a little bit of me

I feel...

2012-01-25T20:36:00.004-07:00

I feel like maybe I'm going to start blogging again.

I feel like maybe I miss writing down my random thoughts.

I feel like it is confirmed, I'll take wind over cold. I can totally handle this winter.

I feel like I watch Sarah Richardson design for her great design style and also to check out all her boots.

I feel like making brownies. Scratch that. I feel like eating brownies.

I feel like I'm never going to lose the last 15 pounds from the babe...wonder why.

I feel like running outside, and I have been when the wind and ice allow.

(somebody slept in her crib....once...almost, then mommy got sick of walking back and fourth by 6 am)

I feel like Sage is a good baby.

I feel like for the last few weeks I am losing my milk to feed her.

I feel sad when my baby cries and is hungry. Thankfully at 11 at night I have good friends I can call (Whitney!) who had some formula when this first started happening. I've been trying all the 'natural' ways to remedy this with no luck, but I don't want to quit. So thankfully I have a brother who helped me out with a prescription when my dad is away! Hope it works.

I feel like I am in junior high (not really) but my itunes was on random and came to a Cranberries song, remember them? It has been years and years. I took it off random and I have literally been listening to them all day and love it, kinda, some of their songs are just weird. I used to put the song Dreams on repeat 24/7 and I still love it. I still know every word to every song!

(happy to have some friends close again!)

I feel like most people are kinda nice, but sometimes they just can't help it. Derek has to ref a couple junior high games every week. When I'm feeling like I need to get out of the house at the witching hour (4- 5 ish) we go watch. Sometimes people yell at the ref. It makes me so upset when people yell at Derek when he is reffing a junior high game FOR FREE right during supper time. Derek doesn't seem to phased by it, but I AM. (mostly because for 10 years I have been trying to yell at him during a good ol husband wife 'disagreement,' but it's impossible, you just can't yell at the guy, he's too great!) Today was one of those days I felt like getting out. I went to the game and ended up sitting in the area of a large group of the opposing teams parents. During the first half it was close and there were some remarks about the ref, but I'm a big girl after all and just watched the terrible display that girls basketball usually is. (I do have a great plan for if I'm ever there and people get crazy, but it hasn't been that bad at the couple games I've been to dang it! I feel it is a good plan, ask me about it.) Then at the end of the game the teams were getting a little fiesty and one of the parents started to chip at the refs again. Then I heard this mumbled shhhh.....wife.....raymond.....Baldry.... HA! I think one of the parents saw me at half time and knew who I was and told them to be quiet because Raymond may or may not have been playing a town we used to live in...the age group that Derek may or may not have taught while there... I told Derek and he was like that's weird that they quieted down for you because they Raymond parents never do. It's true. I feel some people do not realize how they act while spectating a game of sports. ( I would carry out my plan to Raymond people too, so bring it!)

I feel I may have said too much!

I made brownies in the middle of writing this post, they will be done soon. I might have a problem.

I'm doing a photo challenge and some of these pics were for it. From here on I'm doing it right and I'll post them right, ya know?

new year

2012-01-15T22:25:00.003-07:00

This is might be a long boring post but I didn't do it last year, and I liked it when I did it the year before so I'm doing it again. I put in some random pics in no particular order that didn't make the blog last year because of my lack of blogging I suppose.

Sage's blessing day, Dec 4, 2011.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?

Held a calling for the shortest amount of time ever! I was the Primary President for about 3 weeks and then the ward boundaries got changed. I was so excited to do it, but am just as happy it didn't happen. Now I'm the 2nd councilor in the primary and I absolutely love it. I love being in primary with my kids. I never thought I'd say this, but I never want to leave primary! Unless they call me to cubs, then I will RUN away!

Also, I took a lot baths. Obviously I have taken baths before, but after I had Sage, I really stepped it up having a few baths a week. I could take one right now actually.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? 

I'm not sure that I made any actual resolutions last year. I miscarried last January and before I could blink was preggo again so I just enjoyed my last year with 2 potty trained, talking children, who feed themselves and let me take naps!

This year I chose a 'theme word' like Christal does. I was reading the Ensign the other day and the word Courage jumped right in my face from President Monsons message. "Courage is required to make an initial thrust toward one's coveted goal, but even greater courage is called for when one stumbles and must make a second effort to achieve...Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day the says, 'I'll try again tomorrow."

So this year I have a plan to fit into my clothing by the spring. I want to run a marathon if my post c-section body agrees, but for sure a half marathon. I want to take more pictures. Finish decorating my house. Read the Book of Mormon with a purpose. Be diligent with family home evening and keeping the sabbath day. Most of all, have the courage to act on those promptings no matter how big or small to be a better wife, mother, sister, and friend.

 3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I suppose I'm close to myself.  Also, Sage is going to have plenty of cousins and friends.

Calaway Park on a cold June day.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
I really don't think I went to any funerals this year.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just the states a few times.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
This isn't really answering the question but I am happy that I worked enough last year so that I get a year of mat leave for most of this year. Not that I don't like my job and working, but it is a pretty sweet deal to be home for year!

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Oct. 14 when little Sage was born!
The day I found pinterest...
Jan 1, 2011 we moved into our house!

Pumpkin picking in October.

8. What are your favorite finds this year?
My favorite find was coke this year. I never realized how much I LOVE it! Too bad my love affair is over. I quit, see #2. farewell caffiene and carbonation...who am i kidding i'll probably see you agian by march!

 
9. What were your favorite new recipes?
I really liked my crockpot this year, put in some chicken and various ingredients with rice, but back to the preggo thing, this was not the year of too many new recipes. Even with pinterest, I just hate making supper.
 
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Besides puking my guts out for 4 months, nothing to serious.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The wood for the headboard Derek made for our bed!  I love it, now who will sew me some pillows!I can't believe I never posted on Allis dance recital.  She was a great dancer and an even better singer!  She seriously sang the whole song.  My and I were crying with silent laughter by the end it was so cute.  And please blow up the second picture to check out her face and pose.  Her dance career is over for this year and and I put her in figure skating instead.

12. Where did most of your money go?
Where oh where does the money go?  Kids, new baby, house, and having fun too!

13. What did you get really excited about?
Obviously I was super excited about our baby. I was so glad I saved the gender to be a surprise. I honestly was split down the middle for if it was a boy or girl.
-a trip to vegas with the girls
-a trip to montana with just me and derek
-trips to the pool with the kids on HOT days

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?
hmmmm, my kids got super obsessed with the chipmunks and justin bieber unfortunaly, but i love black eyed peas 'don't stop the party,' my new favo running song. Just listen to the words, it's my new mantra. also, i love adele. i was introduced to her a few years ago by melissa, but she got mainstream this year which is always nice because i don't keep up with music, it's just the radio or my old stuff.

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? same   Thinner or fatter? RUDE!    Richer or poorer? richer, i'm not doing nothin here!

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I would have gone to the pearl jam concert with Derek for his birthday.  That was just dumb of me to not go!

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Less, sleeping in. It so hard to get up, like SO hard. I seriously love sleep to the extreme, I always have. I'm about to start listing it as a hobby. I've said it before so don't hate me, but my kids sleep in, so it makes it hard. But when I get up even at 7:30 I get so much more done in a day. I guess reality starts next school year when Alli starts grade 1.

Another of Sage on her blessing day.  It was actually the first time we caught a smile on camera.  She had smiled before a lot, but I never had the camera ready.  Thanks to my dad we got one.  I actually got James' first smile on camera on his blessing day too!
 
18. How did you spend Christmas?

see previous post...

19. What was your favorite TV program?

never really changes...modern family, snl, everything on hgtv....toddlers and tiaras!

20. What were your favorite books of the year? 

I don't think I've ever had a favorite book. They put me to sleep, you know my other hobby. Divine Signatures was a good one though.

 21. What was your favorite music from this year?

my running songs i don't want to admit to, and a new eddie vedder ukulele album.

22. What were your favorite films of the year?
I can't remember any movies right now...

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

the 30, Derek ran his marathon on my birthday, but my girls were more fun than him anyway!

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

What a terrible question,my year was great, not much could have made it better let alone immeasureably better! Although I wish I would have blogged more to show how immeasurably satisfying it was!

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
no concept, preggo...

26. What kept you sane?

being outside, running even when I was preg. in the moment it was awesome, the next day not so much, apparently baths kept me sane too...

 Remembrance Day 2011

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Time goes by too fast.  Why is it that the days just go by the older you get? I have been learning to just enjoy my life where it is at. Just be with my kids and enjoy where they are at, not force anything else. Planning helps, even just planning little daily activities to spend time with my family and friends. If plans don't work out, carry on.  I don't like to have regrets or dwell on hard things.

we had a merry time!

2012-01-08T22:29:00.002-07:00

What better way to start off the new year of blogging that with a Christmas post!

Had a fantastic time over the holidays. For some reason blogger is only letting me load one picture at a time so after loading 7 pictures individually I'm done.

It started with an early Christmas dinner with the Baldry families. We had a great time together. Besides all the food, the highlights were the Grandma Hicken dance party, and the kids opening their present from Grandpa Baldry and Grandma Karie...a personalized bag of candy! Oh Grandma Karie, you love us SO much don't you.

We had the annual party with the Hickens. For the first year we've been around for the caroling I didn't go on the hay ride because of Sage and it was pretty much hot out that night compared to the past, darn it!

Christmas Eve with the Steeds included the usual 'talent show' the nativity and of course food! a meal of appetizers, one of my favorite things to do. A successful pj picture wouldn't you say? My favorite part is that Alden and James are still smiling away while holding the kids trying to escape. This is pretty much what every attempted grankid picture looks like.

Christmas morning was fantastic of course. We decided to sleep at my parents. One of these years we will have to grow up and go home on Christmas eve, but both my sisters were there so I just couldn't! James was the cutest when we woke him up. Derek told him to wake up and he kinda rolled over and kept his eyes closed. Then, he told him it was Christmas and James sat right up and pretty much jumped out of bed. That is not how that kid normally wakes up.

We had many a late games and chatting nights with family and friends. Days of bowling and swimming and nights going out. An adventure of Ryan's cows running away, and a scout camp for Derek. Sure do love it when Scout camp gets cut back a day because the weather is TOO nice. I'm not even hating the wind or missing the snow. More parties and late nights and finishing up stuff around the house with a trip to ikea. I swear I am so close to feeling like this house is complete, it's only been a year. A very poor sick Sage on the mend now, girls night, visit from an mission companion of Dereks', I think that about sums it, and now back to routine!

And for the new year more blogging is at the top of my list...except that it isn't, so see you next month!

alright

2011-11-30T22:23:00.008-07:00

enough is enough!

I just haven't been able bring myself to blog because I'll have to fess up to the fact that my baby is growing and time is moving along. I know you are all just dying to see pics, but as usual you get to read my ramblings too! I did actually follow through and take a picture a day for 30 days, I think these are in order (except that one above I just took last week) and I'm missing a few I took on my phone, but I DID do it and I am so happy I did.

-I pretty much kiss her chubby cheeks all day, and she loves it.

So here is some documentation on the little one and life around here.

(This is obviously the wonderful work of Rhonda! and as good as it got on our first attempt at a photo session)

-I put clothes on Sage some days not just sleepers which means she is big enough for clothes/dresses dang it! but it's pretty dang cute so it's ok.

-I don't want to jinx it, but she is a good baby. However, it doesn't take much to take that title in the Baldry house. It usually means that you don't cry for more than an hour for unknown reasons. (I cannot even fathom a baby crying for hours on end like James did.) I told someone she was a really good baby and they asked me if she slept through the night. I said, well she is still a baby and up every 3 or 4 hours but that is what they do!

(this was our second go around. Love this pic. I wish camera/photoshop lingo wasn't like Japanese to me because it would be really fun to be able to take/make great photos, not just pics like I do!)

-she does get a little fussy at bedtime most nights, but I laugh in the face of fussy. (and give gripe water)

-we have middle of the night parties on occasion, but again she doesn't cry, so we just hang out.

-Sage likes her soother now, but only one type and I only have one of them so I'm on the lookout

-I am so much more relaxed with 3 than I was with 2. I think it mostly has to do with the ages of James and Alli and the fact that I haven't really done anything yet. There are enough other things going on in life I don't have time to analyze every little thing.

-She has started to really smile, but I have yet to capture proof of this.

-Every time I try and do a somewhat of a posed picture Sage cries, every time. It's best not to disturb her she tells me.

-Finally had her first bath that she didn't scream through on Saturday and has been mostly loving them ever since. But I have to say, keeping up with the bathing and hygiene of 3 kids is quite the task.

-Through all the annoying/uncomfortable/painful post baby things I kept telling myself it doesn't last long, it doesn't last long. And it doesn't! 6 weeks goes by so fast and I feel mostly normal.

-Which means I started walk/jogging etc, oh yeah, that doesn't feel normal. Now I need to start telling myself the out of shape doesn't last long...right?

-Lots of people have asked me about her name. Well, I have loved the same Sage since probably jr high. We almost used it for Alli's middle name. Glad I help out for a first name cause I just love it! Her middle name, Ellis is a family name on Derek's side. His Grandpa Baldry had the middle name Ellis. The name goes back 5 generations or so I think, where it turns out a James Baldry married a Susannah Ellis and they are Derek's great great grandparents. (visited Derek's grandma this week to make sure I had my genealogy right, correct me if I'm wrong Grandma B!)

The kids are having a great time with her. James had a bit of cough the last day or 2 so I have been trying to keep him away and he pretty much cries when he can't hold her because he is usually smothering her.

-I realized James has way more pics with Sage than Alli. He used to always ask me to take his picture when he held her for all of 1 minute. But Alli will sit with her longer and I guess when she does I trust her unsupervised and get a thing or 2 done!

-Who knew I could say so much about my little almost 7 week old?

And just a couple more! First is Sage and Oliver a month apart. I can't remember but Sage is probably a week or 2 old and Oliver 4 or 5 weeks I guess.

Sage's cousin Talia born 4 weeks early. Sage and her chubby cheeks are 5 weeks here and Talia is 1 week! I guess Talia is still a little jaundice here, but Susie's kids do always make mine look pasty white. Love that there are 3 little cousins all in a row on the Steed side.

I'm so glad Rhonda gave me the great idea for the pictures with a new baby. Now Rhonda just gave me another idea to have a least one picture a month with the entire family. Totally up for it, thanks again Rhonda!

ye ol halloween

2011-11-01T11:10:00.004-06:00

So here is the token halloween post for the year.

Alli has been talking about being a clown since last halloween and she didn't forget, so a clown it was! I washed her hair 3 times ast night and it still has color in it. I knew it would happen, but I was hoping it wouldn't. She thinks it's awesome she still has pink hair.

James had about 13 different things he wanted to be over the last month. Last week Derek called from wal-mart and asked James if he wanted to be a dirt biker, success! James was excited and was wearing the costume all week and wore it to preschool but I didn't take a pic. Well, yesterday he played dress up with all sorts of things we just have around while Alli was at school, I painted his face 3 or 4 times. In the end he couldn't help it and he just had to be a football player. He dresses up in football clothes on a regular basis and was still just as excited last night.

Derek and I went to a party on Friday. Going with the football theme I guess. I can't believe I didn't take a better pic of Sage. She's a little football, I'm the coach and Derek is a football player and as if I just wrote all that, I should hope it was obvious!

The kids are bouncing off the walls, there is still too much candy in their bags and I can't wait to send them to school! And one more because she is just too cute in her halloween outfit from grandma Karie. I have still been taking a picture a day of this little gal so I will update that shortly.

my baby is here!

2011-10-20T19:58:00.003-06:00

Sage Ellis Baldry

Well, my little Sage is here and I couldn't be happier or more in love! She totally surprised us by coming 10 days before her due date. I had a c-section booked for the 19th and the 24th was my actual due date, but she just couldn't wait so oct 14th at 6:43 am it was!

I totally woke up to a contraction at 3:30 in the morning and didn't think anything of it and fell back asleep. Woke to a few more, but nothing serious. I'd been having braxton hicks for months. And even when my water broke around 4 I told Derek and then decided to just read my book. That lasted for about 3 seconds when I think Derek actually woke up and was like um, are you kidding me, get up, we're outta here. By then I was feeling the contractions and thought I'd better pack a bag. I couldn't think of anything I wanted besides socks. Derek kept asking me to focus so he could pack stuff but he had already got my toothbrush and I had those socks and I really couldn't think of anything else. My mom came over and Alli woke up and started crying because she didn't want the baby to come yet. It was supposed to be her friend birthday party that day. And we were off! And then we turned around to get the camera...THEN we were off!

