What's up with us?

New blog address

2008-12-10T21:50:00.000-08:00

For those of you that i don't have email for, i've started a new blog because i couldn't receive comments on this one, and it had some funky stuff going on with it. so you can now view at

steffam5.blogspot.com

thanks so much and sorry to be a pain, but i want to hear from you!

Scary raccoons!

2008-11-05T23:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, we have a very small poodle named Pepper. We recently moved out into a small town with lots of country around it, with lots of wildlife. Ok, not lots, but the worst kind. Raccoons. My first run in with them was when I was living in Oakland,CA with my aunt and uncle and my room was the basement. The only way to get to my room was outside, down some steps, past the decking. It was very spooky going down there and night and I did not like that it was the only way to get there. One night I'm heading down and I hear some awful hissing sound. I turn around and there are like 4 raccoons hiding under the deck staring and hissing at me. It scared the living daylights out of me because I thought I was going to get eaten by a bunch or rabid creatures, and sliced to bits with their claws. So ever since that time, I have not been fond of those beasts.
So we let Pepper out at night to go to the bathroom before she gets in her kennel and we have a lot of yard that is overgrown with blackberry bushes and other such things, and we know that lots of feral cats live in the bushes, and now we know raccoons do to. The first encounter happened when I was mad at her for pooping in the house. I put her outside with the light on and forgot to check on her. Adam comes along and turns the light on, not knowing she is out there. He gets in the shower and as he is getting out, he can hear through the bathroom window the dog screaming and comes out buck naked yelling "something is getting your dog!" I jump up and he followed me and we both go out back, and I see what looks to be a large cat chasing Pepper into the shadows. She is screaming the most horrific dog scream and as they come back towards my voice as I'm calling her, I see it is a large raccoon that is making grunting noises. I freaked and tried to jump up onto the deck and it's wet so I slip, and after that the raccoon runs for the bushes and Pepper goes in her kennel for safety. It was so scary. I thought she had been torn to shreds and luckily she was faster than that coon or she would have been a midnight snack. That was a month or so ago, and now we go out with her and watch her in the light.
Well, she's kinda a dork, and whenever we let her out, she always runs to the same corner barking her head off likes she's some pitbull or something. The other night I'm getting the girls ready for bed and i put Pepper out with the light on and my sliding door cracked so I can hear her. She goes straight for her spot, and suddenly her barking turns to terror and the coon is back at it again. This time I'm right there and run to the door to call for her, thinking she'll come and the beast will high tail it at the sound of my voice. But as Pepper is coming towards me to get into the house, the coon is right on her tail and I have to close the door or I'll have a raccoon in my house, which is not an option. I felt bad because it closed right when Pepper got to the door and so the raccoon was right there on her as she darts away. It made me sad. I opened it back up and called for her and the coon finally headed away for the bushes as I throw my hummingbird feeder at it to get it moving faster. Pepper comes in and goes into her kennel again to settle down. My heart's a beatin and the girls are in hysterics. They were both crying for Dad, and he wasn't there at the moment and so I had to try my best to settle them down, and they were crying in bed for a long time until Adam got home and I sent him in to settle his girls down. And now they are terrified of going out at night and when Pepper has to go out. Luckily she avoided being eaten or hurt once again. We put out a live animal trap to catch it, but dorky Pepper got caught in it because she wanted to eat the bait, so we are still waiting to catch that pest.

What can ya do?

2008-11-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

So I prepared long and hard to choose the right outfits for the girls this year, do their hair really nice, go over smiling and smiling with them. Yes, I am slightly neurotic. I was even there at the time they were getting their pictures done because I was volunteering in the health screening area. I went over and smoothed their hair, went over smiling somemore, and this is what the pictures turned out like. Am I just being a mean mom?

Emma's head is so cockeyed it looks like it might fall off, and she doesn't seem to look happy about that.
Natalie looks like she is about ready to cry, or already was crying. And the way her arms are folded aren't helping the situation. I give up. Luckily Natalie's are just preschool pictures so she has next year to redeem herself. Maybe she will know what "smile" means then. Ok, now I am being just plain mean, but pictures cost a lot and I'm a little annoyed that this is what happens when you only get one shot to make a first impression. The picture people should take two shots at least. Ok, I'm done griping.

All about Garrett

2008-10-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

I'm doing this post to see if my comment form comes up, because what is the point in posting if no one can comment?

Something funny, or not so funny, happened recently. The stove in our new house features the knobs on the front of it, not at the back. So they are at kid level unfortunately. And me, being not so bright, just scolded him everytime he would turn on the burners, instead of me thinking of taking off the knobs. And now I know what you are thinking and you would be right! Well, I was being especially lazy this one night, while Adam was in the garage doing homework, and I was laying on the couch watching the girls play the wii. Garrett had been in and out of the kitchen playing with various kitchen utensils so I wasn't keeping a close eye. BAD MOM! Next thing I know, Natalie looks into the kitchen and she says "Mom, fire". Now, those of you who don't know my girls, don't know that they are terrified of the stove. Especially Emma. So when they say it's on "fire" that normally means the burner is red hot, or something is boiling over. Not this time. I go into the kitchen and there is a straight-up fire on top of the stove and the counter top. I freaked and started getting water from the sink and pouring it all over. The fire alarm was going off about this time. Adam comes in and is like "What the H&#^!" The girls run outside because they "know what to do about fires"-says Natalie. I could hear them talking to each other outside and it cracked me up. It was pretty commical now that I look back on it. And luckily not a lot of damage was done. Just the girls terrified yet again and a little burn mark on the counter. Now the knobs are off.

Also, Garrett went in for a vcgu-a test to check for kidney reflux. He was born with it in both kidneys and so has been on an antibiotic everyday since he was about 6 mths old. I hadn't been giving him it because I thought all was good, since nobody ever contacts us about his tests and what to do or how things look. It is a very yucky test where they strap him in a papoose type thing and insert a catheter. Poor baby. Of course he screamed on that one. Turns out he still has it in the rt one, and the left looked healed. So I guess I continue the meds. Which makes me sad because I don't want him to build a resistance to antibiotics and they don't work on something more serious. But he is good, and no problems...but now we have to go in and go over the test results and they made it sound like it is kind of more serious.

He has turned into the spawn of satan! He was sick with a pretty high fever for 4 days and that was his only symptom. And he was still a happy boy, so I wasn't concerned. But working in a medical office, I know when it's time to be seen and so I finally took him in and it looked like he might have strep. It was negative, but maybe his throat still hurt. The next day, his fever was gone but he was the crabbiest little boy ever! He wouldn't sleep at night, and is constantly screaming at the top of his lungs if he gets mad. I am so frustrated! Welcome to the terrible twos, for the 3rd time!
I am happy to announce that he is now back to his happy, smiley self. I guess I just needed to have patience and realize he was still not feeling well.

2008-10-06T00:56:00.000-07:00

Finally getting around to the first day of school post. We moved so Emma had to transfer to a new school. I was pretty upset about moving because I loved her old school and she had good friends there, but I don't worry about her because she doesn't struggle with making friends. So now she goes to Coburg Elementary. There is one class in each of the grades, I believe. Her class only has 15 kids in it too. This was the school Adam went to as a kid so that's kinda neat. It is out in the country with farm fields around it. And it is right next to the fire station. The coolest thing about it is that the offer a bus route, so she catches the bus everyday before and after school. She was so excited. That had been her dream, to ride the bus. And I gotta admit, it's pretty great to just watch her walk down and not have to get us all ready to go. She has been kind of struggling, but i'm sure with the move and whole new school, it might just take some time for her to find her niche.

