I Am The Happy Homemaker

Mix Family Reunion 08

2008-11-05T11:17:00.017-05:00

As part of my trip out to Idaho this summer, we had a Mix Family reunion on the Oregon Coast. This was a first for our family (in the past we have mostly gone camping). We rented 2 houses on the beach and had an awesome time. It was beautiful scenery, great company and delicious food. This was our 2nd reunion without Mom. We thought of her often so in a way she was still with us. I have so many pictures to share and since this is my blog to do whatever I want with here they all are! Having fun at the beach.

Here is a look up the coastline:

Dillon and Lauren love water. Seeing the ocean was so fun for them! They kept calling it the "BIG water!" it was so cute.

They loved running up to the water and having the waves chase them back.

Playing in the rocks.

Lauren has a rock in each hand :-)

The kids love their Aunt Merlayne. She came down to the beach with us and played.

This old log was the perfect spot to take some pictures! Too bad none of them turned out that great.

Me and my sweetheart: 9 years of wedded bliss.

Trip to Idaho Part III

2008-10-09T11:18:00.012-04:00

One of the things that I really wanted to do while in Idaho was visit my Mother's gavesite. Marianne, Dad and I took a trip to Twin Falls and stayed with my brother and his family. We had a great time visiting with them. We also visited with my Dad's brother and two of my Mom's sisters. It was so good to see all of them. We took one day to drive to Rupert and see the cemetary. We wanted to leave some flowers but forgot a vase so we had to be creative and make do.

All of the kids had to take a turn smelling the flowers. I don't know if Lauren really knew what she was doing or not.

Taking pictures.

The other kids looking at the other graves.

Taking a little walk before driving back to Twin Falls.

We were quite cosy in the car. Our niece came with us and so we borrowed my brother's suburban to fit us all. Three in the back, three in middle and two in front.

Maycee just barely fit between Dillon and Lauren's carseats.

Dillon was tuckered out.

This was taken later that day at my Aunts. Lauren and Maycee love to dress up. Kylie is my cousin's daughter so I guess these guys are 2nd cousins? She was helping the girls get dressed.

We had a great time visiting with all of the different family. I still miss my Mom a lot and she is in my thoughts even more as the holidays approach. So it was really good to have a quiet moment or two at the cemetary.

I have been tagged...

2008-09-19T22:21:00.005-04:00

by my good friend Michelle, to share 6 peculiar things about myself. Here goes nothing!

# 1 I have to read whenever I am eating by myself. Even if it is the back of the cereal box. Usually I am reading something online.

# 2 I have to brush my teeth whenever I take a shower. It doesn't matter the time of day or night. It is just part of the shower routine, I guess.

# 3 I eat ice cream pretty much every day. There is joke on my Dad's side of the family that if we get cut, we bleed ice cream. I have definitely inherited that trait.

# 4 I am lazy and never wash my make up off before going to bed. Gotta love those raccoon eyes in the morning.

# 5 I can't make cookies. The last time I did (in 2003? 2004?) I made some sugar cookies that the nursery was going to decorate during a Christmas enrichment night. They tasted like Play Doh. Gag! (I can make other yummy desserts, just not cookies)

# 6 I used to be a dare devil (I am getting mellow in my old age) and I dropped in on a half pipe to impress my husband.

So I am not sure if these are really peculiar or just random facts about me but there you go. I tag Rachel, Amy and Sam.

Trip to Idaho: Part Two

2008-09-12T13:05:00.012-04:00

My trip to Idaho started with the Wheeler Reunion. The rest of my time in Idaho the kids and I stayed at my brother's house. He and his wife generously opened up their beautiful home to us. We felt so welcomed and comfortable, we didn't want to leave ;-) One of my sister's timed her visit to Idaho so that we were both there at the same time. She and her children also stayed at my brother's house. We had so much fun. We ate yummy food, watched movies, hung out, visited with friends and family in the area and played many hours of Settlers of Cataan.

The day I arrived, two of my sisters came to show off their new babies (which I had not met yet). The babies are adorable.

Lauren and Dillon were happy to explore my brothers house and stretch their legs after our long day of flying.

My brother's neighborhood has a great park and we took the kids to play one day. Looking at these pictures - you would have thought I was torturing them.

As I have mentioned previously, Lauren loves babies. One of her favorite things about staying at my brother's was that her baby cousin was there too. When we let her hold him, she didn't want to give him up!

Four cousins on a couch.

Uncle (my brother) was on hand to make sure that Lauren didn't drop the baby.

Can you see Grandpa in the back ground playing barbies?

