Stumbled upon a gem

The other night I was going through my old emails and stumbled upon an email I had sent with a link to my blog. The blog from 5 plus years ago!!! The great part is that now I can pick up where I left off. The sad part is that it's been over 5 years and very little has been recorded. I admit I am terrible about being a consistent journal/blogger. It's one of those things that eats me up inside when I think about it, so I try not to think about it. But sometimes it stares me in the face and I decide to give it a go. I write a post/entry about how I am going to try harder and then I don't. So, this time I am not going to profess any intent. I am just simply going to say I really want to be better.

The past five years have been busy, wonderful, tiring, exciting, heart breaking, miracle making, joyful, and full of ups and downs. The best part of these past five years is that we added a sweet spirit to our family. His name is Jett and he was born on Dec. 13, 2013. From before he was conceived, I longed for him (actually I thought he would be a girl) to join our family. It took several months for our efforts to pay off but I was so excited!! The day I found out he was a boy I cried for a minute and then got on with it! He came into this world calmly and with the sweetest spirit. He was the absolute best Christmas gift ever! Now he is 20 months old and has so much energy and spunk. He is beyond smart and redefine cute in a whole new way. He is the life of our party and has stolen every member of our family's heart. 

Jared started middle school yesterday!!! I can't believe it. He has grown into such an amazing young man. He has so many great qualities but to name a few: smart, determined, caring, thoughtful, and continues to impress me with his awesomeness. He absolutely loves middle school. He started playing tackle football in 4th grade and has really enjoyed it. He is playing again this year for the Junior Jags and next year he can play for the middle school. He loves to play Xbox - football and minecraft are his favs. He bites his nails and picks his scabs and I constantly remind him to stop. :) He is still an amazing big brother to Mason and he and Brittany have their usual sibling spats. He is a great helper  his younger siblings. He will be getting to the priesthood in October and will begin passing the sacrament. I couldn't be more pleased.

Brittany is still my little sweet heart. She is kind and gentle and loving. She absolutely loves her little brother Jett and was lucky enough to be in the room when he was born. She loves to draw and do crafts. She played volleyball in the spring and really enjoyed it. She is hoping to play again next year. She has a strong desire to do what is right and reads her scriptures on her own accord frequently. I can tell she already has a strong testimony and she is a wonderful example in our family. I don't know what know what I would do without my baby girl! When I am stressed or upset, she will often come and ask me what can she do to help. She has a tender heart and I adore her. She started 4th grade this year and has become a very good reader. She likes to read "Little House on the Prairie" and about horses. She helps me a lot with Mason and Jett. One of my goals right now is to take a sewing class with her. 

Mason started first grade and is a typical boy. He loves video games, watching tv, playing soccer, and being silly. He still loves to snuggle on the couch and watch a show with me. I am thankful for that. I get the feeling that it was probably a big change when Jett was born and he was no longer the baby but he has adjusted quite well and loves Jett. They are so cute together and I imagine it will be much like Jared is with him. Mason loves to play and watch Minecraft. He also still likes trains, although has told me on occasion that he doesn't anymore. He still talks like a little kid and I love it. He is super smart but doesn't like to focus on school work. He is easily distracted and has a difficult time listening. I admit I often loose my patience with him lately. I know it's just a phase and it doesn't change how much I love him. He is a kind and sensitive boy. 

Phew! That was just a small insight into my life but now I have to attend to the kids and dinner. Hoping I'll be back soon!!

Maeby Lynn is coming soon!!!

Today we got to attend Quincy's baby blessing. It was a beautiful event and I am so thankful for the wonderful family that I have married into. Not only my in-laws, but also my in-laws family. They are all terrific people!!
Jared has been with Joe since the 18th of June. He will be home on Wed. July 6th! I am counting down the days!!! I miss him soooo much! He sounds like he is enjoying himself so that helps. I will pick him up on Wed. around 2:30pm and then later that evening we will go get the newest addition to our family! We are getting a lab puppy. She is a yellow lab and we are naming her Maeby Lynn. We are all very excited. I must admit I a bit worried about the potty thing, but I keep reminding myself that it will be worth it.

I must, I must, I must write in my journal!

The kids and I are currently in Utah visiting my parents. We drove here in two days. 10 hours one day and 6 hours the next. The kids were so good!! I am sure the double dvd player's had something to do with that. My mom celebrated her 50th birthday on June 9th. She looks great and has lost 30 pounds this year. We went to Thanksgiving Point on her b-day. It was fun. We ate lunch at the "Harvest" restaurant and then went to the Dinosaur Museum there. I have taken tons of pictures. There is so much more that I want to write but I am highly distracted. But I didn't want to go another week without writing something.

