Another Busy Week

I had really high hopes for this week, being Chris' first break from school in MONTHS. I had a whole list of things to do around the house. Mostly things that have been put off for nearly a year- since we moved to the new house, like:

• caulking and painting the baseboards


• fixing the popping spots in the wood floor (we have had the kit for months!)


• a serious clean out of the garage


• move rock in the backyard


• trenching for the sprinkler system


• hang the window hardware so I can get cutains up


• paint our bedroom and bathroom


• re-paint over Kleven's masterpieces in various places around the house

Tuesday we headed out to the garage... Chris did more standing around than clearing out. I wasn't terribly upset at his lack of help since I had Bunco later and didn't want to break a sweat, but he kept standing on the driveway saying things like "Man, it feels so good not to be driving to school right now" or "It's so nice not to have to be anywhere" He sure has found some interesting ways to fill his time. I have caught him outside with Kleven on numerous occasions shooting at birds. He can't stand the fact that they're eating Tank's dog food on the porch so he is shooting at them with a BB-gun. Nothing says REDNECK more than sitting on the back porch with a gun and a bottle of rootbeer. The worst part is that we have view-fencing so everyone that walks by probably thinks he's off his rocker.

Do you feel bad for me yet? If anyone needs something to do in the next couple weeks, come on over!

Yes, Another Boutique

Join Us this Saturday, December 15th from 9-1 at Higley Elementary School for another Fabulous Holiday Boutique! Higley Elementary is located just north of Williams field road on Higley and the entrance street runs parallel to the railroad track on the East. Hope to SEE you there!

Shoplifting and Theft

Chris and I were walking into Walmart last Monday afternoon in search of a particular power cord to make the high def work with the projector. Since we had a cord in hand to compare, we had to get a smiley sticker on it to be able to bring it into the store. The nice door greeter lady turned to grab her roll of stickers just as a customer in one of the store's power chairs came speeding towards the exit. The nice greeter lady asked her for her reciept for the Christmas Tree-in-a-box she had in the cart's front basket, as she placed our smiley face sticker on the cord. The speeding customer didn't even bat an eye as she waved her hand over her head and announced that her husband had it and he was just a ways behind her. The nice greeter lady tried to approach the speeding customer as she slammed into the candy machines near the door and then zoomed out into the parking lot. In the five seconds it took for all this to occurr, we were joined by three more store employees all with their walkie-talkies drawn and ready to chase her down. Chris and I stood there in disbelief for a few moments, made a couple comments about the whole scene and then went on our merry way. To think that someone would steal a $30 tree makes me wonder where they are planning on finding the gifts to go under it.
I ended up going to the Dr. that same evening for the x-ray I mentioned in my previous post, which resulted in the unneccessary splint. I also came home with McDonald's for dinner and had to make numerous trips back out to the car to unload everything. I normally park in the garage, but because I had been sorting through boxes of Christmas stuff, the garage was in disarray so I left the van in the driveway. Around 11:30pm I was in bed and remembered that I probably hadn't locked the car on my last trip in... The next morning we had an appointment to be to so we loaded the kids in the car and backed out of the driveway. The moment we got out into the street, Kleven yelled from the back seat,"MOM, where's my T-Ghee!" Chris and I looked at each other and then back at the ceiling where our DVD system HAD been and all that was left were cut wires hanging out of a very large hole. After futhur investigation we realized the thief had also rummaged around through the compartments looking for the remote and had found it as well. Nothing else was disturbed- not even the two huge bags of candy on the floor underneath the very spot that was now vacant. I was SO MAD! There was nothing we could do, so we decided to call the police once we were back at home that afternoon. When we got home I was still fuming mad and had to find a way to vent my frustration so I got out a big black marker and a piece of posterboard and made a sign to put on the back of the van in the driveway. It read: To the Jerk who stole the DVD system out of our car~ Merry Christmas you LOSER! I left it there the rest of the day and late into the evening and it sure got a lot of attention. My neighbor commented that I had probably writtten it in the wrong language. Oh well. We got online that night and bought a home surveilance system with motion detection cameras and everything. I just hope we get it set up in time to get the next IDIOT who decides to stroll down my street.

