the toosh. Yes I really did that in a store!!!! HE LAUGHED!!!!
5. Finally we go to the checkout... this should be peaceful right???? NO!!!! Joe takes my nice nectarines out of the cart and decides to bowl them down the checkout aisle! So now, not only have I checked out and didn't notice that he had taken them out of the cart... but now I get to pay for BRUISED FRUIT! (Insert SCREAM HERE!)
Essentially the kids were locked in their rooms when we got home til Turtle got home... unfortunately that was less than 5 minutes later!!!

Changes...

I went to the District today to do some shopping. Thanks to the OODLES of construction on New Bingham Hwy (c'mon people...when you see cones merging your lanes...why wait til the last minute! DUH!) I had lots of time to think. The boys were both conked out ever so peacefully in their carseats. I thought about change. Things are changing pretty quick in our house with Baby # 3. For example...
1. I used to run 4 miles several times a week (does 3+ times constitute several???) That was my exercise... and boy it felt good! Now???? My exercise consists of walking Jake & Joe to Oakcrest Elem. twice a day. Not quite the intensity...but let me tell you, I am BEAT!
2. After doing the "fat club" thing last year, I have been super duper conscious of what I eat. Now??? Not so much. If it doesn't make me nauseas, I am totally gonna eat it.
3. I used to eat (or try to anyway) 2 fruits a day. Now... not gonna happen. Don't get me wrong... it is a great idea, but man the smell... why does it have to SMELL so strongly!!! GAG!
4. Before I was content with the Pilot. Now... minivan sounds really super duper nice right now. (Too bad Turtle isn't taking the bait!) Don't get me wrong, I love the Pilot, I really do. It drives, it's comfortable, it's a nice car... but man whoever engineered those back seats, didn't take account the size of American Car Seats... they are about two inches TOO WIDE! So when Jaker sits in the back, I have to hang upside down over the back seat, full view of my toosh out the back hatch (not pretty I'm telling you!), lift up one side of his booster seat, while trying to finagle the seat belt with the other hand. Yeah... really...it is that tough! By the time I am done, I am hot, sweaty, my hair is a mess (oh wait that's normal!) and I am in a bad mood!
As I was thinking of these changes... I can't express how excited I am. Absolutely ECSTATIC! I am gonna have three little angels... and I can't tell you how blessed I feel. I am so happy, and I know how lucky I am. Jake mentions all the time how fun it will be. I think the boys will be FANTASTIC big brothers! Jake has had lots of practice, and Joe... I think he will catch on pretty quick!

To Do List...

I found this on YouTube. It slightly resembles my day... okay a little more than SLIGHTLY! Pause the tunes on the right!

Back To School...

Lastnight Turtle and I loaded up the kiddos and went to Back to School Night. It was a great experience. I have heard lots of things about the school my boys will go to. Some good. Some Bad. I, being a self proclaimed pessimist, usually run with the negative and don't give anything a chance unless I have heard raving reviews from absolutely everyone, oh and their dog too! Many of you know that I have Jaker enrolled in a private school for Kindergarten! We are still planning on taking him there. It starts in September, and I KNOW he will LOVE it and he will be FABULOUS there! I had absolutely NO intentions of sending him to public school this year... mainly because he has some issues with learning and I was certain that he would fall behind. (Hey I totally admit I am a pessimist alright!!!)
So what changed my mind? Here it goes... last week, Jake's teacher Mrs. P called. She wanted to know why he wasn't at his assessment. I talked to her on the phone for a good 15 min. She is fantastic! I totally mean it too! So I decided to take Jake in to meet her. She really worked with him. She would ask him a question, and when she could see he wasn't quite getting it, she would ask it a different way... seeing how she worked with him, listening to her talk to me, I was sold. So that is how I decided to take Jake to TWO schools. I know, he may get exhausted and if it is too much, we will make changes...
Back to our evening last night. We were sitting in an assembly setting, (Jake did awesome BTW!) and we watched a slide show of the kiddos up at school last year. They genuinely had fun! You could see it in their cute little faces! I have to admit, I got a little emotional even. I am so excited for my Jakeman! He loves school so much! I am so happy that he does! I am excited for him to make friends, meet teachers, have recess, doughnuts with daddy, breakfast with books... gosh... there is so much for that little kid to experience! I can't wait to cheer him on every step of the way!!!! I still can't believe I am old enough to have a school aged child, but that's another post in and of itself!