Don't they look like twins? Natalie is in the pink shirt.
Natalie gets to attend a preschool at the Elementary school which is awesome. Before we moved I was stressing about where to get her into preschool because I felt like she needed to go, and every option was so expensive and inconvenient, especially with Adam as a full time student. When we knew we were moving out here, my mo-in-law had gotten my niece into the program and signed Natalie up for me which was great because I had no clue about it. So Natalie and Kyla get to go together and they love that. It is great for Marcia and I too, because we can help each other out. The school is 3 days a week, tues,thurs,and fridays from 8:30am to 11:50am and it is only 75 bucks a month. I was so happy! It is a co-op so you have to help out a lot, but I don't care. I like to do that anyway. I also watch Kyla two days a while Marcia is in school, and in return she watches Garrett for me when I need to volunteer and she is teaching Emma piano. I was worried about the cost for that because I really wanted to get her into lessons, and now I don't have to worry.
It truly was a blessing how we ended up out here. If we had sold our house sooner, this house wouldn't have been available. It is owned by a friend of ours who is willing to help us out on rent, if we help out around the house. Adam will be doing some remodeling and we will get reduced rent so it is a win win for everyone. Plus, having the preschool and we are back in Adam's home ward, which we weren't too excited about because we loved our old ward and were going to miss our friends very much, but we have been greatly blessed and I can't deny the Lord's hand in it. It teaches me to have faith and patience, because things really do work out how they are supposed to.

The incredible, globe-trotting Stefaneks

2008-10-06T00:11:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a looonnnng post but I need to get caught up. We had a pretty great summer this year. We moved for the second time this summer into a more permanent place-like for a couple years (maybe). Good grief, will we ever be settled permanently? Anyhoo, we now live in Coburg which is a cute, quaint little town on the outskirts of Eugene and we love it out here. It's farming community, so it is small and quiet. I was so tired of living in the middle of Springfield. So nice to not be worried about the drunk walking down the street, and all the scary people around. I feel bad for the folks that bought our house. We are happy here so far and things are great. With the money from our house, we bought the kids a trampoline which rocks. Don't know why it took us so long. They love it and I love it cause they are getting exercise too. We are renting now, but we have a big back yard (overgrown with blackberries) and once we clear that out, we have a chicken coop that i might get chickens. Don't know much about that but we'd get eggs, so that's good, right? There is also a playhouse that was back here and a deck on the back. Down the street are some kids that my kids go to school with and we have befriended that family so that is really cool. So that is a little about our current situation.
We got to go on a family vacation this summer to San Fran California area. We stayed in a little town called Clayton and I loved it! Except for the brown and dry everywhere (no offense Rob or Lisa) It was a very cool place to stay. We stayed at my aunt's boyfriend Rob's house. He has a really cool house out in the country and a little ranch area where they keep their horses. I loved it there. It was so restful. Rob and Lisa kept asking what we wanted to do, like go into the city, and we were just content to stay at his house and relax and rejuvenate. They also had gotten some gifts for us that we opened the next morning after we got there. To my HUGE surprise, Rob bought us a Wii. I couldn't believe it. That was the coolest since I am such a video game nerd now.
Emma got up bright and early every morning to help with the horses. I knew that would be the highlight of her vacation. So Rob would go out with them and do stuff outside and keep the girls busy so Adam and I would get to sleep in. That rocked!
We stayed in Clayton for about 3 days and got to swim at the Horse club pool. It was a little scary because the kid's didn't have life vests and they wanted to just go. The next day Adam and I went to Kmart and got them vests and they used them in Rob's neighbors pool which was perfect. The neighbor is his best friend and they invited us over for swimming and bbq. It was so yummy. I think they loved us because they had a little girl our girls age and she never has friends to play with.
The best part of the vacation for me was when Lisa had a masseuse come out to the house and she let Adam and I get in home massages for an hour each. It was AWESOME! After mine, i went and laid down and took a nap. I said to Lisa "what kind of alternate universe have I stepped into?" She laughed and said "the Rob and Lisa one." No kidding. I used to live with her for awhile before I got married and it always felt like a fantasy life to me the things we got to do.
We also went into the little town of Clayton and they had a cool park in the middle and it is soooo cute! It looks like a little old western town, but newer. I was eating it up. I want to go back again soon!
After staying in Clayton, we traveled down to Santa Cruz to go to the boardwalk and so we stayed there a night. The weather was perfect so it wasn't too bad walking around there. The girls go to go on a lot of rides and I had to go with them. Adam wasn't feeling very well.

Their favorite part was the beach. It was so pretty. The played in the water and got all sandy. It was really cold so I don't know how they enjoyed it. Kids are warmer blooded or something.
Daddy buried Garrett in the sand cause the kid was everywhere. It was pretty annoying. And since he wasn't feeling good, I was the one to constantly be chasing him. It was great that we got to do that though. The drive was pretty long from Clayton to Santa Cruz, but I'm glad we did it.
This was us the next day on the pier before we got ready to head back home. We got dressed up and went to see my aunt at her client's property so she could do family pictures for us. She was already going to be there doing pictures for another girl. They turned out great and I can't wait to post them. It was fun to be outside in the country for pictures. The kids were having a hard time of course.
I love this picture of Garrett looking up at the Boardwalk. His little tiny body compared to the roller coaster. He looks like he is in awe of it.
This is my aunt Lisa and cousin Chelsea holding birthday cupcakes because we took the trip originally as a gift from Adam for my 30th birthday. We just did it a little late. So it was cute of them to celebrate it when we got there. Our trip was the middle of August.

The girl's favorite part of the trip were the horses. My aunt's horse Pete was out of commission because he was having some problems with pain and bucking her off, so we stayed away from him. Emma was scared at first because she thought she was going to get bucked off, but we talked to her about it (we had been to the rodeo so she was all spooked) and she finally got on. The girls got used to them by feeding them and petting them first, and Rob was really great about teaching them ways with the horse. Emma got much more confident and started riding. She went on a pretty long trail ride with Rob one morning, where they saw a couple coyotes. Pretty cool. The day we left, she got to ride again and actually rode by herself and gave the horse commands. Rob was very impressed and said she was a natural. I need to find her somewhere to take some lessons out here. Natalie let Rob lead her around on cowboy which is a HUGE deal for her. Considering she is deathly afraid of any large animal or mascot. Adam and I would love to go to Disney Land at some point but instead of being the happiest place on earth, it would be hell on earth for Natalie. So we are waiting on that one. I was very proud of her riding. It shows big strides.

So that was our vacation. The driving was long and a little tough with kids, but we would do it again. Those of you in Utah, look out cause we will probably be coming your way next summer. We haven't visited in awhile and it would make a fun trip. So that was the highlight of our summer and it's nice to be getting into fall, although we are tons busier now because of school, but life goes on.

Stay tuned...

2008-08-30T16:46:00.001-07:00

We have just moved, yet again, and so i have no internet until next week. I am writing this post at work, which is where I do most of my web surfing anyway(shh, don't tell my boss.) so anyways, as soon as we are hooked up, i will hook everyone up with the latest on us! stay tuned!

Behold the Triathlete!

