Kyle and girls

I Have to Take Some of the Blame

2011-01-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

There was a moment one morning when I thought to myself, "Self, things are REALLY quiet. Should I go and see what they are up to, or should I enjoy the peace and quite?"

I chose wrong.

As I walked out of my bedroom (from finally getting to clean it in peace and quiet), I thought that something smelled awfully nice. When I rounded the corner into the family room, I saw him.

Then I looked over at his room, and saw a thick white fog coming out of it. When I walked in, I found this . . .

Along with her.

Have you ever seen a more guilty face? I think our conversation went something like this - "AVRIE!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT DID YOU DO!?!" (can you tell I wasn't using my quiet voice). "WHAT!?! HOW? ------ WWWWWWWHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYY!?!" "WE JUST WENT OVER THIS YESTERDAY. YOU CANNOT OPEN THE BABY POWDER AND DUMP IT EVERYWHERE!!!!!" "WHY DID YOU DO IT??????"

Avrie - "Because it was fun."

This is when I knew I was in trouble. She got in trouble the day before for dumping it on the end table. So . . . she knew it was wrong and chose to "have fun" in spite of it.

They emptied 1 extra large, and 1/2 of a medium sized bottle of baby powder all over his room. She didn't stop at the dresser, or toys, or themselves. She opened his closet and shook the powder all over his clothes. It was up the wall, all over the curtains, and the carpet was covered in a white haze.

He sneezed baby powder for two days.

On the bright side - my house smelled yummy, and it wasn't poop.

2011-01-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

Finally when I have a resolve to blog again . . . I get so frustrated that I want to throw my computer out the window! I would update more if it wasn't so stinking difficult. I completely understand that my ripe old age of 35 puts me in the 'computer illiterate' category. Or the 'everything will take you twice as long' category, but HOLY SMOKES I really thought that I could figure this thing out.

ANYWAY - for those who don't frequent Facebook, I have started a Photography blog. Drastic times call for drastic measures, so ready or not, I am starting.

You can find it at www.jamieeyrephotography.blogspot.com This is when I am glad my last name only has 4 letters. That alone is a hand full to type.

I AM going to post again before the year is through!! Sadly, if I don't write it down here, it doesn't get written down. So it is a matter of NEED!

I GUESS IT'S CHRISTMAS

2009-12-24T13:04:00.003-07:00

So, to say I've been a horrible blogger would be an understatement. Something had to go, and time for my things was it. I'm so sorry to all my blogging friends for not being better. I still think of you all and miss being more involved. ONE DAY . . .

My Christmas cards are going to arrive late this year (sorry), but they should arrive sometime.

In the meantime, I just wanted to wish you all a

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I Am Head-Over-Heels In LOVE

2009-09-29T23:18:00.004-06:00

Yep, It's true!! I can't get enough of him.

I don't know if there has ever been a little boy so loved.

He also has his sisters, and his dad wrapped around his finger.

I mean, SERIOUSLY, how could you not love this face?

He gets more loves, and kisses, and snuggles.

He is one lucky little man :)

Now Where Did I Put The Bad Decision Chart?

2009-09-20T19:53:00.005-06:00

THANKFULLY the chart has been gathering dust, but just when I think I can throw it away, I realize that I had better hold onto it.

I'm not making excuses . . .

OK maybe I am.

On a super busy day, topped off with an equally busy night, she strikes :)

After getting baby ready for bed, and putting the Vaseline on the counter (so Ethan wouldn't be in the middle of it), trying to get dinner started, homework finished, reading done, and then get everything cleaned so I could give the girls haircuts, this is what i found. . .

Yep, Vaseline SMEARED all over her. Arms, shirt, pants, ALL of it. In the middle of all the craziness, she decides it's a good idea to cover herself in Vaseline. BAD DECISION AVRIE!!!

We still had to eat dinner, then I had to cut their hair, so then they could get in the shower. There was no way I had time to stick her in the tub then, so she got to sit on her chair through dinner and hair cuts until it was her turn to bathe. And she cried the WHOLE time. HAPPY DAY.

So after getting everything done, all cleaned up, and everyone in bed, I fell onto the couch. So glad that was finished.

I got up the next morning ready to begin anew and discovered that she peed the bed. Yep, she couldn't stop at the Vaseline, she had to pee the bed. Now this is not a usual occurrence for her or I would be prepared. But as it was, EVERYTHING had to be washed down, mattress and all!

Thanks sweetie pie, that's just what I needed :)

Bad Decision Avrie!

2009-03-12T11:23:00.006-06:00

So we were all ready to go to the basketball game. Avire was "suppose" to be sleeping. All I had to do was go in and wake her up. When I went in, this is what I found . . .

Avire, Avire, Avrie . . . What to do? What to do?

NOTE TO SELF: NEVER take a break. ALWAYS stress out and NEVER relax. Because when you do relax, THIS is what happens.

WAIT - scratch that. REMEMBER you have tried that and you almost went insane. So lets try this note thing again.

NOTE TO SELF (revised): Take a DEEP breath and sing a happy song (to try and shove all of those cuss words you have been saying in your head - OUT of your head). Calmly walk her to her bed and ask her if this was a "good decision" or a "bad decision". When she says "Ine Sorry mom, I didn't mean too" (with the biggest puppy dog eyes you have ever seen), try and remind her that we need to make "good decisions", not bad ones.

. . .

So after more then one (a LOT more then one) of these incidents. Kenadee decides to be the mother in this situation (because the real mom was in her room screaming into the pillow:).

She - sweet Kenadee that she is - decides to make Avrie a "Good Decision" chart. She is going to save up her candy, and for every three "good decisions" Avrie makes, she will get a piece. For every three "bad decisions", I get to take something away.

So far, good decisions are winning out - but it's a close race :)

Oh and this morning . . .

She got into the glue.

BAD DECISION AVRIE!!!!

Something Old . . .

2009-03-04T10:06:00.011-07:00

I have been into everything Vintage lately. I have gotten through this winter (which surprisingly hasn't been that bad) by immersing myself in photoshop.

Sad, I know, but it's helped:)

Here are some of my favs.

For My Peace of Mind

2009-02-24T23:05:00.013-07:00

Believe it or not, I'm still not done with December!!! It has been a crazy few months, and if I don't get it written down, I may very well forget.

For all of you waiting for something profound, or amazing (haha), or well . . . anything, I'm sorry - you must wait a little longer (maybe forever). Plus my mind has gone into hibernation, and I really don't know when it is going to wake up. It seems to take longer and longer each year :)

Now on with December - backing up a touch because I jumped the gun with my Christmas Eve post . . .

THE CHRISTMAS CARD

I could see what I wanted in my head, but had no idea how it was going to end up. The lighting was horrible, but with a little editing, I was pretty pleased with how things turned out :)

THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE

I have to thank my mom for getting us this. OK I grumbled a little :) Only because they whined until I finally had a night to sit down and do it!!

My best-ever little man :)

THE NEIGHBOR TREATS

I really do like to bake. When I'm the only one doing the baking, it's a little overwhelming. This year the girls are old enough to be a TON of help. We spent all day baking, and had a blast.

Now. . . CHRISTMAS DAY

BEFORE

AFTER

Had a blast with the Wii :)

We had the whole family over on Christmas day too.

Have you ever seen so much food? Every inch of counter was covered.

WOW - I think that does it for December. Although some event that I forgot could easily show up down the road. If it does, then I will deal with it then. For now I am done!!!

PAY IT FORWARD!

2009-02-20T23:06:00.002-07:00

The Rules:

1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!.

2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along.
Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! SO, REMEMBER... it is good... :) Pass it forward.

AND . . . I might feel generous and send something to the first FOUR people, so don't quit commenting at three :)

Christmas Eve

2009-01-19T16:00:00.007-07:00

On to the next big party . . . Christmas Eve! Again we had a house full of people, food, games, fun. Opening Christmas jammies was quite the sight - 17 kids all packed into our living room, opening their jammies at once. Check it out . . .

We had all the grandkids there from my side and Kyle's side except 3 (so sorry you couldn't make it Barb). And there is Dayna of course :)

Blessing Day

2009-01-19T15:51:00.010-07:00

We had Ethan's blessing the weekend of Thanksgiving. It turned out really nice. I made Cafe Rio (always a crowd pleaser :) and again we got to visit with family till late that night.

They would NOT hold still!!

I love this one. It's Emilee (Kellee's oldest) and Ethan catching a nap together.

So sweet! Isn't she so grown up and beautiful!

Thanksgiving

2009-01-19T15:30:00.012-07:00

This year we had Thanksgiving in Lyman. My mom decided it was her turn to host. We had quite a few of my dad's family that were able to come. It was fun to see everyone and eat all the yummy food. My mom did a great job, and worked really hard to make it nice for everyone. Thanks mom!

The girls are helping me make Oreo Truffles. Yummy, Yummy!

Waiting patiently for the Green Bean Casserole to cook so we can go :)

Doesn't she look so HAPPY!

The dessert table - My favorite!

Playing BINGO

Grandma and all the Grand kids

All I Did Was Blink

2009-01-08T09:27:00.002-07:00

I was so proud of myself for staying up on posting, and then I blinked, and a month has gone by. Now I am so far behind again. I haven't even gotten to Thanksgiving yet. So one day, when I can sit at the computer for more than 2 minutes at a time, there is going to be an overload of posts. YIPPEE! I really should do it once I get everyone in bed, but I have been so tired, I can't keep my eyes open.

We had a great Christmas, and partied like crazy. We had 3 parties, in 4 days, with 20+ people each time . . . at our house. AND I survived!! Everyone was really great, the kids didn't tear the house a part (and there were a lot of kids), and it was so fun to par-TAY. It's nice to finally have a place to be able to do that.

I hope everyone else had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

2008-12-12T02:00:00.001-07:00

That makes me happy too. Love Christmas. Love to decorate, and all that fun stuff. Kyle hates it, but was a trooper this year because we had to have it put up and cleaned up before the blessing.

The kids helping decorate the tree in the family room. I'm so lucky to have three little helpers that love to decorate just as much as I do.

And Ethan helping in his own special way - Sleeping through it all so we could get it done. What a sweet baby :)

The Thrill Seeker

2008-12-10T11:00:00.004-07:00

Avrie that is.

She scars me to death!

Kyle got the lift to put up the Christmas lights, and the girls LOVE to take a ride on it. While she it standing in the bucket (40 feet up in the air!!), she looks down and says (remember she's only 3), "I think I would like to jump off this." This is quickly followed by a sigh and, "But I don't have my wings yet."

Thank goodness she is waiting until she gets wings.

But this just came out of the blue, nobody was talking about jumping off it. Everyone else was holding on for dear life.

