Yard Update

We have been working hard on our yard lately. Yesterday and today we put down weed barrier and shoveled 3 truckloads of bark onto the garden areas. I've got quite the sunburn to prove I was out there working for hours. :) Adding the bark sure made a visible improvement on the aesthetics of our yard though. We even got a couple of neighbors (who have never spoken to us in the 3 years we have been here) come over and tell us how nice our yard is looking.

Randy shoveling the last truckload of barkthe front corner

We had some extra bark we piled in the front that we will use by the porch when our retaining wall is finished

View of our side yard It looks much betterThis picture is what it looked like 3 years ago. no trees, no shrubs, just lumpy weed dirt. It is so nice to have sprinklers, plants and a nice grassy place for the kids to play.

T-ball

We are almost done with T-ball this year. Tyler has two more games and then we will be off to MN for Randy's family reunion. We will miss the very last game, but it is worth it.

Randy is a great coach and has a lot more patience then I would have if I were the one telling/showing them what to do. Tyler is lucky to have such a great Dad. Tyler has also improved a lot. His hits go a lot further, he runs faster and can catch and throw with the best of them. I hope he decides to play again next year.

I Did It

I actually taught relief society yesterday.
It was hard for me.
I had to leave Sunday school multiple times because I was so nervous I had to go to the bathroom over and over again. Then, when Sunday school was over, I started crying. I went to the bathroom to gain my composure but it didn't work very well. I sat down in Relief Society and my friend Melissa said something like "you ready?" and I burst into tears. I went back into the restroom and threw up. Then I was crying in the hall, well, not just crying, sobbing. My friend Wendy came out and asked if I was OK. I shook my head no and she said "Is there anything I can do for you?" and I said "Yeah, you could teach Relief Society." She is so sweet. She paused, then said "I haven't even read the lesson!" What a good friend to even consider doing that for me. She obviously could see that I was panicking.
So, I got a drink to help me stop crying, and went back into Relief Society. When it was time to give the lesson, I was still crying. I stood up and told everyone I was crying because I am terrified to teach and that I hope I would stop crying. I couldn't read the lesson because of all the tears. It was so embarrassing. It took me a few minutes to stop, but eventually I did stop crying and got on with the lesson. The Atonement isn't the easiest lesson to give, but all in all I think I did an okay job...minus the anxiety and crying that is. I forgot to fill half of my chart on the board, I answered questions the class was supposed to answer and I dropped the book because I was shaking so bad. I wrote out everything I wanted to say, but when someone did make a comment it threw me off and I didn't know exactly how to proceed. Also, Randy and I couldn't get the video I had planned on showing at the end of the lesson to work.
BUT, my stories I brought were perfect for the lesson, my object lesson worked out really well, and I ended on time. I did it. I don't want to do it ever again...but I did it.

15 Months

Lily had her 15 month checkup today. She is still on the small side, but she is healthy and strong.

these are her stats:

height 28 3/4 7%

Weight: 20.4 10%

yep, she is still kinda tiny. Strangers seemed to be shocked every time they see her walk. She looks too small to be walking, but at the same time, her hair is so long and full that they think she has to be older. I love the looks I get when someone asks how old she is and I say 15 months. They think about it for a second, nod and say something like "Oh, that's probably about right." Of course it is right silly stranger!

Here she is at the Dr.'s office waiting for her turnHere she is at Aunt Michelle's stealing things from my purse. Little thief.

She love love loves this baby. (It is the doll I used to toilet train the boys). She honestly won't put it down, and I honestly need to purchase some clothing for it.See what I mean?Luckily, Lily has big brother who is always watching over her. He protects her from the other older brother who isn't as nice to her as he should be. Here he is on top of her crib. Literally looking over her.