2008-08-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

Bear with me because this is going to be long. I'm writing like I'm making a journal entry. Ok, so now I am going to boast a bit. I conquered my fear and did the triathlon! It was this last weekend, so we headed up to Portland for the whole weekend. It was originally going to be my friend and I coming up and my sister staying the night with me so I could get plenty of rest, but that fell through so my family ended up coming up. I was stressing big time that I wouldn't get the rest I needed, but Adam and the kids stepped up to the plate so I could rest and relax. It was amazing how good the kids were. After checking in, we went to the park that the race was to be at to just check it out. It was a Blue Lake Park in Fairview and was a really big, cool park. Tons of play areas for the kids and areas for bbqs. After that we headed to a Italian joint so that I could carboload. Got to bed at a decent time but didn't sleep so well and then I was up at 5:45am to get ready. We got the kids up early and headed over to the park and got there around 7am. My race started at 8. I got set up, and tried to prepare myself. My friend Abby did it too, so we got ready and walked over to the swim area. The first wave of swimmers went, and we were in the second wave 5 min after the first. We got in and i thought "There's no going back now!" And we were off. The swim was the most difficult for me. It was a half mile swim, but the farther I went, the more energy I got. After getting out, I went to the transition area and got ready for my bike ride. It was a 12 mile ride and my wonderful brother Chris let me borrow his racing bike, so that helped a ton. The bike was the best part. I had a perma smile thinking "this is so much fun!" the whole time I was riding. Got done with that, and got ready for the run. The run was a 5K, so 3.1 miles. My legs felt like jello at first, so I went pretty slow at first, but then after the 2nd mile, I dug out some more energy and was able to run the whole time. I really didn't think I would be able to.
I finished 7th in my division which was ladies 150 lbs and heavier and under 39. There were 18 of us. I did my swim in 22 min 30 sec, the bike in 43 min 55 sec, and the run in 31 min and 46 sec. My total time was 1:45:01, including my transition times. I was pretty dang proud of myself because I did way better than I thought I was going to and I'm pumped to do another one next year, maybe a harder one. It was hard but very fulfilling.
I was exhausted after we left and tried to take a nap back at the hotel, but of course your mind isn't as tired as your body, so that was a bust. After naps, we headed to the Troutdale outlet malls and shopped a little, and then met my friends Scott and Joanne for dinner. After Scott almost took out Emma(I forgive you Scott) and after dinner, they came back to our hotel, and we hung out so the girls could swim, then went back to our room and Scott and Adam got distracted by boxing, and I was like " I really love hanging out with you guys, but I gotta go to bed! So basically you need to leave now!" I was so freakin exhausted! Yeah me and thanks to my fans who came to support me. Thanks sista and my family. Love you guys. It helped to have the support.
The whale being beached. Oh wait, that is just me after my swim!
Coming in from the bike portion.
The gated transition area where we got changed and got ready for each event.
Heading out on my run. Don't look too tired just yet.
My friend Abby and I with our biggest fans after the race.

Zoo fun!

2008-08-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

We finally went to the Portland Zoo this last weekend while we were up there. I lived up there for a year and never have been. I find that funny. Oh well.
It was pretty fun. The day started out cold and cloudy, and eventually burned off in the afternoon and warmed up. We saw lions, and tigers, and bears, Oh my! Actually, we didn't see any lions, but we saw a ton of cool animals from all over the world. The kid's favorite thing was an elephant that was painting. The handler would shoot paint into it's trunk, and then the elephant would spray it out on a canvas. The handler would then give it a brush and it would paint on the canvas. That was pretty neat. The zoo was featuring dinosaurs, so we bought the extra package to go on the Dinosaur path, a ride on a dinosaur thrill ride, and the train ride around the park. The thrill ride was a simulated 3D adventure, which was pretty jerky and the picture was blurry. I went on with Emma and she got freaked out with our seats jerking around, so we waved our hands and the operator turned off our seats. So that was pretty lame just sitting there still and watching a terrible 3D movie. Adam went on with Natalie and she started freaking out when T-Rex came on, but he made her experience it all. She seemed to handle it better than Emma. It was a lot of walking, with cranky, whiny kids but we do it for them, right?

The train ride around the park.
Us and T-Rex. He was moving and roaring so loud. Just as we went under him, there was a thunderous roar.
Garrett catching a thrilling ride on the snail? I don't really know what it was.
The petting zoo. You could only pet goats so that was lame. And they just stayed on these barrels for kids to pet them. That was a riot.
The girls loving the Dinos!

Down Memory Lane...

2008-07-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

1. Add a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments. I can't wait to see what people remember.
Posted by Andrea at 9:00 AM

Pepper gets fixed!

2008-07-16T01:23:00.000-07:00

I took Pepper in to finally get spayed. We've had her since Christmas, but have put it off. So, I take her in, talk to the vet, and he says "Is it ok if i cut her hair a little around her eyes? She can't really see." so I say sure. I get back and he says "You won't recognize her." She comes out and he has completely shaved her snout. It looks hideous. He said that he shaved one spot, and it looked funny, so shaved some more. You get the picture. Although you won't because I don't have one to post. But, poor thing. She is in pain, out of it, and her face looks ugly now. Luckily hair grows back or I would have to threaten the vet. Oh, and he says to me "You'll just be getting her hair cut soon anyway." I said, no. Do I really look like a person that would make my poodle look like a poodle? She is way cuter shaggy, so her hair better come in fast!

Summer fun

2008-07-16T00:48:00.001-07:00

Emma hits the high jump.

Are you racing or modeling? Nattie doing the dash.

Pool fun

We've been busy, busy this summer. I got the girls in this free park play program. They go from 9-12 and play at a park, with workers that organize games, snacks, etc. I get to run errands, and do workouts which works out great. Then after that, there are free lunches for kids so i don't have to make lunch everyday. Gotta love that!
I also got Natalie into ballet for the summer for her birthday present. That is the only thing she has dreamed of doing. Emma has been going to a sports camp this week. It is from 8-5 but you can drop them off and pick them up whenever. She has been liking it a lot. The kids play with other kids in our new neighborhood and they play in our pool. It's nice for me because I can get a lot done with them not hounding me 24-7 and saying "I'm bored".
The Olympic trials came here and so we went down to the festival to check it out. The girls got to participate in a kids games. They had to do 4 events and get 4 stamps to get a prize. They did high jump, dash, standing long jump, and running long jump. It was pretty confusing and hot. All the festival was was businesses trying to get their names out, and you collecting a bunch of crap you don't need. We had to be there while it was going on, at least.
Our last adventures for the summer will be two weeks of swim lessons, and then hopefully a trip to San Francisco.
I love summer! I love it more when I have forced air in my home. Ahhh, the sweltering days of summer.

Natalie turns 4!

2008-07-16T00:38:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Natalie's fourth birthday on the fifth of July. We were going to celebrate it at the lake, but the weather was not agreeing with us, so we decided to go to Armitage park. I had to work all day, but was able to get off an hour early so I could get things ready. We got there and were told that we were supposed to reserve the site, even though there was NO ONE else around, and we had a ton of people coming. Adam's mom wanted to celebrate his brother Anthony's birthday too, since it was on the same day. So, we had a lot of people and it stressed me out.
We bbqed and opened presents and had cake. We also played a rousing game of bocce ball. It was a good birthday, and she had fun. Which is what matters. Happy Birthday, big girl!

We miss you, Alicia.

2008-07-16T00:28:00.000-07:00

We came upon the year mark of Alicia, Adam's baby sister's death. She died July 3rd,07. We still miss her so much, and our hearts ache everytime we see the children she left behind. On the date this year, we went out to her grave site to talk to her and remember her life. It made us sad to remember the day she was buried, but we think about her life and celebrate that every day.
We will miss you until we see you again!

Races, races, and hiking.

2008-07-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

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Our before the Butte to Butte picture.

Brynne and I after the Steep Hill Chase.

The girls and their friends hiking Mt Pisga.