I shouldn't be surprised. Every time we drive by the water tower in Lyman she says that she wants to climb on top of it.

My 3 year old - the thrill seeker!

Now does that really look like fun to jump off of?

OH! FYI if you want WHITE Christmas lights - DO NOT get the "WHITE" LED lights. You have to get the "SOFT WHITE" ones. Dummy me thought that "WHITE" meant they would be "WHITE". But no - "WHITE" means that they are "BLUE".

So I'm now stuck with BLUE lights on my house because Kyle won't take them down and let me put up some other ones :( Go Figure

The Blessing Picts

2008-12-07T23:46:00.006-07:00

Love the new camera. I can't help but take picture after picture. I don't waste film, I can see how they look, and it makes me happy.

There's a bunch, but he makes me happy too :)

A Little Craziness

2008-12-05T21:26:00.007-07:00

Just a little bit of craziness can make for a good laugh. And we did laugh!

We were waiting for Kyle to get the lift to put up the Christmas lights, and the girls started jumping over the sidewalk.

I just happened to have my camera handy. And . . .

The other two tired out pretty quickly, but Kenadee was just getting started. She was REALLY getting into it. I'm quite impressed :)

What an Education!

2008-11-21T14:25:00.001-07:00

Pregnancy . . . Delivery . . . New Baby . . . What an education, experience, amazing journey, life changing event (I could go on)!!!

I have loved watching the girls at all stages of this journey. I've learned new things about them, and some things I've known were reaffirmed. They all experience it differently, and it has been fun to experience it with them.

Kenadee didn't want anything to do with the "pregnancy" part. She did not enjoy one part of that experience. I don't know if it was because it didn't seem real until he got here, or she didn't know if she would love him, or she just didn't want another sibling. I never could get it out of her. She is not my open book.

She wouldn't touch my belly, didn't want to feel him kick, didn't even want to talk about it.

Then he got here, and everything changed. She has been Mini Me from day one. I watch how she holds him, and takes care of him, and am in awe. She is already so much better at this mom thing then I ever was. She is a natural. It makes me jump for joy. I didn't want her to feel as awkward as I ALWAYS did around newborns. And they love her too.

Through out this whole thing, she has been my right hand man. On nights when I was too sick, or hurt too bad to be much good, she would take care of the house and her little sisters. She would cook dinner, bathe Avrie, clean up the dishes, and get the dishwasher going - just to name a few. She was a HUGE help. I couldn't have made it through without her :)

Ashtyn has not had one awkward moment - not one. She has loved the whole experience.

She has always been so excited. Before she left for school when she gave me a hug and kiss, she always had to hug and kiss baby brother (my belly) too.

She would sit with her hand on my belly for hours trying to feel him kick.

Then he got here, and nothing has changed. She loves him just as much now. She has come a long way since Avrie was a baby. With Avrie, I couldn't leave her side while she held her, because she would forget she was holding her and stand up to go do something else. She now remembers she is holding him :)

She is always hugging and kissing, but not in an overbearing, I have to keep telling her to leave him alone way - it's in a completely in love, adoration way. That I can handle.

Oh wait - I just remembered one slightly awkward moment. She is obsessed with trying to figure everything out. She asks question after question until she has it worked out in her head. So after I had baby, she wanted to see the stitches in my belly (I think she got this off of Jon and Kate plus 8). So when I told her that I didn't have any stitches on my belly, she could not get her head wrapped around how he got out. She kept asking question after question about how he got out. I was trying to be as vague as possible, because even thought she thinks she wants to know every detail, I know she won't really want to know every detail.

Finally I realized that my vague answers weren't going to appease her, so I finally said "Ash, he had to come out down here (waving my hand in the general direction)." And . . . just as I figured, even that was more info then she wanted. The look on her face was priceless. She instantly got this grossed out - horrified look on her face and went into a full body shudder. Thank goodness that was all she needed. She hasn't asked anymore questions :)

Avrie - what can you say about the baby of the family? That you know how bent her nose is going to be? That you hope she knows you still love her just as much as always? I knew that no matter what I did to prepare her, she was never going to be ready for this.

She understood the "baby in the belly" about as well as any three year old could. She thought the baby got there just like anything else gets in your belly: "Mom, did you EAT the baby!?!" Then she decided that she had a baby in her belly too. She thought it was a good excuse to get more food. "Mom, I need another snack. My baby ate my other one." That she came up with that all on her own. She didn't hear that come out of my mouth, because food is not my friend when I am pregnant.

Luckily when he got here, she hasn't had a problem with him. She was just mad at Kyle and I.

To my mom "Grandma, I'm your girl now."

My mom, "What about your mom and dad, aren't you their girl?"

"Nope, I'm yours"

Later that week I said, "Avrie, I love ya, come give me a hug."

She said, "I've lost my loves for you." :(

UGH - talk about a knife straight through the heart.

I held out some hope, "Well, can we go look for your loves? Maybe we can find them again."

"Nope - their gone."

She didn't even want to look.

I am glad to say that she did find them about a week later.

We also found out that boys have 11 fingers, not 10. "Mom, why does he have a finger on his bum?" That one I haven't heard before :)

On to what I have learned. . .

I don't know if there is enough room to write it all, and there are still so many questions I didn't get answers to. So to cut down on the novel length, b o r i n g post, I think I will continue this later.

Funny Tag

2008-11-21T12:00:00.002-07:00

This one made me LAUGH!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Daisy Van

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (favorite ice cream and favorite cookie) Cookie Dough Snickerdoodle (super gangsta HUH!)

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) JEyr

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)Red Puppy

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Zip Salt Lake

(don't have a middle name)

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) Eyrja

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put “The”) The Black Diet Pepsi

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)- Golden Garland

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne, favorite candy)Lucky Milky Way

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Jo R.

I tag Y'all :)

1 MONTH (already)

2008-11-13T12:41:00.003-07:00

Everyone knows how long that last month of pregnancy can be. Even worse is the last week. Time drags on and on. Then they get here and BOOM - a month is gone in no time :(

Veteran's Day Program

2008-11-13T12:29:00.003-07:00

This year in 5th grade, Kenadee had a Veteran's Day Program. My hat is off to the music teachers we have here. They do an AMAZING job! The program was really special, and had me tearing up at times ;) They also honored the firefighters, police, and EM Ts. Here she is giving her speech on her Grandma Eyre who is an EMT.
They had the kids bring pictures of any relative that has served, or are serving in the military. They had those on display outside the auditorium. They also found ways to involve the special needs kids. They had each of them dress in uniform of a branch of the military, and when the kids sang the song for that branch, they came out with a poster and saluted those who had served. It was really special.

Not so horrible Halloween

2008-11-02T18:55:00.001-07:00

This year Halloween went pretty smoothly. I was quite shocked, since I just had a baby, and can tend to have little panic attacks here and there. We even made it to the ward Trunk-or-Treat, AND I made some soup for it. I was quite proud of myself :) This is all a good sign that I am on the mend! Baby was being scrunchy for the pictures, all he wanted to do was eat his costume. But I did manage to get a couple where his face wasn't buried in his skeleton.

Special Delivery

2008-11-02T18:38:00.005-07:00

Nathan and Courtney Walker invited us to a costume party, and anyone that knows Kyle, knows that dressing up is NOT his thing. I don't know if it was the fact that I felt good enough to socialize, or if it was I was finally willing to go out with him, or what . . .

Whatever it was, I got him to dress up.

I had to find something easy because, new baby, and didn't live close to any costume stores, and didn't know what I could fit into anyway. You know - all those good excuses.

I decided to go as a stack of boxes (I had used this a long time ago when I needed a cheap, easy, quick costume). Once I decided I could do that, well . . . only the pictures will do it justice. Just take a look :)

Doesn't he look great (that's my box costume BTW)! I was so proud of him. He was such a great sport.

I think a close up is the only way to really do it justice. How great is the mustache!?!

And the glasses!

Love it, LOVE it, LOVE IT!

Sweet, Sweet Babies

2008-11-02T18:07:00.006-07:00

I can't believe it's been almost 3 weeks since this little feller was born. They get here and before you know it, they are grown. He has been such a good baby. He just hangs out - sleeping through most of the kisses, hugs, screams, fights, etc. that go on around our house.

I have to say that I LOVE newborns. I haven't always been able to say that. They scared me to death. I think it took a couple babies before I could feel comfortable with a newborn. But now I can sit a rock for hours - looking and taking in all the wonderment of these special little things. This time it's a little bittersweet. Since he is probably my last, I have to enjoy EVERY moment. If I think about it too much, I get so sad. Knowing this could be the last time to hold my very own newborn makes me cry. To smell the newness of them, to kiss their softest cheeks, to swaddle, and to comfort. UGH - I just have to quit thinking about it! So I am enjoying :)

He's Here!

2008-10-24T14:26:00.006-06:00

He made it! He was 2 weeks early, but he is doing well. THANK GOODNESS! Labor went quick - 4 hours from start to finish. So I can't complain. I'm starting to find my MO JO again, and I'm hoping I can be a lot better at staying in touch. I will update soon :)

Do I . . . or don't I?

2008-07-15T16:09:00.002-06:00

That has been the question.

Do I keep blogging? Or don't I?

I voted no (I blame it on all the pregnant emotions). This pregnancy has turned my world upside down. Many things that I loved to do, I now dread. It was always a release to sit down at the computer and blog, or work on pictures. Now I can't even stand to walk into the computer room. I don't even want to look at the computer. I haven't even wanted to take pictures. I hoped that these emotions would go away, but they are still here.

But . . . I have been out-voted. Kyle and the girls think that I still need to blog, and deep down inside I know I still need to, too. More for journaling's sake then anything else. I've written more down in the last year, then I have in a long time.

I am going to try and do better, and hope that one day I enjoy it again. I hope these emotions don't last forever. I guess we'll see in a few months.

So breath a sigh of relief all of you who frequent my blog. You one person out there :) Today I am going to try (I can't guarantee I'll feel that way tomorrow).

I'm Fwee

2008-05-27T08:36:00.008-06:00

Yep, time is still flying by. Three years have passed since Avire joined our family. I am running a little late on posting this (that's my life right now). Her birthday is really on the 15th. Kyle even chastised me for not getting this posted sooner.

Anyway, here's a few pictures.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

This was the only picture I could get her to smile in.

In all the others she had the grumpy look.

Some how the birthday girls at our house always end up cranky or crying.

I had to take a break even before the party started. My back is already killing.

All the cousins

L-R: Charlee, Kenadee, Sam, Halle, Allie, Avrie, Ashtyn,

Paytan, Wes, and Fez (more on him later)

DREAMS

2008-05-08T18:37:00.005-06:00

Since I have known Kyle there have been a few dreams he has always had.