Wheeler Reunion 2008

2008-09-06T11:40:00.027-04:00

The kids and I went to the Wheeler Reunion this summer in Wallowa Country, Oregon. It was beautiful! The reunion this year was in memory of my Mom and it was so good to be there with her brothers and sisters and to remember her and honor her. Of course it was a little sad too because we obviously would have loved to have her there with us. I am sure she was there in spirit. We rode up with my Dad and went a day early to help get the campsite ready. Despite forgetting some key items (flashlight anyone?) we made it work. Dillon and Lauren love camping and getting dirty :-) The little cousins had a blast playing together. And now on to the pictures!

Much of the time when we are traveling blankies are always close at hand. And it hard to see in the pic how full the back of the van was.

Here is our tent:

The rest of our family's tents:

The campsite across from us:

There were tons of pretty wildflowers all over:

One of the days we drove into the town of Joseph and enjoyed wading in the lake and having ice cream. Once again - the ever present blankie.

This is the usual look we get from our dramatic (re: emotional!) little angel:

Lauren has her two blankies and Dillon has blankie and "baby" (a stuffed rabbit that was in my Mom's toy box for grandkids. He latched onto it and when we were packing up the house we claimed it. He loves baby and sleeps with him every night along with a truck or two) :

Three of my sisters babies up there, a newborn and two 3 month olds. It was lots of fun. Hard to tell but there are two babies in there:

Lauren loved the babies and would often spend time like this:

Our family is growing! There are 12 grandkids now! Here are a few of them:

Included in 12 grandkids are four 2 year olds!

If you feed Lauren she will be your friend for life. Two of Aunts received this particular distinction. After enjoying some strawberries:

The last morning, looking a little worse for wear:

Once we were packed up and headed out, it took Dillon 5 minutes to fall asleep. Look how filthy his feet are!

Lauren took about 10 minutes. They were exhausted from the time change, staying up late, missing naps and playing with their cousins.

We are already looking forward to next year!

A Sort-of Hiatus

2008-06-23T22:57:00.002-04:00

So - I still can't find my camera. :-( And I have been super busy with church lately. And I am getting ready to go visit my family and go to two reunions and will be on vacay for a month! I just wanted to apologize for the lack of posts lately and for the lack there will be in the next few weeks. But I will be back!!! See you in August.

An Ode to Strawberries

2008-06-12T16:36:00.006-04:00

One of my favorite childhood memories is of picking strawberries from our strawberry patch and eating them, warm from the sun and deliciously juicy on a hot summer day. I don't have a strawberry patch now so I have to resort to buying my fresh fruit from the grocery store. I love this time of year because strawberries are so much cheaper than any other time and I will buy them at every trip to the store. The inspiration for this post is this little guy, whom I am calling Big Daddy.

This is seriously the biggest strawberry I have ever seen! That is my hand.

I showed him to Dustin and so we had to measure him. Yep. 4 inches.

Pretty crazy, huh?

I still can't find my camera.

2008-06-10T15:51:00.002-04:00

And it is making me so sad! I feel like I can't post unless I have pictures to go with. Silly, I know, but that is how I feel. In addition to the missing camera I have had my in laws visiting and then I was gone to Girls Camp for a week.

While my in laws were here we went to the Georgia Aquarium and also to the Atlanta Zoo. They were both a lot of fun and I would recommend going if you get the chance. I have a funny story from the zoo. Dillon has this obsession with water right now. Whenever we are driving he has his little eyes peeled for lakes and ponds and then he will scream at the top of his lungs "Water!" or "Wa-Wa!" whichever strikes his fancy. While at the zoo, we walk up to the Tiger exhibit and there is a wall of glass and then a little pond of water and a slight hill with trees etc. Standing in the water like 8 feet from us is the tiger! Everyone is so excited to see him except for Dillon. He was just excited to see the water. And then the tiger walks right up to the glass and starts to lick it! It was so cool. And what is Dillon still talking about? Yep, you guessed it - the water. It was so funny because the rest of us were just wowed that the tiger was right there in front of us and Dillon could have cared less.

So last week I went to Girl's Camp. I was gone from early Tuesday morning until Friday afternoon. It was the first time I was gone that long from my kids and I was missing them so much! Camp itself was great. It was so fun to spend with the girls and bond with them. Our stake really did an outstanding job. The only downer was that it was SO hot and muggy. But I am glad it didn't rain. I was happy to get home to my kids and I was totally bawling when I saw them. My sweet mother in law stayed an extra week to help my husband watch them. I think she was happy for me to get home too.