I got to the hospital and boy was I glad Derek hurried me along because I was SURELY feeling it now! They got me all prepped and I was off to the OR. The on call Dr. did not want me to labor any more. It all went smooth and Derek was the first to tell me it was a GIRL! She was 7 lbs 8 oz. I had a minute to do a fake snuggle because you can't really cuddle very well hooked up like that still being stitched up and all then Derek was off with the baby and I went to recovery where I watched people move my legs move and I couldn't feel a thing.

Everything went really well. My dr. didn't deliver since it was in the night but I LOVED the dr that ended up doing it. She was fantastic. I had a shared room the first night and was ready to check myself out the next day it was so horrible. Luckily a private came available the next afternoon and I was outta there. I stayed the full 3 days this time and am so happy I did. I felt rested and ready to come home when it was time. It's hard to accept help sometimes and not pop out of bed the next day, but I knew this was the way to go this time. My mom has been over this week spoiling me and I love her so much for it! My friends and family and Derek have been so great with meals and taking my kids and driving them places and what not. I am so grateful for them all.

The kids are in love with her and keep track of holding time and both are sure they are getting gypped in the holding department. James is learning to be gentle and loves to kiss her all over and wants to take a picture every time her eyes are open. He usually lasts holding her for about a minute and then he's done just like that. Alli is my helper. She loves to hold Sage and talk to her. Alli helps with the diaper changes as long as they aren't messy. She is excited to teach her how to play barbies when she turns one.

Sage was so swollen the first day, but those chubby cheeks and double chin are still hangin around! She might look a tiny bit like Alli did, but it's hard to say because Alli didn't get chubby until she was older. So far Sage has been such a good newborn. She is nursing pretty good which has never happened easy for me, and that makes me so so happy. When we left the hospital her weight was down to 6 lbs 10 oz but she is on the up again already! She has a little curly hair on top right now, it's kinda dark but I'm sure it will magically disappear like my other kids and then come back blond. Her eyes are a dark blue right now, just like the others, so I'm sure they'll lighten up. Her thin little lips are perfect. And for some reason I am in love with her ears. She loves it when Derek bundles her up and so do I. He's just so good at it! She's not too into the soother yet, but loves my pinky finger! Right after she was born she found her thumb for a while, but hasn't since. I can't think of anything else to say other than I am smitten with this tiny thing. I'm just so happy and in love with her. I want time to stand still for a little longer and soak this all up. I'm not sure I have ever been a sappy baby person, but this time I just might be!

So I am taking Rhonda's advice and am taking a picture a day of Sage for 30 days. All the pictures above are from the first day.

Day 2...eeks, i have 3 kids!

Day 3

Day 4
Day 5- here's the curly hair on top! it just kinda does that after a bath.

Day 6And now I am about to cry because I can't believe Sage is a week old tomorrow! Also, I just realized I didn't take a picture yet today. I swear she is awake sometimes, but it might be another sleeping pic tonight.

alli is six!

2011-10-13T17:11:00.005-06:00

Happy birthday Alli!

It's true I have a 6 year old. She is a mostly girly girl. She is having a rainbow unicorn birthday (did i say mostly girly girl? ok, all girly girl) tomorrow and she helped think up a lot of what this little party will entail! Details to follow...

(she really wanted to have breakfast in bed for her birthday, so i gave her a couple of limited choices and she couldn't have been happier. she always wants me to have breakfast in bed on special occasions and there is nothing i hate more than food in my bed so i have never really done it.)

Just wanted to write down a few things about my sweet little Alli Bea (her name is Alli Beatrice if you ask her which is fine by me. As if i am still having name regret after all these years!)

-loves to look at books, has little desire to read yet.
-loves kindergarten and might be one of those teacher lover types (oh dear)
-is a dream to put to bed most nights, i actually kind of enjoy putting her to bed and spending time with her and reading. james...he is another story...but i digress
-is on the road to being a hoarder, i'll have to expand on that to give you all a good laugh
-her favorite foods are kraft dinner, shrimp, meatballs, hawaiian haystacks, root beer and anything SWEET!
-has a fantastic memory of insignificant things
-loves to have long hot showers put on her robe and look at books in bed following (i don't know where she got this from...)
-always wants to have a friend over or go to a friends house
-asks to wear makeup on a regular basis
-is into barbies and crafty things lately
-hates getting her hair done
-is very helpful around the house (when in the mood)
-likes getting her picture taken and has the fakest smile ever sometimes
-wants to name the baby pixie if it is a girl
-is going to be a great help when the baby comes, i just know it!

(my kids wait for this year round. they get measured on grandma's wall. there are some classics up there! and i guess you get a 39 week preggo belly in that pic for a bonus. um thanks susie?)

She kept saying on her birthday, 'i feel different mom. oh right, it must be because i'm 6 now.'

I told her she could pick whatever she wanted for breakfast and supper on her birthday and I think she may have gotten a bit confused and wanted breakfast for supper! so waffles with coconut syrup it it was! Micky Mouse ones thanks to Grandma Karie!

I'm so happy to have Alli in my life. She is so much fun to have around. I see a lot of me in her somedays, not so much in the looks department (even she knows she looks like Derek because so many people say it to her) but her personality. Scares me a little sometimes, and gives my parents a real kick! So obviously she is fantastic and is a great gal! Love you Alli!

Also, after Derek ditched me on my birthday to a GREAT job in his marathon, he brought me home a new camera for my birthday! So the pictures will start flowing again and possibly the blog posts too! Oh wait except for the fact that I will have a 3rd child next week at this time might throw those plans a bit...

some things

2011-09-30T23:38:00.005-06:00

it all started when...

-i stepped on the glass part of a frame the one week ago. broke it. cut/bruised my foot. still hurts in barefeet on my hardwood floor.

-made a cake for a friends 3 year old birthday on saturday (it was the adult cake)
-attempt 1, forgot to add the sugar
-attempt 2, forgot to double the sugar
-attempt to eat, it wasn't good

-derek turned 33 last friday. planned his favorite meal forsunday. forgot to buy corn on the cob, thanks to karie who pulled through. forgot to buy steak, thanks to brett and shawnfor pulling through. couldn't eat the leftover cake from the other party so brownies and ice cream for the birthday it was and thanks to karie again for the strawberries. i think i remembered potatoes and whip cream.

-didn't take any birthday pics. but i found a few others from a while ago.

-i fell while simply walking at a different party on saturday.

-i made wings in my crockpot for the other party on saturdayand they looked so wrong that i didn't even try them so i wouldn't know if they were good or not.

-i think i stayed home for the rest of the week.

-oh wait, i left the house to get my drivers license renewed. i'm super excited to carry that picture around for the next how many years. hello preggo face! i guess it will go well with my costco card i recently renewed.

-by the way, derek left yesterday and is running his marathon on saturday, it's all me in this condition!

-i put the kids to bed around 10 tonight and i'm not even exaggerating one bit when i say they had sugar for supper.

-what can i say, some days you have it, some you don't!

-i turn 30 tomorrow and i'm blaming all these mishaps on pregnancy because i would like to otherwise believe i am leaving my 20's gracefully.

my 10

2011-09-11T21:49:00.005-06:00

Another month passed without a blog. Dang. Here's the most recent summary.

(First day of school for James, I had to bribe him not to wear basketball shorts.)

I used to put blogging on my to do list. I really did. I used to make to do lists. I can't remember the last time I made a list besides a grocery list. I don't know why I make grocery lists either because I usually forget 7 things and end up getting 10 extra things I don't need, treats included.

I have 6ish weeks until I have a baby. Someone asked me if I was all ready. But I can't think of what I am supposed to do to get ready. When I was pregnant with James I decided to pack a little hospital bag and it ended up being the day he was born. I was 10 days overdue. So...that's how I roll.

I used to take pictures. I can't even believe how many times this summer I have said, 'Dang I forgot my camera!' I don't know why, but I just always forget to bring it along. I used to pull it out on a regular basis.

We got a new computer a couple weeks ago. That 8 year old computer treated us well. (dad, look at me plugging mac's!) I've been using the old one, then Derek's laptop, and now the new one. I thought I had some more pictures in there somewhere, but it's looking pretty lame. And I'm not gonna lie, the speed this computer has is fantastic, but there are a few different things that I thin they had right 8 years ago! on the other hand, there are some fancy new things they thought up. Ah nerds, what will they invent next?

(Alli's first day of kindergarten. I didn't have to bribe her with anything. She picked out her dress and she wanted her hair straightened. I haven't done that with her hair for months because it takes FOREVER and I couldn't believe how long it was, yippee, small victory. I also noticed how much she needs a trim.)

So, Alli is in kindergarten every afternoon and James in preschool 2 afternoons a week. Don't call me, I'll be napping. Hopefully I'll get that nesting feeling at some point in there too so I can get my walls washed after the summer of filthy kids.

This baby moves around so much. I honestly can't remember if my other kids moved this much. But I feel like I would remember if I was getting drop kicked from the inside on a regular basis day and night.

Do you need to pee? I do. That's where I have been the last 9 months.

This summer was so awesome. I don't know why, it just was. (maybe it was because of the zero gravity chairs I brought with me every where I went?!) I'm not even sad summer holidays are over. Because if the weather stays nice, I will continue to treat it like summer with a few school breaks in there. I'm so happy when it is sunny!

On that note, I love the heat, but the last week or 2 of this 30 degree stuff is giving me some serious swelling issues. My feet and fingers and HUGE! It's awkward and embarrassing because I still have 6 weeks left to grow!

(We went to Waterton on labor day and took some iphone pictures so you know they are quality because of course I forgot my camera. Shortly after these pics, Derek told the kids he would get them a huge ice cream cone if they went under the water. Well, they both did, multiple times actually. I have some funny videos of it.)

Do you want a soda? I do. That's what I've been drinking the last 9 months. (maybe that has something to do with the charlie horses this baby is giving me. caffeine?!)

Knock on wood, but I have not been at all an emotional basket case this pregnancy like I have before. Don't get me wrong, I still turn cukoo crazy sometimes, but maybe I am finally just becoming more mature and have somewhat of a handle on my emotions. Derek is so proud!

(woot woot! there's my belly. i'm glad my shirt wrinkled over my belly so you can see it and my belly button really well.)

I think that was 11, you're welcome for the bonus.

i won't evn try to make it sound catchy...summer

2011-08-03T21:58:00.008-06:00

Summer is passing by right before me! we are living it up every moment around here. This is really just a good ol fashioned picture post in my new format of 10's!

1. I've been having to work a ton (a ton for me, but really not that much) so I can get my mat leave. worth it. worth it. worth it. That's what I tell myself when I waddle down the halls of the hospital.

2. Derek has been great to stay home when I work. Kinda handy school teacher that way! it's like we planned it or something...he found an on off job for the summer which has been just perfect. i also try employ him on a regular basis, but he prefers his self employment of doing yard work and shaking his head at our disgrace of a garden.

3. We went camping, proof. We went with all Derek's fam to Banff. I was blessed to not have to get up and pee in the night for 3 nights. I was not blessed to be warm until the 3rd night when derek gave me his sweat pants to wear over my sweat pants with an extra hoodie from my brother in law on top of mine and derek's cuddled up to Alli with an extra sleeping bag over top of my sleeping bag and blankets. so cozy. my sweet inlaws gave me the shirt I am sportin. It says "I love not camping." Weird they got it for me eh?

4. Derek and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary on July 5th. We were camping with all the layers and stuff, it was so special. I love him so much.

5. Ok, we did do something. We just got back from a few days in Whitefish. Fantastic! We had no kids with us. Did I mention it was fantastic? Well, it was. I love my kids, but a couple of days without them can really revitalize a woman! Thanks to Derek's great cousin for taking the kids and my friends in the right places who own a cabin there!

6. We have been doing lots of day 'trips' this summer. Waterton, Writing on Stone, Ridge Park (does that count?) and lots of hanging out at the park, on our bikes or in the backyard with the pool and sprinkler and roasting hot dogs in various peoples backyards because we don't actually have a fire pit.

(we hiked up to bertha falls and i swear the kids had fun despite their faces in the pics. the last pic was right before James slipped into the creek. he didn't even care. It was stinkin hot!)

7. I believe I am retaining water. It is not pretty. I'll pretend I am retaining it in my butt too. I really don't think I am any more hot than I would be if I wasn't preggo these days. I don't mind the heat. The fat feet do mind a bit when I don't cool off at night though.

8. It's amazing what the husband will get done around the house with a little Montana golf trip incentive!

9. I forgot to mention July 1st and ALL the festivities, James' stitches, I really did like camping, Magrath waterslide twice! (and twice! kinda crappy weather), new toilets (you know you were wondering, and shout out to Christal on the transport), swimming lessons, family reunions, ym camp for derek, COUSIN TIME, aaaaaaand NAPS and my sleep in children!
This is a couple days after. I decided not to put up the picture I sent to my dad from my phone asking him if we should come home for stitches. Your welcome for saving you from barfing. jks, it was a gross gash, but not barf worthy.

10. I don't want this summer to end. We are having way too much fun.

thursdays questions?

2011-06-23T19:26:00.008-06:00

1. Is there anything better than doing all the rage right now which is a list on the blog?

2. Is it rude if I am hurrying out of Costco and walk really fast past a couple of old people to get to the receipt stamper first?

3. The kids 'dragged' us (Derek) to McDonalds for supper tonight. ( i confess, i like it, and preggo me won't hold back from going. so sue me.) We (I) told the kids if they were good we could get ice cream. They were ok, but the line got really long all of a sudden so Derek said we could have ice cream at home. (surprisingly the SUPERSTORE root beer cream is not gone yet, oh i bought 2, that's why.) There was an outrage by all (me) and I took the kids out and belted them in to be so good while he got them. He came out with 2 measly ice cream cones. I rolled my pregnant eyes at Derek and then he rolled his eyes at me, apparently we need to learn how to share and not give the kids everything they want. (aren't I an adult?) I let the kids have a lot, I had a little, and Derek had none. The question is, don't you think I dealt with this rather well? I'm such a mature adult.

4. Are you looking for me? I'll just be out in my backyard relaxing in my new zero gravity chair while my children are being angels. Ok, it's a cheap knock off zero gravity chair, but just as heavenly.

5. Why do I kill the spiders and flies that enter my house left and right without a thought, and to date I have carried 2 ladybugs out the door?

6. Did I do my 8km race a few ago? You bet I did. I felt great (during the race) and ran in a respectable time for the state I am in. (felt terrible the next day) I think it's time to start walking for exercise, booorrrrring.

7. My kids have 17000 mosquito bites combined. Am I a bad mom? They don't have sunburns though!

( Thank heavens the picture makes it look not so bad so no one will call social services on me. Their legs and arms are pretty bad. Poor kid, he can't even stop itching for the picture. In my defense, they had spray on at some point, and James had a shirt. When he took his shirt off he already had a bunch. If you don't have the Benadryl spray, get it, it WORKS!)

8. How many hours have YOU wasted on pintrest. If you don't know what this is, don't say I didn't warn you!

9. How awesome is your dad/husband/father of the children? Oh mine? Yep, awesome. Happy late Father's Day! Minus the both of us having to talk in church, it was a great day.

(what would that be like to follow the lead vehicle?)

10. Want to see my latest project? My project as in my friend Jill found it for me on Kijij, (I paid $60 for it by the way) and my perfectionist husband wouldn't let me do it, haha! I took the old hardware off and threw it away because it was ugly. Now it takes me 42 seconds to open a drawer. Where can I get cute cheap hardware, and fast?

Terrible pic. It's already all set up in the bedroom and it's hard to get a good angle. I kinda wanted to glaze it or antique it, but Derek didn't, I couldn't fight it because he did all the work. Maybe if I get sick of it someday I'll change it up. So there is a beautiful mirror that came with it. I am going to use it somewhere else in the house. It's not done yet. I know what a waste to put a tv on it, but whatever, we're just those people who will always have a tv in the bedroom. I cannot even fathom not having one anymore. I'm so very close to being ready to post pictures of the WHOLE house. So close as in probably by the end of summer.

three on thursday? ok i'll do 10

2011-06-09T21:38:00.004-06:00

1. I had my ultrasound today and I did not give in to find out what it was even though the girl asked me twice! I was so strong.

2. We all slept until 9 o'clock on Sunday morning, that is not even close to the first time that has happened at our house. Why am I having another baby?

