My own little sweat shoppe...

My kamryn.....

2012-02-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

Today the boys are up north...it's just Kam, Pearcen and me. We started out with some yard sells, then off to Rylee's baptism, and her brother's blessing, then over to Cafe Rio, down to Ikea, over to the Chandler Mall, Target, and then Paradise on our way home. It's been a great day, but we were both excited to get home, get changed and relax. I decided I'd ask kam a few questions to see how things are for her right now..

Favorite Food: Your food, all of it! (Ahh, I love her)
Favorite Sport to play: Basketball
The best show on T.V.: Too cute (about baby animals on animal planet)
The coolest person on earth is: Jaden (who counts as Justin Beiber), you (mom) My favorite thing to learn about is: art
The thing I do most awesomely is: be awesome to my brothers.
If I could go anywhere in the world, I'd go to: Russia, cause I wanna learn their language.
My favorite color is: violet
When I grow up, I'm going o be a: veterinarian
My favorite song right now is: Eenie meenie by Justin Beiber
The book I love to read right now is: The scriptures
Three words that describe me are: cool, nice and sometimes grouchy.
When I was little, I used to: be chubby and my mom used to pinch my cheeks.
My favorite season of the year is: fall
The absolute best thing about camping is: making smores
The snack I like best is: yogurt
One food that I really DON"T like is: some kinds of salads.
My best friend is: Airami and Faely
If I had one wish it would be: to be back in JOseph City
My best memory is: when we used to live in TExas because of the memory books with all the pictures.

just a little more...

2012-02-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

Figured I'd share what each kid has been up to.

Pearcen...HUGEST news of the house...potty trained. The dude comes in about once an hour and says, "pee pee" or "poop" or "potty" and bam, he goes. It's awesome. Our older 3 all trained at 3 and a half years, so to have one train at 2 and a few months is so cute. The little tiny bummy in the undies is everyone's favorite around here.

Boston...he mostly tells us how tired school makes him. I have him home today for the 2nd day in a row. It's kindergarten. It's fine. He spends his days making Pearcen happy, not putting his clothes away, and saying hilarious sweet things to everyone.

Kamryn...she had her big music program last night...which sadly I had to watch on the phone since BOston was already asleep. But she did AWESOME. She has such talent in music and dance. I love it. All she's been talking about the last couple of weeks are the butterflies/larvas that her class has had in the classroom. They released the butterflies into the wild yesterday though, so we'll probably move on to the next subject soon. She did the sweetest thing this morning though....she had $54 at Target from a Christmas gift that she took back. She's been saving it and saving it, waiting till she finds something awesome. Jaden has been looking for a pogo stick at yard sales for the last month and has had no luck...or on craigslist. So he decided to start saving....but Kam went ahead and ordered him one today. SO SWEET, especially since for the last 2 days they have spent at least 2 hours a day out back together learning to work together because they've been so mean to each other. They surprise me all the time.

Jaden....he's been of coarse on a mad hunt for a pogo stick. But other than that, he's getting ready to start soccer, which he LOVES and is so good at. He's perfected his moonwalk...which I have to say is SUPER impressive....almost Michael Jackson level...no lie. He spends most of his time outside. He's never liked TV much, but he LVOES his new rip rider, LOVES Boston's power wheels, and LOVES his bike that he bought from Jase. Yesterday however he spent a good hour out back alone kicking the football....he claims football is dumb, but I think he's got some friends that are slowly changing his mind. He's an awesome kid and it's so great to finally have one at the age of realizing it's easier to just CLEAN your room the first time, rather than shove stuff in the closet, behind the dressser or behind the door, then pick them up when mom is mad. It's awesome!

coolest kids

2012-02-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

So, it's a well known fact that I have the freaking COOLEST kids ever. Yestserday we took pics of them for their valentines. They decided to do these fun dip ones that have their pictures on them, so I put these together and ordered 70 fun dips. ugh!

Boston fell asleep right after school, so we'll have to get his pictures today. But Boss just came up to me and breathed in my face (he brushed his teeth for a good 5 minutes) and asked, "Do i have Dragon breath??". He's awesome!!!!

My Happy

2012-02-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm depressed about how huge I am, but I've been craving my friends Melt-a-ways for weeks now and just got the recipe. Made them, got myself sick in about 10 minutes, and put the rest on plates and gave them away. But they are my all time favorite!! MY FAVORITE!!!!!! They're super similar to Nanaimo Bars. Not such a custardy middle filling. So good though.

3/4 cp butter
3 T cocoa
1 T oil
1/4 cp sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg beaten
3 cps graham cracker crumb, not the crappy premade crumbs
1 tsp milk
2 cps powdered sugar
6 oz milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Crush graham cracker crumbs
2. Melt 1/2 cp butter in large sauce pan with cocoa and oil.
3. Blend sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, egg and graham cracker crumbs into butter chocolate mixture.
4. Mix thoroughly, cool a little and press into a 9x9 pan. Put it in the freezer, while making the middle layer.
5.Cream 1/4 cp butter, 1 tsp milk, powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla, mix.
6. Spread over base mixture and put in the freezer to harden.
7. Melt chocolate chips and drizzle all over the middle layer, immediately cutting into small bite-size peices (I recommend a pizza cutter and a knife). If this is not done quickly the meltaways will look like a huge mess. Refrigerate or freeze until hard. Enjoy!

Surprise!

2012-02-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

So, I don't mind parties that are about me. I'll be honest. I know everyone always says, "I hate having birthday parties" or "I don't like parties that are about me". Well, I do...but I don't like surprise ones when I'm over 200 pounds...which obviously, I am!

These pictures make me super happy and super super depressed. I LOVE everyone that came and I love going to girls nights. But when I saw my face and chins and old eyes and huge saggy boobs in these pictures, I mostly starred for a good half hour and cried. UGH! Here I am again...the beginning of the hard road back to normal size and through nursing...the hardest part of having a kid for me. ugh! But it was a great night and I had tons of fun and got SO many adorable ruffley outfits for Stella. I'm so glad I have so many awesome friends with super cute taste...not to mention all the hand made shiz. Come on Ashley, Dani and Lanae! So cute!

Kam got to sneak into the big girl's night. She was a gem. Started out the night by dishing dirt on her dad, but ended the night asleep on my lap. Love her!

She kinda started to get excited for a baby girl when she saw the cupcake outfit.

The awesome Gutt girls that threw the shindig. Looking as 20 as ever.

Some of the most fantastic girls from the new ward (I'm counting you two Pam and Trish...you know where you belong)

Ever buddy.

Um, Trish brought her amazingly adorable Archer. I want one!!!!!

And yes, this is the reason Kam and I eat at Chili's...red velvet molten lava baby!

BETHANY!!!!! I hate hate this picture mostly cause I look horrendous, but I love it cause I love her and miss her little tiny (seriously tiny) guts! Um, and my favorite hair EVER (hers...defaintely not mine!)

Ahh, and my girls that do a fine job at making me feel less 30's.

It was a fantastic night, motivational, fun, and now I feel ready to get this kid OUT!!!!!!

Here it is

2012-01-31T09:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have hidden from the camera nicely this go round. But I figured it's my last, I may as well show how humongous I am since hopefully I'll NEVER EVER weigh 215 again! EVER! EVERRRR!!!!!

oh my gosh! And WHITE. I haven't seen the sun in almost a year. And wow, this pregnancy took my lips. That's sexy. But yes, I stick out about 4" in front. It's fun. I hit it on things a few times a day. one more month! (oh, and this may be the top I'll be wearing when it comes out....if I deliver in the tub at the hospital)

uh oh!!!!!

2012-01-24T18:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, realizing I"M NOT ready for this baby. Glad I'm realizing it now...while I still have 5 or 6 weeks. Just went to the dr. today...he informed me that my last ultra sound put my due date at Feb 28th...WHAT?! That means another HUGE ole baby. He said according to my measurements I'm due March 10th....but according to my cycle, I'm due March 4th. UGH! So anytime between Feb 28-March 10th...AHH!H!

Well, we fake register sometimes and we did it for a date last week. It was fun, plus Target gives you a free "new baby" packet for registering with samples and coupons and crap. But as we were registering, I realized we have no baby socks, no newborn diapers, no bath stuff, we don't own a pack n play anymore, can't find our bottles or boppy. But I guess as long as we have blankets, a couple of newborn cloth diapers and if my milk makers work, we'll be ok for a while.

But as far as baby projects. oh my gosh! Dani comes over and we get a lot done, but we never get anything done. ha! We are now 3/4 of the way done with the world's most cutest mobile and the baby quilt. And I think Jase might help me prime the crib...that YES I AM painting white, then I can move Pearcen's dresser into the boys room and start loading this baby's dresser with her clothes and stuff...which I still need to clean and sort. AH!

And as far as having the baby....I don't know how, obviously don't' know when, don't have a hospital bag packed or thought about...don't have a carseat out, haven't settled on a name. Well, have, but just unsettled on it. I found a "pin" on pineterst about a baby named Stella Grace, and about 6 or 7 people commented about how they just named their baby Stella Grace. SERIOUSLY!/ So yea, I have another name that I might use..Jaden likes it, but Kam and Jason still want Stella. And boston just said he wants stella so he can yell, "STTEEELLLAA" every time he talks to her. Who knows. UUUGGGHHH!

And we started potty training this week. So far more pee in the toliet than in the underwear, but no intreats in pooping in the toliet...this is a must before this baby comes. I can't do 2 babies in clothe diapers, and I can't afford 2 in disposable. And Pearce...ahh, Pearce, I never like when my baby isn't my baby anymore. I like the new one, but I'm so sad for the last one. Pearcen came to bed with us around 2 last night and I had J take him back to his room because I was having leg cramps, and then at 5 I saw that P had snuck in and slept on the side of my bed. He was curled up in a ball, cold. So I snagged him and he cuddled so close that I just watched him for a good hour before getting out of bed. Mmm, I love him!

Time to start preparing...oh, and so time to start nesting this crazy messy house!

Potty training...attempt #1

2012-01-20T13:43:00.000-08:00

So usually with Mulder kids (maybe it's all kids, I dunno) we try to potty train every 6 months until they hit 3 and a half...gross! Kam keeps taking Pearce in onto the potty and he goes every time, but I'm so lazy, I just put a diaper back on him....but, today is the beginning of attempt #1.....15 minutes on, 10 minutes off...all day long, no peeing at all...until this...

and then he peed.

So ready for another one!

2012-01-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

Just found these pictures. I can't wait to get another baby. Not looking forward to delivery, after birth contractions, breastfeeding, and not sleep, but AM looking forward to cuddling a sweet, fat, little soft Mulder baby again. This first pic is one of my favorites I ever took....makes me want my camera back so badly!

And this one is my favorite picture that ANYONE has ever taken (Holly Brimhall). It's the most perfect composition of the most perfect baby EVER!!!

Now if I can just get into the right state of mind to deliver this baby without getting hysterical (I kinda step out of my right mind during transition during labor, gotta get prepped).

Short term goal

2012-01-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

Ok, I need more short term goals to help me with my new years resolutions. 2 for this week:

1. LOSE ONE POUND!

2. ONLY NOTICE POSITIVE IN THE FAMILY!

GO!

Lazy Blogger

2012-01-15T15:07:00.000-08:00

Remember the days when i used to blog most every day? That was awesome. I got so much detail about events and the kid's lives. Now, I write pretty vague stories that I would probably remember anyway. ANOTHER new goal for the year.

So, since I'm lame with pictures right now in life. I'm going to write a little summary of our weekend.

Saturday, got up, hopped in the ole station wagon (did I mention we now drive a volvo station wagon? we do) and went yard selling. We purchased a cute little dresser for me to redo for Pearcen, who is moving into the big boy room in a few months. sad. And we also purchased the cutest like new bouncy chair for this girl I'm growing. We had one for the previoius 4, but it was sold in a yard sell of our own. We also got a afro wig, and 2 bike helmets.

We got home and of coarse went crazy freaking out that we were so late getting ready for Tessa's baptism, but of coarse again, we got there in plenty of time. Her baptism was so great. She was so adorable. I worry with Boston's baptism in a few years that we'll never have a baptism as amazing as Kam's. That was the most amazing day of our lives.
After the baptism we helped with the lunch (setting up and eating and taking down) and then I came home and went through the boys closets and totes to make room for pearcey in there while Jase met my mom and sister and nephew at the clinic to get adjusted.

Then came the fun part of the weekend....all the kids came here for the night, bribed with money to keep it clean and keep the younger 2 alive, and all of the Hatch family adults went to the gutts for some Oreganos, and what was supposed to be game playing, but turned into hours of laughing and talking, reminiscing, ping pong playing and cat entertainment all to celebrate Paula's 50th. She does NOT seem 50 to me. I feel like we're all close in age now. Growing up I always felt I was so much younger than my sisters, but now that we're all just mom's raising kids, I feel like we're all around 30. Sadly, we're not.
I have to share a quick story that my dad shared last night. He's always been one to pick up hitch hikers, especially Navajos since we grew up on the navajo reservation. One night he passed one and felt bad so immediately turned around and picked him up. He took him from Snowflake to Holbrook, and dropped him off just the other side of the tracks by the dinosaur place. The navajo was obviously drunk. His head kept falling over onto my dad and dad would just push him back over. And when they stopped, dad yelled, "Hausteen, get out....GET OUT" and he didn't, so dad had to go around and pull him out of the truck. Keep in mind, dad's worked with the navajos his whole life. We've always had them in our house since his pawn shop was in the 2nd living room. Anyway, he got out and there were blankets there, but dad still felt bad the next day and went to check on him. He found him a little further up the road and asked how he was. The man said, "I'm fine, but I didn't want to come to Holbrook". bahahaha.

Anyway, we came home to a clean house and everyone was alive yay!

Today, we slept in, well, until 6. And went to the Gutt's church since ma n pa were there and Tessa got called up. It was nice. I was sad because I missed a great RS lesson in our ward. I got the same one in Vonda's ward, but my favorite teacher taught in our ward and I'm always inspired after her lessons. She's a mom of 9 (jealous) and she makes it look easy (jealouser) and to top it off, she works out at 5:30 every morning! WHAT?! Yea. AND, her kids are cute. Anyway, great lesson, and there are a few ladies that I LOVe from Vonda's ward as well.

Now we're home...Jase and Jaden went home teaching, and now they're watching some alligator show while I'm "supervising" Kamryn make her first batch of chocolate chip cookies. She's in heaven. She LOVES to be in the kitchen. Um, and I just tasted the dough, AWESOME! We now have a new Sunday chocolate chip cookie maker. YAY This is one of the days as a mom I've been waiting for for years!!!!!!

Now I'm off to wake up my baby. I love waking him up and cuddling with him for a good 10 or 15 minutes. He's the best. I really hope this new one is just as fantastic!

This is love

2012-01-12T14:31:00.000-08:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this kid! I know a lot of people have a hard time with 2-5 year olds, but that's my favorite. Theyr'e so funny, and love to cuddle and be by their mom. This guy is so sweet. He loves to hug, he's always laughing and loves to play games all day with his brothers and sister. Today I took jaden to get his hair cut and to lunch and he asked, "Is Pearcey always this happy when we're at school?" Ha! I reminded him that he's that happy ALL the time. He's a goofy 2 year old. And HOPEFULLY an almost potty trained 2 year old. He just went pee on the potty for the first time and loved it!

New years resolutions

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Obviously I'm slacking on even setting new years resolutions, but I do think they help me every year, even though they're usually the same. This year, I'm sticking with 5 big ones.

BE A BETTER MOM! I've been so caught up in being depressed these last few months that I've been the laziest mom! We never do anything fun. I miss it. and I HAVe already started on this one. We have library day, weekly lunch dates and a lot less TV. ha. My #1 goal in this category is to point out more positive. It's so easy for me to get on the older 2 for the things they AREN"T supposed to do, but when they do awesome things, even if I do notice sometimes I stink at pointing them out.

BE A BETTER WIFE! I am a sucky wife. I suck at liking someone when I don't 'ike myself or don't like where I am in life. So I kinda just treat J like another one of the kids...which most days is how it is anyway...I just need to clean up after him and feed him. Luckily, he's potty trained. But I need to give compliments, and care more about whatever is going on with him. Again, be more positive with him. It's been hard with him starting so many new clinics these last few years, not only does it KILL our fiances for a whils till he builds them up, but he has NO time for me. Any extra time goes straight to the kids, which is where I want it to go since there's so little, and since the kids are so little, but I miss us.