From Thanksgiving to Today!

Happy Seriously Belated Thanksgiving to you all! We had a wonderful Turkey lunch with everyone but Kendyl & Tyler because they were in Kanab and Bryan who is in Australia on a mission. It was still lots of fun! After we ate we took a walk down to the Boy's Ranch where there is a small "farm" that offers views of everything from horses and cows to pigs, rabbits, goats and sheep. We take this walk quite often actually and have gotten to know quite a few of the animals really well. There's the Dancing Cow, the Crazy Goat named Lennard(sp), and the Pig with the Ugly Bum. Anyhow- we took the horses some apples as a Thanksgiving treat and the boys had a blast. It was the highlight of the day. We headed over to mom and dad Ayers' for dinner with that family and a few extra Canadians around the table. It was an excellent dinner and then we raced back home so Chris could watch his football game on his OWN TV.

Black Friday was fun too. I slept in. There wasn't really anything I was dying to go out and get this year so I waited until about 8:30 to call my mom and sister to see how their morning had been. It made me extra glad I had stayed in bed. You people are CRAZY!

Saturday night we dropped the boys off at my mom and dad's so we could go to dinner and get some Christmas shopping done. We haven't been out like that in a LONG time. It was so fun! And as an added bonus, we are now done with Kleven's list! Except that it is SO hard not to spoil them this time of year. We were having a really hard time shopping for Ezra-no offense little guy- it's just that he's so young and doesn't need anything. He'll probably just end up getting some new winter clothes since he too chubby to fit into the stuff Kleven wore between six and nine months. Kleven drew his name in our extended family gift thing so at least he'll get something besides clothes. He tells us almost everyday that Ezra needs a bouncing Zebra and I finally saw the commercial he was referring to but I think his intentions are somewhat selfish. We'll see. So all this time I have been getting around with somewhat of a limp and Saturday night my foot was hurting so bad that I could hardly get to sleep. So at church on Sunday I asked a nurse friend what the deal was and she told me to go get an x-ray. I waited until Monday night and finally went to the Urgent care down the street. I had been having dreams about coming home in a walking cast with a broken foot, so I guess a splint isn't so bad. The Dr was laughing at me because when he asked me what I had done to it I couldn't remember. I trip over stuff all the time and I'm a full-time mom- I don't have time to get hurt or better yet- to recover. I laughed at HIM when he said I needed to stay off of my foot for a week and keep it elevated while taking my prescription for an anti-inflammatory and wearing the splint at all times except when I shower. HAR-HAR! Just so you know- I am getting around fine! What do Dr's know anyway!
I had a really nice surprise the other night! Remember the hairy little thing that was causing me so much stress? Well, I came home the other night and he was waiting for me on the closet door. He apologized for my lack of sleep and the delay he had caused me while I was getting dressed everyday and said he wouldn't mind if I sucked him up with the vacuum. So I did.

The Odd Joys of Motherhood

I can remember like it was only yesterday, Kleven being born. After what seemed like an eternity of medically induced contractions and being pumped full of antibiotics only to then have to push with muscles that I couldn't even tell were flexing for two whole hours... he was here! I remember the gush of emotion, immediately falling in love with that little squish who had spent the last few months stationed a bit too close to my bladder and not far enough away from my ribs. I remember all the firsts, the smile, the sitting up, the scoot, the crawl, the first steps-way too early, his first word- Dada... but I cannot remember being as excited as I am today about the miraculous accomplishment we've made. Kleven walked up to me and said, "Mom, I have to go poops on the potty!" and he did it! Yep, today is a good day!

What a Week!

I am feeling a little guilty for not updating for real. This week has been insane...

First of all, there is a spider living in my closet. I spotted him up near the ceiling last week as I was hunting for a shoe in a hurry because Chris was in the car waiting for me. Going against the voice in my head, I took a swipe at him with a mismatched flip-flop and missed. He proceeded to jump from his high rise home and take up residence in the section of my closet containing my favorite winter sweaters. I freaked out and ran out of the closet vowing to listen to the smarter half of my brain next time and made a note to buy a new winter sweater. I have since run out of fresh-from-the-laundry-room clothing and have had to resort to shaking EVERYTHING out before I can bear to inspect it for the stupid spider. Chris, being my most loyal supporter and encourager, says the spider has to be gone by now. But Where Did He Go! Gone- as in dead? Or did he decide to make his way out of the closet, through the bathroom and into my bed?

