Farm words in Sacrament Meeting

Today was a beautiful day. I was spiritually prepared to attend my meetings (I was teaching in Young Women's today so I had been doing some extra praying). After the sacrament was passed, I doled out the snacks I had brought for the kids: Halloween marshmallows. As I was handing some to Kam (who was sitting on Dallin's lap), the bag tipped and marshmallows scattered the floor at our feet. I sighed and just as I was leaning over to pick them up, I heard, "Damn it!" It was Kam dropping a farm word. I started laughing and had to lean over to stifle the snorting threatening to come out! I know. I shouldn't have been laughing. But his voice is so cute and he is so innocent. Dallin was laughing too and commented that at least he used it in the correct context at the right time. I know he learned it from me (sorry, Charlene). I blame it on the cats. I have dropped more farm words myself over the past two months (since we have had the cats) than I think I have over the past year! Sometimes they drive me crazy. Honestly, they are part dog, part meerkat. If I wasn't so worried about mice, I might consider donating them! Until then, I will try to keep my farm words under my breath (I'd say give them altogether, but honestly I don't think that is an attainable goal at this time!), and teach my kids to do the same! (Damn cats!)!

Family photos

My BFF here in Gillette took some family pictures for us the other day. They turned out so cute! The weather has been beautiful lately, so we went to the park. She got some really cute pics of the kids. When I get them, I will post them, but this is one that she took that I LOVE!

Thanks, Carene!

Adding to our family

After some careful thought and great consideration, Dallin and I decided that in lieu of more kids, we would adopt 2 kittens! Actually, we've seen several mice in some of our window wells and I am not looking forward to the fact that they may get inside my house....again. We decided we wanted some Siamese cats, so I called our local animal shelter and asked if they had any kittens. They had 2 Siamese kittens that were 5 weeks old. Obviously, they are not full Siamese (that's okay). Asher (the boy) looks like a white tiger. He has beautiful stripes in his fur. Bella (the girl) has a light spot on her nose, toe, and the tip of her tail. Both have Siamese markings also.

Meet Asher....















and Bella....















We've had them for about a month and I haven't taken pictures of them before now because I couldn't decide if I wanted to keep them. Why? I know....they're really cute. But, since having them I've discovered that I am a control freak. I CANNOT control these kittens! And, if I don't watch them when I let them out of the bathroom (They stay in our basement bathroom which is large and not often used) they will sometimes PEE on my floor. Grrrr! But, over the past week, I have seen some great improvement from them and have had a change of heart. And really.....do I want to deal with cat pee and maybe have to clean my carpets every week or do I want the disgustingness (yes that's my word) of having a mouse in my house? I choose the cat pee. I have a shampooer. I can clean. I can't deal with mice! And, they better be good mousers too!

Bella and Asher have cute personalities too. Bella is really gun shy. Probably because Kam keeps picking her up and then he tosses her when we catch him holding her. Not so fun for her. Asher will get this look on his face (or in his eyes) and then he'll leap at you! If you're laying on the floor this is not a fun experience. Both scale my legs to sit on my shoulders. I think I'm their "person" and honestly.....I kind of like that! So, welcome to the family!

It's a slippery slope!

Kamron + a shoe box + stairs = nothing but bumps all the way down! Kam has been playing with a shoe box the past several days, scooting himself around the house saying, "Vroom!" It's been really cute and I've hesitated throwing away the box that gives him such joy. A few times, he's even positioned himself at the top of our stairs and we've quickly discouraged his attempts at going down. It's a shoe box! I doubt it will do much better than the lego tub that Gavin tried! That being said, I was making my bed the other morning when I heard shhhick, boom, boom (and on every boom a small yelp escaping). I quickly ran to the stairs, already knowing what must have happened. Sure enough, I discovered Kam and the shoe box at the bottom of the stairs. Kam was VERY upset (completely fine, but a little traumatized!). I think the tumble scared him! I guess I need to teach him about the pillow cases! Gavin was 4 before he tried something like that! Does this mean I am raising adrenaline junkie boys? (because Shelbi is SO not that daring)! Probably. They get it from their dad! Admittedly, I was laughing as I walked down the stairs to comfort Kam. Where has my baby gone?!