The girls and I on the Mountain.
Well, two down and 1 to go. I did the Steep Hill Chase on June 14 and kept up with Brynne (yeah me!). Because she kicked my butt, I did the race in 29:17. I was 3rd in my age group, but there were probably only 3 of us. The race consisted of bark trails, hard dirt, grass trails, and a steep, rooty hill to climb. It was fun!
Second was the Butte to Butte on July 4. I had to close at work the night before and didn't get home till 11pm, so I didn't get the rest I had hoped for. Started the run with two of my skinny, tiny friends, but they soon left me in the dust. I did mostly run up the hill. I walked towards the top,steepest part for a minute or so. I jogged the whole way, 6.2 miles, which was my only goal and I finished in 1hour and 7 min. Last year I finished in 1 hour and 15 min. so I was very happy with that. I felt like I was jogging so slow, and everyone kept passing me. I even had an older guy speed walking past me. That was tough. After I finished, i peed myself and wanted to puke. And I'm not embarrassed to admit to that, either. That is what hard core runners do (or mother's of three that have no control over their bowels). Next is the triathlon sprint. Pray for me...
Brynne was down during the week of the fourth, so we decided to hike Mt. Pisga. Adam luckily didn't have to be to work till noon, so he got Garrett, and I took the girls and Pepper and we attempted to hike to the top. It took us 40min. and we hadn't reached the top yet, so we just turned back around cause I had to get home so Adam could go to work. I think the girls were relieved because it was a pretty hard hike for them. On the way down there was a big snake laying across the path. That is pretty much my worst nightmare while hiking. The girls were worried for me and Emma kept saying "It's ok mom!" That cracked me up. It was fun!

The Big 3-0.

2008-06-17T00:47:00.000-07:00

Now it was my turn to turn (gulp) the big 30. My birthday was Sunday, the 8th and so Adam did stuff for me on Saturday so we could go out. We spent time as a family, but I wasn't feeling great that day, so I took a big long nap while he and the kids went out. When he got back, I was getting out of the shower and he informed me that we had a dinner date at 5:45. it was 5:30. Needless to say, I was pretty ticked. It ain't no quick show for me to get ready. And then he told me it was a nice place. He took me to PF Changs and they led us to a table, telling us that we were the first to arrive. I had an idea he had somthing up his sleeve. The waiter led us to an empty table and asked "Is this alright?" and then I heard a familiar voice say " Or how about over here?" It was Eileen and they were sitting at a table across. I didn't even notice them. The waiter looked confused and then left. I was impressed that the whole thing had been choregraphed, but turned out they were wondering why the guy was seating us over there. I got a kick out of that. So we had dinner with our friends Eileen and Jamie Lowe and Jared and Stacie Brewer. After dinner we went to get ice cream, and then after that I kicked the guys of the club and the girls and I went to a movie. We saw Baby Mama. It was hilarious!!!
Then the next day, on my birthday, we went to church, and then came home and I played my present from my family "American Idol Karaoke Revolution." Yeah, I'm turning into a video game nerd. It was so fun! I took it over to my Mom's for another birthday party and we played it all day. We had so much fun. It was a good birthday weekend. And I am no longer in my 20s. Life is crazy!!

Play Ball!

2008-06-17T00:41:00.000-07:00

My work has started a softball team. We aren't very good but it is fun. So far, I have only been able to make it to one practice and one game because I work the evenings that they happen, but it is fun and a fun idea. My Mom has been playing on it and really doing well. I should be able to make it to a few more practices and maybe two more late games. Fun, fun!

I'm Baaaaack!

2008-06-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally sold our house!!! It closed on June 4th, and we were mostly moved by then. We moved into another house we own by our church. We are going to sell it as well. It is quite smaller than our old house, and the yard needs work. The house if cute and cozy, a lot had to go into storage. The girls love it because there are lots of neighbor kids to play with. Our back yard has snakes, EWWW, and so Adam has hired the little neighbor boys to catch them. I won't be going out back all summer. (shiver)
Now that we are settled, I am trying to get back on my training schedule for my triathlon, but Adam is working all summer so has to be gone earlier. We also moved away from the bike trails and so that makes it a lot harder for me to train. It is pretty depressing. I'll be lucky if I don't die during the race.
I stopped by our old house to see if they had any of our mail, and talked with the woman for a long time. They love the house and she is super grateful and sweet. She even wanted me to come by any time and visit, and even go walking with her. So it is a good thing and we are dealing just fine. Yeah for us!!!

Good times

2008-06-17T00:04:00.000-07:00

We visited Grants Pass for our annual weekend getaway for the Memorial Boatnick celebration. It was really fun. The weather held up pretty well, which we were very worried about. It threatened rain the whole weekend and we actually had decent weather. My aunt and cousin came up from San Fran and it was really fun to see them. It can be a little hard to split time up between two families, but we all got to spend lots of time together. Chris and Kim came down and that was fun to spend lots of time with them. Kim and I got freaked out during one of the fireworks show because the barge almost went under water so they just let them fly and it was a little crazy. The girls had a blast swinging on Mimi's swings the whole time. They are pretty dang fun. Chris, Kim, and I took them over to the carnival and it was a bummer cause it kept raining and they had to keep shutting some of the rides down. They got their faces painted and that's all that mattered. We tried to get Chris to ride the mechanical bull but he kept complaining about the price. I think he was wussing out. We had a great stay and love all our family that we got to see.

2008-06-05T19:21:00.001-07:00

You Are Mulan!

Strong and spirited. You're no one's girly girl; actually you are very determined person with a strong sense of self. Never let go of that! The only thing that equals your sense of self is your family, but the traditions of society can always be bent to protect something or someone you love.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Adam, my Hero!

2008-05-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

This picture is from when it all started...
I've decided to be a copy cat and post a little about Adam, since our 8th wedding anniversary is tomorrow. Cinco de Mayo. People have recently blogged about their hubbies because of their anniversaries, so I guess I will be a sheep.
Married life has been crazy. Lot's of ups and downs, but what I saw is what I got with Adam and that is the beauty of our relationship. We are both very honest and open with each other, much to my mother's horror at times, but it works for us. He is and has always been a very motivated, driven guy, which, for those who know me well, is quite the opposite of me and so that is why I love that quality about him. He also puts up with my bi polar personality, which is a miracle in and of itself, and which I very much love him for as well.
I have decided as far as parenting goes, he is the one who teaches our kids hard work and sacrifice, while I teach the kids to have fun and let loose. Both very important lessons for everyone. I love that he teaches the kids about real life and what is required of them, because I am too lazy to do that. Our life would consist of fun, fun, fun if it weren't for him and I thank him for that. He is a wonderful Dad and loves his children very much, and I love him for that.
He is also quite the charmer, and has the girls at my work in like. And he has such a funny sense of humor. Because we have been married so long, it doesn't always show up, but when we are around friends or family, he has us in stitches and i LOVE that.
So, without going on and on, I am truly blessed to be married to such a wonderful and difficult guy and I am thankful that he feels lucky to be married to me as well. I know this isn't very sappy, but we aren't a very sappy, emotional couple, so this works. Even though, I want him to know that I love him with all my heart and look forward to the future and being together forever, through good times and bad. Love you, Adam.