Some exciting news today - I have a new nephew! My younger sister had her baby this morning. He was 8 lbs 6 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. She had a good, quick delivery. I can't wait to see pictures.

A Fun Weekend

2008-05-19T21:54:00.001-04:00

I finally got to go to an art show with Dustin! For those of you didn’t know, Dustin is working for an amazing artist, who also happens to be his sister’s husband.

My sister in law and I have been wanting to go to a show with them (my husband and hers) and this one worked out really well since it was only about 5 hours away near Charleston, South Carolina. We tried to do it as cheaply as possible since we took everyone with us! So this is what it looked like:

My sister in law and brother in law, their 3 kids, the babysitter and Grandma (brother in law’s mom) all rode in their big van pulling a little U-haul trailer with all of the sculptures and pedestals. My husband and I and our kiddo's rode in our mini van. We got 2 hotel rooms with 2 full beds in each one. Brother in law and sister in law slept in one bed, Grandma in the 2nd. Kid 1 & 2 slept on the floor and kid 3 slept in a pack n play. In our room, my husband and I slept in one bed and the babysitter slept in the other one with both of our kids in pack in plays.

We also tried to plan cheaper meals and took stuff with us to cut down on costs: like sandwiches for lunches, the free continental breakfast at the hotel and easy Mac n cheese for dinner.

We took a babysitter because this show has some really nice meals for the artists in the evenings (which I am going to talk about in depth down below) and we both wanted to go to all of them. We took a girl in our ward that is home from college for the summer and she was great!

The first night's party was held at a historic estate home that is now a Bed and Breakfast. Black Tie was optional. We wore nice church clothes. The 2nd night's party was held at the home of a couple who donate to this art show. Their home is also a Bed and Breakfast. Both nights we had shrimp and grits but they were so different and both SO good.

The first night the shrimp had mushrooms and bacon in a kind of broth served over the grits and topped with cheese and bacon wrapped scallops that were fried. YUM! Also at this party, another surprisingly yummy treat, a grape rolled in goat cheese and then pistachios. WOW. I also liked the salmon on bruschetta and the stuffed mushrooms. It was fun to mingle with everyone but a bit cramped. They had planned to do it outside around the pool but it poured rain right before we got there so they moved it under the porch and inside.

The second night's shrimp and grits were even better. They called it a traditional Lowcountry gourmet meal. The shrimp was in a red sauce with bacon and tomato and the grits were so creamy, I found out later that they were made with butter and half n half or heavy cream. Absolutely sinful. And worth every bite. They also had prime rib, tomato slices with a slice of mozzarella, and delicious fresh green beans.

It was fun to have stimulating conversation and pretend to be an educated person with something to add. We had a very interesting couple at our table. The husband was from Zimbabwe and the wife had lived in Zimbabwe and Zambia but was from England. They had wonderful accents. They were forced to leave Zimbabwe because of something he was doing to protect the wildlife (I think? It was hard to hear and with his accent I didn't quite catch everything he said). He had just gotten back from Uganda because they want him to help with the exact thing he was asked to leave Zimbabwe for. Crazy! Anyway - they were just super nice and it was so cool to talk with them. They live in Montana now. So he was saying that he is a true African American, since he was born in Africa and now lives in America. But he is white. For those of you who don't know - my brother in law is from Nigeria and is black. We all got a kick of that.

I have no pictures :-( , because I can't find my camera.

Mother's Day: Remembering My Mom

2008-05-10T14:54:00.020-04:00

This Mother's Day will be very bitter-sweet for me. Bitter since it is the first one since my Mom died and sweet because I am finally a Mom myself. The one year mark of her death is fast approaching and I am still grieving. I think of her so often and miss her terribly. It is especially hard as my children reach milestones and she is the first one I want to call and tell. I have a journal where I am trying to capture all of my thoughts and feelings of her. I want my kids to know who she was. She was such a part of their lives when they were fist born; we spent the first 8 weeks together. I really treasure the memories I have of that time. My Mom was such an amazing person and if I turn out to be even half the woman she was - then I am doing pretty good. She was kind, loyal, sincere, and curious, a good cook, a gardener, patriotic, spiritual, loved the Lord, accepting, hard working, selfless, creative, loving, strong, honest, loved the country and missed the farm, and loved to spend time with her family camping and playing games. She sacrificed so much to raise her children and take care of her family and often forgot herself in the process. As I have gotten older, my husband has teased me about certain things saying that I am turning into my Mom. And for me that is the highest compliment a girl could ask for.

