A Fun Contest - NO CHEATING!

Working + Being a Mom= No time for blogging just right now.

I will get to it when I can, but every spare minute of mine is spent learning the 3 digit Airport Codes. So I am going to have a little test/contest. See how many airport codes you can get right WITHOUT using the Internet! I will give you the code, you tell me what airport it is or what city it is in. Got it? Ok here is goes!

#1 SXM
#2 MSY
#3 AUA
#4 POP
#5 IAD
#6 FLL
#7 LAS
#8 SEA
#9 LGA
#10 TPA
#11 SMF
#12 CLT

Got them? Leave you answers in the comments or send me and email. I will post the answers and maybe JUST maybe whoever get the most correct WITHOUT looking them up on the Internet might get a prize. MAYBE.

Have fun!

Has it been 4 years all ready?

My Princess turns four tomorrow (Monday). It has been a weekend FULL of Tinker Bell or as she keeps saying Tinkle Bell. I am exhausted, but it was great!

I wanted to sit down and write about her while I have a minute and also while I am in a sappy mood.

As I have mentioned before, she was a big surprise in our family. I had mixed feelings when I found out that I was pregnant with her. I was really scared and I was excited. These emotions would change at the drop of a hat the entire time I was pregnant. Fast forward 4 years and that pretty much explains things even today. I get scared when she is quiet and alone. She likes to get into things even still. I get excited for her when she learns knew things. She is very creative and also very messy. She can be so happy and also very sensitive. She loves to play, and loves to watch movies and fall asleep. She is very smart and learns really fast, and still has a lot to learn.

In one day she can make me feel almost every emotion possible. But truthfully, the one I feel the most is unconditional love. No matter what at them end of the day she gives me big hug and kiss and makes my heart melt.

This girl has quite a spirit about her. She has taught me so much and challenges me every day to be a better mom, wife, sister and daughter. I know she is watching me and I want to be a good example to her.

She plays an important role in this family. I couldn't me more grateful for her and who she is!

Happy Birthday little lady, your mommy loves you!

T-minus 6 months

I have always been one to count down to everything!

When I was a kid it was my birthday, Christmas, the last day of school and even vacations.

When my brother was in collage my sister and I made him a chain that counted down from his graduation. The funny thing is that he had more than 3 months left and the chain went around his entire room.

I remember when I had something like 120 something days until my wedding day.

My sister and I got married 71 days apart.

The list really can go on, but then I will get an email from my brother saying I just might be OCD like him.

Well every year I get a phone call on April 26th that goes a little something like this:

"Hey Sis, Happy Half Birthday! Only 6 more months!"

I love it! I get a great laugh every year when my sister calls me to remind me that I can officially start counting down!

Every year it gets a little less exciting though (by only a little) because today when I got the call it was "You will be 30 in a year and a half."

Great! Well, all I can say to that is this:

"I will always be 5 years younger than you!"

Dandelions

Remember how my little Princess has been picking Dandelions for me everyday?

Total Dandelion count for the today 16!

Sweet huh?

Now I just need to find a good place for them so Little Man will stop eating them.

HELP!

I have a Tinker Bell party here at my house on Saturday. I have been so preoccupied with all that has been going on and worried about starting my new job (which went good tonight) that I just haven't been able to really think about what we are going to do. So I need everyones help at the very LAST minute.

I need ideas on activities or crafts that we can do at this party. There will be lots of girls there, but some boys too. She has a few friends in the circle that are older boys and I want them to have fun too. I really don't know what to do other than a pinata.

Please help!

Thinking

~While looking through my year book (my 10 year reunion is coming up) I realized that I owe a lot of people money.

~Why is it that most of the keywords that are searched on Google that brings people to my site have to do with peeing?

~I realized that since I am always telling Little Dude he can do things when he has facial hair (Like "You can have your own motorcycle when you have facial hair." or "You can buy the things that you want at the store when you have facial hair.") He is in a big hurry to actually have facial hair. He cut himself shaving with daddy's razor the other day.

~My husband is the best. He came home from work yesterday and said that I have an appointment to get my hair done on Saturday and he will get everything ready for Princess' birthday party.

