Monday, January 23, 2012
4th of July 2011
We got to spend the 4th of July with Grandma Julie on our way back from our trip to Utah over the summer (unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of our Utah trip...I popped one in that Megan took on her camera :(
Beach Days 2011
Here are some highlights from our beach days this last summer. We loved going to the beach and I am already looking forward to it again!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
I like Jesus
Conversation between girls when we got home from church:
Maya: "Do you like Jesus?"
Jadyn: "Yes, I like Jesus!"
Maya: "Me too, I like Jesus!"
Jadyn: "I love Jesus and Heavenly Father. They are my best friends"
Maya: "Me too!"
Maya: "Do you like Jesus?"
Jadyn: "Yes, I like Jesus!"
Maya: "Me too, I like Jesus!"
Jadyn: "I love Jesus and Heavenly Father. They are my best friends"
Maya: "Me too!"
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Dusting off the blog :)
Well, Auntie Claire is bugging me to blog and we are settled into our new house and have had internet for a few weeks...so I really have no excuse not to start blogging again. I am overwhelmed at the thought of going back and documenting the last 8 months, but I hope to get to it soon. Since this is the only form of a journal I keep, I better document it or the kids will get on me later in life :)
Here is an update on the kiddos:
Jadyn (6 years old)
I am happy to report that Jadyn has finally adjusted to going to school all day and getting less sleep. When she went back to school after the Christmas break, I was relieved to find that she is coming home and not having meltdowns at night anymore. I am so grateful to have Jadyn back. It has been a long 4 months of being sad because she is gone all day and then having her come home a mess. She would just be too tired to act normally and I missed her :(
She is loving school and loves riding the bus. Her favorite subject at school is art class and she uses all her "free choice" time at school to make projects. Her teacher even told her once that they had to take a break from using paper because they were using too much. She loves to make things and is quite creative. Her dream job has now changed from being a package delivery person to being an art teacher.
Jadyn is such a joy and is the perfect first child. She is obedient, helpful, and considerate to others. Everyday she talks about her schoolmates and mentions different girls being on the "best friend" list. When I helped at her school party at Christmas, it was nice to see that she was well-liked and kind to everyone.
Maya (3 1/2 years)
Oh My, My. You still keep me hopping. Maya is my most affectionate child. She loves to cuddle and randomly tell you that she loves you. With Jadyn being at school, she has really stepped up in some areas and become more independent....sometimes too much so!
She loves to play with Bennett now. They play quite well in the playroom. I don't even usually need to be downstairs....well, until the screaming/biting ensues :) We are still working on the concept of helping clean-up. I hope she catches onto this idea soon.
So far Maya prefers to play with boys. When I suggest inviting a friend over for a playdate, she always lists 3-4 boys names first and then I ask what about some of the girls from her primary class. She tells me no, I like boys :)
She is still a picky eater. The other day she was asking me what I was making for dinner. I said "To be determined". She started crying and said, "but I don't want determined". You can see how our dinners go here. She is unwilling to try most things unless it has pasta in it and decides beforehand that she doesn't like it before tasting it.
Bennett (20 months)
Bubby Bear is just too cute for words. I have to try to not give into him, but he is just so cute it is hard. He is starting to get a few more words, but I can still tell he is frustrated at not being able to communicate yet. Luckily, the biting has pretty much stopped except for the rare occasion that Maya really pushes his buttons. I will be getting him evaluated by Early On to see where his speech is at relative to his peers. Then, if he has more than a 20% delay, they will come out and do speech therapy at our house. I think he is close to opening up and being more vocal, but I would rather be proactive than wait until it is too late.
He learns many things from Maya. He watches her and mimics what she does. He is now a super picky eater. Unlike Maya who would not be phased by not getting treats/more of what she did want to eat, he throws huge tantrums. Last night he ate his cantaloupe, but then would not anything else on his plate. When I would not give him more cantaloupe, he threw a major fit and thrashed around in his booster seat. Then, when I got him down, he turned on more drama and went and threw himself on the living room floor and sobbed like I just wrecked him for life. And I thought girls were drama!
Even though his is super active like any boy, he is such a sweet little guy. I can tell he will be a gentle man like his daddy. We better watch out when he gets older....adorable and sensitive...the girls are going to be lining up :)
Here are some pictures from last Friday when we had a snow day (so excuse the pjs and crazy outfits :). The girls had fun playing jewelry dress-up with Bennett and he was uncharacteristically more than willing!