Good intentions

So yesterday I had one of those moments that left me feeling a bit guilty, but more importantly made me want to act! I was thinking about how awesome this time of my life is and how I envy those friends of mine that take the time to record all the fun things that their kids do. So, I am hoping and praying that I will take up blogging....again.....for the umpteenth time!! I want to do it for my kids so that they will have something more than pictures to look at of when they were growing up. Because although pictures are wonderful, there are so many fun stories that I doubt the pictures will tell them.

To start off, let me just say how precious Jared is with his little brother Mason. We have been struggling to get Mason to go to bed with the older two. Two nights ago Jared invited Mason to go to come to bed with him and enticed him with a story. I had little hope that it would work, but miraculously it did!!! Mason fell asleep in Jared's bed and it was awesome. Jared did the same thing last night and is so cute about it. Jared is such a great older brother and absolutely adores Mason. Jared is a sweet boy with a tender heart. He is sensitive and kind and I am so blessed to have him in my life. He has become such a big helper and enjoys the responsibility of being the oldest. He performed a song on his guitar for the school talent show. I was so proud of him. It took a lot of courage for that little 1st grader to get up in front of the whole school and play that song. And to top it off he even sang!!! He played "Day Tripper" by the Beatles. What a remarkable son I have been blessed with!

Brittany is my little mommy. She loves to play baby and "nurture" the little kids younger than her. She tells the cutest stories and has the best imagination. On Sunday she was running a bookstore out of the family room. I bought several books from her and she was telling me all about it. I absolutely love her sweet voice and expressions. She is so dramatic and captivating. She had her first (and last) dance recital on Friday. I say last because she has told me she does not want to do dance anymore. But she was a trooper and finished out the year. She looks so cute in her costume and I was so proud of her perseverance in spite of her distaste to the whole thing. She says she would like to do gymnastics next year! I just want her to be happy!!

Mason. Where do I begin? This little boy captivates my heart and warms my soul!! He is the sweetest, cuddliest thing on Earth! He loves to cuddle on the couch with me and watch "Gaego" (aka Diego.) He loves cars (bye-bye's,) choo choo's, and playing outside. He loves to ride around in the cul-de-sac on his trike and he often thinks he is a big kid! He is soft spoken and laid back but makes a big impression on everyone. He brings so much joy to our family!

There you have it! A post from me! I pray that I will find the time to record these precious details of my life and the lives of my most prized possessions.

Long time no write

I can't believe how time goes by. Life is good but busy. We had a great holiday season. We were able to go to Dallas for Thanksgiving and spend it with Keith's family. It was good to see everyone and reminds us how much we miss living near family. All of the Keith's siblings were there except Collin and Jeremy. Collin recently joined the Navy so he had a good excuse. We are hoping next year to get Jeremy to come to KC for Thanksgiving since that is where he has to spend his because of football games. Go figure. :) We still managed to have a good time and make some great memories. Just to name a few- watching the kids play in a huge pile of leaves in April's backyard, going around the table and hearing what everyone is thankful for, watching the little ones play with their cousins. It was a fun time had by all.

We had planned on having a quiet Christmas at home. It is difficult to travel around Christmas because Jared is usually coming or going the day after. This year he was going to Joe's for Christmas day and would be home the day after. It is never easy but it is especially hard when he is gone on Christmas day. So, we were planning on having a quiet Christmas at home just Keith and I and Brit and Mason. As it got closer, I started feeling more and more lonely and wishing we had some plans. Long story short, Chuck (Keith's dad) called the Friday before Christmas and offered to fly us to Seattle for Christmas! Wow! It was awesome. The traveling was a little less than desirable but well worth it. We were able to spend Christmas in Seattle with Keith's family. It was great and one that will never be forgotten! Vicki spoiled us all rotten and we were able to come back just in time to pick Jared up from the airport and get home and see what Santa had left us back home! It all worked out perfect and left me no time to feel sorry for myself or lonely! What a great father-in-law I have!