LOSE THIS WEIGHT! Always a goal. With how much I've been depressed this pregnancy, I've done A LOT of eating...bad eating. I had a few horrible months at the beginning and these last 2 were bad. I've done better for a week and a half now, hopefully i can not gain anymore weight this go . And don't' worry, I know there are some that are saying I'm weight obsessed since I don't' want to gain weight during the last 2 months of a pregnancy, but I'm already up over 55, and my babies are always plenty big and plenty healthy. So move along. I'd like to be back into my 10's by my birthday in June. Wish my luck. size 10 maternities got packed away about a month ago, so It's gunna be some work...especially since I've vowed to not cut calories if my milk goes down at all. Since this is the last, I want to nurse her for at least 6 months. Even if I end up back at the hospital a couple times a week like I did with Pearce. I keep thinking I'll post a pic of me pg, but I take one, and then freak that I've put so much on. Someday....in the next 7 weeks. ugh

READ THE B OF M! I was doing so well for a month or so, and now I'm back to thinking about it when I'm already laying in bed with the lights off at midnight. I'm horrible. I don't know if it's the actual reading that makes my days go better, but I think it's knowing that I've done something that I should that helps me feel better. Like yesterday when I cut all the squares to a quilt, made curtains and did a killer crossfit workout, at the end of the day, I felt that I deserved that hour on the couch after the kids went to bed. I really want to understand the scriptures better as well, now that my kids are understanding the stories more. It's fun to hear what they know about them.

BE CONTENT! This will be the hardest one for me...BY FAR! I don't want to be here. I hate the city. I LOEV LOVE my family and friends that live here and LOVE that we get to do so much together, but on a day to day basis, as a mom, wife, and individual, I'm a country girl. I feel super out of my element here. The convinces of movies and restaurants are nice. Stores, are not. I take up half of my days driving to a store to get something, whereas in the country I'd get it online...usually cheaper...just have to wait a day or two, which was always fine. I do love having a Sprouts within 15 minutes. But I was just so completely content for a few years and got totally messed up with this move. But it looks like it might be for a while, so I need to focus on the good and not get so worked up about city things (traffic, crowds, people I don't know...actually being in a city...you know terrorists would go for phoenix before joseph city. ha!)

And there you have it. my 5 goals for the new year. I'll be printing these off and putting them in my organizer so i can read them often.

Keep coming back....

2012-01-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

When I following links on Pinterest or find links off of other blogs, SO many times they lead me back to THIS SITE. I LOVE IT! I want to paint everything in my house turquoise. I wouldn't mind having any room on the whole entire site. I've been going here for years and stealing ideas and inspiration. I LOVE this site for home decorating.

I just found 2 new sites that I LOVE for quilting. And yes, I'm back to quilting thanks to my lovely husband getting me an awesome machine on craigslist. I felt useless for the last year w/o a sewing machine. He bought me the Bernina 830. Super old machine, but super amazing and unbreakable. My mom and my favorite quilter both use it and have for years. I can't wait! Here are the sites
Here and Here.

For food, here are my favorite sites. I love this one and have used it for years just because it has the "ingredients" tab so I can put what I DO want to use and what I DON"T want to use. I have always agreed with the ratings too. MOst recipes have hundreds if not thousands of ratings too. When I'm doing well on WW THIS is my go to site. I've loved everything I've tried off of here. When I don't care what I'm eating THIS is my favorite. And when we're doing SUPER well on eating clean, THIS is where we go.

Just thought I'd share these and be sure to put them on here so I'll always have them.

Just move on, will ya?!

2012-01-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

OK, so I thought maybe my blog really was just being read by me and Jase, but I get a few comments every week from people who have read it...so I guess no one comments anymore...too busy commenting on FB....which is part of my new years resolutions this year (next post) But today I had to go through a BUNCH of old pictures to find pictures of Pearcen's old baby bedding so I could list it on craigslist and I came across so many pictures that made me cry. Most everyone knows I'm stuck in Jo city. I was so happy there. The home I designed and LOVE LOVE LOVED, land, chickens, knowing everyone, tiny school, no traffic, SEASONS and my favorite kitchen EVER! Here's a few. These first 2 are ones that make me miss dressing cute. The last few months of my pregnancies, and the first couple after, I dress so slobby and slouchy, just because of the uncomfortableness and hugeness. When I come across pictures like these I feel even worse, but hopeful!

I look like gypsy in this one, but I miss being able to throw whatever on and not change a million times cause I feel super ugly and huge. Someday...someday.

I just have to remember that this was a year before those pictures...212.

Ahh, and my kitchen sink. I loved it...and I SO loved baby Pearcen. He's grown up faster than anyone! It's insane! I hate that they grow!!!!

This picture makes me miss my kitchen more than anything. i miss wanting to be in the kitchen, and coming up with fun projects for me and the kids to make in there. Again...someday...someday.

Ok, and I came across these pictures that never got posted of Kam's awesome dance recital! She is adorable and did such a great job with her clogging. She starts hip hop here in a few weeks. We let them pick an activity to join if they kept their grades up, and of coarse, Kam kept straight A+'s...she's insane. So she got to chose between hip hop, gymnastics, a sport or music (they'll all do piano anyway) and she picked hip hop...so did Boston, can't wait!

Focusing on the things I like...

2012-01-04T19:11:00.000-08:00

I really like this website. Lunches are my hardest thing to figure out. We're doing a lot of salads right now, but my kids get burned out on salads after 2 days in a row, so I need a few things to throw in there each week and this site is a HUGE help. I love love love it!!!!

http://blog.superhealthykids.com/healthy-recipe-index/

Ok, I'm getting a girl. I love fat little girl feet in cute little sandals! Especially when they start walking. Mmm, so cute...and red? YES!

Speaking of cute shoes, I've been so in love with these boots for oh, 4 months now. I really thought they'd find a way (via husband) under my tree this year, but they didn't, but I'm not giving up on them! They will be mine, oh yes, they WILL be mine!!!!

I know this one has made a lot of my "love lists" but I love pumpkin pie!

These bags! I need to order some. Or just go get some. JC Penny's had them at Christmas time and I'm so dumb I didn't get em. I think they're hilarious! and gross, but more hilarious.

My stinking sisters. I love them. I love that we have each other to vent to, and to learn from and to share exciting news with and to help each other out...which I've sucked at these last few months, but I'd be seriously DEAD if I didn't have my sisters down here.

And yea, ok, this one is weird, but I LOVE Harkin's Loyalty shirts. Popcorn is probably my favorite part about the movies, even more than the movies most of the time....and we've never had our OWN loyalty shirt...>TIL NOW! Someone put one on our Facebook group out here for $25...couldn't resist. We have 2 movie passes, a loyalty shirt and an outback gift card....I think we MAY just get our date this week!!!!!!

And right now, we're doing our usual start of the year no sugar and no dairy, and I got a subscription to Whole Living magazine for $3 a year...and it's SO helpful right now. This month is of coarse about a cleanse and new healthy diets, and it's just so much better than the stupid Shape and Self magazines that I've gotten for years (and still do) that talk about whatever is paying for the magazine...ie, healthy milk, drug ads, etc.... I love that it has REAL healthy recipes, instead of just ones that are low calorie, but full of junk.

I LOVE cabbage right now. All of my kids love it, Jase and I love and it's so easy to make. WE have at least one head of cabbage a week. Either in our shakes or cooked. WE're all great at eating any fruit, but when it comes to veggies, all of my kids like different ones, but broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage always make the list for everyone! OH, and asparagus of coarse.

and of coarse, I LOVE my niece Danica right now. She's super super crafty, skilled and has one perfect baby, so she has time to teach the less crafty. I LOVE that she has helpled me with so many of my "projects" since I've moved here, and that she has fanastic taste to help me with my nursery next week that I'm slightly depressed about since it's in a tiny dark room. But we're going to make it lovely!

Boston's prayer

2012-01-04T05:28:00.001-08:00

A couple of nights ago Boston said our nighttime family prayer and he said,
Help us be nice to people and not be mean. Help us not punch their face, that's mean.

I love him. And guess what, NO ONE has punched ANYONE'S face since then.

more sledding and the Polar Express....

2011-12-30T07:20:00.000-08:00

The next day right after our huge, huge breakfast, in which Boston made the world's biggest double decker breakfast sandwich, then realized it wouldn't fit in his mouth so he said to Jase, "I made dis for you!", the kids wanted to go out and sled some more. Someone made a pretty cute little igloo in our hotel play area.

Jase sent the boys down first, Pearce LOVED IT!!!!!

But he was ok with just going the one time and then playing with stuff after that.

And then it was Kam's turn. I LOVE her face on this one!!!

That night we todl the kids we were going to go look at lights in Williams, then we told them we thought we'd check out the old trains at the train station....then finally when we got in line for tickets, they realized we were at the Polar Express. They were all super excited.

Pearce and Kam waving good bye to the people waiting for the next train.

First off we got our tickets punched by the conductor...

ugh, I hate when you think you look decent one night then you see a picture.

Pearce was loving everything...he kept playing peekaboo during the down time on the train.

Then FINALLY we got to the north pole!!!!

and picked up a certain someone

Pearce LOVED Santa and getting his own bell and EVERYTHING!!!!

Christmas 2011!!!!

2011-12-29T14:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning was great. nothing too crazy, although it did start at 3:30 with Jaden whispering loudly, "it's Christmas!" Until one by one, we were all awake. So we put them all in the bathroom so they could come out youngest to oldest as always. Some sweet family bought a toy for each of the kids and boston LOVES his race track...so does Pearcen...probably just because Boston was by it and he does whatever his brothers do.

And Jaden was given a really cool R/C car which happened to be on his list of 4 things!

Jase and Kam played with Jaden's Bey Blade arena....

And sweet Pearce got a snowglobe (free door prize on black friday at JC Penny) in his stocking and loved it!! Loved it so much he slammed it against the wall and broke it, but here is a sweet moment before that....

After the kids played with their toys for a bit everyone bundled up and headed outside. We didn't get any fresh snow while we were there, but there was plenty to play and sled in. Pearce was nervous about it all the first day so he stayed RIGHT by his 2nd mommy Kamryn.

Jaden was SO ready to play in the snow. I'm just so glad that their snow clothes have fit them for 3 years in a row now. They are both wearing size 10, but their snow pants are both size 6. haha

We went across the street to a froze over pond and found lots of geese...that Kam chased away.

Of coarse Boston found someone else's snowman remains and tried to build his own....for about 45 seconds. h

This is just my good looking husband keeping kam and pearce away from the pond even though he himself had a hard time not getting on the ice....even with signs all over saying "caution thin ice"

My sweet little Kam

and ever handsome Jaden.

They decided to make snow angels, and so of coarse, boston wanted to join in.....don't think he quiet understood how it worked....

And pearce just ate snow everywhere we went. I can't imagine the junk he got down with it.

Ah, this is my favorite picture of the entire trip! I LOVE these guys!!!

Ok, this is a favorite too! Weirdee!!!!

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-29T13:50:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to go to Flagstaff for Christmas since my parents went out east an Jase's family doesn't do family Christmas. It was fantastic!!! We got a hotel on priceline, loaded up our new little car with a tree, a few presents and a few kids, everyone was cram packed. LIttle faces poked out every once in a while. And we headed up to the snow! We had a gift card for Fry's so we bought some food, free breakfasts at the hotel, and we figured we'd do cheap dinners....every night except Christmas Eve. We treated ourselves to Little America. Afterwards we got by this fake Santa for a quick picture. Of coarse this one ended up a little centered around one obnoxious 5 year old...

And even though that 5 year old has the world's biggest smile in this one....everyone is looking at the camera. ha!

And of coarse, we had to get a picture with the fake penguins.

At our hotel we put up a Christmas tree...

And hung the stockings with care (5 year old refused to NOT be in these)

Luckily the couch made into a bed because there were only rooms with one bed. but still, every night we had someone in the little Queen sized bed with us. I don't think I've slept in a week.

Decade!

2011-12-29T09:55:00.000-08:00

Last week was Jaden's 10th birthday. TEN YEARS OLD! That's huge. That's double digits....a decade....entering the tweens, ugh! ugh! ugh!

Luckily this one is awesome. He does show mild signs of tweeniness attitude, but it's very mild. Since he does his friends party in April, we did a cousins party (probably the same crowd that will be at the party in April) on his birthday. They all were out of school and Jaden just wanted to go to the dollar theater, eat pizza and play. So we did.

I took all 7 to the dollar theater, then back to the Bollwinkles for some pizza and play time at the park. These kids are all awesome! I love em! I LOVE LOVE LOVE these little cousin! I wish the Jones's could have been here, especially Garrett, but I love that they all get along so great.

Group Hug!!!!!

alright, top 10 for my 10 year old.

10. I love that you love your brothers so much. And most of the time, I'm glad they copy whatever you do.

9. I love that you are the world's healthiest kid eater. When we all went crazy at the hotel smorgasbord of a breakfast, every morning you just had either biscuits and gravy (one) or a bowl of yogurt. And you know to just have one candy a day. You're awesome!

8. I love that EVERY year you ask for a huge huge hershey's bar for your stocking...and it lasts you weeks.

7. I love that you're not a tv kid. That you LOVE to be outside, weather it's to play ball, hike, camp, ride your bike, or just go on a walk, you LOVE to not be sitting on the couch.

6. I love that you've always been a friend for Kam. Although you guys probably fight as much as you play nicely, you guys get so bored w/o each other, and always have. I hope it's always like that.

5. I love that the first thing you wanted to download to your Nook was the book of Mormon.

4. I love that Scouts is your favorite part of the week. You've made so many cool projects and done so many cool activities and have such awesome friends in scouts.

3. I love your awesome hair. I really wanna see you with a nice short cut again, but I do understand, the awesome light brown hair with perfect shiny natural highlights and the flick of the head swoop, it's yo thang! Love it!

2. I love how emotional you are. Used to drive me a bit crazy, but now I know it's because you care. and I LOVE that you care. I love that you show/tell me how you feel and that you know what it feels like to love and to be loved and to hurt and to be hurt and that you know it's better to love.

1. I LOVE LOVE that you LOVE ME! I love that you love your mom. I feel like we've always had a mom son bond and I hope we always do. I love that you'll cuddle with me on the couch on Sundays and that you'll wear the soft pajamas to lure me in. I love that you ask what's wrong when I have a crappy day. I love that you hug me!!!! I LOVE YOU JADEN ROSS!!!!!!!

Favorites

2011-12-20T15:18:00.000-08:00

I love having a bosch. Jase paid for most of my Bosch for my birthday present this year. I sold my kitchen aide about 3 years ago at a yard sale for $100 and it was supposed to go towards the purchase of a Bosch, but of coarse, never did. And 3 years later, I got one! and I love it! I use it a few times a week!!!

And of coarse everyone LOVES their Elf on a Shelf. WE got the dark skinned one...he's half arab...fits right in. He's pretty tricky. He's cute today....found himself in our big glass jar of beans, just peeking through.

I LOOOVE doing puzzles with my Pearce. He loves to hug and kiss and cuddle and everything awesome right now. I gave him a bowl of cereal this morning at 5. We ewre the only 2 awake, and as soon as I handed it to him, he sat it down and hugged and kissed my leg. I LOVE his guts! But his favorite thing right now is the wooden knobbed puzzles that all of my kids have had a loving phase with. I think we bought them at some home party when Jaden and Kamryn were 2 and 3 and they've all loved them, and I believe there is only one piece missing from all 5 puzzles. Not too bad.

I love martinelli's. I drink a bottle by myself every week. I must stop, but Stella craves it!

I really love having a keyboard w/a cord. I remember when we first got our computer I thought it was so cool to not have cords, then a month later realized I'll be changing and charging batteries every month. We switched it last week, but I haven't fully appreciated it until today when I had to go 3 hours w/o a mouse because I had to charge the batteries and couldn't find any others. ha! I do like having a wireless mouse though, the wire always got in the way there.

I LOVE my poinsettia. Jase has gotten me a huge Sam's club poinsettia for the last couple of years for our anniversary and I love that it lasts more than a month and is huge and beautiful and festive and easy to keep alive. I love it!

I love baking. We've baked everything this year. Sugar cookies, caramels, caramel and chocolate dipped pretzels, cake balls, lemon crinkles, lots and lots of rice crispy treats, molasses cookies a few times, and I'm sure there are a few I'm forgetting. I bake something every couple of days. I love it. Don't love my weight for it, but I love December baking!