3. Somebody walked out of church with their baby and a diaper and wipes and I was like gross, babies poop whenever where ever. Not that I'm ever surprised or grossed out by poop (I am a nurse) I just forgot. And actually I am grossed out by poop but I have to pretend I'm not. (nurse thing again)

4. I found root beer float ice cream today. I have been waiting for this for 7 years since I found it in California. Good bye pre pregnancy thighs and bum. (they were already gone anyway)

5. Our garden flooded this week. We had to pump it out, I think it will be ok. At least it wasn't the basement.

6. I swear I'm going to lose it if I have to turn on the heat one more time in June.

7. We have a beautiful fire hydrant on our front lawn, it was a real selling point. I walked my pretty little thigh into it today and almost fell. I sure hope the neighbors saw it for a laugh. Now I have a thigh bruise. Derek did it once too, I wish I would have seen it for the laugh. Maybe we should paint it bright red so that doesn't happen anymore, OH WAIT it already is!

8. James can do a front flip on our neighbors trampoline, it scares me sometimes.

9. Alli is done preschool for the year. I sure hope she keeps loving school as much as she does right now for years to come.

10. Derek did his half marathon a couple weeks ago and did great. Second place overall. It was so fun to watch and cheer him on. I don't think I've ever watched him in a race. Whenever I attend a race I still get a slight twinge in my stomach weather I'm running a or not, can't help it! It's the empathic person in me I guess.

I wish I still cared about posing pictures.

birthday boy

2011-05-23T20:43:00.003-06:00

James had a birthday! He turned 4 last Saturday. I am so happy to have a little 4 year old boy! He is just such a great energetic little boy. For his birthday he wanted a wiener roast with a football cake at grandmas backyard. Sound familiar? Nothin like doing the exact same thing we did last year, oh and pretty much the year before too! He wanted 30 people and the only adults grandma's and grandpa's. We had to make a few changes to his guest list. Also, James has already requested the exact same thing for next year! It makes me so happy.

(it was actually a hurricane wind which put a damper on my picture taking, i was making sure none of the children blew away.)

(we had to move the cake inside to warm up and so the candles would stay lit. and yes he is sporting a couple lines under his eyes to be a football player.)

A few things about James at 4.

-sleeps past 8 o'clock most mornings
-often is dressed and makes his bed before he comes out of his room
-dressed as in basketball shorts and a shirt out of his dirty clothes because he can't reach the shirts on hangers
-LOVES hot dogs and asks for them everyday at one meal or another just in case (he doesn't usually get them) but when he does it is gone in 30 seconds
-also loves pretty much all vegetables, (carrots and cucumbers are #1) and fruits, (watermelon is #1 at the moment) shrimp, salmon, steak, sushi...ok he is not picky.
-rides his bike ALL the time, even just up and down the street
-loves any and all sports
-is slightly competitive in all these sports (in the talk department that is)
-also plays a good round of barbies with his sister
-works hard when i give him a job around the house to do
-always wants to do what his dad is doing

-always looking for an excuse to go visit grandma and eat her food
-still gives a fantastic cuddle
-is out of control for anything treat/sugar related
-often has a hard time winding down and actually falling asleep some nights (hence the sleep in)
-is so excited to be a big brother and wants a brother named ruff (still not sure if he believes me yet, does he think it's a dog not a rabbit now?)
-can still throw the occasional CRAZY tantrum

James makes me so happy! Every day is better because I get to hang out with him. He is SUCH a good kid. Totally easygoing. Loves to play by himself and plays great with the neighborhood boys or girls of any age. I wish I had just a smidge of his energy and enthusiasm! It doesn't get any better that this kid!

oh mothers!

2011-05-19T14:13:00.002-06:00

Well, Mother's Day has come and gone for another year.

I found my camera cord, it was literally in front of my face on the desk. Don't I have a cute backdrop in my very own backyard?! You can pretty much expect us to be there all the time because I think it's fantastic.

I think we should start a campaign for Mother's Day to be a bi annual event. Not so much for the gift factor (although I know you would all be jealous of the tomato saver I received) but more for the recognition we get. (oh and the breakfast, sleep in, dinner made and cleaned up not by me, the children's colorings and extra loves, husband slight struggle to keep a smile on, ha jks, etc.) Who's with me?! Don't you just love a day where you are validated in ALL you do?

(this has got to be the best self timed pic ever! first try too.)

At times I feel overwhelmed as a wife/mother/person. Sometimes I just don't want to be an adult and pay bills, be responsible to feed and bathe my children, empty the dishwasher, mop the floor, and go to work. (i do enjoy it when I tell my kids no more treats etc and then they go to bed and I eat whatever I want, but I digress.)

There are so many things I sometimes want to/could be doing but choose not to because I want to be with my family. I choose to focus on what I AM doing as a wife/mother/person, not what I am not doing. For example, in my last pregnancy, I usually made food and had meals for the kind man of the house and me. Well, this time, up to this point in my zombie state, my house has stayed relatively clean. Put it together if you might, but I choose not to focus on the fact that the other day's Sunday dinner was the first actual meal I made in over a week. (good thing I have a husband and a bbq)

Focusing on the negative is a rough road to go down. While I believe in improving myself and working to be better, I cannot put my focus on the negative. There is a non self destructive way to go about it, and it pretty much involves not comparing myself to others. I truly believe this is what can get me down and can motivate me the wrong way. When I do want to improve in some area or whatever, it's not so that I can be as good or better than my friend(s) or whoever, it's to genuinely be a better wife/mother/person. I hate it when I lose sight of this. I hate when any of us lose sight of this. I love so much when a we can rejoice in an accomplishment together without feelings of envy or spite. (I have decided not to be mad at my friends who can run fast right now. i just focus on the fact that...well someday I will be able to do it again, right?!) When there is a genuine love between people it is easy to find the good in one another. When I am finding the good in someone, they just might be finding the good in me and it becomes easier for everyone involved to feel uplifted when that is the focus.

So that is somehow my mothers day post! I just have to say that I love my family so very much. I really do love being a mom. I love being around my family. I'll be looking in my calendar for one more day to be Mother's Day because I DO want some extra recognition for how awesome I am. And isn't it always nice to be extra loved? You know, just enough to keep us going. Come on, once a year?! I think we all need this at least twice!

Next post, my mothers day present 4 years ago, James!

10 on tuesday

2011-05-17T21:05:00.002-06:00

1. I'm 17 weeks tomorrow. So I'm due the end of October. I don't want to find out boy or girl, Derek does.

2. I am also feeling much better, thank you for caring about me!!

3. What is the deal with business's misspelling the name of their business? Do they teach that in business school? Krazy is just poor spelling every time and no more catchy than crazy.

4. I'm planting a garden again this year!

5. I need a meal planner, I'm at an all time low. Well, I wish that was true, but I've been here before plenty o times.

6. I'm awake more than 50% of the day I swear...

7. James was writing the word book the other day. K is a hard letter for him, the letter B is easier. He replaced the K with a B while drawing at church...I got a bad case of the giggles following as did Derek and the lady sitting behind us too.

8. Derek is training for a half marathon this month and a marathon in the fall. I am jealous. It's my goal to get past 5km this week since I have an 8 km race next month. I am way painfully slow right now.

9. Also, he is looking trim and fit, I'm trying not to hate him for it.

10. I can't find my camera cord to download some pics I have actually been taking. I'm annoyed.

10 on tuesday

2011-04-19T23:39:00.003-06:00

Well, here we go, I'm doing this again, YAY for me!

I'm actually a little nervous right right now.

1. I'm tired of trying desperately to suck in my stomach...I'm sick of wearing baggy shirts attempting to hide a little secret...and if you're a little slow on the uptake, I'm also sick of puking my brains out...

2. do you even care about the other 9 at this point?

3. we are telling our children after work tomorrow. me and derek haven't been with the children together for a few days (shift work, love it hate it) so if you see me or my kids tomorrow don't break it to them that we are going to odd out the evens and break this 2 kids party up. they think i just put on a few extra belly pounds to carry the easter bunny in there right now.

4. also, close family and friends, don't be offended. the only people we told were our parents just this past weekend. i'm shy and don't want a lot of attention(weird for me i know, but i will take it in the form of blog comments naturally), but of course we couldn't be any happier!!!

5. seriously, i'm not even finishing 10.

here's 10 but it's not tuesday

2011-04-15T21:53:00.002-06:00

Well I guess another month has passed so it's time to blog again. I find it really easy to just jot down 10 random happenings in life even though it's not Tuesday, it's a 10 on Tuesday sort of deal. Remember, my blog - my rules.

(This is the day my children got married. what, your kids don't do that in the dead of winter with nothing else to do? I was flattered to be the photographer for the event.)

1. Went to Las Vegas a couple weekends ago with a bunch of Derek's sisters and cousins. Had SUCH a great time. Weather-HOT, Food-YUM, Celine-AMAZING, Spring breaker poolside dancers- ENTERTAINMENT(of the worst kind), Celebrity searching-PRODUCTIVE, Company-FANTASTIC! But I have no pics to prove any of this.

2. Remember last time I blogged? I got called to be primary President. No worries my friends ward boundary changes, I'm released! I am now back to my old stomping grounds of teaching sunbeams. I think I have the lessons memorized.

3. The kids and I did a little run they had here in town oh back in Feb was it? I finally downloaded these pics of my little runners at the Chilly Willy Run. It was 2 km and a lot of fun. They keep asking when the next race is.

4. The entire family got sick while I was away. They were a sad a bunch to return to. James' turned to croup which is never fun (but he is really learning the whole hospital routine really well. 'mom do I have to go step on the scale now?') and Derek is still experienceing some mild symptoms. I rubbed my flu shot in their face for a while, but I am now fighting a terrible cough and sore throat and the list goes on...so I had to shut up. In the mean time we had lots of naps and cuddles so it wasn't too bad and I have no recollection of anything I did in last 2 week.

5. I'm so happy in my new house. But dang, we have been here 3 months and I feel like I have to do spring cleaning!

6. James is really into playing basketball on the neighbors hoop outside. He goes out whenever he hears the little 14 year old and talks his ear off while they play. It's just so cute!

7. Has anyone anywhere found somewhere to watch snl clips online in this little place called Canada? I know it's a lot to ask being in this teeny tiny country with not very many fans and all...

8. I always linger a little while in the mall food court just in case a flash mobs starts up...

9. I'm Alli's soccer coach again this year. 3 years going strong. She told me next year she doesn't want me to be her coach. I think it has something to do with the teal jersey's 2 years in a row and florescent green before that. Still, I can't wait to retire, but James will be old enough next year.

10. There is a great need for sarcasm font. (That was for you anon!)

10 on tuesday

2011-03-08T23:44:00.004-07:00

So I was reading Rhonda's blog today and thought, I should be a better blogger in the randomness department. I love random blogs. She does 10 things on Tuesday. Correct me if I'm wrong Rhonda, but I think it's just a random life sampling. You know these are my fav kind of blog.

so with 15 mins left on tuesday, here we go
10 on tues
and no, i'm not committing to anything beyond today

1. my camera won't upload pictures to my computer right now, small usb problem. derek fixed it today. (as in he restarted the computer) he was totally mad. he was sure this was the ticket to replace our 8 year old computer. long live mac's!

2. yes he fixed it, but now i have to charge the battery of my camera to upload them. so no pics this post. i swear i can't keep things charged. my cell phone has been dead for days, ipod what's that?, and i am the one who took a dead camera battery to new york. charging things sure is a lot of work.

3. james finished up his 2 month skating lesson season. i was beaming at the little show tonight. he is so good, and ridiculously CUTE! The skating system sure isn't what it used to be back in my day, but james skates like a pro so no complaints!

ok, my dad took pics and sent them already. he's had some practice in the skating photo dept. see what i mean? cute james! his gloves were in derek's pocket, we are kind of bad parents.

I couldn't even handle how cute this wave was! ok, i'll quit being a crazy parent gushing over my child. and look how cute his teacher kelly is. brings back memories kelly!

4. i was happily teaching my 10 cute little sunbeams in our new ward (i mean what else would i do but teach primary when we move?) when suddenly i got bombarded and called to be the primary president. it wasn't even a joke. ummmm, slightly overwhelmed. then i counted there is only 131 kids so it shouldn't be a big deal, right?

5. derek and i signed up for a race in less than 2 weeks. haven't ran at all since last october. sure i still work out, but the only running i do is from the house to the car in the freezingness. i have a feeling i just might not run at all before the race and see how it all goes. i'm spontaneous that way. christy, did you sign up? you wanna carry on the tradition and get a good time for me?

6. dear girl from american idol that sang fionna apple last week, thank you for reminding me to dig out my old collection. i enjoy her angry singing, but i do not thank you for butchering the tune.

7. i need a new washer/dryer. mine are terrible, just terrible. oh and they don't work.

8. ok, back to #4. i wrote up an agenda today for my first primary meeting tomorrow, isn't that funny? an agenda for a meeting i'm in charge of!

9. Derek's sis Steph had a baby girl today. YAHOO! aren't little babies are the best?! and for those of you that know my needle trick i am so DONE because i am wrong too often these days. i'm going back into retirement. i know you're all sad the witchcraft is over.

10.When I'm having a good ol facebook stalk and I find out someone has a public profile I get a little excited. 216 pictures? yes please! on the same note. when i meet someone 'new' I'm scared of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking. come one, don't pretend you've never done it.

well my friends

2011-02-02T22:09:00.003-07:00

First thing is first. I had no internet for like 2 weeks after we moved on Jan 1st, and surprisingly enough, my life carried on and I actually read some books and talked to my children.

Second, when I did return to technology and checking of the blogs, the first picture I would see on mine was my pretty little family, so there was no rush to get it down the page, just too cute we are I have to say. The design was compliments of very talented friend Ashley. Pics compliments of me dad in about 20 mins one Sunday when we all looked half decent.

Third, during my hiatus I forgot all the people I used to blog stalk and literally cut my reading time in half, but I found some new fun ones so I'm good.

Fourth, frankly there is nothing to talk about when your brain is frozen from a month of depression in the weather. It gets me down down BLAH feeling.

So my house is pretty much settled and very livable, but not quite picture on the blog ready, so be patient my friends. Like if you came over I could offer you the microwave in the living room to sit on...And as trendy as we are trying to be with ripped up drywall where the kitchen backsplash used to be, we are just not pulling it off, so Derek is going to have to learn how to put that up any day now...And if you think I have

bedroom curtains, no no they are just the doors off the bedroom closet.

I have been forced to cook on an even more regular basis since leaving the parents. The careless days of free late night babysitting and surprise we get home at 6 pm and there is supper are over. Can't say I didn't take full advantage of the situation for the last year or so. I still can't figure out how my parents were so good to us for that long. I never felt like an intruder or even more surprisingly, annoying to them. I have to consciously think about ringing the doorbell when we go over there now. I can't thank them enough, I really can't. But I bet that homemade soup I brought tonight helped right mom?!

Now it's just time for my usual craft slot over here at 'a little bit of me.' Every winter there is the dreaded phrase that runs through mt mind more days that not. "what are we going to do all day?" I love me a little lazy day hang around and just taking things as they come, but that gets old after a while even for my kids and their never ending imagination. (Their imaginations do however, have to be kindled by some morning tv they tell me.) So I try and do stuff so I don't hang out at the fridge all day.

Now hear me out, I am not raging on anybody who puts great kids or otherwise crafts on the blog. I love them all. However, when you guys all say, 'well I just used up some of my left over fabric.' or 'Oh these? just had some fantastic buttons in my sewing room.' or 'I just came upon these rather beautiful feathers and rosettes while tidying my craft space.' Well, I don't have those so I don't do them. But what I did happen upon while cleaning out my magazine rack was, MAGAZINES! So we just had ourselves a little craft time of the collage type. I highly recommend these. Now there are some things all you crafters might not have around the house so I'll give you a list, and some pictures so you don't get confused.

-scissors and glue. preferably more than one of each so the kids aren't stealing them while you are perfecting your own masterpiece because trust me, you are going to want to cut and glue these pictures all in the topic of who you are and what you like! I know so fun right!

-some blank paper (I have lots because I have printer paper, but you guys can use some deemed ugly scrapbook paper you might have left over if you don't or feel free to stop by for a visit on my microwave to borrow a few sheets)

-and of course magazines, these work best if they are old golf and running magazines I found.

And that is all it takes my friends.

It helps to finish off the morning with a half marathon (the house isn't quite marathon size) if you were wondering about the head pieces while crafting.

they are so speedy when my camera is on the wrong setting.

ps there is a post below this one if you want to hear the christmas happenings of 2010.

ladies and gentlemen, this is going to be epic

2011-01-16T21:48:00.005-07:00

I'm just going to go ahead and pretend that it hasn't been who knows how long since I blogged.

Now that I have your attention, I have some sad news. This post is a random update of Christmas for the posterity and all. And the worst part? I have pics from about 3 days worth of 2 party weeks. Sorry Steed family, not a single pic . Sometimes my dad is a little too good at taking pictures. Maybe he'll read this and email me a few...