I have lost a lot of sleep over that....

Was anyone else out driving last night at about 10:45 and get pelted by hail? It was pretty cool! Especially since it has been nothing but sunbathing weather here lately.

Here are some photos to explain the going-ons at our house recently:

This is what my girls would look like!

E-baby loves to eat bananas in his mesh thingy.

Kleven & His Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets

This is probably the most random entry yet, but as I was finishing the dishes tonight I could not help but laugh as I remembered the way my son had eaten his chicken nuggets. I was feeding Ezra some pureed green beans while Kleven was sitting next to me at the table with his plate of dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets, one of each dinosaur type cut into pieces but fit together to look whole; two dips, ketchup and ranch dressing side by side; a pile of whole green beans and a fork. He mutters to himself as he accounts for each dinosaur,"T-rex...yes, Tego-saur...yes, T-dactyl...yes, Longneck guy...yes!" I watch as he picks up his fork and ever so gently stabs his first piece, taps it three times into the ketchup and twice into the ranch dressing. He then carefully turns his head so he can see the drenched side of the nugget and examines it for even coverage. Satisfied, he takes a bite. This goes on for another four bites and then suddenly he has run into a problem: the green beans are in the way of a clear path from nugget to dip. He is perturbed and quickly scoops up the green beans in one hand and and yanks on my sleeve with the other and says, " I don't want these, here, you eat them!" I don't necessarily enjoy my green beans ketchup-coated so I made him put them on a napkin. He immediately turns back to his plate and finishes off his dinner in the exact motion as before.

This was fun

Your Celebrity Style Twin is Kirsten Dunst

More hippie chic than hippie chick.

Who's" Your Celebrity Style Sister?

B-Day

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KAYCI - And NO, this is not her writing it.

So Long to October...

Here are a few things we learned in the month of October this year:

1. To remove diaper rash cream (any brand) you must use liquid dish soap. Two or three times, and in the bathtub only. Diaper rash cream is not lotion, nor does it make ouchies on your shins go away.

2. He wants to be a Train Conductor when he grows up.

3.If he is suddenly nowhere to be found in the house, check the front porch. He can unlock and open any door in the house.

4. Two-year-old's no longer have to be for Halloween what Mom thinks they should be. If they want to be a Shark, they can be a Shark- get over it!

5. Maybe he'll be a Pro-Golfer! And if he wants to wear his PJ's to the church Halloween carnival under his costume planning to remove the costume as soon as we enter the building... so what?

Can't wait to see what November brings!

Click on the link to my personal blog to see the Boutique Stuff and then get ready to invite all your friends and family to the next one!

Mark Your Calendars!

It's time for the Fall Festival Arts and Crafts Fair!
Where: Eternal Life Lutheran Church
7025 E Main
Mesa AZ 85207
(Between Main and Broadway & Power and Sossaman)

When: October 27th 9am-3pm


Games~ Entertainment~ Raffles ~Bake Sale ~Kettle Korn

Tell Your Friends, Family and Neighbors!

I know I'll be there~ so stop by and see all the fun stuff!
And~ those of you joining me, please call me this week for last minute info- or if you'd like to participate let me know as well!
So far we have some really great stuff:

Tin tile wall hangings and magnet boards, jewelry, baby blankets, quilts, burp cloths, hair bows & clips, door signs, custom cards and page layouts, handmade picture frames, and nursing covers!

This is our first year entering so we're not quite sure what everyone else will have, but I'm sure it will be great regardless!