A Bunch of Beach Bums

2008-05-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say a little about our recent getaway. We got to go to Florence for the last weekend in April and it was great! Adam had done some work for family friends who own a house over there and their pay back was letting us use their beach house. It was fairly close to Driftwood Shores so we could walk down. We got there Friday afternoon and got food for the weekend, then went to the beach for a little bit. Then went to the house and crashed for the night. On Saturday, we got up early and I tried to run on the beach but wasn't into it, so we just spent a couple hours hanging out and looking for shells. Then went back to the house and chilled for a little. We went to Old Town Florence and walked around, then ate lunch at Moe's. After that, we spent all afternoon at the beach. It was warm and not very windy, so it was perfect. The kids got soaked in the waves and even Garrett was playing in the water. He was relentless. And Emma would have started surfing if we had let her. She wanted to play in the water all day. The kids and dog of course were soaked, so back to the house for warm baths and bbq steak for dinner and then to bed. There was sand everywhere and I am not a fan at all!
On Sunday we hung out at the house for awhile while Ad did homework, and then we took a nature stroll to some dunes and just let the kids play in the sand. No water today. Then we packed up and left and came home to a nice sunny day. It was a nice, relaxing trip which was much needed with our crazy life. Wish we had more time and money to do it more often. I'm just thankful it worked out and especially that the weather was so nice. You and me both know that is a rarity.

The cute girls in the water having a blast!
Garrett being all shy and sandy.
He didn't like the water at first, but then went in no qualms.
This picture is from a birthday party we went to at Skateworld. It was shaping up to be a bad night as far as Emma was concerned, but she relaxed and let loose. Natalie was a pro and had a great time.

Spring Break Adventure

2008-04-08T11:11:00.001-07:00

This next section I call "Turning lemons into lemonade". We didn't have a lot of free time during Spring Break, so we wanted to do something really fun. Aaron and Teanna were down staying with us, and we all decided it would be fun to go up to Portland to take the kids to OMSI and the Zoo. Well, the weather wasn't that great, so we decided to just go to OMSI. The morning that we were to head up, Adam had to go to school to get his books, and he had a job measure to do, so by the time we all got ready to go, it was about 11:30am. We had to stop in Salem to drop of Teanna's dog, and it was lunch time, so we had to have time for lunch. OMSI was only open till 5, and we still had to drive up to Portland. Anyways, Adam and I thought that would be a waste of money because we wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time, so I thought we should go to the Oregon Garden and hike Silver Falls. No one was real keen on that idea, but it was the best use of our time and money, and they weather wasn't too wet, so we ventured out.
Now the Lemonade part. It was chilly, but so beautiful!!! Plus, the kids could run around all over and we didn't have to worry much about them. They thought it was great, and they didn't know what they were missing. We got to see some really cool things, and get lots of fun pictures. It was a no stress kind of activity. So I was glad that we decided to do that, and we will get another chance to go to OMSI. Afterwards, we went up to Portland to get some clothes, go to Deseret bookstore (where I bought Twilight by the way, and am on the 3rd book now), and went to Chevy's for dinner. Afterwards, Natalie and Kyla went with Aaron and Teanna to stay the night, and when we went to Adam's folks to pick up Pepper, they invited Emma to stay the night with them. So we ended up with one kid for the night, and that was fun. Plus the girls were jazzed to be staying the night elsewhere. All in all, it turned out to be a great time. I'm glad we didn't just get discouraged.

Natalie in the bunny tunnel at the Oregon Garden. One of the fun activities in the kid's garden area.
Garrett digging up a dinosaur skeleton. This was so fun!
The kids in the spooky, dark woods. This was so cool. It reminded me of some fairytale movie with the dark,dense woods that they scaries live in.
The girls enjoying each other and burning energy at the same time.
Cute picture of Kyla and Natalie when the got to stay the night with Uncle Aaron and Aunt Teanna. We call these two the twins cause they look alike, and are alike.

Our Easter Sunday

2008-04-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

It's time to update, so we'll start with Easter. I was a bit of a scatter brain this year, and didn't charge the batteries in my video camera, or digital. So I don't have video of the kids looking for eggs, and i don't have pictures of the kids in their Easter best. What kind of sorry excuse for a mother am I? But i did get a few. We had Easter at our house, with Adam's family. Church of course was amazing. Really set the tone for the day. It was a pretty relaxed day, although I felt like I was cleaning and cooking and cleaning again all day. We invited some ladies that live across the street that I visit teach, over for dinner. After our scrumptious dinner, everyone wanted to play *gasp!* Guitar Hero. So I was a little baffled by that, but I let them anyway. So if they had fun, that's all that matters. And by the way, my daughter Emma put me to shame about that one. One day she asked me why we played Guitar Hero on Sunday, and I said because people wanted to. She countered me and said "You should tell them no!". What an amazing lesson that was. I love the innocence of youth.
Oh, and another funny thing that happened that shows my motherly incompetence, I didn't have time to hide eggs or fill eggs. The kids were lucky they got Easter baskets. Anyway, the day dragged on and the kids were constantly asking "When is the Easter Bunny coming?" And we were constantly reminding them "He works all day and just hasn't been to our house yet, and that is not the real reason we celebrate Easter anyway!!!"
So, finally after dinner, I sneak out with my bro-in-law Anthony and we hide eggs all over. By this time it is almost dark. Pathetic, I know. But the kids didn't seem to mind as long as they found all the eggs. And after it was all done, Emma says again "Why did the Easter Bunny come so late?" I give up!

The girls decorating eggs (duh)
Garrett getting into his stash!
All the Easter loot from the Easter bunny.
Brynne and I playing Family Fued, after we
played Guitar Hero.

I am truely grateful!

2008-03-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

What a different title from my last one, eh? I wanted to thank all my WONDERFUL friends and family for their uplifting and sincere comments. I really appreciate all you had to say and your own experiences help out. I was crying while I was reading.
I wanted to let everyone know that I am much better now, thanks. Next time I will vent to the wall so no one has to see what a lunatic I am, besides my hubby.
I am still stressed about our current situation, but I am not dwelling on it like I was. The day after my rough one, I prayed real hard to be calm with my kids, and I had a moment when I was holding Natalie and looking at her in the mirror by my face, and thought "I am the luckiest woman. Look at this beautiful child that is mine to keep!" It was a very spiritual moment for me. I then went up and hugged and kissed Emma and kept telling them how much I loved them. I've decided that above anything I teach my kids, I want them to know for a surety that I love them and that Heavenly Father and Jesus love them. That is it! I need to quit stressing about the small things they do, and make sure they know how much they are loved.
Today we had wonderful lessons in church. First was realying on the scriptures to hear God speaking to you. I had a great night the other night reading them, and that rang so true. Then we learned about being grateful for everything and boy did I need that lesson after this last week. I want to say that I am truely thankful for the small struggles that we are having, because they are not as important as I think, and everything will fall into place how it is supposed to, and in the Lord's time. Thanks for that one Amber! The Lord knows what we need and as long as we are good and faithful, he will bless us. Period. Life is such a blessing and a gift and I need to be thankful for it each and every day. May God bless everyone's lives as much as He has blessed mine.

