Brennan

And here is Brennan. He is a lot of fun to take photos of! I love the one with his finger in his mouth--he's teething and it is like he is pointing right to where he hurts! And he had a little eye infection so in a lot of photos he looks a bit drunk! What a lovely child!

Weston

And here is Weston. Gorgeous. So, how is my photography? I am learning, though I have a long way to go!

Aidan

Well, we got a new camera. Great, right? Except now we take TONS of photos and now I don't want to get rid of any, and I want to blog all of them.... so I am trying to learn this picasa thing so I can show off all the photos! Here is my first try with these pics of Aidan. He got a black eye so I was taking a picture and then he kept showing me is muscles (those are all the funny ones with his fists). He is DARLING --and silly.

Obituary

Here is the link to Grandma's obituary.
http://www.legacy.com/DeseretNews/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=121992438

Very beautifully written. What a wonderful woman she was! I am so glad I was able to know her and grandpa, although just for a short time. I am especially grateful my children knew her. Probably only Weston will remember her, but she did make an impact. The morning after she died, Scott told Weston quietly (we were at the breakfast table) that Grandma had died and he started to cry. A few minutes later he was gone. Scott went up to look for him and found him in the bedroom saying a prayer for Grandma. What a wonderful sweet boy! I am so glad he understands prayer and feels so close to the spirit. I am glad that he has felt the influence of what our dear grandma has taught us!

An Angel Among Us

My Grandma, Beverly Shepherd Daw was a silent angel. The type of person who does so much, touches so many peoples’ lives, is so kind to everyone she meets, and yet neither sought nor gained much attention. She passed away on December 27th. My Grandpa Daw was a very charismatic, outgoing, and dedicated disciple of Christ. He was always in the spotlight and accomplished a lot while he lived.
At his funeral just over a year ago there were hundreds and hundreds of people who came, out of love and respect for a life dedicated to the Savior. I remember looking at my grandmother, who at the time was in the throes of Alzheimer’s and had little idea about what was going on, and I couldn’t help but to think to myself, much of what Grandpa Daw accomplished in his church service and in his humanitarian efforts was a direct result of Grandma Daw. Together they served two missions. First in Columbia, South Carolina where he was the mission president and she served as his companion, and second in the Philippines where he was the president of the MTC and again she as his companion. Her support and behind the scenes labors allowed him to serve and support.

Perhaps one of the greatest sacrifices my grandmother made was when my grandpa was called to serve as the bishop of the South Cottonwood Ward for the second time. The first was when he was a younger man with children at home and obviously this was a sacrifice for her. He served for about 12 and a half years the first time which was a majority of the “Child Raising” years for my grandmother. However, perhaps the second time he served was an even bigger sacrifice for her personally. He was called when he was 76 and released at age 80. These were the sunset years of his life and hers as well. These are years of retirement when many elderly couples travel and enjoy time with their family and time together as a couple. Much of this was put on hold for Grandma and Grandpa. She was left home alone while he spent countless hours at the church serving the Lord. I can only imagine the lives he touched and changed during those years. Imagine having an 80 year old man, with a life time of service and experiences to help guide you through the challenges of life. Grandma made that possible by sacrificing time with Grandpa, for others. I believe this was a conscious sacrifice on her part.
I said that Grandma was left home alone but while there she helped many though service. I can think of one woman that Grandma nurtured and I use that word nurtured literally. This woman’s life was literally saved as a result of the kindness and love shown to her by my Grandma. She was afflicted by every type of malady imaginable from physical impairments to emotional distress to psychological illness to financial misery. Grandma saved her and many others through her Christ-like charity and love. When I said that Grandma was left home alone I also meant that these were the years that she began to show more advanced signs of Alzheimer’s. She began to forget things and tell the same stories over and over again. She began to not be Grandma anymore. I have wondered at times why Grandpa was asked to serve as a bishop at this time in his life and particularly at this time in Grandma’s life. She was getting sick and while he took very good care of her and met her needs, these were years that he could have spent with her as both of their “last” years together. Why at such an old age did Grandpa get called? I think the answer to the question is because he and Grandma were totally dedicated to the Lord and were willing to sacrifice literally everything to the Lord and in many ways did. They could not retire from church service. This life is only a small glimmer in the eternities of time they will spend together and I think they realized that. I will be eternally grateful for the example of these 2 great people. They were 2 of the biggest influences in my life during my childhood and throughout my adult years.
Today I am particularly grateful for my Grandma Daw. When my parents left for a 3 year mission in July of 2001, I felt very alone. I was not married and was kind in a rut. My Grandma Daw became in many way a mother to me and helped me cope at a hard time in my life. I rejoice in the fact that she is with her father who died in 1942 when she was only 15. I rejoice that she is with her mother who died in 1994. Most of all I rejoice that she is now back reunited with Grandpa who died on December 13, 2007. All the time the spent apart in life will now be made up for in the eternities to come.

I love you Grandma.

Love,

Scott

Here is the Christmas Card I sent out this year! For all of you who read my blog, here it is for you, too!

Hello dear Family and Friends!
Here are twelve things we’d like to share with you this Christmas Season.