Best Smoothie Ever

I've been on a smoothie kick lately- for at least a month now- and I wanted to share my recipe. It's completely satisfying and totally simple. Here are the ingredients I always have on hand:
Plain or vanilla lowfat yogurt
Orange juice
Bananas
Frozen fruit: strawberries, blueberries, peaches

I don't measure-I just throw stuff in- but I always add the orange juice first, just a couple inches, then the bananas (1 or 2), and then a couple handfuls of whatever fruit sounds best that particular morning- most days its a little of everything. The yogurt helps make a smooth consistency but not a lot is needed- I buy the 24oz or larger containers and just scoop a couple big spoonfuls into the blender. You can make it thicker or thinner depending on how much OJ you add after you've blended it for a few seconds. This method makes two 16oz servings plus a little extra that goes to Kleven and is plenty big enough for a two year old- he loves it too! My plan is to start adding things like flax seed or protein powder. Oh- and another tip- if you don't use frozen fruit, you can save the leftover serving in the freezer and add it to your next-day's batch to get the frostier effect without adding ice. Now that I've spelled it all out it makes it seem more complicated than it really is! Try it and let me know what you come up with!

Annual Schnepf Farms Trip

Last Thursday we packed up the kids, the wagon and the stroller in the van -that would have never happened in the H3- and made our way to Schnepf Farms. We went early in the day and it was so different than going at night like we have in the past. It was easier to see for one thing and it wasn't crowded at all. We had hot dogs for lunch and watched the pig races where Kleven and Chris each got a turn to be the Pig Callers. When we got to the Petting Zoo the rooster Cock-a Doodle- Doo'd right in Kleven's face! He was pretty freaked out. It was the first time he'd seen that happen in real life. He LOVED the baby pigs though. What a fun place for a two year old! There was also a Sheep, Goats, a HUGE Cow, Horses and a really sweet little Donkey-he looked just like Shrek's sidekick. And then there were the rides! The first one we went on was the airplane ride, well, Kleven got to go on it- the nice old man told me that I was too big so I had to leave my baby on there alone and watch him ride for the first time all by himself! I wondered why none of the other parents were getting on- I'm a Dork! The train ride was fun as it meandered around the farm-they don't do the scary version until dark. Kleven's favorite thing of the day had to be the slide- it was HUGE! I expected him to be scared going down the first time with Chris, but NO! He wanted to go again so badly that he turned around and hiked up the side of the mountain instead of going up the walkway- Three More Times! We practically had to drag him away from it! Ezra was there too- let's not forget him! He was having so much fun in the stroller- he was holding onto the tray in front of him for dear life as we hiked around, wanting to sit up the whole time- he looked like The Hulk! It was a fun afternoon.

I know you all are just DYING to see what I got in Vegas... here it is... If you can't tell by the picture I am still quite attached to my Hummer. We got the Toyota Sienna... after 10 months of research and desperate searching. I am relieved to be done with all that nonsense, however I must add that I am having a hard time adjusting to the fact that I will be, from this day forward, a member of the Soccer Mom Society. Chris on the other hand absolutely loves the van and wears the cutest little smirk every time he drives it and informed me today that Football Moms drive vans too. Kleven has even chimed in on a few occasions and said "I like my mini van, mom!" and "Can we watch Shark Tale in the van?" A cousin of mine who also recently converted from SUV to MV said it perfectly when she explained the whole experience. "When you're walking towards your car you're thinking Oh man -that's my ride now :( -but when you get in it and are reminded of how incredibly functional it is and how much your family enjoys it and then everything about it is okay." I too have felt these past few days that I will learn to love it- its not about what other people might think and its definitely not selfish- its just what's right for us right now- and that is a good feeling!

I Feel A Migraine Coming On...

I am not really sure where to start this post. I have so many thing running through my brain right now that I really want to write about but I don't want to sit here forever nor do I wish to bore the rest of you to death.... so if you can bear with me I will attempt to sort through my thoughts and vent a bit along the way.



We found a new car! We had to fly to Las Vegas on Friday to get it but we finally got one. What a relief! I am learning to like it and that's all I'll say about that for tonight. It was a fun adventure- Chris and Ezra and I dropped Kleven off at Uncle Mike and Aunt Trina's for the day- he was in Heaven! I really need to find him some kind of playgroup or preschool.

My favorite cousin Billy came home from his mission this week and we drove into town just in time to make it to his open house. He was serving in Korea and he is so grown up now and handsome(and single)! It makes me miss my brother Bryan really bad- he's in Australia speaking Mandarin Chinese and has only been gone about four months. He finally got my email this week though so that is one less thing to stress out about. What a strength he is to me whether he knows it or not!

