My Mae

Mae is my little buddy, especially my hair buddy. I straightened her hair the other day so that I could trim it and see what I was doing. It never got trimmed but she did run around the house thinking that she was rapunzel. Doesn't she look like a different girl? I have been doing my hair curly lately too, I have been straightening it for the last 8 years? But I like doing it curly because I feel more like I am Mae's mommy and I feel back to my roots. I wonder if Vera will be curly. Anyway, here are some pictures of the curly hairs around here.

Trouble

Mae is in time out and I am making Wes clean the house. These two are serious mischief makers. I just found a window screen, the candy land game (and all the cards, gingerbread men, and board), papers, and toys three stories below our balcony. Then I found the contents of their closet (including all their clothing and shoes) in one big pile with a box of graham crackers smashed up and poured on top. Then a whole case of water bottles was emptied in our front closet. Then I came into the bathroom to help Wes and he was sitting on the toilet with a pair of scissors cutting Mae and Vera's amber necklaces (do I need to mention that they are expensive heirlooms?) Ahhhhh.

Last week I found them sitting at the top shelf in our walk in closet, with all of our clothes, shoes, hangers, luggage and boxes etc on the floor, and they were eating all they could from a costco box of gum.

I literally cannot let these two out of my sight, they are not allowed to play in their room or go to the bathroom without me there. If they are taking a bath and I step out, they flood the bathroom. If they are pooping and I leave, there is poop or pee or toilet water all over when I come back. If they are eating breakfast and I go to get dressed, then cereal is on the walls, (along with blueberries, which stain). They empty the pantry, they empty the fridge, they cover Vera with blankets, and swim toys, and milk. They draw all over my house plans and to do lists, and computer, and tear up my magazines. They loose my nice jewelry, watches, and keys, and push over lamps and break lightbulbs . . .

hang on, Wes just ran by with his hands full of granola bars . . .

Ok, where was I. Oh ya, and they dump gallons of milk, and juice, and bottles of soap, and peel hardboiled eggs and smash them all over the house. Well, I could say more but I think you get the point; sometimes I want to pull my hair out.

If you are wondering when they find the opportunities to do these things, it is usually when I am feeding Vera, changing Vera, doing dishes, laundry or making a meal. As soon as I answer a phone call, they disappear. It usually takes me two hours to get all three kids to bed. By the time I am done I am ready for bed as well. But that is my only time to get anything accomplished, so these days I am surviving on 4-6 hours of sleep a night.

This is all I have to say when John wonders what I do all day.

My two precious trouble makers: I love them

a few things

We have been doing so many fun and exciting things lately, but mostly I mostly just wanted to tell you about all the little things that have made me laugh.

We made fruit leather a while back and Wes can't seem to say it right: "thruit leatha"

Whenever the kids are feeling sick or have some kind of ailment they always ask for medicine, "the kind you drink". Lately they have been asking for it way too much so I put some gatorade in a baby bottle top and gave it to Mae. She stopped screaming and started smiling. It worked. I didn't think it would be as easy with Wes, the next time he asked for medicine I put some blackberry juice in a bottle top and gave it to him. He said "Hey what flavor is this?" Grape I said. "Oh, ya, this does taste like grape" with a smile on his face. Really? It's that easy? Awesome.

A few days ago Wes picked me some flowers, which was cute and all but then he came home and got an empty baby food jar out and filled it with water, put the flowers in, and put it next to my bed. Now that is the Wes I love.

So I had my 29th birthday last month and this is the first time I am really starting to feel old. Are the people on the Bachelor really younger than me? Kind of depressing. Also, I was visiting teaching a couple of girls in my ward and one of them said she wasn't sure how she was going to like this ward since everyone was like 30 and had three kids. . . Um. Then the other one said, ya, this ward is kind of older. . . Shoot, that would be me. Then another girl at church came up to me and said "You have three kids!? But you look so young!" Ya, Im probably old enough to have five or six kids.

Mae calls cashews "cashrooms" no matter how many times I correct her

The first day we went to the pool Mae said "this is so fun" about 50 times, every minute or so

Vera won't nurse any more. She is still so young, I am kind of sad about it. But also feel kind of free.

Vera is obsessed with hair and will pull it every chance she gets. She reaches and squirms and growls trying to get to it. A few days ago we were on a walk, the kids were in the stroller, and I heard Mae screaming. I got mad at Wes for teasing, then I realized that Vera had a big handful of Mae's hair in her hands, no longer attached to Mae's head.

Wes said "Mom, I love our baby" I said "Do you mean Vera?" He said "ya, I have been waiting for her for years" They are the cutest little buddies.