*Brennan turned ONE on November 24th. He scoots on his bum to get around (no crawling!) and loves to clap. He is getting his molars (argh!), but is still a sweet happy boy. He is a great addition to our family. We love him so much!!!
*Brittany got PRK (like LASIK) on TWO eyes—no more contacts and 20/20 vision!
*Aidan turned THREE on June 9th. He sings constantly (truly—all the time!) and is a silly, fun boy who is learning the letters, and can already write over half of the alphabet. Smarty pants. He is always making us smile.
*We went to Disneyland and rode on our favorite ride Autopia FOUR times. Weston went through Jedi Training, Aidan loved the Dumbo ride, and Brennan loved watching everybody be happy. It was a great trip!
*Weston turned FIVE on June 2nd. He started Kindergarten and loves to read. He loves everything Star Wars, and every day he is dressed like a Jedi or Darth Vader (light saber in hand). He is a wonderful big brother and is growing up way too fast. He’s a great kid!
*Scott and Brittany celebrated SIX years of marriage on July 27th. They have been wonderful and filled with joy and lots of love. Both are excited for the eternities of bliss to come!
*Besides Disneyland, we did at least SEVEN other fun family things: Went to “This is the Place Heritage Park”, Dinosaur Museum, and the Aquarium; Trips: camping, canoeing in Idaho, week at Lake Powell, and went to see the Rexburg Temple Open House.
*We spent at least EIGHT hours in the hospital with Aidan for things pertaining to his seizure. From tests, it seems he could have more, but will most likely grow out of them. Thanks to everyone for your support.
*Scott bagged NINE bags of tomato juice/sauce for our (new) freezer from tomatoes grown in our own garden. We also have eaten potatoes, carrots, onions, peas, green peppers, broccoli, lettuce, and basil from our garden. Food grown in our own garden is so yummy!
*There are way more than TEN reasons we love Christmas, but the number one is that we are so grateful for the birth of the Savior and Redeemer, and hope you find joy in the spirit this season also.
*We have a blog and average about ELEVEN posts a month. That’s a great way to find out about our lives! Visit us at: www.dawlings.blogspot.com and please keep in contact (email: [email protected] and [email protected])
*Wishing you TWELVE happy months to come in 2009! And may your home be filled with the spirit of the Christmas season every day!

I will post lots later with many photos (we just got a new camera and I haven't downloaded all the photos from it with Pre-Christmas activities.) Merry Christmas everyone.

Santa, where are you???

Every year we go to RC Willey to see Santa. Because it is free and we never have to wait in line, and they let you take a photo with him, AND you can take your own photos, too! So we got all ready this morning, and I decided to call to see how long he would be there... He isn't there! I don't know if we missed the whole thing (the lady on the phone was not helpful!) or they just didn't get him this year. So, now what do we do? I am not going to go to the mall! Where else is Santa? Does anyone know where we can take the kids to see him???

See what a silly boy we have

When Brennan heard the music he started REALLY getting into it. Not a great video, but awful funny.

Quote of the year

I have had absolutely no time to post, but I came across a quote and had to share it:

"If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?"
--Milton Berle

Have a happy day mothers.

Happy Birthday Brennan

Yesterday was SO incredibly busy (shall I list the things I did: 5 loads of laundry (but not folded...), visiting teaching, jazzercise, tumbling class, clean kitchen, bathroom, living room, make Kindergarten calendar, grocery shop, make an Elmo cake--see below--, wrap presents, be a mom, take child to school, make breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a few more trivial things...), but I didn't get a chance to blog his birthday! So here's to my baby!

Brennan is getting big! He is by far my biggest kid--20 lbs by one year. He is sooo funny with his scooting on his bum (which by the way, is a fine way to get around--my doctor said so! I don't want anyone telling me that I'm not a good mom cause he doesn't crawl!). He has just figured how to get up our two stairs out of the play room and pull himself to standing and bang the tables. He loves to clap and smile cheesy grins. He really loves his mom (me!) and clings to her often, though he loves his dad and brothers, too! I couldn't figure out why he was so cranky the other week, then had a peek in his mouth and saw half of a molar... no wonder! The rest of the molar came in and he continued being cranky.

He loves the Elmo we got him, but he loves to play with cars--and make the noises, too! He is a delightful boy and is so handsome--he will be a real looker when he gets older. What a face!

We had a great family party for his birthday. My friend Camille gave me this idea, so all credit goes to her: We made three different cake mixes, but then had people pour the cake batter into waffle irons! Everyones own personal waffle cake! Then I had several different toppings, frostings, etc. It was a great success! He opened presents (well, his brothers did) and he dove into his Elmo cake (a tradition to have the one year old eat their own cake --the next day is never quite fun on their bellies and bum...), and he LOVED it (who wouldn't?). See the progression of cake and child to mess and messier...

Happy Birthday dear boy! We love you soooo much!

Home sick...

Now is the season when noses run and coughs abound. Kids are always getting sick, so when do you know if you should leave your kids home from school? I found this GREAT article (from Parenting magazine) that lets us know and thought I would share it with ya'll. Hope it is helpful!

Fever
Okay to go: if temp is below 100.4, drinks fluids, and isn't too crampy.
Not okay: above 100.4

Vomiting
Okay to go: if only heaved once in 24 hours.
Not okay: If vomited two or more times in 24 hours, peeing less than usual, urine is dark yellow, dehydrated. Wait a few days after the vomiting.

Red Eyes
Okay to go: when whites of eyes are only slightly pink and discharge is clear and watery.
Not okay: eye is stuck shut, bright red, and/or oozing yellow or green discharge. Needs to be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school.