So here's where my head starts pounding really bad- we cannot afford two mortgage payments! This is why we are renting out our other house, and when you are a landlord you count on your tenants to pay rent to cover your mortgage for you! Common sense right? So what do you do when they have not paid rent? According to the contract you go over to the house and leave a notice that says they pay up or move out. When your renter is an arena football player/ former Cardinal teammate you take your husband and your brother-in -law with you to leave the notice. When you get to your house you don't expect to have to call the POLICE to report criminal damages and then find out that your tenant is already in jail for a Domestic Violence call that was made on the 1st of the month.( hence the no rent) Add that to the garage cabinets that appear to have had the doors ripped off, the shattered master bedroom window, and a hole in the wall from the doorknob being thrust through it... I sat on the driveway fighting the urge to puke for about an hour. Why is it that I feel as though I am unable to trust anyone anymore? If I can work up the courage, I will go back and take pictures to post for all of you to see because I know you can't believe it either! And because we'll need them in court.



On a brighter note-

Ezra sat up all on his own today!

I made the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever! (and for the 1st time in over two years- does that make me a bad wife?)

My mom is making us Swedish pancakes in the morning while we watch General Conference.



Oh- and Chris is looking into a job opportunity in RUSSIA!

Are these your rocks?

Last night as Chris and I were catching up on our DVR, we were rudely interrupted by a really loud smack! Chris jumped out of bed and turned on a light to go investigate but found nothing out of the ordinary anywhere in the house. He was certain it had come from either the master closet or my craft room closet which share a wall in the corner opposite our bed. I was certain something had hit the window above our heads outside. There was no way either of us were going out to look and by the volume of the noise- it was something big! I, of course, could not sleep after that and was startled once again between two and three by another smack! This morning we went outside and noticed a good sized hole in the stucco just below our bedroom window and a few large rocks nearby and another hole near the peak in the roof. Seriously... does someone really not like us enough to chuck rocks at our house? If you're reading this and you'd like your rocks back, I'll leave them with our neighbor across the street-he's a really nice guy and works for the Pinal County Sheriff's Department. He'll be expecting you.

Let's Recap the Week!

Kleven's age has been wreaking havoc this week- you know the two year old way- he is having a hard time taking naps and when I finally get him to sleep after much struggling, screaming, kicking and threats and after singing Old MacDonald a million times, it's about four and then he's up for hours at night after his normal bedtime. We've also discovered that's he's pretty independent. If he can use a chair to accomplish something, that's what he does. I find the table sitting lonely in the kitchen and the chirs are strewn all around, leaving clear evidence of the mischief he has been into. One will be wedged in the doorway to the pantry(the fruit snacks are up high), one against the counter near the candy jar(the contents of which are reserved for rewards with potty training), and another one at the sink- although I know he can't reach the faucet yet so I haven't figured that one out.

His new favorite phrases are: "Momma, we have dat ours house!" "I want mine own one!" and "I drive??". He's becoming such a sweet big brother- between tantrums and time-outs. Every morning he will say to Ezra, "Hi Boo-boo-butt! You waked up!" and then smother him with wet kisses and put him in a headlock. He was excited the other night when we were retrieving all the baby items from the garage. He probably thought it was Christmas as we were dusting off of the Exersaucer and the highchair. I didn't realize he would be so upset when he found out they were no longer meant for him, but it hasn't stopped him from sneaking into them from time to time.

That same night while Chris and I were cleaning in the garage Kleven was playing out on the driveway watching people walk by and yelling to them, "Hi! What's My name?" Which would make them stop and ask him "What's your name?" to which he would reply "I dunno!" The poor kid can't even say his own name!

We said goodbye to our Tilly-dog this morning when her new dad came to take her home. He's a good family friend and business partner of Chris' and Tilly really needs the attention. She's been a good dog and I'm sure I'll miss her, but I won't miss the shedding and twice a day vaccuming and having her under foot 24/7. Our Tank-dog will probably miss her too, but then he'll realize he has us all to himself once again and be really happy- maybe he'll even lose some weight.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Kleven and Ezra want to wish Grandma Barnes a very happy birthday today and tell her that she's still too young to be a grandma! AND- Happy Birthday to Papa Ayers! He's not quite so young these days! AND- Happy Anniversary (one of them) to Nana & Papa! And- today was the day that daddy proposed to mommy FIVE years ago! That's all!

