Anyone Need a Graphic Designer?

My friend Tamara Gordon is a very talented graphic designer with twelve years of qualified experience in that field. She has just started a blog to showcase her work and take custom orders. So go check her out and use her up! And convince her to start a family blog, too, so I can see pics of her cute kids.
Good luck, Tami!

http://thingsmostly.blogspot.com/

Random Things

If you babysit for me, bring an extra shirt. My 3 year old potty trained son might just wake up an hour after going to bed, and while you are trying to console him, he might just pee on you. It's okay, because then you can rightfully ask for more money.

I LOVE NieNie. I'm trying to get her button on my blog. If you don't know what I'm talking about, wait for the button, and then check out her blog and prepare to be amazed by all that she and her husband and kids and family have been through. I think about her a lot and the challenges she is facing (after being burned in a plane crash along with her hubby last august). I appreciate her blog because she keeps it real. And she loves being a mother.

I know five people that have babies due next week. That's what they get for holding hands. All of them have kids, but their upcoming baby is the first one of that sex for them. (ex: Nicole has two girls and now is having a boy...) I'm trying to think of baby gifts to send them. Ones that will actually get sent.

I am addicted to chocolate/sweets/food. What is wrong with me? I've decided that it's Beau's fault and naturally, once I'm done nursing, all desire for things unhealthy will leave me and I'll be the healthiest person ever with a "who cares about that pan of brownies, I'll just have a little bite and that will be immensely satisfying and I won't even look at the pan again until it's in my sink, empty because someone else ate them all." Right.

I am "training" for a 5K. "Training" as in "achilles tendonitis." The tendons in my heels HURT. I'd like to say it's because I'm an uber runner and I've been overdoing it, but I don't think less than 6 miles a week qualifies as overdoing it. My purpose for running should be clear from the previous statement.

Beau is trying to crawl. Yay/sob.

Rus wants to buy a gun. I want nightstands. He doesn't seem to remember that I wanted nightstands first. So, I'm going to "re-purpose" his current nightstand, really a plant stand, to actually be a plant stand, and then see if he'd like to rething buying nightstands. Or giving me the time to make them. Either works.

Bekah spelled SPOON today by sounding out all the letters, and with my help. Genius.

Carl's Jr. milkshakes are the best ever. A very well spent $3.00, especially if it is one of those days.

I saw Taken and will never let my children leave the country. Or go anywhere by themselves. I'm beginning to see the inspiration for convents.

I love Ramona Quimby. Oh, and you should read "Al Capone Does My Shirts." It's probably in your library's Jr. section, but it's a insightful, sweet, funny book. I read one too many trashy novels, and now it's only the junior section for me. Anyone remember their favorite books from middle school? I want to get my hands on "My Fifth Grade Teacher is an Alien". At least I think that's what it's called.

Rus has an idea stuck in his head. Bad sign. Especially when his idea is that our next vehicle should be a 4WD van. Hightop. Complete with sink. Curtains. Shag carpet. AC. DVD player, of course. I hope it comes with shame-sunglasses and a wig for me.

Jacob likes to tell me "I LOVE ya Mommy!" It fills my heart with sprinkles. The confetti kind.

I love granola. Not granolas - a little too natural for me, but pour me a bowl of granola with cashews and puffed rice and I'll consider it a great way to greet the day. Yum.

Sometimes I read the end of a book first, just to see if it is worth my time.

My favorite political bumper sticker is "Obamanation".

We drove behind a truck today that said "Reed's Radiator Service: The best place in town to take a leak!" Ah...let's just say I arrived at church smiling.

Make it a great week! I love ya!

Best Valentine's Weekend Ever. Seriously. And Not Because of Rus.

Ahhhh!!

*Hugs* *Hugs*

Yaaaaayy!!