I love SO LOVE, the blessings of tithing. We've been receiving payments for things that have been owed for a long time, nothing big, but Jase asked the bishop what exactly we pay tithing on, and of coarse, he said to pray about it and figure it out. So Jase did and felt he needed to pay on EVERYTHING, which is so hard at this time in our lives when we don't own a car, don't own anything of any worth (other than my lens which I'm selling...anyone?), and have to start paying people back this coming year from the investments of the roadside business. But he paid it on Sunday and already we've seen HUGE blessings. HUGE! Seriously miraculous ones too. Which is awesome, since last week was the worst week EVER!

I just wrote on someone's FB wall about how great it is to put your focus 100% of Christ's life this time of year. We've always touched on it every Monday and Sunday and a couple of times throughout the weeks in December, but the last couple of weeks, we've tried to read a story about Christ, or about giving, or about being grateful every night and I really feel like Kam and Jaden are feeling the spirit more than usual. And they're wanting to give instead of constantly talking about what they want.

I LOVE the true spirit and feeling of Christmas!!!!

So sweet

2011-12-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

So we started myjobchart.com and it's going fantastic, but my favorite part is that my kids LOVE to use the message board to message me. Here is Kam's last message"

I speld mabe rong.But I love you so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much.LOVE, KAMRYN!

and here is Jaden's
mom i love you. you are assume

The system...

2011-12-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

First he did this (those are painted marshmallows that Boston made at school....I think it was a menorah) all over his face and hands....

But right after, he did THIS!

He knows how it works.

Christmas vanity

2011-12-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'll be the first to admit, I'm super into santa claus and presents and everything. Every year we try to emphasize to our kids that that's not what it's about and daily we remind them what it is about, but the excitement of the season sucks me in. Until today, when i read this:

http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2011/11/29/the-christmas-conundrum

Now I want to go return all of their gifts and throw away all of our Santa's around the house.
I'm glad I read it today though.
Today is the first day I've had a kid home from school sick in, I don't know how long
Today is the first day of who knows how many that the Mulders are completely carless. (we sold our little car thinking we had another one lined up, ugh)
Today is the 2nd day that I've been so concerned about my weight gain....dr.'s appt on tuesday freaked me out, but really, I'm only a few lbs ahead of last pregnancy this time, and less than the previous 3.
Today we woke up with no fruit, no eggs, no milk, no anything.
Today is the day I realized, I'm so so lucky to have an amazing, hard working, faithful husband. 4 super incredibly awesome, healthy, fun kids, a healthy semi easy pregnancy which will bring another sweet little girl, a house, food in the pantry, the cooshiest bed ever and completely awesome sisters and friends that have offered cars galore in the last 24 hours. Even ones that don't really have one to spare. I'm making us go w/o because I hate using something so big of someone's during the holiday season, and it's forcing us to spend a lot of time together, and go longer w/o groceries. I've gone a week already for other reasons, and was planning on today being my grocery shopping day, but alas, pushed back. A lot of lessons will be learned today, I hope they stick. I hope I can eternally be more grateful for all that I've had and have and will have. I'm holding what might possibly be the world's most hilarious, awesome, cuddly, ok, I'm putting it in there, smartest (yea, he still doesn't talk, but you should see how fast he can whip these puzzles together) cutest baby.

Anyway, thought I should post things I'm grateful for in a time when I would usually be so ungrateful. And yea, I probably won't sell the kid's toys the week before Christmas (no way of delivering them anyway. haha) but I will put more thought into the season and talking with the kids, and definitely into next year's Christmas.

goal 1 of the day accomplished

2011-12-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

Didn't cry till the second the kid's left. Too hard explaining why I was crying all evening last night.

Next goal...getting the energy to walk to the grocery store. Yea, these will be times we'll look back on and laugh....I think that's been almost my whole life. ha!

28 weeks and 4 days

2011-12-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

Alright, this is Stella. She's smiley, and talented. Gracie, our U/S tech even liked watching her blink. I guess she just learned to blink in the last week or so, so she was doing it a lot, and opening and closing her little mouth. She had both of her hands up by her face and kept doing pic-a-boo. And was moving like crazy....probably because I just drank a bottle of sugar (glucose test). Right after the U/S, Dr. Lindstrom was checking the heartbeat and she kept kicking his monitor off, no matter where he put it. Another tough chick. 11 more long weeks...well, probably closer to 12. ugh!

ward Christmas party...

2011-12-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

So I was the lame mom that didn't go to the ward party, just sent J with the kids. It was a whooville theme, and I heard it was awesome!!!! Whoo hash, roast beast, everything! Pearce didn't like the Grinch too much I guess...

And I thought I did good with Kam's 3 tiered fountain hair, but I guess it was the lamest hair there. Whatever.

2 becomes 7....

2011-12-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

I just fell upon this picture...this horrible, horrible, disgusting picture. half of it is cute...ok, more like 1/3 of it is cute...the other 2/3s...ME, is HORRIBLE!~ Why would anyone let me do that hair cut with that shirt with that body?? why??? ugh! Ok, well, the tiny Jase and tiny Jaden are adorable! Christmas #2....Christmas #1 was just a newborn picture of our 2 day old Jado, don't feel like scanning, just imagine an adorable Santa baby.

And yea, year 3 I don't wanna scan either, even though I had my favorite hair ever and the cutest little monkey baby girl. So let's move along to Christmas 4, the two cutest chubbiest babies ever! Jaden was 3 and Kam was a year and a half.

ok, so yea, I'm missing every other year, but you get the drift of it. This was our serious model look pic. haha! It makes me crack up every time I see it...especially that adorable little boston face.

Ahhh, back to happy and Holbrook. Jaden is 5, Kam is 3 and a half and Boss is 1. I was 27, Jase, 29.

ah, no year missed, but this isn't the one we used for the cards, don't know where it went. Looks like we had some grouchy ones this year. But ha, a happy jaden.

Last year, my favorite family pic of all! (so far) happiness all over, a fat, bald, round baby, and I didn't take up half of the pic! I love it! Most stressful 20 minutes of my life during that shoot, but favorite pictures ever!!!

And this year. Already gaining baby weight (at 8 weeks), and a baby that has a swollen face, but I love the older 3 kid's clothes. And their cute little faces! some of our cards this year have this one, and some have....

This one, taken 3 weeks ago up the road....sadly I wasn't thinking and put J in black and me in white. ugh! Cute kids though!

Can't wait to add one more to these pics for next year's pics!!!!!

The night I'm hoping for -vs- the night I'll end up with

2011-12-10T15:15:00.000-08:00

So today, I got to wake up, argue about what we're doing, clean, clean, clean, go do a free photoshoot, get in the car with all the kids (barrowed minivan) for half an hour while J gets his MACs looked over or something, then sit at a park for 2 hours and watch everyone play football. now I'm here...ALONE, blogging about the night I'd like to have, compared to the night I'll probably get.
The night I want consists of the following....
a large bottle all to myself of Martinelli's Cider....

my large roll of polka dot christmas wrapping paper, some twine, a marker, tape and scissors....

my January InStyle magazine that I now get due to my awesomeness at selling jewelry.....

and whatever fantastic Christmas show is on tonight. That's the night I need. Oh, and I'll be the XL maternity long sleeved shirt my sister just sent me along with some awesome stretchy pants. Oh, but I will only be eating cuties, carrots and celery....I've had a bad eating week.

and who knows...I might even whip up a batch of these to deliver tomorrow...I really want to, they're so so cute!

But I'll probably end up going to our ward party (our ward is awesome, and this is a random ward photo from google, and I know for a fact that ours will be much cuter and much more fun, but I'm tired, done, and pregnant)

Where I'll be full of these...(fake smiles)

because I'm too tired and grouchy...and I'll be surrounded by these guys, whom yes, I LOVE LOVE LOV ELOVE, but they make me tired.

HereLet's see how it goes....

Awesome, to crap

2011-12-07T17:57:00.000-08:00

So I just thought I'd write about today. I've kinda had something great to look forward to everyday this week. Today it was shopping for my kid's Christmas with my mom. My mom comes down and takes a day with each of us girls to take us to help her pick out her gifts for our kids. It was a lot of fun. We started at the farmer's market with dani and Stratton, then to Costco, then to get adjusted, then lunch. Then on to Target to get the goods, ending at Fry's, then home, for what I thought was perfect timing. I've never not been there when my kids get home...they were home for almost TEN minutes before I got there. ha! Whoops. Needless to say, they made it up to me with constant messes today. I really don't know what's going on, but Kam and Boss are doing an amazing job at leaving a trail throughout the house, and being an L&L parent, I don't pick it up...if I do, it's mine, and I gave them that option, or they could pick it up and have an extra job. So now our hallway walls are clean, our TV sparkles, the dishes are put away and the socks are matched. Yay for naughty kids. But seriously after that busy day, I was too tired to be a fun mom, so I feel bad making them work for the few hours I have with them. And not to mention my newly whiney 2 year old. He's learned to fake cry, and it's so loud, and sounds like a weird farm animal. DRIVES ME INSANE!!!!!! To top off all the stress, just realized we have two weeks to get a car we all fit in or no Polar Express, and hotel in Flagstaff for Christmas....for Jase and Pearce that is. Sad.

can't wait, can't wait, cant' wait!!!!

2011-12-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

You remember that moment when your new, fresh baby is handed to you? There is NOTHING in the world like those few seconds of relief, joy, exhaustion, accomplishment, gratitude, LOVE!

I can't wait to be there again!

little getaway

2011-12-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

For our anniversary Jase took me to the Valley Ho hotel in Scottsdale. It was a very hip hotel. Lots of holiday parties going on in the lounges and at the restaurants there. I'm 100% sure we were the poorest there. ha! The room was awesome. Looked like I designed it, well, other than the artwork, blah! ha!

We had dinner at the hotel restaurant cause I was tired and lazy then the next morning we checked out at 7 and went to an awesome farmer's market where we got some herbs to plant in our garden and some local honey. Then we walked over to a place called the orange table or something and had breakfast, then to the movies. After the movies we went and got a pedicure. My 2nd pedicure in TWO YEARS! I loved it! Jase got one too, and I was just kidding around, but he did it...he painted his nails green. They both look way better in person...they're sparkly.....

But his gross me out so I had to take a picture so he could take it off. blah! It was a great little getaway....missed the kids a bunch, but already ready for another getaway!

I miss my JC Kitchen....

2011-12-04T14:27:00.001-08:00

I bake everyday in December, always have, always will. I LOVE LOVE having the smell of cookies in the house everyday...ok, and I love eating them everyday sadly. But this kitchen here depresses me. I still bake everyday, but at least 5x a day I think about my JC kitchen. I LOVE LOVE LOVED IT! It will be mine again, oh, yes, it WILL BE MINE!

2011 = 11 magical years

2011-12-02T06:09:00.000-08:00

The last 11 years have seemed like 60.....but they've been the best. I just asked J this week, "remember that first night we met and I kissed you at the Ramada hot tub (it was a dare...and the first time I had kissed a boy, and we both agreed, best kiss ever, so, yea, whatever)??? Did you ever think that we'd get married 2 years later??" We would have never thought. We had so much fun dating each other's friends, and hanging out a few times a month, and then eventually working together, and slowly falling in love, and then bam! without dating, getting engaged. It's my favorite of all the courtship/engagement stories out there. Probably because I don't have very many vivid memories of anything before the wreck except my time with Jase. Our hikes together, our conversations, our trips in the glass truck and him staying at my parents house across the hall from me so he would be an hour closer to his Sedona/Flagstaff jobs. As much as I LOVE LOVE and miss those days of just the two of us, 100% focused on each other, I couldn't imagine life without the 4 mini me's we've had in the meantime to consume all our time, energy and patience. ha! We've had an awesome 11 years. Here's my top 11 for our 11 years.

11. 14 insane moves...both dance and moving houses....and not done, with either.

10. The day our big ole baby, Boston was born...it was an intense day for all.

(my favorite Jase picture ever)

9. Watching Jase build up so many amazing successful clinics, as well as a multi million dollar business that sadly got stolen by the most corrupt person IN THE WORLD!

(pregnant with Kamryn...2003)

8. The baptisms of our older 2 kids.

7. Every December...I LOVE Decembers with kids. All the baking, gift wrapping, Christmas movies, Christmas music, secret santa deliveries and teaching the kids more about Christ and his example.

6. early early mornings together in Dallas since we didn't get much time together during his 34 credit hour trimesters for 3 years.

5. The wreck...crappy day, and did some crappy damage physically, but emotionally and maritally (is that a word...guess so, spell check left it) it was EXACTLY what we needed.

4. Christmas 2010. Probably my favorite Christmas in my entire life so far. We were in our nice comfy home, it was JUST us, Jase actually remembered to get me something...which WE STILL LOVE (wii), and the kids got their big ole playset. The togetherness of the morning was so warm, and then the excitement when they took the headlamps out back to see what the big thing out there was was AWESOME!

3. Oregon trip 2009. It was a long long trip, especially for an 8 month pregnant me, but we saw so much on that trip, and it was so great to be able to make that kind of a trip as a family. I believe it was either 8 days or 2 weeks, but we drove up highway 1 (our favorite) all the way to Oregon for a Mulder family reunion, then down through Idaho to see friends and Utah to see more family then home.

(toothless Jaden, I LOVE IT!)

2. our 10 state road trip in 2005 with just the older 2. We were able to go to Virginia and see the Jones family and see all the fun historical stuff in DC, and go through 9 other states on our way...camping out in Missisippi at a KOA which was kinda scary, and going to the scariest hotel ever in Memphis Tennessee. It was a memorable trip.

1. The last 3 months. Probably haven't cried as much in the whole 11 years as I have in the last 3 months, and things defaintely aren't how I would want them to be (tiny house, ONE tiny car that we don't fit in, in the city, and fat and pregnant...love the pregnant, but come on, who ENJOYS it??), but this change is defaintely unplanned and memorable. the kids are loving being by their cousins, and I LOVE being able to see my sisters and nieces every week. Jase's new clinic is going better than planned and I'm thinking this CHristmas will be on my top #3 as well. Can't wait!

All in all it's been a fantastic 11 years. More amazing, memorable and awesome things have happened than I would have ever guessed. It's had it's lows, but it's had so many more highs. I don't know anyone that has more fun in their home than the Mulder family. Love you Jase, thanks for building the Mulder home with me!!!!!

Beauty and the Beast

2011-11-29T10:36:00.000-08:00

Usually the guy is the beast, not in our case. I'm a beast. It runs in my blood. I had 2 grandmas that were take charge kind of women, and a mom that owns a dad. Poor Jase should have done his research before busting out the old ring a ling 11 years ago. But....too late now sucker!

This has been a year full of crap for both of us, but luckily we had each other. And luckily each day gets a bit better. I also had no idea what I was getting into. I didn't care more than the fact that he was hot and a great kisser, but luckily he's a hard hard hard worker, great with kids, and although it drives me insane a lot, it would have drowned us if he weren't....super optimistic. We really are the most opposite people ever, just like puzzle pieces that fit perfectly. Wow, super cheesy. But seriously, Where I suck, he's great, and where he slacks, I pick it up, so it works.

and yea, we have both lost about a pound of hair in the last 11 years, and things have drooped, and lines have formed (especially in my forehead...someone knock the scowl off my face next time you see me!) But luckily where our youth has gone, our kids have picked up. They're awesome little Jason/Kristal people. Can't wait to get another in March!!!!!

my boys...

2011-11-29T09:32:00.000-08:00

I haven't written much lately about how cool my boys are. I'm really really sad that Pearcen might be our last baby boy. It makes me sad. He's so sweet, and loves to hug and kiss and be held. I love it. He also is easily offended and yells, "no", "don't" a lot. HE's pretty extreme both ways. I love that I get to spend all day with him.

This guy is hilarious and getting to be more and more helpful everyday. Id on't know what we'd do if we didn't have a Jaden in our house. He loves to play with the other 3 and feels bad when one of them is sad. He's loving all of his new friends here and can't wait to get into a soccer league after the holidays.

This boy. Ooooh, I miss this boy. Whole day kindergarten is ridiculous! I pull him out every few days at lunch cause I need him around. When Pearce gets into his bratty moods, Boss does all he can get get him out. He's my peacemaker. We had a good time with him this morning at the breakfast table trying to teach him to cross his eyes. ha!

My own elf...

2011-11-22T05:00:00.001-08:00

One of the things on BOston's Christmas list is one of Santa's elves. I asked him why he wanted one and he said, "I want one to come and wook for me".
Genius!