There was one that just seemed too far out of reach to ever become a reality.

But life has a funny way of making dreams come true

because . . .

SURPRISE!! (We sure were)

Looks like the little guy is scheduled to enter our world of girls around October 26th (poor kid)!

. . .

I've been sick as a dog, and the headaches won't quit. That has made finishing the house, getting packed, moving, unpacking, and getting settled quite a challenge. So many things had to fall through the cracks (remember LOSER MONSTER). It's been hard to not be physically able to do everything that I need too, but we've tried our best. And judging from past experience, I don't plan on feeling better until October.

Needless to say, Kyle is very excited. The girls were quite excited too. Avrie's remarks were "Let me see the baby. Mom open your mowf." Then the the punch line . . . "MOM, DID YOU EAT THE BABY!?!"

Which one is it?

2008-05-06T09:23:00.002-06:00

The comments on my last post got me curious. I always thought it was called "Snowmobiling". Kyle wouldn't quit making fun of me . . . "Only girls go snowmobiling. We go snowmachining." "So if you want to come, we go snowmachining!"

I changed my bad habit, so I could be included . . . only to find out that I could have been right all along!!!!

Lets settle this once and for all. I set up a poll so EVERYONE could vote. We'll see which one finally wins.

No one will know how you vote, or if you voted. But if you want your voice heard (all us Wyoming hicks) lets hear it!!

TUBING

2008-04-23T10:00:00.001-06:00

Throughout this horribly busy, horribly freezing winter we've had, we did make it tubing once.

Thanks to Rex and Stephanie Weston. Rex had just gotten a couple of new snow machines, and wanted to go tubing, so they were nice enough to invite us along.

After school one night, we headed out to Carter and found us a good tubing hill. One that was only fun because we had snow machines. On foot, it would not have been so fun. I know this because on the way up the very first time, Kyle dumped me halfway up the hill. So I had to hoof it the rest of the way. The snow machines were defiantly the preferred way of transportation.

Kyle just read this and said that I should have hung on.

In my defense, I was holding on to my camera with one arm, and the tube with another. Had he warned me that he was about to gun it, I would have held on tighter, but I got no warning. Just gunned and dumped!

The crew:

Rex, Brock, Stephanie, Avrie, Kyle, Kenadee and Ashtyn

Kyle

Stephanie and Brock

Avrie and I. I realized how unprepared for anything snowy I am. You think a girl from Wyoming would be set with snow gear. . . not this girl!

Ash - who was a lot braver than I thought she would be. She jumped on the tube and headed down the steep hill with no problems.

Rex with one of the new snow machines.

Kenadee - who is always a trooper even without snow pants herself. We did have some, but they have gotten lost somewhere along the winter.

It was quite a fun evening!

I'm Still Kickin'

2008-04-03T15:52:00.004-06:00

Don't know if anyone is still lookin', but I'm still kickin'.

Man . . . did that last post not want to get moved off it's pedestal! I tried numerous times to post something else, but was having major computer troubles, and I didn't have the time to sit down and figure it out.

We did get moved. The house is not done, but it's livable. Right now, I just needed livable. I got different Internet, and it seems to be working better. Hopefully I can keep up now.

I have to say THANKS to everyone who left such great comments on the last post. It really helped to know people cared:) It was one of the worst winters I have had, and the most hopeless I have been. I have a little more hope now, and it's amazing what a little hope can do for ya. But again, thanks to everyone who cared enough to leave a comment. They helped so much!

I did get a few picture developed FINALLY! Here's a few . . .

OH! BTW my friend Kris is the one who made the hats and scarves for the girls for Christmas. They absolutely LOVE them!!

LOSER MONSTER

2008-03-02T21:58:00.002-07:00

I ran, I hid, I tried to allude, but in the end it found me, pounced and pinned me to the ground. Not a pretty site. If you've never been pounced on by the loser monster, feel very lucky. It's not something I wish on anyone :)

So here I lay under the huge weight of this ugly monster, wracking my brain to figure out how to move this huge beast off of me. For the life of me I have not been able to figure it out (I do think I have been able to move up to my hands and knees because I can joke about it now).

Think of when Mr. Incredible was running out of the "secret computer room", and was getting pelted with those little, black, rubber balls. They kept growing until even Mr. Incredible wasn't strong enough to keep going. I had every aspect of life come at me all at once, latch on, and blow up into such huge weight that I couldn't stand up any longer.

I'm not proud I let it all get to me, in fact I think that is one of the badges that the monster is proudly wearing . Come to think of it, it looks pretty good in all of the badges it has pinned to it's chest. There are many. I know there are many people going through much worse things then me, and handling it much better (another badge). I have looked around, and I know I am so blessed, but still can't hardly breath (I think I see that one pinned next to the "Horrible Mother" badge. Oh nope, it's next to the "Can't get anywhere on time" badge).

Finally to get through the day I had to shut down. I couldn't talk to anyone, didn't want to go any where or see anyone. Only because I seemed to disappoint everyone I saw. "Sorry we can't do this" or "I meant to call, and forgot" or "We can't have friends over today. We have to be able to see the floor before friends can come over" or "I really wish I could, but can't" or "No we are still not done with the house. Would you quit laughing?" or " I know I should be doing this, but my goal was to get out of bed today, and not go back until bedtime. And that was about all I can handle today". I could go on. . .

Anyway, it's a miserable, yucky place to be. I really never thought that I would be here, and had always hoped I could handle life. Not really the case right now.

It is a heavy, depressing monster to be carrying around. I hope to one day be rid of it, but the longer it stays on, the less I feel like I can be rid of it.

If any one has been pounced on, and been able to get rid of this ugly monster, I could use a few pointers ;)

For anyone else . . . It seems to be pretty attached to me, so you won't have to worry about it finding you and pouncing anytime soon:)

And, once (or if) I figure out how to coax it off my back, I can only hope to help others rid themselves of the monster as soon as possible.

. . .

I meant to post sooner, but my computer has been acting up. It keeps "timing out" when ever I have tried to post or comment on anyone else's. I have tried to comment, but can't. So please don't think I don't care. I don't want to add that badge to the pile. I have run every test I have, but still can't get my computer to work well. I will keep trying.
And I can't get my spell checker to work. Sorry to all of the English pros out there. My grammar and spelling really stink.

BLECK:[

2008-02-12T22:43:00.000-07:00

I think that is my word for Valentine's Day.

Better yet . . . I think that is my word for life right now.

Support Group

2008-02-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

OK, Support Groupers - whoever you may be. I have never been in a support group, don't really know what you do in one, but I have a challange. I think it is always good to laugh.

So . . .

When was the last time you tried to stand on your head?

Now hear me out. I really tried this, and it was pretty sad. But . . . just thinking about how funny I looked, and that others might be trying it as well, made me laugh pretty hard. It felt really nice. So give it a try! You just might find yourself having a good laugh too.

The Manors

2008-02-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

Kirk and Kim were nice enough to let me practice on them. I was so excited when the pictures actually turned out, and I didn't completely screw them up. They are so cute together, and were really great to work with. Thanks for being such great sports!

{LOVE}

2008-02-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

Kim tagged me awhile ago. Sorry it took me so long to get to it.

List 5 reasons why I love Kyle . . .

This was kinda hard because I don't really like him most of the time. Just Jokin' hun! I SOOOOO love you :)

1. TRUST: This was one of the biggest reasons that I married him. You can love someone like crazy, but if you don't trust them, life can be miserable. I trusted him (and still do) with all I am. I trusted that he was always truthful, dedicated, and was as committed to us as I was. I know that no matter how bad life (basicly me) can get sometimes, he would not give up on us.

2. TALENTS: He is one of the most talented people I know. You give him any piece of equipment to run, and he can master it in a very short time. He can run anything from a Trachoe to a screwdriver. He has also built most of our house (and our other house) with his own two hands. From start to finish, he's had his hands in most all of it.

3. QUICK WIT: Most people don't get to see this side of him, but he is very quick witted. He often puts me in my place, and that's not always easy to do. You might be surprised that I love him for that, but it keeps me on my toes. I have to stay quick myself to come up with a comeback.

4. HUMOR: Again, most people don't get to see this side of him, but he cracks me up.

5. HEART: He has got a great heart. He couldn't be the dad he is with out one. He loves his girls more than life, and he is so good with them. He is not scared to teach them "boy" things. He has taught Kenadee to run the Backhoe. He has taght them to build. He takes them shooting with him in the Isuzu (I think that might be their favorite). But . . . he's also not afraid to do "mom" things. He has changed diapers from day one. He has gotten up at night. He has bathed, fed, and I think even done their hair a time or two. He rocks, and reads, and comforts. I know that they know they have a great dad.

I think I need to add one more just because I love him SOOO much!

6. WORK: He is also one of the hardest workers that I know. He has spent most of our married life working a full-time job, and then doing other jobs on the side. I trust that no matter what our situation may be, he will do everything in his power (or work his butt off) to make sure we don't go hungry.

I LOVE Lifehouse

2008-02-04T00:26:00.000-07:00

The new music is a tribute to my favorite band. If I had only one concert I could ever go to, I would have to pick them. I have loved them from their very first album. I don't usually get so crazy about music. I like a lot of different kinds, but if I had to pick my favorite . . . like I said . . . it would be them!

7 Years Old!

2008-01-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Ash! This last 7 years has flown by. I can't believe she is 7! The scary thing is, she is not even my oldest :( We love her so much, and are so proud of the girl she is. So the new slide show is dedicated to her. She also got to add a few of her favorite songs to the play list.

WE LOVE YOU SISTER!

Get-through-January Support Group

2008-01-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

Does anyone want to join my Get-Through-January Support Group? If you live in Wyoming, we might have to extend it through February, March, and probably April. I don't even know what we would do, but hey, it's a start! This January has been BRUTAL! If you have any ideas, I'm all ears :)

TOOT TOOT

2008-01-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

I have to "toot" my friends' horn because they are AMAZING!

The house is finally getting to a fun stage, and a lot of the credit goes to one of my best friends and her husband. They have a custom cabinet shop in St.George. They did the cabinets for my kitchen, and the girls' bath. They did an amazing job, and I just wanted to share their talent with everyone.

So if you are in the market for some new cabinets, I just happen to have their number!

CottonMill Cabinetry and Furniture
John and Kris Stokes
(435)627-1025

Do remember that we are not completly finished, and the pictures are from my camera phone. These pictures do not do them justice. They are even more beautiful in person.

I love them Kris . . . Thanks SO much!

Funny Story

2008-01-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

One day she is going to kill me for taking these pictures, but I couldn't resist!

I'm not officially potty training, but I ran out of diapers one day, and Kyle hadn't made it home with any more. I thought I would pull out the potty and the panties. Maybe I would get lucky.