(yep, chistmas day with no coats, beautiful!)

We had a great time this year. Parties and playing and eating, that is what we do! And as a bonus this year finishing renos and moving! Wahoo, that was fun. It worked out quite nice having a few brothers and brother inlaws to move some big stuff faster than I could have with Derek. (though whenever Derek would try and take a large box to carry for me I would be like, ummmm, no no, do you see how ripped I am?) and a very kind sis in law who helped with the cleaning and painting and other sis/inlaws/grands to help with the children. So a big thanks to them.

(here's the sewing i was talking about. i sewed a sleeping bag, it was kind of a big deal. everyone else sewed oh 3 or 4 or who knows how many. but i completed one, and james got derek's old one)

Christmas always includes plenty of Hicken/Baldry festivities. The freezing hayride the Monday before Christmas, 14 or so cousin parties, a baby shower, new years eve, grandma's band dance all those just with Derek's cousins, I love it all, he has a great fam.

(grandma and grandpa hicken)

(baldry cousins, 2 more on the way this year!)

We spent Christmas in Mountain View with the Baldry's, it was the best! We had amazing weather and fun stuff to do thanks to uncle Luke with the snowmobiles and quads. We stayed at this great big place with enough room for all 36 of us! I would do it again in a second.

(i may not be in any sledding pics, but i was the last to leave the hill, it was so so so much fun. I can be quite the riot when i'm not cold)

Then we had swimming and bowling and more playing with my family. All the while Derek (and me too sometimes!) working at all hours getting everything ready for the MOVE! The thought of moving is always more stressful than actually doing it. I mean it sucks, but hello...worth it.

(a little drummer boy for the christmas eve program)

New years day we slept at our very own house, what a great way to ring in the new year!

OK, that was rushed and boring, but it had to be done. And if you made it to the end, you can see my fav picture right now. So blurry but so cute!

merry christmas everyone!

2010-12-23T11:47:00.003-07:00

Well, I am up to ears in lists and getting ready for everything that is going on! I am loving almost every minute of it. (note to self, do not do renos and move at christmas time again, or take on a sewing project in the middle of it all.)

Derek has been working so hard on the house and I really do think next week at this time we will be all moved in. This has been such a busy month enjoying the Christmas feel with baking, parties, service, friends, family, and church things. In there somewhere I have really been feeling the spirit and joy of Christmas and I hope my kids have been too.

We are just about ready to head out the door. Derek's family is ALL going to a big cabin in the mountains for Christmas and while it is rather crazy getting all ready to do that, it will be so fun and worth it to be together with no distractions. No running to the store, no last minute this and that, no working at the house after the kids go to bed. We just get to play and hang out and of course EAT!

This is me wishing a Merry Christmas to you all!

12, 13, 14

2010-12-12T18:20:00.011-07:00

Day 12-What you believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-Some pictures you love

The pictures I love I am just putting up through the post. They are just random ones I pulled out of my albums for no reason other than I love them because they are my family, they are my LIFE!

Day 12 What I believe in

I believe in the articles of faith and in my church
I believe I am loved
I believe families are forever
I believe in the golden rule
I believe in paying it forward
I believe in you scratch my back I'll scratch yours kinda thing
I believe in feeling your emotions

I believe in having fun

I believe in laughter
I believe in being yourself, your best self
I believe in Christmas and Santa!

Day 13 Goals

I'm always a little hesitant of goals and sharing goals. I am a very realistic person, which is good and bad. Sometimes I am not very spontanous (sometimes I am) because I am realistic. I sometimes go along with plans and ideas just to go along with it to make whoever I am with happy, but fully knowing in the back of my head it is so not going to happen. But I have learned that some people dream big and they don't mind when things don't go they way they planned or they do mind and they bring on stress because of these things. I am not someone who is devastated when things don't go as planned either, I would just rather not waste my time and efforts into something that isn't going to happen. Did that make sense?

That being said I do set goals and I am happy to share them, mostly when they are accomplished though.

I do have the daily goals of prayers and scriptures and bringing the spirit into my home for my to feel and recognize.
I am always striving to be a better wife/mother and will often focus on different things for a week or 2 to improve my relationships with my kids and husbands. I have found the best way for me to do this is by spending time with my undivided attention with them. Which is actually pretty hard sometimes.
I try to be optimistic and positive.

I try to be kind and aware of other people and their feelings and needs.
I have some goals in the financial department.
I sometimes work on improving skills and talents that I already have when I am feeling ambitious.

I would like to start writing in a journal again.

And, well my friends. I just finished on Saturday my last day of the workout program Insanity. Yep, 6 days a week at 6ish in the morning I was sweating my brains out and I really quite liked it. There's a true completed goal. And nope, I didn't lose any weight, dang it. But my biceps are huge, hahahaha, I wish.

And that day 15 is going to have to wait. Because my dream house is not quite ready yet! Soon I hope, soon.

day what?

2010-12-01T09:02:00.003-07:00

I will not quit this!

day 10

something you are afraid of.

Well,

I have a huge fear of mice. Do I wanna talk about? Well, I am nauseous just writing about it. So no I don't. It's embarrassing, I cry like a baby when I see them inside or out, and also I dry heave on occasion. Thankfully there hasn't been too many occasions. And my husbands dream house would be on an acreage, HA!

Also, I 'm afraid of the garbage disposal (is that what it's called in the sink? I don't know how to spell the word i call it) I use it all the time, but every time I have to shove a little something in while running (shove in as in a cm or 2) I think of my fingers being shredded.

I am an in the closet worst case scenario person. I honestly believe that if I think about something bad happening, it won't happen. This may be another topic, but whatever. My mind is filled with worst case scenarios, so if something kinda bad happens I'm like, oh phew, that was nothing. Like, I always think about getting in a car accident or stranded, I'm talking rolling off a cliff into a lake, or running out of gas in the middle of nowhere -500 degrees with a pedophile walking down the road. So if it's just a little ding, no big deal. Does that make sense. I think of all sort of terrible things about my kids, so far so good!

I'm also gonna go ahead and do day 11 cause it's easy.

fav tv shows!

YAY! I love tv, but end up watching a lot of ho hum hgtv. no pvr and working evening is a damper on my previous lifestyle. I hope to mend that in the near future. I do believe it is worth the money. I'd rather spend the money and watch what I want when I want than watch whatever is on and truly waste my time. So in no particular order.

1. SNL - i'm still going strong, but I always fall asleep after Weekend Update if I make it that long, but I laugh so hard.

2. 30 Rock - I'm rolling on the ground right now

3. Modern Family - I hate to jump on the bandwagon but it is truly so so hilarious.

4. Glee, needs no explanation

5. And my newest obsession, '9 By Design.' Move over Kate and 78 Kids and Counting, this is not your average 7 child household. I love them and I want to hang out with the mom and work with her, and I wished I would have know there were looking for a nanny, because I would have applied.

(these are not edited, it was that WHITE out! James' skin almost blends in too.)

day nine

2010-11-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs.

Well, that won't be very fun since I'm not at my computer and my ipod is DEAD right now, so I'm showing you this instead.

I think this is pretty cool. I love these flash mobs.

day eight

2010-11-18T10:40:00.002-07:00

A place you've travelled to

I know it says a place you have travelled to, but I'm letting you know pretty much all the places I have travelled to. Don't worry it won't take too long.

I sometimes think I'm not very cultured, and now that I am most likely a lifer in the little town of Raymond (though I dream of living elsewhere upon winter's evil arrival this week) I fear I will stay that way. I may not be well travelled, but I have travelled, I hope to increase my list as the years go on so that if being cultured includes being well travelled than I can raise my hand to being cultured!

Some of the photos of the places I have been were pre digital camera so I dug up a few, but I did dig up a few oldies for fun.

First off, these are the States I have entered. (I would start with provinces but other than a layover in Ontario and a visit to the Sask border of Lloydminster, I have only been to BC)

Montana (lots of times)

(Let us please take note that this picture in Montana I was 7 months preggo with Alli. SEVEN! I just had to note that because those pants are tight on my thighs these days.)

Idaho (mostly uneventful, minus one trip with a large grassy area)

Utah (many a long trips i slept through to get here)

Florida -once

Arizona (only driven through a few times)

Nevada (driven through a few times, but actually stayed there 3 times I think?)

California (Maybe 4 or 5 times?)

Washington (i think iwent here)

New York (one glorious time)

Other than I got

Mexico a few times and France.

I hope to expand that list to include someday Hawaii, Arizona (more than drive through), New York again, Kentucky!, eastern Canada/US, various other European destinations and naturally more beach locations. I probably should work more.

day 7

2010-11-16T21:26:00.003-07:00

I love a good movie. It's like an escape from reality, and who doesn't love that every once and a while. So many to choose from. Except that I sometimes forget when I like a good movie because my husband likes to see every movie ever released and I'm easy to please. So here's my classics.

I reeeeaaaly like the movie Shine. Such a good show and makes me regret I quit piano lessons. (because if I would have stayed I totally would have been that good, minus the crazy.) If you ever see it on dvd please buy it for me I once had it on the ol video tape, but it must not have made it through the moves.

In the chick flick dept i love a little

-17 again (surprise surprise)

-Princess Bride

-Dirty Dancing

-Moulin Rouge

-p.s i love you

In the action dept

-not much just the Kill Bills

In the I don't know topic

-Stranger than Fiction

-Scoop

I can't think of any more right now.

And I love all funny movies of course. Good funny, not dumb predictable Amanda Bines/Hilary Duff funny. (I'm pretty sure those are for teenage children anyway so I shouldn't fess up to watching them and that I do kinda like them, they just aren't funny) Derek sometimes get embarrassed of me at the movies because I laugh the loudest and the longest.

now day 5

2010-11-14T22:27:00.007-07:00

pictures of things that make you happy

So that I don't get overwhelmed wondering what to put up because many a thing make me happy, I'm going to go with 5 picture topics that make me happy. I feel like I pulled out some randoms for this.

Of course I have to pick this perfect little family of mine. I love them so much I could just cry! This first picture is from last year but I just love it!

The mountains. Oh they make me smile. Waterton is one of most favorite places to be. I loved living in Cardston and being that much closer to them and seeing Chief Mountain out my front window. My dream home would be right beside a lake in the mountains, I would wake up and smile every day. It is just so peaceful there, and I get that peaceful feeling when I look at pictures too.

(mountain photos courtesy of clayne as usual)

Friends. I have so many good friends. I don't like to pick favorites among all the friends I am blessed to have, but these ladies and this picture make me smile. I am always the one laughing the hardest as previously discussed on the blog, but I'm quite sure Emily was finding something to pinch in this pic.

I don't usually enjoy pictures of myself while in action, but I just love this picture. I've put it on here before. It makes me happy, so so happy doing someing that keeps me hap hap happy.

This is the night Derek and I got engaged. It just makes me happy. I can remember that night so well over 8 years ago. You can just see the sheer happiness on both our faces, it's so real. Also, the shadows magnify the look of a mullet in Derek's hair, hehe, he didn't have one I swear. (but, he might have had them at one point and another and another...during the early marriage years and I cannot wait for his mid life crisis when he decides to grow it out again, i just love a curly mullet. I'm being serious. He hates me for making him grow it out all the time back when the young love had more control over him.)

I'm thinking of a million other pictures and ideas that I want to use that make me happy, but I just don't have it in me to carry on, and I did my 5. But can I say how much I am loving everyone doing this! Isn't it fun to talk about yourself?! And I am loving and appreciating everyones comments too, thank you thank you!

day 6 on day 5

2010-11-12T20:23:00.004-07:00

well, i'm cheating. there's a couple pictures on derek's computer that he took to edmonton that make me happy so i'm doing...

a song that makes you cry and why

This took me a while to figure out. Nothing came to my head right away. I'm not saying I'm not a cry baby, because I am quite capable of it. I'm sure we can relate when I say that music can really stir up emotions or bring back memories. It's the reason why a song makes me cry. And well, I'm a woman and that is all I can think of as the reason why! Certain songs hit me at different times in my life and can make me cry or not. So I guess I'm saying the list of songs that make me cry could be long on some days, but for today this is what I came up with. And I'll be looking forward to what other people put for this.

(sorry, had to do another one cause I like to kill things to death haha, and I just can't do a post without a pic. note to self, you look old when you frown, don't do it.)

This is one of my all time favorite songs. I've loved it since I first heard it back in high school I think, maybe even junior high. I don't think it made me cry then, but ever since it was on er a few years ago, it has makes me tear up a bit when I hear it, I sure loved that Dr. Green. I don't necessarily think of anything or anyone when I hear the lyrics, but it's just such a beautiful song and even though the lyrics are simple, they are so deep. I also love that the song is really long. Nothing like a good long song to sing along to, have a little cry, and sing some more.

And I have to pick one more. I love this song. It was hard to choose just one from Les Miserables, but I think this is the one that I love the most. I can't even get through the 1st 15 seconds of listening before it hits me. I went to this first when I was 11 years old. I sat on the front row of the Jubilee in Calgary. I was sure I made eye contact with some of the actors. I don't think I got the full idea of what this musical was about way back then, but I remember how I felt, and I remember those feelings when I saw it again when I was older and I could appreciate not only the talent of the people that can sing and write like this and bring about such feeling inside me, but also the powerful story that this is. I would LOVE to see it again someday.

day 4

2010-11-11T17:08:00.005-07:00

something you're looking forward too.

Well, that is easy! I'm so looking forward to moving into our house. I really can't show any pictures because it's no fun to see the before pictures when there is no afters. And you definitely don't want to see the DURING pictures that we are in right now. It's a mess. But Derek is awesome working so hard. And I am awesome too because I am doing the wallpaper removal and well, kill me now. Wall paper is evil, pure evil.

I'll give a little snaek peek of the wall we knocked out. It's as much demo as we did. The kids keep asking when we are going to hammer more walls down.

Child labor it's what we do. I wish I could say it made it easier but it sure doesn't!

day 3

2010-11-09T23:29:00.006-07:00

...my siblings and parents...

here we are a couple years ago.

and this past summer.

i love my low maintenance, easy going, drama free, loving family.

i feel i have good relationship with all my siblings and my parents. i feel so blessed to be a part of this amazing family. there has never been any doubt in my mind that i am loved by my family. i secretly think i am really quite spoiled in my family setup.

i have no pics of the baldry fam because they are on derek's computer and my computer is being weird so good thing i have my dad's computer! so i will update that later.

i feel doubly spoiled because of the fantastic family i married into. i really couldn't ask for more.

are you feeling the love?!

and while i'm on the subject...i haven't talked about my brother for a while on here. my brother ryan died over 12 years ago. it doesn't feel like yesterday he was here anymore. that makes me sad. i always remember him but it's easy to forget him in my day to day life. i used to think about him almost every day for years. i love when things remind me of him. sometimes it's good music that reminds me of him, or tight rolled jeans, ralph lauren polo shirts, and doc martin shoes. it doesn't happen very often but i love it when someone tells me they remember him or even better i remind them of him. because i don't know that we were too much alike, but what little sister doesn't want to be told she is like her cool big brother?!

and a couple extra family pics because they are kinda fun to look at and always good for a laugh!

(oh yes that is me in that outfit on the right!)

day 2

2010-11-08T20:36:00.006-07:00

I made it to the next day!

And I am clearly having as much fun as a teenage girl with this photo booth business. (That's me being stressed by the way. It was either me or a picture of Cathy the comic strip stress lady.)

2. Something that stresses you out.

My first thought is what? Just one thing? How do I choose just one thing? I have have so many mini day to day stresses (like is my grammar correct on the ol blog? ) on top of the other unpredictable stresses that come up in all our lives (like the lady who was renting my house got a roomful of pet rats, true story)

-There is the kids factor and all the stresses that come with that. Everything from stressing about keeping the noses clean, (Just ask my mom, she says I cant keep my fingers out of there. So what I like them to be clean?) to how they are going to turn out and if it is all just too late and I've ruined them forever. Now there is some stress for any parent.

-Of course money, oh the money. I am so grateful that Derek and I both have such good secure jobs, but still, who couldn't use a little cush in the wallet to take away some of the day to day stress that the lovely money brings!

-Right now I've got house stress, but NOTHIN like it used to be! It's good stress, like are all my color choices going to look good? How much longer until that dang wall paper is off? When are we going to finish? ( I know we just started but I still want to hurry it up)

- I'm going to go out on a limb here and mention this because I am a woman (and as far as I know my reading population is rather low in the male department. and as far as i know males don't want to hear/read about this) and it is what we talk and stress about and if you don't, I am very jealous. The weight factor. I wish I didn't waste my time thinking and talking about it as much as I do, but I do. I don't know why my weight has such a central role in my life, but it does. It always has and always will I assume. I am very happy with my body and feel so blessed to have the health and strength that I do. So why do I stress about it? I don't know.