Here is an update on the kiddos:
Jadyn (6 years old)
I am happy to report that Jadyn has finally adjusted to going to school all day and getting less sleep. When she went back to school after the Christmas break, I was relieved to find that she is coming home and not having meltdowns at night anymore. I am so grateful to have Jadyn back. It has been a long 4 months of being sad because she is gone all day and then having her come home a mess. She would just be too tired to act normally and I missed her :(
She is loving school and loves riding the bus. Her favorite subject at school is art class and she uses all her "free choice" time at school to make projects. Her teacher even told her once that they had to take a break from using paper because they were using too much. She loves to make things and is quite creative. Her dream job has now changed from being a package delivery person to being an art teacher.
Jadyn is such a joy and is the perfect first child. She is obedient, helpful, and considerate to others. Everyday she talks about her schoolmates and mentions different girls being on the "best friend" list. When I helped at her school party at Christmas, it was nice to see that she was well-liked and kind to everyone.
Maya (3 1/2 years)
Oh My, My. You still keep me hopping. Maya is my most affectionate child. She loves to cuddle and randomly tell you that she loves you. With Jadyn being at school, she has really stepped up in some areas and become more independent....sometimes too much so!
She loves to play with Bennett now. They play quite well in the playroom. I don't even usually need to be downstairs....well, until the screaming/biting ensues :) We are still working on the concept of helping clean-up. I hope she catches onto this idea soon.
So far Maya prefers to play with boys. When I suggest inviting a friend over for a playdate, she always lists 3-4 boys names first and then I ask what about some of the girls from her primary class. She tells me no, I like boys :)
She is still a picky eater. The other day she was asking me what I was making for dinner. I said "To be determined". She started crying and said, "but I don't want determined". You can see how our dinners go here. She is unwilling to try most things unless it has pasta in it and decides beforehand that she doesn't like it before tasting it.
Bennett (20 months)
Bubby Bear is just too cute for words. I have to try to not give into him, but he is just so cute it is hard. He is starting to get a few more words, but I can still tell he is frustrated at not being able to communicate yet. Luckily, the biting has pretty much stopped except for the rare occasion that Maya really pushes his buttons. I will be getting him evaluated by Early On to see where his speech is at relative to his peers. Then, if he has more than a 20% delay, they will come out and do speech therapy at our house. I think he is close to opening up and being more vocal, but I would rather be proactive than wait until it is too late.
He learns many things from Maya. He watches her and mimics what she does. He is now a super picky eater. Unlike Maya who would not be phased by not getting treats/more of what she did want to eat, he throws huge tantrums. Last night he ate his cantaloupe, but then would not anything else on his plate. When I would not give him more cantaloupe, he threw a major fit and thrashed around in his booster seat. Then, when I got him down, he turned on more drama and went and threw himself on the living room floor and sobbed like I just wrecked him for life. And I thought girls were drama!
Even though his is super active like any boy, he is such a sweet little guy. I can tell he will be a gentle man like his daddy. We better watch out when he gets older....adorable and sensitive...the girls are going to be lining up :)
Here are some pictures from last Friday when we had a snow day (so excuse the pjs and crazy outfits :). The girls had fun playing jewelry dress-up with Bennett and he was uncharacteristically more than willing!
Friday, July 22, 2011
We are alive!!
Well, the blog has been quiet for about 2 months. We have been hiding out in the woods! This post will be an update of our current situation. I will have to update with our normal, everyday posts after we move into our house.
Since we moved out of our home on May 21st, it has been a little bit crazy. We moved our stuff into a storage unit since we did not have anywhere to live. Nathan temporarily stayed with a co-worker friend and the kids and I headed down to my Mom's house. Well, we ended up decided to build a house because we could not find one that was already built that we liked. We also could not find a decent rental that I would feel comfortable living in for at least a year that would not break the bank. So, building turned out to be our best option.
So, now we are staying in our builder's former home as a temporary rental. While we are grateful to have a place to stay, this home presents some challenges:
1. It has been unoccupied for over 2 years so it has just been neglected.
2. It is huge (4500+ square feet). We are using less than half of the house....especially since we only have our beds, dining room table, the futon, and a few toys. It looks just about as empty as before we moved in!
3. Despite having 4 1/2 bathrooms, the only one working is the master bath. We have had some intense running up the stairs sessions since Maya is still a fairly recent potty-trained girl. It is giving me a work-out!
4. No dishwasher. Enough said :(
5. Phone reception does not work in the house, no tv, no internet. I have enjoyed napping with the kids and I am reading roughly 4-5 books a week.
6. I wake up every morning to several new bugs since it is out in the woods
7. No washer/dryer. Right now I am at the laundromat on a Friday night. Hey, at least I am getting to use the Internet!
8. The air smells moldy coming out the vents despite my efforts to clean the basement. It must be in the actual air conditioning unit. I wake up every morning remembering that I do in fact suffer from allergies :)
9. The home only has well water. So, we just buy our drinking water since it is sometimes very rusty and filled with sediment.