YEAH RIGHT!

By this time, she had already "wet" in her panties, and Kyle had brought some diapers home.

I said "Avrie, your underwear are wet and I need to get a diaper on you." She said, "No momma, I don't want a diaper, I need to go poop!" So again, I thought maybe I would get lucky.

I think she sat on the pot off and on for an hour. We would go back and forth "Avrie, if you haven't pooped, I need to put your diaper on." "No momma, I still have to poop."

Then she finally said "Momma, I pooped!" I ran to check, and this is what I found.

Can you guess what the white poop is?

Packing peanuts!

It wasn't my lucky day.

Christmas Time is here again. . .

2008-01-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

I have to say I'm amazed I got these developed and posted before May!

CHRISTMAS DAY

Here are their Christmas outfits. I do have one more child, but she refused to stand anywhere close to them.

This is what Kenadee got Ashtyn. Which followed by a hug and an "I love you sis!" We do get a few of those moments every now and again!

I had to add this one, because it makes me laugh. Here is Kyle doing his most favorite thing ... dressing the doll, or the barbie, whatever it may be at the time! He really loves that. He's tried to get them to play with tractors, dump trucks, and such. And they do play with them, they just don't play with them right! He's tried to teach them the correct sound and the correct name of each piece of equipment, but at the end of the day, they always end up being "The MOMMY tractor, and the DADDY tractor, and the BABY tractor."

And just a few more . . .

It took me a minute to remember why Avire wasn't in her Christmas jammies in these pictures. Then I remembered ... the minute she got up, she threw up all over them. So these are her Christmas jammies from last year.

Don't you just love the messy hair look?

CHRISTMAS EVE

My sister-in-law Chary took these pictures. She was nice enough to email them to me since I didn't even remember where my camera was! We went to eat at Little America, and then ended up at my mom's house to open jammies and the presents from Grandma and Grandpa. I still can't believe we are seven grand kids strong with only one boy! They sure are a cute bunch!

Halle and Avrie LOVED the digital frame that Jake and Chary got my mom. They especially enjoyed when a picture of themselves would come up :)

CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS

This is Kenadee's (2nd row, 2nd from left) Program. It was both 3rd and 4th grades. They did such a great job. The music teachers are amazing. They didn't just sing songs, but played instruments, did dances, had costumes, and sang duets.

She had to try out for this duet, and as a mom, I can't tell you how nervous I was for her. I don't think I took a breath for her whole part. She sang with Oakley Bluemel, and they sounded WONDERFUL. I was so proud of both of them!
Ashtyn's program was the 1st and 2nd graders. It wasn't quite as complex as the other, but having all the 1st graders dancing around while the 2nd graders sang (and vice versa) was a feat in itself! They did great too!
She is in the second row, 3rd from right, wearing the necklace.

DECORATING THE TREE

This year I got a $30 Wal-Mart tree. I wasn't in the mood to search through storage in the frigid temperatures we have had this year. I thought white would be fun for a change. Kenadee is already making plans to put it in her room next year. I got a little ribbon, a few dollar ornaments and there you have it! Pretty sad, but it had to do.

"Mom, please let us take your picture in front of the tree!"

And that's a wrap for this Christmas!

FYI

2008-01-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Still looking for a Tooth Fairy. I can't seem to find a competent one.

Still Snowing . . .

2008-01-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Bye Bye Binkie

2008-01-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

It's official - the binkie is HISTORY! I know it is way overdue, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Sometimes it was the only way she would quit screaming.

Kyle finally went through the house and threw them all away. We had a few days of screaming at nap time and bed time, but for the most part, it hasn't been too bad.

I just hope the move to the new house is smooth, since the other move was what triggered the binkie dependency in the first place.

At least I can check that off the list. Now . . . potty training! I was waiting to get moved to start because I didn't want her to revert back.

Oh great! Avrie just came up and saw her picture. "It's Avrie with my binkie. I want my binkie! Where is my binkie? Mom, help me find my binkie." I said "Dad threw it away". Now she is going up to Kyle "GIVE IT BACK DAD!" I better go deal with the meltdown!

2008-01-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

WOW! What a crazy two weeks it has been, and we didn't even have to travel! We have had something every night since Christmas Eve. We are all wiped out.

Christmas was good (I think). I say that because I had a hard time getting into it this year. And when it was over, it was over. I have never taken my tree down the day after Christmas, but this year it was gone. I couldn't stand to look at it any longer.

The girls loved it ... Santa came, grandmas' spoiled them, there were cousins galore, and treats - all kinds of treats. Avrie now says, "I don't like dinner. I like treats!"

On Christmas Eve, we got home later (way after normal bedtime), and Avrie refused to go to bed. She loves her bed, and usually dives right in. But that night she said, "I want to watch for Santa out this window. NOT my bedroom window!" Then she ran to the living room window, lifted up the blinds and said with the saddest frown, "I not see him". Ashtyn got up Christmas morning and said, "Santa I love you . . . it's like I'm in a dream!"

I wish I had some pictures to share, but Santa did not bring my digital camera. I must have been on the naughty list :) But I didn't get a lump of coal either, so does that mean I wasn't naughty?

All in all we had a great Holiday. We got to spend lots of time with family and friends, played tons of games, and ate way too much. Oh yeah - and froze our butts off. It has been sooooooo cold. I was hoping the landscape wouldn't take the "Arctic Tundra" look quite so early. But it hit, it hit quick, and it hasn't left.

Now onto 2008. That is so crazy! In two years it will be 2010. Aren't we suppose to have flying cars by then?

All I can do is hope 2008 is filled with great adventures. Ones my kids will always remember. And sometimes, that only takes a trip to the yard to play catch, or lying in bed giggling with them, or spending the afternoon painting fingernails. Just as long as it is time spent with them!

Will the Christ Child Come?

2007-12-19T22:50:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have already read this, but my mom just emailed it, and I had to share. It's too good not to!

WILL THE CHRIST CHILD COME?
(Author - Gaye Willis)

Halfway through December, we were doing the regular evening things when there was a knock at the door. We opened it to find a small package with a beautiful ceramic lamb inside. We looked at the calendar and realized that the 12 days of Christmas were
beginning!!

We waited excitedly for the next night's surprise and only then, with the gift of a matching shepherd, did we realized that the lamb was part of a nativity set.

Each night we grew more excited to see what piece we would receive. Each was exquisitely beautiful. The kids kept trying to catch the givers as we slowly built the scene at the manger and began to focus on Christ's birth.

On Christmas Eve, all the pieces were in place, but the baby Jesus. My 12 year-old son really wanted to catch our benefactors and began to devise all kinds of ways to trap them. He ate his dinner in the mini-van watching and waiting, but no one came.

Finally we called him in to go through our family's Christmas Eve traditions. But before the kids went to bed we checked the front step - no Baby Jesus! We began to worry that my son had scared them off. My husband suggested that maybe they dropped the Jesus and there wouldn't be anything coming.

Somehow, something was missing that Christmas Eve. There was a feeling that things weren't complete. The kids went to bed and I put out Christmas, but before I went to bed I again checked to see if the Jesus had come - no, the doorstep was empty.

In our family the kids can open their stockings when they want to, but they have to wait to open any presents until Dad wakes up. So one by one they woke up very early and I also woke up to watch them. Even before they opened their stockings, each child checked to see if perhaps during the night the baby Jesus had come. Missing that piece of the set seemed to have an odd effect. At least it changed my focus. I knew there were presents under the tree for me and I was excited to watch the children open their gifts, but first on my mind was the feeling of waiting for the ceramic Christ Child.

We had opened just about all of the presents when one of the children found one more for me buried deep beneath the limbs of the tree. He handed me a small package from my former visiting teaching companion. This sister was somewhat less active in the church. I had learned over time they didn't have much for Christmas, so that their focus was the children. It sounded like she didn't get many gifts to open, so I had always given her a small package - new dishtowels, the next year's lesson manual-not much, but something for her to open. I was touched when at Church on the day before Christmas, she had given me this small package, saying it was just a token of her love and appreciation.

As I took off the bow, I remembered my friendship with her and was filled with gratitude for knowing her and for her kindness and sacrifice in this year giving me a gift. But as the paper fell away, I began to tremble and cry. There in the small brown box was the baby Jesus. He had come!

I realized on that Christmas Day that Christ will come into our lives in ways that we don't expect. The spirit of Christ comes into our hearts as we serve one another. We had waited and watched for him to come, expecting the dramatic "knock at the door and scurrying of feet" but he came in a small, simple package that represented service, friendship, gratitude, and love.
This experience taught me that the beginning of the true spirit of Christmas comes as we open our hearts and actively focus on the Savior. But we will most likely find him in the small and simple acts of love, friendship and service that we give to each other.

This Christmas I want to feel again the joy of knowing that Christ is in our home. I want to focus on loving and serving. More than that I want to open my heart to him all year that I may see him again.

Don't forget the reason for the Season

Christmas Tag!

2007-12-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

OK Skip, I guess it didn't take me as long as I thought!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Mostly wrapping. I love, love, love to wrap presents. But there are somethings that fit better in gift bags, and sometimes I don't have time to wrap everything. Even when I was little, my mom would put our presents in boxes and I would wrap them all. I never peeked because I love surprises!

2. Real tree or artificial? I wish I could say that I love real trees, but I'm artificial all the way. You can keep them up as long as you want, and move the branches where ever you want. And when kids (Avrie) pull them over because they have become all wrapped up in the lights, there are no needles all over the floor.

3. When do you put up the tree? I usually try to get everything up Thanksgiving weekend, but it just depends on the year.

4. When do you take the tree down? I'd leave it up all year if I could. I think one year Kyle took it down all by himself because he was sick of it.

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes and no. I have to be in the mood.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? That's really hard because they were all great (thanks mom). If I had to pick I would have to say the ones that were a surprise. I love the surprise, but I was not easy to surprise. Usually because I was picky and my mom didn't dare get something that I didn't like or didn't fit (sorry mom). Even when she tried to surprise me, my brother usually told me because he CANNOT keep a secret!

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Somewhere. I have the complete Boyd's Bear Nativity, but it's in storage.

8. Hardest person to buy for? You'd think it wouldn't be Kyle, but it is. I think he is even pickier than me. Although his dad is pretty hard too. It must be the Eyre genes.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Myself, seeing how I usually have to buy my own presents. I am pretty good at knowing what I want!