He's Two!

Kleven is such a busy boy this week. With both mom and dad "working" from home he has really been entertaining himself well. He isn't often to far from me during the day, usually just the next room over, but on this particular afternoon he was less than ten feet from me and somehow managed to get into some mischief! I knew something was up when his dinosaurs stopped chatting and I could only see the top of his blond spikes peaking out from behind the couch. My mommy instinct told me to go check on him and boy am I glad I did! He had found my garage sale stash and was doing some early-bird perusing of the loot, and of course of all the things he could have been interested in... he went straight for the ink pads. So in case you were wondering what color you get when you mix the entire rainbow- this is it!

I HATE CAR SHOPPING!!!

After nine months of deliberation and cross-valley trekking we have found ourselves (sadly) back at square one. My beloved black beast is headed back for Kachina Cadillac and we have yet to find a replacement mode of transportation. We have researched almost every vehicle known to man-well at least all the five and seven+ passenger vehicles. (we won't fit in a Smart Car anymore) My favorite was the GMC Acadia- until I finally test drove it and the Toyota Sienna as a last resort favorite-for obvious reasons. I'm not excited about giving up my H3- I would seriously recommend it to anyone! It has been BY FAR the easiest SUV to drive and I have never felt safer. We're just ready for something new and different. I want to know what cars you all like and what about it. Maybe someone you know drives something you like- what is it?!?! I am not the nicest person when I'm in close proximity to a dealership, so I figured this would save my husband some embarrassment and my children the risk of a bad example. Thanks so much for your help! :)

How you know you live in SE Queen Creek

1. Mullets on a daily basis
2. Livestock on your way to the grocery store
3. Been stuck behind farm machinery getting to the post office
4. You drive 45 minutes to get to your doctor/dentist appointment
5. You're in the checkout lane at Fry's for twice the amount of time it took you to load your cart
6. You can count at least ten hybrid vehicles on your way up Ironwood Rd
7. Date night consists of McDonald's or Sonic and a quick stop at Walmart
8. You've ever said this: "We live out here, WHY?"
9. You too are praying for a Taco Bell and a Target
10. Wrangler's, boots and a ten-gallon hat in front of you in line at Blockbuster

