Musings of ME, the Mom

The last days of summer vacation...

2011-07-13T22:23:00.000-06:00

We've tried to fit in some outdoor fun these last few weeks of summer vacation. We went to the Syracuse Days parade, a picnic/fireworks at Eaglewood Golf Course in Bountiful, rode bikes, went swimming at a few different places, started swimming lessons again, Lily got her ears pierced, and we are planning on doing our first official camping trip this weekend. Then it's back to school (and a normal, structured schedule). Fun in the sun with my favorite peeps!

Let Summer Begin!

2011-06-25T09:11:00.000-06:00

Summer begins with the ending of the school year. Zoe advanced from her first year of preschool, and Lily is no longer a kindergartner. We got to enjoy the Dinosaur Park and Museum with Zoe's preschool as her last field trip and have been taking advantage of the dry (finally!) weather. The kids just love being outside, and it's so nice to have a yard already done this year.
We got a new porch swing, had a great neighborhood BBQ, went out on a few date nights--movies and Bees game, ran dozens of miles, semi-finished our basement (atleast through the drywall stage), experienced dance/tumbling classes for a few months, sent Andrew off to a gang conference in St. George, washed the girls' hair multiple times in one night after getting it styled by a friend in glitter body-gel, got the vents cleaned after Zoe decided to pee down one of them, and played with friends a lot. So far so good, atleast most of the time---and off to a parade!

Torrie Fedor weds Matt Meidell

2011-06-25T08:57:00.001-06:00

A little taste of Torrie and Matt's wedding day. May 7, 2011. What a good-looking couple!

Easter 2011

2011-05-12T14:17:00.000-06:00

Here documents our annual Easter Egg Hunt at Founder's Park in Syracuse and then our family hunt at home. Happy Spring!

Zoe's 4th Birthday

2011-03-21T23:18:00.000-06:00

I've decided that all a four-year-old needs is her own makeup kit and the permission to glitter herself up. I look at this beautiful little girl now and can't help but feel the nostalgia of time passed. When did my kids become well, little people? Zoe is very passionate. She has one volume level--LOUD, loves to sing, still has a special place in her heart for her thumb and her baby blanket and adores babies. She loves to eat and will eat just about anything. Her husky little voice is definitely one of her most unique qualities, and recently I've noticed a maturing enunciation in how she says her words. She is very emotionally-driven and is usually very outgoing, a regular Little Miss Sassy.
She got to have two birthday parties--a friend party on Saturday and an extended family one on Sunday. She was SO excited to open her presents and eat her cake. The simple pleasures of life, the simple pleasures of life. It makes all the work, preparation and stress worth it to see her, well, plain happy. We sure do love you, Zobots!

Midway Ice Castles

2011-03-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I had the rare opportunity of a night away from the kids at the end of February. This was only the second time we've been on an overnighter alone since we've been parents. Thanks to my mom for a gift certicate to the Blue Boar Inn in Midway, we took advantage of this generous Christmas gift as soon as we could. It was a much needed adult night, and we were so impressed by these gorgeous ice castles located in downtown Midway. They were huge and absolutely breathtaking. Hooray for overnighters and overnight babysitters!

Christmas/Holiday catch-up

2011-02-19T12:37:00.005-07:00

As you can see, keeping up on my blog has not been a resolution of mine. It's so far behind.... I've been so bad about posting and pictures. In an attempt to redeem myself some and for catch-up sake, here's a recap of the end of the year:

Zoe's Christmas Preschool Program: She was one of the main stars as she got to participate in multiple songs. (I guess is pays to be the best (and loudest) singer. She loves to use her pipes (and not just for singing). She's our loud one for sure.

Christmas Season:It was fun finally getting to decorate our new house. It was a lot of work, but I was pleased with the end result. Unfortunately, Beck is at that age where only the top half of the Christmas tree got decorated because he was not about to leave anything alone.

Christmas Day was a whirlwind as always and the kids got spoiled.
Here's the kiddos in their new Sunday duds thanks to G&G Fedor,
and here's the mister and me in a shared-birthday hug (now both in our fourth decade-yikes!)

October 2010

2010-11-08T21:31:00.003-07:00

Beck turns 1!
October 12, 2010

Here's my baby boy, Beck, turning one! His first year really went by quickly. It's been such a joy to have a boy, and he is doted upon by his older sisters. (sometimes too much!) He is such a playful little guy with a quirky sense of humor. He loves to pull funny faces and will laugh when others are laughing (like he's 'in' on the joke). He has started to exhibit a drama factor which I thought was only reserved for girls. He'll throw himself on the floor and roll around with an extremely frustrated and mad-sounding wail to show how upset he is when he wants something. He loves to 'pat' those whom he loves (esp. his Dad) and will follow us around like a little puppy dog wanting to be picked up for a grown-up vantage point. He doesn't really like to cuddle or sit still but loves to climb the stairs and anything that's climb-able. He is an active one and loves to be outside.

He had a monkey smash cake for his party which we celebrated on the 9th and shared dinner and cupcakes with his guests. He is one loved little boy.We sure do like having him in our family.

The rest of October flew...so fast! We got a swagger wagon (van) at the beginning of the month and said goodbye to our great RAV4. Without any prompting or pleading on my part, Andrew was the one to suggest we get the van for sanity. The kids all fit in our RAV but it was tight enough quarters to have constant arguing, complaining and annoying-of-your-neighbor every time we got in the car. So we officially own a mini-van. Lily started swimming lessons and passed her first course. Beck started taking his first steps and then walking and got his second molar a week or so after his birthday.

We took advantage of some fall festivities and enjoyed the warmer weather when we could. Beck, I and my mom got to go with Zoe and her preschool to Black Island Farms and participate in a trailer ride around the farm, picking a pumpkin straight from the patch, hay slides, corn/sand boxes, pig races and barrel-train rides. Then, that weekend, we had a Halloween lunch and party at my mom's house, and all the cousins got to see each other's costumes and have some fun before venturing out Halloween (eve) night. We had a trunk-or-treat at the church which ended up being the greatest thing. The kids got scads of candy in an hour or so and all right before it started to rain. Andrew took the girls trick-or-treating for about half an hour in the cold wetness, and they'd had their fill. We had very few trick-or-treaters come knocking what with us being in a culdesac and it being under construction, so it was a quiet night. Here's the baby cow, the pirate princess and the cheeky monkey in their Halloween attire. Trick-or-treat!

September 2010

2010-10-14T11:02:00.001-06:00

Here's Miss Zoe ready for her first day of preschool at Barneck Preschool. She was a little nervous but seemed to be having a grand time when we came to pick her up. She was excited for her own backpack and to get to share in the school experience.

Beck's 1st haircut. I took advantage of Beck being quite sick with a stomach bug and cut his hair for the first time. He did so well and I think it turned out so cute. Such a little man.

Duck Pond. We go to the Jensen Nature Park as often as we can and feed the ducks. The girls have a grand time surrounded by a hundred ducks and especially love chasing them back into the water.

Lagoon Day. We had the opportunity to go to Lagoon early September. We enjoyed fun activities/games and food with my stepdad's company and then let the kiddos get their ride on. Lily was a daredevil and couldn't get enough of all the speed, height and rush. Zoe rode most of them as well but was not as keen on the 'scarier' rides.

August 2010

2010-10-14T10:56:00.000-06:00

Lily's 5th birthday party. My dad was here visiting from Kansas City, and we enjoyed his company for a few days while he stayed with us. Lily had lots of friends and family that came to spoil her, but she was a little upset that I didn't organize a friend party this year. She got her much wanted pillow pet among a lot of other things. She loves playing with friends and makes them easily. She looks forward to kindergarten but not the homework; however, she loves the art center and is always bringing home stacks of art projects to gift to us.

Davis County Fair. We have gone three years now and absolutely love it. The girls love the pony rides (and we love them because they're free). They got to pet the farm animals, watch a dog show, get a balloon shape and enjoy the festivities. Good times.

Zoe had her adenoids and tonsils removed--her second surgery in her short 3 1/2 years. She doesn't like the anesthesia after-effects, but I suppose no one really does. She was a champ and only had one day of bad soreness. She bounced right back and now doesn't snore.

Welcome Home Hermana Fedor!

2010-08-05T14:43:00.000-06:00

After 18 months we got to welcome Torrie home from her mission in San Salvador, El Salvador. What a great example of hard work, dedication and service to the Lord and people of El Salvador. We love you, Torrie! It's so good to have you home!

Lily at 5!

2010-08-05T14:26:00.000-06:00

I thought these portraits taken at Target turned out so great. It helps when the subject matter is so cute!

Soapstone Camping

2010-08-02T21:57:00.000-06:00

Well, it's official. We finally went camping. My kids have wanted to go for a while now, but I've just not the motivation or the camping skills to accomplish such a feat. So a HUGE thank you to Andrew's side of the family for organizing the whole thing and making it more bearable for us city-grown people by having a flushing toilet and other niceties like four-wheelers.
I'm not much of a tent-sleeper. The last time I went camping was at girls camp 12 years ago, and I got to sleep in a cabin. I survived the one night on the ground although I didn't get much sleep, but it was worth it to have my kids enjoy the experience.
It was fun to be with so many of Andrew's siblings and their families. Along with camping we also got to have a swimming party and barbeque in the past week. Extended families sure make life that much sweeter. Thanks, Pedersen Fam!

First day of Kindergarten and such

2010-07-21T21:30:00.000-06:00

Well, we've started on the long road of formal public education...good, old kindergarten...just as much a milestone for me as for Lily. She was nervous but is quickly acclimating as I knew she would. We have two weeks of short days, days off and testing and then she'll start the demanding schedule of three hours, five days a week...(whew! I wish the first year of college was like that!) I think one of the hardest things was how much Zoe wanted to join Lily. (She doesn't get to start preschool until September and just wants to have that same to-do for her right now)

Here's the Beckster...He will get up in this position or in the crawling position and then won't move his feet. Then he gets tired from doing push-ups and flops back on his belly and bawls....I guess patience (or lack thereof) must run in the family. Surprisingly, he's now older than both my girls were when they started crawling. They say boys usually do the physical stuff earlier, but I say, to each his own! He gets around by rolling and using his arms to turn around in a circle. He's also figured out how to propel/kick his legs while sitting on his bum to scoot himself along the tile in the kitchen...why do things the conventional way?)

Diaper Deal at Amazon

2010-07-16T18:09:00.003-06:00

I just came across a fabulous diaper deal at www.amazon.com. I read about part of the deal at www.mrsmoneysaver.com and then expounded upon that with my own smarts :o) Here's the deal as found on that site. My added discount idea is posted at the end in red. You have to get either Parents magazine or Parenting Early Years magazine (August 2010 issues) to really get a steal. (The card may also be found in other family/parenting magazines--these are just the ones I get and have found)

Amazon is offering 30% off select diapers, wipes, and baby care products right now, plus free 2-day shipping! I just got a case of 204 Luvs diapers (size 3) for about $25, coming out to $0.12/diaper.
To get your discount:1. Check out the products included the sale. Some quick diaper links:
Seventh Generation, size 2, 160 ct- $27.99
Huggies Snug & Dry, size 1-2, 192 ct- $23.79
Luvs, size 3, 204 ct- $25.12
Earth’s Best, size 1, 176-ct- $31.49
Pampers Baby Dry, size 4, 128 ct- $25.77
Pampers Baby Dry, size 3, 204 ct- $28.34
2. Click on the product you want. The price shown at this point will not include the 30% discount. (If you want to order more than one item, you’ll have to order each individually.)
3. Select a delivery option for Subscribe & Save on the right side of the page. (It doesn’t really matter what you pick, since you’ll want to cancel later.) Then click “Subscribe”. You’ll only receive the discount and free shipping if you’re ordering through Subscribe & Save.
4. Go through the checkout process to receive the 30% discount and free 2-day free. No coupon code is necessary.
5. Once you place your order, the order confirmation page will include a link to “Manage your subscriptions”. Click to manage, and find the order you just placed. Select “cancel” and work through the steps to cancel the subscription. Canceling will make sure Amazon doesn’t ship you another order at regular price next month!