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't think I have ever gotten one. Oh wait, I did buy me a pair of jeans that looked really bad.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

12. Favorite Christmas movie? It is hands down "The First Christmas" from Liken the Scriptures. I could listen to the angel Gabriel sing for hours and hours. It is really funny too. My girls watch it year round.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I like to have the majority done before Thanksgiving. Then I can enjoy the season and not be stressed. This year I didn't even start thinking about it until Thanksgiving and now I'm STRESSED! Can't find what I want, and there is not time left!!!!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Food. Although there is this apple cake with Carmel sauce that is to die for. I really like ham too. And pretty much any appetizer that is sitting around. Oh and all the yummy treats from everyone. Candy is really good. Chips and dip too. Alright ... FOOD!

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear. They go with everything and there is something pure about them.

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night. Especially by Celine Dion. Her voice and that song - pure magic!

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? Home - the more kids you get, the nicer it is.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph (I just copied yours Skip!)

20. Angel on the treetop or a star? How come bow is not a choice? Oh wait, it is a star this year. Usually it is a bow.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Like many, Jammie's Christmas Eve and the rest Christmas day.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People wanting to call it a "Winter Festival". Have your "Winter Festival" in January. Leave my Christmas alone! You are more that welcome to celebrate what ever you want, how ever you want, but so am I. And I want CHRISTmas with "CHRIST" at the center of it all!

23. What I love most about Christmas? I don't think I have enough room to name it all. Or you would get really bored reading it all. I love it all!

Now I tag - Barbara, Kim, Heather, Tina and Tiff

{Lets take a look back}

2007-12-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

For those who were following my Halloween saga, I now have some pictures to go along with it!

This is the result of the last-minute-Wal-Mart-run. Ashtyn decided that she was a "Spring Princess". I already had Avrie's snowman costume. That was one I have been able to recycle. Kenadee ended up being a "Vampires". The collar was suppose to stand up, but we could live with that. I'm just so glad we found something that they could live with.

This one shows how our afternoon went. After we got back from the parties at school, it was a mad rush to finish getting everyone dressed. Avrie decided that she was suppose to be a frog instead of a snowman, and refused to get dressed for 40 minutes. Where she got a frog, I have no idea. I have no frog costumes and couldn't remember seeing any lately that would give her that idea. So that put us 40 minutes behind, which in turn made us miss a birthday party we were suppose to go to, which in turn sent Ashtyn into an hour long tear fit. Hence - the picture. HAPPY DAY!

Here's the snowman once she finally decided it was OK not to be a frog.

Kenadee doing what she loves to do best - taking care of the babies! This is my brother's littlest, Charlee.

These are all the grand kids on my side. My three and my brother's four. Notice the six girls and the one lone boy. POOR SAM! At least he's got grandpa.

Back row: Charlee, Kenadee, Sam, Paytan, and Ashtyn

Front row: Avrie and Halle

2007-12-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

20 COMMENTS - Whoohooo! I feel so special! We'll just look past the fact that I had to doctor the results (a lot). It was fun while it lasted. Thanks to all of you who left real comments :)

As far as the pictures go ... maybe "horrible" was too strong of a word. A better word would have been "disappointed". I was really disappointed when I got them developed. I really didn't have the time to spend all day fixing them. I debated if I should have even taken them in the first place. I'll try and quit being so hard on myself. Thanks to everyone for pointing that out.

Everything in my life right now has taken a huge effort to fix, and I was just wanting something to be easy. They did end up looking more like I wanted them to, so that made me happy. I know - WHAA WHAA. I'm trying to suck it up.

Kyle accuses me of overreacting sometimes - maybe there is some truth to that. Just don't tell him that I admit it!

Anne, this is for you:

1 - I have nice feet
2 - I'm pretty good at games

Are those good enough?

HORRIBLE Pictures Turned ... A Little Less Horrible

2007-12-01T00:45:00.000-07:00

So, it was time for Christmas pictures. I've been thinking about it for months, and had them all planned out in my head. And I just have to say that they looked really cute in my head. I had to take the girls up to the house because the light here -- pretty much stinks. Since the floors up there are still covered in Sheetrock dust, I had only a small area to work with. I had to use my smaller lens because I couldn't get far enough away with my bigger lens, and the light up there was not the best either.

Long story short, they turned out really badly. I think my small lens has seen the last of it's days because I can't hardly get it to focus anymore.

When I got them developed, I wanted to cry. I just wanted them to turn out so I didn't have to spend so much time in Photo Shop (like I did last year), but that was not to be.

I can say it has forced me into figuring out how to really work my photo shop program.

Why do I want you to see my complete failure? So everyone can know there is hope. It just takes a little magic( I use that word because it was not skill) and your pictures can be somewhat presentable. Anyway, the result.

Before :(

AFTER

Before :(

AFTER

Happy Holidays!

2007-11-24T23:47:00.000-07:00

Since my house will be sparsely decorated for this holiday also (my house is not going to be finished by Christmas), I have to get into the holiday spirit by decorating the blog -- AGAIN! Kyle just came over and rolled his eyes. He thinks I have a sickness, which could very well be true.

Christmas is my most favorite time of the year. I love the magic that is infused into the air. The beauty of the season is unbeatable, and the food . . . can I just say, YUM!

I hope everyone can really enjoy the holiday season. Breathe the air, write to old friends, bake with your babies, sing along to your favorite Christmas songs, find a new Christmas movie that makes you cry as you remember what Christmas is all about, give of your talents, and most important of all - get on your knees every night and give thanks for all of the blessings that we have. They are numerous and plenty, and it is all because of the birth of our Savior.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Quote

2007-11-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

I read this and just laughed! It is so true. . .

"Women are like phones. They love to be held and talked too,

but you push the wrong button and you will be disconnected!"

Some Sooper Sillyness

2007-11-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

These pictures are HORRIBLE. I was trying out a digital camera, and I definitely don't want this one. But they are memories just the same. We were bored late one night(ok - only 7:00), and this was the product.

THE MANY FACES OF AVRIE

Surprise!

Sad :(

Happy :)

Mad!!!

Tired

THEN WE ALL HAD TO GET INVOLVED

Sad :(

Tired

Happy :)

The girls love this game. Unfortunately Kenadee is getting to big to play. So she got to watch. They start out on the ground, then yell "UP", and try to keep their balance as Kyle raises them into the air(notice the "hair"). Of course Kyle has to move around and try to get them to fall off. He wouldn't be Kyle if he didn't :)

Ashtyn thinks she is a pro, so she is dancing.

This picture is Ashtyn to a "T". She will stand on her head where ever and when ever she can. She is never still. Always jumping, twirling, flitting, or upside down.

And, I'm trying to get over my fear of pictures of myself. Sorry you have to be involved!

TOUGH COOKIES

2007-11-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

Earlier I was talking to Avrie and told her that it was time to get into the tub and then time to take a nap. She said "Avrie a get in a tub, but Avrie no nap". I said "Tough cookies. You get to take a bath, and then you get to take a nap." She then continued with "Avrie (she talks in the third person) get in a tub, and then Avrie have a cooookie." Laughing I explained, "Not a real cookie, I said TOUGH COOKIES. That means you get to do what I say anyway". I said this, thinking I had explained it fairly well. "OK" she said. "Avrie have tough cooookies." I knew it was time to throw in the towel.

Note to self: Never use any form of treat word when trying to explain something to a two year old. All they hear is blah blah blah COOKIE. Blahblahblah TOUGH COOKIES blah blah blah. She is thinking Wow, a tough cookie. I've never had one of those. Even better!!

I wonder what a tough cookie tastes like?

2007-11-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

This year for Halloween the girls decided to be a 4th grader and a 1st grader! Just joking! These are the "A few days after the first day of school" pictures. They are wearing the same clothes that they wore on the first day of school. So that's close enough, right?

HELLOWEEN is Over

2007-11-02T21:14:00.000-06:00

No, I didn't misspell the title. I've decided that I like all the stuff leading up to Halloween. Not Halloween day itself. It's too crazy and hectic. Then you add super high amounts of sugar, excitement and energy - to three little girls - and it is bound to explode at some point. It did, in the form of tears. We had our fare share. But, it's all over and we can move on. YAY!

Tagged!

2007-10-30T15:52:00.000-06:00

Guess it's my turn. Skip tagged me :)

The Rules:Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.At the end of the post the player then tags six people and posts their names then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Have fun!

1. For a long time I would unknowingly dress the girls to match. I don't mean in the exact same clothes, I mean in the same colors. No pastels with primary colors dag it! I finally realized that I did it, and tried to stop, but can't. There are some days when they don't match and it drives me crazy! They seem dirty or messy. I know that doesn't make sense, but it's true.

2. I am a night owl. I wish I wasn't, but I haven't been able to turn it around. It doesn't help that I have trouble sleeping. Kyle is a morning person, and goes to bed at 9 or 10. I'm lucky if I make it by 1:00 am, and usually then I can't fall asleep. So we are on completely different time schedules. That is also my only Alone Time. I love my Alone Time, so it's been hard to try and cut it short. I can watch whatever I want (thank you TiVo), I can work on whatever I want, and I have no interruptions.

3. I can't stand it when people chomp their food, or gum. And I have been blessed with some major chompers in my family. It's like fingernails on the chalkboard, and I can't seem to break them of the habit.

4. I am an online shopaholic. It's good and bad. I can now find the super slim, adjustable waist pants for the girls (not for me :( ) the extra long ones for me, and in the right sizes. The selection is so much better, and the sales are so much better. And . . . I can do it all in my Jammie's. But I really have to have self control. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I have done almost all of the shopping for my house online. A huge selection, and it's delivered right to my house.

5. I really, really, really want to travel. Anywhere and everywhere. There is an interesting story and interesting people where ever you go.

6. I love to paint. Not the get-the-whole-wall-done roller painting, but the steady-hand-don't-get-it-on-the-ceiling-cutting-in painting. It really relaxes me.

Well, there you have it. Now who hasn't been tagged . . . Barbara, Heather, Heidi, Kris and Deneil. Come on girls, you can do it!

I got bit in the butt!

2007-10-30T14:29:00.000-06:00

Just when I thought I was getting out of my "Funk", I got bit. I'm starting to think that if I had a smaller butt I wouldn't get bit so much. Remember on my last post I thought I had things crossed off my list? Well . . . I did . . . and then I didn't.

I had ordered costumes for the older two because I haven't been anywhere. Not even Wal-Mart in Evanston. Those who know the valley know what I'm talking about. No mall or Target to run to. Anyway, the costumes were suppose to be here yesterday.

They didn't show up :(

I had even ordered one for me. I haven't dressed up for years, and I really wanted to this year. I found a great costume. It was Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. Being the wookie that I am (hey, that gives me an idea for next year) I thought I could be pretty intimidating to those first graders in that tall, scary, black-horned costume. But it was not to be.