This was my mother's engagement picture. She was 19.

When the babies were a week old.

She was folding my laundry and playing with the babies. I was probably sleeping!

She loved being a grandma! Here she is holding her first red headed grandbaby.

Holding Dillon.

Holding Lauren.

Holding both!

My parents would have celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary this November.

I love you Mom!

*For more pictures and stories of Moms check out Lei's blog.

Happy Birthday!

2008-05-05T14:27:00.025-04:00

Dillon and Lauren turned 2 yesterday! We had a fun filled day with presents and cake and Elmo. My friend said once that when you have babies and toddlers the days feel like they will never end but the years go by fast. That saying really rang true for me. So indulge me while I reminisce with pictures.

Here I am at 36 weeks pregnant. I delivered at 36 weeks 2 days.

I just love how this dress hangs off my belly.

Lauren weighed 6 lbs 9 oz and was born at 7:02 AM

Dillon weighed 6 lbs 8 oz and was born at 7:00 AM

So happy to be finally be a MOMMY!!!

Our two little burritos!

About 1 1/2 weeks old and ready to go on a walk!

And now for the party pictures. Our decorations were really low key but they liked them!

Another view of the dining room.

One of the things that always made my birthday special growing up was that my Mom made a cake for me. I looked forward to picking out what I wanted and she would do it! So I am trying to follow in her footsteps but I am not a professional cake decorator. I was lazy and used store bought frosting which got soft really fast and was hard to ice with. I also ran out of red food coloring so Elmo is not quite dark enough and I also ran out of red icing but all in all not bad for my first time.

The birthday girl.

Cousin, Uncle and Uncle's Mom. She is the kids adopted Grandma and they say Hi to her whenever they see her. They can also say Grandma. It is pretty cute.

The guest list: Aunt and Uncle, cousins and Grandma.

The Loot.

Opening presents!

Showing Grandma

Of course whatever one does the other has to do as well!

Dillon LOVES his new "bike".

All the kids had fun.

The Long Awaited For....

2008-04-16T15:50:00.033-04:00

Camp post with pictures!! Lots and lots and lots of pictures.

We had so much fun camping. We went to Oconee State Park in South Carolina. It was an unofficial ward activity. There were 18 families from the ward (it was spring break here). It was beautiful there and only about a 2 1/2 hour drive for us. The kids loved being outside all of the time! Whopper started singing Happy Birthday when we lit a twig on fire to light our lantern. It had us both laughing because we didn't know that he even knew Happy Birthday. Due to the proximity of two lakes, Whopper and Whopper Jr both learned how to say Water instead of Wa Wa. Sleeping in the tent went pretty well except for nap time. There was just too much going on during the day. We all got a little sunburned, ate lots of yummy food and all want to go back. Hopefully we can go again this summer.

Here is our campsite (the building is one of the bathrooms/showers):

Our view towards the lake:

Visiting the other lake and looking at ducks:

Dustin and Whopper at the lake.

Whopper Jr loved to pick up rocks and little twigs and carry them around. We found rocks everywhere!

Both kids liked to sit at the picnic table.

Whopper Jr making a face:

Who me?

Playing with the car is always fun.

So is carrying stuff around the campsite.

On the warmest day, the kids napped (I am using this term loosely) only in their diaper. They thought this was great. They love to be naked.

We had just put both of them to bed in the tent and Dustin was by the van getting his fishing stuff ready for the next day. All of sudden he hears a little voice and giggling. He turns around to find that Whopper had learned how to unzip the window. He was so proud of himself for this achievement.

At one of the playgrounds by the lake.

There is nothing like playing in the dirt and rocks.

We rented a jon boat one day and took a picnic lunch out on the lake. The kids loved it! They were so cute in their little life jackets.

Ready for a nap!!

Just up from his nap and Daddy is trying to make him smile.

Trying to eat the raisens through the box.

Just chillin'

On the last night they had a dance. Whopper Jr loves music and loves to dance. This little boy is a Sunbeam and he danced with her until someone came in with a dog. At 3 a dog is more important than dancing.

We all had a shower before we left on Friday and whenever we have baths or showers we always brush teeth. Whopper likes to take a turn after we do it for him.

This is how the back of the van looked on the way home. It felt like we had more stuff than when we came! My Mom would have been proud of that pack job.

Random Fact About Me

2008-04-05T11:58:00.000-04:00

Whenever I get a drink that has a plastic lid - I have to push all of the little tabs in before I can drink it. I have done this since Junior High. Not sure why. Enjoy your Saturday!