Time For An Actual Update

So I finally got Ezra to sleep, Kleven is occupied in his room with his milk and a plate full of bologna and will hopefully pass out soon in that general area. I managed to find the way to my computer after tripping over a bazillion little plastic animals, a heaping pile of shoes that mysteriously found their way out of my closet, and finally what looks like a snow storm in the living room- which upon furthur inspection is the remains of the styrofoam packaging from an earlier delivery. Crickets are chirping behind the baseboard in here and I am so tempted to find a crowbar and put the stupid things out of their misery. Can't I just have a few moments of peace!!! There are dishes in the sink-of course, clean laundry that still needs folding, my bed is in need of sheets, Kleven needs more bologna, milk and now carrot sticks... seriously. And here I sit- on the computer when I could be doing so many other things. Theproblem is that I don't know where to start. I really wanted to get the floors cleaned before the pest control guys get here tomorrow, but that's so not gonna happen. Days like today completly wear me out. We got the oil changed in the Prius-which meant I got to leave the house twice today- once to follow Chris to drop the car off and again to take him back to get it. I did three loads of laundry, got Kleven's bed up off the floor and onto a boxspring and frame-finally!, watered our sad flower bed, took a shower, nursed off and on all day, read a pile of books, changed a thousand diapers, started cleaning my craft room, drew up plans for custom medicine cabinets in the master bathroom, vacuumed a few rooms, and somehow make myself presentable enough to go next door for cake and ice cream for Brad's 30th b-day!
...which leads into me feeling like a single parent with Chris in school these days. He is SO busy! He only has classes on Tuesday and Thursday nights- which conflict with my own activities throughout the month- but he meets with his "school groups" on occasion for projects and things. Most people would think I am spoiled to be a SAHM with a husband who works from home, but in my opinion it only makes it harder. The boys and I have to go about out daily routine without interrupting important phone calls or study sessions and its hard for Kleven especially when daddy comes out of his office to play for a few minutes but then has to get back to work and closes his door. I feel bad for whoever is on the other end of the phone when that boy starts pounding on and kicking the door while screaming at the top of his lungs.
Kleven has become quite a character these days. He all of the sudden started recognizing his letters and will randomly start reading letters off of things like the keyboard or Uncle Tyler's tailgate. I can point to any uppercase letter and 99% of the time he gets it right. I give all the credit to his nifty LeapFrog toys. I had nothing to do with it. His other new thing these days is shooting at things. He uses his fingers for a gun and points them at whatever or whoever it is that he dislikes at the moment. Like when I tell him "NO"- I get shot at. He doesn't have toy guns, but he has friends that do and our rule has always been that he can only shoot rabbits... thanks to Joe and Raynee :) I don't really know how to react to that behavior- I guess I'm just hoping its a phase he'll outgrow- SOON! Also- he begs me to go to school at least twice a day. I wish there were a structured Pre-PreSchool that would take an un-potty-trained two-year old. Anybody? Oh- and he eats like a snake. Hardly anything for a couple days and then all of the sudden he's cleaning out the fridge and the pantry in one motion.
Now it's Ezra's turn! Our chunky wee one is suddenly five months old- the fastest five months of my life! He has cut a tooth and had his first haircut all in the same week. He is such a happy baby! He sleeps well and eats really well, and is attempting to get his knees underneath himself to crawl but we don't encourage it so much this time around. We aren't in a hurry to get him mobile. He loves his big brother, his silky blanky, and drinking ice cold water from mom's cup... you should see the way he kicks and squeals when I'm standing at the fridge filling my glass. And he's SO strong! The way he grabs for everything in front of him... he so determined. I just love my boys- all three! That is what gets me through days like today. I know that the laundry and the dishes will never go away- but I feel so much at peace knowing that I spent quality time with my family. I can go to bed tonight-after I put the sheets back on- and feel like today really was a good day!

Sneak Preview!

I am always excited to get mail... (I assume most of you reading this can relate to the excitement that comes with getting mail) but yesterday was a Special mail day for me! I finally got my order of tin ceiling tiles! I have been bugging a manufacturer of this product to become a distributor for them for about a year now... the kinks aren't yet worked out but I can use my designer discount to order them anyway- so that makes me happy. Now I have to get to work finishing, mounting, and distressing... I have to have them done by October for a boutique in Mesa. More on that later....

7 Random Things About Chris

Chris was feeling a bit left out when he read my list so I told him he needed to post his own. That was a week ago...and seeing how he has had so little time to do so, I have taken the liberty of doing it for him! This should be fun!

1. Chris has lived in Utah, Idaho, Florida, Scottsdale, Russia, Tempe, Mesa, Higley, and Queen Creek in less than thirty years.
2. Chris was a cheerleader... (I was not! I merely hung around them a lot and after high school helped my brothers coach a squad)
3. He hates shredded meat and BBQ flavored foods; he claims he could live on bread and cheese alone.
4. He can speak Russian and learned Macedonian and SerboCroation- just in case we ever visit Bosnia, Serbia or Croatia!
5. He is a rock star-gone-family man. ( and I might add Handy-Man)
6. He hates to sleep under the sheets.
7. Chris has caught the "Green" bug- almost all our light bulbs have been changed out, he drives a Prius, and I believe we had an agreement this past week that our next house will be built out of entirely renewable and energy efficient materials.

It hard to keep this list to seven things. As I sit here pondering what I'm going to write next I can't help but dwell a bit on who is as a father, a husband and a man. I have so much respect for him and all that he does to support our family. He works so hard. He is a good role model to others. He has a passion for learning and he's a good student. He loves being a dad! He has righteous desires. I enjoy watching him change and develop into the kind of man our boys will strive to be like one day. Thank you for being you, babe! I love you! Now get back to studying- you have class tonight!

Oreo's and Toes for Breakfast

I have no idea how many Oreo's he actually ate. All I know is that there were a whole lot less in the box this morning than there were last night. And of course my sweet chubby one has found his feet. I didn't realize he liked the taste of baby lotion so much!