It's official!

Jake is a Kindergartener!!! I know! I can't believe it either!

This morning it was like he was an old pro! I went in to wake him up at about 7:30am. I was ever so sweet and told him it was time to get up for school. Half asleep he lifts his head up, looks at me, and says..."Mom, It's kindergarten, NOT SCHOOL!"

Okay... whatever makes you happy buddy!

So he gets up and dressed. He was quite excited to wear one of his new "Kindergarten" shirts. He has been wanting to wear them since I bought them about a week ago. Today was the day... and boy was he happy!

As we headed out the door he insisted on riding his bike. After all, Derek (our neighbor) is riding his bike, and Allie (our next door neighbor) is riding her bike, so of course, he has to ride his bike too! He was so cute! In fact he was so cute, I forgot his HELMET! Duh!

We almost made it up to school when Daddy came to join us walk him to his class. He was so thrilled! It means a lot to him when Daddy is there! He went right to his class and yelled, "BYE MOM! BYE DAD!!" No problem leaving us at the door! I am happy he is so comfortable!

I miss my little guy! But I am so excited for him too!

Here are some pics! Forgive me, I am nothing close to a photographer, but ya get the idea!

Kindergarten... WHAT????

That's right folks, the day is quickly approaching. My Jaker is going to KINDERGARTEN! No that isn't a typo... KINDERGARTEN! I can't believe it myself! I was just sitting here looking at all the fun pictures of this little dude, and I still can't believe Kindergarten is in the 30 Day forecast! Is there a way I can stop time and just enjoy him as a little kid a little longer??? I am so not ready for the school business. Preschool was tough for me. Call me overly protective, but I don't like being away from my Jakester! He seems so young!

He is so excited to start school! In fact, tonight he said the blessing over supper. In his prayer, he thanked Heavenly Father for Little Learners (the school he will be attending) and prayed that he would be able to listen and learn good. So dang cute!

I bought him some school clothes yesterday at the OshKosh Outlet (Great deals there I'm telling ya!) As I was going through the racks, I kept thinking... I remember buying baby clothes for him here... it seems like yesterday when I was making sure he had a onesie on, and he had little frogs and bugs embroidered on all of his clothes. His shirts all had coordinating socks. Now??? He's wearing "Big Boy Socks" no designs, no colors, just basic white socks with HANES on the bottom. What happened to my little boy??? I can't believe how fast time has gone!

Here are some old pics of him... Such a cutie!

What is he Doing???

Okay friends and neighbors...some of you may have been asking yourselves, what is going on over there???
Why is there the constant pounding of hammers?
Why do they keep parking their cars outside??? HELLO??? it's hot outside!
What is with all the saws running constantly?
Do ya'll have a new obsession with Lowes and Home Depot???
And why on earth are you not up at the lake every weekend???

Here's your answer folks... (No we are not adding on to the house!)
Turtle has designed and is currently in the process of building a deck. Not a small one either... it's not the little joke of a deck we had before... this is a real DECK! And if I had my guess, knowing Turtle and his engineering skills, you could park a car on it with no problems whatsoever. (Don't worry, I won't try it!)
The deck is coming along quite nicely! I am excited to have a nice deck made with Trex! Something about not having to maintain every year puts a smile on Turtle's face!
So here are some before pics. Our backyard was UGLY! Don't worry you can agree with me... I won't be offended! I think the backyard was a HUGE deterrent to this house selling.... Now that we have decided to stay we are doing something about it! (Thanks honey!)
Once it is done... Turtle is getting a new car... Just kidding!

Fun times at LAGOON!