It has been a fun 15 months. Lily has quite the personality. She won't put up with her brothers picking on her and she will scream if they do something she does not approve of. She likes to look pretty and is constantly putting things around her neck or in her hair and looking at me for conformation that she looks good. she pretends to brush her hair, she loves to put on my jewelry, she gets a kick out of picking out and putting on shoes before we leave the house, she still has a very low voice that shocks people when they hear her laugh, she loves babies (real and fake), she loves dogs and when she spots one she will go right up to it, point at it, say "Daahh" and then proceed to yell at it.

If we leave the house, I am usually bombarded with people tell me how "adorable, cute, gorgeous, pretty, beautiful" my baby is. I have to say that I agree. Love you Lills!

Jacob Says...

Giddy with excitement Jake says "When I am bigger I get to go to the GOUTS all by myself!"

It took me a while to figure out but "gouts" is "scouts" and I have to say I'm not all that excited for the scouts phase in our lives.

Jake has been very sick since about Saturday. He has had a low grade fever most days (sometimes high) and he has a terrible cough, and he is wheezing a lot. I had been putting him on the nebulizer at least twice a day for four days hoping that would help, but it didn't seem to give him much improvement. So, we headed for the doctors office when he spiked another fever.

His oxygen levels were too low, so here he is being "nebulized" at the Dr.'s office he got an otter-pop because he finally opened his mouth so the PA could look at his throat. luckily his O2 levels weren't low enough to require a steroid shot.

"P Diddy" as Randy calls him (The PA we saw is Bryan Ditty) said that he should be on a steriod for 5 days for his asthma, should be taking zyrtec instead of Claritin for his allergies (which is causing all the coughing that is keeping everyone up at night, and he thinks the fever is a virus but gave me an antibiotic prescription to fill if he doesn't improve within the next two days. Whew. I sure hope he feels better in the next couple of days.

Apparently, That will do it.

I have complained a lot about being the activity days leader in our ward. After all, I was teaching very disrespectful girls. 8 of them to be exact, after the split last month. Then, during one activity they were so careless that I got so angry I broke down and cried right in front of them. Not one of my best moments. I told Randy about the situation and specific problem girls. I was a wife confiding in my husband, not a chagrined leader complaining to the bishopric counselor (Who happens to be over the primary). Next thing I know, I am released from this calling. But I will have you know, I was more than willing to work through the issues we were dealing with and get the parents involved that needed to be.

Alright, so now I have more issues to deal with. I have TWO new callings. I am a relief society teacher and I am on the enrichment committee. If you know me well, you know that teaching relief society is one of the scariest things I could do. I am terrified actually. I used to go home from church shaking and Randy would ask "Did you make a comment in Relief Society?" and I would say "No, but I thought about making a comment." Thus the shaking. You get the idea. It is scary for me. I was really nervous about teaching sunbeams for goodness sake and those are relatively easy lessons and nobody is paying attention to you. This is going to be difficult for sure. Pray for me, I am going to need it. I have to teach next Sunday on the Atonement. Yikes. I am freaking out!

P.S. If you are reading this and you are, in fact, a teacher. I would ask that you be considerate of children or adults who do not want to participate during a lesson. Please don't call on them thinking it is good for them to "get out of their shell" or whatever. It makes them never want to come back or try and get out of going where possible. Ask for volunteers. If you don't have any volunteers, call on someone you know doesn't mind being put on the spot. Some of them are really scared like me. They will come around eventually if they become more comfortable. but if you push them, I guarantee it will be pushing them away. I know from experience. It isn't funny.

Ninja Babies

I have an inkling and I believe it must be true. I believe that while adults are sound asleep in their comfy warm beds at night, softy snoring, their babies are attending extensive ninja training classes. Now, I don't know for sure since there is little proof of this, but here is what I have deduced from my careful observations.