Yesterday I found a new Costco bag if chips divided into two piles, one on Wes' bed and one on Mae's bed.

I also found Vera covered in milk, and the kids were excited to show me what they did to her.

The Sky

I LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL PLANET

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

This video gave me goosebumps, and it reminds me why I studied this earth and the beauty that grows and lives here.

Oh my

So I was catching up with a friend the other day and I was talking about the usual things, kids, stress, our crazy life, etc and she said, "Really? It's kind of good to hear that you struggle, your life just seems so perfect on your blog."

Um, our life is far from perfect and lately I have been so overwhelmed. I was looking back through some blog posts trying to find what I wrote when I was stressed out about something, but I never wrote it down. I wanted some advise from myself but it wasn't there. So for these two reasons I am writing this post, and also to vent.

I am so stressed out, and so overwhelmed with everything that I have taken on lately. I feel like I'm running and running as fast as I can and I'm still falling more behind.

I wish I could talk to my Grandma about how she did it. When she was my age she built a house, ran my Grandpa's practice, and managed several properties. I miss her.

I have such a long to do list for our house that it makes my stomach literally hurt
John went from working at home several hours a day to working away from home 10-12 hours a day
John has so much going on that he really needs me to lighten his load, I have so much going on that I need him to lighten my load, so we are holding hands and drowning together.
I have fed my family more pizzas, burgers, cereal, and granola bars than I want to admit
Sometimes the kids are fighting and I just ignore them
there are days when I'm putting the kids to bed and remember to brush their teeth, but I just put them to bed anyway because I'm too tired
the house is always a mess
I rarely have time to actually sit down and play with the kids
the kids watch way more movies than I feel comfortable with
my iphone has become a main source of entertainment/distraction for the kids
I never write thank you notes to anyone anymore
I like to think that my kids are well trained and good sleepers but one if not all kids wake up every night, which makes me a zombie and compounds my stress
I never shop for deals or sales anymore because I don't have time, I pay full price for most things because I need them asap, which I hate doing
the kids are always running around with dirty hands, faces, clothes and diapers
I buy bottled water and paper plates and use them every day
most days I don't wear any makeup and don't even touch my hair
I have very little milk due to stress etc and have to feed Vera bottles
guilt
guilt
guilt

So, really it's not as bad as it sounds and some of these are probably exaggerated but I am really looking forward to the end of the summer when our house is done, when we can move in and be settled and disappear into our own little lives and sit on the couch and watch a movie without anything else to do.

On a happier note:

the weather is beautiful, and we spend at least one hour everyday outside where the kids can run and play and dig
John works SO hard and provides for us so well
we live near family that we love and get to see often
Vera learned to sit, swallow food and put things in her mouth this week (all things I was worried about)
Really, I am so blessed and grateful for everything that I have, and I realize that most of these things are self induced and temporary. It actually feels really good to work hard and push myself, that is how we learn and grow right?

Well, I am going to go snuggle on the couch with Mae, and then do a fun activity with Wes and then enjoy a delicious dinner that John is making us. Happy Mother's Day!

New stuff

A few new things:

- we packed up all our things and moved to DC, we are crazy
- I pray that our house will be done correctly
- I am putting a lot of faith in a couple of people to see that our house is just right when we return
- I am so glad to be out here with Rose & Josh and Emily & Tyler
- I ripped by big toenail completely off
- spring is here
- I spent $400 at costco just on groceries in one trip
- we spent Easter in the car probably in several states (just like the last two years)
- we had an easter egg hunt with Nathan and Chelsea in Denver and here with Rose and her kids
- we got a vitamix and have been making smoothies like crazy
- I love H&M kids
- I also love my family (but thats not new)

Ha

John and I are featured in an article, Im not sure how I feel about having my picture that big in public but you can read it if you want.

Things

A few things:

The kids are up to their usual selves, dumping my makeup all over the carpet, pouring water all over the kitchen floor, pulling all the bedding off their beds, dipping their toothbrushes in the toilet, playing with knives

John is out of town, so I'm trying not to get bored.

I have been doing a lot of research, one of my favorite past-times, and finding tons of good info for a future project.

Wes got a haircut, but I don't have access to the pictures yet.

I actually baked today, made banana muffins, which remind me of my Mom (with chocolate chips on top)

I pulled my dusty scriptures out of their box and it feels good to have them next to my bed (and to have read them)

Most days I feel like I'm just trying to survive. First we had our water turned off for several days, then our gas for several days. Then I flooded our bedroom from a leaky washing machine hose and we had to rip the carpet out, ugh. I just want a normal uneventful week.

We have been getting two or three packages a day for the last week from some incentives that John earned, its kind of like Christmas, and Wes especially likes opening the boxes.