P.S. I am going camping and will be gone all next week. When I come back I shall have hilarious stories about my kids and the cutest camping pictures to share. I know you will all be waiting breathlessly for my return.

New Haircut

2008-03-26T12:50:00.001-04:00

After having the same hairstyle for pretty much the last 10 years, it was time for a change! I cut off 10 inches and donated it to Locks of Love. It is still pretty long by most standards but it feels soooooo short to me! I love it though and it is fun to have a change.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T23:37:00.000-04:00

We had a fun Easter holiday with the kids. On Saturday they hunted for eggs and after a little coaching were old pros at picking up the eggs and dropping them in their baskets. On Sunday they wore new Easter clothes and got a basket from the Easter Bunny. They got most of their candy from the eggs in their egg hunt so they only got some chocolate in their baskets.

I cooked Easter dinner with my sister in law and it was delicious. I have come to the realization that I will always think of my Mom when I am cooking because A) I am probably using her recipe B) I want to call her and ask a question and C) She was always cooking yummy stuff for us and that was her way to show her love. This meal was no exception. I made a delicious glaze to go with my ham and I also made Overnight Potato casserole both of which were recipes of my Mom's. It is such a weird feeling because I miss her so much at these times but yet I also feel the closest to her.

Church was nice and I had the opportunity to bear my testimony in Young Women's as part of our lesson. Easter has always been a favorite holiday and time of year and I love the chance to contemplate the resurrection and to be thankful for all that Christ has done for me and for you. So Happy Easter!

A Birthday

2008-03-15T11:43:00.000-04:00

Dustin had a birthday in February and the kids loved his candles. They were so cute watching while he blew them out. Happy Birthday Daddy!

Fort Sumter

2008-03-11T13:59:00.000-04:00

During our road trip, my Dad and I stayed for a few days in Charleston, SC. We took the opportunity to ride a boat out to Fort Sumter. It was really cool to see.

When you are one and half though - you don't care about sightseeing. It is more fun to climb:

Climb some more:

Dig in the dirt:

And it wouldn't be complete with out some wrestling:

My Life Monday - A recent picture

2008-03-10T21:25:00.000-04:00

This week's assignment: share a recent picture and the story behind it!

This picture was taken in August of 2007. I love my family so much and my sisters are some of my best friends. We might have fought over clothes when we were younger but now we fight over helping each other and helping our Dad. I couldn't have asked for any more sweeter, smarter and more beautiful sisters. I love you guys!

A Kid Update

2008-03-05T21:05:00.000-05:00

My kids are growing so fast! They are learning new stuff all the time. Whopper Jr. is adding a few more words to her vocabulary, ball and baby, being the latest. She is still my big time cuddler and is most happy when I am holding her, she has her silky and is sucking her thumb. Whopper continues to have a fascination with trucks. Anything with 4 wheels is called a truck and he will walk around with a car in each hand. He also loves to go outside and asks me everyday if he can go. We are also now entering into the fighting stage. Whatever toy one has, the other decides they need it right now! I break up lots of tug-o-wars. All.day.long. If you have any advice for me on how to get them to share - I would love to hear it.

My Life Monday

2008-03-03T20:09:00.000-05:00

Rachelle has started My Life Monday again. This week's topic is to write a 6 word life memoir. Here goes.

I am stronger than I thought.

Oh yeah...

2008-02-27T23:30:00.000-05:00

I wanted to give a shout out to my brother on his birthday today! He is 36!!! Here he is celebrating his bday with my Dad.

Smokey Mountains and Columbia, SC Temple

2008-02-27T23:20:00.000-05:00

After visiting Ruby Falls we spent the night with my cousin and his family in Knoxville. They were so kind and hospitable. We were very comfortable and had a great time visiting and catching up. We left Knoxville and traveled through part of the Smokey Mountain National Forest. It was beautiful.

We stopped by the temple in Columbia, SC. Even though it was night time, it was still simply gorgeous. This is one of the smaller temples and you have to make appointments any time you want to attend.

Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, TN

2008-02-20T13:18:00.000-05:00

My Dad visited us in January and we took the opportunity to go on another road trip. We started out by visiting Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, TN. It was so cool. It is a guided tour and they have set tour times. You ride an elevator down 265 ft and then walk a trail 1/2 mile long to the Falls. It is the largest continual water fall inside of a cave in the US. We took the kids with us, but that was a lot of work. Whopper Jr. wasn't walking really great so I held her a lot. While the trail is paved, there are several sets of stairs and also a few parts that are quite narrow so a stroller wouldn't fit through. I would recommend waiting until your kids can totally walk it on their own. We had so much fun and I am definitely going to go back with Dustin. Here is their website for more info: http://www.rubyfalls.com/

Outside, getting ready to go in:

The Look Out Tower:

Waiting inside for the tour to start:

There is a stream that goes through the cave, this is a little puddle:

A picture of the trail:

The Falls are the long white strip down the middle. They have different lighting for a dramatice effect. We were slower because of the kids, so we missed the white light where you could really see it. Oh well, there is always next time!