Diarrhea
Okay to go: when stools are slightly loose and acting normal
Not okay: runs more than three times a day and so watery it leaks out of diaper. Watch for dehydration.

Sore throat
Okay to go: when accompanied by runny nose is due to simple irritation from draining mucus. Okay if fever free.
Not okay: if accompanied with swollen glands, fever, headache, or stomachache (take to doctor, usually strep). Don't send back til on antibiotics for a full day.

Stomachache
Okay to go: if only symtom and active
Not okay: if associated with vomiting, diarhea, fever, no interest in playing

Colds
Okay to go: if fever free and isn't hacking up a storm
Not okay: if has a persistent phlegmy cough and cranky or lethargic. If wheezing keep home, too.

Photos

I took the boys to get their photos. Here they are (of course not great quality cause they are emailed to us from Target... we can't just print them...)



Oh my heck, aren't they darling?????? I can't get over them! If any of you want to order any, let me know... :)

Update

Wow, it has been awhile. I was was waiting til I made the blog private, but I just can't keep on top of things, and now I want to wait awhile to go private (til after Christmas I think)... so, now I will just give ya'll an update. Not that much has happened.

But the boys have been saying and doing some really fun things. Brennan is still scooting around on his bum. He is such a riot. He is very distracting at church. I love how when everybody is looking at him, and oh-ing and ah-ing he gets all shy and puts his head down. But, then he shows off. He loves to imitate. If dad is flying around an airplane, he waves his arms around and makes airplane noises, too. He takes play telephones (or our cell phones...) and puts them at the back of his neck and "talks" (why the back of the neck? silly kid!). He loves to follow his brothers around--he just loves to be with them! And they are so good to him. He is such a joy. He turns one next week and we are having a big ELMO party for him. You will get a nice report of that, I am very excited for his party.

(What a dirty but darling face!)

Aidan is a riot, too. He is so funny. It is amazing how such a little body can hold so much energy, and so much fun! He really is quite little. Only five pounds separate him from Brennan (A is 25, B is 20!) He hasn't grown much lately. But, that is partially because HE NEVER EATS!!! Every night he must be starving as he goes to bed (and every morning he immediately wants breakfast!) cause he won't eat his dinner! We won't give him anything else so that he'll learn. But we've been doing that for about 6 months now... shouldn't he get it by now? What do I do? Then, there is the potty training. He had it, then lost it. He is a mess maker! Argh. I am pretty frustrated about it, but trying to keep my cool. I've ignored it for awhile now, but I am all out of pull ups, so I think today I am making another effort to finish this up!

(Here he is trying to help set the table)

He is growing up in other ways, though. He loves to color, draw, and write letters. His drawing now actually look like things (I LOVE this stage of life!). He drew Elmo yesterday, and then asked me how to spell it, and he wrote all the letters! He can write: A, d, E, H, i, L, M, N, O, T, and W. He has learned it all from Weston. As I have been working with Weston on his school stuff, Aidan has just figured it out! He loves to draw pictures for me and Scott. We just treasure them--it is hard to throw any away... the pile it getting pretty high!


He says pretty funny things lately. He was putting on a shirt, and couldn't get it over his head, and frantically called out, "Mom! I can't find my head!" He loves to ask questions about everything. I loves this stage, too. I love that he mostly just accepts my answers.


Weston is wonderful! He loves Kindergarten. Tomorrow is Parent Teacher Conference, so we will see how he is doing, but I think he is right on target. (Side note: is this normal? We received his SEP to fill out and bring to PT Conference--but they want me to have it all filled out first. How can I write his strengths and weaknesses, if I haven't talked to the teacher yet? I know what he is doing at home, but I don't know how he is in class. How do I fill that out???? I think it is strange!).


Weston is so sweet. The other day after church we had this conversation:
W: I felt like crying the whole time in primary.
Me: Why?
W: I felt so good
Me: Why?
W: Cause of all the things they talked about.
Me: Did you feel good inside?
W: Yes, but I wanted to cry.
I then talked about how sometimes the spirit makes us feel so good we want to cry. We talked about recognizing the spirit. He is such a gooooood boy! I am so not worthy to have him.


He also says other funny things. Like this conversation:
The boys were talking about how Grandpa Daw had died. Aidan asked if Grandpa Ron (Scott's dad) died.
W: No, but Grandpa Ron will die soon, right mom?
Me: No, he is still young. He won't die probably til after you get married.
W: yuck.
Me: What's yuck?
W: Getting married.


We went bowling the other night. If you want a fun activity with the kids, that was great. They almost won. Of course they had teh gutter protector things, but still they were pretty good. Weston loved to grab the ball and RUSH to the lane and throw the ball down. It was like a race or something. Aidan loved to watch as the ball SLOOOOWLY made its way down. Really slow. But, he knocked down quite a few!
Well. They are my joys. I love them all. What would I do without them?

Dang it!

Well, KSL did a thing on Blogs, and it scared me enough that I am going to go private. Dang it! Dang it! Dang it. But, there it is. So, let me know if you would like to be invited (all of you, please, I don't want to lose my friends that give me such great advice or great comments!!!). I don't know how soon I will get around to doing it. Probably by the end of the month. Leave me a comment with your email, or if you'd rather, email me at my junk email: [email protected] and I'll send you an invite. I didn't want to do this. But, the photos of my boys are so cute, I just know there is someone out there trying to steal those photos!!!