So I read about this deal and then remembered that I saw a bright orange insert card in both my new Parents magazine and Family Fun magazine (August 2010) for 20% off diapers at amazon.com. So I did as the website said to get the 30% off and free 2-day shipping and THEN added the promo code from my orange card. (space to enter promo code is on the right hand side when completing your order). I did the deal two different times so as to use both my orange cards and sign up for the subscribe and save. (I think as long as you order different types/sizes of diapers you can sign up for the 'subscribe and save' option with each one, netting you the 30% off code each time) My grand total: first transaction--Luvs Sz 4, 180 ct. = $17.94 ($0.10/diaper) and second transaction--Pampers Baby Dry Sz 4, 176 ct.=$20.99 ($0.12/diaper) I am going to cancel the 'subscribe and save' option under My Account, Subscription Info after I get the confirmation email saying my order has shipped. That way my current shipment will be on its way, and I won't be responsible for paying/getting future automatic shipments.

Beck is 9 months

2010-07-15T17:06:00.000-06:00

I could just eat him up! He's so cute and huggable and is getting so big. I can't believe he's already nine months old. He loves to bop his head and kick his feet. He waves bye-bye/night-night, plays peek-a-book, loves to eat--especially cereal puffs and is getting very good and feeding himself. He doesn't crawl quite yet but gets around via rolling and turning with his arms on his belly. He has his two bottom teeth, is a good sleeper and loves to squeal and make himself known. We sure do love having him around.

Summer Me

2010-07-15T17:00:00.001-06:00

Here's some more pictures of our summer so far. Lily had her training wheels taken off her bike and was riding solo the next day. She rode it to the Syracuse Parade with Andrew running right along behind her (just in case). We got buckets full of candy at the parade--literally. I wish Halloween was as easy as that. I guess it helps when you sit at the beginning of the parade when the candy is in full supply (and it also helps when your kids are so cute!).

And here's us at Eaglewood in North Salt Lake for the annual Independence Day fireworks and picnic. The kids got nice and sandy, we got fed good food and saw some awesome fireworks. Beck really loved the glow stick/ring and was happy to be around so many people.

And I guess the summer wouldn't be complete without a trip to the swimming pool. Luckily my mom was able to come with us to help as a third adult. The girls had fun playing with their cousins who also came. Beck loves water and is such a handsome little dude in his new swim trunks. So far our summer hasn't been too shabby, and school starts next week for Lily. It's been short, but I think it'll be good for Lily to have some more structure to her day. I'm not the most fun when it comes to taking all three kids to places every day...I just don't have the sanity to do that. (Hey, it's an accomplishment for me to finally get this pix posted)

Zoo

2010-07-15T16:50:00.000-06:00

Finally getting around to posting pix from the last 6 weeks. Here's us at the zoo with all my mom, siblings and nephews. It was such a perfect day weather-wise. We had a lot of fun and didn't have to stay the whole day for the kids to feel like they had a good time.

Pomp and Circumstance

2010-05-29T15:30:00.003-06:00

I am guilty as ever of being a picture procrastinator. If I'm lucky I download maybe once a month. This spring has been no exception. But seeing as I was 'forced' to catch-up in order to make/order a photo book for Andrew for Father's Day, I will now take the time to actually post a few. It really is quite pathetic when my life revolves around sales...(gotta get this done/go shopping before this sale is over...) Oh well, no matter the motivation, it's getting done :o)
Here is Lily graduating from preschool. Two years and she's already moving onto Kindergarten. Because of a year-round school schedule here she will be starting in less than two months, before she even turns five. Is this really my baby? Perhaps I've had too much time to reminisce due to the picture project album I put together for Andrew. I spent hours reviewing pictures I've taken from the minute Lily was born to the present day...almost five years of pictures. And the cliche is true...each subsequent child seems to get a little less of the camera light. Not because I find them less important or loved, just because I am more busy and am often too harried to be thinking about picture moments. I am trying. I guess on the flip side, it makes for less photos that have to be scrapbooked.
So here is Miss Lily...Preschool graduate, on to bigger ponds called Elementary school. She is my sensitive one. She hates it when other people are upset and will do all in her power not to get in trouble or be the one to diffuse a tense situation. She is very conscious of her weaknesses and has a strong desire to develop good traits that she sees in others. She LOVES to play with friends and will forgo eating to just play. We all went to the Discovery Gateway as her last preschool field trip, and I am always amazed at how quickly she can play with random children and make friends in a few short minutes. She has no fear in that aspect, and I admire her greatly for that endearing quality. She didn't enjoy soccer quite as much as I thought she would have, but she is very active and loves to be outside. She is growing up so fast, and I lament that I often take for granted the everyday, the mundane and the 'regular' part of each day. And here is my Zoe. She is my baby-lover, be it doll or human. She is my little home-body buddy and prefers to stay home most of the time. She has tried to branch out a little and will venture on one or two play dates with Lily every once in a while. She loves to play in (and still eat) dirt and water. She is terrified of dogs but is not phased by horses or other big animals. She loves to sing especially during sacrament meeting when the hymn is being sung. She'll crawl on my lap and ask me to point her finger at the words as they're being sung. She will then hum/mumble the words with me. She is my little limit-tester. She has no desire to just be told when something if off limits or not such a great idea. She'd rather do it anyway and reap the consequence/experience. She definitely keeps me constantly sharpened when it comes to be creative with discipline techniques. (And I still seem to be searching for that perfect one) She tends to be a little more tentative in play-group situations but has no fear of making friends with adults and willingly talks to whomever will listen. Her thumb and her blankets are still some of her favorite possessions and are her constant comfort objects when she's nervous. She is my little helper and loves to cook and eat. And last, but definitely not least, is my little man, Beck, at 7 1/2 months. He is starting to be quite the little mover and gets around via rolling and twisting like a clock. No crawling yet, but I always find him in a different position/place than where I left him. He loves to eat as well and enjoys all kinds of baby food and gumming down Cheerios. He hasn't quite got the hang of the sippy cup and would rather chew on it. No teeth yet but his hair is growing quite fast and is no longer sticking up like it used to. His cute little fuzzy halo is becoming more coarse and thick. He likes to bat at things to get a better idea of his orientation with them and loves to babble and laugh, especially at Zoe, who feels it her daily duty to find a new way to tickle his funny bone. He is getting sick again after only enjoying a few weeks of being healthy after his last cold. Definitely not my favorite thing for this little guy. He's usually pretty laid-back and happy, and we like it that way.
This picture is a typical one around here. Lily watching her tv show (her current fave is Tom & Jerry). Zoe with her thumb not really wanting to cooperate for the camera, and Beck just loving the fact that Mom is so close and actively engaged. Sure do love my peeps!

More Catch-up

2010-04-18T12:58:00.003-06:00

Here's Beck at 6 months!! I can't believe he's half-way to a year...definitely like a whirlwind in slow motion, slow days that turn quickly into fast weeks and months.

And here's our little Easter weekend pictures. We went to the Syracuse Egg Hunt, had one of our own and dyed eggs. We enjoyed Easter dinner at my mom's after Conference, and the kids had a jelly bean hunt there, too. The whole week was pretty devoid of plans. Lily had no preschool or soccer, so we spent a lot of time trying to stay occupied. It could have been warmer, but that's how the egg cracks sometimes.
We all got sick--colds of some sort. My stupid allergies seem to get worse every year and almost sideline me some days. I could deal with sneezing and itchy eyes, but my head and ears get so full and congested that I feel like my head is going to explode. NOT fun, and I really wish I could find some magic combo of drugs to alleviate it until the season passes. And the funny thing is is that I never even had allergies until I got pregnant with Lily, and I've had them ever since. Shouldn't it be the other way around? You're a mom, so you shouldn't get sick or afflicted with stuff like that?

Long Overdue Pix from March

2010-04-17T20:07:00.006-06:00

These pictures have been on my memory card for far too long, and I'm finally getting around to downloading them. So here's some of March's highlights... Beck started solid foods and took to them rather quickly. We had plenty of cold weather mixed in with the occasional warm day or two. Lily started recreational soccer and loves it...even when it's freezing outside. (Mom, on the other hand, didn't so much like standing in the wind while juggling two other cold, bored children for four practice in a row). Zoe celebrated her third birthday and had so many family and friends come to support and celebrate with her. It was our first, big 'unveiling' of our new house, and it was SOO nice to have the room to accommodate a large group. Andrew actually enjoyed it (and he's usually not into the party scene). She is getting so big and keeps us on our toes with her want to 'help' with Beck.

Settling In...

2010-02-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Here we are getting settled in. Things are coming together, and we are feeling at home.
Good things come to those who wait...

Moved In...sort of

2010-02-23T20:50:00.003-07:00

We are officially in our new house as of last Wednesday, but this is the first day we've had internet. It's been a crazy and long week so far, but we are slowly rising out of the boxes and chaos. Thanks to family and great friends we've been able to accomplish much more than we thought possible in such a short amount of time. The pictures and decor have yet to find a home, and I think once they're up it'll feel a little more complete.
My favorite thing about our house so far is the shower in the master bath. It truly is a sanctuary, and I have to remind myself that I can't stay in there as long as I'd want because the water bill would be sky high.
We are excited to be in Syracuse and are getting to know the neighborhood and ward. It's been good so far. The kids are adjusting nicely. Lily started her new preschool (which is actually her former preschool from last year in Clearfield). Zoe is off her mattress on the floor and is on an actual bed. Beck is finally able to sleep in his crib, and I finally made it to the gym...woo hoo!
Pix to come later when I actually feel motivated to go through all the boxes in the office and get organized.

accomplishments?

2010-01-19T22:01:00.003-07:00

ever have one of those days where you feel like you do a TON but no one really notices? I guess the only way to get people to notice is to not do stuff....ha! That always gets a reaction.
I am so excited that we are T-4 weeks until closing! the house is going really quickly.
There has been the disappointments...everything is going swimmingly and then you discover when the big plastic bubble is off your house that the stucco is shockingly darker than you thought....(or as Andrew says, "it looks like poo.") Not so great. Here I am thinking we've done a pretty good job of picking out contrasting colors of brick and stucco, and now it's all one monochromatic color. sigh. money is short, can't afford for it to be painted--hopefully once the fascia and soffits are up it won't be so one color. At least the inside looks good.
We are looking forward to tile, cabinets, soffits, fascia, garage door and possibly carpet in the next week....oh, i hope, i hope, i hope.
We did go out and buy a table for the kitchen so that we won't have to eat on the floor, so that'll be nice to get the week we move in.
Why is January so long? Zoe has been barfing, Beck has a nasty congestion/cough problem, Andrew's conveniently at work making money, I feel like I've done nothing but clean and wash all day, and yet there's not a whole lot to show for my tiredness.....And yet someday I know I'll look back and miss being a young mom (just not today).

Beck is 3 months!

2010-01-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

At three months Beck loves to smile--especially at his mom, the bird on his swing and anything that may catch his fancy. He likes to hold his hands in front of him and likes to play with his tongue. His hands have been his new discovery for a few weeks now, and he loves to put them in his mouth all different ways (fist, fingers, thumb). He has had many good nights of 8-10 hours at night but is still adjusting and has plenty of 'off' nights too. (Mommy doesn't much like those nights). He is loved A LOT by his sisters who love to watch him sit in the "bumble" (Bumbo seat that Grandpa Fedor got him for Christmas). I really look forward to this more alert time of his development and love how he loves me so much...

Merry CHRISTmas

2009-12-24T20:08:00.002-07:00

This short clip is well worth the time (my girls were especially attentive as it is narrated by a small child) and especially poignant for me this year as I hold my own infant son in my arms...may we all remember the true reason for the season and follow the small child's suggestion...(you may have to copy and paste) Merry Christmas!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PURToRRq7gM

House update

2009-12-07T11:48:00.003-07:00

It's going up fast...here's to a week full of progress...

Beck's Blessing

2009-12-07T11:37:00.003-07:00

We had such a nice day Sunday as Andrew blessed the little Beckster. We were so fortunate to have many friends and family come to support us. We sure do love our little dude...isn't he handsome? He sure is growing fast...8 weeks today!

the proud Daddy and sonThe happy family...

we need to work on how Andrew holds the baby in future pictures--

then maybe you'd be able to see more than just his nostrils?

We have a hole!

