December Thus Far in Pictures

This is what we are up to this weekend! Karina and Luke came to stay for a few days. The girls love to have them over because they are so much fun to play with and Walker LOVES having another boy to play trucks with. They are having a great time. Notice they are all bathed...kuddos to me. It may or may not be because I am a little OCD about them bathing every night, but they don't mind it, so that is why we do it. Crazy? I would agree. Their ages.. 7, 5, 4, 3, 1. Anyone wanna loan us a 6 and 2 year old? That way we could have them all the way down.

Last weekend one of the activities was building our annual gingerbread house. This is the final product. It isn't quite as good as last years, but it will do. We have too keep it up high or Walker will have the whole thing eaten before tomorrow.

Last weekend our neighborhood HOA brought snow and sledding to us. There isn't ever enough snow here in TX to get some sledding on, so they brought in TWO SEMI loads of ice and put it into this GIANT Snow cone maker and sprayed it up on a hill in our 'hood. There are even catered sleds and a coffee/cocoa/cookie bar where you can get what you want made to order. IT was awesome. The only problem...it was like 70 degrees. The kids were SO hot. If it weren't for them being wet, they would have all be sledding in t-shirts and shorts. This is Bailey, one of the girls good friends, I couldn't resist sharing the look of sheer terror. The hill is like 15 feet long. PRETTY FUNNY!


Daddy got in on the action.

Mommy too!!

It took Ella a little while to warm up to the idea, but she eventually caught on.

They even left a mound of snow for the kids to have a snowball fight...it ended up being more of an ice ball fight.

The girls had a great time!


Tarin took a few spills. Notice the grass off to the left...it really was like a 100 ft by 20 foot hill. It looked hillarious from a distance. Only in Texas can you buy your snow from the sledding hill man. Thanks to our great HOA for putting on a great activity.

The best sledding of all was done after the kids left. A friend and I volunteered to help man the hill and make sure nothing crazy went on....we decided to build a few jumps. One of the neighbor boys came with the BEST sled I have ever been on, so natuarally we stole it from him. Livia seriously caught some air and we had a grand time. It was the first time Livia had ever been on a sled, so that was fun to see her become a stunt sledder on the first go round! Anywho...that is it so far. I am sure we will do many more exciting things in the weeks to come...not to mention the 25 hour drive to grandma's house. Should be fun!!

What a Day

So, today turned out to be somewhat eventful. Not that it was full of events, but the few events that happened were somewhat stressful. Walk and I went to Wal-Mart which has been somewhat of a daily occurance as of late. When we got out to the truck I began the get Walker buckled battle. You see, he would much rather just play around in the truck than actually sis in his seat and ride in it. I decided the keys would be a good distraction for him while I buckle him up. It worked and it was a flawless buckling up. I put all the bags in the truck including the diaper bag with my cell phone and wallet. I then closed his door and went to put the cart back. As soon as his door was closed I realized that he had the keys and would probably push the lock button and I would be locked out. Sure enough...that is EXACTLY what happened!! I start knocking on the window telling him to push the buttons and he keeps pushing the lock button over and over again. A few minutes pass by and then a lady asks me if I need help. I ask her if I can borrow her cell phone. I knew Livia was home so I thought I could get her to bring me my spare set of keys from the house. There are very few numbers I have memorized and hers are some of them. She isn't answering her phones....so I call Dan and tell him to start calling Livia because she will recognize his number, right? Still a no-go. All right, I will call Sara...mean time Walker is just playing games in the truck. Pushing buttons all around (thanksfully no the panic button). Sara is getting ready to write down all the info to get my keys to me when the boy pushes the unlock button and the sweet stranger opens my truck door. Truthfully I think she was more relieved than I was. I knew that things would be okay but she was concerned for Walker. It was only about 55 degrees outside, so I wasn't concerned about the heat, but more about the time of him being in his sweater in the car...that was getting warmer. Anywho...all worked out and we got home just in time for naps.

Right after naps I notice this car hanging out by my driveway. I think...oh no, someone is going to want to come see the house...it is a DISASTER!! I haven't shown it since October and that was the last time it was all clean at one time. AAAHH! Sure, enough, they want to see the house. I figure, hey, why not. I had literally two minutes to straighten up. I ran to the bedroom to make sure there wasn't underwear in sight. It was just crazy. As I was telling the lady all about the neighborhood and my house it made me realize how much I don't want to leave this area. I am willing, however, to go where I need to go and do what I need to do...where He wants me He can put me. That is my basic philosophy.

Anywho...now I am done for the day and Dan is on his way home a little early so that makes this craziness a little more manageable!!

Warning: It's a LONG one!

Fall 2008

It is about time I update with some Halloween Pics, etc. We just got home from and INCREDIBLE trip to visit Dan's parents in Hawaii. The photoshow will be coming soon. We had such a great time. None of us wanted to leave, but really, who would?? Anyway, enjoy the photos of the past few months and tomorrow will be updated with our Hawaii pics. It is gonna be a LONG ONE!! So get comfy!