Yesterday we had the great opportunity to join our good friends at LAGOON! They had some discount tickets they were willing to share with us... and boy did we take them up on the offer! It was FANTASTIC!!!! We met up in the morning and had some good times at Lagoon-A-Beach. The kids LOVED it! Jaker was having so much fun going down the waterslides as fast as he could with Asher. I think they were racing against time! We all loved the Lazy River. Jokester thought sitting on my lap in the tube was very nice, and Jaker... he just loved practicing his swimming skills down the river. We made sure the boys had life vests on... I think it made everything more comfortable!
After the water fun, Jokester went with Mindy to take a nap at her MIL, and I took Jaker to a Dr. Appt... Then it was off to pick up Daddy! Jaker was SO EXCITED to ride on rides with DADDY! I have to admit I didn't think he would really love the rides... I thought he would be nervous and uncomfortable. BOY WAS I WRONG! He LOVED IT! The bigger the ride the better! His favorite ride was the Lady Bug Drop. I went on this ride with him, and it scared me... but he thought it was great! He insisted on sitting next to a cute girl on the ride, not his MOMMY! He is growing up! He also loved the Bat. He is quite the little daredevil!
Both the boys loved the Rattlesnake Rapids! They thought it was great that we all got pretty wet! Jokester was a big fan of the cars, and also Puff! He would just Giggle and Giggle and GIGGLE! No fear... just fun!
It was a great day! We are so grateful to the Francis fam for invitings to join them! Here are some pics (courtesy of Mindy!)

You might be _____ if...

1. You eat a small amount of ice cream and suddenly feel the urge to vomit.
2. You are super way hungry, but nothing sounds appealing.
3. You are extremely happy one moment, and crying or angry the next.
4. You could sleep 10 hours each night, and still have the need to take a nap in the afternoon.
5. You are hot and sweaty when your house is at 70 degrees.
6. The thought of eating certain foods kinda makes you heave.
7. Things that never bothered you in the past, all the sudden DRIVE YOU BATTY!
8. You feel overweight, but you haven't gained a pound.
10. You can drink a liter of water and you are still thirsty.
11. You get excited to take your kids to Chuck E Cheese, then you get there and you are ready to go home.
12. You suddenly have the strong need/desire for PERSONAL SPACE!!!
13. Exercise sounds like a good thing to do, but you know you have no energy to do anything.
14. You look at your children and are reminded how much you love them.
15. Suddenly a Mini Van sounds like the way to go! Let's be practical!
16. You take a pregnancy test and it comes out POSITIVE!

Yep... you got it... We are expecting our third child. We are super way excited. I am just about 8 weeks, and it is super early. I am not feeling all that great, okay not great at all... but I am still surviving and enjoying every minute of it. Hopefully we have a healthy happy baby! We are very grateful for this pregnancy!

Good Readin'

I have been reading this book for the past couple of nights. I can't put it down! One night I stayed up til 1:30am reading! Okay.. it doesn't help that I didn't start reading it til midnight, but you catch my drift!

This story is phenomenal! What's even better is it is TRUE! The author is writing his experience after being involved in a head on collision with a semi truck. He is a baptist minister and he talks about his experience right after the crash, as well as the following months in recovery.

I haven't finished this book yet, but I am pretty sure it will be done tonight. It is so good, and I HIGHLY recommend it! My mumsy told me about it, and it is better than I thought it would be! It is more than just a true story. There is so much wisdom this man shares with his readers... things he learned through the service of others!

Flustered....

I have to say I am at my wit's end. My kids won't eat! They won't eat anything I make unless it is Peanut Butter and Jelly, Mini Corn Dogs, or Beef Enchiladas, other than that they turn their nose up to everything! You would honestly think I am feeding them dog food or something by the way they behave. What do I do?

I am losing patience. I worry about their nutrition. Let's face it, the kids can only eat so much McDonalds, and Burger King, before they started becoming FAT!

The only somewhat healthy stuff they will eat is Applesauce, Granola Bars, Cheese Sticks and wheat bread. Not exactly a balanced diet! I don't know what to do to get them to eat a meal. Any suggestions... come on, I am DESPERATE HERE!!!

Best Feeling...