I called the company and my order hadn't even left the warehouse. The girls were listening intently while I was on the phone, and started bawling as soon as I said "Well, I'll just cancel the order." The poor things had their hearts set on those costumes. Tears fell for a hour while we tried to figure out what to do. We finally decided to run to Evanston as soon as Kyle got home (he got to baby sit Avire). It didn't matter that I had to go to Evanston today, they had to go last night so they could pick out their costumes.

So at 7:00 last night we headed out. Luckily they both found something that would work. They just happened to be the very last costumes in their size, but NO WORRIES! Thank goodness we found something! After I took a few hundred deep breaths, so I wouldn't go into panic mode, the evening ended up being really fun. We had a really great girls night out.

I still had to go back to Evanston today because I just realized that my drivers license had expired a month ago. Funny huh!?! Luckily I got it taken care of before I got pulled over. That might have sent me back into my "Funk".

. . .

Oh, I don't know how many of you have gotten the "Vicks" email, but I tried it, and it has worked really well on the girls. If you didn't get the email, here's the just of it:

If you have that horrible, annoying cough, spread Vicks on the bottoms of your feet, put socks on and go to bed. It said that it would quiet the cough, and help with congestion through the night.

All of my girls have had the cough and stuffiness, so I thought that it wouldn't hurt to try. IT WORKED. They might cough through the day, but they have been silent at night. They even remind me to put it on if I forget. Avrie had one really bad croupy day, and ended up waking up once that night. But that was it. When she gets that cough, we are usually up for a few nights in a row because she can't breath.

It's worth a try, and you don't have to give them that nasty cough medicine, that they are saying is so bad for them now.

I'm ready to pull my hair out!

2007-10-25T14:39:00.000-06:00

I want to scream. Can I just scream? Did I say that I want to scream and pull my hair out? I've been in such a "FUNK" lately, and I can't seem to get out of it. The kids have been sick for over a week - thought they were getting better- but NO. It moved onto Kyle, which I don't know how he can keep working nonstop being sick, but he does. I do think he is getting better. Can it pass up mom? Of course not. That would make life go smoothly, and why would I want smooth right now? I don't need smooth. . . ok, whatever, I really need smooth. Please give me smooth. I feel like everything is falling apart. I don't function well in ciaos and that is all my life is anymore - CIAOS!

The kids are sick, they have so much homework already, I can't get them ran to the two things that they do have after school, the house is not moving anywhere, Avrie completely tears apart everything she touches every moment of the day, the other two are so whinny and moody that I want to lock them in their rooms every night, I can't find anything in our current living quarters, Halloween is approaching and the girls want to have costumes, and ... Ashtyn's teacher decided to put me in charge of the Halloween Party, oh and I'm trying to get my whole house painted, Oh and I have been sick. Is there anything else? I'm sure I could think of something else if you give me just a minute. Ya, I know, things can always get worse. That is what I am afraid of.

Any ideas on how to get out of this "FUNK"? Please help because my ideas are not working.

I am grateful -

1 - No one has been throwing up. I have enough laundry to do without adding that much more.

2 - I have gotten some painting done.

3 - I will hopefully have a new house in the future. I'm crossing my fingers because right now it doesn't seem like it will ever happen.

4 - We do have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food on the table (although that is always a huge source of the whining each night. I can never please everyone)

5 - I did finally get the major part of the Halloween dilemma taken care of. I'm still crossing my fingers because it seems like when ever I breath for a moment - thinking I can mark something off my list - it comes back to bite me in the butt.

I'm trying to stay positive. OK maybe I sank into huge pessimism, but I'm trying to crawl out into the light of optimism. HELP!!

I did get a few new pictures "Painted". That always makes me happy :)

WANTED: A new Tooth Fairy

2007-10-09T10:28:00.000-06:00

We are in search of a new Tooth Fairy. We have had to put up with a lot from the Tooth Fairies through the years, and this year is no exception. I've have had enough and have to let this one go.

We have had to deal with an obsessive-compulsive, extremely neurotic Tooth Fairy. Kenadee had to polish and clean her tooth for a week before this Tooth Fairy would take it. By the time the tooth was good enough to take, it could have been on display in the "Prettiest Teeth of All" museum in Tooth Land. Do you think that matters to a 5 year old? NO! I did hear that they had to promote that Tooth Fairy to Curator of the museum. A job she was much more suited for.

We were also a part of THE GREAT TOOTH LOSS OF 2004. The Tooth Fairy had said that there were so many teeth lost that week, that it took them almost a month to catch up. Come on Tooth Fairies, aren't you magic! Don't give me that nonsense.

We have also had our share of forgetful Tooth Fairies. I just have to shake my head. Isn't that your job? Is it really that hard to find a qualified Tooth Fairy?

Yesterday was the last straw! Ashtyn, my child with a huge fear of pain, was brave enough to let me tie a string around her loose tooth, tie the other end to the door knob, and *shaking because of the anticipation* let me slam the door shut, yanking her tooth right out. The only reason she let me do this ... "I want to get my money tonight." she said. You would think that would mean something to the Tooth Fairy. But guess what? It was too cold for her to come that night! Can you believe it ... TOO COLD! Has she never been to Antarctica or Iceland? Why are they assigning a warm weather Tooth Fairy to a cold climate? Only heartache is to come because it is cold more often then not. I do have to say that in the excitement of the door slamming, tooth jerking, blood coming craziness, the tooth got lost. We searched for an hour and came up with nothing. That should not mean it isn't a big priority to come, especially when you read the heart-felt note she wrote explaining the whole situation.

So I've had it. Tooth Fairy - YOU'RE FIRED! I'm looking for a new one.

Fishing

2007-10-04T09:37:00.001-06:00

Do you want to hear a sad story - I've never actually "fished". I've been where people are fishing, but never "fished" myself. It's not because I didn't want to, it has just never worked out. I have a funny story about my dad, but better get his OK before I tell it.
We went camping over Labor Day, and Kenadee had the chance to fish. She is so proud that she got to fish before I did. She was the only one to catch a fish too. I didn't get a picture because the slippery little thing flipped its way out of Kyle's hands before I could. While Kyle and Kenadee were fishing, Ashtyn , Avrie, and I hung out on the rocks (and in the river some too).

New Pictures

2007-10-04T09:26:00.000-06:00

I finally got a few rolls developed. Here are a few of my favorites.

Whaaahaahaaahaa

2007-10-01T01:25:00.000-06:00

I have to say that I do love Halloween. All of my decorations are packed up, and lost to the storage monster. So I don't have decorating withdrawls, the blog gets decorated! Happy Halloween!

Beauty

2007-09-24T12:23:00.000-06:00

This story has been stuck in my head. I've tried to find the exact story, but can't. If anyone has it, please let me know. I am going to try and remember as best I can. I only put it in quotes to show the story part.

'There was a woman that carried two water pots to the river each day. One pot did exactly what it was suppose to. It was perfect. The other pot, had a crack in it, and had lost most of it's water by the time the woman got back to her village. This happened everyday. The woman carried both pots down to the river, and came back with a pot full of water, and a pot that was almost empty because it had all leaked out.

Another woman watched this day after day, and could not figure out why she would take the cracked pot to the river everyday, only to come back almost empty. Did she not know the pot was cracked?

One day she had to find out why she did this. She asked the lady, "Do you know that one of your pots is cracked?" The other lady smiled and said, "Yes, I know it's cracked." "Then why do you waste all that energy carrying it down to the river everyday, when you know it is going to be gone when you get back?"

The lady took her to the path and said, "Look down the path, and what do you see?" The woman looked and saw that one side of the path was covered in flowers when the other side was bare. The lady that carries the pots said, "The one pot carries my water each day, and the other one leaks water along the path. They both serve a beautiful purpose. There are no flowers growing along the side of the path that I carry the perfect pot. Along the other side, the flowers grow beautifully. For each day they are watered by the pot with the small crack. It makes me smile each day to walk the path, and see the beautiful flowers."'

This story has really touched my heart. Do we feel so bad about ourselves, when we don't serve the purpose we think we should, that we forget to look at what beauty our small cracks may bring to the world? There is a beauty that each of us brings to this world that no one else can. Can we find that beauty in ourselves and in others? How boring would this world be if there were only one kind of beauty?

It's usually easy to see this beauty in friends and family. Can we see it as easily in those we don't get along with? They also have a beauty they bring to this world that no one else can. If we try to find that beauty in them, our hearts might soften toward them, and how beautiful is that!?!

Birthdays

2007-09-24T12:10:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is my birthday. I don't hate birthdays, but I don't really like them either. They just seem to come too quickly anymore. It's just more proof of how time flies(and I keep getting older each year)!

I was walking around today mumbling to myself "Ugh, how did I get to be 31 years old! Where did my 20's go? I can't believe I'm already 31. I don't really want to be 31." This went on and on, with me mainly mumbling to myself. I looked at the girls for a minute, and they had this weird look on their face. I said "What?" Kenadee looked at me with a smile and said, "Mom, aren't you going to be 32?". "WHAT!!" I said as I closed my eyes and tried to add it up in my head. Sure enough, I'm going to be 32. Isn't that just peachy. Another year lost!!

HAPPY DAY!

Summer 06

2007-09-19T16:11:00.001-06:00

Since summer is over, and I don't have pictures of this summer to reminisce, I am reminiscing about last summer.

JOHN EYRE REUNION
We decided to go up in the field and play baseball. All we had were Ashtyn and Kenadee's little bat and tee ball. It ended up being a blast. It's kinda crazy that with Kyle's brother, sisters, and all the kids, we have enough to have quite a gathering.

This picture is of all the grand kids, but one. Parker had not yet arrived. Oh, and Dayna isn't a grand kid, but she gets to do what ever she wants!

Later that night we went out to Natural Corrals. We climbed, and climbed, and climbed.
From bottom to top: Allie(Spencer's), Megan(Kellee's), and Kenadee

Front: Hadley(Kellee's) and Wesley(Spencer's)
Back: Kenadee, Allie, Megan

BEAR LAKE
My friends and I try to take our kids one day each summer.

TEEBALL
Kenadee enjoyed it, I had to bribe Ashtyn to quit playing it the dirt.

I do love summer. Maybe this winter I will have pictures of this summer.

Talents

2007-09-19T15:29:00.000-06:00

I have decided that crying is a talent. Ok, I don't mean all crying, I mean crying nicely. I'm the biggest blubberer when I cry. It's embarrassing. My face gets all red and blotchy, my voice squeaks, and I can't say anything that makes sense.

Some people can cry so nicely. They maintain their composure, their voice doesn't change, and they can continue giving their lesson, or talk with just a small tear running down their cheek. Such Talent!

So those of you that can cry nicely, add that to your talent list. And ... do you have any pointers for those of us that make a complete fool of themselves when we cry?