This kid goes through the produce like crazy. Actually, he goes through food like crazy, so I try and keep veggie and fruit plates out everyday, cause he WILL shred through them.

a lot

2011-11-13T13:36:00.000-08:00

So I figured since I can't find my cord to upload the pictures I've been taking of the kids, I'd just write about my life.
Average day, 2 garbages go out...at least a load of laundry each day, 2-3 meals from scratch, 2-3 snacks, sweeping 3-4x, wiping the whole floor with a rag 1-2x a day (should be more, but my knees hurt), toliets once every other day, dishes 3x a day, vacuum once a day, 3-5 diapers a day, sometimes clothe, sometimes not, grocery shopping 2-3x a week, farmer's market once a week, walk the kids to school, walk to pick them up, haircuts every 4-5 weeks, festive craft or goodie, ugh, every other day, exercising 30-60min a day, sleeping 2-5 hours a night, figuring out family picture outfits out of the old clothes boxes that I've been sorting through...which 2T is missing so that's throwing the whole thing off, organizing the cousins gift exchange, take a kid on a lunch date once a week, take a husband on a lunch date once a week, go on a date once a week, organizing Thanksgiving, missing my old house 45-65x a day, take the kids to the park 3-5x a week, wiping boogers 4-10x a day, looking for boston at least 20 minutes of my day, homework 1-2 hours a day, cuddling with everyone on the couch and falling asleep once a day.

After figuring all of this out, I realize "where all the time goes". I wish I could eleminate the homework, sweeping, laundry, boogers and vacuuming and take more time for the rest. I told the kids I would let them each pick an activity, ie, dance, karate, soccer, voice after the first semester when we see how well they've caught up in school. My older 2 are for sure going to be doing fine, and I really don't' want to add more stuff to our day, but there's really no extra out for them so I know they need it. I wish they didn't have to go to school so much. Ugh!, School is dumb! and I'm extremely grateful that they are able to go. ha!

Every Sunday I'm amazed at how strong my motivation and determination are to be a better mom, wife, sister, daughter, aunt, PERSON...and how honestly by Monday morning, it's GONE! I want to go to church everyday. Ok, that's not true, but I do want someone to come give me a lesson every morning right when I wake up before I have time to consume my mind with the millions of things that I need to do that day. I know I can just open the scriptures, of pop open the Ensign and be enlightened, but when you have someone there, actually telling their stories, or their lessons, it's so much easier. I really want to be a better mom on Mondays. I'm going to start with that. A better mom on Sunday and Monday for now. I'll work my way up. The love and Logic class i take with my sister really helps me be a good mom on tuesday. I'm able to keep my cool all day and think about the lessons learned. last week the lesson I really underlined was, "Never let your kids see you lose it, get angry, be mad". Keep your cool. And it's helped a lot. A LOT! Especially since my sweet little Boston has turned into tantrum these last 2-3 weeks. he's super stressed and acting out. Going from half day, learning letters, sounds of letters, numbers 1-20 to all of a sudden, full day phonograms, spelling tests, reading, counting by 5's and 10's. I'm just about ready to pull him. We'll see after this week.
But goal for now: better Monday mom!

Pearcen

2011-11-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

trains, trucks, shoes, eatting, sandbox, bananas, hugs, pointing, high fives, "mooo", laughing, singing, "mam.....mam....MAM!", grandmas and grandpa, aunts, cousins, big eyes, playing in water, playing with Boston, naps, pushing garage door opener, walks, car shopping carts, cookies, kisses.

Boston

2011-11-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

Eating, eating, eating, reading books, playing with Pearce, eating, helping in the kitchen, following Jaden, serving, laughing, bikes, parks, cookies, No David No, forts, sneaky, airplanes, trains, eating, tricky, funny, wonderer, grapes, going to the movies, cuddling with mom, eating.

Kamryn

2011-11-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

Art, Doodling, tickling mom's feet in the morning, DON"T like hair combed, homework, math, all of my grandma's and my grandpa, checkers, boots, Book of Mormon, cooking, Go Fish, skip-bo, Uno, Mr. G's, soccer, Violet red, pink, P.E., computer lab, Dolphin Tales, Puss in Boots, going to the movies, Sea World.

Jaden

2011-10-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

Food. Bike Riding. School. Friends. Family. Swimming. Making cookies with mom. Ramen, a lot. Cousins. Dad. Road trips in our convertible. California. Disneyland. Beach. Trick or Treating. Christmas time. Saving money. Dreaming of buying a limo or a 4-wheeler. Waterslides with friends and cousins. Soccer. Toy boats, R/C. Mormon

biggest slacker EVER!

2011-10-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

Alright, the move is made. We're once again city folk. Which I'm still having a hard time believing and even harder time dealing with. I cry almost half of the day still. The kids are in an advanced school (not just advanced compared to JC...haha) and so it's been hard getting them caught up. I walk them to school every morning and stay there and watch them play until the bell rings. Luckily there are 5 million kids , teachers and parents so they don't see me stalking them. My kid that I thought would have the smoothest transition, Boston, seems to be having the hardest time fitting in with friends. I asked for a class list today so I can see who in our ward is in his class. His teacher seems great, but he went from recognizing and somewhat writing the alphabet, to read, spelling, phonograms and making tree and bubble graphs. Pretty big step up. And his math is the same that Kam was doing in 2nd grade at JC. ugh! They've all taken a huge jump up academically, which I think will be great in the future, but that's quite the jump for a kindergartener. And the worst part, the very worst part, that is probably half of my crying each day, is the full day kindergarten. He drags himself home, and says at least 5 times in the first hour of being home, "I'm tired!". I feel horrible, but I don't want to pull him out half day when he already has so much catching up to do.
I'm taking a mom's love and logic class once a week with my sister too. I'm sure it'll be helpful in the future as well. Right now, I'm so hormonal and depressed that it's mostly a guilt trip reminder of the parts of L&L that I forget to do. But I'm glad I'm doing it.
And it's amazing how in JC I thought I was doing good enough as a mom...here I feel like I'm the biggest slacker mom ever. I make 2-3 trips to their school a day to get them signed up for all the field trips, and to sign up to chaperone, and to get boston in speech and to take lunches that were forgotten, and to stalk, and to pay for phonogram cards, etc... And then I hear mom's at the kindergarten parent's info night meeting talking about all the extra classes they have their kid signed up for to learn the new Spalding really? You don't think the 8 hours of school, extra hour of homework and half hour of reading are enough each day? What if the kids actually want to PLAY!? ugh! I told the kids we could start sports or dance or karate or whatever they want to do after the new year when we are all settled and on a schedule again. I hope we can make it.
The house is tiny, and tile. We've broken a lot of things, and I feel like I'm in a dungeon all day (crappy lighting), but I am a home body, so it sucks. bad. Hopefully today Jase will hook up the antenna so we can have some local channels.
We're also using ONE car...one teeny, tiny car. Last night I took Jase, Boston and Pearcen to Fry's to pick out pumpkins, then I came back and picked up the older two. It was a pain, so to get home, we were illegal...and of coarse, a member of the elder's chorum presidency was parked right next to us and watched us shove half a dozen people in a tiny little coupe. Nice.
Volleyball group is fun, even though they ARE advanced compared to my JC group. My sisters both play and the rules are still sloppy and the same, which I LOVE, but they have perfect bump, set spike overtime. And Tonight is our first Bunco down here. can't wait! Dani is hosting (with a little peer pressure). And we had a great Pinterest party last week, and there are ward parties, school carnivals, trunk or treats, and other stuff to occupy my country bound mind for the next week. But I miss my home. I miss it badly. i miss my chickens, my big open kitchen/living room, being set way back off a street, knowing that all the teachers in the school know my kids names and who their parents are, I miss the feeling of security at night. I don't sleep here. I sleep for a few hours at a time. It's killing me. I miss my buried trampoline, I miss Boston running in with pockets and hands full of eggs yelling, "chicly pooed eggs, chicky pooed eggs!". I miss JC!
Jase is hoping this is a life I can get used to and love like I did that. He forgets I've spent 8 years of my life in the city....I never didn't want to move. I'm a hick. I'm out of place. I wish I could take my sisters and their families and haul em all back to the country.....andy small town would do if I had them.
Alright, there are my thoughts on life right now. NOt the best, but I keep waiting to blog till they change and it's just not happening. I hope everyone is right that this is a time in our lives we'll look back on and laugh, or look back on as good memories. Seems like we've said that a lot over the last 8 years or so.

Great and not great

2011-10-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

Great...I LOVE LOVE that my mom and I made pear honey again this week. I LOVE that stuff. It's my favorite favorite!

I LOVE that my niece, Danica and friend, Lanae, are helping me get an awesome bunco group started in the valley. October 27th! Can't wait!

I don't love that I have to pack up, load and MOVE AGAIN!!!

Why is this dumb lady smiling while she packs?!!!!!

Don't love that traffic will not be like THIS in my life any more for a while...

LOVE LOVE our bob's red mill hot cereal. I LOVE IT! I wish my kids would let me make it every morning. It's soo soo good!

18 weeks....

2011-10-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

Alright, there have been a few requests for a baby bump picture, and even though I'm not a fan of my body AT ALL right now, i know I'll wish I had these. And yes, my arm is that big, and yes, my butt is that low. I just started working out again this week....hopefully the next pic will be better. But my baby is the size of an avocado....not the cantaloupe that I show it to be. And I was smiling for the pic, but that one was super blurry (J taking it with the iphone) so I just put this one up. Blah! There you have it.

parenting and moving single style

2011-09-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

So the last couple of months have sucked. I've had to pack up the house, clean, unpack, make all the meals, do all the laundry (no changes with those two), and pretty much watch the kids hans solo. I'll admit, I do get him on Sundays, but the day of rest, no one is much help to anyone, but I do enjoy our Sundays together. But I can't wait to be together as a family again, and work as a team, and not be alone, and not having anxiety over another big move, and not living in my parents house, and not driving up and down the streets of my favorite town crying because I don't get to live here anymore.
I laid in bed this morning....alone and felt the baby. He moved from one side to the other, but I have only felt his actual movements 3 or 4 times. But I can tell which side he's on because it's a huge hard ball.
J is in the valley. Working hard today and checking out some more houses tonight and tomorrow. We were approved for one, in a fantastic neighborhood, by the Gutt's kids school, but it's only 1700 sq ft. Which I can probably hack for the first 6 months of our rental agreement, but not the last 6 when I have a newborn and it's too hot to send the kids outside. Ugh, well see what happens with that.
Pearcen turned 2 today. I honestly can't believe this last year. It has dragged more than any year in my life, but to think that I delivered pearcen 2 years ago is so unbelievable! He turned feisty about 3 weeks ago, but he gave me a break for his birthday. He's been awesome today! I hope it sticks.
Boston, ugh, boston, nothing makes me more sad than the thought of him not graduating kindergarten with Mrs. Young like my older 2 did. I always envisioned all my kids graduating her kindergarten class. I LOVE HER! Boston was riding his bike downt he street with Jase yesterday and said, "dad, I think I'm fawwing in wuv wiff my teacher". Then he started singing it, "I'm fawwing in wuv wiff my teacher, I'm fawwing in wuv wiff my teacher". We told her and she said, "boston, I think I'm falling in love with you too". She's just so amazing. I never thought anyone could outdo Mrs. Law...the amazing kindergarten teacher that taught all of my sisters, me and hundreds and hundreds of others, but Mrs. Young is right there with her. Remembers EVERY kid's name, and everything about them, and she's sooo patient and happy and AMAZING. ugh!
Kamryn, Kam is LOVING to cook. She just spent a whole hour making a fruit salad for everyone today. Sadly all we had was bananas and apples and yogurt, but she made enough to feed all of us...twice. She LOVES coloring, drawing and writing in cursive. And she just started achievement days a few weeks ago and she loves that too.
Jaden, Jado is awesome. He's definitely my mama's boy. I love our relationship. He's a stud. He's struggling in school right now, but I think that's due to the craziness in our life right now, the neglect he's gotten because of that, and the fact that we had no idea he wasn't turning in his papers until he had straight F's. Yup. But he's working over triple time this week and turning in 5-7 extra home works a day to get all of those up to at least C's before we move. I know he'll do it. He's a determined guy. He has been THE STAR in soccer this year. His team made it to the championship...which is this weekend. He's decided he wants to play soccer every year from now on. He's awesome.
Me, I'm pregnant. Sometimes I get up to work out, clean, cook or change poop, and sometimes, I don't. I've never been this depressed or fatigued during a pregnancy. Can't wait til march!
Foxxie. Foxxie is awesome. She's the best dog in tihe world. I hope she never ever dies. She is however, the reason that we've had a hard time finding a place to rent. Most places allow pets, but the very first one I wanted, and still dream about, wouldn't let us apply because of her. ugh!

Chickens....gone :(

awesomeness...

2011-09-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

This are SO chaotic around here....it's hard for me to have a schedule, a routine, the whole system with the family whilst we are in limbo, but I have to say, half of my day is these two, and it's cake. They love each other so much. They do EVERYTHING together. They played out back with grandma's plants, then hid behind the bushes, rode bikes, got in the bath, watched Blue's Clues, had a snack, jumping contest, and here they are counting Boss's money (which happens a couple times a day everyday...he finds new pennies...grandpa's house is a gold mine!). And any goofy sound boston makes, pearcen makes then laughs...all day long!!!! I love these guys!

How I roll

2011-09-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

Since moving back into my parents house (not WITH my parents, clarification there), I mostly watch TV. I haven't had TV in a year and I LOVE the FOOD network! For the first 2 weeks, I'll admit, I was addicted to the Kardashians..done wtih that. But now i watch...and record most Food network shows, and then at the end of the week decide which meal was the most amazing, and watch it be made a few times,a nd this last week, i made it...don't be grossed out, but it was meatloaf. I've probably only had meatloaf twice in my life, but this was awesome! Nicely played Ina!
So far this week, it's Rachel Ray's fajitas. I think well go for it tonight.

My tasteless show of choice right now....America's next top model. I watch all those poor skinny girls, who, in MY opinion, are usually not attractive AT ALL, they just have the tall overly skinny bodies, and I eat my string cheese, or peaches and cream or grapenuts with honey, or whatever awesome food I can find. I feel bad for them, like I should send them a care package of food. But I don't. Now onto why this show is wrong..dont 'knwo if anyone else in the world watches it, but on one of the episodes last week, the ONLY pretty girl in the whole competition refused to be shot in underwear or bra....but she would do bikini bottoms with a full top. They all gave her SOO much crap about it, about how the bikini bottom was smaller than the underwear they awnted her to wear, and she kept trying to tell them that it's the idea of everyone seeing her in her underwear, which I totally agree with!!! But they made her cry.....so I think I'm done with that show..any suggestions as to what should be next?

This is Shannon Stewart...the no underwear girl.

People I owe big time...

2011-09-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

Katherine Alexander for taking my kids all the time...especially Boss
Amy for helping out with Kam
Danica for finding me a house
Julie Cochran for bringing me awesome food from her awesome garden
Boston for making me happy everyday
Lu for getting pregnant so I wouldn't be alone in my misery
Mel for keepign up on our Scrabble games that help me avoid my life.
Vicki Palmer for making my house smell like fall
Sisters for taking my kid this last week so he could get his freaky teeth fixed (thanks Uncle sam!!!!)
Tums makers...for the obvious
Dr. Miller for taking those stupid bumps off my head
Dad for keeping cable for me
My bed

Gotta get get...

2011-09-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it's the fact that we went down and actually looked at houses, or the fact that I get EXTREME frustration EVERYDAY about something that is packed that I need desperately...i.e., a can opener....the attachments to my hand mixer.....popcorn....maternity clothes....salt....cinnamon...etc... but I'm excited to move. Sad that it's to heat since the weather here is AMAZING, and heat depresses me more than anything in life...well, it's up there with fat. We've narrowed it down to 2 houses, one smaller one in power ranch, and a big awesome one that's NOT in power ranch....we want power ranch. It's just a year, I think we can handle smaller. And it's not SMALLER..it's only a few sq ft smaller than the house we've been in for the last 2 years.
but I'm tired. Still so tired.
today's to do list:

make invites for next week's jewelry party
box up mary kay orders and ship
figure out an awesome dinner for Jase's birthday tonight (his birthday is tomorrow bu the'll be babysitting for my enrichment night.
vacuum
find someone to take my younger 2 today
take jaden to flag with me to get my stitches out
laundry, laundry laundry
order 2 pies for J's birthday (it's what he wants...blah)
don't beat whiney 2 year old
go talk to school about recent letters saying my kids all get free lunches and breakfasts...WHAT?! I hope it's true!
don't fall asleep in the middle of the day.