Which brings me to my final thoughts. Stress is very real and it is what we make it. We can get so worked up about any of the things on this list and hundreds more, or we can deal with it like the mature people that we are. Blaming others for our stress won't take it away. Focusing on the negative and dissecting every little angle about our problems won't make them much easier. So face the stress and be the boss. Don't let the stress run the life. Focus on how to cope with things, and hopefully in a positive way. And of course, really, the best way to deal with it all is hit up those scriptures and pray too.

Did I even answer the question?

i'm doing this

2010-11-07T21:34:00.010-07:00

Well, I thought I'd commit myself to some serious blogging. Cristal is doing this 15 day challenge, so I'm joining in on the fun. I can pretty much guarantee that I'll get never er done in 15 days, but that is the plan for now! Here's the list. Also, I think everyone else should do this.

Day 1-Self portrait picture, and 15 interesting facts

Day 2- Something that stresses you out

Day 3-Your siblings and parents

Day 4- Something you're looking forward to

Day 5- pictures of things that make you happy
Day 6- A song that makes you cry and why

Day 7-Favorite movies

Day 8-A place you've traveled to

Day 9- Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Day 10-Something you're afraid of

Day 11-Favorite tv shows

Day 12-What you believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-Some pictures you love

Day 15- pictures of your Dream house

So this is where the 15 interesting facts about me come in...

1. I think taking that self portrait was the most awkward thing I have done in a long time.
2. I am capable of falling asleep anywhere anytime. Give me 5 mins in any position and I'm out. It is quite possibly a serious problem.

(The most recent sighting, Thanksgiving weekend. I just found this picture when I imported my moms camera. I have no idea who took it , but thank you for the double chin view.)

3. If the person wins at the end of Wheel of Fortune I get that just about tear up goosebumps feeling.
4. I have size 6 feet. I hate your feet, but I love my tiny little things!
5. My husband claims I snore, but I'm preeeetty sure it is only when I'm stuffed up, which is rare for me...
6. I waste time trying on various outfits some days.
7. my friendships are very important to me.
8. I reeeeeaaaaaly like chocolate chip cookies, I think about them almost everyday. I don't make them very often because I'm actually not very good at it, and when I do I eat them all in a day.
9. I worked as a cashier at a grocery store my first year away in Edmonton and I loved nothing more than making that little thing bring the stuff up then beeping the items through and running that till, oh the till with all the buttons! and bagging the groceries so good. The bread was never squished when I was in charge.
10. When I was in junior high and Derek was in high school I thought he was totally cute (among many other boys. hey, I was in junior high)
11. If you ever want to feel funny, hang out with me. Not that I'll laugh at your lame jokes, but I have a loud bust of a laugh, it'll give ya boost.
12. I just love laughing and being around laughing people, and I'm so glad I have James to make me laugh everyday. (like today he said mom I know all the seasons, football, basketball, hockey, baseball and soccer. I don't know if someone taught him that or not, Derek said he didn't. Funny kid. 3 year olds are great.)
13. I don't like winter. I hate wearing coats. I'm with you Cristal, too constricting.
14. I hate when people leave time on the microwave...DEREK!...
15. I love to be around people. On those long winter days when I am in the house all day with just the rowdies I am not a happy or productive person.

Ok, that took a long time. Turns out it's hard to think of 15 interesting things about oneself.

And if it wasn't awkward enough, here is one more! Maybe I did have fun in photobooth this fine evening.

Also, speaking of moms and self portraits, mandybakerblog.com is having a GIVEAWAY! It looks like the most fun giveaway, and i want to win it!

it's halloween, it's halloween

2010-11-01T20:41:00.003-06:00

Ok, the token halloween post. James only wanted to be Batman for Halloween (he also wants to be Spiderman for Christmas) and Alli didn't really ever decide. So I hit the local wal-mart and just let her pick whatever she wanted, Snow White it was. I have always done matchy costumes for the kids in the past as noted here, here and most recently here, since I couldn't find a super hero girl costume I didn't do matchy, I thought it would bug me but it didn't.

Derek and I hit up a couple of fantastic halloween party's. We were the Spartan cheerleaders (from snl, if you don't know who they are, we probably shouldn't be friends) and as on top of things as I am, I have no pictures of us. I'm kinda bummed, because we pulled it off...kinda...the homemade way... I kinda didn't do so well in the picture taking department this year.

Anyway, we had so much fun at the party's. I think that is why I like Halloween, I love any excuse to go to or throw a party. I'll even talk people into having a party at their house which isn't quite finished and they don't live it yet, haha, thanks whit! (It's pretty much done anyway, you wouldn't have wanted carpet for us to spill on right!?)

The kids went to a birthday party on halloween in the afternoon. BOTH of them gone for 3 hours. (you know I took a nap in there and folding laundry was the most productive thing i did) That is a great neighbor having a loooong party the day of halloween. Way to load them up on sugar before the night of sugar, a good prep you know.

(james wanted to be a football player for the birthday so he could play better at the party, i know, he's weird.)

Halloween night was on Saturday in these parts. (how can you not love that about small town raymond!) It was so nice out. I wore a sweater, a SWEATER! James and his older cousin took off and hit up a couple blocks while we were still having the pizza party at Grandpa and Grandma Baldry's, they came back with tons, TONS! Then Derek and I took around Alli and James with 2 cousins. When we finally were calling it quits, they were chanting 'more houses, more houses!' I figured out later that I totally dressed them too warm. Not good, gotta make them cold so they are ready to quit after a block.

Today, I let the kids go crazy with their candy. They didn't even go too crazy, which is weird for them, but thank goodness. Then, my master plan came into play. I traded them all their candy for Silly Bands! The kids have been wanting them for weeks, I don't really know how my 3 and 5 year old found out about silly bands, but they did, all the rage you know. So while we were walking home form school today we stopped and got silly bands and the candy is done and gone. I do consider myself a genius, yes I do. I went right ahead and had Derek take that candy OUT of the house, because I had been going crazy eating it all over the last couple days myself. I should buy myself something for the trade too.

Well, that was Halloween at the Baldry house. Maybe next post will BE the new Baldry house, maybe, i don't know.

good times, good times

2010-10-25T10:32:00.005-06:00

Ok, so things are so great right now. I'll let you know why.

We sold our house in Cardston, YAY!

(we went to the corn maze a couple weeks ago with the Vaz's and it was a perfect night to get very lost in the corn for 2 hours. I wish Bentley was in the picture, he is THE cutest child ever! But he also can't stand still, 2 year olds!)

I could go on and on, but it's done and gone and I couldn't be happier. In the mean time, we bought a house. YAY! It's just a little fixer upper in a perfect little culdesac that we are going to take on right away here. It's just fun fixing up, not crazy, I hope. So hopefully Derek and I won't kill each other in the process, oh renos. Once we get started you know I'll do the before and afters and it will just be so fun.

The weather has been fantastic, just perfect. My kids and I have spent more time outside in the month of October than we did in July. It is a party. James has only took off on his bike to unknown destinations a handful of times or so. He seems to think it is ok to leave the block if he is wearing his helmet and shoes because that is what I have to constantly harass him about. I am going to miss this quiet little street with the most fun group of kids.

(note the just socks, which is a step up from bare feet, but not great because of the dirty socks and all.)

So I've been thinking and that always makes for a good post.

-What' s the deal with yogurt. Why is it always such a dream to eat yogurt in the commercials? Seriously, all of them. Like it is some stay at home moms secret escape of the day. Yogurt? I mean sure the real stuff is ok with the cream and sugar and all, but it's still this tiny thing of yogurt is not going to make me smile like that even if it does regulate the ol digestive system...

-The waitress's are getting younger and younger, I am not getting older. I am perfectly fine with the thought that my waitress is 14 and I am 25.

-Not too long ago I took the children out on a beautiful day. Got them dressed decently (as in James in jeans!) to take some pretty fall pictures. We get out of the car and the kids instantly go into these perfect poses. I pull out me camera and NOTHING! Dead battery. I never did get it together again for those fall pics and now the fall prettyness is gone.

-I went to a junior high football game the other day (my husband coaches, I'm not weird) there was a mom with her full out face painted. I mean more of the face painted than not. A MOM! I cannot even imagine how embarrassed her son must be. And while I'm on the subject, do not cheer like a lunatic at your childs sporting events, again, that would have to be embarrassing for the poor kid. I know I was embarrassed for her.

-Speaking of me being 25...what's with all the wrinkles I have?! I'm too young for this. I don't care if they are 'laugh lines.' Laugh lines are crows feet to me!

-can't do a random thoughts bit without a celebrity bash, and it is you Miss Rachel Berry. ( I don't know her real name) It is you I am very disapointed in for your GQ magazine spread. That's just gross, I thought better of you. Here I am never have devoted myself to a teen show like this since the days of Saved by the Bell and this is how you deal with the fame? Scantaly clad pics?! Well, I'm quite sure Kelly and Jessie would not have done that to me. (please tell me that my sis and I were not the only ones who cheered for the Bayside Tigers.) Please know, my respect of Glee has waivered, but my love for it has not.

-I 'made' cereal for supper the other day. It was glorious. Derek was not impressed and made something else. My mom was almost in disbelief and I loved it. And it wasn't that I didn't feel like making supper or that I couldn't think of anything to make which is usually the problem, it was that the kitchen was clean all day and I just wanted it to stay that way. So cereal it was and not even a healthy cereal either, Frosted Flakes all around! I should do that more often.

-And just to keep you updated on my latest because I still don't craft or sew or bake anything out of the ordinary, but I do work out as my hobby, I am in full swing. 6 days a week at 6:15 I am working out with a friend. I have never sweat as I am sweating now. You have no idea. It's glorious. I can't wait to be so strong. I'm also doing a yoga class once a week and quite like that too!

(James and his partner in crime last week!)

Well my friends, that is all. Have a great Halloween week. I keep hoping that one of these years they are going to just ban trick or treating so that I don't have mental children the days following. A simple party will do for the season, no?

still 4

2010-10-09T23:12:00.004-06:00

Just so you know, this gal is still 4...for a few more days. And I'm just sick about the day I have to say my child is 5.

I've never cared about my kids growing up, it's fun. But this time I am quite distraught over the thought of a 5 year old. It's all too much. When you are 5 you can still shop in the toddler section at most stores, but you might as well go to the kids section size 5 for a bit bigger to make the clothes last longer. no more toddler girls?!! WHAT? I miss that. When you are 5 you are in preschool. (am so glad of the cutoff here, it would be all too much to have her in kindergarten right now.) A five year old is smart enough to figure out what her parents are talking about when they spell words like p-a-r-k or m-o-v-i-e. But not so smart to know

d-e-s-s-e-r-t at least! 5 year olds are way to independent sometimes, which is good and bad I have decided. And on the bright side, 4 year olds can be bossy, demanding and kinda mean to their brother too, so I'm sure this 5 year won't be...

Alli Loves her preschool. It is only 2 afternoons a week but she looks forward to them with much excitement. She walks in like she owns the place and doesn't take a second look back at me. I'm happy that she does so well. She has already told me she doesn't need me to walk her to the classroom, that I can just drop her off from the car. I'll be wishing I was allowed to do this in the winter. She loves riding her bike to preschool and wearing the gigantic backpack they insist the 35 pound children wear.

I have to write this story to remember. The first day of preschool I was the snack mom and the snack mom is welcome to stay as long as she likes. So I showed up right before snack time and when I didn't leave after handing it out Alli was told me in a loud whisper, "Mom, you're not supposed to be here! I go to preschool by myself now!" I told her I was going to stay for snack time and she was ok with it, and then when James sat down for the snack too she was all, "Mom, what are you going to do about James, You gotta get him out of here! He's 3!"

Slightly excited?!

So I'm just going to soak up my 4 year old until Monday. And if people ask how old my child is I might still say 4 not because I'm really this lame and denying my child to grow up, but because I sometimes forget. I told someone at church a couple weeks ago James was 2, oops!

We had Alli's birthday party yesterday with her friends. I have decided, if i ever didn't feel like planning a birthday, I could just turn on some music and I think the girls would just dance the whole time. But I did plan a party and it was fun, a tea party at that! We used my mom's tea cups and had mini cupcakes and made necklaces and fans and of course a parade, because who doesn't have a parade at their party? I also a couple 10 year ols come over to help with the crafts and party what nots, best idea ever!

This was following the dress up parade.

snooze fest

2010-09-23T20:09:00.005-06:00

I got sick like a month or so ago. The old sore throat stuffy nose, sinus thing going around. Not too long after Derek got it, (I still have the stuffy nose) he hardly had a voice for a week, not so great when you are a school teacher and football coach. Then before I knew it James was sportin a fever ( i still had the stuffy nose) and most recently we have added Alli to the list. I keep thinking they are over it, then suddenly it's back. Pretty lame. Also, my reoccurring nose business, pretty lame. But overall a decent sickness to deal with because of the sleep and all. Note the photos below. My only regret is that I couldn't time my sickness and the children's to all be at the same time so we could have done some serious slackin around. Instead, I was draggin my feet way back when and now that I feel better (with a dang stuffy nose, it's embarrassing) I'm twiddling my thumbs while they, (mostly Alli, James seems to be over it) carry on with the fever.

Although the clothes or locations are sometimes the same, these were taken on separate days. Poor little children.

And the saddest part of it all. We had to cancel our family date for Derek's birthday tonight. I thought as both children were sound asleep at 5pm that it just wasn't going to be a good day for that.

So I made supper just for us and Derek's favorite cake. I knew Alli was really sick when she didn't even care about cake. I dragged her up to sing happy birthday. She's gonna kill me someday for this pic, but it is too funny not to share. You can't fake this look.

She is trying so hard. And like I said James isn't really sick anymore, but still sportin the ragged look. He is still up at 10 pm because of that nap so he is not so sick anymore. But the sick kid cuddles over the past week have been great!

Couldn't do a birthday post without telling Derek what a great guy he is. Not every dad lets the kids give him a haircut. The snapshots aren't great, but bathroom light at night is non ideal.

Derek really is a great guy. He is just all around swell. Probably the nicest, most patient, non judgemental, non complaining, guy with no temper I know. (what a sentence) Just what a gal like me needs! Frankly, I quite enjoy spending time with him. Happy Birthday, Love you!

And 'Anon' from the last post. I meant I beat 772 overall for the running, not the whole thing, jeesh. Who are you rootin for anyway? It's my blog and I'll brag if I want to.

i don't know why i'm doing this...

2010-09-13T21:08:00.008-06:00

I could skip over this event like it didn't happen, but what would be the fun in that?!

So a few weeks back Derek and I decided to do a triathlon. That term is used pretty loosely around here. I mean, you do all 3 events, but the distance can be quite varied as in short enough for me. We decided to support the local village of Stirling because when you don't train you don't feel so bad about only spending $20 to do it. It was 300meter swim, 10km bike and 3 km run, so nobody needs to be too impressed with me.

I hit up the local pool once the week of. I almost drowned. The lifeguard handed me a flutter board. I didn't even ask for one, what does that mean?

(that's just me doing a leisurely back stroke during a triath)

These days when I ride my bike I am getting zero benefit. The kids love to ride their own and those little legs of theirs can only go so fast. So gone are the days of pulling them in the trailer and getting a workout while doing my errands around town. I'm pretty sure it's the equivalent of sitting on the couch and shifting positions in the calories I burn while riding with them. Therefore, it is safe to say that I am not in bike shape.

So I was holding out for the run to do ok in, but that is the last event you do so I didn't even know if my legs would work by that time.

ANYWAY, long story short, and I mean swimsuit short, I forgot my shorts. Yep, I get out of the pool and go to the 'transition area' and put on my shirt and my shoes and NOT my shorts. Because I forgot them. ( I wore sweats there if you are wondering if I just showed up in my swimsuit ready to go and they were in my car over in the parking lot.)

(there's me in the background most likely asking that guy if he has any shorts. and there's derek finishing his bike as i start my bike)

What else could I do but carry on and ride my bike in my swimsuit. (and tell everyone I saw that I did in fact forget my shorts and that I wasn't some sort of triathlon poser) It was a little cold so I had a long sleeve to put over my shirt. Yep, 2 shirts, no shorts. I'm awesome.