...That was pretty much the exchange between Lindsey and I when I found her in the Abq airport...after braving three separate and should-be-confusing elevators to wait for her in the greeters area. I missed her grand entrance through the rotating doors because I was using Bekah's spit to help me clean up her booger/rice krispie treat adorned face. You know. To make her presentable and non-neglected...Anywho, there is way too much to tell for me to keep going on like this...Let me sum it up:

Thursday: Lindsey's arrival...Naptime was spent catching up and um, then talking some more...Nighttime activites included glow bracelets, some rockin' music, and dancing in the dark...and Rus trying to "figure out" (code: mess up) Lindsey's new and amazing camera. We all loved how those pics turned out...Oh, yeah, and we also roasted homemade mallows (yum! - recipe from the food network) on the stove. This was a prelude to making choc chip cookies after the kids went to bed...so we could eat them all ourselves...BAH HA HA (*evil laugh)Friday: By divine intervention Lindsey and I were able to go to the temple. It was a wonderful experience and I was so happy to share it with Lindsey!The rest of the day consisted of brown paper traced people (aka Flat Bekah, Flat Jacob, Flat Lindsey and Flat Keri). The coloring was spectacular and the results were hideous/beautiful and memorable. I'm the one with the lips. Can't miss'em. Lindsey is the one with the bling. Hot, huh!And then Friday night my awesome friend Tara stayed with all my should-be-sleeping kids so that we could all go pick up Tyler from the airport. We hid when he walked through the doors, and then followed him down the escalators and talked loudly about him until he finally turned around with a sheepish "you totally got me" expression on his face. And then we went out for ice cream before going home. Yum. I should have mentioned that this whole weekend totally stunk of sweets. Now you know.Saturday: VALENTINE'S DAY! Who wouldn't want to wake up and eat pink heart shaped pancakes and read corny Valentine's poems? Beau certainly did, that's why he was so happy here. JK. He was happy because he got to smoosh Tyler. Yay!

After breakfast we all squished into the van and went to try out the Explora museum in abq, a children's museum that is completely hands on. It's two story and honeycombed into little stations where you can play and learn about water flow, music, color, air/wind power, bubbles, etc...and when you get tired you can just chill in the extra large elevator, complete with couches. There is also a high wire bicycle that we all had to try out. I could have spent even longer there if my kids weren't with me and I didn't have to worry about losing them every time they went around a corner. The little kid in me totally wanted to hole up in the craft section where they had everything you needed to make anything. ***Oh, and there should be a disclaimer about myself being ever present in most of the pictures, but what can I say, Lindsey had the camera and she made me look hot. Well, at least cute, presentable, and photogenic, which is not the norm.my good lookin' hubby (*goofy expression is caused by food in his mouth*)...who I must say I am completely in love with because he is my best friend and my favorite and my only. I gave him my first kiss, and I'll give him my last. Uh hem...after the crazy fun morning we sat on our butts and allowed the kids to provide us with entertainment. Bekah and Jacob went off to play pretend, with Jacob saying something like "Let's go, hon!" and then Bekah saying "Okay, but first we gotta do our taxes, hon!" Oh, funny. For dinner that night we had to go all out with heart plates and sparkling cider and homemade personal pizzas. Tyler the Uber Chef showed us how it was done and everything turned out delish. Again, after the kids were in bed we busted out the fondue pot to have angel food cake dipped in chocolate. Sigh. That was good.Sunday: The best/worst thing about Sunday was when Beau was standing up on the pew at church, facing the people behind us, a full belly because he had just eaten, and then BLECH, he spit up all over the pant leg of the man sitting behind me. I was sooo embarrassed I could have died. This man is probably my dad's age and he took it very well, with his wife whispering that "that's what cuffs are for!" So after the meeting let out I turned around and said, "Brother Soandso, I've just really been wanting to get to know you better! My name is Keri, and you've met Beau..." We all had a good laugh. Another man sitting across the aisle told me he won't be sitting directly behind me anytime soon.

Sunday night we had to ship Tyler back to AZ, but Lindsey got to stay for another day. So on Monday we hung out and went to the park at the new elementary school by my house. It was super windy and Beau was really tired, but we had a good time. Jacob getting stuck, but then seeing Lindsey take his picture he put on a brave face for the camera.

I made Lindsey take a family pic before she left. This was the happy version of us. (The sad version is in the following post) I love that Beau is wearing a Christmas bib because all of his other ones were dirty, and he's sucking on a pink play phone. If we'd taken this the night before, Jacob would be wearing those purple jammies Bekah has on, and Bekah would be wearing a blue pair. He really wanted jammies with feet, and Bekah was kind enough to supply him with some.

This next pic is somewhat inexplicable. Jacob had a sudden onset of mennonchinonipplitis. Serious, very serious.

And I just love this pic. His disagreeable expression, and the word "monster" on his shirt.