You can't see it at all, but I am standing in front of the water:

I Am Grateful

2008-02-15T12:57:00.001-05:00

I am grateful for the chance I had to teach YW on Sunday. It gave me the motivation I needed to get back on track.

I am grateful for good friends.

I am grateful for a sweet husband who knows me and loves me. He left me a little note when he left town on Sunday and I needed that!

I am grateful for modern marvels, like the dishwasher and washing machine and hot showers among others.

I am grateful for advances in science and medicine and that I am mother to two beautiful healthy children.

I am grateful for the gospel and the peace it brings me knowing that I will see my Mom again someday.

I am grateful for my family.

My Mom

2008-02-08T22:22:00.000-05:00

I made wheat pancakes for breakfast and ate them with home made syrup and inevitably I thought of my Mom. She always made a hot breakfast for us to eat before school because it was the most important meal of the day. And wheat pancakes were one of her favorites. Now I cheated and used Aunt Jemima pancake mix from a box. My Mom would actually grind the wheat in the blender and make the batter from scratch. I hope to do it that way someday. Maybe when my kids are older. The saying is true - you don't know what you have until it's gone. You know, I miss my Mom every day. But I am so thankful that I had a good relationship with her. That I could (and did) call her every day and tell all about the mundane mommy stuff going on in my world and she cared. Besides my husband she was one of my biggest cheerleaders and someone who could comfort me with the pat of a hand. I am typing this with the biggest lump in my throat and tears streaming down my face because I never realized or appreciated enough how much she did for me and how much she sacrificed for me and how much she taught me. Just by doing and showing me that the little things are the ones that count that the most. Like wheat pancakes and home made syrup.

My Mom didn't want me to take this picture. She hadn't fixed her hair yet. She was holding my kids so we could load up our van and head back home. I am so glad I did. I had no idea it would the last time I saw her.

Silly Girl

2008-02-05T20:16:00.000-05:00

I came into the kid's room yesterday and Whopper Jr. was all ready to go! She had her little messenger bag around her neck and was holding another bag in her hand. I can't believe that she is accessorizing already.

Another Whopper Jr. funny: Dustin was changing Whopper's diaper. He finished and went to get his pants to put them back on and they weren't where he set them. He stands Whopper up and say's out loud "Where's Whopper's pants?" He keeps looking all over and can't find them. He asks Whopper Jr. where Whopper's pants are and she goes over to the dresser, opens the drawer and pulls them out. She had put them in there when Dustin wasn't paying attention!

First time with the flu.

2008-01-28T13:41:00.000-05:00

We survived our first bout with the stomach flu! Whopper Jr. was just not feeling well on Thursday. About 15 minutes after breakfast, it all came back up. (insert gagging face here) She didn't even cry - just said "Uh oh!" Three loads of laundry, four more times throwing up and three baths filled up our day. Luckily she slept all night through. Whopper was fine on Thursday but on Friday he had a low fever and instead of throwing up, was busy with the other end. Poor little guy. His fever lasted until Saturday morning but by Sunday they were both back to normal. Yay it is over!!! I am crossing my fingers that we will be healthy for awhile.

On a sad note, President Hinckley passed away last night. I was not surprised considering his age and I am happy that he is reunited with his wife but I am still sad. Pres. Hinckley had a special place in my heart. He has been the prophet since I was a teenager and he was the first one that I really felt like I knew. I will miss him.

The Beach

2008-01-22T22:40:00.000-05:00

We checked out a couple of lighthouses on our way up the coast of Georgia and South Carolina. The babies loved the beach. I can't wait to take them when it is actually warm outside. (These pictures were all taken in South Carolina.)

New Slide

2008-01-18T16:33:00.000-05:00

Whopper and Whopper Jr. got a slide for Christmas. They love it!!!

Stone Mountain

2008-01-18T16:21:00.000-05:00

While my Dad was here for Christmas, we went to Stone Mountain. It was so cool. We rode the gondola up to the top and looked around, enjoyed all of the pretty Christmas lights, watched the fastest Christmas Parade ever and saw a Christmas laser light show. We were planning on doing the train ride too but the babies were ready to go and the line was way too long.