Wish me luck!

10 years.....

2011-09-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been 10 years since the Trade Center Attacks. It seems like it was just 2 or 3 years ago. I remember laying on our couch in our one bedroom apartment in Gilbert, 6 months pregnant with my first wondering what the heck was going on. I called Jase who was working out with Sam at their house and he came home. I glued myself to the tv for days...maybe weeks. Feeling helpless and horrible for the families of those who's lives were taken. And feeling SO grateful to be safe, and have all of my loved ones accounted for. This day every year makes my stomach tight, and puts me on edge, but this year, being 4 months pregnant with my last, makes me even more emotional, more grateful for my beautiful family, my amazing country and the love we share as a nation. My friend Pam had this on her blog...I LOVE IT.

I remember 9/11/01
I remember where I was and what I was doing.
I remember what I felt.
I remember how I cried.
I remember how I held my kids tighter.

I remember this...

and all of these...

But, I also remember this...

and a Nation that looked like this...

and the Spirit that made people do this...

and most especially, do this...

I remember...

Things I have to look forward to...

2011-09-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

So the last 2 weeks and probably the next 4 weeks suck. But I have a lot ot look forward to. When you're at the bottom, it always helps to look up and see what there is.....

Being a 36C again...I'm already up to a 38DD!

A new Mulder!!!!!

Decorating a new house...even though I will never love another house like I did our last, it's always fun to decorate from scratch.

Vacations again! Our vacations this year have all been pretty local, and all places we've been to, which we swore we wouldn't do, but we could only afford Utah, Cali, and of coarse a trip with the fam that we didn't have to pay a dime. But ic an't wait to explore new places again. And hopefully go see the Jones family in Va this fall with our free airline ticket!

Being by my sisters and nieces! I'm ALWAYS jealous of all my friends up here that have family to hang out with all the time...and even though my sisters are much much busier, it'll be nice just to live closer and get to go to their kid's stuff and girl's nights.

My mary Kay order coming in. I know, that's how pathetic I am right now. But I take 20% off for anyone that orders, and that means it covers their part, plus puts about an extra 5%, and that 5% usually covers my order, or close to. I LOVe getting new make up! Even though I hardly ever wear it anymore.

Can't wait to get these stiches out. That's the closest thing....This Friday! It sucks not being able to brush your hair on the scalp. I feel gross! 5 more days!

My Ultra sound in October. Of coarse we want a girl, but either way, I can't wait to find out and start preparing. A house full of boys and me and my helper/co chef/baker/co mama Kam would be a lot of fun.

NOT being pregnant. If this list were numbered, this would be #1. This makes all the crap in my life seem so much worse. My teeth hurt, my weight is up 20lbs already, I'm tired all day even if I DID sleep well and I smell everything...including whoever is sitting by me in RS or Sunday School....even if they are 2 seats away, if they breath out of their mouth, or even talk, I die!!!!

Moving back to JC. Testimony meeting was great this week. One of my favorite friends here bore her testimony about how she used to hate that they moved back to JC, and now she's soo happy whens he comes back to JC from vacations. I feel the same way. we LOVE to travel, it's what we always save our $$ up for and have always had as a common dream, but when we come back to quiet, dusty ole JC, we know it's home.

Wait wait, there is something before getting the stitches out! It's peach and pear week...seriously my favorite week of the year. It tops out the 4th of July and Christmas. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this week and the weeks to follow of canning, baking pear bread, peach cobbler, peaches and cream every morning for breakfast, 5 pears a day for Boston and a freezer of frozen peaches for our smoothes for a couple of months. I LOVE THIS WEEK!!!!!!

See, I'm an optimist!

awesome giveaway

2011-09-03T08:59:00.001-07:00

http://zozobugbabyblog.com/2011/08/29/big-photographer-giveaway/#comment-797

awesome stuff in this giveaway for photographers!

A bad day...

2011-09-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

I could tell when after spending the last 2 days packing and cleaning for a few hours each day, I got a phone call from my husband whom I hadn't seen in almost 3 days at 6am saying, "I thought you guys packed more than this...can you load up the kids (that are asleep) and bring them up here so we can work on the house?". Sure, let me get on that...this morning sickness is cake!

Prepping myself all week for my big head surgery today...I tell J, "I'm scared for today"...his reply, "what's today? Oh yea, it'll be fine". Awesome.

The surgery...NOT FINE! I guess I don't take well to anesthesia, and then they had to give me the kind that doesn't help coterize so I bled like a crazy person. They were even freaking out about it...I had blood dripping down my face and neck. And every once in a while I felt major pain so they had to shove more shots in up there. Luckily I had an awesome dermatologist and he did a fantastic job....but my head is still burning like crazy because I never even take tylenol, so my body sucks with pain killers.

To top the day off, I just had to run back up to my house....and I started crying....A LOT....another family's Uhaul was being unloaded into MY HOUSE!

Oh and welcome to maternity jeans...as of today!!!

Can I just sleep for a few years?!

Here is a picture that makes me happy though....

Kam and her cousin Tess at Colorado after filling the hot tub with soap.

The most amazing day....

2011-08-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

Kamryn decided she wanted to get baptized in Colorado with the Hatch family there, and all of her cousins and in a lake. We got up there, and looked around at lakes, and were told that a lot of lakes have leeches. yuck! We didn't tell Kam that, but she asked, after the first day there, if she could be baptized in a river like Jesus was. Um, we can't deny that. So we went on lots of hikes through the week and found a perfect spot. It was loud because it was flowing down through rocks right before the open spot that we decided to do it and there was a really old cool bridge above where we did it and then the water flowed into a huge tunnel. We weren't able to get started til about 45 minutes later than we had planned, so the water was super chilly.
We started the meeting out with Uncle Sam giving an amazing talk about baptism and talking about what he remembered of his own baptism. Then J took her down into the river.

When they got down there they talked to each other for a long time, and like I said, it was loud, so we couldn't hear what they were saying, but I felt so bad that she had to be in the cold cold water that long, then finally, Jase got started. I later found out that she was just really cold and scared. Jase told her she could wait and do it back at the lodge at one of the hot tubs, but she said that she wanted to do it in the river.....

It was the most amazing thing I've ever been able to witness. It was such a beautiful place, and having the family there, and feeling the spirit stronger than ever. It was perfect.

Uncle Bishop Bill was there to conduct for us and he did an amazing job. It was as if he'd done a few hundred baptisms before. ha!

The 3 older cousins all sang "come thou fount"...even Jami, whom I had to beg and beg for weeks and weeks. They did fantastic.

Then Uncle Keith talked on the Holy Ghost. I was a little worried that he would use big words and say things that I didn't understand and couldn't explain, but he did perfect, and Kam understood all of it and gained a better understanding of recieving and having the Holy Ghost. Then she was confirmed.
After that Uncle Bill let my parents share their testimonies since the whole family was together. And I don't think there was a dry eye in the crowd...including the little ones. The spirit was SO strong there that evening.

I am so grateful to be married to a worthy preisthood holder, and to have such amazing kids that want to make good choices to be happy.

Now comes the tough part....teaching (by example) repentance. :)

Photos by: Melissa Fullmer Photography

stuff to remember

2011-08-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, i always forget to write stuff here that I want to remember, so here's some randomness

Wed. at the baptism/blessing dinner, Jason pushed boston's face into his peice of cake (mature) and boston was super sad about it, and ran downstairs. When he came back up, he found a piece of cake on a plate and ran up to J and went right for the face, but Jase caught it before it hit his face, so Boston quickly pulled the cake off the plate wiht his other hand and started chucking it at J's face and yelling, "HOW YOU LIKE IT?~!?!? HOW YOU LIKE IT?!?!"

Awesome

About once a week Boston asks me, "How much I love you mom?"
I say, "I don't know, how much?"
He says, "Never ending!"

In other news, the noise maker/air purifier that we bought with Jaden and use EVERY single day with who ever the baby is at the time....BROKE TODAY! I'm hoping it's fixable. It costs about $15 back in '01 but it makes the perfect noise and it's so portable.

and in awesome news. One of my favorite friends from HERE and one of my favorite friends in the valley both announced this week that they are 6 or 7 weeks pregnant! YAY!!!! 2 of us are going for girls, one....this isn't the other one's last I'm sure, and she's got 2 girls and a boy, so let's just all hope for 3 healthy, super cute babies!!!!!!!!!

Yes, 5 kids.

2011-08-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

So I guess people can tell i'm pregnant, and then of coarse, family shares with other family, so I've been getting a lot of comments. 4 was no big deal. i think a lot of people figure 4 is the max for most, so when it's 5 you get alll kinds of welcome and super unwelcome comments.
You have your peopel who had 2 or 3 kids and when they hear this is #5, sometimes they'll say, "whoops, you guys weren't planning that were you?" Or "wow, that's so brave, I could never do that". "5 is crazy". Or those with 5 who like to scare you, or just hope your life will be as crazy or hard as theirs is with 5 and the ole, "it's the hardest!" or "enjoy 4, it's much easier" "just wait". " or I love my sister Tamee who swears it's death....of coarse, she had a 1 year old when she had her #5....and her oldest was 7. ouch! Or strangers that ask how many (in the OB office), "Lordy! 2 is more than I wanted! 5 would kill me!" She was awesome though.

....ahhh, all so encouraging. Thank you.

Then you have those that have 3 or 4 and give you the ole, "5? that's awesome, we wanted more, 5 would have been perfect" or "I come from 5 and loved it!"
Or those with 5 or more, "5 was nothing, it's hard at first just like all of them, but then it's all the same" (thanks debi...mother of 10). or, "I'm not going ot lie, at first it's hard, but after a month or two, it all falls together"

So obviously I get more of the crap comments, but strangely I'm more excited for this one than I have been for the last couple. I think because the kids are all in a great place. They all know what they need to do, they're good at keeping each other entertained, and Kam and J can pretty much take care of P by themselves. Right now I'm of coarse feeling overwhelemed with life, but I'm sure when we get moved in, settled, and deliver this kid, we'll be ready. But yes, it's #5, and YES we planned it and YES we want a lot....probably our last, but maybe not. J says NOT our last...right now, i say our last. haha. and YES, it might be hard at first, but then again...maybe it won't!

Oh so much!

2011-08-26T05:53:00.001-07:00

The last two days and the next 4 are filled. COMPLETELY FILLED. I almost cry when I wake up knowing that there will be no down time...so I'm here at 5 am to blog and get it out!
Wednesday we got up at 5 and drove to the valley to make it to the baby doctor by 8:40. I LOVE LOVE my baby doctor's PA or whatever she is. She sat and talked forever wtih me and she's just awesome. I've had her for 4 of the 5 now. We heard a cute little baby heart beat. Still giving no sign to boy or girl. But healthy! yay! Then we go to go drop J off at work, run the kids to my friend Lanae who watched them for me (owe her big time) ran back to san tan to eat some brio's with the sisters....and mom....and niece. Ran back to pick up the kids, then over to Ashley Biddles for the briefest second before I packed up all 4 and went to Sam's, then out to the baptism and blessing then the PARTAE afterwards. Then over to pick up my my tomatoes and strawberries that I ordered, to the Fish's, sat aroudn with dani making fun of Property Brothers, THEN BED!

Next day, get up, and yes, I did get to sit around for a couple of hours because there was the BEST What Not To Wear on ever!!!!! Then I ran over to get my older 2 who stayed at Vonda's. Go them out, dried em off, fed em, dentist. Ahh, the dentist. I hadn't been in over 2 years. Gross, I know. But Jaden went about 8 months ago and still had 4 cavities. sad. Kam got her chip fixed....yay! for uncle sam!!!! Then the bank, golden spoon, gas, pick up the little ones from aunt vonda, pick up J, get more gas, drive home, stop and have lunch with our Payson Rossers, drive home, sleep.

Today. I'm awake. ugh! Gotta bottle these awesome pickles, cut up the strawberries to freeze, pack up TONS, take TONS down to mom and dad's, clean, clean, clean, then pack up TONS more, then load it up. Looks like the day with the least, but it's the day that's going ot KILL ME!

Tomorrow, Soccer, take a load up to Taylor, bottle chilies, come back, take a load to parents, SLEEP! ugh.

I hope I look back on this post and just laugh and the poor poor pity party pregnant me!

goods n bads

2011-08-23T16:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, so obviously right now I've got some bads in my life...and I KNOW my bads could be worse Mel...don't tell me again...but between putthign half my stuff (including my fall decor that I LOVE) and my cushy wushy couch in storage, pulling out my size 12's, and leaving the only home I've felt settled in in over a decade, it's been hard to find the good, but I'm working on it.

GOOD:

* I'm moving closer to a Cheesecake Factory, Brio's and TRH

*We can soon go to movies w/o planning a babysitter for 2 extra hours to drive to the theater and back

*Finances will perk up VERY soon.

*My favorite week of the year...Pear and Peach week is coming up!!!!!

* I'll have cable at my parents house for a couple of months! FOOD NETWORK!
* I'm going to have another cute baby in 6 months!
*I get to have a girl's weekend with Kam for her 8th birthday (J took Jaden to Disneyland)
* We'll have grass in our yard for a couple of months, and big old trees!
* August 29th...spa day, awesome girl's lunch, and some shopping with my girl Trina! (this picture really looks like us...just add a spare tire and lower belly to me and put HER hair down and My hair up)

See, so there's LOTS of good, I've just gotta stay focused on it and stop crying all the stinking time!!!!!!

Kamryn

2011-08-19T06:50:00.001-07:00

Boston.....

2011-08-19T06:41:00.001-07:00

I figured I'd make these for their "school years" books that I have. Easy way to get it all out there.

It'll be alright

2011-08-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

I like this one. She's a good one. She cracks me up. She always gets the couch blanket or baby blankets to sleep with so that she won't have to make her bed in the morning. And she reads for about an hour before she falls asleep each night...and as you can see she's got a crowd to read to. She's hilarious. I really really like her. Jase and I decided that when our kids turn 8 we're going to take them on a special trip, just them. They get to pick (within reason). Jase took Jaden on a one day one night trip to Disneyland. Fastest trip ever, but Jaden LOVED that they slept in the suburban and ate at IHOP. Kam is having a hard time choosing. I told her if we stay in Az we can do chocolate and cheese fondue, stay at a nice (they think everything is) hotel and get our nails done. If we go to Cali, we'll have to stay at a normal hotel and pack our own food. She goes back and forth everyday. But now that her cousin got a job at the melting pot in Awatukee...maybe she'll decide. :)

And if this is another boy, we'll be alright. We'll just have twice as many girls trips. (though her fingers are crossed and prayers are constantly said for this to be a girl my belly).

what's going on with the mulders

2011-08-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

I thought everyone knew, but i was wrong...we're moving. We're packing it up and movin it out. Moving to my parents JC house for a month or two then down to the valley, ugh.
And yes, I'm pregnant...#5, due March 3rd...feeling like crap, don't like packing, don't' like constant nausea and fatigue, like my kids, don't like their messes, like my husband, don't like his schedule which leads to no help around here, like my family, don't like their laundry and dishes and eating 3x a day, don't like that I just got my maternity clothes out and my size 12's, but I can't suck it in anymore, don't like packing up my favorite, most homey, most 'me' home ever, don't like that the now dead rabbit ate our whole garden this year, don't' like making meals that I crave so badly, only to be grossed out by the thought of it when it's finally done, don't like that the little kid that invented Facebook is a billionaire and we all contribute to that pretty much daily.

I like my sisters, I like my husband and kids and chickens and the new rabbits and foxxie. I like apples, tomatoes and toast all the time. I like that fall is coming soon (wondering if it'll be as crisp and awesome in the valley...ugh), I like that I am the proud owner of the world's best baby...walks around laughing all day and lining cars up in the window sills. I like not doing photography (for now). I really like my sectional...and hope it fits into house #14. I like Jaden, he's just awesome. He's been a very cool kid. I like pintrest and Facebook scrabble....I've gotta set some limits with both though. I probably spend an hour on each a day. I like Steve and Lu, especially when they're both explaining a game. haha.

That's it. We're moving, we're expecting, we're not super excited about the move, but trying to focus on the good things of the move, which are really good things....sisters, cousins, nieces, friends, cheesecake factory, speech for Boston and the beach on weekends!

Financial distress + Marriage = SUCKINESS!