***Some people were asking about the KSL thing. Here is the link for the story. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4699330

Happy Halloween

Can you say AWESOME??? Brennan was the cutest zebra ever. Aidan was a roaring Lion and Weston a debonair pirate. Those two costumes Scott wore when he was a kid. Darling!!!

The kids had fun filling up their bags with candy and showing off their costumes. Okay, that was me having fun showing off their costumes! Now, let's get on with the REAL holidays: Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Last day of this month which reminds us that this cancer can get anybody. Let's fight it together women!

http://www.breastcancerawareness.com

Vote

Those who know me, know I am not a very political person. I leave that up to my husband. My family gets in heated discussions, and I would just rather stay out of it. There are those who disagree on issues, and I just don't see each talking the other out of their opinion.

This year, maybe it is cause I am growing up, having more at stake, raising children, but I feel the importance of voting, of making my voice heard, and of standing up--in my way--for the values that American citizens should hold. I understand there there really are things at stake here with this election. I know that we must all vote for those leaders who are closest to the values we hold. Who will fight for what we hold dear. I urge you all to look at the important things in life and make the best decision you can. For me, like this video, the important things are LIFE and FAMILY. You may not agree. I cannot change that. But I know that the decisions being made now will change our future. And I will stand up for the right that I believe in. Please vote.

Annual Melissa and Doug Toy Sale/Fundraiser

Every year, I do a toy sale that is a fundraiser for this great charity organization, One Heart Bulgaria. They help orphans in Bulgaria and they provide so much relief and love. You can read all about this organization here: http://www.oneheart-bg.org/. (My sister was one of the founders of this organization, and I have been involved for a few years, so I know it is totally legit, etc) Melissa and Doug have allowed us to sell their toys at a discount of what they are sold in the stores, and we can give ALL the proceeds to directly help the children. The past years have been successful, but I think this year will be VERY successful. Would you please attend??? And please, either post this on your blog, or link it, or email it on to your friends so we can have a huge turnout and raise a grand amount to help the Bulgarian orphans!

Wednesday, October 29th

10 am til 6 pm

Open house style

Come when you can, look through the catalog, and order what you want. You save 25%! No sales tax! Three weeks later, come back and pick up your order. Easy and quick way to get all your Christmas shopping done early.

Melissa and Doug toys are high quality, durable, and educational. Go to their website and check out their inventory: www.melissaanddoug.com. Then you can come prepared with what you would like to order. Please do not order online, as you will not get the 25% off, and none of the proceeds online will go to the charity. Please be prepared to pay with cash or check.

If you would like to attend and want my address or phone number, please let me know in the comments area, and I will email you the information.

******If you do not live nearby, but would like to order toys, you would have to pay for shipping. I am unsure what the cost would be to ship it to you. If you are really interested, let me know what it is you would like to order (by looking at their website) and then I will see how much it would cost, and if they would ship it to you.

Wanna see something funny?

Our little bum scooter.
The first one is shot sideways... but is really funny cause he is laughing so much. The second is cute too, and shows how fast he goes on tile!

Craziness

I had all the unpacking stuff to do once coming home from DL; we had to make dinner out of nothing on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday; I had an eye doctors appointment on Tuesday, and then Scouts; babysitting at Jazzercise on Wednesday morning, and then Weston's Kindergaten Halloween party. And among all this (and a bunch of other stuff) we have all been sick (well, Aidan, Brennan and me). Brennan is so sick he won't let me set him down. So, I haven't been on top of it all. I was in charge of this party, so all I was thinking was getting everything ready and get to the school by 11:50. At 11:26 I gasped and realized Weston was supposed to be at school at 11:25!!! I had completely forgotten! I got him in his awesome pirate costume and Sharidan (THANKKKK YOUU!!!) took him to school. I usually drive her boy and Weston to school and she picks up. Yesterday I told her "I bet I will forget to get them to school early.... I will probably be too caught up in getting ready for the party." I actually did that!!! How crazy am I???? But, hopefully things will calm down a bit. All I MUST do tomorrow is grocery shop (we really need an actual dinner).

Disneyland 2008

Well, here is the post you have all been waiting for. Our trip to Disneyland--your favorite thing to read about! Let me tell you all about it!
First story: The airport! We left in the afternoon, didn't forget to pack a thing! Parked in long-term, got out all our bags (8 of them), loaded up on the stroller, got on the bus, got into the airport and THEN realized that we had forgotten the carseats (all three of them of course--two carseats and one booster)! Scott had to go back while I sat with the kids. When he returned, we RAN through security (putting on the scanner the eight bags, three car seats, one stroller, and all our shoes, then putting everything back together) and racing through the airport, reaching our gate just as they say, "Final boarding for Flight blah blah". We were the last ones on, and made it JUST IN TIME!

Next: Just the days at Disneyland. You must look at ALL my photos of course. There are some KEEPERS. Like Brennan with Goofy, so cute! Weston in Jedi training--he got to fight Darth Vader! Aidan loving the rides--what a smile! The kids LOOOVED the entire trip! DL was so much fun. We went with my sister Ali, and her family and they helped us get right up there in line... It was great! It was so fun being with my sister. (Side note: Two awesome things about my sister: She is always giving compliments and making others feel good, and she is good friends with her two boys. It was great to see her interacting with them) We spent Friday at DL, and then returned Saturday morning, and then went over to California Adventure for the rest of Saturday.



