I've Been Tagged

Well sorta, I was tagged in face.book but I don't like using it as much as blogging so I am going to do it here. I am supposed to write 25 random facts, things, goals or habits about me and then tag 25 people. Here goes...

1. I am obsessed with making my girls look "cute". I think it has to do with how mean kids were with me growing up so I think that if my girls look "cute" then other kids won't pick on them.

2. I was picked on as a kid....duh since I just told you about it in the previous list.

3. I want to move out of Missouri. I don't like living here, never have, and have wanted to, all my adult, leave. I have tried several times but things just don't work out and we end up staying here.

4. I have always wanted to be a mother/wife. I can remember being 14 and longing for children. Which is why at 16 I helped my sister deliver her 5th child. She was like my own. Only that she never went home with me and that I never feed her, never woke in the middle of the night to soothe her, you know all the fun things....=) but for a 16 y/o I thought she was as much mine as her mommy's.

5. I love the snow. I know you all are looking at me like I'm crazy but I really do. I don't mind driving in it and could live where there is lots of it.

6. I hate to be hot. I can't stand it. I start to sweat and then it I get all sticky and get all grossed out. I could never live in the south. Once I'm get hot it take me forever to cool down. Plus I have my dad's gene of being super sweaty. When my cousin and I used to play basketball in high school we were always the first to have wet shirts. GROSS!

7. I have the most wonderful husband. No not you Missy, me. Ben helps do everything. I can't seem to express enough how amazing he is. If there is a day I don't want to do something is ok with me not doing it and then does it himself. He plays with the kids instead of sleeping or will take care of them so that I can take a nap instead of him. He works like a dog. Bad analogy made like a mustang or mule something that actually works a lot and really hard. He does his callings without complaining. There much more to him besides that but I need to move on.

8. I love spicy food.

9. I would love to go to overseas someday. Some place like Italy, France, Germany, or Greece. I have family in Germany and a friend in Greece so if we were to go some where it would probably be one of those two.

10. I can't wait till our kids are grown so that Ben and I can go on a mission together. He never went and I had kids by the time I was old enough to go.

11. I love the feeling I get just after a session at the temple and you have no worries. The world seems to be a peace.

12. I would love to do platform work one day. This is something hairdressers do at hair shows. You teach or show new technichs to those at the hair shows on a platform.

13. I always want different hair. I am never happy with the way my hair looks. If I could just wake up everyday with something different I think I would be happy.

14. I love chocolate. Not the expensive stuff just the everyday kind of stuff like sni.ckers, m.ms, or do.ve. That's just cause I'm cheap.

15. I enjoy taking photos.

16. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love how the trees change colors and everything is full and pretty.

17. I am the least judgemental person you will know or meet. Everyone has a story and a life and just because you have gone throgh something doesn't mean you are bad/good/ whatever. No judgements it not up to me....

18. I wish I had the will power to throw out our tv's. I must say I enjoy it and unfortanuatley it takes presidence a lot more then I would like for it to.

19. I do not have my tonsils or my gallbladder.

20. I have had natural child birth 4 times. Well with the help of pitosen (if you call that help)

21. I was born in Mexico...... gotch ya.... Missouri

22. I would like 3/4 more kids if my sanity holds out that long. Oh lets not forget my body.

23. I can lead music but don't know how to play the panio.

24. I love the sound of my kids laughing, really laughing.......you know the one where they are not fake laughing but full on belly laughing.

25. I have to prove that I can do things. If someone says I can't do something then my goal is to prove you wrong. I know kinda sick huh.

Anyway now for the good stuff. There won't be 25 people but here are the names, Laurel, Cassie, Tamera, Jen, Missy, Katrina, Nora, Mom, Denise, Allison, and anyone else who reads this post who blogs.

*Cassie that means you actually have to update your blog =-)

Timmy's 9 (wahaha)

Tim turned 9 on Saturday. Can you believe it? Time is going to fast. I, for some reason, seem to get ambitious when it comes to his parties.