On My Way....

to a healthier me! I've been working hard since moving to Gillette and wanted to share my weight loss so far. Seriously, so proud of myself for keeping it up! So, since moving here, I have lost a total of 34 pounds (11 more to go to be at my pre-pregnancy weight with Kam) and 33 1/4 inches overall! My secret? Diet and exercise (eating things in moderation) and I'm sure that switching to diet soda has helped my cause! I still have a bit to lose, but I am determined. Also, I'm in a Biggest Loser contest with some of my girlfriends from Texas and that gives me extra motivation. Wish they could come to my house for a fitness/healthy snack hour (Erica, that was a HUGE hint to pass along)! I miss my girls!

In Memory...

I attended the funeral of my girlfriend's husband today. His baby girl just turned 2 months over the weekend (they have 4 girls in all....the oldest started kindergarten on Tuesday). It was a beautiful service, though hearts were heavy and sorrowful. He took his own life last Monday. He left no note. My friend's father (who is a bishop in Utah) spoke at the end of the funeral about those in this life who take their own. He spoke of the Lord being judge and we being judged for our good works while here on Earth. This husband....was a GOOD man. He was constantly in the service of others. I came to realize as I sat there during the service, just how grateful I am for the Savior and His atonement. Knowing that I will probably never understand the possibly frightening and deeply saddening things that may have gone through this man's mind, it is hugely comforting that Christ has experienced all of it and can offer the kind of peace to the family that no human can. I love the Lord Jesus Christ. How fortunate we are to know Him and know His peace. And how fortunate we are to know that because of the blessings of the temple, we will be with our families again.

Children of those in the medical field

We were invited to a family summer fun party by one of the doctors in Dallin's group. This event was held at the park and there were many doctors and nurses present. That being said, it shouldn't have surprised me to overhear a conversation between 3 girls (who were probably no more than 8 or 9). This is what I heard (beware....this might be a little to graphic for some!). "It was a decapitation. You know, the head was cut off and there was a significant loss of blood." Inside, I was laughing because it was almost like hearing my older two playing! Obviously, the one speaking must be a child of a medical person. It is nearly on a daily basis that my older two are whisking one of their stuffed animals off in an "ambulance" to the "er" to perform some medically necessary surgery! Sometimes they will come and tell me how they were able to "save" the animals life. I guess that's what comes from begging their dad to tell them about his work day (and working on the ambulance he had all sorts of sordid details to impart!). I love it (okay maybe not so much the blood, but it's pretty cute the way they play)!

Summer Vacation

This is going to be a marathon post, so grab a drink and some popcorn before you continue! At the end of June, the kids and I headed to Utah for a month. I know. A month is a REALLY long time, but my dad had been ill and I knew that he and my mom needed help with the yard. Besides, they live right next door to the park and what is not fun about that?! I met my best friend in Rock Springs and she drove to Salt Lake with me. The kids did amazingly well. We made it to my mom's on Saturday, early afternoon and Shelbi was spiking a fever again (she was 104 in Rock Springs). This time, she was 105.2 and I decided to take her into the ER (they don't have insta care facilities in this small town!). She had strep. Not only that, but I realized that she and Kam had shared a drink on our journey (before I knew that she was not well). The doctor was good enough to write a scrip for Kam (just in case) and called in one for Gav about 5 days later. Yes, they all had strep and that's how we spent the first week of our vacation. Sigh. After everyone was well, my sister and I took our kids out to Rock Corral to look for coral.

Shelbi loves collecting rocks, so this was especially fun for her! Gavin wanted some lava rock, which we found also.


After Rock Corral, we drove up to Adelaide Campground where the kids threw rocks in the water and attempted to climb trees. We spent 10 days in Kanosh, then headed to Enterprise to see more family. The first night we went to see Tarzan and the best part was Shelbi covering her eyes when the leopard appeared! Thursday and Friday were spent at the cabin and I have to admit that I am a big sissy when it comes to camping with a toddler! It just isn't as much fun!

The kids headed out with Grandpa to search for arrowheads. Each child found at least 2! Thanks Grandpa!

The babysitters. Malia and Eryka did a fantastic job with the babies! Thanks, girls!




While in Enterprise, we headed to St. George to visit friends and go to the splash park. I had to throw this picture in because, poor Kam, this is the story of his life! Always being packed around by his sister!