These members of Japanese society of mercenary agents who are highly trained in martial arts and stealth, specialize in sabotage. From about one years old, babies seemingly change overnight. their covert mission is to sabotage a (mostly) clean, managed house and turn it to chaos, untidiness, and to strike fear in every parent. I have reason to believe that the first course in baby ninja training is pulling books off of shelves while nobody is looking, the next class has is how to wet your fingers and stick them in electrical sockets. This will probably earn ninja babies a yellow belt. Pushing as many buttons as possible in one day will qualify your baby for a blue belt.

For the more gifted ninjas, they must learn special "toilet" training for weeks where they learn how to unroll toilet paper and leave it strewn about the house. This will surely earn your gifted one a brown belt. For some ninja babies, this is as far as they train. I, however am lucky enough to have an extremely skilled ninja on my hands. She has learned not only those things, but also has aspired to the ever troublesome skill of carefully emptying the garbage can if the pantry door is accidentally left open . She has even graduated from simply emptying the trash to sampling the contents as well. The last bit of ninja training she has obviously passed is slipping a bookmark out of a mother's book while mother is otherwise occupied. This in and of itself is a terrible travesty in my home as it is one of my biggest pet peeves. In order to master the ninja skills necessary for this task, I am very sure that babies must first certify in the "look up at mommy with innocent eyes and maybe even give a shy snaggle toothed grin" look. This look is absolutely essential if the ninja baby wants to make it to the ripe age of two.

Fortunately for my ninja baby, she has mastered this ninja task with flying colors After all, who can fault a sweet faced girl who pleads innocence and naivety? Not me, that's for sure. So, this bodes the question: should I feel proud my daughter is a novice ninja? or should I lament the skills she has acquired because it means she is not much of a baby anymore? all my ninja baby suspicions aside, I am proud to have my very own highly skilled black belt ninja baby.

This video was taken of a ninja novice much younger than Lily, Do you believe the conspiracy yet?

8 Years ago Today...

I was getting married! It was a crazy hectic day but I loved every minute of it. I still love every minute I get to spend with my Randy. I don't think we have any special plans today, but as long as I get to spend time with my sweetheart, it doesn't matter. also I want to say congrats Randy for losing enough weight to fit into your suit you wore to our reception in Minnesota after we were married. You are looking good babe. Love you!

Super Awesome Post

OK, so I have some pictures that for the life of me I can't figure out how to incorporate them into a post. So this is my super awesome post with absolutely no substance or story to go along with it. Feel free to make up your own and let me know if you come up with anything good.

My Recent Projects part 2.

I said I wanted to do something different with my new 'music holder' and I did. Thanks to my mom, who found me some older looking sheet music. I Mod Podged some sheet music on top of the piece. I love it. I think some people would like it better without, but I think it adds a little unique flair to a relatively boring piece of furniture. Thanks mom!

My Recent Projects

I found this bracelet at Clair's in Park city.I decided it would make a really cute watch band. I needed a silver watchband.

Lately, I have found some things at the DI that looked fun. I bought this rocking chair for lily for 3 bucks. I re-painted it white, then painted her name on it. Then I painted some Lilies on the seat. So cute. She loves it.

I also painted some wooden flowers to hang in Lily's room. I think they turned out cute in these little white shadow boxes.

I also found this at the DI. Pretty cute right? It was only 10 bucks. I really wanted something to hold our piano music. this has a nice big drawer. Perfect. The Before picture

After

much better don't you think? I still have plans for this piece, but it will do like this for now. I will post if I end up changing it the way I would like to.

Tyler's Kindergarten Graduation

"They keep finding new ways to celebrate mediocrity." That is what I think of when I think of graduating from one grade to another. It is funny though, when Tyler got his report card and I was looking it over he was on the edge of his seat and he said "well....did I pass?" Of course he did. It's kindergarten. He was so excited that he gets to go to first grade next year. Here are some pictures of the special graduation ceremony. It was nice of my parents to come watch Tyler. He was really happy that they came just to see him.

It would help my faith in the public school system if they could at least spell Tyler's last name right on his diploma.

He's pretty cute though, isn't he.