Miraculous

So, today for the first time in history....All currently residing in this house were asleep simultaneously for 1 hour. It was a miracle of all miracles. It would have lasted a lot longer but some DUMB realtor decided she needed to ring the doorbell 4 times just to tell me she might need to bring someone by and would that be okay...HELLO, there is a phone number on the sign for a reason. Total Bug! oh well it was good while it lasted! Walker and Ella did sleep for a while longer....so I guess that was good..

Jumping Beans

Who knew beans really did jump?? Yesterday as I was doing some pre-wedding shopping for dresses for the girls...I got a call from Ella's preschool informing me that Ella had a bean jump in her nose. WOW! I thought, I guess there really are Texas Jumping Beans. How amazing. She wouldn't change her story. The bean just went ahead and jumped right in her nose. They had tried to make her blow it out, no success. They thought that a bulb syringe might get it out, so Walker and I headed to the school, bulb syringe and all and before we got there she had gone ahead and cried that silly ol' bean right out of her nose. So, the bean was freed without a visit to the doc, which I am very grateful for! Ms. Robin even saved the bean in a baggie for us. That is one jumping bean that has jumped it's last jump. YIPEE!

So, lesson learned, beware of the Texas Jumping Beans...

Eventually I got it out of her that the bean got put in her nose because she thought it would be funny! That's my Ella!

Long Time Coming

It has been forever since my last post and so much is going on...I guess that is why I haven't posted in so long. I will have to update the Halloween pics at a later date, when I have more time that is. But I thought I would just update a few of the highlights of the past few weeks.

Halloween was a total blast. Tarin went as Super Tarin, Ella was, you guessed it, Jezelle from Enchanted, and Walker was a puppy (we won't tell him it was a Lady costume from lady and the tramp) He just thinks he was a puppy. Al came over as well as our good friend Jen. The kids all ate as much candy as they could stomach for one night and we just hung out outside, the weather was beautiful. Jen and Dan harassed the kids that came by and we all just visited. It was fun!

Tarin was elected her classroom mayor. We found out on a Thursday that she had made it through the primary's. She needed to give a speech on Friday to her classmates so they could decide if they wanted to elect her. So, immediately we called Nana and she came up with a great poem that Tarin immediately memorized and we made some cards that said "Let Tarin the "Star-Burst" into service as your class mayor. We attached a starburst and off she went. She apparantly did a good job because she won. We are proud of her. I think it was a great boost of self confidence for her. Her teacher has been doing a great job teaching them about the elections and everything. They had a classroom vote on Election day for whom they thought should be president. He has been reading a little about each candidate each day from the newspaper. Once they got all the information he gave them, they then formulated their own opinion. Like the rest of the state of TX, McCain won her class over, but that was no forecast of the future, I guess.

Dan is still a traveling fool. It has been crazy, and it will continue to be that way until we figure out what we are going to do. This weekend I am leaving the kids with a friend and going to Tulsa with Dan. We are going to look around and see what we think and what we like. It should be interesting. I am getting really good at the whole sigle parent gig...given, i don't have to go out to a job everyday. Not cooking dinners is kindof nice. The kids are happy with whatever, so I make something for myself at the beginning of the week and then live on it for the rest of the week. It rocks.

I will update more later with pictures and everything.

Necessary Evil

I don't know why, but I decided it was time for flu shots around this house. Our pediatrician was doing a clinic last night so I thought I would get them all done at once. Dan, of course, is out of town, so this was going to be me flying solo. I had mistakenly told the girls that they could get the flu mist because they have gotten it the past few years. They were okay with going for that one reason. So, we got there and the nurse pulls out three shots.
I mentioned that the girls wanted the mist and of course, they were out! OH NO! Ella immediately starts screaming, Tarin is hiding her head in the corner crying and trying not to listend toe Ella's screaming and Walker just cries because his big sisters are. I literally had to lay on top of Ella while the nurse gave her a shot, Tarin is crying hysterically and Walker has no clue what is going on, but is upset because his sisters are. Shot one complete, and Ella didn't even know it had happened. She told Tarin "look Tarin, it didn't even hurt." Tarin wouldn't take her word for it and was still throwing a 7 year old sized tantrum in the corner.

Walker was up next, I pin the boy down, but the nurse didn't realize how strong this one is and his leg got away from her. Walker screams and leaves with two pin pricks, but is done. Unfortunately we couldn't find the binki to calm him down, so he will just have to cry until he is done crying. (The bink was in my pocket the whole time! Arggg!)

Tarin's up next...she is screaming "No, I want the mist, No I want the mist." Trying to leave the room, not listening and crying hysterically. I told her she could choose her leg or her arm. Then she chooses her arm....as soon as the needle is an inch away, she swats at it with her hand and we have to re-do the alcohol cleaning. Finally the nurse said, "sweetie, your arm or your leg?" She agreed to the arm and once she was under control and the shot was over....she says "it didn't really even hurt."

This all happened in a matter of about 6 minutes and I don't know why it stressed me out so much but it did. So, for any of you moms out there wanting to get flu shots for your kiddos, I would reccommend that you get one first (which I should have but didn't know I could) and show them that it doesn't hurt, and then go from there.

IT WAS NUTS and so am I!

Cheetah-Amazing

This has been an exciting week. Some good friends/neighbors of ours gave us three ticekts to the Cheetah Girl's concert last night. Ben and Al were gracious enough to come and watch the Boy so the girls and I could go. It was really a lot of fun! The girls were so excited and it was a great bargaining tool for me for the past week. Here are a few pics of the event!!