After returning to Kanosh from Enterprise, I had daily destruction to clean up, courtesy of Kamron. Any time my parents bedroom door was left open, this is what he would do and what I would find. Kam frequently yanked the kleenex out of the box and shredded at least 2-3 pieces each time. Cute, but frustrating! I cleaned up A LOT of kleenex! While in Kanosh, I took the kids down to Cove Fort.



Looks fun, right?

We stayed for the 24th and I think the kids enjoyed the parade....I wasn't there. My mom had to be taken to the hospital that morning because she was having trouble breathing. My nieces and nephews helped watch my kids so I could be with her. Thanks guys! Overall it was fun. I did a lot of good and my kids lived outside! Everyday at the park and in the sand box! They were so dirty EVERY day! It was awesome but it's good to be home.

Flashback!

Yes....it's a mouse....again! The kids informed me yesterday that there was a mouse in Shelbi's window well. They said it was cute and could they keep it? I so don't think so. I was VERY happy it couldn't come in the house. We decided to catch it and take it far away and release it, but when we got up this morning, it was gone. Dallin said he had seen the neighbors cat lurking around that window well when he got home from call and we are fairly certain that the mouse met its demise. I'd say I'm sad about it, but frankly, I'm not!

Path of destruction

This has Kam written all over it! As I finish cleaning up after dinner, I decide to take a few moments and get online to FB and be frivolous. Then Kam comes to me talking in his language that I don't yet understand and I look at him only to notice he is EATING something. I look in his hand and he is tearing apart a small piece of pancake and stuffing it into his mouth. I gasp because that's what I do and he immediately drops it and runs. Why would I gasp if it was only a pancake? It isn't that it's a pancake, it's where he got it. THE TRASH! I am truly grossed out. I get up only to notice that there are pancake droppings in the office (where I am). I follow him to the living room and exclaim my loudest gasp of the day. He is seriously like a little tornado whirling around my house. It's no wonder I feel like I've accomplished nothing, though I've been working hard all day. I just work hard in circles! So what caused my loudest gasp?




He has been walking all over the kitchen and living room pulling pancakes apart and throwing them on the floor. If there is ever a time when I'm not sure where he is, I just follow his path of destruction. It helps me remember how grateful I am he has to go to bed sometime! And then we start all over again the next day. As frustrated as I am about the huge mess I get to clean up, I find myself unable to stop laughing at his cuteness (he just came in and said thank you). Well, Kam, you're welcome! Now please stay out of the trash!

Oh My Hail!

Last night Dallin was helping me with Young Women's (first aid stuff for camp) so our whole little family was at the church. We had just wrapped things up and were ready to walk out the door when suddenly (yes it was sudden) we heard a roaring coming from outside. We all ran to the door of the church and it was dropping rain by the buckets! Within minutes, that rain turned to hail. The noise inside the church was a thundering roar. Never heard anything like it. The hail started out as pea sized, then marble, and finally quarter size. That's why it was so loud. I wasn't able to take pics until we got home and the hail by our house was only a very large marble size. Still, I think we were pretty fortunate. The storm lasted only about 15 minutes and at least our windshield wasn't broken out (some folks were not so lucky). However, our truck did not escape unscathed! When you sit behind the steering wheel and look out the windshield, you can see at least a dozen small indentations on the hood. Poor truck. It got pummeled! (And so did Dallin when he ran out in the storm to collect the big pieces of hail....really what was he thinking!!!).

This is our deck in the back yard. We will also need to buy a new grill cover, since the hail ripped that up!

In the trash...

A lot can be said about a person's trash (have you seen the movie "Along Came a Spider"?). Thankfully, I'm not talking about stalkers. What I am talking about is a one year old little boy who loves to "help" mommy around the house. After all, he is cleaning up isn't he? These are some of the things we have recently found in our trash: Shelbi's rag, a stuffed animal, mp3 player (glad we caught that one!), toy dishes, a roll of toilet paper (or nearly a roll that Kam unraveled into the trash), my scrapbooking stencils, a childrens book, and various other toys. Sometimes I don't really mean it when I say I'm going to throw something away, but this kid has taken it to heart. I need to put some sort of alarm on the trash cans to alert me when something goes in! And those are the things we've found! Now, if something is missing, we wonder if Kamron did away with it!