We asked Tim what kind of party he wanted and he said Bak.ugan. I think to myself that's ok I can handle that. Little did I know that there is nothing bakugan out there except the toys. So I made his invitations (not proud of those at all), made his cake, made the posters for the gift bag. Ugh, what was I thinking. All this and trying to get things together for r.s. activity on the same day, again what was I thinking.



This is how the cake ended up but it was not what I was planning. I had planned on making a game board (shown on the floor with the kids around it) but when I went to put the second layer on the cake it just fell to pieces. Mind you I was in the middle of finishing things off for relief society too and I about fell to pieces when this happened. Thankfully, mom came over and helped me finish it or else we would have had one really skinny, lop sided cake and lots of broken cake for his party.



Then I made cupcakes for the kids to take home as part of their party favors. Each cupcake had a candy chocolate bakugan on top of it. I made these by hand. Everything on the cupcake is eatable. If you ask me they look more like ducks but Tim liked them so I guess that is all that matters. (If you take the head off the character it look more like a bakugan) I made 18 of these. My hands were purple and blue for almost a week trying to make these.



I had the kids try to suck smarties up a straw and move them to another bowl. It was funny watching them suck so hard and only get 1 smartie at a time.

Then we played bakugan upset. Much like fruit basket upset, but instead of fruit we used bakugan charaters. I think they had the most fun with this one because they could get up and run and knock each other out of the chair and not get in trouble.

We played this for almost 20 min. They didn't play the smartie game but like 3 times but this they could have played the whole time.

After the games I had them do a scavenger hunt to find the birthday cake. I purposly made them go from downstairs/upstairs and upstairs/downstairs. If the clue was upstairs the next clue lead them downstairs. I had hoped that the clues would take them a lot longer to figure out but they had them solved before they even read the whole card. So I had to stand in the doorway to keep them in the room before they would run out so they could here the whole clue. This took all of 5 minutes. So we had to fill the time with other stuff.

They did a small battle before everyone left.

Things were getting a little slow the last 30 minutes because they did everything so fast that Ben pulled out the fart cd and stared playing it and the boys went wild. They were laughing so hard they could hardly stand up.



Look at how red Manson's face is, he was just busting a gut.

One of the things I had the kids do was decorate their own cupcakes.

I think they were pretty creative.



I have to tell you I just love this little guy. He comes from a really good family and I just love him to pieces. He crackes me up all the time. You think he is this quiet little boy until you get him talking and he has the funniest things to say.



Lilly even got in the party fun if you look real close you can see a package of smarties in her hand. She sucked on it forever, well, until I took it from her.

Ben's one year older

Ben had his birthday on Monday so I have to post before we get to Tim's.
We just had a small day. The kids were home from school so we didn't get to do to much. We did the traditional cheesecake breakfast in bed and then brought him his presents. He got a stereo that he can use his i.pod on. He seemed to be pretty happy. Oh lets not forget (for Tom's sake) he got twinkies too. Then we took him to Tequilla's. Its a really good mexican restaurant in town. Then came home and took a nap and then he had to go to work.




Ben opening his gift


So excited to see what he got


Yum, yum cheesecake and mountain.dew, breakfast of champions


Daisy always has to be there when you have gifts or food


So I have to explain the cake. I have been experimenting with rolled buttercream (it's like fondant). So I decided to use it for Ben's marvin the martian cake but had a hard time getting the bottom half of the cake out of the pan so it was all torn and ripped. He decided it was just fine the way it looks there but I wasn't, but didn't know how to fix it giving the coditions and that I was tired and since he was happy just gave up. If you look real had you can get the outline of marvin.