'Tis the Season

My kids keep asking me why the Halloween stuff is up in the stores! I keep wondering myself...could it really be October. To be honest, I cannot wait for 2008 to end. It has been a rough year for our little family and I am looking forward to a new year. Not that I am not grateful for all the good things that have happened this year, because I am, I am just ready for a whole new set of things to be grateful for. Does that make sense?

I was in Hobby Lobby a month or so ago and they already had their fall stuff on sale and the Christmas stuff was all out. I guess 'tis the season already. Someone told me that because of the economic situation in our country right now, economist are expecting this to be the worst Christmas season for retailers all around. So, who wants to do homemade stuff this year?? I DO I DO!! Anyone got any ideas? I am the least creative person you will ever meet...just ask my friends.

We did It!!

So, for about a month I have been complaining that I need one of my mom's (origionally Grandma Welling's) donuts. This time of year is when we would start to plan the annual donut/Halloween party. Over the years this party has evolved from a Halloween party for the kids pre-trick or treating to a donut/soup party for all the adults. I MISS THEM TERRIBLY! So I decided, if Carin can do it, so can I. (Although she is much better at most things than I am) So, we had the families Dan home teaches over for FHE tonight and we made them donuts. They weren't as tasty as my mom's but they were pretty good for a first shot. They got eaten. I made about 100 donuts and this is a picture of what is left after everyone left my house tonight. Given, there were some plates delivered through the neighborhood, but for the most part, the majority was consumed.

If I ever make them again, I will make the frosting a little differently and I will plan ahead to not have to feed the missionaries dinner the same night, and I won't plan a lunch for the ladies I visit teach the same day either. It was kindof a crazy day, but it all worked out and everyone left with full bellies and a sugar headache.

Ouch!!

So, this was a weekend of lessons for us...namely for miss Tarin. Friday night Dan and I went out on a date and we left the kids with a babysitter. She is a relatively new sitter and was pretty nervous I think anyway. Tarin had convinced her to get out the flat iron and play makeover with them. I am still a little unclear as to what exactly happened, but this is the result. The poor babysitter left sobbing, and I was just glad I walked in the house when I did.





So, there were a number of lessons learned, most of which I didn't even have to verbalize because of the result of a poor decision. It didn't stop her too much, she went and played her soccer game on Saturday and scored six goals. Her coach threatened to come over next Friday night and burn her other hand so she will score six next week. It is a big fat blister and hopefully it will not pop tomorrow at school. This is Tarin's first major owee. I am sure it is the first of many more to come. She has been mad about it because it hurts so much, so hopefully this will be a teaching point for many years to come. You know, this parenting thing seems to get a little harder each year. Suddenly just because mom said no isn't a good enough reason for things. I guess this is where learning the hard way comes in. I don't know if I am game for it or not.

Dan's Houston Trip

Small Things

I have two things to be grateful for today:

1. I went to a store with Walker and after I left I realized that they had charged me wrong so I needed to go back in. Normally when I put Walker in his seat, I throw my keys in the drivers seat. Walker was all strapped in when I discovered the charges were wrong, so I unstrapped him and went in to make things right. As I am leaving the store I realize that my keys are missing. The truck automatically locks when it sits for a period of time and I knew it was locked by now. OH NO! I search everywhere and THANKFULLY find them at the bottom of my bag. I was so glad that we were not stuck at the beauty supply store waiting for a locksmith.

2. After school my doorbell rang and a new friend of mine brought dinner over. She is experimenting on how to make food taste good and be fat free and I am giving one of her trial recipes a taste test. I am so grateful to be on her taste test list. She is now working on making the chocolate cake in a mug less fattening. I am grateful for new friends.

I Probably Deserved it

This weekend was somewhat crazy for me. Dan spent the weekend in Houston doing some much needed clean up after Hurricane Ike devastated a lot of areas down there. So, Saturday I was a good mom and took the kids to a fun new play place in a near by city. They had a great time. After we got home I put Walker down for his nap so we could be ready to go to Tarin's soccer game a few hours later. I hear him cry.

Thankfully I go check because there was milk puke EVERYWHERE! So, bath number 1.....he gets cleaned up, plays around for a while, POOPS down my stairs....and then comes bath number 2....while I clean up the stairs. He takes a good nap, in the mean time I find a friend to take Tarin to her soccer game...which I am kind of bummed that I don't get to go to...I love watching her play. Walker wakes up. Plays around and has another bad diaper. I realize that with only three diapers left in the house, and a case a diarrhea I should go to the store. A friend calls and offers to pick some up for me....I say no because I need stuff for Sunday dinner anyway....so I go at 6:45PM to the grocery store. I realize that I haven't fed my kids...only because they are reminding me. I think, okay there is a McD's here in the store so let's eat there and then get our shopping done with full tummies. "I will take two chicken nugget happy meals." and BLEEEECH....Walker pukes ALL OVER ME! Direct hit, I am soaked and I stink. We leave and go directly home with the screaming french fry-aholic that is highly angry she doesn't get fries anymore. She was so mad...i got an "I HATE YOU!" Who knew the power for McD's fries?? Maybe they do have crack in them. Here comes shower number 3 for me for the day, and bath number 3 for Walker. I set him in his chair to have some banana after our bath, and once again, he pukes and that calls for bath #4. Thankfully that is it until bed time...which never really happens because he won't lay down. Dan walked in the door late, and I finished my shopping trip at 11 PM that night. What a day.