Life

Life as I know it will be changing soon. No it isn't another baby! (Thank Heavens!) No we aren't moving or anything of the sort. I am actually starting my job at JetBlue Airlines on Thursday. I got the job months ago so you would think that I would be totally prepared for it. I'm not. I am dreading it a little, and I am nervous.

I don't doubt that it would be fun and that it will be really good for us. (Especially the free flights) But I haven't had to work like this in 3 1/2 years. I will be working nights too and that is always hard for me. I keep telling myself that if I can just make it through the 7 weeks of training then it will be ok. Then I will be able to work from home. I also keep telling myself that if it is meant to be it will all work out.

I have hired a girl from my neighborhood to watch the kids while I am gone and before my hubby gets home. (We will call her K.) While I totally trust K and I know that she will be great with my kids, I am a little worried about it still. I hope that one day she doesn't cry that my kids are bad and that she doesn't want to do it anymore. Again, if it is meant to be it will work out right.

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Life is also very lovely lately. Here is a list of the reasons why.

~ Every day my Little Princess brings me a Dandelion (or more). Today's count is up to 3 and I just LOVE them. They really do brighten my day. WAIT...she just brought me more. Total count is A WHOPPING 15! Goodness! What makes me so happy about it is the thought behind it! She is so happy to give them to me. Every time she says "I am doing a service for you Mom." I love that she gets the idea of doing service to make herself happy, and others too.

~ Remember how I mentioned that our car has been broken down forever? And also that we found out that the engine died? Well, we got a new car. We got a Chrysler 300. It is a really nice car. And it has a warranty that will last us forever (we hope). The windows are being tinted tomorrow so when we get it back I plan on taking pictures and posting them here. It is SUPER cool!

~ The Little Man has learned how to say "tickle, tickle." I really need to record it because it is the cutest thing I have heard in a long time!

~ The weather is getting nicer and even though I don't know that it will stick around, I am taking what I can get. I had the privilege to spend the morning outside with my friend Julie. She and her kids came over for a play date today and I loved visiting with her, holding her new little baby, and watching her silly boy explore my backyard!

~ At the moment my house isn't all that messy and that makes life much easier!

~ I had two awesome photo sessions this last week. I feel like I have come a long way in some of my photography and I was just so happy to play around with some things that I had been wanting to do.

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Life is also really busy!

I have SO many posts that I have been wanting to do. One day I will just take a day and post massive amounts of pictures and stuff so I can get caught up.
I need to post:

- Little Man's 1st Birthday (Yea I know it was a month ago)
- Roxy the kitty's favorite thing to play with. (This really is super funny!)
- The many looks of a fashion forward daughter. (You just wait and see.)
- Houston day 2
- Day 3
- And Day 4

But there are so many things getting in the way. Like getting my house in working order again. Pictures, Young Women's callings, a sick baby, being REALLY REALLY tired, and planning a birthday party for my little Princess.

So there you have it. My life this week.

I can be crappy.

Oh I mean crafty.

I was tired of looking at my empty fireplace mantle so I did something about it. My sweet sister watched my kids for me so I could make a trip to Hobby Lobby. (Can't shop with 3 kids in a place the filled to the brim with breakable things.) I came back and with this cute ceramic vase and a few flowers. I showed it to my sister and tried to hint around that she make something for me. (She's the creative one.) She wasn't too keen on making anything for me. (I guess I wouldn't either after watching my crazy kids. Sorry again Sis for them not being angels.)

She sent me home to work on it myself.

I guess I didn't need her after all. Well not for that anyway. (Can you come over and get the rest of my house decorated for me?)

Houston Day 1

*Disclaimer: these pictures were taken with my point and shoot camera. Don't judge my photography skills by these pictures. Just kidding, enjoy!