Last night we had the opportunity to have my brother's four children over for a few hours. We had a great supper, and I was happy to see that some children will actually eat what I prepare. (Keep in mind it wasn't my kids, But still!!!) After supper, Turtle decided to take the children up to the park to play, and allow me some time to clean up. It's amazing how many dishes you use with SIX kids, as well as the cleaning up! WOW!
Back to the story, Turtle had been gone with the kids for about 30 minutes when I got a call to come and get Jaker, he needed to come home. So I get in the car and get Jaker. We get back home, he starts feeling better, and wants to join the kids again. On the way back up to the park, Jaker says, "Mom, are you gonna come play with us?" When I told him I wasn't, I was making some treats for when they got back, he responded, "I think I would have lots of fun if you came to play."
This is a simple conversation. To most it probably doesn't mean a whole bunch, but to me... it's priceless. Jaker and I have a little bond. He has so much confidence in me, that I will take care of whatever happens, I will make him feel better, I will make sure he has fun etc. etc. It makes me happy to know that he is so sure of this. In the daily grind of things, I do my best to make sure the boys have all the attention they need, all the fun they can have, and still take care of my responsibilities in the home. Hearing this last night made me think, I guess I am doing something right!

Father Sons Campout!

A couple of weeks ago Turtle was Brave. VERY VERY BRAVE! He decided to take both the boys to the Father and Sons Campout with the Elder's Quorum! I had the house all to myself! I missed the the boys and Turtle immensely, but I enjoyed sewing until the WEEE HOURS of the MORNING! It was fabulous!

Turtle and the boys thoroughly enjoyed playing in the dirt! The boys totally dig sleeping in a tent! In fact, I think Turtle's status with them has increased three notches because he let them sleep in a tent, in the WOODS!!! With all the excitement, they didn't get much sleep! Jokester had lots of fun playing with his nursery buddy M. Jaker of course played with some buddies from primary and even let Jokester tag along!

In addition to sleeping in a tent, the boys got pancakes for breakfast (Definite BONUS), roast marshmallows, get glow sticks, and drink hot chocolate. It was a dream come true for them. Best of all they got Daddy all to themselves! Here are some pics from the event. Turtle had his hands full with the boys, so there aren't many... but here are some cute ones!

Thanks for being the best daddy to the boys Turtle. They LOVE YOU to pieces!!!!

$100.00.... I'll take that!!!

Today, I sat down and really looked through the ads. I used to use a service that did it for me (which was awesome by the way.... http://www.dealstomeals.com/) but, I decided I could save myself the $5 a month and do it myself. I just wanted to see if I would be successful. While looking through the ads, I had my trusty pen and paper, and wrote a list... yep, that's right a list! No more spontaneous shopping for me... we are going by the list and that is that! Before I tell you the great deals I got, check it out for yourself!
Take a guess how much all this cost... Keep in mind my entire table is covered in groceries....that is a ton of food!
Do you have your guess?
You Ready???
Just under $120.00! No really, I am serious! I just saved myself $100.00!
Here's the breakdown:
Coke Zero (cuz you know I live on that stuff!)
9 BIG boxes of cereal
6 jars of Skippy Peanut Butter
Two loaves of Bread
Two Gallons of Milk
Dozen Eggs.
2 Loaves of Tillamook Cheese
2 bags of Lays Potato Chips
2 Bags of Doritos
1 bag of Cheetos
2 6packs of applesauce
2 bottles of Hershey Syrup (Turtle and the kids dig Choco. Milk!)
1 half gallon of Breyers Ice cream
1 DiGiorno Pizza
10 Bottles of Gatorade (Awesome for workin hubby's and sick kiddos)
7 Cans Refried Beans
2 Loaves of Gramma Sycamores Bread
16 oz bag of Marshmallows
5 bags of Goldfish Crackers
Box of Capri Sun (Boys dig it!)
2 gallons of milk
2 Boxes Pasta Salad mix (super yummy)
2 Bottles of Vitamins for momma
1 Can of Tuna Fish... (tryin a new brand that is on sale.)
2 Boxes of Pop Tarts (great for breakfast on the run!)
1 Cantaloupe
1 box Wheat Thins
1 Box Triscuits
I am pretty stoked.... I am stocked up on a lot of items that our family uses. I have to admit it is gonna take us til October to use up all the chips... but I know they will be used up!
I am sure I can do better... but wow it is amazing what deals you can find in the ADS!!! GO ME!!!