2009-10-30T10:31:00.005-06:00

After five long months we finally have a hole to call our own. Not much to look at but we sure are glad to have some progress. Springtime or bust we hope to be moved in!

And for some random Halloween entertainment, pictures of some cute kids dressed up and out and about for some festivities.

First weeks home...

2009-10-30T10:27:00.000-06:00

Never has such a short amount of time seemed like such a long amount of time.
We sure do love having little Beck in our family.

Welcome Baby Beck!

2009-10-15T09:10:00.002-06:00

Our sweet baby boy, Beck Andrew Pedersen, has joined our family!

He came to us at 2:28 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 2009 weighing in at 6 lbs. 11 oz and measuring 20 inches. Fortunately my labor was only three hours, and I was able to do it all naturally again.

We are so excited to have him home finally...it was a long two days in the hospital for the girls as they couldn't see him, but our first day home (Wednesday) was full of excitement for them. They can't get enough of him.

Welcome little dude!

Counting down...

2009-10-08T17:22:00.003-06:00

Whose belly is this anyway?

I am packed. check.
My body is definitely ready and dilating. check.
I am term tomorrow. check.
Any day we should be meeting our little boy...
Boy, are we excited!

Fall Beginnings...

2009-10-08T17:20:00.000-06:00

Here are my cute girls enjoying the last part of summer/beginning of fall. Lily's preschool pic is over a month late, but she is so grown-up and loves to learn. Zoe, having to do everything her big sister does, got her picture taken too. She was (and is) so sad when Lily is dropped off two mornings a week at Miss Jenn's preschool. She definitely wants to be where Lily is, and it's so nice to see them grow together. It sure is nice to have them entertain each other, and they are so looking forward to being big sisters.

to nest or not to nest...

2009-10-01T20:13:00.002-06:00

So I'm waiting for some 'nesting' instincts to kick in...anytime now--please? I have so much to sort through and organize in anticipation for baby boy, but do I have any motivation? not so much. I remember a distinct burst of energy before having Zoe so perhaps he is simply not close to making an appearance despite the fact that my body is telling me otherwise.

And I have to say that I am more than disappointed that my girls can't come see me and baby in the hospital when the time comes. That's right...some article in the paper today mentioned six hospitals that wont' be allowing children under 14 and those that are sick to be in the maternity ward at all (darn swine flu). Major bummer...my girls have been anticipating this almost as much as me, so I am SOOO sad they can't join in the newness until I bring him home. (hmmm...maybe I'll have Andrew put them in a large suitcase and wheel them in undetected)

In other news: we have changed the location of our lot due to the ludicrous delay that was our old contract. We got such a great offer to move to Syracuse on a bigger and better lot in a nicer area and didn't feel it right to turn it down. So yes we have to start over technically, but we should still be starting to dig before the time in which our old subdivision will have come to. Eternal delay is what this feels like...right now we're hoping to be moved in in February sometime. And we wait....some more.

ho hum

2009-08-29T21:38:00.003-06:00

I've decided that sleeping on a mattress on the floor (even a nice Tempurpedic one) with a 31- week pregnant belly is not the most conducive to getting any rest (especially when we get both girls somewhere on or around the bed during the night). Why is it baby's head is most 'pressing' on the bladder when one is trying to sleep?
I will say I think I'll be prepared for the numerous wakings-up required with a newborn when the little guy decides to make an appearance. I don't think I've slept longer than a three hour stint at a time for weeks now.
Two-ish months for baby and hopefully no more than four? months before we are in our house. (The hole has yet to be dug...good old FDIC hold-up).
ho hum....

Lily's 4th Birthday (as told by Lily)

2009-08-17T21:42:00.002-06:00

(as told on August 16, 2009): Yesterday was my birthday. I am four now. Yesterday, Zoe and me and my friend Victoria with her little sister Malia (people we ran into at the fair from our old neighborhood) all rode ponies four times at the fair. One pony was a white one named Prince, one was named Daisy, and one was C.J. And one was Samuel. We also petted bunnies, and we saw roosters and we didn't pet them. We did see a big fluffy cow and we saw one with 'normous horns. We went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. I ate macaroni and they sang to me and they said "yee haw!" They gave me some ice cream and I think that was all.

Last Friday I had a friend party. Pilar, Abbie, Lydia, Hana and Clara and Zoe came to it, but not the other Hannah because her family was gone. Everyone had a balloon tied on their chair and my balloon was a pony balloon. We colored unicorn pictures and played "horse, horse, unicorn" and pass the package and had a treasure hunt. The clues were tied to pretty ponies. The treasure was party bags in the oven. We decorated magic wand cookies with frosting and sprinkles. I got princess shoes and necklaces from my friends.

Tonight Logan and Jared and Ethan and Sarah and Hannah and Grandmakaere and FarFar and Great-Grandma came to my birthday party. I got Barbie things that stick on your clothes. I got a princess bike and it was purple with a water bottle. Zoe came. I got dress-ups and paper dolls and a princess towel and some horse stamps, and I got a bike helmet and knee pads and arm pads and a princess purple bouncy ball. My cake was a unicorn with one eye and no feet. It was purple with pink sprinkles. I rode my bike around and around and played in the sandbox and made a cake in the sandbox and jumped on our bouncy balls. I think that is everything.

Zoe's first salon haircut

2009-08-17T21:20:00.000-06:00

Last week I took Zoe to the salon to have her hair professionally cut. She has had one cut previously that was performed by yours truly, and it was most definitely not professional. She did so well, and I was amazed at how perfectly still she sat while the girl did her thing. Truly amazing when she won't even let me comb her hair without making a fuss (darn tenderheadedness). I didn't get a cute side/back shot, and that is actually my favorite part. It's a bobbed A-line and is SO adorable on her. I'm loving it (and loving the less tangles). She's so grown-up!

summer pics--finally!

2009-08-04T13:41:00.001-06:00

So I am quite the slacker with pictures. Not only have I not taken all that many, but I haven't downloaded them for almost three months--yikes! So here's a little smattering of my fave people. They make me smile!
We are trying to take advantage of what little time Andrew has at home when he's not working. We went to Wheeler Farm last week and to lunch and even got some steals at Kohls.
Our building process has been stalled--again. We just learned that the paper work/permit stuff has been put on hold on account of some FDIC hoopla, so we have to meet with the builder to figure just how long we're actually looking at and what can be done. sigh. You always hear that it's a pain to build a house, but it's definitely not just a saying...Our excitement and enthusiasm has been dampered a bit because of the unanticipated hold-ups, but I have to remind myself that it will be worth it in the end.
Lily is SOOO excited for her birthday next Saturday. She attended a party for a friend last week and really, really wanted a friend party of her own, so we're going to attempt a smallish one for her sake. She'll be starting her second year of preschool at the beginning of September and couldn't be more excited for more social opportunities.
Zoe has taken to potty-training like a champ and I've been so pleased with her effort and success. whew! Two down.
And I do have to admit that although it seems to be unbearably hot, I would much rather be sweaty than have it be snowy and freezing.

our summer vacation?

2009-07-20T21:03:00.004-06:00

So I think we are probably the most unfun vacationers there could be.
This past week we tried to take advantage of an empty house (sans Mom, Scott and Carter who were in St. George). I have to admit that the extra space and peace was a much needed break for me if no one else....that was vacation in and of itself.
Tuesday we had our meeting with the foreman--finally! We solidified our architectural plans and other details which needed doing before turning the plans into the city for approval and permits. This could take up to a month or so before an actual hole can be dug and any construction started. We received a list of places to go to pick all our colors, and we were able to spend a good part of Tuesday and Wednesday hitting every place we needed to go. Andrew was able to take both these days off (his first break in weeks...he's been working seven days a week lately).
While the sheer mass of choices was overwhelming, I feel we made our decisions in a decisive and time-efficient manner, eliminating some of the anticipated stress and only adding to our excitement for the house to be completed. We had to pare down the amount of upgrades as it would be SO easy to go overboard in that department, but I feel the upgrades we did choose to invest in will be well-worth the money. Luckily the 'standard' upgrades are already well above the norm, and we feel lucky to have found such a great opportunity at this time.
The girls did remarkably well during all the housing hoopla and ins-and-outs of various stores. Even with Zoe only a week or so into the potty-training thing, she did really well and continues to impress me with her fast-learning and awareness...phew!
We took the girls swimming at the rec center and had so much fun with them in the water (or as much fun as one can have while toting around a toddler). I was invited by a group of moms in the ward to take the girls over for a swim 'party' the following two days...Lily is quite the social butterfly and was SO upset when we left both days after more than two hours of play. Then on Saturday we went to Andrew's sister's house for a family swim party in their backyard. It was fun had by all although the 100 plus degree heat left me regretting my decision not to swim due to the ridiculous rash I got from being out in the sun previously in the week.
I have been so bad about taking pictures and even worse at posting them, but I will try to upload what pictures I have taken and get them up (for my sake if for no one else).
And that's probably the extent of a vacation for us this year....exciting, no?

getting the hang of that thang....

2009-07-11T21:06:00.003-06:00

I did it. Or perhaps I should say, Zoe did it.
We bit the bullet, swapped the diapers for Tinkerbelle panties, and three days later have almost twenty stickers on the freshly-made potty chart.
The first day was rough and EXTREMELY frustrating, but I've been dappling in and out of needing to just buckle down and deal with the nitty-gritty.
I mean, can you really explain to someone how to pee? really.
It's actually a completely involuntary response and will happen to anyone without their choice once the good, old bladder is full. So we had to have a whole day of lots of puddles everywhere but the potty before the lightbulb started to go on and the pee made it successfully in the right receptacle. Since then it hasn't been perfect but MUCH improved.
I am feeling much more confident with the last two days under my belt (errr, I mean Zoe is feeling much more confident).

no naps

2009-06-29T20:17:00.002-06:00

So we decided to bite the bullet and take out Zoe's nap completely. She just was not going to sleep at a reasonable hour at night, and we were sick of going in her room countless times to put her back down. So after five days of no naps I am happy to report that she has been going to bed in about 5 minutes or under. It's been so great. sigh. What happened to my babies?
Oh, and I tried the no diaper route for about 3-4 hours the other day and decided it's just not going to happen as soon as I'd like...my patience is extra thin, and I got really lucky with Lily potty-training in a day...Why push it when it's just going to make us both frustrated (well, me at least)?
On to a hot fourth of July week...

earning money the slimy way

2009-06-24T10:17:00.002-06:00

With Lily's birthday fast approaching she has been more and more excited about the prospect of the new princess bike she has been asking for. For the past year or so we have told her to save her pennies to help pay for the bike, and she has. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find too many things for her to do to earn money, but yesterday she scored and scored big (for a 3 year old).
At our old house we never got snails so I never knew that she'd be fascinated by the grotesquely slimy creatures. Since being at my mom's though, Grandma has gone out weekly to put out snail bait with Lily at her heels. The following day they'll go out and pick the snails up to throw in the garbage...she's not grossed-out at all. So when my mom suggested they go over to Great-Grandma's to check out the snails after baiting the day before, Lily and her cousin Abbie readily agreed. Great-Grandma said she'd pay a penny a snail....little did she know it'd break the bank.
They set out on their expedition with my mom towing a yellow newspaper bag. They counted as they walked around from plant to plant and bush to bush. Zoe, not wanting to be left but not quite ready to touch the snails, would supervise and say, "Get it, Abbie!" When all was said and done the girls had collected 252! snails. That was $1.25 apiece, and Lily was ecstatic. My mom then figured with all the days Lily had helped her at her own house over the past few weeks, she owed her at least a dollar. So I guess it pays to be brave and non-slime-aphobic. With less than two months to her birthday, I guess she'll be looking for a lot more snails....and she'll be on her new bike in no time.

