ABC Tag

ABC TAG:
A- Attached or single: Attached
B- Best Friend: my husband, Mike
C- Cake or pie: cake, most definitely; I am not a crust fan (no frosting on the cake though)
D- Day: Sunday, so I can take a breather
E- Essential item: Scriptures, I am lost without them
F- Favorite color: This is always changing. Today I am going to say lavendar.
G- Gummi bears or worms: I gotta go with the worms on this
H- Home town: Murray-Taylorsville area (we moved so much, but were there longer than other places.
I- Indulgences: Death by chocolate cheesecake
J- January or July: July, I love fireworks, warm weather and parades!
K- Kids: four... Reagan (6), Dakota (4), Oakley (3), Jackson (8 months)
L- Life is incomplete without: FUN
M- Marriage date: March 18, 2000
N- Number of siblings: 2 brothers
O- Oranges or apples: yep
P- Phobias or fears: don't know
Q- Quote: "I have found that if you love life, life will love you right back" Arthur Rubinstein (thanks Steph, it's one of my favorite's now!)
R- Reason to smile: watching my girls dance in the living room while my boy pounds on his toys
S- Season: yep, all of them. I love the variety. You get fun-filled beautiful snow in the winter, Wonderful rain that brings everything back to life in the spring, Summer with all its activities and warmth, and Fall with a time of thanksgiving and beautiful leaves showing their true colors!
T- Tag four: Kami, Whitney, Steph, and Rebecca
U- Unknown fact about me: I can twist my tongue funny ways
V- Very favorite store: The Children's Place
W- Worst habit: cleaning the house right before we have to leave just so it will be clean when we get back even if we are running late (this kills Mike).
X- X-rays or Ultrasounds: I have had my fair share of both. The best was the x-ray to find my missing IUD (only to find it right under my bladder).
Y- Your favorite food: yep, I love food, all kinds
Z- Zodiac sign: Taurus, and I live up to it!
Now tag, you're it! Post this on your blog for all of us to see.

Here is Oakley just a couple days old with Dakota and Mommy.

Always a smile on her face as a baby

Our sweet little Oakley, she was a happy little tot.

One of Oakley's "moments". Can you tell what her body language is screaming at me?

Oakley's favorite guy... Daddy

She wore herself out and ended the day wearing a Little Mermaid skirt with a Snow White top!

Oakley with Mommy

Oakley being silly with Dakota I love you Oakley. Keep smilin' Sunshine!

HB2U

Two posts in one day, I know. But this post is much more light-hearted than the previous one. Today my baby girl turns 3! And even better yet, she is a potty-trained 3-year-old!

I love this little girl. She is full of life! She is one ambitious little girl; she is determined to do it all by herself (no matter what it is). I admire her tenacity... that little girl does not give up! Today is the day I get to honor her. I am grateful she was sent to our family. She came earlier than planned; she came on her time frame. She lives that way still; things are done her way, and in her time!

So happy birthday my little girl. I love you. Thank you. You teach me every day of my life.

Grandma, why are you wearing yellow make-up?

My mom, as some of you may be well aware, has had issues with her liver for several years now. She is a woman who never stops... she is always go go go. To know her, you would never know she has a disease that could potentially cause cancer in her liver. She does not complain. She had problems with her colon from the time she was 18, which eventually led to an operation where they replaced her colon with part of her small intestine. All those years she had a diseased colon, the same disease was attacking her liver, which led to her current condition.

Lately she has been extremely yellow. Her skin looks like she rubbed fake tan lotion on her face. The whites of her eyes are bright yellow. Her hands and feet swelled up the other day. So she called the doctor and they took her blood only to find that her bilirubin count was up to 19 (a normal person would be at 0). For any of you who have had a baby with Jaundice, you would be familiar with that term. She basically has jaundice. What is so scary is that her liver is failing. The toxins are being released through her body and her other organs are working overtime to try to compensate for the lack of liver function.

So, right now Reagan and Dakota are camping with my mom and dad. I spoke with my mom yesterday and she told me that Dakota looked at her and asked her why she put on yellow make-up. She went on to tell her how yellow her eyes are. My mom mentioned that the tone in Dakota's voice made it sound like she said- You look horrible with yellow make-up on, why would you choose to put on yellow make-up?

My mom is a woman with incredible faith. There are times I am scared of her dying, there are times I have cried. And then there are times when my soul is comforted and I know that no matter the outcome, everything will be as it should, and I will be alright. I must admit the thought of losing my mother brings such intense anguish to my heart. She is my friend, my confidant. When I am feeling down she gives me a boost. When I am frustrated beyond belief, she calms me down. She has a way of speaking to me that gets me thinking clearly. I always know at the end of the day, no matter what, my mother loves me. She thinks I am wonderful, even when I have doubts as to who I am. She told me one day that I was a good mother. She actually told me she was so impressed with the way I handle my children, and she was pleased with the way I parent my kids. I just looked at her and said, "Well, I learned how to be a mom by watching you." I owe all that I am today at the love she gave me and still gives me. I am a blessed woman to have a mother who is not only my mom, but she is my friend.