Okay, and just a few more pics, just for fun because I love them...

Thank you SO MUCH to Lindsey and Tyler for coming to visit and helping to make this the best weekend ever. I had so much fun and I feel so blessed to know such amazing people!

K, love you, gotta go now...buhbye!

This Is Our Family For REALS

Gotta love it, don'tchya!

I can't wait to post all about the best Valentine's Day EVER, thanks to Lindsey and my brother Tyler and my own awesome family...

And this is my 100th post, so CHEERS to Blogger!

love ya!

Nakie Beau at Seven Months

(Please note my favorite roll...the one right above his ankle. Yes. My son has ankle fat.)

What can I say, I just had to show off this kid's rolls. What better way to celebrate turning seven months that to do a down-to-the-diaper photo shoot? This kid is amazing...not only is he eating peas and green beans with a smile on his face, he also has drooled his way to two bottom teeth, learned to roll over both ways, and officially moved into his crib in Jacob's room. Beau loves toys, especially ones that he can bang together. He is a huge fan of baby-blacklisted items as well, such as paper, remotes, phones, polly-pocket clothes and other small miscellaneous things. He will smile at almost anything, but really loves kisses, being thrown in the air, and chasing around Bekah and Jacob (with mommy or daddy's help, of course). Rus and I are good at engineering ticklish kids, and Beau is especially accomodating. Yay for sensitive collarbones and squishy thighs! As you can see from these pics, Beau is such a chunky kid! He weighs a good 19 lbs, 10 oz, which explains why Rus and I start whining anytime we have to carry him around for longer than five minutes. He has a sunshiney personality and we feel blessed to have him in our home!

Check out those two bottom teeth! (Growing in crooked. Sheesh.)

Reality Check

Do you ever feel, to quote Meg Ryan in "You've Got Mail," that you've become the worst version of yourself? That may be too strong of a description for how I'm feeling right now, but it's close. I could make a list of ways that I have failed this past week...things I got wrong, people I didn't call but should have, rooms that should be clean but are not. It can be really hard when you're already feeling so rotten about yourself to remember the good things you did...Like even though I didn't get the whole bathroom clean, at least I cleaned the tub and the counter, thankyouverymuch. We moved into this house in July of 2007 and this is maybe the second time I've cleaned the tub. Go ahead, be grossed out, I don't care. And although I didn't go visit the girl from church that I said I would, I did watch my friend's kids for them when they needed me. I also made a sinfully delicious chocolate cake with a million layers and three different types of frosting for my friend's daughter who turned fourteen, and I got to eat all of the extra pieces that I had to trim off the sides. Yum. Beau suffered for it, and so did my carpet, couch, and rocking chair...all places where he kept spitting up, but goshdarnit it was good! And since this post is titled "Reality Check," I might as well just go ahead and admit that I am the kind of mom that yells. Yes. I do. Especially when I'm tired. When am I not tired? I easily succumb to that rising wave of anxiety in my chest when my children are acting irrational and ornery, and the words erupt from my mouth without censure... BEKAH! STOPHITTINGYOURBROTHERYOUKNOWYOU'RENOTSUPPOSEDTODOTHAT!JACOBWHENSHESAYSSTOPTHATMEANSYOUSTOPWHYDOYOUHAVETOBESOLOUDYOUKNOWTHATBEAUISSLEEPINGRIGHTNEXTDOORANDYOU'REGOINGTOWAKEHIMUPANDTHENYOU'LLHAVETOSITONTHEWASHERNOWGOUPSTAIRSANDGETINBEDBEKAHPICKTHATUPYOUKNOWTHAT'SNOTWHERETHATGOESANDSTOPSPITTINGATYOURBROTHER...
Um. Yeah. I guess I need to put double asterisks next to that New Year's resolution. Capitalize and underscore, baby! It makes me even more grateful to those people who love me despite all my craziness. Like my mom. And my Heavenly Father. He knows me to my very core and he still loves me. And my Savior. I heard maybe two words at church today so yes, I'm going to quote a scripture on my blog just to feel better about it all. In the Book of Mormon, in Alma 7:11-13 it says, "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me."
See? My Savior atoned not only for my sins but for my infirmities and pains and sicknesses. He suffered so that he could extend mercy. He knows what I am going through and I am grateful for that.

And I'm sure He wouldn't like to clean the tub either.