underground

2009-06-21T16:51:00.003-06:00

So I feel a little bit like we've gone underground. The past month (almost) has been a transition for us all. At first the girls treated it like it was a fun vacation and long-term sleepover at Grandma's house, but as we've had the usual meltdowns and cranky days it's become more apparent that they are missing 'home'. Lily especially has been asking if we can go home. It's hard to reason with an almost-four-year-old; And while it make more sense to an adult of how change is necessary with a means to an end, children definitely live in the moment, and it's been tough to see the emotion/loss of security that Lily harbors in the good memories of our first home. I don't blame her--I am not the kind of person who welcomes change very often. I definitely find that peace in everyday comforts and routine.
But I also know that evolution is necessary and unavoidable, so I must try to be as patient with Lily as I'd want someone to be with me when thrust into a big change. She really does do well on most days, and I'm proud of the way they've made the most of things. Our going-to-bed routine still seems some major fine-tuning as they just do not sleep nearly as well here, but all in good time....
And speaking of the avoidance of change, I've been putting off potty-training Zoe even though she has probably been ready for months now. While I give a toddler credit for learning such a big thing, I also duly recognize the training that the parent has to go through to help them accomplish such a feat. I'm just not feeling any motivation, although it sure would be nice to only have one diaper to change come October. sigh. Time to buck up and just do it.
We've also had other stuff to deal with. We've been awakened for the last two nights by one of the girls vomiting. We've been really lucky as they rarely get stomach sick, but with the swine flu going around, I am a little more anxious than I normally would be. Zoe seemed to be fine after about 24 hours and didn't exhibit any other symptoms besides throwing-up and tiredness; however, Lily was the sick one early this morning and seems to be running a little fever and now I am a little more paranoid.
Andrew has been working overtime like crazy, and I so appreciate his willingness to support us so that we can accomplish our goals. He's such a great husband and dad, and I couldn't ask for a better match. As I see our relationship evolve I am more grateful that we aren't trying to change each other but trying harder to change ourselves to be more compatible. That is a huge blessing and not always easy, but I am grateful to have been through enough hard knocks to coerce me to try and be more forgiving and more willing to communicate. I guess that's all I can ask for--someone who makes me want to be better as well as trying to better himself at the same time. And isn't it funny that there are those people placed in our lives that just 'fit'...somehow with all the billions of people on earth our Heavenly Father is able to intertwine just the right combination to give us the maximum potential for learning and growth. How grateful I am for that and for fathers who are willing to be more than just fathers...it definitely takes someone special to be a daddy...I've got one and so do my children, and I feel so blessed.

Changing it up...

2009-05-29T16:55:00.003-06:00

So we are officially not homeowners anymore. We closed on our cute, little, first house on Wednesday night and are now at my mom's house for about six months while we start the building process of our new home. We are sad to leave our cute neighborhood and friends and will miss having our own space, but it is a means to an end.

And while we were at it we decided to continue with more big changes and will be adding a baby BOY to our family in October. We are so excited to have another little one join our family and are grateful for good health. It has been hard keeping a secret but thought it would be fun to wait until we knew what we were having. (And for the record, I had a strong feeling it was a boy from day one and was pleased to see my impressions confirmed at the ultrasound today.)

The girls are excited, although Lily was disappointed when the ultrasound tech said it was a boy. She had been praying for a baby sister, but we know she'll love our little boy just as much as she would have a second sister.

And now onward and upward....a means to an end.(disclaimer: this is not an actual photo of our baby--just an example)

Spring Pix

2009-05-22T17:04:00.000-06:00

two weeks...

2009-05-13T18:56:00.002-06:00

So after almost 11 months of having our house on the market, two fallen-through offers and a LOT of showings, we finally got the offer we wanted and are moving in....two weeks! We can't believe it and are sad we will be leaving our cute, little, first home. We have many fond memories and great friends and neighbors but are excited to move on to something bigger and hopefully more long-term.

I know the next two weeks will be crazy with packing and cleaning and Lily's preschool 'graduation', so I will try to post when I can.

Goodbye to our little bird house...we will always remember you in adoration...and I will miss your lovely flowers...

Easter Egg Hunt(s) pictures

2009-04-24T15:11:00.003-06:00

We had a busy Easter Saturday as we had three different egg hunts to hit before noon. We were excited to stumble upon the Syracuse city Egg hunt early in the morning and then had our own family hunt a few hours later. Lastly, we went to our neighbors annual egg hunt which takes place on their mini farm. The pix from above are from that latter. We dyed eggs (and hands) and had a nice family day together as Andrew was able to take the day off.
Easter Sunday was spent with extended family as we attended the blessing of my sister Sarah's little boy, Ethan. It was a nice day spent relaxing and eating.
With all the warm weather lately we have been enjoying plenty of outdoor sunshine (and sun-tinted skin). Lily's preschool had a field trip to Black Island Farm to see the farm animals as well as play in the blow-up pumpkin, ride the animal train and cruise around the farm on a tractor trailer.

I also got a wild 'hair' last week and chopped the girls' hair. It was definitely time for a trim, and it turned out decent considering it was so impromptu and done by an unprofessional. At least it makes for less drying time and easier curling...

[belated] easter festivities and fun

2009-04-24T15:03:00.000-06:00

You can't judge a book...

2009-04-16T16:20:00.001-06:00

For those who have not had the PRIVILEGE of watching this clip, please take a moment and be stunned. This goes to show that beauty comes in ALL different shapes and sizes. This is WOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

mean guys

2009-04-14T15:55:00.003-06:00

Lily has this little fascination with 'mean guys'. It all started with the mini stories out of the Book of Mormon book for kids (you know those ones with all the framed pictures and short, concise captions). We started with the story of Nephi and eventually how he came to kill Laban, and it snowballed from there. Whenever we pull it out to read Lily will ask for a story with the 'mean guys'. To date, her two favorites are Nephi killing the mean guy, Laban, and King Noah burning Abinadi (and King Noah getting burned in return).
So when it came to this past Easter weekend, I was explaining to Lily that Easter Saturday was the day the Easter bunny came and we got to do fun things like color eggs and search for candy and baskets, and Easter Sunday was the day that Jesus came back to life.
"Why, Mom? Was Jesus killed?"
I explained to her that some 'mean guys' killed Jesus, but that because Heavenly Father loved Jesus and all of us so much, he allowed Jesus to come back to life on Easter Sunday.
This was all Lily needed to love the story, but after having all day to contemplate on the story she told me that night.
"Mom, I think we should change the story. We should make the mean guys be nice so Jesus doesn't get killed."
So there must be some stories that don't merit 'bad guys' for Lily. It's okay for Abinadi and King Noah to burn and for Nephi to kill Laban, but Jesus is extra special and for good reason. But either way, Jesus won as did we all. How grateful I am for his atoning sacrifice for me, my loved ones and all his children, so that we can all live with him again if we live worthy, grateful for the opportunity and holiday to reflect, and grateful for sweet children whose innocence and wisdom astounds me on a daily basis.

run away

2009-03-27T13:22:00.002-06:00

This week has been a tough one for some reason--not because of any particular instance or event, but because I was just feeling moody.The weather has taken a toll on my mental well-being,and I've felt sapped. That little peek of spring got me so revved up and sunny-feeling, and then the snow, wind and cold came back, and I've had no motivation to do anything. Wednesday and Thursday found us moping around the house (well, at least I was). The girls entertained themselves for the most part and watched way too much t.v. My usual go-to activities when it's cold seemed too daunting, and I was literally feeling the cabin-fever-craziness building up inside me.
I decided right before Andrew came home after a day-shift of training, that I was going running no matter what. Now I usually exercise the morning....I do better on an empty stomach and seem to just have more motivation then. I hadn't been able to go this whole week because Andrew's been working during the day instead of his normal afternoon shift. But I was in desperate need of an escape from my own doldrums.
So I have to say that when I showed up to the gym, I was ready to hit the ground running (sorry for the bad pun). After sweating my emotions off and four miles later, I can honestly say that I felt a huge welling leave my body.
Ever since studying and practicing hypnobirthing with my two labors, I have been able to use the concepts in many aspects of my life. So as I ran I told myself in rhythm to let go of the stress, breathe in the peace, leave the tension on the floor, gulp in the relaxation....
It worked so well that I had moments where I felt myself welling up, my chest getting tight because of the emotions building up and leaving me. I have to say it was one of the most powerful, emotional experiences I've had while exercising.
Thank goodness that I can run...that I have the ability as well the opportunity to get out and have some me time...What amazing bodies and minds we are born with. I'm in awe every day.

Zoe's 2!

2009-03-25T13:55:00.000-06:00

Zoe has thoroughly enjoyed her birthday and all the excitement leading up to it. It has been with much anticipation for both Lily and Zoe to finally have her party...with cake, candles, presents, family and friends. When asked what kind of cake she wanted she simply replied, 'pink cu'cakes!' So that's what she got.
Zoe has really come to her own and definitely has her own unique personality. She loves to sing, especially 'Do as I'm doing,' and roll her arms as fast as she can. She also loves to sing, "eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas" and "Happy to Lily!" (Happy Birthday)
She loves to throw things when she's mad and still loves to eat inedible objects such as dirt, crayons, and chalk.
She LOVES to color, not only on paper but on herself, tables, sidewalks and chalkboards. Her favorite mediums are definitely chalk and markers.
Her favorite little person is her big sister, Lily, although she's not too much bigger anymore. Zoe can definitely hold her own and often is the one bullying Lily. She loves to laugh and play with Daddy and is very much a Daddy's girl--just like Lily. WHatever Lily does, Zoe has to do also. Her thumb and blanket are her favorite way to wind-down. She loves babies, dolls and animals and loves to be outside.
She is our one-of-a-kind Zobots!

reasoning

2009-03-23T22:14:00.003-06:00

I bought a $4 kite for Lily on Saturday. It was contagiously warm but quite windy. Seeing it as being perfect kite weather, I felt carefree in spending (well, kind of) and splurged for the unicorn pony with a rainbow.
Lily was ecstatic as was Daddy. They took to the skies.
It wasn't long before the kite was stuck in a neighboring tree. (um, dear, kites are usually best flown in large, open, TREELESS areas--not so much on a neighborhood street surrounded by powerlines and trees)
Eventually, after some tugging, the kite string broke and the kite fell to the ground.
Daddy repairs the string, or atleast ties it together in what he believes to be the best boyscout knot ever. They go back outside, but this time decide that the key is to let the string out all the way. Good idea? Not so much when it's blowing REALLY hard.
Mommmy! Mommy! Come see how high our kite is flying......SNAP! Oh, guess that knot wasn't so well-constructed. Said kite soars off over the railroad tracks, assumed to be long gone.
But, Mom! We have to go find it....So we walk towards the railroad tracks and find the kite----stuck in a tree--a TALL tree---at the VERY top.
See you later kite. $4 for about an hour of fun.

Here's where the 'reasoning' comes in. Andrew says to me, 'well, you just need to buy one of those expensive, nylon kites at Costco...that would have done just fine'.
No, that would just mean that the hour of kite-flying fun would have cost me $20 instead of $4--it's the string that broke....
The kite would still be in the tree.

And now it's snowing. poo!

Yea for green and such!

2009-03-17T12:51:00.004-06:00

There is something about working with flowers and dirt that is incredibly therapeutic. With this week getting into the high 50s and even 60s, I have found myself drawn to my awakening gardens. My little spring bulbs are starting to show their colored heads, and green shoots are coming up everywhere. There is something to be said about a season which holds such promise and exhibits signs of new life everywhere you turn.

I am truly refreshed and revived after doing a seemingly mundane task--raking out dead leaves. There is something to be said when a tiny seedling buried in the frozen ground can reawaken and send forth signs of life, what a miracle each flower and plant is...and I am reminded at how important it is to appreciate the small miracles in each and every day....I need to be better at recognizing them in all shapes and forms.

Yes, there are bugs (and I will never like bugs), but there is something else about the potential that gardens have... Out with the old, and in with the new.

I fully welcome this warmer weather and the opportunities that come with a new season.

Bring it on, bring it on.

secret to making time fly...

2009-03-13T21:58:00.002-06:00

So I've discovered the secret to making time fly....
accept a calling to teach Relief Society once a month--
And guaranteed, it'll seem like you just taught but yet you're teaching again...
(what!? it's been a whole month already!?)

And it's even better when YOU have to be the one to call THEM Friday night at 9:00 p.m. to find out what lesson you're teaching that Sunday....A good 36 hours to prepare a sermon to wow the geriatric socks off all the regulars.