Story 2: On Sunday we went to the local ward, to lunch, and then to the LA temple--hoping to go to the visitors center, just to find out it was closed for remodeling. I had checked lds.org and it said it was open, nothing about remodeling. So when we got there and found it closed I said (jokingly of course) "I am mad at the church" (you know, because it hadn't updated the website....) Well, Aidan then repeated what I said!!! EEEEKKKK! You must always watch your mouth when around children... Also, on our long drive to the temple, Weston started getting carsick. Not good. I sat beside him, and put a shirt over his lap, in case he blew. He did. Three times. The shirt was not enough to hold all that. The car got it, his clothes got it, and my hands got it good. Ah the joys of motherhood.

Story 3: We were a crack up in those airports (note: we didn't check any luggage, just carry-ons). Imagine if you can (cause we didn't take pics of this--really we couldn't have): Brennan in the front of the stroller (probably crying), a bag shoved under the stroller, Aidan sitting on the back of the stroller (there is a little seat for him), holding another bag. A bag hung over the handle of the stroller, with a booster seat hooked onto it. Myself pushing the stroller while carrying a carseat. Weston carrying a bag and pulling a rolling bag. Scott carrying the other carseat and two bags, plus pulling a rolling bag. We were quite the site! So many people stopped and stared. The hardest thing was un-doing all that to get on the bus, or through security, or etc, and then putting it all back together again to go on. But, we made it! And not only did we make it, but we were all happy and loved being together!

Last: We highly recommend a trip to DL. Our favorite rides are Autopia, Buzz Astro Blasters, Star Tours, Jedi Training, and in California Adventure you must go on TOY MANIA!!! It was so cool! It was a great trip to take for a five year old and three year old. It is nice to be home, but man, what a lot of work! My next post will tell about my craziness lately!

Great deals...

Two things I want to let people know about. Mostly for those who live near me... :)
The dollar store down by the Smith in Herriman is going out of business (poor guy who runs it, he is so sad it didn't work out for him...), but they sell PREGNANCY TESTS for $1.50!!!!! And everything (but toys and candy) are 10% off (so actually $1.35). Those are cheap tests. I have used them before and they work! Stop buying the very expensive ones and stock up before the dollar store goes out of business! I noticed the dates on the test box is for 2010, so they will last awhile, even if you aren't planning on being pregnant soon!

Also, Ann Taylor (anntaylor.com) is having a deal, if you buy over 100$ worth of stuff, you get $50 bucks off! I bought some things and accidentally ordered the wrong size in something. So if anyone takes advantage of this amazing deal, and needs 15$ more, I'll order the shirt.... Let me know. It is only 6$ shipping right now, too! The stuff I bought was on sale and clearance, so I got 7 shirts for 67$ (that's including tax and shipping!!!). For Ann Taylor, that is amazing.

I have been really busy but will soon post Disneyland info!!!

Going crazy

Only two days til we leave for California to go to Disneyland, and I am going crazy! I feel so behind and need to do so many things... EEEEKKKKK!!!

GC, so far

Well, I'm famous. The guy who gave the opening prayer for afternoon session, James Dunn? He was my Stake President right before I got married. And, Gerald Causse, who spoke in the afternoon session? He was my Stake President when I lived in France. So, I'm cool, right???

SOOOOOO excited for the temple in Italy!!!! They have been waiting for so long and I believe it will be a huge impact on the missionary work there. Yippee! My family is already planning a trip over for the open house and dedication (our family LOVES Italy).

Loved all the talks. I loved Elder Holland's talk about angels. I have been looking for a picture I saw in an Ensign of Jesus with his head in his lap of an angel in Gethsemane. It isn't the one by Carl H. Bloch, but does anyone know of one?

Anybody else just want to be better? I am so happy I have a simple testimony that this church is true. I don't need to doubt, ask questions, I just believe and try to live as best as I can. I know what is taught it right and will lead me to be happy and ultimately to be able to live with my family forever. What else could I ask for?

Weston just came in with a picture and some words. He tried to sound it out all by himself. Anybody have guesses to what he wrote? the duoxsid It is: The dark side. I just love him! What a funny and cute boy!

News about Aidan

I took Aidan in for his EEG and MRI, and today I got the results. He has just had the one seizure, but they wanted to check to see if the tests would show they he could have more episodes or not. One reason they are cautious is because Aidan's left side of his body is slightly weaker than his right side. I noticed when he was a baby that his right nostril and right lip were slightly bigger than the left. I asked the doctor about it, he said we would need to wait and see. It isn't very noticeable (I bet most of you didn't know, but if you go back and look at pics of him, you may see it, too). But, I didn't want it to become a problem in the future. I kept being aware of everything, and by the time he was ready to crawl, I noticed he did most of the work on his right side, and was already using only his right hand (you are not supposed to be able to tell "handedness" until about 18 months old), and so I got him into physical therapy. Although he really isn't too far behind, he does still favor his right side--going up steps ONLY right footed, weaker if he tries to go up on the left foot, etc. So, because of this, we wanted to make sure there wasn't a difference in the brain sizes on each side, etc. The MRI shows that all is normal. The EEG shows there is abnormalities in the left frontal area. They really don't think there is a connection between this and his left side weakness. But the results do show that there could be (just could be, not necessarily that there willl be) more seizure episodes. But, because of the normal MRI, they think it is something that he will grow out of. So, really this is good news. We are not going to put him on medication, though we could if we felt so. We do have "rescue medicine" (if he has a seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes, and there are no paramedics on the way, we give it to him. It only costs over 300$... and that is with insurance taking 400$ish). If he does have another seizure then we probably will put him on medicine. We just wait and see if that happens. He is a happy wonderful sweet child. We are so glad that there is good news to share, and pray that all continues to go well.