December in Georgia

2008-01-05T14:53:00.000-05:00

We had some unseasonably warm weather 2 weeks before Christmas. Like in the mid to upper 70's. Dustin was in charge of the babies and this is how I found them. Whopper Jr in her diaper with crazy hair and Whopper in his PJ's with sandals. My poor, poor children.

Tagged...

2007-12-29T21:24:00.000-05:00

So I was tagged to write 6 things about myself on my blog and then tag six other people. But I don't know how to tag 6 other people, so I will just write 6 things about me. :-)

1. I like Hello Kitty. A lot. I have a small collection and if I could I would probably buy everything that I saw that had Hello Kitty on it.

2. I love to read. I usually check out at least 7-8 books from the library at a time. I feel panicky when I don't have something to read.

3. I have never been to Canada or Mexico.

4. I have eaten Rocky Mountain Oysters. And I decided that anything tastes pretty good when it is fried and dipped in Ranch.

5. I still like to dress up for Halloween.

6. My husband is my best friend.

Christmas Morning

2007-12-28T10:35:00.000-05:00

Besides forgetting Whopper and Whopper Jr's stocking stuff and 2 Santa gifts at home, the babies had so much fun! Someone in our new ward was doing a 12 Days of Christmas to us, so they had some practice at unwrapping presents in the days leading up to the actual event and it really helped. Enjoy the pictures!

Christmas Eve

2007-12-27T15:04:00.000-05:00

We spent Christmas in Virginia with my Dad, my sister and brother in law, and two of my brother in law's brothers. Did ya follow that? We did fondue on Christmas Eve and my sister read the Christmas story from a children's book to all of the kids before they went to bed. We also sang some Christmas carols and the kids each had their own microphone, which they loved. I found some of Santa's reindeer too!

Long Overdue...

2007-12-27T15:03:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't updated my blog in a while but I have had lots going on. And that means lots of pictures and posts to come!!! Yay!

Yummy....Not!

2007-11-28T17:06:00.000-05:00

So I love my fast food. I worked at several fast food places as a teenager and I think because of that they will always have a special place in my heart. There is one thing that drives me crazy though. The lettuce. It is always gross! I hate limp, dis-colored lettuce. Case in point: the lettuce from my McChicken today.

Speaking of Church...

2007-11-28T16:19:00.000-05:00

I got a calling! They released our YW Presidency and the Primary Presidency a week and a half ago and I am the new 1st Counselor in YW. We have a great group of youth. There are 32 YW total. Yes, you read that right - 32. And I am over 11 of them. I am excited and nervous :-)

Nursery Times

2007-11-25T16:38:00.000-05:00

Whopper and Whopper Jr. aren't so sure about this whole nursery thing. You would think we were punishing them because we want them to stay and play with toys. Dustin ended up staying the whole time with them today. I did peek in on them once while they were singing. The chorister had little suns with a space cut out for their face. Whopper Jr. was just holding hers and looking at it but Whopper actually held his up to his face. It was so stinkin' cute!
Dustin told me that Whopper had a bit of a melt down during snack time. He was so excited to get his drink of water, that he ended up pouring it all over his face! That made him mad and so he started swinging his arms around and knocking everything over. He has been doing this temper tantrum thing for a couple days now and it is already getting old. Someone please tell me he will grow out of it! Their lesson was on honesty and when I picked them up they had on the cutest little crowns they made. I had to take some pictures :-) Enjoy!

So cute!

Trying to take her crown off

Got it!

So proud of herself after walking across the room.

Playing with the TV.

It's the little things...

2007-11-19T13:50:00.000-05:00

that make me happy. When the babies were around 9 months old I started trying to teach them some simple signs like more, eat and all done. Whopper has been able to do them for a while and it is so helpful to know what he wants. Whopper Jr. has never really picked up on it until last week that is. She finally is signing when she wants more and when she wants to eat. It is so cute and rewarding to know that they are picking up some of the stuff I try and teach them. I will try and get a video of it later after their naps.

Fun Outside

2007-11-15T21:46:00.000-05:00

I think I have mentioned it before - but Whopper and Whopper Jr. love to go outside! It is their favorite place to play. Whopper just loves to run around and push the different toys. Whopper Jr loves to play in her cousin's Little Tykes car. Here are some fun pics from last Sunday.