For those of you who haven't read my FB page about Shelbi and her silliness recently, you should. Today she received a Book of Mormon from her primary teacher. We told her she needed to be really careful with it and take good care of it. Her reply to this was, "I know, 'cuz it's incredibly awesome that she gave it to me!" Love her vocab!

Mommy and Me

Last night was the Father and son's outing for our ward. Dallin and Gavin left right after Gav got out of school and me, Kam, and Shelbi planned a night of fun! Shelbi wanted to go to McDonald's for dinner, so we did. Then we came home to watch Princess and the Frog. However, shortly after we got home, my doorbell rang. It was the neighbor girl wanting to know if Shelbi could play outside for a little while. I consented and Kam and I joined them in the front yard. I left my front door open and I was on my cell talking to my dad (it was his birthday). After several minutes of playing, Shelbi came to me with a VERY concerned look on her face. Mothers instinct told me what had happened. So I asked the question of which I was afraid to hear the answer, "is the front door shut?" You can open our front door from the insider EVEN when the door handle is LOCKED! I, of course, had forgotten to unlock the knob before I stepped outside. I guess I assumed the front door would stay open. Shelbi had gone in the house for something and SHUT the door behind her when she came out (curse my teaching them to shut the doors!). I was unable to find a spare hidden on the property and all other doors and windows were locked. And, the only one wearing anything on their feet was Shelbi. It wasn't too cold and Kam was loving being outside. I got the number for a local locksmith and called him. He said he would come out, it would cost $55 to unlock the door, but he wasn't sure if he would be ABLE to pick the lock. He stated that most of the houses in my subdivision had locks installed that were not pickable, but he would be able to tell when he looked at the lock. So, while we waited for him to show up, we said a prayer that our lock would be one of the few in the neighborhood that could be picked (in retrospect, this seems a little strange because the whole purpose of having a good lock is so that people can't pick it!). Our neighbor had also come over and said that we could go to his house (his wife was at home) and stay if we needed. We only waited for about 15 minutes before the lock guy showed up. I think it took him less than 5 minutes to get the door open! I was so relieved I thought I might cry, but since you all know how I am about crying in front of other people, I kept my emotions in check! Still, it was an adventure and hopefully I will learn something from this (unlock the door if I go outside)! I think Kam's favorite part was the driveway. He could get going really fast when he walked down it (it slopes).

Also, a few weeks ago, Kam decided that he was going to walk. He was already standing up by himself in the middle of the room. It seriously was one day he was crawling only and then the next he was walking.....and he doesn't crawl anymore! He tries to mimic things you say too, which is really fun!

And, Gavin has been referred to a summer program for kids who are excelling in their grade. His teacher referred him and we are so excited! We will know if he got in sometime this month.

Shelbi is still my little helper and seems to really like helping me do chores around the house (she especially likes shucking corn!). When we go to the store, she likes to get the little people shopping carts and do the pushing for me. She's a huge help with Kam too and tries to keep him from "wreaking havoc!"

It's been a good day!

One more day

There is this sister in our ward whose baby died on Wednesday morning. She was two months old. There were no health problems and nothing to indicate something was going to happen. I went with my girlfriend to the viewing last night to offer support and it was heartbreaking. The baby girl was just beautiful. She looked like a porcelain doll. When I got home, I found myself hugging my children even tighter, especially Kam. Ever since my friend in Texas lost her son, I have noticed my own sense of relief each morning that I awake and still have my children with me. Over the past two weeks, Kam has been waking up in the middle of the night and I am GRATEFUL when I go to him because I know he's okay. As irritated as I might be over the sometimes incessant squabbling, at least I am lucky enough to have them here with me. And Kam....who seems to be going through another "Mommy I need you to hold me ALL the time" phase, is sweeter. He is such a sensitive child and is quick to give me loves, which he does frequently.

All the loss has made me realize what a blessing each day is and to be able to share that day with your children is an even greater blessing. I am such a lucky mom.