We have unloaded a few things from our storage unit and it feels so good to use real silverware again, we have had plastic for the last year or so. It's also nice because whenever I feel like going shopping I can just go to the storage unit and shop, I keep finding things that I forgot I had, we have some pretty cool stuff.

John has been art directing a lot of photo shoots lately for projects and we came to see him during one. The photographer took a few shots of Mae while we were there, she was being shy but she sure looks cute.


also, can you see her birthmark on her neck? John thinks we should get it removed. Good idea or no?

The third time

This pregnancy has really surprised me

I suspected I was pregnant because I was dreaming crazy vivid dreams
I felt pretty crumby the first trimester
I swear I was going to have a boy
I started showing really early
I have been craving watermelon and tomatoes, two things that I'm not usually crazy about but have a new appreciation for
Lots of heartburn
Super sore ribs, sometimes I feel like they might be broken
I have been feeling the last month achiness (back, hips etc) starting in the sixth month, what is wrong with me
I initially thought that this one was less active but in the past month I am thinking she might be the feistiest one I have had
I am pretty darn impatient and moody which makes me look forward to a more calm and collected me after this baby comes

plus I'm HUGE and I can prove it. This picture was taken on our anniversary this month and the next one was taken on our anniversary two years ago. There are only 11 days between my due date and the day I had Mae, and there is way more than eleven days growth between these two pictures! I am thinking that either
A: I am just extra big because I have pretty much eaten whatever I have wanted to
B: I am growing an extra large baby because I have pretty much eaten whatever I have wanted to
C: my baby is due much sooner (probably not)

Most likely the answer would be A and B. I just really don't want another 9 pound baby like Wes was. Ahh, panic! Ok, I have my ultrasound scheduled for next week and I will find out more then. This will be my first real doctors apt and I am 30 weeks right now.

We are moving home to Utah in two days, I'm so excited! Although we still don't have a place to live, hopefully we can find something quick, and hopefully we can have a real house before this baby comes, and if not that then before the holidays please.

Trouble

Did anyone else notice that yesterday was Friday the 13th?

Things that ended up on/in my carpet/floor:
5 gal bucket of flour
toilet water and toilet soaked toilet paper
a bottle of windex mixed with a bottle of dish soap
a gallon bag of raw chicken, soy sauce, and oil
the contents of the bathtub

What I accomplished yesterday:
nothing except clean up after my little trouble makers

I was in tears by 11 am, Cari had quite a crises and we ended up in tears together, Beth had trouble with her flight and was stuck in the Denver airport overnight. Anyone else?

Six

Our anniversary kind of snuck up on us. Neither of us realized it until someone called to wish us a happy day. It was nice just to have John to myself for a few hours, we went to lunch and a movie. Sign me up for another year, I love this guy.

Busted!

So Rose and I have been keeping our eye out on Craig's List to see if the person who stole my stroller would list it. Sure enough a week later Rose found a listing for my exact stroller in our neighborhood. Rose called the cops and we set up a place to meet the guy while the cops watched. When the guy pulled the stroller out of the truck the cops pulled up and busted him! His story didn't add up plus we had pictures to prove it was ours. It kind of felt like a victory, justice had been served. They handcuffed the guy and took him away.

I'm so glad that Rose pretty much did everything. She found it, called the cops, arranged to meet with the stroller seller/stealer, then played out the whole set up. I was a mad nervous wreck so I was glad all I had to do was stay in the car and take iphone pictures. After they got the guy the cops came up to me and told me I should be proud of my sister, then they asked her if she wanted to come work for the police department, he said Rose was fit and smart! She pretty much said No Way! It was funny.

So glad to have my stroller back. Maybe some people feel like it is just a silly stroller but for how much I rely on using this thing, not to mention the monetary investment, I was pretty upset when it was gone. I really feel like a part of my life is back on track now. Thanks Rose.

you can read Rose's version of the story here

It's early and I can't sleep. I woke up and immediately starting thinking and worrying about my to do list, my baby, where we are going to live, why someone stole my stroller, am I going to get a nap today, is wal mart open this early?

Last night someone stole my stroller off of our back porch, now Im stuck because I can't haul two hefty kids around along with this growing belly. Why. Rose took this picture of me a few days ago, the good news is that from this angle I don't really look that pregnant, the bad news is that I no longer have my stroller.