A Funny

2007-10-31T20:41:00.000-04:00

I have a little niece that is 3 1/2 and lives very close by. We see them often. Whenever she talks about the babies she refers to them as "the boyfriend" and the "the girlfriend" :-) If I am holding Whopper, she will ask me "Where's the girlfriend at Jeannette?" It cracks me up every time!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-26T23:01:00.000-04:00

Our ward had their Trunk or Treat on Thursday night. We went with Dustin's big sis and her family. Whopper and Whopper Jr. weren't quite sure what to think about everything. Whopper loves stuffed animals and when he saw the costumes he hugged them and gave them loves. It was so cute. Whopper Jr. is still figuring out this walking thing and when she fell down she rolled onto her back. I am not sure if the costume made her off balance or what, but it was funny. Sorry I couldn't post just one picture!

Getting so big.

2007-10-26T22:53:00.000-04:00

I can't believe how fast the time has gone by.

They are just getting so big. Here is a picture of them after their naps getting ready for a snack (don't mind Whopper Jr.'s messy hair). Oh and she insisted on taking her silky with her. Silly girl!

New Haircut!

2007-10-26T22:44:00.000-04:00

Whopper was in desperate need of a new haircut. The last time I tried to cut his hair - it ended up buzzed so I have been hesitant to do anything. Now that we live close to Dustin's big sis, she offered to do it! She gave him a sucker (his first one ever) and he sat so still. He LOVED the sucker and ate the whole thing! His hair looks so much better.

I almost forgot!

2007-10-12T13:31:00.000-04:00

Whopper Jr is FINALLY starting to walk on her own. Hooray! Last night she walked back and forth from Auntie (she loves Auntie and always wants her to hold her) to Daddy several times, taking about 9 steps one of the times. I was worried that she was going to be the only kid still crawling when they go to nursery next month!

A Picture From Our Road Trip

2007-10-12T13:26:00.000-04:00

Whopper and Whopper Jr were always very happy to get to our hotel. This meant they could crawl around the room like crazy and do one of their favorite things: look outside.

One box at a time.

2007-10-07T15:16:00.000-04:00

That is how I am doing it. But it has been slow going. Dustin left to go to a show in New York (Lucky!) on Tuesday so I have been on my own trying to unpack and also take care of the babies. I can't wait until Dustin gets back and we can make a good dent on our unpacking. I have been watching Conference online with my sister in law. We didn't think we could handle heading to the Stake center with only 2 adults and 5 kids! It is much nicer watching from the comfort of our home.

A new trick.

2007-10-03T19:56:00.000-04:00

Whopper learned something new today. I was upstairs watching my niece and nephew and one of them left their chair pushed out at the table. The next thing I know - he is sitting on the top of the table! He had an apple from the bowl of fruit and was as happy as could be. I can't believe how fast he figured out how to climb on the chair and then the table. Crazy.

We are here!!!

2007-09-30T00:17:00.000-04:00

FINALLY! What a trip: around 2,ooo miles, 9 states and 4 days! Phew.

Driving...and more driving..

2007-09-27T12:03:00.000-04:00

So we are in the midst of our trip to our new destination in the South! I am just taking a quick minute to say that Whopper and Whopper Jr are doing great so far. I, on the other hand, could use some more sleep! I am sure it would make me a much more happy camper. We will hopefully have some new fun pictures to share in a couple days.

Speaking of apples...

2007-09-23T14:50:00.000-04:00

Trips outside almost always result in the babies bringing in an apple or two to play with. Dustin brought one in the other day and after washing it, started to eat it. Immediately Whopper Jr wanted to eat her apple too! She was so cute gnawing on it. I finally took pity and cut some off for her and Whopper to enjoy in their high chairs. They loved it!

He is a genius.

2007-09-21T23:13:00.001-04:00

Whopper's new favorite word is "out-ide" and he loves to play in the grass under the apple tree outside our apartment. Yesterday he wanted to go out, I told him he needed to have shoes on to go out and that he needed to go get them. He found one of his shoes and tried to put it on by stepping on it. It was so exciting to see that he actually understood what I said!! Like I said - he is a genius. :-)

Girls NIght Out!

2007-09-21T22:50:00.000-04:00

Some of my friends and I had one last girls night out before I leave town on Tuesday. We stuffed ourselves with yummy breadsticks and pasta. I am gonna miss you guys!!!

Jumping on the bandwagon....again!

2007-09-21T01:32:00.000-04:00

So this is my second attempt at having a blog. Since we are moving in a few days (FAR away from everyone) I thought this would be a fun way to keep in touch. So here goes! Here are some cute pictures we had taken in July.