Perspective

It seems so unfair that the world should continue on as if nothing happened when a son from Helaman's Army has been called home. A parent should never have to bury their children, but sadly it occurs all too frequently. The son of a friend of mine was called home today. At 17, he truly was everything the sons in the Army of Helamen should be. His calling now is so much greater than we can ever understand and this tragic passing has put things into perspective for me. In the end, it won't matter how many friends you have, how well you kept your blog up, how clean your house was. It all comes down to how you taught your children. Did you teach them to hold to the rod with all their might? Did you teach them about the light of Christ and how to receive him in their countenance? Are they part of the army willing to share the truth of the gospel with the whole world? Did you teach them to love God? Did we teach them that God is loving and just? Did we teach them to LOVE?

As we were reading scriptures, Shelbi was unfocused and distracting so I sent her to bed. I was angry because she wasn't listening and I don't want her not knowing what sets our church apart from the others. As I was turning out the light, she said to me, "bye bye, Mommy." I started to cry as I recognized a teaching moment was about to pass. We might not get 15 or 20 more years with our children and I couldn't help wanting them to be closer to me tonight. As I hugged her, I cried and told her she would someday need to find out for herself if this is the true church. I want my children to be valiant and brave and ready.

My heart goes out to my friend. I love you and your son has been such a righteous example and influence. He will be greatly missed by all whose lives he has touched.

The epitame of all things not funny

The evidence: It all started a few days ago when I felt some irritation towards Shelbi because I found a yellow foam disc (from her foam disc gun...they're about the size of a 50 cent piece with a hole in the middle) laying on the rug in the living room. It looked like it had been picked and there were tiny pieces of laying on the rug....that I had just vacuumed. Shelbi is notorious for picking things....especially foam (you should see the Texas Rangers pointer finger we got for her...or what's left of the lettering). The next day we found what looked like flaking by our garage door. We figured it was part of the weather stripping (which it was) that had gotten crusty and needed to be replaced. Yesterday I opened our hall closet to fetch a blanket and found a few small scraps of toilet paper on the floor. I was momentarily suspicious until I remembered that Kam has learned how to unroll the toilet paper. After the unrolling, he will grab some, then proceed to tear it to pieces. Makes me laugh, but still frustrating!

It all came to a head this morning. I thought I had done well hiding the Easter candy in our closet behind some clothes that were hanging up. When I went to retrieve it, this is what I found:

Conclusion: The Easter candy was indeed raided....but not by my children. As Dallin and I talked, other things became more clear. How did we not see the signs? Oh, we saw them! We just didn't dream something like this could happen in our new home when we're only lived her for 2 months! Not to mention it is still WINTER! After some brief searching, we found the culprit....which I don't have a picture of because I was in the living room with Kam ready to scream "like a little girl" (as Gavin put it)! Dallin found the mouse in our hall closet and devised a plan to catch it then beat it to death (he got the idea from Chevy Chase on Christmas Vacation). We closed Kam's door and the bathroom door and stuffed blankets under them in the event the mouse escaped and made a break for it. We put boxes in the hall to block its escape into the living room. Gav and Shelbi were armed with bats and told that if it jumped the boxes, they were to beat the mouse! Luckily for them, Dallin caught the mouse under a towel and trapped it. That was when he looked in the closet and discovered ANOTHER surprise....


4 baby mice! Seriously, what is it with wildlife in our house? It's just gross! Because the kids LOVED the baby mice (again....ew!), Dallin decided that he couldn't just pound the mother and her babies. We would release them in the wild.....far, far, away from our house.



The mother is trapped in the towel by Dallin's left hand. The kids really wanted to keep them, but we told them no. Mice are just GROSS!



We drove the mice out of town and release them into the wild. We think this was a fluke thing (it better be) and that there are no more mice in the house. Just beware of the fumes! I don't think you can ever use too much bleach!


P.S. Maybe we should get a cat.....

My little James Dean!

Do you ever sometimes look at your son and his faux hawk and think he is the most adorable kid in the world? Me too! I was watching Kam the other day and the way I had done his hair REALLY reminded me of James Dean in the 1950s. There was something about the way it sort of curled onto his forehead that screamed, "I'm CUTE! Take a picture!" So, I did.