This is early in the morning (4 am!!!) before the EEG.

With all the "probes" on his head.

Happy, silly, and a mummy!

And here he is with his "buddy" before his MRI. He wasn't at all happy about the IV they put in his arm. Poor guy. But now he is all smiles. (the EEG and MRI were supposed to be on the same day, but the day before, they called to say the MRI machine was broken, so we had to do it on two different days.)

No more contacts

Just big sunglasses! I know, cheesy happy smile, but it is nice to think that I won't wear my glasses or contacts again. Things are going well, and I am 20/15 right now... Pretty good, no?

(and cute shirt, huh?!) I wore these sunglasses to our Stake RS dinner and then to church the next day!!! I think the paparazzi are after me or something...

The surgery went well, and I recommend it to everyone! As Scott said, the recovery isn't too great; a few days of rest, medicine, and my mom's help and I'm all better. Thanks for all the nice thoughts--I appreciate the Love. :)

PRK Eye Surgery

So Brittany had PRK eye surgery on Thursday afternoon to correct her vision. (No more glasses or contacts!!)

PRK is like LASIK except that instead of cutting and peeling back a flap of the cornea, doing the procedure, and then replacing the flap; they disovle a layer of the cornea, remove it completley, do the procedure, and then the removed layer has to grow back. The recovery from PRK is not fun. I had LASIK about 9 years ago and my recovery was minimal to none. She is in a lot of pain and has quite a bit of discomfort, though she is not complaining too much, just sleeping a lot.

We are very grateful that her angel mother came into town to help her.

I want to post a picture of Brittany but I know she would never talk to me again so no pictures. Anyway in a few more days she will be all better and have perfect vision!

Fun stuff my kids are doing

Every once in awhile, I have to write down all these funny things my kids do. One, to document it, so we can read it later and have a good laugh. And Two, cause I have to show off my kids and give you a good laugh!

Brennan: He doesn't crawl. But, he is starting to bum scoot! Yesterday I left him in the middle of the living room floor, went upstairs, came down later and he was in the dining room! Once I catch him on video I will upload it to the blog. It really is a sight!

And he is just a funny boy. Right now he is sitting beside me. If I don't pay attention to him, he sticks his lower lip out and begins to cry. As soon as I look at him, he stops and laughs. Then I look away, and he starts to cry again. Spoiled boy! But, how can I dare look away? He is so scrumptious! He is also smacking his lips--ALL the time! In the car, we hear him in the back just smacking away. Not eating anything, just making noises!

Aidan: I don't know where he got it, but if you ever ask him something and his answer is "yes", he doesn't just say "yes", he says: "Yes-sir-ee-bob!" With enthusiasm. Do you want to play with toys? Yes-sir-ee-bob. Are you finished with dinner? Yes-sir-ee-bob.

He is constantly singing. That isn't new. But, he is singing "Do a deer, a female deer..." song. But, he does it hard rock style, and screams every first, third, and fifth word (or so). Makes for a very loud car ride.

Weston asked the yesterday, "What is a scarecrow?" Aidan answered him: "It is a type of monster." (By the way, he says that "Monster are instinct (extinct)".

Weston: We saw a guy a on a motorcycle yesterday. If motorcyclist are not wearing their helmets, the boys always point out that they "aren't safe". Well, this guy was wearing his helmet, so Weston said, "He is wearing his helmet, he is safe. He must go to church. Or maybe he has the Bible."

Weston is so sensitive. We caught a grasshopper and two praying mantis (how do you pluralize mantis?). Weston named the grasshopper "Hop" and one of the mantis "Check". The other mantis died. We had had the bugs for over a week, so I told him we really needed to let them go. We took them out to the lawn and emptied the bottles. Hop just sat there, and Weston sat next to him and cried cause he was so sad to let him go. He said, "I am just going to miss Hop so much."

I just love my boys and think they are amazing and FUNNNNN!

Ode to Grandma Bea

Scott's Grandma Bea just celebrated her 80th birthday. She is just a wonderful, fun lady and I am so glad I can call her grandma, too! She loves songs and she always makes up songs for people on special days (weddings, etc), so we decided to write her a song. We just put words to the song "Thank you very much" from the musical Scrooge. The song references some of the great things she has done for all the grandkids. Here are the words (by the way, if you haven't seen "Scrooge", you really ought to. It is lots of fun):

"Ladies and gentlemen On behalf of all the people who have assembled here I would merely like to mention if I may That our unanimous attitude Is one of lasting gratitude For what Grandma Bea has done for us today And therefore I would simply like to say

Thank you very much! Thank you very much!
We wrote this song to say we love you Grandma Bea

All the presents that you give,
The happy way you live
You’ve made our lives as fun as they could ever be.
And since you gave a bugle
We’ll have to blow it
To show you that we love you very much
But since that’s really not enough

We'll simply have to say

Thank you very, very, very much!