Chicago

Cari Rose and I spent the day in Chicago and I had such a blast! We went to the Randolph Street Flea Market, which had tons of cool vintage and antique treasures and then headed out to lunch at the Orange Cafe. We found a whole little area of downtown that had some of our favorite designer stores, we were in heaven it was so fun. I love my sisters.


also, I might have to buy that lamp

The Best

This year my goals started out being about temporal things, like food storage etc, then we decided to move every few months and live out of boxes. Not going to work for gathering and saving food storage or planting a garden. So my goals have changed and I have been really focused on finding the best for my family. I want us to always be surrounded by the best ideas, things, and habits. I want my children to learn to be discerning when they make choices and know why they chose them.

I started by eliminating tv and movies for the kids, they really are not the best activities for the kids to be spending their time on. And guess what, it makes a big difference in their mood, obedience, and their thought processes. It really wasn't that hard either. It is so fun to see what the kids come up with together when they have to be creative and find something fun to do. I also organized two bins in the hall closet full of activities like play doh, moon sand, coloring, painting, magnets etc. They love being able to pick an activity out of the bin and it is so much better for their brains. We have also been spending a lot more time outside, granted it is summer now but I try to make an effort to let them play outside for a good amount of time everyday. Having a playground right outside the door really helps. (I should say that the kids still sometimes watch movies when friends come over or when I'm gone and John lets them watch one.)

I read Simplicity Parenting over the last couple weeks, by far my favorite parenting/child raising book I have read, I really recommend it. Almost every concept in the book I had been contemplating before reading it and now I am so glad to have reason and research to back up my previous thoughts. It really helps you remove all the excess things in your children's lives so that they are left with the opportunities to really learn and grow like children should. We went through our toys and got rid of a bunch of them, keeping only the things that stimulate and encourage imagination. It is so nice to have only a handful of toys for them to clean up and they have an easier time choosing and sharing what they have. They also seem to get involved in deeper play with fewer toys, I love it.

It is so liberating to simplify possessions and habits and to learn to live with less. It really feels good. I cant wait to get home to all of our things in storage the get rid of most of it . . . not really but probably a lot of toys, books, and clothes will go, and all those things we have been saving because someday we might possibly use them. I don't want to think about, spend time on, or spend money to store those things.

Also, Im pretty sure the longer Mae's hair gets the curlier it gets. Check out these ringlets, my goodness.

I'm Lucky

I am really glad that John made me be his girlfriend when I didn't want a boyfriend. I am also glad that he waited a long time to tell me that he loved me because he knew I wasn't ready, and I wasn't. Now six years later I'm glad that John drags me all around the country moving from place to place without a real home because I secretly love it. We have a lot of fun together and I certainly have a greater life than I could have ever dreamed up on my own. Life is coming at us pretty fast and sometimes it is hard to keep up but whenever we can find a quiet moment together we always end up amazed at all the blessings we have been given.

I think in the past year and a half we have really been able to figure out how to work together to make the things happen in our lives that we really want. I think there is a lot to be said about vizualization and making goals. Goals and future planning are a big part of our relationship and I feel like we have a lot of power to achieve the things that we would like to see happen for our family. Of coarse really our relationship is three people including our Savior, and when he is involved that is really when we see amazing things happen. We both have this scary but exciting feeling that we have some big and unexpected things ahead for our family, and I think that as long as we are open to the risks and opportunities that come our way then we will be ready for them. I guess risks and challenges might be similar but I look at them more as risks. Both can have a positive outcome but I think you can choose risks and challenges are sometimes just given to you. Anyway, I think that John and I have been able to take on some calculated risks in our lives in the last little while that have really turned out to be very big blessings, and sometimes it's fun and exciting to take on something new and unexpected. Well I guess I better stop before this gets too long. Here is the first picture ever taken of us, john is so darling (not so cute of me) his smile kind of reminds me of Mae's.

Faire Houre

Ok guys, I make clocks! I have been working on this project for the last year and a half, but mostly just the last few months. I have had SO much fun putting together my site and shop and taking pictures and just making beautiful things. It has been a much needed and enjoyable creative outlet for me. If you know anyone who is in the market for a good clock or is looking for a great Christmas present, send them my way! I will keep my blog and shop updated with new stuff so check back if you are interested.

Inspiration

I have been inspired by so many things lately, good books, friends, family, and conference. Here are some of the things that I want to work on and incorporate:

I want others to walk away from me feeling good about themselves

My favorite quote from conference: "Never suppress a generous thought" Elder Uchtdorf

Pick one thing a month to change and work on it for that month

Organize my freezer, stock it with premade meals

Pattern

Look at this cool pattern that John designed for me. I can't decide what to use it for, there are so many fun things I could do.

New Hair

John watched the kids yesterday while I went to get my hair cut, the best afternoon I have had in a long time and I think my favorite cut ever. It feels so refreshing. Thank you Jocelyn!