So now we are in mid-January and the Holiday's are behind us. However, the busy factor is still in full force, just a different way. We are in the process of getting our house ready to put on the market and let me tell you what a BIG, daunting task that is. It is so over-whelming and at times seems bigger than me. I keep working at it a day at a time and praying my heart out that it will all work out. On top of that I worry that the new house will be done in time. Bottom line. I am a worrier! The big news of last week was that the flags have been put up on our lot. Yippee! Hey it doesn't take much to get me excited. It just helps me feel that it is real because there are a lot of moments where it still feels like a dream. If only I can get through the next 5 months and wake up and be living in my new home!! Too bad it's now that easy.

As if there is not enough on my plate, I am signed up to take two classes this semester. They are online and both fairly easy so it should fine. Plus I need some kind of distraction to keep me from obsessing about things I can't control. I am so excited to get back into school and working toward my degree. This is something I really need to do!

So, that sums up the major things going on. Of course, the kids are awesome! I hope to devote the next post to them and all the cute things they are saying and doing these days.

Halloween

We had such a fun Halloween. There were lots of parties and a special visitor, my brother, Nick. The kids LOVE Uncle Nick and it's no secret the feeling is mutual. I had high hopes of doing a Wizard of Oz theme and I was even going to get Keith and I in on it, but Jared wanted nothing to do with it. I guess it wasn't "cool" enough. So, Jared was Snake Eyes (kinda, it's a long story) and Brittany was the cutest Dorothy ever and Mason was the Tin Man. Mason was totally against the hat part of his costume so no one could tell who he was. Oh well! It was still fun and they all enjoyed the festivities.

Jared's Halloween party was pretty awesome. The lady who planned it is an event planner and she went all out. Each kid got a pumpkin (the big one) full of stuff (I call it junk!) There was games and crafts and pizza. Jared had a great time and so did Brit. I did not enjoy the giant pumpkins full of stuff that came home with them, but I tried to be a good sport about it.

I didn't get to go to Brit's party because I wasn't feeling very well and didn't want to "share" with the cute preschoolers. She reported a great time and I'm sure it was!

On Halloween Day the church had a carnival. It was great. Lots of food and a costume parade. Tons of fun booths and we all had a great time. Then after that it was off to Trick or Treat! Our friends, the Hunsakers, joined us. They have the cutest twin girls that are 2. We love them! So now we have more candy then we know what to do with. I keep it on the fridge and ration it as much as possible.

I should note that Jared was Snake Eyes (from G.I. Joe) on the way to the church carnival. I made a stop at the Legends to get him some new shoes and after that he decided he was too hot and took his costume off. Luckily he had his soccer shorts and a shirt with a number on it, so I told him he could be a soccer player. He liked that idea and so it was. Then at the church carnival he got a mask and decided he was a monster soccer player. That was what he remained for the duration of the evening. I told him next year I won't buy him a costume because he does this type of thing every year. I buy him a costume and then by Halloween he decides to be something else from whatever he finds at home. Sigh. Oh Well! It keeps things interesting.

The Monster Soccer Player

October boys

Both my boys celebrated birthdays this month. Jared turned "6" on the 13th and Mason turned "1" on the 22nd. It has been a big party around here for weeks! Especially because we have been lucky enough to have both grandma's too. Keith's mom was here for Jared's and my mom was here for Mason's.

Jared is such a BIG Kindergartner. He is one of the tallest kids in his class and one of the oldest. He loves school and his teacher and has made many new friends. He is definitely my social butterfly. He knows all the kids names in their class and recites them to be by thinking of where they sit. His favorite time at school is gym and art. He has lost two teeth (both on the bottom.) His super hero obsession is turning into a Bakugan and Pokemon obsession. He won't hold my hand in public and gets mad when I refer to myself as "mommy" when talking to him. With that being said, he is still enjoys snuggling with me on the couch and doesn't like it when I leave without him. He is a sweet brother (most of the time) and I really love that kid!!

Mason is the opposite of Jared in the fact that he is little. I took him for his one year check up and he was under weight for his age. He is fine in the height department, he just needs some fat on those bones. It is not from lack of feeding, I promise. I think he has inherited Keith's genes. Keith was a pretty scrawny kid, but has turned into quite a hunk if you ask me!! Anyways, I am still working on weening Mason and it makes it even harder knowing that he is under weight. I have a hard time taking away the nursing because he won't take milk from a sippy or formula. Sigh. I keep telling myself that it will happen soon. Let's hope. Mason only has one tooth so far. I can see the top four are working their way down. The past week has been hard on him (and me) due to the teething. And the most exciting thing to report is that he took his first steps yesterday!! It was very cute and I have a video to show the cuteness of it all!

I love my boys so very much! I am so glad they were born!