I have to tell you that I am completely in love with my husband. He is the best man on the earth. I am so glad to be married to him. I am so thankful for his willingness to do what is needed for our family to make it work smoothly. I am thankful that he never gave up and that he continues to fight everyday. I am thankful that he has a mother who taught him well and who is so loving that he knows how to treat me and our kids. I would post as many reasons why I love him as he is old but dang he's old (32) only kidding. I love you and count the days that we have been together, and anxiously wait for all the rest of the days we will spend side by side.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

We have been extremely busy since my last post and since I am having issues with our sd.card I don't have photo to post from Christmas yet. So I thought I would just give a brief summary.

Christmas Eve: we went to my sisters house and had a fun night helping a family in need who had lost their mother that year. The children in that family have children my kids age so it was good for them. Did a Chinese gift exchange for the kids and it was great. I think even the missionaries had fun.

Christmas Day: we opened up presents and made fun pancakes for breakfast. Overall it was a good Christmas. That afternoon we went to G-ma/G-pa Van's for Lunch with the family and do something we have never done before. NO presents. Of course there we present for the grand kids but nothing for the adults it was kinda nice to not have to worry about it. We did however have a Chinese gift exchange with stuff from your house that you didn't want. It was well played by all. We gave shampoo stuff and there were fights for that and a movie and cd. It was fun.

New Years Eve: Ben was working and the boys were at g-mas so it was just the girls at home we were kinda boring. Daisy fell asleep before 10 and Lilly was out by 10:30. I was up after midnight but nothing special just watched a movie. The boys stayed up late w/ g-ma and aunt Jen blew horn, shot off confetti and shot silly string. They even had sparkling grape juice. Essential for those who don't drink.

January is usual a slow time for most people but at our house it is just as busy as December because we have two birthdays. Ben's is on the 19th and Tim's is on the 24th. I have been busy planning Tim's party and trying to get stuff ready for that and still do stuff for Ben all the while holding a chunky baby on one hip. I must be crazy but this year I am going to make Tim's b-day cake. Mind you this is no easy feat. He wants a bak.ugan cake and since no one has anything bak.ugan I am having to do everything all on my own. All those years of cake decorating are beginning to pay off. Well sorta! =) We will see next week if his cake turns out.

Lilly has started to teeth and has probably gain 50lbs! Not really on the weight but man is she heavy. If I had to guess she is about 2olbs or more. Like I said earlier she is chunky!!! We take her later this week for her 4 mo appt. (I know, I know its late) so we will see then just how chunky she really is.

Daisy is having a hard time lately. All she wants to do is watch tv. She doesn't want to do anything we ask her to do. She has been doing a lot of screaming and tantrums. However, on the other side she loves to make Lilly laugh. She does whatever she can to make her laugh. She will even fall down. Most Lilly laughs when she sees Daisy hair flying around but sometimes she will laugh just because Daisy is laughing.

The boys are back in school and spent all of their break at g-ma/g-pas house with aunt Jen. They worked on scout stuff and of course played lots of video games. It has been kinda hard to get them back in the swing of things but they are getting there.

The Magic Tree

We had our Ward Christmas Party last Saturday and afterwords we decided to drive around and look at all the christmas lights. There were lots of pretty houses. We went to one neighborhood that had a tree completely covered in lights. It is so amazing. It is called the magic tree. I didn't get out and look at the info on it and what it meant but it looks beautiful.

UPDATE: So we drove back by to pick up a flyer and this is what it said. There are over 75,000 lights on the tree. Thats right 75,000. He started in 1995 with just 3,000 and each year added more and more. He has a website you can look at too. Click here to go to his link.

Funny baby

So this is not the greatest quality because we took this with our point and shoot camera but it is to cute not to put up for all to see. Hope you enjoy!

I've tried several times to upload this to blogger but it won't so click on the LINK to watch Lilly laugh.

This is after a couple of minutes doing this so she got a little tired.

Just another day

With it being almost Christmas I'm surprised that I am publishing a post like this. This year I have all my shopping done early. That never happens. I even have stuff for family in Utah ready. Again that never happens. I would post what it is but I know that mom and Cassie check this often and I don't want to ruin it. I really am excited about it because it will be well received by them.