(your welcome for the faraway shot of no shorts me. my dad thought this was great and kept snapping away the closer i got! not pretty)

I'm hardcore, but if there were no shorts for me when I finished my bike I would not have done the run. I do draw the line somewhere, because no one wants to see that. My nice husband Derek took off his running shorts and put his swimsuit on after he finished (because he was in the 1st heat and freakishly fast and was done the whole thing by the time I rolled around) so I could look so cute in his giant basketball shorts.

(here i am beating this guy, but not really, because i crossed with my right non chip timed foot and he crossed with his left chip timed foot and so his timer went off first. but my overall time was faster than his so HA! to random stranger on my blog.)

So there you have it. I hope you laughed because I did and that's all you can do!

reunion business

2010-09-06T10:03:00.009-06:00

I better start with these pictures from our Steed reunion way back on August long weekend. Sheesh, it's only labor day weekend by the time I get these up!

We started out the weekend in Waterton. It was the most perfect day in Waterton. No WIND and hot and sunny. The kids couldn't stay out of the freezing cold water.

James was just cracking me up as usual. Here he is doing his push ups in the lake.

I was handing out treats to whoever would duck under. Alli wanted nothing to do with treats business, money only! So I told her I'd give her dollar if she went under.

She was a little leery, and didn't think she could do it.

No worries, Dad came along to help.

Sidenote. When we were talking about if anyone would go under we look over and see James coming out from going under. He just went and did it! I was bummed I didn't get any pics of him doing it. But he heard the word treats and he was in!

We all walked down to the old house my Grandma (dad's mom) grew up in. You can see the roof to there. I'd take that view everyday! They must have been snowed in on a regular basis.

Well, that is about the total of pictures from the weekend. Guess I didn't feel like pulling the camera out too much! It was a lot of fun to hang out with my cousins, it's been so long. We see each other here and there at weddings and stuff, but it great to just relax and chat and let the kids play too.

One of my favorites from the reunion was when my aunt was talking about our ancestors. She talked about how it's great to know our ancestors and that whatever we are going through we know that our ancestors went through similar trials and we can always look to them for strength. I learned so much about my heritage over that weekend and I have a true appreciation for the family I am blessed to be a part of.

heck out Rhonda's post for a few more pics of everyone.

thanks grandma karie

2010-08-21T00:02:00.003-06:00

Grandma Karie came over for a visit today to get some of the pictures I took in California. I hadn't downloaded a single picture since the beginning of July. So 374 pictures later I am forced to blog!

(we hiked bears hump back in July. the kids were begging to do a hike. they loved it and did the whole thing without needing to be carried. we were kinda in a rush so we were up and down in just over an hour)

In the past month I figured out we have spent well over 70 hours driving I am quite sure. Want to know the best or worst part about it depending on how you take it? I drove about ZERO of those hours! What can I say my husband likes to drive!

(i like how it looks like he is going so fast. we went for a bike ride down in indian battle park a while back, it was so fun to do with 2 kids on 2 wheelers!)

Yes we went to California at the end of July. We were there for a week and took 2 days to drive there and 2 days to drive back.

First thing the morning of the day we were leaving James got up out of bed and stood at the top of the stairs while we were all in the kitchen and said 'is this tomorrow?!' He was so excited. Then the driving began. The kids did pretty good. We left later in the day so the kids would fall asleep and I could begin my love affair with Glee. There was a slight hinderance in the plan when James wanted Mountain Dew to drink at supper which I thought nothing of at the time until he was a hyper hypo still at 9:30 that night. Then we remembered that it has a ridiculous amount of caffiene in it in the States and he drank his whole cup!

The second day was equally uneventful, which is good. Derek would listen to his book on tape through his earphones and thought this was perfectly ok while I thought I should be given wife of the year award for allowing it. The kids mostly watched movies and colored and ate treats. I started out giving them fruit and vegetables which worked through 1 state but didn't last long. And you know those little cheese cracker snacks? the ones that come with breadsticks? Yeah those aren't to eat, James just played with them, used them as pirate ships, soccer guys, and 'painted' with the cheese.

After Vegas and the heat was all getting to us the fights broke out between us. I wanted a turn to watch Glee on the dvd player. (I stayed up the night before until like 1 while we were driving watching them) So the only way the kids would give up the dvd player was if Derek let them play games on his iphone which his book was on. And he had the nerve to give me 'the look' like I was being selfish. HA! So the kids played games while I watched 1 glorious episode. But really, Derek had his earphones out for a total of like 3 hours in a 48 hour trip so I really am pretty much the BEST wife. Then again he did drive the entire trip, but he can't say I didn't offer. Like I said, he likes driving and I shouldn't deprive him of the opportunity. Overall we had some great family bonding time...

So we made it to California and had a great time. I took no pictures driving cause we are a scary looking bunch when we drive, your welcome.

Here in no particular order.

If it looks a little cold out for the beach in july, it was! We had a couple days of lame-o weather, but it didn't even matter we were all having so much fun together!

Ella Alli and Ava playing in the sand

I know it's blurry, but it's so cute of James Kade and Margaret 'surfing' as they called it.

Alli got a really deep cut on the bottom of one of her toes so she never wanted to walk on the sand and insisted on wearing shoes and socks to the beach. this was a really nice day out, but she also insisted on all the layers. my mom and i are totally stumped as to where she gets this part of her personality from...

Grandma Karie, Clarie, Caroline and Sarabeth braving the water. It is cold water and I didn't not go in past my knees.

Can't forget about TomTom!

This is about as close as Alli and I got to the water. She probably would have been more brave, but the cut on her foot really was pretty bad and annoying for her.

Thumbs up for mini golf, bumper boats and go carts! (our replacement for knotts berry farm, the kids will never know. change of plans after a fifth disease breakout in the house with all the kids, (fever, rash, tired kids) which wasn't as bad as the lice breakout! haha, seriously though, it happened, my kids didn't get it, but those are die hard little bugs.)
How cute of Alli and Ava, and James drowning in the background...
Grandpa turns...? Happy Birthday cinnamon buns by Mindy. I hope she makes me those for my birthday!

and 1 single family pic on the last day while I'm in pyjamas and just lookin good overall.

There's a few pics for ya, just be glad I didn't take pictures of my shopping! The girls also went to the musical 'In The Heights' loved it. and the boys went to an Angels Red Sox game (Derek was in heaven, Red Sox are his favorite team) Sarabeth introduced me to evil tradition of cheap Hagen Daz ice cream down there in a wide variety of flavors. So every time we went to the grocery store we would come home with oh 6 or so mini tubs of ice cream to pass around. Sooooo Gooood! My bum did not appreciate this! It was such a fun trip and clearly not long enough! Thanks for having us Mindy and fam!

Next Post, Steed family FUN!

i was thinking....

2010-07-14T22:47:00.007-06:00

i should blog it. But I don't know what to blog and where to start. So I'm gonna do the large quantities of pictures recap of the past weeks events. like a lotta lotta this should be 7 different posts lotta. feel free to skim.

first up:

-totally forgot father's day. well i didn't forget it i just didn't blog it. and now i can't even remember what we did. i know i got derek a present but i can't even remember it. i thought father's day was the sunday before it really was so i don't blame myself for not remembering what i got derek. here's the shot of the day. what a great dad my kids have. it's too bad everyone can't have a derek for a husband...(i couldn't let it die just yet jack)

-then a good time at the stirling pool with fun after at brett's house.

-sunday in waterton

snoozin thomas

kade running around in waterton lake calling it the ocean

look at james toss the rock in like he means it!

-hicken get together in magrath, ridiculously fun.

havin a good chat with great grandma hicken

-July 1st parade! not many pics of the day but it was fun in all the usual way.

when all the kids were getting canadian face paint james opted for the football stripes.

and unfortunately i made the cut for the parade this year.

kill me now.

the class of 2000 had the biggest graduating class ever to graduate from rhs. we started out with all of 11 people on our float. we had to drag people off the street so we wouldn't be a complete embarrassment.

i want to have a stern word with whoever started the tradition of school reunion floats.

amelia is just protecting her newborn while i huck some candy with all my might to the baldry's like nobody's business

-then the actual reunion. i put in plenty of hours planning this party and i have to say it was quite a bit of fun. can't deny, i put on a good party!

-the ol road race. i ran 5k this year and never felt better!

-a bowling day with the steeds cause the weather has been lame-o more than once lately.

-gram's birthday!

-shared my moms day with our 8 year anniversary. we actually went out on our anniversary this year, haven't done that in forever. the weather, once again, wrecked our golfing plans so the same ol dinner and a movie it was .

-in between all this we had plenty of bonfires, bike rides, a trip to writing on stone, pool days, swimming lessons, 2 eclipse viewings for me, work for me as well and i think that's about it?!

i went running

2010-06-22T08:43:00.003-06:00

So what do ya know, back again. And how about all those comments, I'm gonna beg like a hungry puppy more often!

I have been doing some training the past few months in the running department. I have been getting up before my kids almost every Saturday and during the week too for a while now. I've been wearing ear warmers and layers of clothing and enduring a couple of the worst blisters of my life. All for the joy of running. Oh the joy.

I ran another half marathon a few weeks ago. It was not my favorite race up to this point in my life. I do still have all my toenails intact with no bruises underneath them this year so that's good right?! It was my slowest time ever so that was lame, but whatever I guess. Remember last year when I ran the same race on the same weekend and how fantastic it was seen here?

(I passed all those people behind me in the last mile, minus the dude walking rubbing it in our face we weren't done and he was. I felt like I was going in slow mo, I don't know how I passed them)

Anyway, I still like running, so I guess I'll keep doing it. This year I trained with a couple friends. I have never trained with people and it was a-ok. I never would have gotten up at 6:30 on Saturdays if I wasn't accountable to them. We had quite the time together. It's surprising how deep your conversations can get while running for a couple hours.

(this is the end, I thought I was going to cry or puke, but I was so cold I did neither.)

So as you can see, the weather may or may not have had a factor in my time. The snow plow went past us twice. It was a sleet kind of snow with wind that pierced my face and froze it into place. My feet were soaking wet in about 3 mins, but it was ok because I couldn't feel them after 5 mins. I could not get warm for days following. (remember, I hate being cold) I'm not very competitive anymore. I still have goals when I run, but it's hard to get to into it when for the last 3 years I haven't ran a race faster than I did back in the day. It's especially annoying because I actually train harder now than I did back then, I think anyway. I ran another race last weekend and my time bummed me out. I think I'll quit trying for a time and focus on the fun. But if I try and focus on the fun I realize it isn't any fun. Dang.

(Oh wait! I'm having fun!)

So I don't know what I'm trying to say. I just thought I'd talk about running for a while because other people talk about crafting and all and I don't know how to do that so I thought I'd talk about something I like to do. I guess that just about sums it up.

Me and one of my running pals, Julie. I look like I just woke up, I never look good pre post or during a run. See, I'm not always vain, I'll put up ugly stuff too.

ps i hate that i didn't lose 5 pounds with all this work out business before my 10 year reunion coming up in less than 2 weeks. woops vain again!

put it on the blog, rockin like this my job

2010-06-16T23:15:00.004-06:00

It's bad. It's bad when my friends and neighbors are telling me I'm a bad blogger. It's bad when it's true.

There was a time when I was full of inspiration and jokes. (haha see? that was a joke.) I was getting 10's and even the occasional 20's of comments. These friends and neighbors stopped me on the street to tell me what a good laugh I gave them or how they didn't fold their ginch either. It was glorious. Lately, for no apparent reason, I seem to have gone kinda out of service. Is there nothing to say? That doesn't usually happen to me. So naturally I still have plenty say.

I'm here to say that I think I'm taking up the blog again. I make no promises other than I should most likely get my act together to post more than once a month. I'll continue to be real, maybe entertaining, maybe not. There will still be pictures, predominately of my own children for my viewing pleasure more than yours, because frankly it would be weird if I posted other peoples kids all the time. I'm talking like this is a favor to my readers, all hail me for coming back to blogging even though I never really even left. But whatever and now that I have said it out loud I better do it or you will have a good laugh at my failure. Either way I would appreciate your continued support in the commenting department, it makes me so happy to know I'm not talking to myself. So even though I say this blog is for me my ego would take a hit if the comments went down and I would be truly devastated. Yep, devastated no other word for it.

Ok, that was weird that I just wrote all that, but it took like 10 mins so I'm leaving it.

So do you know what the rage is? I heard it on tv one time. Hate lists. That's right. You heard me. I guess you makes a video and youtubes it. Well, I don't like the sound of my voice, so I'm going old fashioned. I blog, it's what I do now.

And because I'm nice I'll put the disclaimer. I'm here for you, or is it me, I'm so confused. If something that you do or like falls into my category of hate we can still be friends, we can even talk about it! I'm just having some fun here. I'm not a hater or a negatron, (though some may disagree, you know who you are...) just playin my game.

We know I hate feet but...

I hate long toenails

I hate my nasal problems

I hate tip jars at pita pit or booster juice and the likes, as if you think you need a tip for that

I hate how many shows are on tv about cake and little people

I hate Justin Beiber. I'm so confused at how he came to be. Is he the try hard geeky kid at school who made it because deep down Usher and Timberland are making fun of him and laughing behind his back at his hair and buttoned sweaters?

I hate when stuff breaks especially if I paid for it

I hate being cold

I hate when people sign cheers at the end of their emails

I hate when summer isn't on time

I hate flats, but I wear them sometimes anyway

I hate laundry

I hate baby talk, even when I do it I hate myself for it

I hate people that are too cool for Raymond and have a secret 'I'm better than you' look in their eye because they 'got out' Well guess what, I came back willingly...for the most part.

I hate dull pencils

I hate that I haven't downloaded new music in like a year, A YEAR!

I hate boys names for girls (and that's just me!)

I hate that I have no TVO right now

I hate nicknames (that's just how I feel right now at this moment, it's allowed to change and I might call YOU a nickname tomorrow because I used to really like them)

I hate that I pay a mortgage on a house I don't even live in

It hate 'sugar free' treats. don't healthy up my stress reliever, I want it to be good

I hate when people are like you don't watch whatever show oh my gosh it's so good the best show ever blah blah blah. i'm most likely not gonna take it up so quiet that down will ya.

I hate how bad I am at golf and still want to play it

I hate that I was excited to download the pictures off my camera because I couldn't remember what was on it and there weren't any there which means I haven't taken any pics in like a month. I better go check my dads.

ok, ok I'll stop, but that was some good times.

I found some pictures! And I sure don't hate any of them! Alli had her ballet recital on the weekend. It was cute of course. She was a little more shy on stage than she was at the Christmas show, but of course I was a beaming stage mom and thought she was the cutest.

Also, Alli didn't want a picture with me but I made her and you can tell she could care less, but this is for you Jacklyn cause I thought my hair looked good so I put it in. Yep, still vain, don't hate me for it...

happy happy day!

2010-05-24T22:03:00.003-06:00

James turned the big #3 on May 14th!

He wanted a Diego cake and I didn't want to get into that. So a few days before I started to give him a few ideas like a farm or a football...and that is as far as I got. He wanted a football cake. Yippee, for me! So I added a few various balls for extra eats. We had a wiener roast in the backyard and just played all afternoon. It was the best day, so sunny and warm, and the kids just played and played.

And yes, if you recall he did have a football jersey cake last year with a backyard wiener roast and I sure hope we can do it again next year!

We got him a new 2 wheel bike and he has been riding it pretty good but he much prefers his training wheels on the ol one. So I won't push the 2 wheeler but it sure is fun to see him go on that bike. I only have pictures on Derek's phone of him riding it, so maybe next time.

Well, a little bit about this James boy.

-he will talk your ear off and tell any thought that comes in his head

-therefore, he is a 'storyteller' of the untrue nature...

-he loves soccer and baseball and football and basketball and all that

-also loves dressups and dolls and most things Alli likes

-he is such a good brother to Alli, most of the time...

-he has a neighbor friend across the street and they are inseparable some days, it's cute. they crack me up and also make me nervous with what they think they are capable of.

-favorite foods are hot dogs, hamburgers, sushi, pickles, milk, vegetables and fruit and well most everything. oh and SODA!

-bike rides to the park are his favorite thing to do these days, he likes the bike ride over more than the park lately

-if dad is around, he wants dad and rarely me

-loves to sing and dance. his fav songs right now are anything black eyed peas and the beatles

-he has been wearing shorts pretty much everyday for the last 2 months or so minus some church days (not all...) I think there was a day or 2 of sweatpants in there, but not on the snow days

-speaking of, he dresses himself everyday. it is just not worth trying to get him to wear what I want, hence the shorts. So if you saw me around town with a child in shorts with boots in the snow, well, don't judge, he said he was hot.