Thank you very, very, very much!

Thank you very much! Thank you very much!

For all the slumber parties and the shoe fairy
It really was bizarre,
Riding in the trunk of your car
But we have lived to cherish all those memories
And since you gave a drum
We’ll have to bang it
To show you that we love you very much

But since that’s really not enough

We'll simply have to say

Thank you very, very, very much!"

Reading to Sparky

Weston got to bring home "Sparky" from school and read to him. He is the classroom stuffed dog. It was so cute! He got out a bunch of our stuffed dogs and we gathered all the "dog" books and he read to them all! Aidan loved it and got his "Ruffy" out, too (his favorite stuffed animal).

Weston said the funniest thing the other day. I had given him a fresh pear and he LOVED it. Later he asked for another one. I told him to smell it, it smelled so good. He smelled it and then said, "Be still my heart." Ah, what a kid!

Brennan is SOOOO beautiful. He is so close to crawling and is still teething!

Kitchen Update

You know how we painted the kitchen? Well, that led to another project(s). We decided to tile above the sink, below the window. It looks so good and makes the kitchen look so fun!!! We splurged a bit and got some AWESOME tile! I couldn't believe the prices of some of those tiles! (another project was putting lights under the cabinets--it really lights up the room and makes such a difference. Props to my amazing husband who did ALL of this, and did it extremely well!!!)

For some reason I have never gotten caught up after the painting in the kitchen, and we had so much going on last weekend, and I cooked and baked so much the past few days, that I hadn't gotten any of the big dishes done. Here is a photo of all those dishes --my wonderful husband washed them all tonight!! I love you honey!!! Now I feel like I can finally get back on top of things. Just for fun, here is what I did today: Decided NOT to go to Jazzercise (although I usually go at 9), and instead we made aebelskivers and I made way too many. We then got books and read for half an hour. Bathtime. Three cute and messy boys in the tub. Brennan took his morning nap, I got dressed and ready while the boys played. Then I cleaned up breakfast, made lunch, got Weston ready for school. I put ingredients into the bread maker, started that up. Then Aidan pooped in the potty. You may think that is silly to add, but it is HUGE for me! We celebrated for awhile, then got Weston off to school, did a bit of grocery shopping, and back home for cooking. I prepared two pans of lasagna. Got the bread out and made more bread dough for breadsticks. Cleaned up the lasagna mess, and made cookies. While all of this is going on, Aidan laughed and danced and fussed. Brennan slept and then woke and fussed. Scott came home early and took the two older boys up to the church while he did some work up there, and I got together a meal for a family in the ward (one of the lasagnas, the breadsticks, cookies and a salad). I took it up to them while Scott did the dishes, then we set the table, ate (well, some of us ate), cleaned up, got Brennan a bottle, then to bed. Finally took a break to write this post. And now I will go get the boys off to bed. That is a pretty normal day for me. Okay, not too normal. I don't usually make two lasagnas. And often I work on scout stuff, and other, you know... things. Just life things. Like--I am the room parent for Weston's class, and I am making October's calendar. Oh, I am also working on preparing my Christmas list for the boys!!! I think I am pretty much done! Wow, looking over the day makes me feel like I do gt some things done! Once I am done here I am going to go seal that grout and then we'll be done with projects for awhile (I hope!).

Church's Statement on Same-Sex Marriages

Please read this statement from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

It is so well written and really explains so many things that help all understand the importance of guarding the family.

Pantry

My friend Heather told me about these great plastic containers she uses for her pantry so I finally got around to buying them--I love them! I have put all my snack food into them and when the kids want a snack, they can get little baggies and pick from the "healthy" snacks (except the candy jar, all these are good for you snacks! They can choose a candy when they have earned that privilege!)

It looks so much more organized--no more bags of treats, etc. And my rice and pasta look nice, too!!!

****New Note: many have asked where I got the containers. From a place called "Industrial Containers". (website: http://www.industrialcontainer.com/) It is out by the SL airport, and sells lots of different containers, including those big storage buckets and gamma lids. I found a few people who needed things from there and then I went a got a big order (rather than just going for myself... It is a long drive for just a few things...).

See what happens when you leave your husband alone for one minute...

So, Saturday we worked all morning, got many things done. Then I went up to take a shower and looked forward to a relaxing afternoon. Came down and found my husband had taped off the kitchen. He hadn't cleaned up anything, moved anything out of the way, just in true husband style, got right to work (something I love about him--when he decides on a project, he just gets right to work). So, I cleaned things up a bit, and moved all the stuff out of the way, and then he went off to a meeting, I continued to work..., then we had our Stake Conference meeting, then we came home at 9 pm and worked til 12:30!!! But, it is done (well, we still have to fix the caulk, I had to clean everything up on Monday, etc). And we really like how it turned out.

This is how I found it when I came down!

So, what do you think?

I love my decor on top of my cabinets--they are old spice containers (I mean OLD--from 1930's and 50's!), and fun old looking food things!

Here is the dining room, though kind of hard to see, the lighting is hard to take a photo...

Visit from Popenshnaper

One of my favorite comps from my mission came a few weeks ago and we had a marvelous time visiting! Her name is really Trina Popenhagen Doncouse, but on the mission we called her Popenshnaper. I was called Browniepants (my maiden name was Brown... It isn't cause I sat in brownies...) She has four darling kids and our kids played together wonderfully. We went through my mission book and had a great time reminiscing and telling fun stories! Ah the times we had. It was great see you my good friend!