Life sucks sometimes

2008-03-21T00:37:00.000-07:00

I am writing this now mostly to vent and get things off my chest, not necessarily to have others read it. But I am hoping by writing this, I won't be alone in my feelings and that others can relate and tell me that. And some may be asking, then why write here? I don't have a journal, so that is that.
Today was a rough day for me. I felt like a lousy, horrible mother. All I did was scream and the kids and want them out of my sight. Natalie spent all day in time out it seemed. It was one of those days with your kids that you would be happy to have a kid sale out on the lawn, but then give them away to the first taker. Of course I would never, never do such a thing, but it doesn't mean I don't dream. I love my kids more than anything in the whole world, and when I feel so happy, I am swallowed up in my joy with them. Then there are those days that I resent my life. I resent being a Mom, being married, having to sacrifice and work, when I would so rather do fun things with my family and get more time to myself. I get even less time with Adam in school because he tries to do homework, so I can't ever leave by myself. I feel like I have lost my identity. Nothing is mine anymore, not even my time alone, for it is spent doing things for others and trying to remember everything.
The other day Emma's teacher came up to me and asked me what happened to her library book, because it was all warped. I looked at her in awe, thinking, "how do you expect me to be responsible for every little thing?" It is Emma's book that she can be responsible for. I can't keep track of everything!!!!! I can't keep track of my head some days!
Trying to fit in time to work out anymore has been a joke. I work late, Adam gets up early and is gone all day. Plus is rains so dang much here, you can't do much of anything. Then on mornings Adam says he has to leave early, so I don't plan on getting up, he sleeps in and I could have fit something in. My family makes me so batty sometimes!!!!
Finance has been a major stress. We have gone through so much with trying to sell our pieces of property, to no avail. We thought our lot was going to be a final sale next week, but Adam just told me tonight that the VA, who is approving the guy for a loan, wants us to fork out 10,000 dollars for permits! Bull@#^! They say they will pay us back, but no way am I agreeing to that.
Our house still isn't selling. I know there must be a reason, but it is hard to have faith that there is a reason for things sometimes. It has been a real struggle lately for me. I know the Lord has a plan for us, but I feel like I've done my part in relying on him and still not knowing why things aren't happening for us. To know that we have a way to get out of our financial difficulties, but not to have anything selling for it to happen, has been very trying for me.
I am sorry that I am going on and on, I just thought it might make me feel better to get out my frustrations through writing, but I don't feel any better. If anyone cares to talk to me, and let me know I am not the only horrible, worthless, negative, faithless mom and woman in the world, it would mean the world to me.

Thanks for the boost! And the latest with us.

2008-02-13T23:13:00.001-08:00

I wanted to start out thanking everyone for their comments on my last post. It makes me rethink my no more blogging, thus I am doing it right now. I just was getting really bummed because I would spend all this time, and I wouldn't get too many comments, so I didn't think anyone was really even looking at it. So, thank you for the boost and I will do my best to be a better blogger, but I better get comment galore if you want me to continue. Yes, that is a threat. I have returned! I'm lame so I am moving on...

I took the kids up to Salem on President's day to hang out with my sister and go to that fun play place she told me about. Well, she didn't stay long because Cade was having a hard time, so she took him home to nap, and I was left there with 4 kids (I invited my niece to go-she's 4- and I am not mad that you left, Brynne, so don't think that is what I am saying) to keep track of by myself. It was a mad house of people, but the kids had fun and that is what mattered the most. Luckily, my sister in law showed up to hang out, or I would have had myself committed that day. I needed a nap desperately!

A few weeks ago, we got major snow. It was cool because it was the weekend of my mom's wedding, so lots of family were snowed in and had to hang out. Grandpa wanted to leave and brave the weather, but Grandma refused and of course she won. She always does. But it was nice to spend more time with them. I had to work that Sunday because I had taken my sat. off for Mom's wedding, and that turned out great because it snowed so much that day, that my clinic closed early, so I was home by 1, when I would have been home by 6. I was one happy girl. Then on Monday, of course school was canceled, which was nice. The snow cleared up and was mostly slush. Emma got a raw deal, or maybe it was mostly me, but the had late start the next two days with am Kindergarten canceled, and she then had thurs and friday off for some teacher inservice. So, she missed a whole week of school, and for basically nothing, might I add. Because the roads were clear both days that they canceled Kindergarten. We are a bunch of wienies here in Oregon.

Brynne and Emma make a snowman!
Oh, and I forgot to mention the fun we had playing in the snow. After Brynne and Emma's snowwoman collapsed, Emma and I made a big one that we poured blue and red water on that Mom had mixed up, and he was awesome. Looked like he was bleeding profusely, but he was fun. And of course we had snowball fights and Brynne and Emma kicked my rear at those, but I tackled Brynne and kicked her butt. It was hilarious. I was smashing her face in the snow. It sounds more violent than it actually was, cause we were both laughing our heads off. It was really fun!

We also just put our house back on the market again. We put it up on Feb 11, and have an offer right now. There are some stipulations we have to work through, but it is a serious buyer who lives in our neighborhood and has always noticed our house. They even wrote us a letter and included a picture of their family. They were interested when we first put it up, but now that it is cheaper, they decided to make a move. So we will see what ends up happening, but it is looking very good.
And lastly, my sister dared us to share a secret crush. Mine might not be much of a secret, but there are some of you who don't know. I think David Beckham is one hot brit. I don't know much about his personality, but the guy is a stud soccer player, and is gorgeous! What more could you ask for? So, there you go Brynne. Hope you are happy cause Adam's not! Oh, and he is even better looking right now because Adam is being a butthead.
There you have it! All the latest with me!

Mom's wedding

2008-02-13T22:55:00.000-08:00

So, my mother got married on Jan. 26th to her long time beau, Gary, and it was a wonderful event. It started with the engagement, of course, and then my sister and I planned a surprise bridal shower for her at Marie Callendars. I was the one having to pull off the surprise, and I was so nervous when I led her to our area. I thought she would see right through me. But she didn't,
and it was a success. We had daughters, granddaughters, daughter-in-laws, and a few friends join us. Most everyone got her gift cards or things for her home, but being the improper daughter, I had to get her some slinky slinks. So I did, and she was embarrassed, and quite frankly, so was I! But it was a fun time had by all.

Then, the big day came and it was great. Mom and Grandma set up everything by themselves, but I did the deviled eggs, and let me tell you, that is not an easy chore. Especially when you have just woken up, your stomache is a little queasy, and the eggs smell like someone just used the bathroom with an upset stomach of their own. But, it went well, there were quite a few people there supporting both Mom and Gary's sides; friends and family from out of town. It was short and sweet, and then we chowed and danced to our little hearts delights.

They also cut their delicious and adorable wedding cake. Notice the black space in my mom's smile. That is a missing tooth. Yes, my mother was part sophisticated lady, part WT that day, but boy was she beautiful.

And now they are on their cruise, enjoying way more than I care to think about, and hopefully having the best time! Congratulations Mom & Gary! To the continuation of a fun, caring, and happy relationship that is now legalized! To the happy couple! Cheers!

The joys of motherhood

2008-02-05T00:14:00.000-08:00

Oh, the joys of motherhood. Let me count the ways. It is now 12:15am and I have a little boy who has been crying all night and will not go to sleep. He is obviously tired, because he is wallering all over a pillow on the floor, but the stinker won't settle down. So, I am forced to update my blog because I am up anyways, like anyone will even read this because I swore I would never write a blog again. What can I say?
I also have a 3 and a half year old that won't stay out of her ballerina clothes and skirts for one minute. She never wants to leave the house because she doesn't want to take them off, so I have to promise her as soon as we get home she can put them back on. It is frustrating to say the least. I have a dog who would rather get drenced by the squirt bottle and put in her kennel than learn that she shouldn't go under the kitchen table while we are eating. And to those of you scratching your heads wondering when a dog became like one of my children, you just have never had a dog, because trust me, they are one of your children. You don't care as much for them, but you sure have to deal with them a lot.
But, on a lighter note, I am truely thankful for the beautiful blessing of motherhood and its many joys and heartaches. Because it is better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all. Is that how that goes?

Adam turns the big 30!

2008-01-07T22:44:00.000-08:00

I am going to say this before anything else, this most likely will be my last post on this blog. It takes too much time to keep up on it, and I have a hard time even getting on the computer for just a little bit. I will keep it so I can check everyone else out when I get a chance, but I will still have my email, so I will keep in touch. Sorry! Moving on...