-he's getting better now that we spend a lot of time outside, but he changes his clothes up to 6 or 7 times a days, not cool in the laundry department

Ok, that's a good enough list for now. James is such a great kid. He makes me laugh everyday. He makes the funniest facial expressions. I just can't get enough of him. I want to cuddle him every day for the rest of his life, so far he still lets me so I will do!

We had a ridiculously fun weekend visiting Susie for a while and then in Okotoks with Brooke and Brady bustin' on their family, but I'm actually related so it was all good! We 'camped' on his parents acreage. I got my camera out on Saturday morning and my battery was dead and so was Brooke's. So sad because there was quading, and dirt biking, and sleeping in the trailer and campfires, and garage saleing (i scored by the way) and a petting zoo and everything in between!

Phew. I'm done.

mom stuff

2010-05-17T23:15:00.003-06:00

I can't believe how much of a slacker I have been! Shame. Sometimes ya just aren't feelin it right?

My cousin Shannon did this and I even did a similar one a couple years ago so it's just perfect for Mother's Day (or a week after)

First up Alli, word for word!

How old is she? umm i don't think i know, 20?

What does she do around the house? sweep up the house

What her favorite thing to eat? chicken

What is her favorite show on T.V? umm i don't know, give me hint

What does she cook? you like to cook pizza a little bit

Where does she like to go? you like to go to work, to the store, to the movie theater

What does she like to buy? you like to buy presents. you like to buy food.

What is her favorite thing to do with you? play and play

If you could do something kind for your Mom what would it be? making a sandwich for me and you

Finish the sentence. I love it when my Mom.... stays at home with me and doesn't go to work(ouch!)

And James

How old is she? 2

What does she do around the house? clean up, and sweep, and maybe make food (apparently I do a lot of sweeping)

What her favorite thing to eat? taco soup (this just so happens to be one of his favorites)

What is her favorite show on T.V? conference

What does she cook? taco soup

Where does she like to go? to costco, to walmart, to romans, and rueben house too.

What does she like to buy? glasses, keys (there are glasses and keys right beside us) and food

What is her favorite thing to do with you? sharing with you is fun to do (He sang this part) and duck duck duck duck goose, and going to church.

If you could do something kind for your Mom what would it be?help you get better when you are sick.

Finish the sentence. I love it when my Mom....I don't want to do this anymore, can I watch something on the computer?

So, I had a wonderful Mother's Day. Derek let me sleep in so I got 4 hours of sleep instead of 3, don't ask. That seems to be my weekend trend of sleep lately, but I never regret it, I'm always up for a good time, so call me! We had a Baldry family affair and it was a fun afternoon, with a perfect rainbow to end it on, right girls?!

I have so many wonderful examples of mothers in my life. My own mom, mother in law, the new edition mother in law, sisters, and sis in laws, and friends, and just random others too. I look up to all of you in different ways. Being a mom is such a journey. I appreciate every one of you and the influence you have had on me as a mother.

I am having a hayday being a mom right now. The weather is beautiful. We've been good busy and inbetween we go to the park everyday, picnics, bike rides, all the fun stuff. This is when being a stay at home mom through the trials of 'what the crap do we do inside all winter' are all worth it! I mean what other job do you get to work on your tan in the backyard while the little ones play?!

My kids bring me so much joy. They are a ton of work sometimes and they better appreciate all they stress they put me through, but it is so worth it. I hope and pray every day that I am doing this right. It is so hard somedays to know what to do and how to do it in this ridiculous world.

I rely so much on my Heavenly Father to help me be the best version of me. I want to be the person my mom knows I am and I want to be the mom my kids know I am.

I made that up. Does it make sense? Probably someone will quote me someday.

Next up. James' birthday. Hopefully it won't be a month later.

look...

2010-04-21T22:05:00.006-06:00

look past those stunning eyes, beyond the supper on his face, you better go ahead and click on it to make it large, and right in there with the little sunburned cheeks, you can see them. teeny tiny freckles. i am in love with these freckles, and there are more and more every day. note to self, kiss those cheeks one more time before i go to bed.

no freckles on this one, but come on, i just gotta kiss those cheeks too. i am in love with these 2 crazies. and i mean crazies, but they act pretty good in public most days so i'll keep them.

i have always thought derek's freckles were pretty much the cutest thing ever. (and his curly hair, but he refuses to let the public know he has this curly hair anymore so he shaves them off every 3 months. i know it's sad. i did get a hockey haired husband for a good 3 years in the beginning though) anyway, summer freckles are the best. there may have been a time when i got summer freckles, now they just look like age spots. i get freckly arms and legs in the summer (and post mexico) and i am learning to love them. but face freckles are the cutest on little 2 year old boys, am i right?! and i just mistyped freckles every time i typed it.

I think I'll use capitols where appropriate now.

We had a few extra kids for a few days last week. It was good times. I did the switcharoo with Rhonda. There's some good birth control for ya. I forgot what it was like to have crying kids in the night for extended periods of time.

I thought this picture was funny. These gals are less than week apart in age. What a pair!

These guys spent a lot of time together over the last bit, and they did really good.

You have to be laughing now. If you aren't look at James again, now you're laughing right?!

And this little guy did his best to keep up with it all, and I did my best to keep up to him!

The weather has been exceptional for the last few days, especially compared to last week. I think it was 24 today. I feel so great. All the rules seem to go out the window in the beginning of nice weather because you know it's gonna get windy or rain or most likely snow soon. So you have to let the kids run barefoot to the neighbors, ride their bikes until 8:30 at night, eat picnics everyday, go to the park 17 times, and get their clothes absolutely filthy along the way. People that don't have 8 month long winters don't get it. And if teachers got paid better in Arizona (or Kentucky!), I would be there.

I swear stress leaves my life when it's like this. (I would be a new woman if I lived in California I swear.) And I know why. I cut corners on the cleaning, and cooking because I'm not in the house as much. Do you know how to do this? It's the best thing to do. I'm not sure if I can share my cleaning secrets here just yet because my mom is out of town and I'm doing all the cleaning (which I always do, right momma?) and she reads this and it might be better if she never knows the way a Baldry house is run. Trust me, I'm no Martha, and I don't want to be. And my crap-out cooking isn't that good, but it's still food, so I do it, but it's not worth sharing.

I hate it when people bring up that they have a secret and then they don't tell you. I just did that.

Ok I give, one thing that never ends is laundry and my secret of the day is I don't fold my undies. There, I said it. It's a huge time saver. Doesn't look pretty in there, but who looks in your undies drawer, NO ONE. So no one will ever know.

how does this happen?

2010-04-14T20:34:00.011-06:00

I went from this ...

to this.

(everybody was snowed in and stuck this morning and since I live only a couple blocks from the hospital I had to go in for a little while this morning while people dug themselves out. no blow dryer so no shower + no light so no makeup + working until 11 the 2 nights before + getting home from mexico at 2 in the morning before THAT = me looking like this in the snow. i don't know what derek's excuse is, hehe)

and the week before i was happy to even just enjoy this 3 child workout.

or see the grass

or play outside without the winter gear!

What a day today was. I was at work last night pushing a patient on a stretcher cruisin around the corner when all of sudden lights out and BANG my elbow into the corner or the door. They were only out for about 30 seconds and then generator kicked in, but we almost crashed through the wall with that guy and I practically had a heart attack. That was just before 11 o'clock last night. Long dark, cold, house story short the power came back on about 2 or 3 this afternoon. So there was no school, but we didn't really do anything. Weird day.

I'm just trying to focus on the ridicuolously great time we had in mexico last week! We just got back late Sunday. It was hot and sunny every day. I sat on the beach or by the pool every day, jogged on the beach, read 4 books, did yoga by the waves, bartered for some mexican 'goods,' did everything uninterrupted by anyone and ate myself to an extra 5 or so pounds. Worth every one. You feel like you really have to eat a lot when you go all inclusive when you don't get in on any of the alcohol. So I did.

Here's a picture or 2. We didn't take many pictures mostly because beach = me in a swimsuit which therefore = no thanks, put that evidence away.

Oh Derek, splashing in the waves.

And a big thank you to my mom and sil Rhonda and sil Sarabeth who passed around my kids and took great care of them while I was away. I have 2 of Rhonda's kids for the rest of the week right now and I hear one of them giggling with one of mine right now! Should be fun!

Before we left we had a fun Easter weekend with the familia. My sister Brooke had her 3 week old baby Gavin here and we are all pretty much in love. My kids were fighting over who's turn it was to hold him and were in his face all the time. Gavin was pretty good about it all. And don't even say it...I know my baby is turning 3 next month, but don't even say it!

Just look at the lips on that baby! love 'em!

My sister Sue who apparently has a 9 month baby belly somewhere in there.

Now excuse me while I go and lather up my dry skin and brush out my dead dry hair and watch my tan fade away and dream of the wonders the humidity did on my hair and skin.

first this...

2010-03-28T21:46:00.008-06:00

James insisted on waiting up for his galavanting parents.

Then he fell off, but he slept through it. and yes, that is combined spiderman, cars pj's

And then this...

Alli had to even it out and mess up the top lip

Look at that blood drool. Her top lip was so swollen and got a huge ugly scab on it, yeeouch!

Now this...

I haven't blogged in forever. Like FOREVER in my blog world. I feel so lost and empty without writing and that nobody is reading my deep thoughts and ramblings. Derek is annoyed beacuse I talk to him way more now. I don't know what's come over me. I really don't. My biggest problem is I don't pull out the camera anymore. My bedroom is down in the base-basement, like 2 flights of stairs down. So whenever the kids are doing picture worthy stuff, I'm like 'ah, they won't be cute in the 37 seconds its gonna take to go down and back, so why bother. The battery is probably dead anyway.' And even though I don't always write about the kids, I seem to always put their pictures up here because I like to look at them, just sayin...they are cute to me.

Anyway, I thought about recapping the last month, but I won't because it wasn't that exciting, and there is limited pictures of course.

There is the '22 things I learned as a Mother' going around.

I don't feel like doing that right now, maybe another day.

I havn't changed a tag to make it what I want in a long time...

So here is 22 random things, happenings, and observations...

1. Taylor Swifts' hair bugs me. I mean does she curl it up like that every day? because it doesn't look like natural hair. She's all just a little to perfect.

2. I've only truly watched one American Idol from start to finish. I decided I was going to watch it this year, lame-O. Did I choose a bad season or is it just me.

3. I was thinking Ellen would be a lot funnier.

4. I still listen to Pearl Jam on regular basis, it would be weird if I didn't.

5. I stayed up until 3am last night with some of my fav gals. I thought it was 2 am (fix your dang clock Marissa, daylight savings was 2 weeks ago.) Came home to 2 peed beds, always a treat.

6. Flexerol is a very powerful drug, I took it twice this week. I was floating. But my back/neck pain that has been KILLING me for 6 months was at a minimal.

7. I have not bought any clothes for myself or Derek or the kids for over a month, one more month to go!

8. I am truly disappointed in Jesse James. (of course I care)

9. Is it too much for me to ask to want Giselle B hair? I mean really...

10. It was my goal to read at least one book a month this year. March 28th: total books read in 2010, ZERO.

11. If I'm not blogging and I'm not reading, what am I doing?

12. I could not believe how much fun I had swimming this weekend, I usually don't like swimming.

13. I'm pretty sure I'll have even more fun swimming in MEXICO next week. Thats right.

14. Will someone please buy our house in Cardston, please?

15. We spent a long time in the Running Room trying on tons of shoes and getting my 'walk evaluation' and then we went and ordered them online and saved over $100. Should I feel bad about that? (this doesn't count in my no shopping rule, I've needed new shoes for a awhile, I just finally got around to it.)

16. Why does Frankin get a name and everyone else is just bear, or fox, or beaver?

17. 22 things is just too many, I think I'll go take a flexerol and go to bed. I'll break it in half this time so I don't sleep for 11 hours and through my morning workout class.

olympic ballerina

2010-02-28T22:39:00.004-07:00

While we're on the topic of the Olympics...my child is going there....if they ever have ballet in the Olympics. (I'm not sure why up to this point it is isn't, winter or summer really doesn't matter)

Anyway, it is a well known fact that Alli is a tippy toe walker, always has been since she was first walking. She walks on her tippy's a lot. Runs on them too, fast. I don't even notice it anymore. I've heard all the comments about what it means and blah blah blah, but whatever, I think she does it when she is bored. I don't think it is a form of autism and I don't think she will need surgery on her Achilles .

Note these old pics for example

And now, I might just venture to be proud of the tip toes.

Naturally I put her in ballet this year. I thought I'd finally take some pictures real quick before class last week.

It started out like this (I wanted to pull her leggings down but she would let me, and this is what happened.)

Then I bribed and we got a little better.

Then I asked her to twirl on her tippy's. Well, all of a sudden, she went UP! ( it's a terrible pic, but you get it) And she could dance like this!

Maybe I'm crazy and all 4 year old girls in ballet can do this, but I'm pretty sure they can't ( and I don't want to hear it if your child can), and that is why my child will go to the Olympics some day.

And I thought I was paying all this money for her to learn 'Hickory Dickory Dock' and a frog stretch.

we didn't have any plans anyway

2010-02-15T20:47:00.006-07:00

Ahhh, Family Day.

We were hangin out his morning, trying to decide if we were going to go swimming, or to a movie in the afternoon for our family day adventure. While we were deciding, a dance party just kinda up and happened in the kitchen. Because, well, what else do you do on family day?

Things got a little crazy. Derek was twirling around with the kids and Alli's hand slipped out of his. She fell face first on the hardwood.

It was bleeding and gaping, and Alli does NOT deal well with blood at all, not even close. She may get her whimpyness from her mom, but her fear of blood is unknown. I'm a nurse, bring on the blood, and Derek, well he watched both my c-sections closer than he watched me.

SO, we decided to take her to the hospital. It kept opening up and gushing so easily being on her lip and all. Grandpa is in Mexico, but I think he's to much of a softie to give his own grankid stitches anyway. She got 2 little stitches, and she wasn't the quietest kid but she held her head still...with only slight effort by me.

We went to the movie. (Plenty of time in the day still. I love Raymond. We were in and out in an hour and 30 mins was waiting for the freezing to kick in.) She was happy that she could still eat popcorn. I think a couple of her teeth are slightly loose, that could be a whole different story.

So here's a warning, be careful with those impromptu dance party's, family day or not!

what's it all about?

2010-02-12T21:59:00.003-07:00

It's pretty much all about love.

(How much do I love this pic that JAMES took of us when Derek was on his way out the door?)

I love Valentine's Day. We don't do anything exciting or too out of the ordinary around this time, but I still love it. I mean really, what is so wrong with people telling other people they love them? It's clearly not just a husband/wife kinda day. My kids were making Valentines for everyone under the sun this week. I may or may not get them all delivered, but that is not the point. They thought of all these people they love and wanted to tell them so. I think that is just plain nice!

I just have so many people to love in my life, and I might be just a little shy to tell them most of the time. That's why I have my kids tell them in the form of crafty crafted cards, (or Dora and Elmo cards) our decorated rice krispy squares, and/or possibly sugar cookies. But I just don't know if I feel like making those cookies this year, I do however feel like eating them. Whit? You have my recipe...

Anyway...I just think it's fun to have an excuse to do something a little different for a few days. You know, plaster the walls with hearts, make pink whipped cream for the pancakes (let's not get carries away, heart shaped pancakes are outta my league) and sing the 'all you need is love' song all day. (sidenote, as I was scrolling through my tunes I realized The Beatles pretty much summed up love in so many of their songs, drugs too, but their love songs are the best.)

So here it is Valentines Time and how in love am I?! So in love with my all family and friends. So happy with where things are at. Derek is so in love with me too I just know it. How do I know you ask?!

I asked for him to get me nothing this year, and I meant it too.

So the story goes, we had a major mishap one certain Valentines. Things were said and plans had failed and a certain partner of the relationship may have overeacted. BUT she has since apologized and has had many a hearty laugh over it, and found out a few weeks after the episode she was preggo with her first so it was all justified...right? From that time forward, expectations were pretty low. And low expectations make for a great day! Anyway, we usually don't really do gifts cause I suck at receiving gifts, but I often ask Derek for a letter, a letter of love 'round this time.

So cheesy I know. As I went this year to look back and reflect through my box of love letters (it doesn't exist, it took very little time) I realized I will not ask him for a letter ever again. My husband is not the romantic type. I know this, I have always known this. And I never have cared about that. I'm always quite sure he won't write one, but there is always that teeny tiny part of me that hopes I might get a surprise letter. But no, and that really is ok by me. (I think I like the thought of a love letter more than actually getting a letter. And at this point, let's face it, it would probably be a let down anyway.)