2011-08-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

So, of coarse, our main purpose in moving back to the awful awful, horrible, ok, it's not all that, but it is the city, is to help boost our finacial situation. The past few months have been stressful and it's killing our marriage. I turn into a stressed out grouch who wants, wants, wants. And Jase turns into a penny pinching, over budgeting, over working, neglecter.....those two are a BAD combination. And I know we'll be back to bliss in our marriage soon. But when times suck you kinda wonder, "why's he even with me?" And today when I was reading Nienie I saw these pictures and I thought, "holy crap, look at the way he's looking at her! I wonder if Jase would be able to look at me like that if I had gone through all that she has? Then I wonder, I wonder if he could now. The thoughts of a crappy little phase. I know, it'll pass. But seriously, look at the love in these pictures!

In the meantime...back to packing. I'm soo soo depressed right now blogging, surrounded by packed boxes and empty cupboards. The kids are having an awesome time using the too big boxes for trains and forts.

annoying and sad (seems to be my everyday anymore)

2011-08-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

First I've gotta get this off my chest. I can't stand blondes that wear pink all the time. ok, anyone that wears pink all the time, but it's more annoying on blondes. Fine if you wear it once a week whatever, but when you wear it EVERYDAY, IT"S ANNOYING!!!! I don't know this person, someone probably does, she was on FB, and I just noticed all of her pictures had pink, I'm sure she's really nice and super sweet and probably does charity work every day from the second she gets up til she falls asleep in her pink pajamas, but stop with the pink!!!!

Next...saddest day of the year. Every other year, I've been so excited for the first day of school. Back to schedules, back to a quiet house for a few hours a day, back to being able to catch up on cleaning. But this year, I cried the second they left, until I got in the car and went to their school to make sure boston found his class alright and the other two made it to assembly ok. They were all pretty excited to get back. I'm sure it'll be fine...right? But I'm just sayin, if any of those punk kids make fun of my boston's hats, mismatched shoes (I made him match today), or speech, they'll get it!!!! Ok, with that being said, I'm sure he'll be fine, his class is full of awesome kids and the best kindergarten teacher. Kam and Jaden both got teachers who are teaching at our school for the first time this year. Should go fine.

Ugh!

Week 10

2011-08-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

Week 10 of pregnancy #5...sad..

I'm starting to pack up to move out of my favorite house ever. Sad. I love this house. I've never been sad to move before. I've had people I'd miss each move, but I've never been sad to leave a house and find a new one...this time I'm super sad and know I won't love the next home nearly as much as I love this one. sad.

I also think it's so unfair that Jessica Beil gets to wake up and look like she does AND not have finaicial difficulty. I think all majorly beautiful people should be broke!

And now, embrace yourself....Mulder's got a new car. I didn't help pick it out AT all, but we're the proud (I guess) new owners of a '91 Toyota Celica Convertible. The kids think it's the nicest car ever...way nicer than the suburban. Speaking of...anyone in need of an awesome, wonderful, fully loaded '09 Suburban???

So as I continue to gain weight, go bald, and be broke, I'm going to pack it all up. And yea, I know, I'm not forgetting how blessed I am to have 4 awesome kids and a faithful husband. But seriously?! ugh!

Cravings of the moment....this baby has wanted a pumpkin pie for weeks now....she ain't gettin it.....til today! I vow to make something pumpkiny before the days end!!! Probably not something this amazing...but something!

Bringing up the rear...

2011-08-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

So up until about, uh, a month ago, I pictured us having one more after this...close after this. But the more I see people that are done...that have babies that are 5 and 6 years old, the more I'm ready to be there. I think 5 might be our magical number. Each pregnancy is so much worse too. not only is there more to get done as I have more kids, but the sickness is worse, and my fatigue and age kill me with that. This pregnancy I KNOW, will be hard with all that's going on. Possibly leaving our lovely home that I've grown so attached too, along with all the land that we've dreamed of having our final home and family orchard on (that has already been started). And Jase building up a THIRD clinic, being gone a few days (and nights) a week. I sit and cry about it every few hours, I can only imagine when it all comes to pass.
And I KNOW if we do end up moving there will be so many great things too. Being so close to sisters and nieces and friends. And the kids are so excited to be by cousins (except Kam...she's like me and LOVES our country/farm life and is dreading leaving it). I can actually have the lettuce wraps I crave instead of filling that craving with grape nuts, bananas, or salsa. We can go on fun exciting dates again. We can take the kids to ball games again, and zoos and museums. But I will ALWAYS miss the country life. I love it! LOVE IT! UGH!
So, I'm trying to really enjoy every gruesome moment of the first trimester of my last baby. I know when the nausea goes away and the kicking starts, it'll be easier to enjoy and embrace, but the thought of this being the last does make it easier to endure this first trimester. blah!

your baby's the size of a prune!

Now, she's about 1.2 inches long and weighs about .14 ounces. Her body length will almost double in the next three weeks.

Lamest mom award goes to.....

2011-08-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

ME!
we just had an awesome weekend at the Arizona Grand, and then with the family for my awesome nephews farewell, and I lacked a camera the whole weekend. Lame. It was a lot of fun. The resort was WAY WAY too crowded....but we're going again in August and hopefully on a weekday, so it should be better, but we got to go with the Jones, the Jones, the Fergusons and the Bollwinkels. All awesome! We had a great time.
And Jamison's farewell...awesome! I still can't believe he's going. We're going to have so much fun sending him letters and packages though...along with half the girls in Maricopa county. We will hopefully get to take him and his companion to lunch or dinner sometime since he's serving in Riverside. He's going to be amazing.
And the pregnancy....start week 10 this week...haven't exercised in 3 weeks (which is HUGE for me) and haven't stepped on a scale in about 2. ugh. Starting WW today and Zumba again tomorrow. And dont'w orry, i did WW throughout my Pearcen pregnancy, still gained the 65, but it came off twice as quickly. And yes, he was my smallest, but my smallest came out at 8lbs 6 ounces. we'll be fine.
Cravings this week: Brio's wedge salad, Cheesecake factory's lettuce wraps, quesadillas and turkey sandwiches.

Annoyances this week: someone actually touched my stomach and asked how far along. Don't! The world's dirtiest house and people coming to look at it tomorrow, and i can't get ahold of Aida!!!!! Ugh!

This little piggy went whoa whoa whoa...

2011-07-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's time to call off the cravings. This baby loves tomatoes, LOVES pickles, and LOVES dill. This baby love turkey sandwiches, hold the cheese, cucumbers, carrots. THIS little baby LOVES Taco Bell and almond chocolate milk and homemade dill dip and toast.
This little baby helped HER/his mom pack on 15lbs in 2 months already. Time to call it off. I keep pickles and tomatoes on hand. But when you're in holbrook, you've been held hostage at the dr. office, having to pee in a cup twice, get poked 3x and all together being in the office for 2 and a half hours, your crazy pregnant brain thinks like this:
You've gone a long time w/o food, your body is now low on calories, a soft taco supreme fresca style and tostada no cheese will be fine.
So I did it.
Pregnant brain sucks!

I would like to get this in writing to see if it comes to pass:

I WILL GET CABLE TV BACK BEFORE THE END OF THIS PREGNACY! Weather it be with Jase's approval, or in a house on my own, I will have it! This is the first pregnancy I've gone without it,a nd it's hard when you feel like crap all day to not have TV....and I just pictured myself nursing a baby 24/7 w/o one. Uh huh, not gunna happen. Start the wagers on if I'll do it alone or with a husband. (the cable, not the pregnancy)

And now, let's see what today will add up to:
1 hour getting hung up on twice, getting thrown back and forth before finally getting the credit card company to give me my credit back (removed for a late payment...come on...it's July, cut me some slack!) + a bottle of bubble spilled all over just before knocking over a mason jar and having it shatter all over the kitchen + 2 and a half hours in the doctors office, peeing in a cup twice, getting poked 3x and seeing my weight, ugh + having to go load up a bike and a kid in the pouring rain + our homemade dam breaking in our backyard so now a waterfall flood is going on back there + Taco Bell + 3 homemade c.c. cookies + 3 loads of laundry + still having to pack all 6 of us to leave in the am + a sick Boston =

Any guesses?

Summer, baby names, morning sickness and jewelry

2011-07-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

I was defaintely dreading this summer since our finances are crap from the last business endevour, and we had no big plans other than that awesome Colorado trip, but this summer has FLOWN by. I've had so much fun with the kids. I can't believe I have to send them back in less than 2 weeks. ugh!

And now to baby names. We had Oliva for the girl name for Kamryn and Boston. Jase didn't let me name Kam Olivia, so he said I could if Boss were a girl. Boss was a boy. Then when we got pg with Pearcen, he said we could still use Olivia, but it's wayyy wayyy to overused, so I switched to Stella. Pearcen was a boy. And even though Stella is making it's way up the popular list, I'm keepin it at #1. Ruby, Ramona and Gracie were our other girls names, Winston, Oliver and Henry were all on the list for Pearcen as a boy, so we're keeping them on there for this one, and hopefully I'll come up with another new one because those are all climbing the charts too. But in the last few weeks I've had friends flat out tell me they don't want me to use certain names. ugh! really? I remember a friend told me she'd kill me if I used Mazie for Kam (it was on the list) because she was naming her baby that (who was born a few months after Kam), so I didn't, and she didn't. And yea, I like Kamryn better, so I'm glad she made the demonic threat, but still. NONE of my names are original at all. No one I know made up any of them, but still, I've been asked to not use them. Ugh. But for now I'll take those names off of my side bar list.

It's cool. Whatever.

Morning sickness is soo stupid! SO SO STUPID! I wanted Eva's salsa forever, and I LOVED it when we were there lat week. Made my sister bring me some yesterday, and blah! Couldn't do it! WTH baby?!?!?! What do you want?!?!?!?!?!?

Ahh, and alas, the new Premier catalog came in and I couldn't be more in love. Tamee and I made the world's hugest order yesterday after shopping the catalog for 3 hours. Can't wait!!!!!!

And Quote of the month:

Boston: (super mad at us for not getting him some kind of food, don't remember what it was) " You two are dumb adults!"

Morning sickness is worth it, morning sickness is worth it...

2011-07-26T12:13:00.001-07:00

Morning sickness is so worth it!!!

Colorado Hatch Family....

2011-07-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

This guy was awesome. He made up a game called "1 point"...where there would be two sides of cousins...usually the bigger teenage cousins and him, and they'd throw the ball back and forth hitting each other and every once in a while, with no reason, he'd yell out, "one point for you!" or "one point for us!". And when he got the ball he'd keep it in his hands and pretend to dribble and sayd " boing boing boing". He's awesome.

This baby is awesome too! He's awesome. He's a deep thinker, always pondering, you can tell. He really loves me....his favorite GREAT aunt.

The inevitable grandchild shot. This pic is getting a big large. Luckily we're about done expanding it. haha.

We spent a day in Ouray...we were very touristy. We hiked up box canyon to the falls, but I didn't pack my big ole camera for that. but it was awesome...and scary with kids.

Don't know where he learned this dance move...

she's just cute...

Ahhh, the whole big happy family!

The happy Tamee....

Everytime we'd load up to go somewhere half of us would sit on the front porch waiting for about half an hour...lots of bonding time.

The coolest was rafting the Animas river. this is a mild shot.

The coolest and his 3 older cousins.

things....

2011-07-25T08:57:00.001-07:00

My days....
Wake up...stay in bed for about an hour because of NO ENERGY AT ALL!
Make something to make the nausea go away...by the time it's made, it doesn't sound good anymore (unless it's pickles, salsa, tomato sandwich or a plain english muffin).
I lay down about every 30 minutes for about 10 minutes...ALL DAY LONG!
Think about all the weight I've already gained about every 10 minutes all day long!
Boss the kids around while wearing stretchy pants
(it's ok, don't' feel bad for me...I know it's temporary)

Goals for the day
Hopefully get the kids changed out of the clothes they've been wearing for days.

no sugar...should be easy, sweets make me sick...although the only thing i threw up yesterday was cucumbers...boo!

get the mail that hasn't been checked in almost two weeks....not sure if I'm ready for the wrath of the postman.

clean...a ton. The house goes to pot every first trimester I have.

Blog about Colorado and the baptism

What will most likely really happen today:

I'll keep having the kids sweep and pick up and wipe things for another hour while I sit here.
Then we'll all go to the couch and watch a movie
I'll pop some popcorn...then not want it because the smell gags me.
I'll call Jase to stop and get the mail on his way home from work.
The kids will probably go change and change pearcen, all into something that doesn't match (who cares!)
I'll gain another pound
The carpet will be unseen by the end of the day but everyone will end up happy in time for FHE!

I was also thinking this morning about things I miss. So I'm going to make a list...just to see if I'm still missing them this time next year:

Dish Network (or any TV)

Turbo Fire. I know it's only been 2 weeks. But I miss it. I hope this is my week to get back on it.

The beach! I think this is the longest I've ever gone w/o seeing it. It's almost been a year.

A garden and a dead bunny. Our now dead bunny ate our garden before dying (jerk) and I miss both.

my hair. I only have pictures up around the house from when I had long hair.

Eva's salsa. And yes, it's only been a week that I've been without, but this baby LOVES tomatoes, especially in the form of Eva's salsa, and tomato sandwiches with cucumbers and mayo.

I guess that's all really, but i really miss dish. Especially on Sundays when I have time to sit and watch it. Ok and every other day when I'd put food network on and leave it on all day long.

16 half years...blah!!!

2011-07-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, s he's half way there. That makes me wanna throw up! But I'm so glad we're not there. I LOVE my little eight year old. She chose to have a rainbow party this year, so Jase and I got up and decorated the house with all kinds of streamers, banners and balloons and made her rainbow pancakes:

Which made her day. Then I spent the whole day making all kinds of rainbow goodies like cookies, cake, fruit kabobs and ice cream cups.

aunt tamee was around so she helped paint faces.

She was pretty excited about all of it. Lots of food and LOTS of painting. We did finger painting, painted magic wands, face painting, and we were supposed to do cookie painting, but I suck at making cookie paints.

FIVE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

2011-07-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Baby's now the size of a blueberry!
Baby's brain -- both hemispheres! -- is growing fast, generating about one hundred new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby's third!) is now in place.

March 3rd, Mulder #5!

wind, utah, Ina and hunts

2011-07-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

So 2 weeks ago a huge horrible twister came through and trashed our brand new play house that we'd been saving for years for.....and it was somewhat fixable...but alas, 2 days later another one came through and threw it over our trampoline, and it's beyond repair. We can take the top play house part off and put it on the ground, but everything else...trashed. sad news. Let's move on.

I had to do my festive stuff before the 4th this year since we'd be on the road so I made a flag lasagnana. Kinda fun.

and corn on the cob cupcakes....

We made those with our duncan cousins for grandma week. one of our favorite weeks of the summer!!!!

Then we had to pack it up and be on our way to Utah. I made up a photo scavenger hunt for our trip so I'd remember to take pictures...I'm lame at it anymore. The first pic was a family picture at lake powell...set on a rock, taken with self timer...there you have it....

Next was a shot with the welcome to utah sign....

Then, animals alive....

Something magical....

An American flag....

And we stopped at Bridal Veil falls on our way back down, had to take a picture of amazement...

on our way back down from Heber City we stayed a few days with Justy and lissy at Cedar City where we went on walks, played card games, watched a parade, did tons of fireworks Lissy put on an awesome spread for the 4th and everyone went to the fire works as I sat at Justy and LIssy's, ate ice cream and enjoyed real TV for the first time in months and months!

we ate tons and tons, then laid around for a day and a half!

For not being a heber Az 4th (our first in 6 years) it was an awesome one!!!!!

Things that I think are awesome!!!!!

2011-06-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

I saw this saying on pintrest today and realized how many awesome things I have in my life, so I'll share. Some are wants, some are needs, some are haves. Come along on an awesomeness journey with me, will you?

I'm going to start with a want. WE've been drinking out of aluminum tumblers for about 3 or 4 years now since my friend Jana bought them for us and WE LOVE THEM! Especially in the summertime. I just spotted these matching bowls and fell in love. Someday, they will be mine! Awesome!

This is a have...I have the awesomest parents. This is my mom with her sister and brothers in '75. Isn't she smokin?! Oh, and my uncle isn't grabbing my aunts boob, he's showing that she's with child.

Awesome!!!

Another awesome...is my Ashley Skiddley Doo. I love that we spent our first pregnancy together, then didnt' see each other for about 8 years, and now we're the best of friends. Then we spent a year talking about getting a cooking blog together...then finally DID IT!!!!

Awesome!