So, I am asking a favor to all of you reading this, to pray for her. I don't know what is in store for her. I know they have now put her on a waiting list for a liver transplant, but until then, we have been informed she is going to be feeling very ill.

New Book Series

Okay, so I have found another book series that I absolutely love! It's bad enough that I am hooked to the Twilight series and am looking forward to reading about beautiful Edward again next month! Harry Potter consumed much of my spare time. I am all through those... now I have begun reading he Fablehaven series. So far there are 3 books. I just finished the 3rd book last week. The 4th is scheduled to be released in April of 2009. I would recommend this series to anyone (if you like fantasy-type books, you will enjoy it). It is very well written, full of adventure. So there you have it. Let me know if you get the chance to read it!

A Much Deserved Date

Mike and I went on the first "real" date in a very long time last night. We have both been a bit bogged down by the kids, work, projects around the house, callings, etc., etc. We have basically allowed life to jeapordize our alone time together. I love my kids. I love my life. I love my job. But I don't want to allow any of those to get in the way of my relationship with my husband. So when I got home from work yesterday Mike suggested we find a babysitter and go out, just the two of us. I was a bit hesitant at first, thinking of all the things we could accomplish if we stayed home and worked on the house and the yard. And then it hit me... duh! Those projects can wait until next week. My time with my dear husband is not something to put aside so I can finish some project (just to start another).

So we found somebody who could come watch the kids with only about 45 minutes notice. I quickly made the kids dinner and we went out.

Now, this may not sound like the most spectacular date, but honestly, it was one of the best ones I have been on yet! We had dinner at Cafe Rio and then we went riding. We rode our bikes for at least an hour and a half. We talked about everything and nothing and all of it in between. We laughed together. He was playful. I was carefree. It felt wonderful to just be.

As we got to the end of the trail we took a break and were talking about different vacations we would like to take. I was standing there, looking at him and the sight of him took my breath away. I felt butterflies in my stomach; I reached forward and gave him a nice big smooch. At that moment I remembered why I love him so very much!

We got back on our bikes and continued back the way we came. He even showed off for me a little. I almost felt like we were two high school kids again, just hanging out and having a good time.

I thoroughly enjoyed my evening. He has promised me we will go riding together at least once a month (weather permitting). He is going to take me somewhere new next time. He isn't quite as competetive as he was a little while ago. I fear I may eat my words though. He is riding his bike to and from work nearly every day... that is 2 hours of daily riding for him. His legs are pretty tough and he is a much more experienced rider than I am. But, at least we have found that no matter what, it is one more thing we enjoy doing together.

So, I guess my point is I have recently learned a great lesson... communication is key. Time together is essential. And fun is a definite must!

I feel lighter today. I feel re-energized! I even feel about 5 years younger. All because I took the time to share a moment with my sweetheart.

FHE Activity

Here is Reagan's Graham Temple

This is Oakley's Graham Temple

Dakota's Graham Temple. She was the first to demolish hers. I didn't even have time to get a shot of the finished product before she dug in!

Okay, so I totally messed up how to lay this blog out... but oh well. Here is a brief explanation of these pictures. Our activity for this past family home evening was to make graham cracker temples. It was a lot of fun (and yummy) and very easy. The kids had a ball.

Reagan spent the most time making hers. She was very pleased with the end product. Dakota just couldn't wait to eat it! Oakley liked making it but then didn't want to eat it once it was complete. She didn't finish eating it until the next day.

I am just grateful for all the different resources right at our fingertips. I have access to so many great ideas that are fun ways of teaching the gospel to my children. I am grateful for people with creative minds and am especially grateful for their willingness to share their creativity with me. Anyway, it's a fun way to teach about temples.

I have some big news. Oakley has decided to potty train. So far, so good... only 2 accidents in two days. She has been doing well. I am maintaining a positive attitude that this is happening this week! I am sooooooooooooo excited, I can hardly contain myself.

The Challenge Is On

I have found a way to get my husband to exercise. I didn't even mean for it to happen, it just did. One night we were talking and I mentioned that since I have been going to a spinning class two days a week for a couple months now, and I have been riding my bike to work (and any other time I can) that I could probably kick his butt up Millcreek Canyon.

Let me backtrack a bit. When we were first married Mike rode his bike everywhere. He had the toughest legs, they were solid! I thought he had the sexiest legs I had ever seen. As newly-weds, we went up Millcreek. I did not make it very far, I totally wimped out. And we never did ride together after that because I felt like I couldn't keep up with him (well, we have gone a little here and there, but not on a "real" ride). Now I realize it is simply mind over matter. My body is a lot stronger than I have ever given credit for. I believe I can do it!

Anyway, somewhere between having 4 kids, going to school and working full-time, Mike hasn't had as much time for that. So just today, when he called during his lunch break he told me he is determined to get back in shape (mind you, he still looks awesome). He is suggesting we find a sitter and go up Millcreek now. He says he wants me to eat my words, there is no way I could possibly beat him. So, the challenge is on. I have got to be tough. I want to beat him. He is even taking his bike in for a tune-up.

So I learned something new about my husband today. He is competetive and I never knew it. Now, if I can always tap into that... imagine the possibilities ;)