Confession

2007-09-16T23:24:00.000-06:00

I have a confession to make. Are you ready? OK...I'M A HUGE NASCAR FAN!!! Ya, I know, take a minute to gasp. I love it, I love it, I love it. Kyle is not a big sports fan. Football, basketball, is not watched a lot in our house. If it is watched, I'm the one watching it. I had heard of Nascar before, but couldn't figure out what the big deal was. They say it's the fastest growing sport?!!? Are you kidding!!? All they do is drive in a circle. How exciting can that be?

So a couple of years ago we decided to watch a race and see what all the hype was about. The race just happened to be in Talladega. I have to say after that one race, I was hooked. Kyle even liked it. There is so much more to it than I ever imagined. So much team work, strategy, amazing driving, and luck. I did help that "The Big One" (the huge crash) was crazy amazing.

I love that they say a prayer, sing the National Anthem, and have jets fly over before every race. I've heard there is nothing like going to a race. Each week, each race is usually sold out. We're not talking a sell out of 50,000. We are talking about sell outs of 160,000 to 200,000 each week. It's CRAZY! I think I'm a little more crazy about it than Kyle. If I had to pick on major sports event to go to it would probably be a Nascar race. Although if I had a chance to go to the Tennis US Open, it would rank right up there with a race.

Who do I like? My Chevy man has to be Jeff Gordan or Jimmy Johnson. They are both soooooo good. My Ford man - #99, Office Depot, Carl Edwards. He is so grateful for each and every race he gets to run. The back flip after he wins, is just a plus. Dodge man? The cutest ever Kasey Kahne. He is doing horribly this year, but he's so cute I can't help but like him.

It's been so fun to watch these last few years. It's something that Kyle and I watch and enjoy together, and he would actually go to a race with me. SOMEDAY!

Avriepunzel

2007-09-13T23:37:00.001-06:00

Yep, more Avrie stories. I do apologize, but my life these days are filled only with conversations of a 2 year old. I try and get the older two to talk when they get home, but I usually get the "How was school? Good." or the "What did you do? I forgot." comments. I try to find joy in my life, so as you can tell, my expectations aren't super high.

A lot of my day is spent trying to decipher the language of a two year old. She is talking really well, but will sometimes slip into babble. I have yet to figure out what "a fussy wa wa" means. That one has me stumped.

Anyway, the other day we did have a breakthrough. She came running up to me with her towel in hand. She threw the towel at me and said "Avriepunzel!" I handed her the towel back and said "OK". That's my usual comment when I have no idea what she is talking about, and I'm trying to get something done. She threw the towel back at me and said, a lot louder, "AVRIEPUNZEL!!" "AVRIEPUNZEL!!" I looked at her and knew she wasn't going away until I figured it out. So I began to put all of the clues together.

1. Why is she giving me a towel? She's already had her bath and her code for that is "splash, splash".
2. The towel isn't a normal towel, it's one of hers that has a hood.
3. Avriepunzel. Let me break that down - Avrie . . . punzel.
4. Towel with hood... that she puts on her head...that seems like long hair...that is just like RAPUNZEL'S!

"OH!" I said. "You want hair like Rapunzel's". "Yes" she said, "Avrie Punzel". I looked at the towel and the hood was smashed in so she couldn't get it on herself. I fixed the hood, stuck it on her head, and she ran down the hall(with the towelhair blowing in the wind) giggling and saying, "Avrie Punzel, Avrie Punzel!"

Yeah, I had a little laugh. Like I said, I'll take joy however I can get it!

Kenadee (Nessie)

2007-09-07T16:04:00.000-06:00

Kenadee is my fun loving, sweet, oldest child. "Nessie" is what Avrie so lovingly calls her. She has become the second mom at our house. Lately she's had to be the first mom a lot. When I have got to get stuff done, she gets to take care of the other two. She doesn't complain too much, which says a lot, because the other two can be a handful.

She loves to experience and try new things. She is the animal lover of the family. She is always trying to find worms and lizards. She isn't scared one bit of the slimy little creatures. She loves to be outside helping both Grandmas in the yard or the garden. She already has this amazing ability to see how to help others. You don't have to ask, she usually knows what to do.

I am sad to say the days of Blue's Clues and Dora are pretty much over. She has moved on to High School Musical 2 and Hanna Montana. My little girl is growing up :(

She has wanted to start cooking and that has been such a huge help. She has done really well.

Her laugh makes you laugh. It is so contagious. She starts to giggle, and pretty soon everyone else has joined in.

She really wants me to have another baby. She has said that she would feed it, change it, even get up at night with it. She has fallen in love with these new baby cousins we've just gotten. She loves to hold them and take care of them. I don't think I quite believe her about the "get up at night" thing though.

She can get moody at times, but hey, she's a girl! I don't know what I would do without her.

Ashtyn (Tinkerbell)

2007-09-07T15:20:00.000-06:00

I realize I've talked mostly about Avrie, so here are a few stories on the other two.
I have pictures of Ashtyn that are so much better than this one, but for some reason this one cracks me up. When she was little my friend Kris told me that she reminded her of Tinkerbell. It fits her to a tee. She doesn't walk any where. She flits, or dances, or twirls, or runs. She is a tiny little thing too - Energy abounding from every cell of her body. If anyone could fly based on the energy they put out, it would be her. The reason the picture cracks me up is because no matter how girly or glittery she is, she can still make such a mess. She cannot eat a thing without getting it all over.

The other thing that makes her daddy proud ... she can burp her ABC's. I have really wanted to put her in a talent show. I could dress her up to the hilt - frilly dress, curly hair, etc. As she walks out on stage, I'm sure everyone would be expecting something beautiful to come out of this thing, then she would start burping her ABC'S. I don't think I could ever get her to do it though.

Her claim to fame in the Eyre family is that she was the first grandchild that could stand on her head. John always wanted a grandchild that could do that. No help, no walls, nothing. Now the others have tried to beat her. She has contests with Wade(he's 13) to see who can stay up the longest. She wins by a mile.

She can also come up with the funniest things sometimes. She knew Avrie was going to be a girl before we did. She was drawing picture of "Flower". That was what she called her at the time. I said "Ashtyn, it could be a boy. What should we name it if it's a boy?" She crinkled up her nose, got a disgusted look on her face and said "GARBAGE"! I guess it's a good thing we got Flower instead of Garbage.

To stay up with her I have to be pretty quick-witted. Doesn't always happen, but one day it did. It was later one night, we'd been running around from this and that. I just wanted them to get out of the car quickly. That never happens, and Ashtyn was being particularly slow. She was blocking the other two from getting out, and she wouldn't move. I told her she had better get out. She looked at me and said "I am the Princess, and I only get out when I want to". I had a moment of clarity and said "Well I am the Queen, and the Queen is telling the Princess to get out of the car now!". She looked at me and knew she was beaten. She said "humph" and jumped out of the car. Score one for the Queen!

She can be stubborn, very precise, and I'll be darned if she is going to let anyone else tell her what to do. Good and bad, we love her to death.

2007-09-07T14:23:00.000-06:00

How pathetic was that last post? Extremely pathetic - I know. It helped me feel better if you can believe that. Letting everyone know how pathetic I can be made me feel better?!? It sounds crazy, but once I wrote everything down and got it out, I felt relieved. And I saw how dumb it really sounded, so I was able to shake it off and get over it. I know the girls still love me at the end of the day even if I do everything wrong. That is all that matters. Of course your comments help, even if you were just trying to make me feel better :)

Motherhood

2007-09-06T11:36:00.000-06:00

We went camping over the weekend. It was so nice to get away for a few days. But I was sitting with the girls one day, and this overwhelming sadness came over me. I looked at these beautiful, sweet, amazing spirits and was hit with this huge sadness. They were sent to me to nurture, to teach, to love, and to care for. They are already smarter, sweeter, kinder and more loving than I am. How am I not going to ruin their lives? I feel so bad that they have to have me as a mother. There are so many women out there that do a much better job than I do. I try, but I can't say I do my best every single day. Some days I fail. I can only hope and pray that they survive me. That is probably one of their biggest tests in this life. If you think about it, would you mind praying for my kids too! They need all the help they can get.

Oh, and Barbara is now blogging. If you know her, I'm sure she would love to hear from you.

Thanks

2007-08-30T00:27:00.000-06:00

I just have to say "Thanks" to those who have left comments. Lynette, Cindy, and Tatlyn, it was really good to hear from you. That is why I wanted to start doing this. I don't get out much, so I don't get to see friends and family as much as I want. This is a way to let you know what we are up to. Your comments help me to know that you care too. So, thank you. It means a lot to me.

School

2007-08-30T00:13:00.000-06:00

School finally started on Tuesday. We were all so ready. I'd had friends with older kids that would keep saying that they couldn't wait until school started. I never really understood what they meant until this year. By the first of August, summer was wearing off. They whined about everything, didn't want to do anything, were never satisfied, and were hungry ALL THE TIME. I got to the point that if I had to wash another full load of plastic plates, cups, etc. after just one meal,I was going to scream. OK, I think I did scream a few times anyway. I always remember the electricity in the air just before school started. It was so exciting. The air would turn a little cooler, and I was just ready for the change. I do miss that, and I think that I why I have never really cried when I have had to send them. I am too excited for them to cry. There are times I wish it was me.
But OH, how time flies. Kenadee started 4th, yes 4th grade. Ashtyn is in 1st. It seemed like Kenadee would never start school, then when she did, the years have flown by. I have friends with kids in High School. They were the size of mine just yesterday. CRAZY!! Now I really do sound old. UGH! And was I the good mom and got tons of pictures? Nope, no film :( I guess now I'll just have to get "A few days after the first day of school" pictures.

Books

2007-08-29T23:45:00.000-06:00

It's been a few days since I could write. I was a little preoccupied. My Friend had brought over all three of Stephenie Meyer's books a week ago. They had been sitting there calling to me. After a week, I gave in. Sunday night I had a little extra time, so I was going to sit down and read a few chapters. Well, a few chapters turned into a few more, and a few more, and at 5:30 Monday morning I finished the first book. Can I just say "WOW"!! It was breathtaking. If your husband, boyfriend, whatever is not as romantic or passionate as you would like, you should not read this book. You could end up pretty mad at him. If you still want to read a great love story, the kind that stir up old feelings, you have to read it.

Needless to say, I had to start the second one. I did get a couple hours of sleep before I started. My problem is, when I love a book, I can't put it down. I have to finish. They also affect my mood for that day. I wish I could separate it, but I can't. It's like when I have a bad dream, there is a dark cloud over me the next day. Anyway, book two. It really made me mad. I won't spoil it, but the reason I had to keep reading was because it had to change the direction it was going at some point. The whole story could not end up WRONG! In the end it ended up OK, but I was still so frustrated.