This is awesome! It's a want...well, I'd say a need, because if I want to be in service of my fellow men, which is what life is all about, then I must have amazing tools to help me serve...a need. Itsn't it awesome? you could put in mean words, and they'd still seem sweet and loving on a cookie! For example, "bite me" how cute would that be? Or "I hope you crumble up!"

Awesome!

No one can say this is not awesome! This is a need. I want to be able to pull of one awesome yoga move. I know, you're laughing...laugh it up. Even if it's after I'm done having kids and I can put 100% of my motivation into having a fit bod again...it will happen. For now...this year, I have another body goal, and when I reach it, I will show an awesome picture and blog it. Awesome!

I know, not the most modest suits, but I am in love with every single one...especially the top right. It'd even cover my stretch marks with that adorable high waist bottom. Awesome!

This is a have...but I just think it's Awesome that someone else in the world owns the book "how to behave and why" Hilarious book. Awesome!

Being married for 50 years. Now that's awesome. Who does that?! Yup, my parents, and yup, it's awesome that my dad got so much crap for showing up for his temple wedding in THAT shirt. Um, but aren't they hot?! They took off the night my mom graduated HS and went straight to Vegas. Sexy hot! and yea, 50 years later, in a big beautiful dream home. Him playing hearts on the computer, her playing her Sudoko, and dates 2 or 3 times a week.

Awesome!!

Ok, this will be happening SOON in my house...who thinks of this stuff? Awesome!

Whenever I wanna pretend to be awesome I think, "what would Mel do?". And for about 90% of my purchases, ideas, projects, and recipies, I run them by her first to be awesome approved. And how awesome is it to have a friend that knows what to say when you're totally depressed? It's awesome. Not to mention her 4..2 million talents. I've never met a more talented person...but she's too freaking humble about it. Drives me insane. If I were her, I'd be having shops on etsy, teaching photogrpahy workshops, getting paid to do interior design, and be a personal shopper for the rich, but whatev.

Awesome!

Just a want....this floor. I love it! I love love love it! I want it in my bathroom so badly. If we ever get the $$ and I get through the rest of my 2 thousand projects, this will be 2,001. And sadly, we'll probably have a stupid cat by then since Dolly wants one so badly.

Awesome!?

Ok, this next one is a NEED...someday, although I LOVE our house, I've just always dreamed of fixing up and old old house...and this lady is soo inspiring to me decor wise...check out the HOUSE SHE FIXED UP!

Ok, next is a have, and I LOVE IT. They took me forever. I bought the cheap cheap curtains at target when they were on sale, $7 for a set, and finally cut them up last week and sewed them together this week. I LOVE THEM. I wanna do red and white for our living room next.

Awesome!

Um, this last one is a have also. Pictures are pretty self explanatory.

Awesome!

And I will now leave with one NOT awesome....JOSEPH CITY WIND!!!!

8 years ago...

2011-06-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

Mom: Kam, do you remember 8 years ago when you picked us to be your family?

Kam: No.

M: So sad...probably the best day of your life! What has been your favorite thing we've done in the last year.

K: What's the last year?

M: Since your last birthday

K: WE drove in the car as a family and played in the car and drove up to see Uncle Justin and Aunt Elissa.

M: That was fun, what do you like to do everyday?

K: Fun activities, like make the 4th of July things and make those balloons, and I painted a bobblehead cat. Jaden painted a race car, and Boston painted a car too.

M: What's your least favorite thing to do everyday?

K: not do anything, just color. I don't like brushing my hair at ALL! or doing all my chores, and gotta get the eggs from the chickens and catch my baby chicks because they get out. Thats all.

M: Remember when you hit Jaden in the back of the head with a huge rock and he bled all over the place? What happened there??

K: I got in huge trouble and mom brung me in by the hair and p ushed me in my room really hard. That's all.

M: wait wait, I meant, what caused you to do that??

K: Cause he kept being mean to me.

M: So that's what you do to people that are mean to you? Lesson learned...BE NICE TO KAMRYN! Ok, remember yesterday when you said, "Pretty much Pearcen and I have the cutest faces"? What about Frederick the bunny?

K: He has really cute ears and they're big, but he does scratch a lot.

M: Do you think he'll come back again?

K: I'm pretty sure. I think so, but he might not cause a long time ago he got lost and he came back, it was a week and a half and then he came back that morning. That's all.

M: So you decided to get baptized this year....why?

K: because your sins wash away and Jesus just wants us to get baptized and I wanan do what he says. That's all.

M: Do you have sins?!?!?

K: Yea, and sometimes I don't.

M: LIke what?

K: fighting with Jaden, throwing the rock at his head, talking back to my parents, that's all.

M: Not too shabby. You are a pretty stinking awesome little girl lately. Such a helper...especially with Pearcen. What if I get another baby in my belly (LATER) and it's another boy?!

K: Then the next time I hope it's a girl and not a boy again.

M: The NEXT time?! What if there's not a next time, and you and I are the only girls in this crazy family FOREVER?

K: Then I'll just play with you or have a friend over if you let me.

M: Well, let's just pray for a girl next. What's your favorite thing to do with me?

K: Go to the jewelry parties with you, go to fun places with you, going shopping, baking and crafting. I especially like crafting.

M: What do you wanna be when you grow up?

K: Just like my mom

M:, Um, probably the best answer ever!!! What else would you want to be?

K: A vetranarian.

M: You ARE my animal girl. What's your favorite animal?

K: Kitties and puppies and baby bunnies. Just say baby animals.

M: What should we do today after church?

K: Can we do those balloon things?

M: Sure, what else do you like to do on Sunday afternoons with the family?

K: Finish those red, white and blue banners. We can find something to bake, we can bake the donuts. Maybe we can make cookies too. That's all.

M: So a crafting junk food day? Sounds good to me! You're already well on your way to becoming your mother. Kam, I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH!

K: I love you never ending so so much.

M: I love you more.

One thing at a time...

2011-06-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

We've been so busy with fun stuff this summer that I keep forgetting to download pictures. We had my parent's 50th party and it was great! But I'll post about that soon...here's a sneak peak...for the 2 days before we baked and dipped and baked and froze and baked and dipped until we went crazy! Here's our 150 cinnnamon rolls....

And the kid's dipping the 150 cake balls....

Now on to my favorite story of the week. Jaden and Kamryn had to change their first poopy clothe diaper. They've changed clothe pee and they've changed disposable poop, but never clothe poop, which some of you know is a bit tricky. It took about 25 minutes and it was hilarious!!!! Jaden wiped and wiped and freaked out, all the time Kam was doing her magic which she swears usually works to get his feet to go up.....

Pearcen thought it was all hilarious! He loved it, and he laid there perfectly the whole time. Gross fact: The kids both had to change ALL of their clothes after they were done.

Angel boy, pancakes and camp weeks...

2011-06-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

I went to Aqua Zumba the other morning and when i came home THIS was on my stovetop...

Boston made a plate of food for everone...and kept it healthy! I love that kid!

Pearcen enjoyed the banana part.....

And then I realized I don't take just picture pictures of my kids anymore, it's always when things HAPPEN, so I popped out the ole camera while Pearcen was playing with his hat...he's seriously too cute!

This summer, I made each week a THING week, like arts and crafts week, basketball week, cooking week and even a Wii week. I bought lots of fun things to go with each week, but we still found lots of down time, so I made a bucket list jar for us. I'll be posting random things from it all summer. The other day we drew "paint faces"...Jaden wanted pink camo...we talked him into adding blue. boston of coarse wanted a pirate again. Kam wanted a rainbow face...

We were also invited to dinner at Rich and Linda Millers. I've been waiting for that invite FOREVER! Pictures to come, but I made these delicious raspberry bars for them, but they were gone when we took them. So we took some to our neighbors and downed the rest....

Bucket List: Make rainbow pancakes or cookies...which we did, then we got creative becauwe we only had blue and yellow at the time. I think we'll give this one another try.

And of coarse I'm going paint crazy like I do every few months. I painted Pearcen's room the most amazing color ever...pictures to come...I've painted lots of frames, re painted some white furniture that we had to make it look new again, painted our bed yellow...but hae since painted it white again.

And for the rest of the week I'll be posting pics of all the goodies we're making during cooking/bakign week for grandma and grandpa's 50th party this weekend! Can't wait!!!!

THIRTY 2

2011-06-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

Boo, I'm old again. It's ok. I had an awesome day with Jase in Flag. We hit Home Depot, World Market, Tuesday Mornings, Savers, the mall, Target, the movies, JoAnn's, Michael's, Ross and a couple of grocery stores. And of coarse I claimed my free burger from Ruby Tuesdays...which made it into my top 5 burgers ever. Then for dinner we hit Oreganos for my free pazookie. The waitress guessed I was 25...she's nice. And then when they brought the pazookie out she yelled, "everyone, listen up, Kristal came here to celebrate her sweet 16 with us!, Let's all give a big happy birthday". Bless her heart.

I brought my camera the whole day, but never used it til Oreganos, I'm lame. Oh, and we got to have Jaden with us for the last part of the day. He was up at scout camp. This is us waiting. It was a 35 minute wait so we put our name in, went to Walmart came back and waited about 5 minutes. Sweet.

Jaden got some dough to play with...he did a self portrait....

Jase took some lovely resturant lighting shots of me so I can remember how old I looked at 32.....

This one is extremly pretty....

I thought this one covered up the worst part of my face, but I missed the forehead lines and black circles and bald spots....

This one is my Carmen Sandiego face....with whale arms.....

Jaden and I protectin da pizza....

Now on to the kid's bucket list achievements....... We wrote a story as a family. Each taking a turn. Try and guess where Boston jumped in there....

Once there was a little boy named Branson. He had 6 pets. The pets were a dog, a cat a fish, a guinea pig, a hamster and a rabbit. And the boy took good care of them. Branson went to the fair with his fish. It was 20 feet long and he won 1st place. Then he went in a rocket and blast off and come back...weeeee. And then he clapped. Branson had to take the dog for a walk everyday. And when they got back Branson fed all of the animals and brushed the dog and the cat. He had to work a ot because all that food was a lot of money. It was $150. Doggie sleep and cat sleep and when he woke up he went out side and said, "where's my doggie and cat?". The guinea pig ate them. Branson had to put the guinea pig down. Now he only had a rabbit, a hamster and a fish Then he got cages for all of them but the rabbit ran away. So he only had a fish and a hamster and all the food for the hamster and the fish only cost $60. He cried about the animals that died but he was happy in a way because he ate their meat. He wanted a Wii really bad, but he couldn't make money for the animals food because he was playing Wii. Branson's fish got sick. Then he noticed and barely saved his life by shoving food in his mouth. Then they had no toys and they bought toys for $1 then his fishie died and he bought a new fishy. Branson realized he needed to take care of his animals before he played, so he did and everyone was happy.

Yup, pretty messed up, but they had a lot of fun doing it. We also marked off' fun day in Flag". we went to Flag on Wed and went to Kung Fu panda and Peter Piper. NOT a fun day for me at all, but the kids loved it. Glad it's marked off. haha

Memorial Day 2011

2011-06-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome Memorial Day weekend with the Biddles and Buhrs up at a cabin in Nutrioso. We stayed Friday-Tuesday...early early tuesday.

The kids liked to spot animals with the big ole binoculars.....

Saturday we went to Hulsey lake...it was little and full of fishermen, but fun. Boston helped blow up the boat...

testing the waters...

Pearcen wanted nothing to do with us...he kept taking off.

and of coarse the girls loved the worm bait...

Captain Jase Sparrow and his crew....

Then the Biddles came. We played a lot of cards, partini and cranium wow. We had tons of awesome food the whole weekend and the kids got lots of soda.

We went to the lollipop shoppe...this is the only pic I got of my kids there....

And here's my monkey at the bait shop....

It was kinda cold on Monday at Big Lake, but Boston wanted to fish...the cast....

This guy had fun too....

What makes you happy???

2011-05-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

We have a book called taking a bath with the dog. ANd it's been one of my kid's favorites for years and years. Kamryn memorized it and would "read" it to us before she could read.

This last week was stake conference...and we were only 10 minutes early instead of an hour early so we were way way way in the back and our stake doesn't do the screens to see the speaker, so we could see him/her, so it was harder than usual to keep the kids interested and we only brought so many books. So we decided to draw mustaches on each other with permanent marker and make a list of things that make us happy that we were going to do when we got home. here's the list:

picnic

eat cookie dough

ratuki

walk

dress-up

put new curtains up

slurp spagetti

tickle baby brother

stay up late

make a wish

sing

eat ice cream

So we got home, got changed and had a picnic. Then we all put our aprons on and made cookie dough while Jase made the Sunday batches of bread. These obviously weren't planned pictures since none of us are looking at the same time...and my face in the last one is cookie dough coma face.

Then we turned on Jaden and Kamryn's favorite songs of the moment, "fireflies" by Owl City and I just can't wait to be king from lion king (both on my play list if you wanna hear em too) and we SANG and danced and SANG!
Then we decided it was time to play dress up. I dressed up in an awesome dress that Linda Miller let me barrow...super heavy with beads and so amazing. Jase was an ape, Kam was a chinese older girl (that's what she called it) Boston wanted to be a ghost and Jaden was kung fu gorilla boy.

Then we changed, tickled baby brother...that really does make us all happy. He's hilarious and loves to be tickled. Then we put up the awesome new curtains, had the Lampsas come help us move the new computer desk (again from Linda Miller's yard sale) and new TV around. Now we feel like we're in a new home again (that's what makes me happy, I LOVE changing things around...I'm painting all day today. Then we got on our PJ's and played a few games of Ratuki, stayed up late then went to bed. It was probably my favorite Sunday in over a year. We do still have to go on a walk, slurp , make a wish and eat ice cream, but I bet we do all of that today!

Yesterday stated out awesome too..I decided to make a fruit tray ofr the kids to go with their french toast, and as I was cutting the watermelon then lifting it to put on the plate, it fell out in the shape of hearts! No lie! It was just that kind of day....

Today hasn't been to shabby either...well, other than I threw my back out running around doing jobs around the house during the turbo fire 45 second break, then running back in and jumping right into a lunge, then bam! Had to drive myself down to Jase's and get put back into place. ha.
But this kid has been awesome....just eating lunch, being happy in his high chair for a good hour!

And now we're going to go check the mail and deliver these cute cookie packages that we made this morning. I wish I would have gotten a better picture of the tag...it says "homemade and to die for". Then we're making raspberry jam for the first time ever...I'm sure I'll document that later, having an FHE on modesty by Kamryn, and slurping spaghetti!

our first day with our 5 year old

2011-05-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

I'll post pics soon of Boston's 5th birthday party, but I just want to blog about his day at home with just mom and dad today.
he got 2 squirt guns for his birthday, so he came into me and we filled them up and I told Jase I needed him to come in and help me with something then we attacked...and he locked himself in the bathroom where he filled up a cup of water in preparation. Then he ran to the kitchen while we were squirting him and started to fill a cup again. Then Boston got the genius idea to just go use the sink sprayer. Needless to say our house was soaking wet, but it was a good 1st day with a 5 year old.

Girls weekend, fathers sons and closet campout....

2011-05-16T05:44:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was Father's Son's campout, so of coarse, Kam and I got to have a fun girl's weekend. Friday night I had a jewelry party, but Kam wasn't feeling well anyway, and then Saturday I had a jewelry show in Show Low for just an hour, so Kam helped me with that and then I asked her if she wanted to shop, go eat, go see grandma, go home and paint fingernails (we painted toenails the night before), plant our flowers and watch a movie....she said she wants to shop! So we went to JC Penny, Walmart, Big Lots and Stage. We only bought a tire for boston's bike, a graduation plane for Boston, a candy bar and a jacket, but she loved it. Then we got ot go pick up grandma and go grocery shopping and to sonic., then come home and plant our bigonias in the front yard and water the garden...which we stunk at because a big mean dog came to our yard and we went inside and left the water running for a few hours til the boys got home. haha.

It was an awesome weekend though, and I can't wait til next year's girl's weekend.

The boys had an awesome time too. Jaden said his favorite part was shooting 22's, bows and arrows and bebe guns. Boston liked when everyone took a nap so he could eat the entire package of fig newtons and oreo fudgies. Pearcen was just laughing when he got home. They were all the dirtiest boys ever!!!!

They were all super super tired too. They fell right asleep after their baths.

my 2 complaints for the moment....