Food glorious food!

Brennan likes to eat using his whole body. That's right. Somehow the eyes, ears, hair and nose seem to get the nutrition the body needs cause there is more food on his body than I think I put on his tray!

Tag

Don't often do these, but it would be good for me to look back at my life and look forward, too!

20 years ago....
1. Seventh grade, just starting to be a hellian...
2. Wanted to be good, but wanted boys to like me. Sad...
3. I loved Whitney Houston and wanted to dress up like her for Halloween (hmm)

10 years ago.... 1998
1. On my mission in San Fernando, California. Comps with Trina Popenhagen (love you!)
2. I was over that hellian stage, and onto preaching the good word!
3. No dating prospects, which was good, right? I was a missionary...

5 years ago....
1. First time mother. James Weston Daw, cutest baby 1, was a few months old.

2. Just quit working and was looking for things to fill my time.

3. Living in my parents-in-law home as they served a mission.

3 years ago....
1. Mother of two. Aidan Scott Daw, cutest baby 2, was a few months old.
2. Primary secretary. I really screwed up that calling, and it is easy!
3. Having a "Melissa and Doug" Toy fundraiser sale for One Heart Bulgaria. Should I do it again folks???

1 year ago....
1. Pregnant and lazy with cutest baby 3, Brennan Sale Daw. On partial bedrest. Yeah right. (although truly, my house was vacuumed probably 3 times during those 9 months... gross, huh. see why I bought the dyson???)
2. Scott was called into the Bishopric (1 year ago today)
3. Weston started pre-school with Mrs. Jean. So much fun!

This year so far....
1. Tons of vacations and fun time with the kids.
2. My first child started kindergarten. I have entered a new phase in my life.
3. Reused, for the third time, all my boy baby clothing. It is really getting worn!

Yesterday....
1. Laundry alllllll day.
2. Went on a family walk in perfect walking weather.
3. Went to Home Depot to buy tile to make a tile border above my sink.

Today....
1. Went back to Home Depot to exchange stuff. Spent more money...
2. Scouts. Need I say more?????
3. Did this tag!

Tomorrow....
1. Grocery shopping
2. Clean all my decor from the cabinets in my kitchen (I'll post about this later!)
3. I'll still be wearing my glasses! (Only 2 more weeks til LASIK)

Next year....
1. We are hoping to get Elise (our future daughter that the boys pray for) sometime next year.
2. If we do get a baby, we'll be remodeling the room above the garage into a big boy bedroom.
3. Hopefully a happy, healthy family!

Sunday Thoughts

Every Sunday during sunday school and relief society, I have all these great thoughts and I always say, "I am going to blog this..." and then I never do. I am finally going to do this, but about Stake Conference. First off, all you folks who don't go to the adult session on Saturday night, you are crazy! Time without kids to just sit and listen and not be poked and prodded and stopping fights and getting up to take kids to the potty-- and you aren't going??? It was so nice!
The theme for our Stake Conference was "Envisioning Eternity". I like that. We don't often envision it, what "eternal life" will be like, yet that is what we are trying to reach. Of course lots of the talks were about families, cause that it what it is all about! One of my favorite quotes was from Elder Wirthlin's talk (May 93), that said, "If Satan can weaken or destroy the loving relationships among members of families, he can cause more misery and more unhappiness for more people than he could in any other way." Obviously, Satan is going to try and destroy our relationships with our family. Our Stake President gave a great talk this morning. He told about how Satan uses CHAOS to distrupt our lives. Some of the "weapons" he uses to make our lives chaotic are: Noise--what is the source of noise in our lives? Media, harsh voice, etc. Look to the Savior to eliminate the noise! Like He calmed the sea, He can calm our lives. Selfishness --When we are less concerned for others. We need to pray for opportunities to serve. Worldly Concerns -- We must filter the chaos and worldy things that are around us and don't let it be introduced into our family. Apathy towards Gospel -- Is the church here to serve you or should you serve the church? How can you further the work of the Lord?

Another quote I love is Elder Nelson (May 08) "salvation is an individual matter; exaltation is a family matter". As a family, we must work together to achieve our goal.

And, I didn't get who said it, and I don't know the exact quote, but it went something like: "We know the Lord will win the war, the question is, who's side will you be on in the end?" If anybody knows where that came from, please let me know, so I can get the quote right. Anyway, I liked it! I hope we are on the Lord's side!

Random thoughts, but it has made me think and want to be better and love my kids more!

Living Room

So, for this Parade of Homes, I was disappointed in my house! It isn't though I think my house isn't nice, but I thought I didn't have much to share. I really don't have any fun artwork (except my Minerva Tiechert in the Living Room) and I have no decorating skills. But we have been talking about painting the living room wall for awhile now, and since I was posting photos for the Online Parade, we decided to paint it last night!! Here are the results:

BEFORE

AFTER

So, what do you think??? We really think it turned out great and matches the picture well. It was fun to do and makes me feel like I am living in a new home! Now, you all need to go see my Online Parade of my Home (see directions here) to see the rest of my house (although a bit dull...). Also check out Stelene's and Callie's homes! Thanks girls for participating! And the rest of you--still time! We don't have to have it all done by Sunday, we can extend it another week. It really is fun!