Adam turned 30 on Jan 3rd, so for his big 3-0, I thought it would be fun to take a little trip. So, in cohorts with a few couples that we are friends with, I rented a house in Charleston, near Coos Bay, and surprised him with a weekend of fun, friends, and relaxation. My sister watched the kids for us while we were gone and she did an awsome job. She had those kids earning rewards, and following rules.
The highlights included the awesome view we had, adam and his buds doing lots of crabbing, the amazing storms and huge waves, especially at Shore Acres State Park. The waves would crash into rocks and spray 100 ft in the air. We got soaked a couple times. The weather was pretty soggy, but it made for some great storm watching. We did some golfing, movie watching, reading, game playing. Everyone pitched in cooking meals so we had some great ones. We got some good lightening storms going on, scaring me sometimes.
It was a great weekend and I am sure will be a memorable birthday for him as well.

The long hike down to the beach.
Isn't this romantic?
The whole gang: Jared&Stacie Brewer, Eileen&Jamie Lowe, and us.
One of the two rainbows we got to enjoy.

The view from our kitchen, and every other window.
Adam and his friend Jared with their first catch.

What a holly, jolly Christmas.

2008-01-07T22:28:00.001-08:00

We had a nice relaxing Christmas this year. We had Christmas Eve with my family, and Adam's side. Two different nights, or it wouldn't have happened. Everyone got spoiled, so we decided next year to go on a trip instead so we will actually remember our favorite Christmas gift. Below are some pictures from our holidays. Hope everyone felt the real meaning of Christmas this year, and that the birth,life, and death of our Savior is the most precious gift we have ever been given.
The Christmas PJ Squad
Emma's Favorite Gift
Look at all the cool toys!
Now Nattie can shop like Mommy!
Pepper, our sweet little puppy.
So, as you can tell, we got a dog for Christmas. She is a toy poodle and adorable. She rarely barks, won't really shed, and loves to sleep on our laps. She is so sweet. We really lucked out with her. The kids were ecstatic!

Garrett is 1!

2007-12-06T23:01:00.000-08:00

It's official, my baby boy is a big one year old! It makes me want to cry but I will try to keep it together. He walks all over the place now and that is fun. He's a lot slower walking than crawling, obviously, but he hasn't figured this out yet. Yeah for mommy! I wanted to post some pics from his party. He just got his first hair cut and looks so darling. But he looks more like a little boy than a baby now. I went in to get mine cut and he was sitting very well on my lap, so my hairdresser started chopping away (with my consent), and he did very well. She even took the buzzers to the neckline and he didn't freak out.

Thanks to all who came to his pizza party to support him. We had a grand time. We went to Putter's pizza, chowed on pizza and cakes that I made. They turned out very cute. The kids got to play in the huge inside playground, and everyone got to do some miniature golfing. We were there for a very long night but it was fun! So, enjoy the pics!

Some new cars from Uncle Brynne.

From Grandma Blevins. Ain't that the truth?
Happy Birthday to You!
It's chow time.
Garrett's birthday cakes. I made them.

The past vs. the present

2007-11-25T21:27:00.000-08:00

So I am sitting here making the invites to Garrett's first birthday party, and I am reminiscing about the past, and how quickly it has flown by. Garrett will turn a year old on December 1, and I cannot believe it. I am literally in shock! It went by way too fast. Some days seem like they will never end, and you cannot wait for the next step in life, and whoosh, it is gone in a flash. So I thought it would be fun to look back at the past at what the kids looked like as new babies, and also how young Adam and I were 8 years ago. Time flies while you are having fun, and it has been one heck of a ride!

The top one is us dating in 1999. And
this one is us 8 years later at my bro's
wedding.

This is Emma at about 6mths and this is her now!

This is Natalie at 3 mths and down below with her cousin Kyla. Natalie is in the white dress.

And her is little Garbear a day old and below on our recent trip to the coast.

Baby steps and more coast pics

2007-11-15T00:04:00.000-08:00

More pictures that I found. And here is a video of Garrett taking a few steps. He balances for quite a while but crawling is faster so that's what he wants to do. Which is fine by me!

Not so relaxing time away

2007-11-14T23:37:00.001-08:00

I am so jealous of all you die hard bloggers. I have the hardest time keeping updated. It takes me forever to update and post pictures, so you will be lucky if i get to it twice a month. Keep visiting though, cause you won't be disappointed!
Our recent adventures have taken us to the coast. Adam was supposed to work in newport on veteran's day, so we decided to make a weekend of it. I had to work till 5 on sat., and got home to find that no packing had been done when hubby promised he would help me. We finally got on the road around 6:30 with a stop at circuit city to buy another portable dvd player. We will not leave home without one and our other one got busted. Had to make a couple stops for potty breaks, and so got to Newport around 9:00. Most restaurants were closed so we finally spotted a place to eat and it was yucky! We finally got to our hotel around 10:00 and was given a room that was occupied by someone else. The kid had to find another available room for us, but one of the beds was broken so he had to bring up bedding for the girls. He then came up again to tell us that we were being too noisy and the people below us were upset. It's a hotel for crying out loud, not a flippin home on a remote island!! So I was peeved that I had to yell at the girls to keep quite and you all now how impossible that is to do.
Next day was moved into a bottom floor room, but it reeked of smoke and the toilet was backed up. Turned out the plumbing was leaking in the room beside us and was coming into our room. The staff noticed it before it ruined our stuff on the ground so moved us back upstairs to another room. We always have trouble on vacations. I don't know why I think I need to take them because they are more trouble and stress than they are worth. We got everything comped which was great.
We got to shop around, go to the beach, see the sea lions, and go to the aquarium. The next day the weather was awful so I forced the family to go up to the outlet mall and they were pretty good sports. Then home to actually relax. Quite silly, I think.
So, that was our weekend away and we won't be taking another one anytime soon.

Farewell Sabrina:(

2007-10-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am a big nerd but I am addicted to the show Dancing with the Stars. And I could not believe Sabrina got voted off! I was so sad and sick that we allow people that can't dance to stay in the running of a DANCE competition. Maybe I better start voting, instead of complaining. I was just shocked and disappointed. She was so fun to watch and the affection between her and her partner was sweet to watch. Farewell Sabrina and Mark. You will be greatly missed by me!

Fall in all its Glory

2007-10-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

So, many of you may be asking, what happened to Kretha? She has had the same blog for a thousand years. Well, I have been so busy and stressed lately, that blogging was at the back of my mind. Thanks to my sister, it is now at the forefront. I can't let her down, after all.
I have been busy with work, of course, helping Adam with his homework and taking on extra to help him get his schooling done, trying to help with our other house that we bought and are flipping. And, let's face it, when you have three kids to tend to, you can't be much help. Poor Adam.
I have had work meetings galore, laundry coming out my ears, trying to keep up on my workouts and keep all our appointments straight. And not to mention, helping in Emma's classroom which I have had to bail a couple times because of illness and being overwhelmed. Will I ever be able to cope with my busy life?

On to a better topic, we were able to attend our ward's harvest party where the girls got to play lots of games and get lots of candy, we were able to chow down on some yummy chili, and my mom and I even participated in a karaoke competition-which we almost won- and did a rousing rendition of footloose. It was a fun time.

Emma is a ballerina, and Natalie a cowgirl (without her faithful steed).

I am Beth Chapman from Dog the Bounty Hunter, and Garrett is a grumpy turtle.