Unfortunately the first day of our trip was spent entirely in airports. Since American Airlines decided to cancel so many flights it made every other airport crazy and insane! We got to the SLC airport as the sun was rising. It was actually about 7:00 am. We went to check in and they informed me that my flight to San Francisco was very delayed because of a mechanical problems. I was going to miss my connecting flight to Houston so they had to rebook me on a different flight. That flight wasn't supposed to leave until 1:30 so they set me up to fly standby for two other flights that were leaving before that. So we headed to out gate and just waited for the 9:40 flight to Denver.
That flight came and left without us on it. They were too full. So we waited some more until the next flight at 11:30.
The 11:30 flight was too full too so we were stuck waiting some more until our confirmed flight was supposed to board at 1:30. While waiting and waiting and waiting I realized that we should have boarded all ready and the plane wasn't there. I went and check the board and it said it was going to be 2 1/2 hours late. When I saw that I cried. Yes, I cried. The baby was being awesome, he hadn't even cried once, I was just really tired, frustrated and I really just wanted to be there all ready. We had been at the airport for almost 7 hours and I still needed to wait a few more until I was able to get on the plane. I was really annoyed because I was going to miss my connecting flight to Houston and they only had one more flight out that night. The way my luck was going I thought I was going to be stuck and miss going to the Temple on Saturday.
We finally boarded our flight to Denver at 4:00 and arrived at a little after 5:00. To my surprise the baby was asleep before we even took off and slept the entire way. What a good kid he is. We were stuck with a layover in Denver for about 1 hour and 45 min. We tried to play, we ate dinner and did everything I could to prepare for our longer flight to Houston. He still hadn't cried once!

11:00 pm Houston time was when we finally left the airport! With the time change I had been sitting in and airport or on a plane for 15 hours! I was EXHAUSTED! (I still am actually!) The baby didn't sleep at all on the flight to Houston, but he still didn't cry. I was so happy to be there and so happy to see my sister-in-law and brother-in law and their family.

We stayed in Houston instead of going to Bay City an hour away since we were going to the Temple there the next morning. It worked out awesome and we stayed with the coolest couple. They have only been married for a few weeks and were so happy to have 7 extra people staying with them! I was happy to have a place to lay down too! As soon as I hit my head to the pillow I was out! It was good because the next day was a busy one too! Good thing I didn't have to step foot in an airport!

Texas....

I miss you! I miss you, and you, and you, and you, and you.

That special day that you had was one that I will never forget! It was amazing and I am so glad that I could be apart of it! It really made all that waiting in the airport worth it! I am so happy that this cute family is part of my eternal family now!

It is people like this.......

And this, that I wish I could have just bottled up to take home with me. Texas Hospitality people! It's a really cool thing! I really LOVED all these guys!

I miss this moment when the world seemed that it was standing still. And this little guy that is just growing up too fast.
I miss these two sisters that will be friends for life. I will remember them just like this forever though.

Texas was good to me! When I say I miss it, I mean it! I loved my trip and I wish that I can go back soon. When I can put more than a few thoughts together after I get some MUCH needed sleep I will post more pictures and write more about it.

The Story of the Big Ugly Monsters

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Dude. Dude and his mommy were ridding home from taking his sister to school one morning when he asked his mom if he could go play with his friend when they got home. His mommy told him the he needed to clean his room first. Little Dude didn't like that idea at all so he thought he would throw a fit!

He started by pouting and a little talking back. Then there was the guilt trip that went something like "Well, I won't ever get out of the car if you make me clean my room!" Mommy wasn't going to stand for it so she just kindly said "ok, you can stay here." Once in the house Mommy heard Dude honking the horn. "Two can play this game" thought Mommy, thinking this would make Dude laugh. So Mommy took the keyless entry and pressed the panic button setting the horn honking loud and lots. While trying to get it off mommy accidentally kept pushing the lock and unlock button several times. Little did Mommy know Dude was trying to get out while the door was locking and unlocking. He finally gets out and comes stomping into the house.

When in the house Mommy noticed something had changed about little Dude. He had let out his Big, Ugly Monster, complete with horns and everything. The Ugly Monster yelled for the neighborhood to hear "YOU ARE THE MEANEST MOMMY EVER!" Then Dude the Monster punched Mommy in the tummy and stormed off to his room. A few steps before his room he felt me needed to make sure that Mommy heard "YOU ARE SO MEAN!"