The moral of the story is.....if a friend offers to pick up some diapers for you, let her. Also, just because they haven't thrown up in a while and in all other aspects of their world look healthy, they still might puke on you.

He still has no fever or any other ailment, just diarreah. I have cleaned up more poop today from one kid than I ever remember doing for the other two combined. Livia says it is because I buy cheap diapers...she is probably right.

I probably deserved it.

Summer fun with Nana and Grandpa

These are some pictures of Nana and Grandpa's trip to TX this past July. We had a total blast and enjoyed so many fun things. A trip to San Antonio, the Riverwalk as well as Six Flags. A trip to Fredericksburg and Luckenbach too! The kids LOVE when people come see us...HINT HINT!

Awesome Footage of The Race

CONGRATULATIONS GRANDPA JOHN!!

We just needed to dedicate a post to Dan's dad, John. He completed his first marathon this weekend and we are so proud of him. He has spend many many hours and many months preparing for this. If any of you are runners, you can imagine what it would take to get ready to run 26.2 miles. He finished in a great time. I don't know that I will ever have the desire to run that far or that long, but I do have an appreciation for the difficulty of it. I have been running with a friend who is training for the St. George Marathon, and I haven't gone that far, but the distances I have gone with her are long enough (15 miles was my max). So, all you folks out there who can run for 26.2 miles, I salute you! You are all my heros! Once again...congratulations Grandpa! We are so proud of you!

Abnormally large - - not surprised

So, that is how you would describe my baby boy. The doc told me this week...at his 18 month well-check...that he is the size of an average three year old. At this rate...we will be on the rides at six flag by Halloween. Isn't that cool? He is off the charts for height and in the 90th percentile for weight. CRAZY! The only problem with all of this is that I have to carry him still...he is only 18 months old. Oh well...it is good for my back muscles, right?



Ella started Pre-K this week. WOO HOO! She got Ms. Sally and she loves it. The little boy that proposed to her last year is in her class this year...so that is really exciting. Although Ella has a little competition in the class this year. There are a whole bunch of really cute little girls. Hopefully Ms. Sally will have the patience that Ms. Laurie did last year. I hope that I get to hear all the stories like I did last year. The co-teacher in the class is my running' buddy Jen. So that was nice for Ella to have a familiar face.



Tarin has decided that second grade is good. A little more homework and a little more responsibility, but with that comes a few more privileges.. . . if you ask her she will tell you what she gets to do now that she is in 2nd grade....she feels really big about it!

First Day of School, etc

So, here are some pics of the Birthday girl and her first day of 2nd Grade. She got a boy teacher this year and isn't quite sure that is the best thing, but we are assuring her that it is. Boy teachers are fun. I think there is just a little playgroup rivalry between the kids with the girl teachers and the kids with the boy teacher. She doesn't have many of her "best" friends in her class, but she is excited to meet new ones. She also started soccer this week and was really excited because they allowed her to play up a level so she could be on a team with girls her age. She loves soccer and is a pretty good little player. Her coach was pleased with her skill level! First game next Saturday. I am jus so proud of her, because I HATED soccer...mostly because of all the running I think. She is a great little athlete. She doesn't mind the sweat or the heat or any of it.


So, for her birthday, I stole the idea from my good friend Sally and made Tarin breakfast in bed...not just any bed, but my bed. She got to watch cartoons and eat german pancakes and muffins in my bed (on Dan's side of course). Ella got to watch cartoons, but not eat. Later on we had some friends over for cake and ice cream. She did have a small birthday party with some of her friends on the street. They did what she has been begging to do for her birthday party for years....jumped on the trampoline and got squirted with the hose. When that was her biggest request, how could I not do it? We made homemade pizzas and then watched the new Cheetah girls movie. It was fun. I was a little nervous about doing it without Dan, but I had some other reinforcements (Thanks Liv). That is why we kept it nice and small. Livia took all the pictures that night....maybe one day I will get them.


The first day of school is always fun because all the kids on the street walk together and the mom's get a chance to hang out a little in the morning. It is so nice to be outside at that time of day (as opposed to the walk home from school in the devil heat). Sometimes we just let the non-school goers play outside while we visit. Each year the number of non-school goers is decreasing and soon I think we will find ourselves with noone but ourselves...REALLY, could that ever happen? Here are some pictures of the first day! She looks a little nervous, right?

The Kids on the Loop

Tarin and Mr. G.

So, you may wonder what Walker is doing everyday now that his big sister/caretaker is in school all day....here are a few of the things he has been up to! Washing his hair....

And doing the laundry.

Yesterday we went to Six Flags with Jen and Jerry. We had so much fun. It was hot, of course, but not busy at all. There was NO waiting in any line. It was so much fun. We got to ride all that we wanted to and the kids got to ride what they wanted to. Thanks Jen and Jerry for a great day. The day ended with a visit to Chuys YUMMO! Aside from the voices from above in Jerry's chair, the dinner was un-eventful with no spills or mis-haps from the kids. The kids were very well behaved and it was a great end to an incredibly busy but fun day! Here are a few pics from the day!