7 Things About Me (you may or may not already know)

1. I am a notary public. If you need something notarized or "noterd" as I like to say- I can do that!

2. I am an active member of a monthly scrapbook group ( have been for a year and a half) and commit to a $25 monthly purchase but have yet to finish a single page layout. Instead I consider myself an avid collector of rubber stamps, ink pads and 12x12 paper.

3. I have a birthmark on my tongue. I know it sounds gross but its a small white spot on my tongue that has been there longer than anyone can remember- probably since birth.

4. When I was six I was impaled by rebar way up high on the inside of my left thigh. Hence the reason I could never do the splits!

5. I prefer to use only white towels in the bathroom. I use colored towels only when I HAVE to.

6. I wish I lived on a farm with lots of animals- but not the kind that eventually become dinner- just ones you name and have as pets.

7. I love thunderstorms and lots of lightning! Monsoon season in AZ is my favorite time of year for that reason and because I like to hunt for the frogs that come with it!

Okay- I was tagged by my sister Kari twice this week and I am trying to catch up. Easiest one first: The Wedding Tag!

1. Where did you meet your husband?
I found him online- kind of- I emailed a band and he was the person who responded. We found out later that we had actually hung out together with mutual friends on a few previous occasions.

2. What was the first thing you said to your husband?
In person- I said "Hi- Chris? I'm Kayci!"

3. Where was your first date?
He picked me up on his motorcycle and we went to In-and-Out with a bunch of his friends and then we all went swimming.

4. Where was your first kiss?
In the pool on our first date :)

5. Did you have a long or short engagement?
It was six months long.

6. Where did you get engaged?
On the grounds of the Mesa Temple.

7. Where were you married?
In an Aunt and Uncle's backyard in Mesa in '03 and at the Mesa Temple in '05!

8. How did the reception go?
It was very simple but really pretty out in the backyard with all the trees lit with white lights and lots of candles and tons of desserts!

9. How was the honeymoon?
We went to Washington D.C. for four or five days and had so much fun that we're still anxious to go back! We saw all kinds of historical stuff and ate a different type of ethnic food for each meal. It was like being everywhere all at once! We were so worn out by the end of our trip from hiking all over town but it was well worth it!

The Torch Has Been Passed

I've been given creative control of our family Blog! Chris got tired of having to "keep up" so he turned it over to ME!

not much going on

Having a hard time keeping up with this. Chris is back in school with no breaks until November so we're not doing a whole lot. Here's some pics of Kayci and the boys from the other day. They are growing so fast!

Sedona, AZ

So last weekend we took our other short trip of the summer break up to Sedona, AZ. They call it Redrock country. We've been there several times before. We were hoping to escape the 117 degree heat, but it was still 104-109. We visited slide rock which is a natural rock water slide at a state park. It was fun. Chris took Kleven to see Evan Almighty and he actually sat through it. Probably because of all the animals and his favorite number being 2...as they were in pairs. We travelled home the back way through a small mining town called Jerome which looked like we were in Europe. Switch back streets with old houses rising above and a small little down town area. It was very cool and Chris has plans to go back really soon on a motorycle ride with his friends. We will post pics soon.

Vacations

While Chris has school off for a few weeks we have planned a few vacations. We already did one. We went to California last weekend and visited Sea World. Kleven absolutely loved it and Ezra just pooped and slept. We got to visit some good friends of ours who have relocated there too so it was nice to see them.

Memorial Day

We had a blast on Memorial Day. Chris went on a motorcycle ride up north with 10 of his friends. They were like a large biker gang. Kayci went shopping. Afterwards we went to 2 bbq's for the afternoon and evening and boy are we tired.

E-Baby

So Kleven can't say Ezra yet so he has resorted to calling him E-Baby. We don't mind since it makes him sound like a white rapper. Here's a couple of pics of the boys recently. Also one with Chris & Kleven going to an ASU game and jamming out on their guitars together.

Umm....yeah

Ok, so i'm not all up to speed on this whole blogging thing but i thought it would be fun to start sharing what's going on with the boys and us. We'll see how well i keep up.