We got the tree up the weekend after thanksgiving and haven't look back since. I didn't think that Daisy would be to much of a problem with the tree this year since she is almost 4 but she can't seem to leave it alone. I guess the last couple of years we have had a small tree that sat on a table so she couldn't reach it but I didn't realize it was that fascinating. So needless to say I have threatened to take it down almost every day since we put it up. She is getting better. Thankfully Lilly is to little to even know what it is this year.

We went to Ben's Holiday Party for work last Saturday. It is always fun to go to. They have lots of really good food and an open bar. (Sorry mom no drinks for you or us) This year was really different considering he actually works there now and not just a student. We sat with people that he works directly with and got to know each other a little better. A couple of people got pretty loopy but Ben and I think its funny.

Hopefully this year we will be able to do all the Christmas stuff that I always want to do but never have time to do. I always have good intentions but never enough time. Which is weird since I have a newborn and have been in the hospital. I guess it has slowed me down.

Thanksgiving

So it wouldn't be thanksgiving without giving thanks so here goes.

I am thankful for.....

1. Jesus Christ, who has made everything possible for me.

2. my wonderful husband who stands by my side in all that I do. Who understands my troubles and doesn't complain. Who loves me unconditionally. Who gives me the will to continue on. Who loves our children so much that he sacrifices his sleep to spend time with them. Who is so special that Heavenly Father saved him twice so we could be a family. Who provides enough for our family that I can stay at home and take care of our little ones. Who never complains.

3. my family. I love my children. I am grateful that we have a newborn ( I love babies). I am grateful that I have wonderful kids who don't give us to much grief.

4. my extended family. Those who are close and those who are far away. We love all of you.

5. for the friends that we have. Friends who care so much about us that they help when we call. Friends who call when we don't and those who always think of us.

6. for the ability to have a home that not only keeps us warm but has enough space that we are not walking on top of each other. That looks pretty, and gives us a sense of security. For all the things that we have in our home to fill it up.

Last but not least I am grateful that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. For the knowledge I have in a Savior who loves me and guides me. For the knowledge that my family is not only a family here on earth but for all eternity. For the knowledge that one day all my questions will be answered and the when I have questions now all I have to do is pray.

I hope everyone had a wonderful day. Remember be THANKFUL!

Another hospital stay

So I must say that I have had my fair share of hospital stays this year. I told Ben that I was done. No more. If you know me at all I don't like hospitals to begin with but it is a necessary evil when having a baby and then when you have an emergency situation like I had last week.

I had to have my gallbladder out last week. It was horrible. It was worse than giving birth. I have had 4 natural child births and never been in that much pain. This all started a couple of weeks ago when I thought I was just getting the colds that had been going around. Kinda sick to my stomach every other day and then it just got worse. On Monday the 10th I thought I had the full blown stomach flu. My back hurt so bad that when I walked it had to hunch over. When I was laying down I couldn't get comfortable. My stomach just kept doing loop to loops and I'm pretty sure I had a fever. Then Tuesday Janah came in to get Daisy to do Christmas stuff and said "holy cow, you needed to go to the doctor". Of course I just said I think I have the flu and thankfully she kept on me and dragged me out the door or things could have been worse. She drove me to the doctor and during the long hour wait to see him I was in so much pain. The doctor proceeded to poke around on my stomach to make sure it wasn't my appendix and then he did the most horrible thing he could have.... he poked on the area where my gallbladder once was. I shrieked out.

Now this man has seen me since I was a teenager and has seen my at my sickest and I have never been like that. His eyes got big as baseballs and proceeded to tell Janah to get me to the ER NOW. Meanwhile we have Daisy and Lilly and my brother Kellys daughter Rachel. This is a full plate with just Daisy and Lilly but then you throw Rachel in and things get really hard. So Janah is freaking out cause she doesn't know what is going on w/ me and then dealing with 3 kids under4.