Oh the joys of service! (and sarcasm) :o)

Muscle

2009-02-25T21:44:00.007-07:00

So I have a huge-muscled, solidly-built husband, and yet do you think he is satisfied? I thought only girls asked questions like, "do I look skinny in this outfit", but my hotter-than-ever husband feels the need to ask, "do I look big?" (well now that you brought it up, babe, i think you're severely undernourished...)

So when he wants to buy another round of protein/supplements, I think to myself--Dude, you're already so huge, that if you gain much more, your skin is going to pop open.

Don't take my tone as exasperation--no, no...I could not be happier that my husband cares about his health/fitness/looks....more eye candy for me, right?

But next time you see him, tell him he's a freakin' tank and do me (because I obviously can't say it enough) a favor as well as our pocketbook.

(he's the one on top in case you couldn't tell--photography courtesy of the Deseret News)

It's not the gun on his hip you should be afraid of...it's the two encased in his sleeves...

(side note: He won't ever read this so keep this between you and me, kay?)

freedom

2009-02-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

Decline of a Nation
"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931 - 2005

everything's amazing, nobody's happy...

2009-02-17T14:31:00.003-07:00

You must watch this link of Louis CK on Conan O'Brien.
http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/video/item/56
"We live in an amazing, amazing world, and it's wasted on the crappiest generation of spoiled idiots."

How true his comments are. We live in an incredible and amazing world and yet so many people are unhappy. Novel idea: hard work and discipline create a greater sense of self-worth and accomplishment, therby allowing us to be proud of who we are as people because we EARNED it and not because we 'deserve' it. LOVED this.

Thank you to those who know (and do!)

2009-02-16T15:08:00.006-07:00

I have to give a public shout out to the wonderful people who know how and are willing to help us out with our little 'projects'. Thank to Ben for an amazing paint job on the stairwell and to Scott who came up to help us figure out what was wrong with our wiring (after Andrew and I attempted to change out our light fixtures). We are a little home-improvement-challenged, and Andrew hates doing stuff like that. I have to say thank you to him too because he was a good sport to try, but we are so grateful for wonderful relatives and friends who can help us out.
(Oh, and by the way, Ben, that sticker is still in our light canister---we just need you to drop by sometime to help us remove it)
Happy Presidents Day (especially happy because yesterday is over, meaning my Relief Society lesson is in the past as is Lily's primary talk) Now if only the snow would melt...

And a belated Happy Valentine's to all. We were able to go out to dinner on Monday as Andrew worked on actual Valentine's Day. We had plans to go to a movie but got out of dinner late and instead went to the mall and enjoyed being able to hold hands and just leisurely browse by ourselves. (and we found some fantastic deals)
And even though we had previously decided to buy 12 restaurant gift cards, one for each month, for the next year, Andrew still bought me an absolutely gorgeous vase of 2 dozen pink roses mixed with stargazer lilies (my fave!). And I was able to finally obtain my lost CD of pictures of when we were dating/engaged, and I put together a little 'trip down memory lane' for Andrew. I honestly have to say on that Valentine's Day six years ago when Andrew proposed, I never could have begun to comprehend the magnitude and difference six years can make. Love you always and all ways, Babe!

And here's the girls opening their Valentine's Day presents--it's a PONY!

unthawing, sort of

2009-02-08T13:38:00.005-07:00

So I realize I have been lame and have not posted for almost a month. No excuses...just laziness.

We are looking forward to spring, although I'm sure we have yet to have a few more good snowstorms. Luckily it's been mild enough to go walking every day, so the girls have gotten some exercise.

We sent my little sister, Torrie (Hermana Fedor), off on her mission to El Salvador/Belize a couple of weeks ago. We got to visit with my Dad who came out for her farewell and have some family get-togethers.

We've also been dealing with health issues, graduating Zoe into a toddler bed (and the newfound freedom that entails), taxes, house-sprucing-upping, cabin fever, a new nephew (Ethan), enjoying my new Clavinova, birthday parties, good old Groundhog Day, and making room for a buddy of Andrew's who was in need of a place to stay for a couple weeks.

I'm just glad January passed relatively quickly as it always seems to be the doldrums of winter and gray. We are glad to welcome February and the LOVE-liness it will hopefully bring :o)

To quote Zoe's new fave phrase: "Otay, Baby." (said in response to basically everything we tell or ask her to do)

Inspiration for the day

2009-01-12T15:19:00.001-07:00

Written by Fra Giovanni in 1513:

I salute you! There is nothing I can give you which you have not; but there is much, that, while I cannot give, you can take.

No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today.

Take Heaven.

No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant.

Take Peace.

The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet, within our reach, is joy.

Take Joy.

Motto

2009-01-06T13:55:00.005-07:00

(aside: 'What's a motto?' 'Nothing! What's a motto with you?!)

While I'm not a huge advocate of making New Year's resolutions (so much hype for making goals because everyone else is...no thanks), I am determined to adopt a new mantra/motto.

Appreciate life for what it is

rather than complain for what it's not.

Life literally changes or can change much faster than I'd like. And while this last year was a lesson to me in letting go of the control which I very much like to have, I am optimistic that life will be just what it needs to be.

That being said....

I can complain and give myself added stress just because...

OR I can say, this REALLY sucks and choose to let it go.

(yeah--easier said than done, but I do have hope that I can at least try)

Here's to an optimistic start to an optimistic year?!

Only time will tell....

Birthdays!

2008-12-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

(So sorry for the numerous postings in one day, but I finally downloaded the pix from my camera and wanted to get them all posted and recorded...)

Here's Andrew (33) and I (28) on our birthday...
I will say it's one thing to have a birthday the day after Christmas and something else to also share it with your spouse!
We had a good day...I shopped solo (have to hit those post-Christmas sales!), and we also went to the mall with the whole fam later on in the afternoon. From there we dropped the kids off at my Mom's and went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse--so yummy. We had plans to also see a movie, but we weren't really dying to see anything in particular and instead went back to Mom's to include the girls in our birthday celebration by going out for ice cream. The night before Lily had asked what kind of cake we were going to have, but neither of us wanted to have a cake, and I know she was bummed that we weren't having a party. It sucks for the kids too because they only get one birthday to celebrate for both parents, and for most kids...the more parties, the better. Oh well....that's how the cookie crumbles sometimes. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes and calls.

Christmas Morning

2008-12-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

(I apologize for the smallness of the pictures in advance but wanted to post them as a collage rather than a running stream of individual photos.)
Christmas morning gets more fun as the girls get older. Luckily they are still too young to want to get up in the wee hours of the morning, so we didn't even get things rolling until 8:30 when Andrew got home from working an overtime shift from 4 am to 8 am.
The girls loved everything they received, although Lily had a little beef with Santa. She has been asking for a purple unicorn, and Santa was able to find a My Little Pony unicorn/pony that was white with purple hair and thought that would be sufficient. But as soon as Lily opened it she said, "Hey! This is not a purple unicorn--it's a white unicorn! (as if she'd been cheated somehow) After a little convincing and reassuring that it was still a purple unicorn (it had plenty of purple hair and purple sparkles on it's flank), she got used to the idea that she could live with it. (phew...Santa was worried that he'd already scarred her at 3 years old!)
Zoe just loved everything about everything...the unwrapping, the opening of the packages, the candy (esp. the candy!) and just loved the whole idea of what we were doing.
It's just so fun to experience Christmas from a child's point of view.
We are spoiled and are so grateful for the many gifts we enjoy not only at Christmas time but all year round...first and foremost, the gift of a tiny baby who came to earth to live as a mortal so that he could atone all mankind and lead us back to Him. Merry CHRISTmas!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

Christmas Eve was spent at our house. I had purchased a spiral ham which I cooked for dinner among other things. I invited Mom, Scott, Carter, Torrie and Hannah over to share it with us. We had a nice time visiting, and Mom gave the girls and I a present to open up that night....matching nightgowns/pajamas along with coordinating dolls. The girls were so pleased. I can't imagine the time that went into sewing them all, and I am amazed at my Mom's talent.

Christmas party

2008-12-29T22:14:00.001-07:00

Here we are at my Mom's Christmas dinner/party on the 21st. We had yummy cornish game hens, exchanged sibling gifts, played games and got to hold the newest member of the Fedor clan, Finn.

Lily's Preschool Christmas Program

2008-12-29T21:11:00.001-07:00

December 18, 2008, Clearfield City Library
This was truly an event that I wish I had on tape; however, after about 8 seconds of recording my camcorder ran out of juice, and all I have are still frames.
This was the typical preschool program you'd see on any Christmas movie but funnier because my daughter was involved. She was classic Lily and pulled an attitude during the first song, Jingle Bells, when the boy next to her picked up her jingle bells instead of his own. She was MAD and made sure the whole audience knew it. She would throw her hands in the air and would slap her knees repeatedly while scowling deeply, daring anyone to contradict her misery.
From that point on it just got more entertaining. Of course she was front and center and took the liberty of standing up whenever she pleased. The little kids around her were singing so well, and there was Lily, determined to NOT sing or participate because darnit! that boy took her jingle bells. The following song she was supposed to wear a large candy candy hooked around her face but she was still too mad and wouldn't do it. Finally, during a nativity song, she consented to wear what I thought was a camel, but instead of singing she proceeded to spit during the entire song. (Later I found out she thought she was a horse, and what do horses do? yeah, spit. *sigh*)
Then, as the well-constructed program came to a close, the singing teacher told the kids they had to sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas really loud or Santa wouldn't come. There was one little boy that I thought was going to pass out because he was singing his lungs out...almost literally. He was bright red in the face, and his mouth was stretched as physically possible for him. Unfortunately I missed much of his antics because I was trying to silently coax Lily to sing as well.
Then the man in the red suit came, and Lily wouldn't have any of that either. As you can see from the picture, I had to almost hold her on Santa's lap for the photo op that I think all parent's make their children do, happy or not. She reluctantly told Santa (but it was directed towards me, holding her on his lap) that she wanted a purple unicorn. That was all the conversation consisted of. Later Lily told me she didn't like Santa. (alrighty then...) Zoe did a little better. She at least sat solo, but once she discovered that he was much more scary in person than from far away, she wanted me. She did however, say thank you amidst her teary cries for the candy cane he gave her. Oh my, kids, kids....what do you do?
A memory for cherishing (and laughing at) for a long time.

Snow and cold and such

2008-12-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

I personally am no fan of snow, but the girls sure did like playing in it for as long as their hands had feeling...

MyFaceLOL

2008-12-23T13:41:00.001-07:00

Click here to create your own video

Welcome Finn!

2008-12-19T15:31:00.003-07:00

So my cute, little nephew, Finn William James Fedor, arrived Tuesday evening, Dec. 16, at 7:51 p.m. weighing 7 lbs. 3 oz., 21 inches long via my big bro, Ryan, and his wife, Chris. (how's that for a well-constructed sentence?)

Congrats guys!

ughh

2008-12-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

I. hate. the. cold.....
That's all.

A first

2008-12-14T20:44:00.004-07:00

So I received a call from a lady in my ward who was desperate to find someone willing to play the organ in sacrament meeting today. Of course this was on the way to our big, annual Austin family Christmas party yesterday morning in the snow. I told her that I actually have never officially played the organ but could play the piano if worse came to worst.
Our Saturday played out; we had a fun time with extended family, I scored some nice white elephant gifts, played games, ate food and made it home without getting an accident.
And then I remembered that I had to worry about whether to attempt the organ or just settle for the piano on the morrow. I shouldn't stress about it, I've played piano for 20 plus years of my life, and hymns are definitely not the hardest pieces to play, but my blood pressure always goes a little higher when I am being counted on for something publically. And then, this morning I get another call from the same lady needing me to not only play in sacrament meeting but in Relief Society as well. Well, okay, I'm already invested in the whole church block, so what the hey!?
Relief Society, no big deal...I"d much rather play piano than teach the lesson (which I have to do next week). I skipped out on Sunday School to give myself some familiarity with the organ and see if I could swing it. Surprisingly, playing the keyboard was almost easier than playing the piano, but it was all the voices that I had no idea about. I made a desperation call to the organ master (my sis, Torrie) to see if she could guide me through putting the organ on the right settings. In my messings-around I discovered a very cool memory button that had pre-recorded prelude music on it. I definitely used that button at the beginning and end of the meeting (people must have wondered why the prelude sounded so full and rich while the actual hymns were lacking in full, organ glory).
When all was said and done, I got through all four hymns (of course there was a rest hymn), and am chalking it up to experience. There's a first for everything, and now I get to stress about my lesson this coming Sunday. Opportunity appreciated, but I am just fine with not being the one behind the swelling pipes if I can help it.
And while on the subject of firsts, I have also had the uncomfortable ailment of not one, but two cold sores for the last 10 days now. I've never had them before, and I'm still waiting for them to show any signs of healing. And since this is the giving season, I gave Andrew and Lily some cold sores, too, so we're all having a great time slathering on the three different types of topical ointments I've purchased. I do have to say though, that I'd rather have a cold sore than a cold. I'll consider myself lucky (knock on wood).
Ten days....