Tuesday night I had to start book three. It would have been sooner, but the insulators were coming to the house on Wednesday, and we had a lot we had to get done. By this time, all of my other duties were piling up too. Kyle was giving me the "scowl". He doesn't understand at all. I had to finish. Book three was not as bad as book two, but still sometimes WRONG! When I finally finished, I felt WEIRD. I don't know how else to describe it. I still can't figure out exactly why I feel that way or what exactly it is I am feeling. I was relieved to see there will be another book in that series. She could not have left it the way she did. I can't quit thinking about it. In the end, they were still amazing because they affected me, and I guess that is the sign of a great book.

2007-08-23T23:30:00.000-06:00

I was just getting ready to go to bed, when I read through all of that crap I just wrote. Forgive me, it is late. Here are a few more of my favorite pictures. This might help lighten the mood.

The first three were in Florida in 2003. The one time my husband decided to come along.

This is Christmas 2004.

Why do we seek perfection?

2007-08-23T22:58:00.000-06:00

Can you tell that in my life as a hermit, I sit around and think up questions? OK, I don't sit around. I think in between cleaning up spilled milk and cheerios, or trying to remember how to divide, or while driving to some sort of practice. I have to talk to myself to stay sane. Wait -- isn't that what crazy people do? ANYWAY ...
My newest question - Why do we seek perfection? Please anyone with any sort of feeling on this subject, let me know how you feel. Do you think we would seek perfection so desperately if we didn't know what it felt like to be perfect? If you had never tasted chocolate cake, would you long for it, or crave it? Our bodies and ourselves now, as "natural men", can't even fathom perfection. I think that our souls remember what it was like to be perfect. I think we long for that feeling again. I think that is why it is so hard on us not to be perfect. If we don't know what it feels like, why are we so disappointed when we fall short? We should be content just being. Right????
Maybe the trick is to feel perfectly about being imperfect, knowing that one day perfection will come.
Ok, now everyone is going to think I have gone mad. Kyle just rolls his eyes whenever I try to talk to him about this :)

Silly Baby!

2007-08-23T22:12:00.000-06:00

I have to laugh at Avrie. She is such a touchy-feely baby. Emily, your story about Olivia and the red cape reminded me of this. I had to post it, or I would forget about it.

My other girls have liked their blankies, or binkies, or dolls. Avrie loves it all, and in the weirdest ways. Every time I put lotion on her, I have to squeeze some in between her toes. Even when I am in a huge hurry, she screams if I don't do it (yes I know, she screams and gets what she wants).

Then when she goes to bed, she has to have a corner of her blanket in her hand. She takes it and in a circular motion, rubs her eyes ... then her nose...and last her ears. Now it can't be just any corner of her blanket, it has to be the corner where she has pulled apart the stitching. There is a little piece of thread sticking up where she has made a hole in the binding. She can stick her finger in that hole, and start tickling her face.

As far as smells go, she has to smell everything I put on her. She will take the bottle of lotion, take a long whiff, and let out an eyes closed "aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh". I do hope as she gets older, she sticks to sniffing lotion and not anything else!

And then there's the "MIA". One night as I was putting her to bed she was screaming "Mia! Mia!" She usually goes to bed really well, so I was a little disheveled. She kept crying and pointing. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what she wanted. I had to finally get her out of the crib so she could get it herself. She immediately ran over to the binkie that was laying on the floor in the corner. She picked it up, put it in her mouth (no, I didn't wash it off. She's baby #3), and said with a giggle "Mia". She then went straight to bed without another peep.

Oh, by the way, I have the answer to my laundry question. I need to quit blogging and get some laundry done!!!! I also can't wait to have a storage room in the new house. I'm not excited for a couch or bed (ok, maybe a little), I am so excited to have a storage room.

Never say Never

2007-08-23T21:58:00.000-06:00

I had a few "nevers" that came out of my mouth in my younger years.

1 - I was NEVER going to get married before I graduated college.
2 - I was NEVER going to marry anyone from the valley.
3 - I was NEVER moving back to the valley.
4 - I was NEVER going to have kids right after I got married.

For those of you who know me, you can have a good laugh because 3 out of 4 of those "nevers" actually happened. Yes. . . I've had to choke on most of my words. I got married a year after high school, to Kyle (from the valley), and we now live in the valley. But we did wait 3 years to have kids after we got married.

So, if that is how that works. How about this - "I NEVER want to be happy, healthy, wise or wealthy."

Question?!?

2007-08-22T10:16:00.000-06:00

When you have a full load of laundry in every color of the rainbow - plus black and white - what does that mean? Too many clothes. . . too many kids. . . not staying on top of it? Probably some of each :)
I do have to say that one of the things that I am most excited about in the new house is a brand new, extra large, washer and dryer. Who would have ever thought that would be the thing I covet?

Photo Shoot

2007-08-22T09:59:00.000-06:00

After Avrie was born, a good friend gave me a book on how to photograph your children. I had such good advice, and I was so pleased with the outcome. I am still posting "older" pictures because I have yet to make the transition to a digital camera. My other camera is so good, I can't yet afford a digital camera that takes as good of pictures. One day. I'm getting closer and closer to making the change. It's a big pain to have to get the film developed, and I think my camera is on it's last leg.

Avrie's blessing dress was so pretty, but she HATED it. She screamed the whole time she had it on (which was about 3 minutes). I finally got her to sleep - without the dress on - then I just kinda wrapped it around her. The day we blessed her, she barely made it through the blessing before we had to ditch the dress!

Florida

2007-08-20T14:49:00.001-06:00

We have been lucky enough to get to go to Florida twice. These are some pictures of when we went in June 2006. I have 12 years of pictures to post, so I'll try and spread them out. We have stayed at the Amelia Island Plantation both times. When we went in 2003, it was the first time I had ever been to the beach. I fell in love at first sight. The girls did too. Usually whenever we ask them where they want to take a little vacation they say "Florida". They don't yet understand the concept of "little". I do hope we can make it back sometime. It holds a special place in my heart. Call me crazy, but I like to think that I was on the "Florida Planning Committee" up in heaven. On this trip, Kyle and Avrie stayed home. His idea of fun is not a week at the beach. We loved every minute of it. Our favorite drink at the Plantation ... Oreo Smoothies. I've tried to make them here, but they just don't taste the same.

These I took one night after dinner. I was so glad I had my camera on hand.

They were content to play in the sand all day.

Besides beautiful beaches, they had 3 fabulous pools.

2007-08-19T23:13:00.000-06:00

Ok my friends of the "older" generation, look down the right side of the page. Do you see how many friends I have with blogs? ONE! Lets step it up and show these youngins that we can be techy(I don't know if that's a word) too. Come on, I know you can do it. Help me get more than one blogging freind!

HAPPY DAY

2007-08-19T19:24:00.000-06:00

Avrie, our two year old, already has great comedic timing. One day Kenadee was having a pretty cranky day. I was trying to be the good mom, and help her realize that her attitude makes a lot of difference in how her day can be. She tends to be a lot like me and doesn't want anyone telling her how to feel. My attempts to help her feel better were fading fast. I finally said "Today isn't a sad day, it's a happy day. Even if we feel sad, we have to try and make it a happy day." She just looked at me, rolled her eyes, and buried her face in her arms. Just then Avrie (who we didn't know could really talk at the time) leaned over to Kenadee, cocked her head and said - with a happy nod "Happy Day!" No one in their right mind could resist that cute little voice putting them in their place. Needless to say, Kenadee busted up laughing, and it ended up being a happy day. It still works. When ever anyone is sad, we remind them about the day Avrie told Kenadee to have a happy day. It always makes us laugh. Thanks goodnes for babies.

The Road Less Traveled

2007-08-18T21:41:00.001-06:00

Not very long into my adult life, I came to a fork in the road. Deciding which path to take would affect me for eternity. This was not a decision that I wanted to make at this point in my life, but for some reason I had to. One road was pretty much like the road I had been on, the other veered off almost perpendicular to the road I was on. After a lot of soul searching, I decided that I need to take the road less traveled. So, holding my breath, I took a huge leap of faith and stepped onto the foreign road. I had faith, that because I was doing what I was suppose to, I would be blessed. I just didn' t realize at the time that being "blessed" meant being blessed with some of the hardest experiences I would have to go through. The road I chose has tested me to the breaking point. I wish I could say that I conquered those dark and scary parts of the road with a single leap, standing tall and proud, untouched by the obstacle. But most of the time I barely made it through. I usually emerged one hand in front of the other, crawling on my stomach with tear stained cheeks, wounded severely by the battle. I had been ashamed for a long time that I could not conquer my problems with a single bound. I now realize that through the times that I nearly failed, that is when I had to dig the deepest. I had to really search for the fight in me, and realize that I still believed. I know there are still many dark and scary parts to come on this journey, I just hope that I can now look at them a little differently. I now know I have been blessed with the knowledge that I am never alone, and that I can never give up. I know that sometimes there are things that we have to go through. I know that it is not easy for those in heaven to sit back and let us suffer. Sometimes we have to suffer, to realize how strong we are and how strong our faith is.

I am a PhotoShop Junkie

2007-08-17T23:49:00.001-06:00

Since I have gotten my new computer, I have discovered PhotoShop. Yes, again I am trying to emerge from the dark ages. The only problem now is that I have to "fix" every picture. But Oh, What Fun It Is!
Soon after I discovered PhotoShop, I discovered Digital Painting. If there were any limited possibilities in PhotoShop, there are absolutely none here. I am completely amazed at all of the different styles you can accomplish with one program. I have found a place that I can order canvas prints, so I am even more excited to have paintings in my house that are not only beautiful, but are close to my heart.
These are the four cousins on Kyle's side that were born in 2001. Two girls, and two boys.

This is a picture I took in Nauvoo. I have always loved the blazing red colors of fall.

Why am I doing this?

2007-08-17T17:13:00.000-06:00

I really don't know why I started doing this, but for some reason I can't stay away. I feel like the great-grandma (I say "great" because "grandma" doesn't seem that old anymore) that is just learning to use the remote.
It has already been a crazy, self-searching journey. And this is my first POST! Through life and different circumstances, I have become a very private, almost hermitish person. I don't really like it, so this is my chance to put my heart out there. Laugh, cry, agree, or stomp on it ... do what you have to. I have to do this for me.
I have loved reading Emily's blog, and the others that you can get to. You get to know someone so much better this way. Also, through all of the other links you can visit, you get to know people that you never would have other wise. So if anyone gets this crazy lady coming up to you, acting like she knows everything about you, it could be me. And I do know you - sort of - through your blog. So thank you for putting yourself out there too.