Despite the challenges of this temporary housing, it has been good for several reasons:
1. I am a more relaxed mom. I have learned the joy of hot dogs. Since we are technically camping (and I don't have all my kitchen items), I have indulged in buying more quick foods. The kids think it is fun.
2. *Gasp* The girls are getting to hang their artwork and treasures on the wall! Best part of the rental for them I think.
3. No lawn to mow :) I am sure Nathan is glad about this.
4. Since we are not paying utilities, I can crank the air down as low as I want.
5. I don't really have to clean that often. There is nothing to dust so I just have to vacuum, mop, clean the one bathroom, and wipe down the kitchen counters. Easy, peasy!
6. We are enjoying living right by the beach. We can walk to the beach from our rental and it has private, deeded access to this beach. We are also enjoying going up to Silver Beach.
7. We are saving money. We appreciate the blessing of having this temporary housing.
The house that we are building is starting to come together. The framing is almost completely done. The girls love to visit the jobsite and get excited about it. The especially like playing in the dirt mounds in the back yard! We are anxious to be a little more settled and return to "normal" life. Hopefully our house will be finished by October.
Since we moved out of our home on May 21st, it has been a little bit crazy. We moved our stuff into a storage unit since we did not have anywhere to live. Nathan temporarily stayed with a co-worker friend and the kids and I headed down to my Mom's house. Well, we ended up decided to build a house because we could not find one that was already built that we liked. We also could not find a decent rental that I would feel comfortable living in for at least a year that would not break the bank. So, building turned out to be our best option.
So, now we are staying in our builder's former home as a temporary rental. While we are grateful to have a place to stay, this home presents some challenges:
1. It has been unoccupied for over 2 years so it has just been neglected.
2. It is huge (4500+ square feet). We are using less than half of the house....especially since we only have our beds, dining room table, the futon, and a few toys. It looks just about as empty as before we moved in!
3. Despite having 4 1/2 bathrooms, the only one working is the master bath. We have had some intense running up the stairs sessions since Maya is still a fairly recent potty-trained girl. It is giving me a work-out!
4. No dishwasher. Enough said :(
5. Phone reception does not work in the house, no tv, no internet. I have enjoyed napping with the kids and I am reading roughly 4-5 books a week.
6. I wake up every morning to several new bugs since it is out in the woods
7. No washer/dryer. Right now I am at the laundromat on a Friday night. Hey, at least I am getting to use the Internet!
8. The air smells moldy coming out the vents despite my efforts to clean the basement. It must be in the actual air conditioning unit. I wake up every morning remembering that I do in fact suffer from allergies :)
9. The home only has well water. So, we just buy our drinking water since it is sometimes very rusty and filled with sediment.
Despite the challenges of this temporary housing, it has been good for several reasons:
1. I am a more relaxed mom. I have learned the joy of hot dogs. Since we are technically camping (and I don't have all my kitchen items), I have indulged in buying more quick foods. The kids think it is fun.
2. *Gasp* The girls are getting to hang their artwork and treasures on the wall! Best part of the rental for them I think.
3. No lawn to mow :) I am sure Nathan is glad about this.
4. Since we are not paying utilities, I can crank the air down as low as I want.
5. I don't really have to clean that often. There is nothing to dust so I just have to vacuum, mop, clean the one bathroom, and wipe down the kitchen counters. Easy, peasy!
6. We are enjoying living right by the beach. We can walk to the beach from our rental and it has private, deeded access to this beach. We are also enjoying going up to Silver Beach.
7. We are saving money. We appreciate the blessing of having this temporary housing.
The house that we are building is starting to come together. The framing is almost completely done. The girls love to visit the jobsite and get excited about it. The especially like playing in the dirt mounds in the back yard! We are anxious to be a little more settled and return to "normal" life. Hopefully our house will be finished by October.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Weighed and measured :)
Bennett had his 1 year doctor's appointment yesterday. Here are his stats:
Weight: 22 lbs 14 oz (50%)
Height: 30.5 inches (75%)
Head: 19 1/8 (90-97%)
I would have thought he was higher than 50% on his weight...he feels like a tank! Good thing he will be walking soon :)
Weight: 22 lbs 14 oz (50%)
Height: 30.5 inches (75%)
Head: 19 1/8 (90-97%)
I would have thought he was higher than 50% on his weight...he feels like a tank! Good thing he will be walking soon :)
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Bubby's Birthday!
Bennett turned 1 on May 12th. Poor kid sure did not get the shindig the girls got....but hey, he is the 3rd child and we are beyond crazy here with the move. So, Bennett, when you read this when you are grown, don't worry, I loved you just as much. I was just busy!