Cookies, a Winter sandbox, and our own Grinch

2008-12-08T15:44:00.007-07:00

Our Christmas season has officially begun. My mom invited us over to her house to decorate sugar cookies, spread some Christmas cheer, attend the Bountiful light parade and eat chili on Friday night. It was a fun time to be had, and the girls loved getting such a sugar high. Unfortunately Andrew missed all the festivities as he was at work, so we ate plenty for him. Here we are at the parade...
Then on Saturday I stole an idea off a friend's blog about using brown sugar as a sandpile to stave off the Winter cabin fever. (Thanks, Sarah!) Lily absolutely LOVED doing this. I found a 2 lbs. bag of brown sugar for 88 cents, and it was the best money I ever spent on an activity. After loading up a cookie sheet with lots of sugar and arming Lily with different kinds of containers to dig and pack and form, she was happy as a clam (or maybe I should say crab).

To end the weekend, I literally felt like the grinch (not by choice but by circumstance) when I discovered that part of the lights on my new pre-lit tree had gone out late last night. Well, I wasn't about to have a tree with a non-lit section, so I had to de-decorate my tree and take it all the way down, putting it back in the packing box and loading it in the car for a return/exchange this morning. The whole time I'm thinking, 'wouldn't it be fitting if Lily were to come downstairs (with visions of sugar plums dancing in her head) and ask, "Why Mommy, why are you taking our Christmas tree?" To which I would have to reply, "There's a light that's broken, so you see, I must take it back to the north pole (or Tai Pan) and fix it (or get a new one)'.

Let me tell you, during my hours of undecorating and taking the tree down I was not a happy camper. I like the decorations once they're up, but I've never liked having to take all my Christmas stuff down when the season is over. And I can most assuredly say that I REALLY don't like having to put up a tree, decorate/undecorate, take it down, get a new one the next day, put THAT one up and decorate again. But I do have to say that it looks even better than the first and is worth it to have ALL the lights in working order.

Let's bring on the Season!

Grandma Arlette's visit

2008-12-08T15:41:00.002-07:00

Here are the girls with their Grandma Arlette who came to visit us right before Thanksgiving. They couldn't get enough of her reading to them. It was good to see you, Arlette!

Cyber MOnday

2008-12-01T11:23:00.002-07:00

So I've been browsing the internet and have come across a particularly good deal that I thought I'd share...ON www.babycenter.com they are offering free shipping with the code FREESHIP if you spend $1 or more....the great thing is they have Halloween costumes marked down 90%...around $2 for many really cute ones. Can't beat that....a little prep can save you loads in the long run. They are also having tons of clearance items in many categories including clothes, maternity, gear, toys etc. With free shipping for the next two days on any order there are some SWEET deals to be had. Happy Shopping!

Ordinary

2008-11-22T10:30:00.004-07:00

So I've been at a loss for good posts because our life here is pretty ordinary. While ordinary might be described as mundane or unexciting on some terms, I find myself relishing in our nondescript life at the moment. It seems like so much of the past several months have been upheaval for some reason or another, and I now feel like I am breathing and thinking at ease.

And while I'll probably never not stress completely, I do appreciate times (even when it seems like the holidays should be stressful) when I can just leisurely float in our little pool of ordinary and love it!

I love this picture because it reminds me that Zoe, at 20 months, is SOO good at reminding us to say prayers at mealtimes. She gets her food and her arms immediately fold, waiting. (Then, when we say amen, she claps wildly--just like they do at nursery when the prayer is done)

Belated Halloween/Fall pix

2008-11-14T21:04:00.004-07:00

putting 'curlers' (leaves) in Zoe's hair

leaves are more fun with someone to share

Heroes and Victims in Prop. 8 Struggle

2008-11-13T22:54:00.003-07:00

To preface, I love reading Orson Scott Card's weekly article in the Mormon Times section of the Deseret News. As I read today's all I could think was AMEN....couldn't have said it better myself.

Many people worked to pass Proposition 8 in California. Those who wish to be our enemies are working hard to blame it all on the Mormons, but our votes alone could never have done the job of protecting marriage from a fatal redefinition.There are many heroes in this struggle, but I want to call special attention to the young Saints in the singles wards of California. Outside the Church, most of their peers were against Proposition 8; inexperienced in marriage and child-rearing, they saw no harm in gay marriage.So when our Latter-day Saint singles heeded the call of the church's leaders to take part in the defense of marriage, they, more than any other group of Saints, were swimming upstream.They worked hard. They took risks. And many of them paid a price that is heavy indeed.
Many of them lost dear friends -- sometimes with bitter, angry recriminations from people they had once been close to.It seems ironic that these young Mormons were open-minded enough to be friends with people whose lives were so different from their own; but their friends, in the name of tolerance, could not remain friends with Mormons who merely stood up for their faith.If the situation had been reversed, if Prop. 8 had failed, these LDS young people would not have rejected their friends who voted to repudiate the meaning of marriage. And if they had, would they not have been condemned as bigots, for being unable to tolerate someone else voting his conscience? I have been more fortunate. All my gay friends who might have repudiated me for supporting Prop. 8 had already condemned me long ago for standing by a Christ-centered, prophet-led church. The gay friends who remained at the time of the vote already knew my views, and our relationship continues. (Not that I lack for hate mail and death threats from the "tolerant," mind you. It just didn't come from my friends.) I suspect that the young Saints from those California singles wards felt the cost -- socially and in their hearts -- more keenly than anyone.But as one of them pointed out to me in a conversation soon after the vote, "Now we know what it was like for believers in the Book of Mormon." So many times, the division between the followers of Christ and their opponents and persecutors was not geographical or national or cultural -- it was their own friends and neighbors who turned on them.

Reading the end of the book of Helaman, we can hear the voices of those who attack the church (and all religions) today. They accuse us of continuing a "wicked tradition, which has been handed down unto us by our fathers, to cause us that we should believe in some great and marvelous thing ... therefore they can keep us in ignorance, for we cannot witness with our own eyes."They accuse the church of wanting to "keep us down to be servants to their words, and also servants unto them ... and thus will they keep us in ignorance if we will yield ourselves unto them, all the days of our lives" (Hel. 16:20-21). Their story is that we Mormons somehow oppress them and force them; they claim to be our victims. And yet they are the ones who tried to force us to accept their radical change through judicial edict, rejecting a clear majority vote only a few years before. All we did was tell the truth, and try to persuade other people to act on that truth by voting for the proposition. We forced no one. We deceived no one. It was democracy. Out here in the East and South, many of our young men and women are serving missions in California. When a particularly vicious and bigoted ad showed Mormon missionaries bursting into the homes of gay couples, wresting the rings from their fingers and tearing up their marriage licenses, we feared that this might make people feel justified in acts of violence and hostility toward our missionaries. If we had put out an ad showing gay activists forcing their views on unwilling citizens, it would have actually been true -- since that is exactly what happened to make Prop. 8 necessary in the first place. But we were careful never to do or say anything that might seem to condone violence against individual gay people. They took no such care for our missionaries. Here is where the Savior's admonition to Peter comes into play. We can see that they would not bear it if we treated them as they have treated us -- but we will not treat them that way. This victory in California was by a shockingly slim margin. The forces arrayed against us depend on concealing actual scientific and historical evidence from the voters -- it is frightening how close they came to blinding a majority.Our opponents will move on to other states -- Massachusetts and Connecticut, for instance. And they will make us their targets and whipping boys. By painting us as the group trying to "force" our beliefs on unwilling people -- falsely accusing us, in short, of doing exactly what they really are doing -- they hope to arouse hatred and rage toward Mormons and use that as a means of prevailing in the political contest. We must be prepared to be the victims of lies. We may also see acts of violence and persecution by individuals and governments against Mormons, individually and as a church. What we must not do, what we must not tolerate, is the slightest action by any member of the church to harm or persecute others. They declare themselves our enemies, but we refuse to recognize that declaration. We know that we are in fact the friends of all; that a society that organizes itself to promote traditional marriage is the one most likely to promote the general happiness -- even of those who choose not to enter into such a marriage.We are not fighting a war, we are liberating people by telling them the truth. Only when they know the truth can they be free.

Political banter?

2008-11-05T22:30:00.002-07:00

Okay, first off I have to say how much I hate politics...always have and probably always will. There is something about political banter that never sits well...two heads trying to butt against each other...with no real progress. I hate the contention, the frustration and the absolutely stupid circles that are run with no progress.
But as the political scene has been hard to ignore, I find myself grateful for the choice and ability to say these things. I read an article by Orson Scott Card a couple weeks back on tolerance and how it is SO misunderstood. People cry for tolerance, or even demand it, yet they miss the whole point.
Tolerance does not mean that I have to agree with you or even like you...it means that we peaceably agree to disagree....it's not conformity or uniformity. You have an opinion, I have an opinion, and that's okay....because of the great country we live in we have that freedom to have an opinion and shouldn't have to feel like we are less or more because of it. It simply is.
Perhaps that's why the political scene is so unappealing to me. I simply don't understand how people get a high from trying to force or 'persuade' their beliefs on anyone else. Contentiousness and heated but getting nowhere. What a waste of time.
Despite my wariness of all this, I am, however, so grateful to have the beliefs and values I do. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that this country was divinely inspired and instituted, and although I am skeptical with the current political scenery and the direction in which democracy is going, I know that these beliefs and values which make up each of us as individuals can either unify us or divide us depending on how we choose to 'tolerate' each other.

CArving PUnkins

2008-10-30T20:41:00.000-06:00

Here's our rendezvous with some large gourds. Lily was excited to help until she saw the innards. (her face in the bottom left picture about says it all.) From the time Andrew wielded the knife (looking a little too comfortable stabbing and gutting), Lily was content to just sit and watch. Zoe watched from afar for matters of trying to contain the mess. I did the sketching and carving of one 'happy pumpkin' and one 'scary pumpkin'. Their faces are not in their full-fledged glory seeing as I have not lit them up in the dark of the night (we had to carve in the middle of the afternoon due to Andrew's work schedule). Thusly said, Zoe was still scared of the scary one and kept on making a little scared sound while pointing to the scary pumpkin and saying, "hewwy". For the record though, she is now fond of petting the pumpkin after we showed her that it was 'soft' and 'nice'.

Halloween or bust

2008-10-30T20:30:00.007-06:00

After reading many a blogger who has been there done that, we here at the Pedersen household are finally taking advantage of the Halloween festivities to be had. Like many others, we too visited a......PUMPKIN patch (gasp!). We had a good reason to wait as Lily's preschool hadn't scheduled their field trip to said pumpkin patch until today.

Grandma Allred came to participate in the fun and help me take pictures. I was pleasantly surprised at all the activities and was basking in the unseasonably warm 70 plus degree weather. (who'd ever think to worry about getting a sunburn at the end of October?)

We got to go on a hayride where our farmer picked various crops and told us the rundown of each one. We got carrots, onions and Indian corn to take home.

Then we stopped to find our pumpkins,

rode back to the main part of the farm and got to play on all the fun activities. We saw farm animals, went down a big slide, jumped in a big blow-up pumpkin, rode a cowtrain and went through a haybale maze. Lastly, the girls got to enjoy playing in a big corn box....soooo much better than sand (corn can't get stuck in your hair and is much cleaner than sand...what a good idea). They were so sad to leave but were exhausted and thirsty.

Jump, jump!

Come on Zo, you have to come THIS way...

two little girls. in a little cow train. even when the whole train is empty.

let's get one of these...Let's get one of these...