Without getting angry Mommy went and picked up the monster and made him sit on her lap until he knew how much mommy loved him. He head butted, kicked, yelled, and hit for quite awhile, until the horns slowly started to go away. The entire time mommy tried to talk quietly in his ear that this fit isn't going to solve the problem.

Once he had calmed down, Mommy tried to teach that Heavenly Father put him in his family because he knew how happy he would be here and how loved he would be. They talked about how everyone has a mean and ugly monster but we need to try not to let it out. Mommy even said sorry for upsetting little Dude.

Then the idea came. Mommy and Dude sat down with a crayon and put a face to the big, ugly monsters that made them mean. Little Dude drew his.

Mommy drew her monster.Then they grabbed a shovel and found a good spot in the back yard and started to dig a hole to bury the big, ugly monsters.
They had to make sure the hole was deep so the monsters would never try to come back again!
So Dude dug, and he dug until it was just right.
Then Mommy handed dude his monster and said "These monsters needs to never come out of this hole. We need to try to always be kind and not loose our temper. If we ever see that they are trying to come out we need to stomp more dirt on them so they can't come and be mean anymore."

So Little Dude and his Mommy folded up the monsters really small.
Placed them in the hole,
and put lots and lots of dirt on them so they would never come out again!
Here lies Little Dude's Big, Ugly Monster and Mommy's Big Ugly Monster. Rest In Peace!

* Sorry for the jammies. We hadn't even had a chance to get dressed before the monster showed up.

I'm a Grumpy Old Troll

Today has been a rough day.

I took the baby into the doctor. While the doctor was examining him he started to cry. He really thought that he had broken his collar bone. The x-ray showed that everything was ok. That was nice to hear. I have been worried about him. He did say that he is hurting somewhere and that he will start to feel better in about a week. He said something that I thought was very nice. He said that babies are not wimps yet. When they are crying from pain they actually have a reason. He hurts, we don't know why, but I am happy that nothing is broken.

Our Bishop had a stroke the other day. He has been in the hospital and we have been worried about him. Today was a day that they were going to do some tests and I am really hoping that everything went well for him. He has been in our prayers.

Our car has been broken down for a few weeks now. It has been stressful, but my mom and dad have been awesome to let us borrow one of their cars. We towed the car to the shop the other day and today we found out that it may need a new engine. If this is the case, it is totally not worth it to fix it. We have a big decision to make right now. Should we pay them a few thousand dollars to see if they can fix it? Or do we just cut our losses and find a new car? I wish I could afford a new car. I haven't had a car payment in years though and I really don't want to start now. I hate grown up decisions!

I am leaving for Houston on Friday. I am really excited, but I feel pressure to get everything ready and all these grown up decisions made before I go. I am hoping that I can go and relax.

My house looks like a war zone, and I am sure that isn't helping my mood. I know that is something that I can fix right now and will make a little difference. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

My heart still skips a beat when I think about it.

Yesterday my little man fell down the stairs in his walker.

The gate is ALWAYS up!

Except that one time.

I can't even tell you how sick I am about it. We think he is ok. We aren't totally sure yet. He does seem like something hurts when you pick him up or when you move him, and his personality just isn't as happy and playful as it usually is. We are lucky to have a nurse in the family, and to have a nurse that lives a few houses away and they both kind of looked him over yesterday, so I am sure that he will be fine. I will be watching him throughout the day and see how things go.

I am so sick about it! How could I have not seen that the gate was down? Every time I close my eyes I see him flipping down all 13 stairs.

Being a Dare Devil Has to Start Somewhere

I started by watching from the front window. Then I realized that I needed evidence the I am not a child abuser (read the time little Princess broke her leg) in case he broke a bone.

Then I just got a kick out of watching little dude and his best buddy, Nathan ride their bikes off the tire ramp. If you can enlarge some of these pictures you should! Their faces just crack me up!

There were a few falls, but nothing that was going to keep them from doing it!

Sometimes these two guys are very entertaining! I promised myself that I will get more pictures of them together. I have a few that I haven't posted, but I am still kicking myself for not taking the pictures of them when they were dressed up a Ninja Turtles, Darth Vader, or Spiderman. Seriously, these two are super funny together!

We are all grateful for good friends at our house! We have really made some good ones in our neighborhood!