We had pizza (Papa Johns...I didn't even make it!) and I threw together a cake out of cupcakes with some plastic bugs thrown on top! I am not sure why I spent so much time and thought on the girls' cakes. As a mother of three, I have had to learn to simplify. Oh, and Bennett got sippy cups and plates for his birthday. Poor kid just got things he needed since I don't want to have another toy to move. I will make it up to you soon Bubby :)
12 Facts about Bennett
1. He LOVES baths. I can barely see when I give him a bath because he kicks non-stop. If the girls are in with him, it turns into a giggle fest because they (and I) get so wet!
2. He has three teeth on the bottom (one of which is completely crooked.....$$$ braces here we come) and 1 on the top. It looks super cute right now.
3. He is completely attached to his pacifier. I am not messing with it until we get settled in a new place.
4. He is a human vacuum. He inhales anything I put in front of him (except cottage cheese and string cheese: both of which he used to eat). He is so inpatient. He thinks that as soon as he is put in his high chair he needs to eat. Lately, he has been finishing Maya's dinner since she often does not eat dinner. He finishes his and he is fussing for more so I dump her plate on his tray! He is a huge eater.
5. He says Mama, Dada, occasionally nana (banana), and recently I have heard him say something that sounds like Jadyn after I say her name
6. He does not like to keep shoes on.
7. He is very active. Diaper changes are so challenging and usually end with either him or I in tears...or both :)
8. He is starting to walk along furniture, walls and loves the family room railing to practice on.
9. He is fearless. He just goes for whatever he wants...which often leads to bonks on his big noggin'!
10. He still usually wakes once a night....although now is it usually between 3-5:30.
11. He only nurses 3 times a day now. He still will not drink much (he will only drink out of straw cups not a traditional sippy cup) so I am hesitant to stop nursing quite yet.
12. He is an absolute joy. He brings peace to my heart and calms me from the drama of his older sisters! He is a blessing to me and I can't believe he has been mine for a year now. I know I will cry like a baby when I send him on a mission in 18 years. He is the sweetest little boy.
We had pizza (Papa Johns...I didn't even make it!) and I threw together a cake out of cupcakes with some plastic bugs thrown on top! I am not sure why I spent so much time and thought on the girls' cakes. As a mother of three, I have had to learn to simplify. Oh, and Bennett got sippy cups and plates for his birthday. Poor kid just got things he needed since I don't want to have another toy to move. I will make it up to you soon Bubby :)
12 Facts about Bennett
1. He LOVES baths. I can barely see when I give him a bath because he kicks non-stop. If the girls are in with him, it turns into a giggle fest because they (and I) get so wet!
2. He has three teeth on the bottom (one of which is completely crooked.....$$$ braces here we come) and 1 on the top. It looks super cute right now.
3. He is completely attached to his pacifier. I am not messing with it until we get settled in a new place.
4. He is a human vacuum. He inhales anything I put in front of him (except cottage cheese and string cheese: both of which he used to eat). He is so inpatient. He thinks that as soon as he is put in his high chair he needs to eat. Lately, he has been finishing Maya's dinner since she often does not eat dinner. He finishes his and he is fussing for more so I dump her plate on his tray! He is a huge eater.
5. He says Mama, Dada, occasionally nana (banana), and recently I have heard him say something that sounds like Jadyn after I say her name
6. He does not like to keep shoes on.
7. He is very active. Diaper changes are so challenging and usually end with either him or I in tears...or both :)
8. He is starting to walk along furniture, walls and loves the family room railing to practice on.
9. He is fearless. He just goes for whatever he wants...which often leads to bonks on his big noggin'!
10. He still usually wakes once a night....although now is it usually between 3-5:30.
11. He only nurses 3 times a day now. He still will not drink much (he will only drink out of straw cups not a traditional sippy cup) so I am hesitant to stop nursing quite yet.
12. He is an absolute joy. He brings peace to my heart and calms me from the drama of his older sisters! He is a blessing to me and I can't believe he has been mine for a year now. I know I will cry like a baby when I send him on a mission in 18 years. He is the sweetest little boy.
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| Birthday Boy wakes up! |
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| Loving the mismatched teeth |
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| Looking like a stud muffin as usual |
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| Mom's quick attempt for your cake |
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| New straw sippy cups...so exciting! |
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| Impatiently waiting for Dad to get home for cake...notice the packing chaos in the background |
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| Oh wow Mom, that looks tasty |
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| Eh, what is this? I am not sure about this |
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| Finally after I broke open the cupcake and didn't watch him, Bennett went for the cake |
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| You have been holding out on me...this is what sugar is....Delicious! |
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| Mom, I inherited your sweet tooth! |
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