The last month of pictures

2008-10-21T21:43:00.001-06:00

Halloween curse?

2008-10-17T16:14:00.002-06:00

And for the second time, the sale of our home fell through....the buyers had exactly 8 hours to back out before they'd lose their earnest money, and they called to tell us they didn't get their financing. Are you serious?! Good thing I hadn't started packing in earnest yet. I was extremely let down despite the fact that I was not looking forward to the stressful weeks ahead.
And we wait...
Unfortunately, the election is coming soon and could drastically affect the way the housing market and sale of our home could go.
And so I don't wallow in the negative I am glad that we are in no particular hurry to move...
Mortgage rates are up and could stay up, so we don't have to worry about paying more for a new mortgage...Lily can stay in preschool, and we will actually get to celebrate Halloween...I don't have to pack like mad...am I convincing myself yet?
Ah, what will be will be...until the next offer....

A funny

2008-10-17T15:35:00.004-06:00

This one was kind of long to post under my normal 'Lilyisms' so I thought I'd document it here. It's more funny if you're familiar with Super Why on PBS.

On one of Lily’s favorite shows, Super Why, the character (Super Why) has the power to change the story and will switch words to have the story read the way he wants. I’m always amazed at how much Lily retains as a direct result of t.v. watching (encouraging, I know). So imagine, to my surprise, after chiding her to eat something for breakfast when Lily told me, “I can’t, see! It’s in my story…I don’t want everyfing (anything)” (I shook my head in amazement at her imaginative little plot to get out of eating breakfast…not a big eater in the morning). And no, it didn’t work when I told her that I had the power to change the story to say, “Lily wants to eat everything!” (10/17/08)

And the winner is...

2008-10-10T21:11:00.002-06:00

San Salvador, El Salvador/Belize Mission! Just a big shout out to my little sis, Torrie, who received her mission call tonight. We are so proud of you and know you'll be one rockin' sister missionary. Love you!

ughh

2008-10-03T20:32:00.002-06:00

you know that feeling when you feel like you're getting nowhere? that is me right now.
We got an offer on the house Tuesday, we counter-offered, and they accepted. Now (supposedly and hopefully) we will be out of here end of the month. That being said, the house hunt starts in earnest once again. After being online for so long on the same house sites, I feel like all the houses meld together. I start getting really frustrated because I just want to find that perfect house at the perfect price---is that really too much to ask? sheesh!
We did get a good idea of where we want to live in Syracuse and the type of house we like, the trick is finding one that's available...
We did a little calling around to learn that the one empty house with a gorgeous floorplan we both loved was under contract. (are you serious?!) However, the agent did say the sale might fall through, and if not, there's a possibility we could build (yes, build!) the exact same house for the price that the already-built one sold for. that would mean getting to choose our own location and everything as well as giving us four months to live with family...saving up a little more to put down on the house at closing. All speculation at this point, but it's all I can hope for at this point. I'm just sick of looking (and it's only been two days!)
I think we may be in trouble.

Dirt, garage sales and 5 years later...

2008-09-27T21:38:00.002-06:00

I find it kind of interesting when people will say, 'oh, you just have to have a little boy'.
I guess all things associated with boy--rough and tumble, dirt and bugs, snails and puppy-dog tails--seem appealing? If that really were the reason, then said commenter would realize that I certainly don't need to have a boy because I have Zoe.
I often tease Andrew that Zoe is the child he got as a payback from his 'angelic' days as a child. She can be as sweet and docile when she wants but can also be so defiant and downright stubborn that I just shake my head and force myself to laugh. (I told myself to do just this tonight when she was eating dirt for the fourth time in about as many minutes) I personally don't see her appeal of dirt--maybe once to subside any curiosity, yes, but it's numerous times every day. I guess I can conjecture that she's deficient in some kind of mineral, but even that's probably not the reason...she just plain likes to do things of which I disapprove. ('Hey! I know a fun game...let's see how many things I can do that MOm doesn't like and then do them over and over again).
I just have to shake my head again and realize how different two little girls can be...same two gene donors but entirely different personalities. One (the smaller, but barely) will pinch/hit/kick the other (older, but not always the wiser), ensuing screeches and crocodile tears calling for some kind of intervention. (And for the umpteenth time, Lily, you're bigger--stand up for yourself or atleast move out of range!)
But, on the flipside, Lily is the one who is very physically daring while Zoe is very tentative with what she does/tries. Interesting.
And, as my title suggests, we had our first yard sale this morning. This was in combination with several other families in our HOA. We had a fairly good turn out, got rid of some stuff and netted $80. (It could have been more had Andrew not given a bunch of stuff away last month--he's definitely NOT a pack rat).
Last, but not least, Andrew and I celebrated the BIG 5 on the 20th....doesn't seem like that long until I start to list all we have done in that five years. Time flies--here's to many more 5's!

Home again, home again...

2008-09-15T10:36:00.005-06:00

...jiggity jig.

Our trip home was a little close for comfort. (see previous post for vacation pix and detes) The night before we were to leave we learned that there were only two seats available, and there wouldn't be enough seats until the following day. We went to bed and hoped for the best. Luckily the coolest pilot in the world informed us early the next morning that a third seat had opened up. So we went to the airport hoping that no one else would be bumped onto that flight, and we were in luck...we got the last three seats.

We were sad to say good-bye to Dad and Arlette but are so looking forward to seeing them in November when they come out to Utah.

It's always good to be home but hard to come back from vacation. Andrew hit the ground running and went to work that night. The week went by so fast. We had a few walk-throughs which seemed optimistic and very interested but haven't heard back from them, so the real estate game continues.

Saturday we enjoyed good company at a neighborhood/HOA BBQ and later a birthday party for Lily's little friend who is also our close neighbor. The girls had SUCH a good time, the wonderful family who put on the party outdid themselves with making sure it was a fun time for all. I think the highlight was the pinata with scads of candy. As Lily walked toward me with a bag full of goodies she said, "Look! I got candy! Now I can go home." (Such good party etiquette)

KC Travel Log

2008-09-15T10:00:00.008-06:00

The girls (and Andrew and I) had so much fun in Kansas City visiting my Dad and Arlette. We are fortunate enough to have airline ties (thanks, Ben) and purchased standby tickets to fly out on Thursday morning, the 4th. The plane ride was nice. There was even an extra seat giving us a full four to spread out on. The girls did great and the ride was under two hours.

It's always so nice to see Dad and Arlette and so great to see the interaction between them and the girls. They took to 'Papa' and 'Wama' right away despite not getting to see them too often and loved all the cool things to see (ie large, dead bugs they like to collect, squirrels, bunnies, deer and other critters). In fact, Dad and Arlette injected some kind of 'bug' (pardon the pun) into Lily regarding insects. They had her inspecting all the unusual species as well as chasing the crickets to see how many she could stomp on. Upon arriving back home she found a dead dragonfly and proudly picked it up for me to see. (no thanks!)

Dragonfly anyone?

Here's Zoe admiring a bunny to the right of the tree

On the way back from looking for deer in the field next door

When we arrived, Dad and Arlette had done such a great job of preparing...there were all kinds of toys and activities for the girls to do...a swimming pool full of balls, baby dolls, magnets, a cool bath toy Elmo, puzzles, stuffed animals and coloring books. They loved it. Of course we took advantage of all the great places to eat. I forgot to bring my camera to Arthur Bryant's BBQ but just imagine a cafeteria tray heaped with a pound of slow-smoked meat of all sorts with a stack of white bread and their famous Sweet Heat sauce....yum! Arlette put up some serious competition with her great cooking as well. We were fed well and came back a little rounder. We got to enjoy some retail therapy as well as go to Hallmark so Dad could show off his family. We ate at the Crayola Cafe and let the girls roam the Crown Center Mall. Along with great food, great shopping, and of course a Cleveland Indians versus Kansas City Royals baseball game (the Indians won 9-3), we most enjoyed hanging out with Dad and Arlette. Each time I get to see them I am freshly reminded how much I truly miss and love them. Thanks for your hospitality and kindness and for putting up with us...we love you guys!

Rainy weekend

2008-09-02T22:10:00.004-06:00

We're so glad when Daddy comes home...

And get's to stay home...

For all three days he has off...

NO overtime!

First day of Preschool

2008-09-02T21:50:00.005-06:00

There is always a sense of slipping time as my girls achieve certain milestones. Today was no different. Lily started preschool. While she is one of the youngest and smallest, she is absolutely so ready to LEARN. She was excited for this new adventure, and surprisingly I wasn't as emotional or contemplative as I'd thought I'd be. (Part of this could be attributed to the fact that I needed the extra three hours to get stuff done, and it felt (almost) like nothing more than a nursery dropoff.)

So after I picked her up, and she burst into tears while hugging my leg, I asked her why she was crying. Her response was quite opposite what I expected. She just said, "I don't want to leave." (whew!..at least she liked it!)

And now that the laundry is folded and I have time to relax, I am grateful that I have the means and the privilege to send my little girl to start her many years of higher learning. They are long, but so full of memories and experiences that are truly priceless.

But now we head off to Kansas City to visit my dad, and she'll miss her second and third days...I just hope that enthusiasm holds strong and the memories sweet for her return.

And the young lass begins her trek to school (uphill bothways in a blinding snowstorm)...

She has arrived (diva-glasses and all) and is ready to embark on a promising adventure.Here's to many enthusiastic years ahead!

Indian Summer

2008-08-29T21:00:00.004-06:00

I love this time of year. At certain times on certain days there is a distinct crispness to the air. I find myself drawn to our front porch to visit with our wonderful neighbors as our kids play together. I will miss our little 'situation' here in podunk Clearfield when it's all said and done.

That being said, I've been de-personalizing our house this week. Perhaps I've gone too far in watching the HGTV 'Sell your House'-type shows, but I decided it's worth a try. According to HGTV and staging experts, buyers want to see your house and what it offers (ie square footage, architectural detail, etc). Thus, that also means that buyers are not there to admire your stuff. You are showing them your house not your preference for decor. My mom commented that she'd have thought that people would like pictures around because it makes the house feel homey. I don't know. Perhaps I did jump the gun. All my family photos are now boxed up (and boy, did I have a lot more than I thought).

Maybe I've jinxed us, and now we won't get anyone to even come through to look. Seeing as we're heading into fall this could very well be true...not the best time to have your house on the market. OH well, when it's all said and done, I have that much more already packed---less to do when we do sell. My house does seem to lack a little personality, I will admit. But in a way it may also be a small step toward helping me let go. I have a hard time doing that...with almost everything. I definitely need an adjustment period for change. sigh.

Speaking of change, I got released from my calling as Beehive advisor. The president was so on top of things that when she heard we were on the brink of closing, she found a replacement (who can actually go to Mutual.( Surprisingly, it was a calling that I really didn't mind and looking back, I can see a lot of growth in my teaching and am grateful for that. Other than that, I've been keeping busy doing a bunch of deals... the problem now if having a place to store it all. LOL. I pack to de-clutter but then buy more to take up more room. Smart, Jill, real smart. Oh well, it's all FREE (or mostly so). Who can turn down free stuff (and yes, it is stuff we actually use)?

And I bought myself roses. They were on sale for $3.50 for a dozen long stemmed roses...breathtakingly gorgeous as roses are. couldn't pass it up. I'd rather buy them myself and spend $3.50 than have Andrew (who doesn't 'do deals') splurge and spend $50. (or as he says, I'm just too practical to buy flowers for).

relief and disappointment

2008-08-20T11:58:00.005-06:00

So the buyers backed out last night.

(pause...let out a collective sigh)

But despite the disappointment of the waiting and wondering and stressing finally coming to a head, I am relieved...like a deflated balloon. These last few weeks have been heinous at times, not physically speaking so much, but mentally. I worry...and worry and stress and stress and go through every case scenario possible. And with this culmination of events I am decidedly ready to breathe. I wasn't much looking forward to packing up our house in the next week or so to be out by the end of the month--no new house to move in to because we'd just started looking on Monday. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would just hold off on preschool (surely making my daughter fall drastically behind her peers due to my lack of parenting/planning) and move in with my mom while our household items sat stored in some POD--the storage location of which i hadn't figured out yet.