I couldn't get him to stop sucking his thumb for a picture, but you can still see the hair! He was a doll that day! And, he hasn't had his 1 year check up yet, but there are a few things we can share about him. Kam weighs in at a whopping 18 pounds (on a heavy day)! He's still pretty small, but he is full of action! He crawls and cruises, but is too scared to walk independently....in fact, he won't even try! He loves to be chased, throw his food, throw anything, throw anything he can down the stairs (followed by uh-oh every time!). He loves animals and especially his MOMMY (most of the time it's really sweet, but it makes it hard when I'm trying to get something done). His vocab isn't huge, but he can say dada, mama, uh-oh, ow, no no, and tries to say cheese (when you take a picture of him and tell him to say cheese, he really does try and comes close...will have to post footage another time). He points at everything and babbles and is just so stinkin' cute that I sometimes want to eat him! Ok, not really, but he does do really cute things! He can now navigate his way up the stairs, but is not proficient at coming back down. He LOVES sleeping in his bed and is not one to be rocked to sleep. He is such a sweetie!

Kam is 1!

Gav and Shelbi have been waiting since March 1st for Kam to turn 1 (and it was not all that patient!). Nearly every day, Shelbi would ask me if it was his birthday! We waited until after his morning nap and lunch to begin the festivities.

We started out with balloons....Kam's favorite!

Then on to opening presents...yes, he really did love tearing the paper more than the gift itself!

His birthday cake didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it, but it was good enough!

I think he wasn't sure if he should touch it, but once he did and then tasted it....he loved it! His first major dose of sugar (the little bit of ice cream doesn't count)!



Kam was not nearly as messy as my other two and he actually ate more of his cake then they did! Overall, it was a great day and now my baby is not such a baby anymore! Happy birthday, Kamron! We love you!

Just for the record....

Ever since Dallin found out he and his brothers drew out for the non-resident hunt in Wyoming, he has been walking around the house in his hunting boots, wearing camo hats, watching hunting shows, and looking at the latest camping/hiking equipment. Sigh....the hunt is not until OCTOBER! So, I fear I will have to endure the obsessive nature of my husband for the next 8 months! And, just so you know, he wears a different pair of hiking boots every day! He has printed out a topographical map of the area they will be hunting and is already studying the lay of the land. I think I need another girl in the house...my boys are on a hunting rampage! I know there must be others that can relate?! Maybe the girls need to plan a HUGE party to be thrown upon their departure and we can spend the next 8 months planning it! Who's with me?

The field trip

It all started when Dallin volunteered to help a man in our ward wrangle sheep. The man needed to corral his sheep into the sheep barn so they could be sheared. The night before this event, Shebli asked Dallin why he was wearing his camo. Was he going hunting? He told her no, he was going to herd some sheep. Shelbi, looking at her dad with the saddest expression and near tears, says to him, "Daddy, I don't want you to do that. We love sheep!" It took a moment to understand her sadness. When Dallin said he was going to "herd" sheep, Shelbi thought he said "hurt" sheep (I would cry too)!

The next morning, Dallin calls and says that I should bring Kam and Shelbi out to this man's house because they would really enjoy seeing the sheep get their hair cut. So, we loaded up and away we went!

The missionaries in our ward also helped. Shelbi was elated when she saw they were there! Both Gav and Shelbi LOVE the missionaries!

This is after the shearing. Shelbi asked if it hurt and I told her no. However, I was really glad she didn't notice that some of them had a little blood on them (from being nicked). Kam loved the sheep, but I think he was more excited about the dog and the chickens that were there too! I laughed almost the entire time they were moving the sheep into the pens! The sheep didn't want to go and tried to escape and sometimes the boys were run over....by sheep! Good times!

My fabulous 3!

Let me tell you why my kids are awesome: Gavin is still at the age where waving at his mom and sometimes holding her hand is still cool (yay!), Shelbi is the best big sister to Kam. Even though I worry about her dropping him when she picks him up (and I ask her not to at least 12 times a day), she is great at keeping an eye on him. If he gets too close to the stairs, she picks him up and takes him to safety! Kam...is a doll! He's always excited to see me and gives the best, tightest hugs he can! If I'm lucky, he licks my face as well (it's his kiss)! I AM the luckiest mom!

Shelbi's spare time

Shelbi is such a big helper! She "tends" Kam for me when I'm cleaning, helps me empty the lint catcher in the dryer, and in her spare time she does a little decorating!

Or, maybe I should call this one costume designing! And Kam obviously has no problems wearing her designs!