2011-05-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

I miss Michael Scott. I thought I'd be ok w/o him, but I'm not. There were funny parts to this last weeks office, don't get me wrong, I laughed, but it feels like a whole new show, like I've lost the connection I had with EVERYONE in the office since Michael is gone. Bring him back!! Is there NOTHING we can do as Americans to fix this?????

2nd complaint....underarm flab. I do soo many tricep dips, push ups, weights, everything, but still, it jiggles like jello.

I hope to fix one or maybe both of these issues within the next month...please, do what you can to help.

MOther's Day 2011

2011-05-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

This year was a fantastic Mother's Day! Jaes took the kids Saturday morning up to my parents to wash the car, and out to play some baseball while I did my workouts and cleaned in peace. Then after lunch we went up, picked up my parents and went up to see Rio in Lakeside. After that we dropped the kids off at the babysitters in Taylor and went to Native New Yorker with ma and pa and a couple of their friends where we enjoyed some super unhealthy food that made us feel like crap. We stayed the night at mom and dad's and had a lovely meat filled breakfast made by Jase . The kids all had some fantastic homemade gifts and cards for me. Of coarse Kam had a sunflower sprouted that we get to plant in the yard and the other kids had great cards with sweett things written in them. Jaden's cards are getting more and more meaningful eacy year and this year's card was SOO sweet. Jase bought me a ton of my Lindt chocolate bars and gave me money to have Aida come clean the house once this month and for a NEW SPORTS BRA!!!!! yay!!!!!! Then watched a movie while the kids played in the backyard. At church their ward gave mom and I flowers to plant. I hope I dont' kill them. I told her I wanted chocolate since I'd be killing these flowers, but I'll work my magic and try to make them live for a month or so.

After church mom and dad let me snap a few pictures of them . This is the only one I'm going to share right now...but I love it...they were being soo sweet with each other....

After pictures we had an awesome meal made by mom (grilled by dad) of steak, potatoes, salad, rolls and a few other veggies. It was fantastic! I love homemade food that I don't have to make. And Jase made his signature Eclaire cake....which made me so sick because I couldn't stop eatting it.
You done good J. It was a lovely mother's day and I loved my breakfast in bed this morning. you're the best.

I wish I could remember what was being said right here....

Gifts given.....

2011-05-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

Now I'm going to thank my sweet Jasey for the things he gives me all the time.

Thanks J for making me popcorn whenever I ask for it since you are the king of popcorn perfection.....you do need to get better at helping me ONLY eat popcorn after 6pm though. BUT I LOVE your popcorn!!!!

Thank you Jase for hugging me all the time. For hugging me so hard it hurts and teaching me that it doesn't hurt as much if you just hug back. And even though I don't kiss back much lately, thank you for kissing me every time you leave the house, and saying I love you everytime we hang up the phone and for kissing me every night before you fall asleep. I really do love it all!!!

And I know this last year I've turned into mother slacker...so thanks for picking up the slack and covering breakfast most mornings. It really does work out better for all though. You don't have to eat my pancakes or oatmeal anymore, you get eggs every morning...your dream come true...and I get to workout whilst you feed the children...my dream come true. win win really.

Thank you for making me get my lazy home body butt outside to plant a garden every year. I know I do it so begrudgingly every year, but I'm soo glad we do it, and I LOVE having all the fresh produce...and love that the kids are so proud of our garden every year. I can't wait to make pickles and bottle tomatoes.

And you KNOW this is my favorite thing you do....pots and pans! I'm sooo glad I don't have to clean the pots and pans. I hate them. I hate hate hate them. I know, that's a bad word, but I hate pots and pans. 2nd place...folding the whites....and thanks for usually helping me out with that.

Thanks for putting up with me. Thanks for knowing that when I scream, then rant and vent about how I'm going crazy with working, cleaning, the kids, being broke, being fat, being bald, having no self control with food, and being tired, you know I'm just a crazed psychotic beast and you move along and love me anyway. Thanks for being so motivated and determined in your latest venture. It's KILLING ME, and I do feel like I'm being dragged a long, but I'm glad you've persevered and kept going with it....I hope, and SOOOO pray that you (we) will be rewarded for that.
Thank you for eatting whatever I make.
Thank you for tickling my back most every night and tickling extra where I shiver.
Thank you for getting out of bed when you're almost asleep when I ask if the front door is locked.
Thank you for helping me make the world's cutest kids.

Thank you for loving me.

Making it easy for you....

2011-05-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

MOther's Day....

A Salad Master pot big enough that I don't have to use our 3 little ones EVERY time I make soup....

remember my crepe pan you got rid of...oh look, salad master has one....

Um, no one in the world works out as much as I do....my one and ONLY sports bra is 4 years old. Really? Is it doing ANY good at all? Nope, that's why I have to wear 1 or 2 old bras WITH IT!....but look.....

I just really want this lense

I need this. It's been on my wish list for a long time...you're a doctor right? hook me up!

I have one of these in my closet at all times, allowing my self one square a day...2 on bad days. But I'd just like a few more on hand.

Uh, so other than Jessica Tubbs, ,who's the queen of Turbo Jam/Fire??? Probably me. And my feet are already falling off after one week, and I read that these weird ole vibram shoes work wonders...and I can run in them too! yay!!!!! (but Like the ones called vibram jane...not these ones)

or maybe a NO CLEANING DAY where the house still ends up clean. That would be AMAZING. I've NEVER had one of those...EVER!

Or even better....Aida!!!!

But yes, again, I know that Mother's day and my birthday came at a bad time of year so I'll settle for breakfast in bed as long as it has asparagus that isn't crunchy, herbs, chocolate almond milk and pancakes!

There now you can't say, "you make it hard" (actual quote from last week when he realized that Mother's day was 2 weeks away...which is good, because usuallly he doesn't realize how close it is til it's a day or two away...PROGRESS!!!!
Head's up Jase...Mother's Day is Sunday the 13th of May next year....now you know a year in advance. Prepare.

On that note...anyone have any great father's day gift ideas?

Jaden turns 10! Kinda

2011-04-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

So Jaden's birthday is December 22nd...mean. So this year we told him to pick a new birthday....he picked April 29th. So we went with it. ANd we did a campout birthday. I told him he could invite 6, in hopes that a couple couldnt' make it and we'd be having a nice little 4 kid camp out.....all 6 came!

And it was awesome. I was worried, but it's been awesome. It's still going on, but I have myself locked in my room....they're having dart gun wars behind all of my couch cushions and it just goes better if it's outta site for me.

Here's how it all went down though, I was only able to get ONE picture of the dance off before being yelled at for taking pictures. The dance off got down to BJ and Jaden....then Jaden won!

Then I fed them all pizza which I thought they'd be excited about, but they had all just came from another friend's party at Mr. G's. So they jumped on the trampline til it broke, then set up the tent. Then they got on their jackets and snatched their flashlights and headed out for the nature hunt....

Lesson Learned: Don't put "something cool" on a nature hunt for 9 year old boys....you'll get a snake lose in your house.

I made this great basket for them to find at twin rock, filled with smores packs and pre done hot cocoa...and YES, they did appreciate my craftiness...although, they did not get to appreciate my cheddar cheese campfire because Pearcen destroyed it....

So far, that's all I have....we'll see how the morning goes.
But, in othe rMulderish news....Kam got a bunny...a cute, cute, cute bunny named Freddie. He WILL be posted soon. But he got lost in the house the first day and we all freaked out, tearing the house apart, and cleaning and then the next morning we heard him...in the cabinet work, so Jase took a baseboard off and pulled him out. Then yesterday I looked in his box because I was told to keep an eye on him while everyone was at school...and HE WAS GONE! Luckiliy Foxxie already has it out for him, so foxxie started scratching behind the table....Freddie fell behind there and was stuck. So I got him, and I think we bonded for me saving his life. Awesome!

SEVENTIES?!?!

2011-04-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I remember as a kid, 50 was soo old. And then after the 70's, you pretty much just were waiting for the ole grim reaper. But now I think 70's is awesome. My dad is awesome! He just turned 70 last week and Jase and I got to go to dinner with him and ma at El Rancho. We got the special and talked and talked about family and friends and our small towns and a lot about Christ, and his love and I can always feel the spirit when my dad talks or writes to us about the Savior and his love. He got teary eyed as he talked and it was hard to keep my tears back, but i've had years of practice. He's the most amazing dad ever!!!! I'm soo glad I picked him.

This last week we told the kids that the special "golden" egg was under grandpa...who was lying peacefully on the hill.....not for long....

Now I'm going to list 70 things tha tI love about my dad.
ha, ok, not really, but I could. but it's 10:30pm and as you all know that's midnight for a Mulder.

So, top 5.

I LOVE how involved he is with Jase's new business. It's awesome. If I ever want to know how things are goin in the business, I talk to dad.

I love that he made valentines SOO amazing for my mom this year. He even decorated heart cookies for her.

I love how hard of a worker he is on his new amazingly beautiful home.

I love his love for animals. He's always concerned about our chickens and Foxxie when we go on trips, and he is the reason they are all still alive.

I love how much he loves his girls. I know they wanted me to be a boy, but I would have never known it. He's an amazing girl dad!!!!!

A big....Long....day....and a remedy...

2011-04-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so yesterday, ok the last 4 months have been "one of those days". The kind where at noon, you're ready for bed and dreading all that still needs to be done. Freaking out about the bank accounts, so tired of changing poop, wondering why you have NO hair at all anymore and to top it off, a little pink eye. That was my day yesterday. So when Jase got home, I said, "I'm taking a bath, watch the kids...WATCH THEM!". So I put the ole paint can behind the door (the door to our master bedroom doesn't stay closed or lock...but NO one can move the 5 gallon bucket of paint). Started an ALL hot bath, and prepared my arsenal.

I started with an apple...which I ate before I even got into the bath. A aluminum cup of ice cold water to keep me from over heating, 2 of my favorite magazines that I just got in the mail, 3 towels...why 3 you ask? one for my hair, one for my body and one for my face. I usually just do 1 or 2, but for a fancy bath, I take 3. All kinda of facial things. This bath was my favorite combination. I started with the Neutrogena battery operated face scrubber thing that my girl LIssy gave me for my birthday last year. Then on to my Mary Kay mask, followed by the mary kay cleanser, and finished afterwards with my free night solution that mary kay just sent me. My skin looked lovely this morning. Also, there is a razor and shaving creme...this part may gross youg uys out. I only shave my legs a couple times a month if I'm not wearing shorts. So yea, this was my 2nd time this month. I may even hit 3 this month. The sugar scrub I didnt' use this bath, but it's always there, just in case. And the chocolate...ahhh, the chocolate. My stinking friend Mel introduced me to Lindt's Dark chocoalte with sea salt. I could eat the whole bar if I wanted. But I chose to break off one square and put it on my magazines for safe keeping...it was the first thing gone.
I stayed in the hot hot bath, and my eye started feeling better, but I was tired, so I got out, went to bed....so I thought! I woke up every couple of hours because my eye was killing me...and when I finally got out of bed at 5 this morning, it was swollen shut. I have biephartis. And yea, I think that's a "fart" in the middle there. But this sucks! bad! IThe swellign has gone down, but the redness and killingness is still there! ugh!!!!! I know it's from leaving my eye mak eup on for 3 days in a row. bad, I know...but after our weekend trip I got lazy. So sue me!

Whatever.

Cedar City Mulders....

2011-04-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we got to go see Justin and Elissa....FINALLY! It was a super short trip, but we crammed a lotta fun into it. LIssy made an awesome itinerary to keep us and the kids happy the whole time. We went to a super awesome park with a creek running through it and lots of grass and trees, and of coarse mountains all around. (why are we all not living there???)

Boston decided to be Pearcen's horse....for a very short ride.

Kamryn decided to have dad be her horse....again for a very short while.

Then Pearcius decided to try out his new climbing shoes...and they worked great. he got up that far on his own....then crashed down.

Jase giving a random adjustment to Jaden.

Pearce, being cute...

Kam and Boss loved the playground of coarse....

These two were my favorite part of the trip. kam likes hanging out with the girls now and Lissy took us to a bunch of fun shops. Sorry Kam is blinking and Lissy is about to. I should have snapped more.

And even though it was super muddy, I made lissy let me take a couple of her...all of which were over exposed...blah! Another reason I'm not a photographer. But she looked freaking hot that day, so I had to post one.

Jaden is STILL in the phase of making goofy faces, so I hafta catch him off guard. He had a lot of fun doing ALL of the outdoor stuff this weekend. He wanted to stop at every rest area on the way up and back.

Pearce liked the rocks and sticks...

Later that day we went to St. George to get some more shopping and eatting done. Pearce fell asleep with his pacifier as a face prop.

and we finaly got to try Jimmy Johns....not impressed (this is J at the drive thru, in his killer new buffalo check shirt.....I have a thing for buffalo check)

And this is what our car looked like. We forgot to put the other back seat in, so Justy and Lissy made a sweet little seat of their own in the back with jaden.

We also go to eat a lot of really bad food and watch Hop, both were great...but the additional 3lbs, not so great.

On our way home the kids were dying to play in the snow, so we stopped, and yes, Kam has shorts on with Boston's boots. There was lots of snow, but the temps were perfect.

And someone couldn't keep his LOUD trap shut the whoel way home so his dad shoved a bunch of napkins in it to try and muffle it....didnt' last long. Oh, and the dirty face is from our Oreo lunch. Jase wouldn't let us stop to eat or poop....because it was the sabbath. ugh. So luckily Aunt lissy packed us some oreos to go with the bananas, kashi bars and trail mix Jase packed. Oh, quick story on this guy...threw up about 5 gallons on our way up....we realize he had a quesadilla for lunch, shake, donuts, cookie, chocolate, etc.....all day long. It was disgusting...and hilarious!

And I wish I had a pciture of when we first got to Justin and Elissa's...our bed was covered in shoe Christmas. It was lovely. We spent about an hour going through new shoes that Aunt LIssy (manager and future CEO of Payless) hooked us up with. But I did tell the kids to line up for a picture with the shoes before we put them away. I think we're all set for a year or two. Thanks again Justin and Elissa! Awesome weekend!

Slow Day in Joseph City....

2011-04-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

After explaining my busyness of the week, I realized that all that's on my calendar for TODAY is, a few phone calls and hostess packet deliveries. What am I going to do with the other 10 hours of my day?
Options:
- change poop
- cook
-clean
-facebook
-attempt pictures of the kids
-make a craft
-play memory
-read The Mouse and the Motorcycle, chapter 10
-fill out tons and tons of paperwork per child for next years registration
-eat
-workout
-clean the yard with pearce
-finish painting a few things white
-deep conditioning treatment
-clear out closet
-get kid's "next size" boxes out
-figure out the stinking hand strap for the battery grip on the camera
-watch some jewelry training videos
-make some amazing healthy treat to go with tonight's Tangled party with the kids.
-laundry, how could I forget the option of laundry?!
-yell at the ebay seller through e mail, that screwed me out of $50 this week.
-track my packages....clothes for Kam, wooden newborn bowl, amazon book for gramsicle, jewelry, and free outfit from zulily.
-wash and cut produce
-attempt sleep.

I think I'll chose ALL of the above.

I'll let you know how many I actually accomplish. haha

stuff

2011-04-13T06:24:00.000-07:00

First I have to apologize for my white legs in the post below. Last year I thought, "I'm going to stay out of the sun this summer, protect my skin since I've been a big tanner in the past".
After that picture...I will be spending the next 4 months outside.

2nd, a breakdown of my diet
Apple w/PB
Banana
Spinach shake
All that before noon. Not too shabby you might be thinking.
Lunch, BIG lunch, but healthy and usually WW approved.
another apple
then 3pm hits
So do chocolate covered anythings.....
tostitos....
SOBE (not so bad diet wise)....
6pm hits...I swear no more eatting for the day, and about half of the time I do good, the other half, i find whatever is on the top shelf of the pantry, the tiny cupboard above the fridge, or hidden in the microwave. Eat it. Feel guilt. Vow to do better tomorrow.

A breakdown of my diet...for the past 5 years!

Now a breakdown of my week.
Get home from trip. Enjoy a few minutes with Jase before he lives on the phone. Then he leaves on Tuesday-Thursday. Getting back to a babysitter because I'm already gone to Show Low for my jewelry show...which means I won't see him until Friday morning, and even then, only for a few minutes before he...again, gets on the phone. Then as soon as he's done with work on Friday, we all pile in the car and go to Cedar City for a few days. hopefully next week I can have some time to do NOTHING.
So my girl's trip really was a week and a half break from husband, 4 days from kids. Which works out just lovely since I need more time to learn to appreciate my husband right now. Which I do.