We also found a little bit of time to go to the pumpkin patch. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and we went to the best place. For those of you that live in Springfield, the hayride at Johnson's Farm is a must. Unless you like to poke along at a snails pace to the pumpkin patch. We got to go without others, and the tractor driver was on crank juice. He was speeding along, doing cookies, and taking us through big ruts. We went up side hills, and had a blast. We were all flying around in the back. I couldn't stop laughing, even though the girls were less enthused about the ride. We got some great pumpkins and on the ride back, we were able to gather small pumpkins and gourds to throw at the scarecrows, and try to knock the stack of pumpkins on their heads. It was a really fun time and I'm glad we made it a point to go.

And that's a wrap...

2007-10-05T00:21:00.001-07:00

House NOT for sale.

2007-10-04T23:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it is official. Our house appeals to no one! We have had it on the market since the beginning of July and not even an offer. We've had it shown plenty, but no luck. So, now we are thinking with our spiritual minds and realizing that there is probably a reason for that. What, we don't know now, but I'm sure it will make sense one of these days. It will be so wonderful to not have to stress over keeping the house clean, and turning into a monster to my kids when someone wants to see the house in two hours, and it is a wreck. We'll see what the future has in store. We love our house so if we can afford to stay here through school, we will be so happy!

My Obsession!

2007-10-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

I love Fall. I think it is the best time of year. I love the start of school, high school football games, the crispness in the air, and most of all, decorating for the holidays. Some of my closest friends know my secret obsession that starts in October with Halloween pending. I am obsessed with miniatures! I have always been, even as a little child. Doll houses were the best. All the little furniture and nicknacks. So when I got older, I was enchanted by those little Christmas villages and thought someday I would be able to collect those. Well, it has been going on 3 years now. Ever since Adam showed me some Halloween ones at Jerry's. I couldn't believe my luck! I have Halloween sets, Thanksgiving sets, and Easter sets. Ironically, I don't have any Christmas sets yet because the selection is OVERWHELMING, but as soon as I get over that fear of pairing the right ones together, oh, and having money as well, I will add to my collection. I look forward to arranging them just the way I want every year. I'm such a loser.

2007-10-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

Garrett is now 10 months old and on the move. His favorite place to be is on the stairs. Doesn't every baby go through that? So I constantly have to be watching him or he'll be halfway up by the time I get there. The kid can move! So, his punishment for climbing the stairs is being put in the exersaucer and he does not like that. I thought it would be funny to show the difference in his mood from one to the other.

Dennis the Menace strikes again!

2007-10-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

Dennis, as we affectionately refer to Natalie as, pulled another child-that-can't-keep-out-of-trouble move recently. It was a nice, relaxing Sunday afternoon, when I took the baby to my bed and we took a nap. Daddy was supposed to be keeping an eye on the girls, when he got too cozy in the recliner and fell asleep. You can never do that when Dennis is awake! She found the baby nail scissors, and proceeded to make her hair stylish. She cut the front clear down to the scalp. Luckily she didn't do it all, or we would have had to either shave her hair off, or let the mullet come back in style. Luckily she has some long bangs on the other side that can be swooped over to cover. She is a 3 year old with a comb over. Needless to say, we will not leave her unattended again!

2007-09-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

I just need to complain a little! I am at work right now, and will be 4 days a week starting October. Although we are extremely excited for adam's new venture, that means that lucky me gets to go back to work to get benefits and money. Yuck! I already have to work Halloween and I am not happy! For those of you who don't know, I work at an after hours medical clinic. So that means nights and weekends and holidays. It's the holidays that is the bummer! oh, and every saturday. I guess I should be thankful to have a job at all to help out, and I really am, but you all know just how much fun work is! The sacrifices we women make for our beloved spouses and children. I just hope they are very thankful for this someday. (And I know I shouldn't hold my breath!)

2007-09-21T01:08:00.000-07:00

Garrett is growing so fast! I can't keep up with that kid. One minute he is sitting up, then cutting teeth, then crawling, then pulling himself up on everything and standing. The kid is a maniac and seriously needs to take a chill on the growing up thing. I wish he could stay this age forever. My little man! He now has 6 teeth, fyi. With all his hair and teeth, he looks like a toddler already. Very sad!

2007-09-21T00:40:00.001-07:00

Adam is going back to school! For those that don't know, things in the family have been very bad since Adam's sister Alicia passed away. Because of everything, the family construction business is pretty much no longer. For years I have been wanting Adam to leave the family business and pursue another career and with everything falling apart, it was finally the time to make the plunge. He will be going to college to become a high school teacher and hopefully coach football. We have a long, difficult road ahead of us, but I know he will do great and we will be much happier not involved with the business. It is a scary time, but an exciting adventure that we can't wait to start!

2007-09-21T00:20:00.000-07:00

Emma is in Kindergarden(sp?). It is so crazy to think that she is old enough. It's been quite a change having her go to school every day, but she enjoys it and her two little boy friends are in her class, which is nice. I wanted to cruise up to Salem the other day and thought I could leave early in the morning to get a good day in, and then my plan was thwarted when I realized that I can't do that anymore because of school. Argh! Don't get me wrong, I am definitely glad she is in school, but that makes things not so spur of the moment.

Butte to Butte

2007-09-07T13:57:00.001-07:00

So, I have to brag a little now. Usually I don't, but this deserves it! My biggest accomplishment this summer was running in the Butte to Butte race. It is a 10K and the first time I have ever done that. Brynne got me pumped to start running in races, and it is really fun! The race was on July 4th, and was the day after my sister-in-law died, so I was emotionally and physically exhausted and had decided not to run. My husband encouraged me, and my sister stuck with me through the race, (which was awesome of her because she could have blown right by me from the start) and I finished! It was such a sense of accomplishment. I can't wait to do it next year, and I also want to start training for a triathlon sprint, or maybe a triathlon! Yeah right, i'll start with the sprint anyway.

The whole fam gets hitched!

2007-09-07T13:01:00.002-07:00

This summer was full of happy times, and sad times. The last two of my family got married this summer, which i'm sure mom is happy to be done. Although, there might be one more to come...
Anyways, the weddings went great and we were happy to be with Ryan and Ashley on their day in Portland, and it was very relaxing at Derek and Brittany's wedding at her parent's house. The girls were flower girls, as you can see. They were so adorable. Shout out to my sister for doing their hair so cute.

New Blog! I'm doing it!

2007-08-10T01:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, so i was checking out everyone's blogs, and it seems pretty neat. So I thought, why not give it a go? The worst that can happen? I don't keep up on it. No, the worst that can happen is that no one checks it out! So you all better check me out!
This summer has been a crazy one for us. The house on the market-somebody buy it please! Having to keep a clean house with 3 little ones. That's a fun trick!
The worst news of the summer was that Adam's 19 year old sister, Alicia, passed away on July 3rd. That was the worst day and week, and weeks, and months of our lives. She was in a horrible car accident that she was never able to recover from. She left behind 2 beautiful children, a young husband, and a family that loved her terribly. I miss her every day.
Good news, Emma is a water dog now! We've all been in swim lessons and she can now go down the slide and doggie paddle to the stairs. It's awesome and I am so proud of her, especially because she used to freak out in water. Which made me think, this can't be my kid!
My kids are awesome and adorable. They are so fun and hilarious and difficult! You all know what I'm talking about. Emma is 5 and will start kindergarten. Yeah Emma! Natalie is 3 and my little stinker-literally and figuratively. Garrett is my sweet baby boy and he's now 8mths. Time has flown so fast! It needs to halt once in awhile!
Adam is good and so am I. We are ready to sell our house so we can start building. The days keep ticking by.