I have to admit I was nervous about everything at that point because so many things seemed to be getting in the way of our stars aligning. I am not fixed on the notion that there is a knock-you-over reassurance when finding a house; however, despite seeing several nice homes which would serve us well in the future, I didn't feel that CLICK...like 'yes, i can imagine us here.' And despite my inclination to stress in general, so many other little things seemed to just not sit right.
And so I sit here now and bask in the probably fleeting moments of relief and serenity until hopefully another offer comes along and the whole process starts over again. I get to enjoy my cute, little house for a little while yet to come and am grateful for times that things work and sometimes don't work out.

Birthday Fun

2008-08-18T10:54:00.001-06:00

At the Davis County Fair petting zoo

riding the grand champion hog and a pony named Charlie

Lily had such a fun birthday weekend. On Friday (her actual birthday), our little family of four went to the Davis County Fair. The girls had fun petting all the animals in the petting zoo. Zoe is wary of anything alive (big or small) getting in her space, so she enjoyed them from afar for the most part. Lily got to ride a grand champion hog and then it was off to the pony rides. For the 45 minute wait-in-line the two minutes she got to ride seemed really short, but she loved it. She found a stick-pony at one of the booths and used part of her birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa Fedor to get it. She named it Charlie after the real pony she rode. (top left collage pic)

Saturday, Grandma and Grandpa Allred took her to the Teddy Bear Stuffing factory in the mall. Once she saw a horse as one of her options she had eyes for nothing else. She dressed it in a purple (her fave color) tutu-dress with a purple flower headband and named it...Helen. (top middle collage pix) We don't know when she's ever heard the name 'Helen' but that's what it is.

Then, on Sunday, we had our extended family join us for her birthday celebration. She got spoiled and loves all the wonderful princess, pony and fairy stuff she got. She will be a happy, busy little girl. She had a princess cake (bottom middle collage pix) and loved licking all the frosting. Thanks to everyone who came to help us celebrate. Lily was so sad to see you go.

Then, on a side note, we have been in the midst of solidifying our house sale. We got an offer and are working out the nitty gritty right now. The catch is that they want us to be out by the end of the month so their kids can start school; however, with how much time it takes for the appraisal, inspection etc., I don't know if that's going to be possible (or at least without me having some kind of stress break-down). It's hard to really get started because there's always the possibility it won't go through, and I don't want to have my house half packed to only be disappointed by some glitch. So we're holding our breath and waiting. It's going to be an interesting next two weeks. Most likely we'll have to move in with my mom until we can find a house and close. And of course I just enrolled Lily in preschool and will now have to cancel her spot seeing as we most likely won't be up here for her to attend. That's actually my biggest stressor...figuring out what to do about preschool now. I'm hoping there will be somewhere that will accept her after the school year has started. Andrew tells me I worry and stress too much, but he doesn't do it enough so I feel like I have to do it for the both of us. ha!

Our Three-Year-Old

2008-08-14T09:48:00.002-06:00

August 15, 2008

Happy 3rd Birthday, Lily Belle!

We love you always and all ways!

For Lily as you turn 3:

You are a chatterbox and love to talk. Your endless questions and boundless energy gives Mom and Dad a run for their money. You love the color purple and love coloring with your 'marters and hwans' (markers and crayons). Before you go to bed you want to always read 'a cuppa more stories' and you have to have your 'bintly' (blanket) and your stuffed dog, Beemer. You have a love for animals...especially horses and anything little. Disney movies and cartoons are your favorite thing to watch, and you love getting your toenails painted. In fact, you often say to me, "see my toenails coming off..need to paint em again." You LOVE milk and enjoy 'snoot snats' (fruit snacks) and 'tlotlit or 'anilla icehweam' (chocolate or vanilla ice cream). In addition to loving all the Disney princesses, you also love The Little Einsteins and Super Why. You love all meat (including fish) and sweets but don't so much like vegetables in general. You have such a tender heart and are so sensitive We love you more and more each day. Thank you for bringing such joy to our hearts and lives. We love you, Punkin!

You can see she's a beautiful girl, she's a beautiful girl
And everything around her is a silver pool of light
The people who surround her feel the benefit of it
It makes you calm
She holds you captivated in her palm. --KT Tunstall

Dinosaur Museum and family pix

2008-08-13T11:15:00.005-06:00

Here are some pix of Lily and her cousin, Noah, at the Dinosaur Museum in Ogden. We were able to spend the afternoon with the Pedersens from Logan and had a great time. We also went to the ever-reliable Costco for a cheap dinner and family-friendly date place.

The pix below are from the Allred wedding and the August family party...various shots taken by my sister, Torrie. Thanks for being an opportunistic photog and getting me in a couple pix to boot (that doesn't happen a lot around our house).

a day late...

2008-08-09T23:29:00.002-06:00

So i wanted to post on 08/08/08 but it didn't happen. instead, we had the opportunity to attend the wedding of my step-bro (weird!), Ryan Allred and his now-wife, Heidi Koplin. Andrew wasn't going to come (said he didn't want to use a holiday at work) but took it off last minute. (He says it's because of me but I really know it's because Lily pleadingly approached him yesterday morning and said, "Dad, you come to the wedding with us? See the pretty princess in her white dress?" PUTTY in her hands)
It was in a gorgeous backyard owned by old ward neighbors of mine growing up. It felt like I was in a weird time-warp dimension. All these guys I grew up with, hung out with, and now I see them on such a rare happenstance...older, different and out of place. And I never thought I'd be one of those people who said, 'time passes so quickly...it's been ten years since highschool'. But yes, that's what I think. Can I say, OLD! In my mind's eye I still view those memories of yesteryear as being more recent than they were. Perhaps it's because I don't feel all that old...just in retrospect. (Plus, I'm five years younger than Andrew so I guess I can always use him as an excuse to feel young and dapper! :O) )
To end this random post I will close by saying that I am so grateful for brand-new pruning shears which made dead-heading my roses quite the relaxing activity today.
Until 09/09/09.....

Ambition and patience

2008-07-31T12:01:00.003-06:00

I've always considered one of my greater weaknesses to be lack of ambition. I have no desire to seek ambitious aspirations for the most part. I can if I have to or the opportunity falls upon me, but I don't actively go out looking for ways to be ambitious. Sad, I know.
But lately, my unambitious drives have not been my bother. I have found myself being TERRIBLY impatient. PATIENCE...another big weakness of mine. I had heard at some point in my life that one's threshold for patience somehow becomes higher when you have children. HA! I laugh at this seeming fallacy. Yes, I love my children. Yes, I realize they are little children, not small adults and yes, they are learning...etc. etc. etc.
However, this does not displace the fact that I am an adult with a great many weaknesses, and despite my logical deductions for why kids are kids, I still grow so wary sometimes of explaining for the umpteenth time what 'that man is doing' or why 'anilla icehweem' is not the best choice for a filling and nutritious breakfast. It's definitely going to be a lifelong (and beyond) virtue that will try me in ways I dare not imagine.
For now, I try not to be too ambitious (ha!) and expect myself to become this patient person overnight, but I am pleased in the fact that I can at least give myself a break sometimes and say, 'hey! you're only human...just keep on trying.'
(and yes, one more story really does mean 'just one more story', and no, coloring all over your hands is not the best way to ensure mom stays happy.)
I'm hanging in there and relishing the quiet times at night when I just get to be my unambitious, impatient self and be okay with it.
(and if that damn fly lands on me ONE more time....)

yum, yum eat it up!

2008-07-21T20:56:00.002-06:00

Dirt, chocolate....looks and taste the same, I guess (at least that's what Zoe seems to think). So much for hoping and assuming she'd grow out of the 'put everything in her mouth' stage.

YUMMY!

The girls sure do love playing with Daddy...Thanks to Andrew for watching the girls today so I could go out and take advantage of some more deals, this time with the always great company of my sister-in-law. Although one of our anticipated, big deals turned out being a semi-flop we still had fun chatting and hitting up the great grocery-shopping at the commissary. Thanks for making the trip down, Camille!

And finally, after a long day of play there's nothing better than clean, bathed children who are so tired that they go to bed willingly and quickly...Ahhhhhhh

...and what is bedtime without Zoe's two faves (besides mom and dad)....her 'bebe' (blanket) and her thumb.

The only constant is change...

2008-07-15T13:17:00.004-06:00

It's been said that the only thing constant is change, and ain't it the truth?
We had a whirlwind weekend, full of unexpected, yet wonderful times. Originally we had plans to join Andrew's large family (some who were visiting from out of state/country) down at his sister's house in Alpine Saturday evening. However, due to the gang shooting weekend before last, Andrew's supervisors were requiring a mandatory work day Saturday in expectations of possible retaliations from rival gangs. (change of plans #1) We were all so bummed....Lily so wanted to go 'swimmin' with Hunter and Noah' (her cousins). She gently and wisely told me, 'don't be sad....it's otay.'
So I prepared for a rather plain and boring weekend. However, (change #2) Andrew woke up feeling rather sick Saturday morning and legitimately couldn't have gone to work and been very effective. Thus, after clearing it with his sargeant, we were able to go to Alpine as originally planned. (Blessings come in unexpected ways although I bet Andrew begs to differ).
We had such a fun time in the Arnold's revamped backyard, complete with gorgeous pool, trampoline, patio and fire pit. We had so much fun talking with everyone and are sad it's an occasion that comes few and far between. We left around 9:30 because Andrew was scheduled to work on OT shift at midnight until 5 a.m. However, (plan change #3) Andrew was able to find someone else to take his shift so he could rest and hopefully get to feeling better. This change in plans allowed us to make it up to Logan at 9:30 am Sunday morning for our little niece Leah's baby blessing, and we were so glad we could go.
Monday (still part of our weekend due to Andrew's normal days off), came with more busyness. Andrew had an OT shift and we had dentist appointments. I worked so hard all week to try and prepare Lily for the inevitable. We read The Tooth Book and I explained that he would just count her teeth and make sure they were nice and clean...no needles, no scary prodding, etc. Then she'd get a cool prize and a new toothbrush/toothpaste! Sounds like a fun time, right?
But no, she wasn't having any of that.
My morning consisted of getting 21 more packs of Walgreens diapers for $0.08 each (using my raincheck from the sale price two weeks ago) and then taking the girls on a little 'picnic' at a nearby park so as to be out of the house for two walk-through-the-house appointments. The whole morning was full of positive affirmations....the dentist is nice, he's our teeth's best friend, Mommy and Daddy are going to see him too, etc. During all our little errands she just kept on saying, 'NO DENTIST!'.
So when the time came to leave for the dentist she fussed and whined. We had a 45 minute drive, and she luckily fell asleep. As we pulled in to the parking lot, she immediately wakes up and says, "No Dentist! No Dentist!" So we carry her in there in the throes of a tantrum. Needless to say, she screamed the entire time he looked at her teeth. He, trying to make us feel better, said, 'it's actually easier to check the teeth of a screaming child because their mouth is open so wide.' True, but that doesn't make it easier for all the other patrons thinking, 'i would come to the DDS at this time, and look how pleasant it is'. Oh well. She got princess tattoos and a cool crayon toothbrush. So that hurdle is done for six months. whew!
In the meantime, Zoe had been acting like she wasn't feeling well all day. She was not very interested in eating, felt a little warm and was very fussy for her. So when we got home and she was acting rather lethargic, we decided that we should take her into the doctor on suspicions of an ear infection. She's never had one but it seemed like the reasonable explanation. My only other suspicion was a really bad teething experience. Her fourth molar has finally poked through but seems to be really swollen still.
So I take her to the doctor only to have her vomit all over herself, her carseat, and the seat as I pull into the parking lot. Okay, so maybe it's not an ear infection...
Anyhow, she's running a 103 degree fever but her ears look fine, a strep test in negative and blood test comes back normal. My wonderful neighbor was able to run me some new clothes for her as I'd forgotten the diaper bag, and I left with the advice to come back in two days if her fever doesn't let up. So now it's just a waiting game. She is acting more alert as of this morning and was at least eating and drinking some. But now I'm feeling rather under the weather myself, and can't seem to muster a lot of energy to do many of things that need doing today. At least I cleaned off the vomit and did all the washing last night because I don't know if I could have done it today. Blessings in disguise. SIGH.
The only thing constant is change....a quote worth remembering for the ironies of life.