Nothing like a little meet and greet with Scooby and Shaggy.

This is where we go to get cooled off.


The Log Ride....everyone except Walker and I....Next year Wa...next year.. And we bid you farewell until the next post.

TTFN!

Update - WE SURVIVED

We made it home alive from our round 2 trip to Utah this summer. It was such a great time to see everyone. Of course, the best times of all, were after the kids went to bed and my mom and sister and I went to see Mama Mia and then hanging with the folks watching the olympics and of course the fabulous night out with Rob and Carin. I also got to go to my Welling family reunion in the Uintahs. It was fun to re-connect with all my cousins. Another reason I love the blog...we have all found eachother (or maybe I just found them). It is great! We had such a great time. I love spending quality time with my siblings and parents. It is just a nice time for all. It was nice to feel like I was home again even if it was just for a little bit. The highlight for Ella was playing with Grandma's new kitty. Maybe one day I will dedicate a post to the saga of the baby kitty. It is a pretty funny story and should be documented at some point.

We had a little pre-birthday party for Tarin with our friends in Utah. Kellie and Morlie were down from Dutch John (flaming gorge) and Ivy and the kids came to the North Ogden pool with us. Thanks to Grandma we even had cupcakes, what would we do without her? If I were a good mom I would have taken my camera and taken some pictures, but I am not, and I didn't. I haven't quite figured out how to do a camera and Walker at the pool. One day I will put a video of him on the blog. He is fearless and LOVES to be under the water. He rarely chokes on it and just loves it. It makes the pool all kinds of good fun for me. My pal Jen says I need to record it because anyone who hasn't gone swimming with the boy will believe me. He is a funny kid.

So, here is the scoop. Dan has already started his new gig. His region is Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. We can live anywhere within those three states. The old rep lived in Oklahoma and that seemed to work out well, so that is what we are shooting for, plus the cost of living there is great (gas is still $3.30 a gallon). We aren't going to be moving until we sell our house, which has not had a showing yet, might I add. So, Dan's schedule is like this for the next few weeks...come home tonight, late, and leave early tomorrow until Sunday. Home Sunday afternoon, leave Monday night, home Friday night, but thanks to Labor Day he won't leave again until Monday night or Tuesday and home Friday....leave Monday...and so on and so on. Fun Stuff, huh? That will be the routine unless they throw in some Minnesota training classes and then he will be gone Mondays through Sundays. That is the gig. Doesn't that sound fun? I feel badly for Dan because he isn't going to have much down time at all. I guess that is the nature of the beast! That is all for now...headed to the airport!

On the Road Again

I guess my trip to Utah at the beginning of the summer with three kids on the plane by myself wasn't too bad because I am going to give it another go. My dad was nice enough to give us some FF Miles and is getting us home for a little break from the stress we are under right now. I am not gonna lie to you, it is going to be so nice to be away from all the worries of our life right now. I can't wait for some comfort food, etc. in the great state.

I feel so grateful today for my great friends here. They are so supportive and so understanding of all the issues in our life. They never judge and are ALWAYS willing to help. Not to mention, made my birthday just AWESOME! Thanks guys for the night out and the week long celebration! You know who you are! Dan also threw together a great night out with Ben and Al and the kids. It all ended with a mint chip ice cream pie...YUMMO ! I am SO grateful for Dan who works so hard for us. He is under quite a bit of stress and still seems to have a smile on his face when he walks in the door. He loves his kids and is seriously the BEST DAD EVER! I am beginning to think I should go to work and he should raise the kids...I think he'd do a better job than I am. I know this is seeming a little bit like a post off the other funny site but I am seriously feeling SO BLESSED! I am hoping a trip home with rejuvinate me and help me turn my attitude back to the willing/grateful person and get rid of the negative person I have been the past month or so.

Anyway...that is alll...HERE WE GO AGAIN! Back to the airport! Wish us luck!

The Cycle is NOT broken

So, for those of you who haven't heard, yes after our longest stint in any house we have ever owned (this is our 3rd house within 4 years) we are moving yet again. Dan has been offered a promotion as a field rep for his same company. His territory will be covering Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. So, we will be moving to one of the three states, most likely Oklahoma. This business has been brewing for a few weeks..and started out with us thinking we were going to lose our job, so we are feeling very grateful and "seriously so blessed" that we are in the position that we are and not one that we could be in. So, now that my house is completely the way I want it, it is time for someone else to enjoy it....IF we can sell it. The market here is pretty crummy, but if you know anyone moving to TX who need a really great house, send them to the house blog by going to http://www.texasforsalebyowner.blogspot.com/.