So they take be back and start doing labs and test to be for sure it was my gallbladder. They did the most painful ultra sound that I have ever had and sure enough that's what it was. My white count was up to 20,000 (double what normal is) so they couldn't do the surgery till I was more stable. They thankfully gave me Demerol to help with the pain which was great in the beginning but as the night went on it wasn't even touching the pain. I'm sure this is why I have never had anything during child birth because it wouldn't work long enough to do me any good. The people in my family metabolize pain killers/anaesthesia anything that should help you really fast. When Tim broken his arm a couple of years ago they had to give him an adult amount of anaesthesia during his reduction because he kept waking up so I'm sure that is what was happening to me.

Anyway, by 12:30 at night my temperature had spike to 103. I was in so much pain that I couldn't sleep. I couldn't go to the bathroom without 2 people helping me and even then I just wanted to die. We had been told that they wouldn't be able to get in for the surgery until the afternoon on Wed so I wasn't expecting them to come get me at 9:30. I was so grateful that they did that. I was still extremely scared so I had a friend of ours who is a nurse anaesthetise come talk to me. I had asked if he could be my nurse so I felt like there was someone who cared about me who would take care of me if something happened but they wouldn't let them switch out that fast. If I had said something earlier I could have had him in there but after I thought about it later that day I was glad that he wasn't in there because he probably would have had to see me naked and I don't know that I could have looked at him after that. So it worked out for the best.

What should have taken 30/45 minutes ended up taking 2 hours. They had to dig alot of stones out and had to deal with really swollen, infected tissue. I was in recovery for quite a long time from what Ben tells me, I was gone for like 4 hours total. I can't imagine what Ben was going though during that time. I would have been freaking out. If they had told me they would only be gone for a couple of hours and then be gone double that I would be so upset.

When they brought me back I was still in a lot of pain. They had to give me morphine for the pain. The only problem with that was that it made me see people. I had Ben come in Thursday night before work to give me a blessing and I was a little loopy to say the least. I kept seeing other people besides Ben and Matt. I'm sure that Matt will tease me the rest of my life cause he's like a brother to me and won't let me live that down. We thought that they were going to have to go back in and make sure that I didn't have something wrong because I was still in so much pain. Come to find out it was just the drain they have in me. As soon as they took that out things got much better. I went home on Friday so I spent 4 days in the hospital. Most defiantly the longest I have spent in a hospital in my life.

Needless to say, all is well now. Still in some pain but nothing that advil can't help. I had to have Janah stay with me for a week to help with the kids cause I couldn't lift Lilly. And as you know newborns need to be held a lot. It took me a lot longer than I thought it would to recover but Janah kept telling me I was doing amazing compared to other people who had really bad gallbladder surgery. The surgeon said it wasn't the worst he had seen but almost. So I guess I should be thankful.

I am very thankful for all the people who said prayers, sent in food, took Ben to work, offered to help with the kids, and so on. Thank you all for the love and support you gave to us in our time of need.

Ward Halloween Party

Last Saturday was our Ward Halloween Party. We usually do a chili cook off but this year we just brought in chili and soup and all kinds of deserts. It was still good. Lots of fun foods.

Tim won a prize this year for his costume.








Here is Jesse and Amelia. She was a duck!!! Daisy always walks with Jen. In our ward we do a parade to show off the costumes.







These are our friends the Schawlbs. They are an awesome family.











Zach of course was an ipod and Tim was a rubik's cube. Zach's headphones plugged into himself. He liked this until the younger kids like 8 and under started to try and play him. He got really mad at them.










Here is Daisy in the Parade. She was Hannah.Montanta.












I usually decorate a room for the party but this year I didn't really feel like I had time for it. But when the sign up sheet went around there was only 5 families on there to decorate, so I decided I would make the time.

This year was very small scale compared to previous years but nevertheless at least there was a decorated room.

The pumpkins light up and laugh a scary laugh when you walk in front of them. The cauldron has a strobe light in it. And all the webs have spiders in them. Plus I had a bunch of snakes in there since I went as Medusa a couple of years ago.