Messy

Isn't it amazing the messes we can get ourselves into? Pete is at that stage where he wants to feed himself so it can get pretty ugly pretty fast around here. It made me think about how as parents we get to watch our kids figure stuff out and get all messy in the process. It kind of makes me crazy a little, I just want to do it for them and avoid the clean up - but they have to learn sometime right? Besides, this is more fun, eh?

Deep Thoughts, by. . .

Yesterday my wedding dress came home after being borrowed by the girls in our Stake for a modesty fashion show and even though I was in the middle of getting dinner ready and helping the kids with homework and entertaining my sister Amanda - I still HAD to try it on again. I mean seriously, it was right there. I don't know what I was thinking, it hasn't fit me since before I had Jeffey but I thought to myself, "I can't be that much bigger than I was when I got married, I feel kind of thin now. . . maybe it will fit!?" I was so very wrong. Amanda tried to stuff me in it and I think I dislodged my spleen or liver or something because my guts felt sad at me after I tried to smash them.

Why, you ask, am I telling you all this? Who knows. I've just been thinking about how I've changed in the past almost 11 years (our anniversary is May 12th). I've had five babies, one at a time. I feel pretty okay that I'm not as slender as I used to be because what I've "traded" for my young lithe body are five wonderful children who thought I was crazy for prancing around in my wedding dress while they were trying to watch Sponge Bob, but they did enjoy carrying my train. I'm sure that there are many other changes I've experienced too. I surely love my Ryan more than I did 11 years ago and I didn't even think that could be possible!

Anyways, I'm just saying, it was a good trade. I wouldn't change a thing.

Except for maybe that Amanda tried the dress on and it fit her. Brat.

Awards Ceremony

My dear friends Sharla & Machelle nominated me with this award. Isn't that so sweet? I like having friends.

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

Here are my eight nominees:

1. Katie
2. Whitny
3. Audrey
4. Amanda
5. Tricia
6. Tessa
7. Kathy
8. Kirsti

Machelle, Sharla and Alyssa, we already know you rock since you've received the award multiple times and you know I would totally give it to you again, however, rules are rules. . .

Easter was really fun around here! We had Ryan's sister Kate and her family down from Utah for the event. So on Saturday we decorated Easter eggs (courtesy our chickens) and hid them for a little practice hunt for our kids. It was fun times. Then on Sunday we went to Livingstone's for a big yummy Easter dinner plus a big egg hunt. It was great food, wonderful family, and a tad too much sugar for the beasts, we are slowly recovering.

Random Things, Plus Homework!

1. Here is finally a picture of the recently named Miss Coco Emmons (isn't that a cute name?), did you know that Coco Channel's real name was Gabrielle and that Gaby's real name is Gabrielle? I think it is darling and so is she.
The Emmons' have all returned to Flagstaff and are settled back in. I told Gaby that we need to do this again next year. She said she'd wait two, what a chicken!

2. This morning when I dropped the kids off at school Tessa had been having one of her sad mornings and by the time she was jumping out of the vehicle she was in sobbing tears, I said, "I'm sorry Tessa, I hope you have a great day!" to which she replied thru her tears and sobs, "You too Mom!" then immediately started sobbing again. Oh, it was so very cute! She is a girl who can feel and express her emotions without letting them slow her down!

3. One of the things I didn't get a chance to post was a date I went on 2 weeks ago with the most hansome bachelor in town.
Jefferson and I went to the dinner theatre to see Guys & Dolls and it was excellent, the voices were all very good (I love that show!), it was a bit awkward during the Hot Box Girl's scenes but we had a little chat about modesty and got thru it. Jeff's favorite songs were the Fugue for Tinhorns and Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat, the boy has great taste. I just loved spending one on one time with him and talking about whatever he wanted to talk about, we laughed a lot. We had a lovely time. In June Tessa and I are going to see Bye Bye Birdie, I'm totally excited, I love that one too! This has been the best Christmas present ever!!

4. Yesterday I was thinking about all the fun things that we did with Gaby while she was here and one of them I want for all you guys to do too. We found this show on the internet called Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and you all have to watch it too. Gather your husband up and put the kids to bed (I would rate it PG, watch it first before you let the kids watch it so you'll know when to use the mute button) it is so funny and I find myself singing the songs sometimes. You'll love it.

Announcement! (no, I'm not pregnant)

So I told you all that I would let you know when my Gaby delivered her baby. . . So she did!! Yeah! Yesterday she was all down and blue after her doctor's appointment because she hadn't progressed beyond the four and she felt like she was, "Never going to have this baby!" and it was her due date and she felt sad. She kept saying, "I'm feeling stuff and pressure but I don't know if it's going to stay and I don't know how to keep it going. . ." I'm telling you girls, she was sad. So her water broke at 4:30 or so and she was still not sure if she was in labor even though she was having regular "pressure" that comes and goes (some people call that contractions).

It was fun to say stuff like, "Well, maybe we should think about heading to the hospital since it is 40 minutes away and you are a four and your "pressures" are 2-3 minutes apart." She still wasn't buying it, but she consented and she even said I could come with her when her mother-in-law came to take her to the hospital (I was totally excited because I really like that girl and I was hoping she would invite me!). Carson had left work to find that Flagstaff was beset by a BLIZZARD! Seriously, a blizzard when he is trying to leave town quick to get to his baby's delivery!

So we arrived at the hospital at about 7:30pm and got all settled and she got an epidural which was very interesting to watch! Holy Moley! She progressed really quickly and was delivered at 12:34am today. Baby weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and is very darling, she kept sticking her tongue out at me though. It was a wonderful experience for me, odd to think that just a year ago I was the one in the bed acting nutty! Now my Pete is so big and practically walking and talking - it goes by FAST!

So today we watched conference and I napped a bit since I got home at 3am. And I miss Gaby, we've had good times together, but I'll see her tomorrow after she's released and they come to get their big girls who are still with us.

So if anyone is considering adopting a pregnant friend for a few weeks I highly recommend it, it's been lovely.

I hesitated to post this without a picture, I took about a million pictures with their camera last night but of course I don't have any here now! I'll snag some in exchange for Tierney and Avery tomorrow to show you all.

I Won!?!

Machelle, I'm excited about my new hand drafted apron! Woo-hoo! I totally signed up for that class at enrichment night so now I'll have a well made one and, well, the one I make too. . .

Peter's First Birthday!

Our sweet baby turned One today and I am shocked. I think I kind of rubbed it in to Gaby that I was in labor a year ago, neener-neener-neener!! (She's still a 4, just got back from the Doc!). So our boy is one and he has loved everyone singing happy birthday to him all day, he's started dancing along.

We LOVE our boy!

The Drop

My talented Mother in Law, Arnon, took these pictures of the kids for a photo project. She is doing another shoot this afternoon and here was the fight my kids had this morning before school, "I want to have syrup poured on me!", "No, me, it's my turn to have syrup poured on me!", "No way, I want it!" Nuts.

*Disclaimer, these photos have not been edited yet (Arnon told me to tell you that).

Jeff = eggs
Leah = popcorn & cereal
Tessa = syrup
Alana = orange juice ("I got orange juice up my nose.")
Jessica = looks like yogurt but I think it was pink colored corn starch and water or something like that.
Mitchell = cereal