Another thing I am really grateful for is that Dan survived his first and hopefully only motorcycle accident this week. At about 5PM every day I try really hard to keep myself busy so I don't think too much about him riding home on his motorcycle and then I just breathe a sigh of relief when I hear the rumble from a mile away. (I can tell it is him for sure, because Willie recognizes the rumble too.) But this day I got the phone call I dread. Yep, he had been in an accident, but he called me and he was fine. Apparantly some guy in front of him slammed on his brakes and Dan locked up his own, rear-ended the car in front of him and then fell over with the beastly bike on top of him. He WALKED away with only a few scrapes and bruises. The most amazing thing about it is...NOONE STOPPED TO HELP. Can you believe it? He was laying on the ground under his motorcycle, and the cars behind him drove around him to get by. One of the passer by's was even a co-worker of his. I was just amazed. Luckily he wasn't hurt and he got up and was able to lift his bike up and walk away. The bike has some damage, but relatively minor to what it could be. A guy in our ward had the same thing happen to him last month, and he broke his collar bone. So, once again we are feeling "seriously so blessed." (but not in a funny sarcastic way like the other blog....but seriously like I mean it).

So, that is a reason I haven't been posting much lately...too much up in the air to discuss my feelings freely. But now that it is mostly all settled, we are good to go. I am doing quite a bit of stress eating, which is new for me. Usually I don't eat when I am stressed, but this week alone I have made 2 batches of homemade oreos, banana bars, caramel popcorn, and started in on some ice cream...not to mention the 2 trips to MCD's for fries. It is a good thing I am still doing some running...or I would be seriously hating myself...oh yeah, and started in on a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos....gotta get more Diet Coke...just remembered!

So, the cycle continues. We keep adding a few months on to our stint in each house, but the average is about two years. Hm....maybe next time we can stretch it to three years..."Home Equity," what exactly is that? I have heard about it, but don't really understand the concept. So, wish us luck, again on this new adventure! HERE WE GO!

Before July is Over

I thought I had better add one more post. Last week Dan's parents were here visiting, and we had such a great time. As soon as they arrived we wisked them off to San Antonio where we went to the Riverwalk and none other than County Line BBQ...if you haven't been there...GO! We then did the boat tour on the river and just bascially sweat ourselves silly. We stayed the night and then went to Six Flags the next day. It was awesome, the Busby's came with us and between the Busby's and John and Cheryl, I think we had a thousand pictures taken. It was great, I didn't even get my camera out once.

All the kids had such a great time at Six Flags. We lasted the whole day. If we got too hot, we would go get wet on the bridge and then just walk around a little damp. Tarin and Ella got to ride as many rides as they wanted. Although, I will tell you that Julia got to ride a few without Tarin and my little dare-devil was a little disappointed. She wanted to ride the big drop one....she is crazy. I know I wouldn't have been that brave at her age. I can still remember the first time I rode the upside down rollercoaster at the theme park where I grew up. CRAZY! I really liked Six Flags in San Antonio...it had a small-town feel. We even made it to the water park. The kids were worn out, as were their parents and grand parents for that matter.

The rest of the week was filled with fun kid activities. Nana and Grandpa took the girls on separate dates and spoiled them rotten. They went to the movies, to the pool, and to see the bats. It was so nice to have visitors. We have had them non-stop for about a month. Before Nana and Grandpa was my good friend Jen. She and her husband are moving here this coming weekend and WE ARE SO EXCITED! So, in my great depression about no visitors for a while, I am consolling myself by not washing the guest room sheets.....because there is no need.

I have been spending a little more time running as of late. My good friend is getting ready to run the St. George Marathon, and I thought I would just run a little with her. Last weekend we ran 13 miles and then this morning we ran 10. The thing about running in Texas is that you have to get it done before the sun shines or it is too hot. We usually leave around 5..I know, crazy, huh? But we have been doing it for a while. Dan's dad ran with us last weekend, except he ran 18 and we only ran 13. He is getting ready for the Maui Marathon in a few weeks. I am so impressed by these people and their desire to run a marathon. I don't know that I will ever have that desire, but I do enjoy running and it is even better when you have a friend at your side. Thanks Jen for encouraging me to be a runner....something I never thought I would ever do, let alone enjoy!

Father's Day

So, my friend/neighbor/photographer extrordinaire took these pictures of the kids for Dan for Father's Day. I thought they were too cute not to post! I loved them and so did he!

Enjoy! I survived girls camp, in fact it was an awesome experience for me...kindof like a vacation. There was catered meals, a/c cabins, crafts, swimming pool, canoeing, etc. It was awesome! It was spiritual and fun and everything a 12-18 year old girl or their leader could hope for. Did I mention the food was incredible. None of this camp food stuff, we had catered meals. It was like no girls camp I have ever been to. I mean, I went to some pretty amazing girls camps myself, but this was on a grand scheme, pretty incredible. Way to go Stake Camp Leaders! YOU ROCK!!

Mother-In-Law

Some might say that the word Mother-In-Law is just another word for Terrorist. I'm fortunate that I have a mother-in-law who likes me. And I like her, as well. Not that bumps in the road don't arise sometimes, I think I’m the only person on record that has made the woman cry. (Don’t ask it’s a long story) First of all I am thankful to my Mother in Law for giving birth to Angela. If it wasn't for her, she wouldn't be here, but that's only where my appreciation for her begins. She doesn’t interfere with the way we are raising our kiddos, even when we lived with them for 6 months. I feel sorry for all those who tell me they dread spending time with their in-laws; I actually look forward to it. I recently had the opportunity to spend the last 4 days with my Mother-in-Law without my wife. Angela had to go to Girls Camp and I didn’t have enough Vacation to take off and watch the kiddos, so once again Mamma Welling came to the rescue. I’m not going to lie to you I wasn’t looking forward to it. I had several escape plans set from the get go. But after the 1^st little bit it was a piece of cake. She took me to go get BBQ on night #1. What a woman!!! She knows how to speak my language. That’s just the kind of Mother-in Law/Mom/Grandma she is… she wants us to be happy and she knows what we all enjoy and she goes out of her way to make it happen. I want to express my appreciation for not only helping us out this week but for everything that she has done for me and my family over the past 10 years. Thanks again Mamma Welling for all you do!!