All I really have to do is just think of all the other ways he shows me and the kids that he loves us and I realize I don't need some sap letter to tell me so. Did you want to know that much about us?

And sure, Valentines could all just be a big commercial sham, but it's not necessarily a bad one now is it?

(I told her to do a little pose for me, and this? is what I get.)

Happy Valentines Day !

Keep your expectations low and you will have a glorious day!

i thought it was funny

2010-02-11T16:18:00.002-07:00

The kids got twin bruises a day or 2 apart. I wish I would have looked at this picture right after I took it because it is just terrible light right before bed and you just can't get the full effect of the damage.

I told them I wanted to take their picture and they ran into the bathroom and slicked their hair back so I could see it better, love it.

bed time and co-ed baths

2010-02-02T20:37:00.011-07:00

So I decided confession time has come around again. I went through the confessional last year, and I can't even remember what I actually confessed? All I remember is I there were sure a lot of you out there airing your dirty laundry for feel goodness of yourself and others.

But, I'm gonna get right into it...I hate bedtime. I love it when it is over, sigh of relief, but the process is aging.

Am I the only one?

I get crazy. I get ancey. I get inpatient. I get annoyed.

All this combined = Mean Mom.

Way more mean than no play-dough mean mom.

(this is wind down time)

Suddenly the bedtime routine comes and I feel like I have no control. They don't listen, they don't cooperate, they have excuses, they whine, and it is often madness. (not that they listen, cooperate and never whine all day long) I feel like I am rather consistent in my efforts with it all, but it seems not to matter to them.

My mom told me she always kinda liked the wind down of bedtime with her kids and the reading to the clean kids all snuggled up. I'm pretty sure she also has selective memory.

I have 2 kids. TWO! Why is it such an ordeal to get 2 measly kids tucked in?

I have been making an effort to try and be positive with the kids around this time. I try and make it fun, but it is not fun.

The problem with Alli is I have to practically force her up the stairs, bribe her to brush her teeth, drag her to the potty and then I end up putting on her pj's for her because I don't want to wait any longer or fight any more. And don't even talk to me about the prayer behavior. Once she is actually in bed with a few stories read and a cuddle for a few minutes she is good to go.

But James is all of the above PLUS needs some serious wind down time in bed which he prefers to have a cuddle mate right beside him for. Now I love a good cuddle with my kids. It's great and I savor it, but every night for 20 mins just laying there while he pesters me is not a true fun cuddle. The true fun wrap himself around and snuggle up so I can smell everything about him lasts for oh 2 or 3 mins before he is suddenly asleep.

The pestering is killer. It's so dang cute I can't even stand it, but that is it, some days I CAN'T STAND IT! I usually just lay there with my eyes closed 'sleeping' hoping he will follow my lead at some point and give in. And when I can take it no longer I say 'James I'm just gonna go get my pyjammas on so we can cuddle more.' I do not return after this. (Derek says I am pretty much setting my child up for complete distrust in his mother. Then I say, good luck tomorrow when I tell him you will be back in a minute when really you are gone to work for they day and you won't be right back) Recently James has been asking to come with me when I pull this one so it's on the out anyway.

(look at grandpa's face, he's all, ummm i did my turn of this with 6 kids...jks, he loves it!)

Back to the bed. I'll say James if you say another word, I'm leaving and no more cuddles. Then immediatly after he whispers in the sweetest voice you have ever heard, 'i love you mom.' Ummm, sound the alarm, I am horrible and don't deserve this kid! I am in full mean mom force and he pulls out the I love you?! Or else he'll stare wide eyed at me and grab my face (for the record I never grab his face, but he takes great joy in doing this to me.) and say in a stern serious voice, 'Mom, no.more.talking.ok? close those eyes right now.' and that is when I see that oh so not so beautiful mean mom reflection of mine.

So, I hate bedtime. What are ya gonna do? Here's the thing. I like my bedtime routine, I really wouldn't change too much about it. What I do want to change is MOI! I really don't want to be a mean mom. (which I know I usually am not) What I really really don't want to be is a NAG! I don't like that 'do this do that don't do this don't do that, hurry up, blah blah blah.' I know kids need a parent in charge, but I feel like at this point I just want to guide them along as they do it. So here it is, attitude turn around TODAY! And I can fully say with a 100% positve attitude tomorrow will be great because I am working and the glorious cousin Alissa is in charge as Derek will be gone too. haha, good luck Alissa. (that is the killer, they are so good for the babysitters!) And really, I can only go up because I am clearly writing this after a night of torture where my cool was lost and my meany-ness was not.

Now there is this bath time. I love bath time. The kids have been bathing together 99% of the time for more than 2 years. I don't even remember them not bathing together anymore. So a while back my mom was wondering when I was going to split up the co-ed bath routine. I hadn't even considered splitting them up. They have a great time playing in there, and it gets them both out of they way while I clean up supper or whatever. Well, when Sadie was here last week James got his own bath because of the size of the tub factor. So now this 'own bath' thing is like a novelty that they both want in on.

The question of the day is, should I split them up right about now? I really don't want to and the thought of the girl/boy business had never crossed my mind until I showed up at my moms! Alli is 4 and James will be 3 in May. Is it game over for them...and me?
Oh and the other question of the day is do you hate bedtime? do you like it? (if so yeah right, but HOW and WHY?) What do you like/not like? And c'mon folks, let's be real folks, nobody likes bedtime unless you have but 1 child who is a good baby and all you have to do is lay him/her down and that is that. And even then, don't we all love it the moment that door is closed and there is the glorious peaceful silence?

ps, the bishop must read my blog, i now teach mia maids in the young women starting this week, woot woot!

ok fine, i'll blog

2010-01-26T20:42:00.008-07:00

I'm just going to pretend I blogged Christmas. I haven't blogged for FOREVER and I think it was because next on the list to blog was Christmas, but I just wasn't feeling it. It was a great great time, but my blog, no Christmas this year. I know you're all devastated.

Really, I just have to get that Christmas morning pic of me to not be the first thing I see every time I come on.

On Sunday I asked Alli what she leaned at church. "I learned 2 guys got kicked out of heaven and we came to earth to choose the right."

I asked James the same thing and he said, "NOTHING! I just play toys and play and play." He is so hyper sometimes.

James and Alli are still pretty obsessed with kisses and hugs before Derek leaves to work. One morning Derek was leaving at the same time as my dad so there were hugs and kisses all over the place. James was telling Derek, "kiss for me...kiss for mom...kiss for Alli...now kiss for Grampa." It was totally awkward, haha, kidding. But James was pretty torn up that Derek and my dad wouldn't kiss each other good bye.

Also, did you know it is now 2010?
Well, since I skipped Christmas I won't skip this little bit to ring in the new year, and a remember of last year. And I really don't feel like putting any pictures on. But I will. I'm going to put in 1 pic per month of last year that includes ME init. Because I wanted to be better at getting myself in the pics, here's proof that I did. There will most likely be repeat pics of earlier posts.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you've never done before?

This is funny. Last year I put 'taught primary' and then laughed because I have been teaching Primary for years and year and YEARS it feels like. Well, what do you think I am doing in this new ward, teaching Primary! YAY, I just love it...

(ok, so no me in all of januaray, but i was hiding in the cardston wind)

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions and will you make more for next year?

(feb in vegas)

Well, one of them was to run a half marathon and I did 2! So I'll think I'll do that again. And no, I really have no desire to run a full. Karen, you were right. Never run a half first because a half is so fun you know that a full one will be torture!
Also, I am currently drinking 8 glasses of water a day as my resolution. It's good, and I don't have to pee every 5 mins anymore.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes, I had 2 nieces and a nephew and some friends too!

(moonlight run in march)

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Took the year off from that.

5. What places have you visited?

Oh my heavens, New York with my mom and sisters! The trip of my life up to this point. I still dream about that place. I never did blog about it because I forgot my camera batteries.
Also, Derek and I took a little trip to Vegas, good times!

(in new york in april, ...give my regards to broadway...you know the ol song and dance?! and yes of all the new york pics, this is what i choose, for your entertainment)

8. What was your biggest achievement this year?

I ran in 7 races this year. The most since I ran for the college back in the day. It was kinda fun. Now I just have to run them all again this year and beat my times right!

(may, cardston half marathon)

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No swine flu, phew.

10. What was the best thing you bought?

I feel like I can't think of anything here. I buy a lot of clothes and I really like them too.

(june, again for your entertainment. can you see my tonsils! don't you wish you knew what we were laughing at!?)

11. Where did most of your money go?

Good ol student Loans. Hopefully I won't have to say that anymore after this year! haha, yeah right.

(july)

12. What song will always remind you of 2008?

Has to be I Gotta Feelin by the black eyed peas. Some crazy dance parties with me and the kids went down to that song.

(august, ahhh summer)

13. What do you wish you would have done more of?

This is my exact quote from last year "hmmm, probably push ups.' And oh my heavens. I just have to brag about the fact that right now I can do 43 REAL push ups in 2 mins. Thank you very much!

(September, family pics)

14. What do you wish you would have done less of?
Nothing, as in, I mean I wish I would have done less of doing nothing. Sometimes I'm lazy, what can I say.

15. What was your favorite TV program?

Do remember that show True Beauty? Yeah I watched it, and I liked it!

(october, my birthday)

16. What was the best book you read this year?

I read a few books last year. I liked a lot of them, but none of them made the love list. I guess that means I need to read more books.

17. What was your favorite film of the year?

ummm, hello 17 again. I'll try not to talk about it anymore.

(november, not a single pic of lindsay to be found, just her foot. but look at that james in his grey sweatsuit.)

18. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

I always blog on my birthday, check it out if you care. 28

19. What political issue stirred you the most?

I know it is now 2010 but I'm reading the book Where Men Win Glory, and that war in Afganistan, oh boy. I may have a new take on it.

(december)

20. Who was the best new person you met?

Let me see....actually I have met a few new people since moving to Raymond and I they are all great!

Ok, i swear i'll start blogging again.

surprises!

2010-01-03T20:56:00.007-07:00

Look at the sheer excitment on Christmas morning.

I TOTALLY surprised Derek with an iphone. He thought I wouldn't do it, but I did because I'm the best wife ever.

Now compare my happiness with my surprise gift of the movie '17 Again' Yep, I'd say it's about the same level. I have watched it appox. 9 times so far and will watch it over and over until I really am 17 again and am with zack efron. (and you are welcome for another good ol christmas morning pic of moi!)

Don't pretend you didn't love every minute of that movie. If you haven't seen it, you can't borrow it, but we can watch it together.

Here's the kids getting their surprises too! James is wearing one of his jersey's over his pj's from Santa. That was about the only option. (see previous post) We packed a ton of stuff into the last week or two. I may or may not blog it.

I think this is our only family pic on christmas. Thanks to my dad who got a new lens and documented the holidays for me!

And one more kinda FUN thing. I am showing up over at the Visible Voice blog tommow for fun. So come PEEK at me just for the fun of it! I just wrote fun 3 times not on purpose and don't feel like thinking of any other words. Anyway, just something a little diferent for me!

merry ruined christmas

2009-12-14T22:48:00.008-07:00

It's not really ruined of course, not yet anyway.
Well, my Christmas shopping is pretty much done. Pretty much as in Pete and Gab what do you guys want?!

We went to Edmonton like a month ago or something and that is the last time I took pictures, but they didn't download, so here ya go from forever ago.

(this picture is obviously from oct or november, it's way to ridiculous to have an outside picture with the 7 feet of snow that is here now.)

Alli thinks Santa is visiting Lethbridge this week. She asked if the Santa visiting the mall was the real one, not like the pretend one at the church party. Oh dear. I guess the complete madhouse of Santa at the ward Christmas party wasn't sufficient. So we visited Santa on this freezing freezing (as in -29 without the windchill) cold winter night.

(I know, sorry you have to see this messy face picture that only I think is cute.)

It's worse. James has seen like 3 of his Christmas presents. I thought maybe we could sneak a little train set in the cart and he wouldn't notice. I didn't think he did until he started telling people he has a train and train tracks. Then after the horrendous Calgary trip, noted in the post below, James caught a millisecond glance of the trunk, so short I wasn't even sure he was even looking. Well, we got home and he was like where is my boat? I want to play with my boat!

I'm not sure if Santa has anything James hasn't seen yet. This kid remembers dang it! But I'm not really worried about it for him. However if Alli catches on to anything she might not put it together this year, but since she remembers what present she got from Santa last year (and she hasn't even seen it or played with it since the summer) she might remember the happenings of this year next year and put it all together. But probaly not...

I'm an awesome mom right?

And to top it off, Alli told her Primary class that I'm having a baby. Great. Because I'm not. Her teacher was all to me, "So is there a congratulations in order?!" UMMMM, NO! She has been asking me to have a baby for a few days now. She also keeps talking about our house in Cardston and when we move back with a baby. James has been talking about the Cardston house since we moved here. Don't they know how good we have it here?!

What is going on around here?!

The Santa is watching you is not working as a disipline tool. (what the heck?!)

Alli had her first ballet performance. I took no video or camera. We'll just pretend they never had a Christmas recital.

But, good news. It's been so long since James had an accident in the pants that I can't even remember when it was, YAY!

Other good news, Alli wanted to cuddle with me 'for forever' today. So we did, until 9 o'clock this morning, it was the best.

And the talented Rebecca Cooper is doing a mini giveaway photo session for the spring. I want to win. So don't enter!

mom jeans

2009-12-06T20:22:00.003-07:00

welcome back to me. who know how long i will stay...

So we have been doing the same old this and that. Having fun and all that. Apparently not having enough fun to have anything to write about though.

And I put up an eyes closed picture of the kids last post and really had to do just one more of them.

We just got back today from a ridiculous weekend. Derek and I planned a trip up to Calgary for this very weekend a while back when football was FINALLY over and before too much Christmas fun began. So Friday after school we decided we were ahead of this so-called blizzard warning. Well, we got past Lethbridge and met the 'so called blizzard.' It kinda gave a whole new meaning to the term white-out. I'm not even exaggerating one bit when I say we were in a complete white out for more than half the trip from there. I'm talking I can about 1 foot in front of the car. Derek said, the roads weren't bad, it was just bad visibility, to which I replied. Yeah, I guess the roads weren't bad if you don't consider 2 small black strips of ice covered highway bad roads.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!

(this is from the internet, I would have been glad if that is what it looked like. We would not have been able to see the ruck in front.)

I was literally sick to my stomach. I kept trying to fall asleep so I wouldn't have to look, but I couldn't. When we finally made it to Susie's house almost 4 hours after we left (normally a 2 hour drive) I was so tense I had a headache and a backache and a sore neck. So THANK HEAVENS we made it. I NEVER would have gone if I knew it was that bad.

I think it was worth it, as we drove past the ditches before Calgary littered with cars and semi's. We dropped the kids off at Susie's with a babysitter and went out to eat with them. The kids were so lucky (and Susie and Ryan so kind) to stay over there and Derek and I stayed in a hotel and went on Saturday to do our Christmas shopping.

Did some good shopping. Pretty much started and finished shopping in one day. Now one to the title.

I got the kids some goods and thought I'd fancy myself a new pair of jeans for Christmas. Now, this is quite the task of life of many women. I was blessed for many years to be able to buy whatever jeans from wherever with no worries. Sale on jeans? I'm there, no matter what the style, looking and feeling not bad. Then came a child, and it became a little more difficult to find that fit, but the second, near impossible now. You know, it's got to hit you at the right place around the middle while keeping the bum and thighs looking well. And speaking of the bum, gotta keep it, and those lovely love handles TUCKED IN. Easier said than done. I swear, I cannot attend a girls night where the topic of good jeans and baby names do not come up!

Well, I hit up a bit of a sale at the gap. I grabbed a few styles in various sizes and colors. The job is not done right unless you try on 17 pairs I'm quite sure. And then it happened. I pulled up a pair. They felt just right. Snug with a slight stretch. A nice little boot cut look. Slim but not too slim through the thigh. Buttoned up just below the waist giving me that TUCKED IN feeling....wait...buttoned up just below the waist? I turned around too stare at my own rear end. There it was my friends. The biggest mom bum I had ever seen on myself. I almost laughed outloud. I had never seen myself that way before. I showed Derek and he knew something wasn't quite right in the front. Then I showed him behind and how high it went up, and the disaster that was my bum. He gave a little chuckle, and said, 'umm you can't get those.' So the jean search continues as it will for life I'm sure.

But I have one secret I'll tell about those dang mom jeans. I LOVED how they felt! There I said it. And hey, the 80's are back, so I'm thinking anytime now, since we're already wearing the skinny's, we'll jack 'em up again too.

Butt...I guess there is no way those are comfortable.