Wish Me Luck

Well...off I go this week to Girl's camp for our church. This is the first time I have been in about 11 years...or since I was a youth. So, this should be exciting. It will be a little different than camping in the great state because we will be staying in air-conditioned cabins and will have a pool to go relax by when things get rough. The food is catered by some awesome church-folk, so none of that oh-so-yummy campfire food. I think we will have smores one night...as it is a requirement for the girls to learn how to cook over a fire.

So, although it may sound like a break, I do believe there will be a lot of work to be done. My mom is here watching the kiddos so Dan can work his tail off. Thanks to her, I am able to go for the entire week. It will be such great fun!

So, wish me luck and hopefully we don't get heat stroke or something like that. Seriously, who goes to camp in July when you live in Texas? I guess that's why we have A/C.

Mermaid?

You Are Ariel!

Headstrong and fiesty. You have a mind of your own that's full of romantic dreams about the world around you. Exploring exotic places is your ultimate dream, and although you can be a little naive you'll realize that there is something to be gained from your family's wisdom.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

I guess I am Ariel. Thanks Mashelle for the link. That was fun!

Culture Shock

All of a sudden I am feeling a little bit of culture shock. I have been a part of the crazed cafuffel trying to get all my food storage up and going. It seems like there are SO many resources available if you live in certain parts of this great US, that I have taken for granted the majority of my life. For instance...case lot sales. Those things are the BEST. I would go twice a year and stock up on canned goods and then that would be a huge part of my storage. Why they don't have stuff like that here, I just do not understand. I know groceries are a little more expensive in TX than in the other great state, but why they can't go on sale here I just don't get. So, if any of you fellow Texans understand this craziness, help me to understand. I mean, I know I can find good deals if I hunt for them, but I don't have the time or energy to do the hunting. I have been looking at all the good deal blogs from the great state, and I must admit I am very jealous. Maybe one day I will gather the energy to figure it out here. Until then, I am just bugged at the one fact that Texas doesn't believe in case lot sales.

Trip to Utah

Photoshow of May 2008

Rather than try to explain to all of you what we have been up to, I thought I'd just post a photoshow so you can see. This is a photoshow of Ella's birthday, a visit with Tia and Kalani, and also our Memorial Day weekend in Mansfield. It was good fun!

I'm Going Home

Yep, I get the insanity award. I flew this week with the three kiddos by myself. After flying to Virginia in March with Walker screaming the WHOLE way....I was a little anxious about flying without Dan, but we did it. We made it. We had a minor mishap in Denver. We only had a 45 minute connection, and because of storms we landed 25 minutes late....leaving us 20 minutes or so. So, I was waiting on the jetway for my stroller that was supposed to be gate checked so I could use it in Denver....we waited...and waited...(mind you I am holding Walker the whole time...my arm is beginning to shake) and then they inform us that our stroller was checked with the regular luggage and we could get it in SLC. So, I get off the plane and check where we need to go...we just lost 10 minutes waiting for the stroller so we are down to 10 minutes before our flight leaves. I discover that we are at gate A 29 and we need to get to gate A 51...which is accross the airport and I have NO STROLLER. So we start running....and thank goodness for the moving walkways or I don't think we would have made it. Right before the end of our final moving walkway (ella is screaming...."mommy don't leave me." I am screaming "Run...just keep running...we are almost there) we hear "Final boarding call for the flight to SLC. All ticketed passengers should be on board." We run faster, Ella screams louder and Tarin is just trying to keep up. When we hand the lady our ticket she says, "you didn't need to run, you have plenty of time." I wanted to slap her. What do you mean we don't need to run? Apparantly "Final Boarding Call" only means that we are thinking about getting ready to close this flight. We then sat on the plane for another 10-15 minutes while my bicep muscle is convulsing because of the long run we had carrying Walker in my arms. But, we made it and all is well. Walker actaully slept on the flight to SLC so we are good now! My arm has been sore ever since.

But, we made it and it is SO good to see my little bro. We missed him so much and it is fun to see him all grown up. He is the highlight of all family parties and we can now visit knowing that we will be rolling the entire time. He is so handsome and so mature. I really look up to him. He calls Walker "Chuck" and Walker adores him. He followed him around the church today and was very sad when Robby went to a different class than we did. He has given Robby more hugs than he has given me since we got here. It is fun to see them bond. I think it is because Robby took him outside and showed him ALL of Grandpa's tractors and toys. He likes Grandpa too, because Grandpa took him out to the garage and let him pet all of his "moo's" hanging on the wall. Funny stuff.

Yesterday we got to hang out with my BFF for the last 20+ years. It is wierd to think that I could have had a friend for that length of time. She has a little girl 6 weeks younger than Tarin and they always have a GREAT time playing together. We just had lunch at my mom's and let the kids run around playing. It was so much fun. I LOVE COMING HOME! It is so comfortable and so fun to be around family and friends that you have known and loved for so long, and that know and love you...even though they have known you for so long. I love sharing this with my kids. I love showing them things I did as a kid and introducing them to people I have had in my life for SO VERY LONG! I am so grateful to have grown up in such a beautiful and peaceful place. Did I mention I love it here??

Cute Pic

Tarin had her last Sunshine Generation performance on Saturday. While we were waiting for it to start Walker just wouldn't leave her alone. He had to be on her lap waiting in front of the audience. It was very cute. Tarin was a little embarassed that her little brother only wanted to be with her, but she was a good big sister and let him relax with her until the instructor told him he had to leave. My awesomely talented neighbor took this pic of them. I thought it just had to be posted. Walker does love his big sister, and she loves him too. Seeing your kids like to be with eachother is one of those things that just makes a mom happy. This made me happy.

First time for Everything

So, yesterday, for the first time, I bought size 5 diapers. Could my baby really be that big. I have only ever seen that size of a diaper on like 2 year olds....he is only 15 months. He just seems so big to me. I just can't imagine that as long as it took to potty train Ella, she was never any bigger than a size 4, and that was only at the end. But, my 15 month old baby is already a size 5. The thing that stinks about wearing bigger diapers is that there aren't as many in the package...so I feel like I get ripped off. Oh well, whatever holds it all in is worth it, I guess.

J & J

So I just realized that I never posted about a few things and thought I would catch up. In the beginning of April we had Dan's cousin and her little boy here for a visit. It was so much fun to be able to spend quality time with them and to get to know Jackson a little bit. He was so funny and so cute! Jena is a great mom and it was fun to see her in that role. We did some fun stuff....but most importantly, we took Jena on her first trip to none other than Wal Mart. It was fun to have them and I thought I'd post some pics of the event.

This is Jackson and Walker "playing" with Willie. They liked to see him out the window. Notice Jackson's car and "moo." I don't think he set those two things down the entire time he was at my house. I was SO grateful we had at least one boy toy for Jackson. The next picture is Jackson "cookie monstering" the rocks at the park.

And of course we had to post a picture of Jena and Jackson at the pool. It was pretty chilly water, but we were all brave and tried it out! We miss you Jena and Jackson! Thanks for coming to visit us, and come back soon, okay?? Tarin wants to know if you got a car yet?

So so so much!

So, I have so much to post about. This past week was Ella's 4th birthday. She has been so excited to be 4. She thinks she is so much bigger, and is definately much bigger than she was a year ago when she turned three. She wants to know how much longer she will get to be four. I think she thinks we are going to make her be three again. Truthfully, I don't know if I could handle her being three again. We had a birthday party on Monday, the coldest day yet this spring...at the swimming pool. Luckily most of her friends were brave enough to still come out and play. Most of them ended up with colds, but they came and we all had a great time. She got some fun new "hair" from auntie Hillary and has been wearing it to be Hannah Montana as often as she can.

I homemade her birthday cake. Go me. I had a friend give me a pattern. If you don't look too closely it actually looks pretty good. Good enough for a four year old anyway. She thought it was fabulous!

This past week we also had some crazy weather...I mean tornadic weather. I was so happy to leave the tornadic part of my life up north...I don't like it at all. I thought for sure we would get away from it as we moved south, but I guess not. We had to pull the kids out of bed and bring them downstairs. Once the storm passed, we just left them there and went to sleep. We just had a tree tip over, but some of our friends and neighbors had a lot of damage to their homes and property. I have heard that the tornado actually touched down not too far away from our house. I am so grateful that it stayed clear of us and pray that nothing like it comes by for a good long time.

This weekend I went with some friends to Corpus Christi to run in the Beach to Bay Relay Marathon. It was fun and total and complete chaos. I ran the fourth leg of the race and by the time my team mate got to me, we were already 2 and 1/2 hours into the race...and before I had even started they announced "WE HAVE A WINNER!" I laughed and continued to run. As a team we did pretty well. We finished in about 4 hours and 45 minutes. I really didn't know what to expect. I ran my personal best by far. I ran about 4.94 miles in about 37 minutes. That was WAY faster than I have EVER run, and my body knew it. The only downside to the race, was that after it was over, we quickly showered and then SAT in a car for a LONG ride home. Needless to say we are all a bit stiff today. I think this will definately become an annual tradition for me. It was a kick! My friend wants me to run a 1/2 marathon with her in June. We will both be in Utah/Idaho at the same time and she is going to run one. We will see. 13 miles is a lot different than the mileage that my body is used to running right now. I guess I would have a few weeks to train though.

So that is a short version of what has been going on!

Let's not forget about Willie

As I sit here at work, wondering if I’m going to hit my Number this month, I often turn to our Blog to Seek motivation in my kiddos faces. This time after re-reading through the Blog I’ve noticed that we neglect to talk about our 6th member of the Family… Willie. Willie is a 80 pound Boxer/German Shepherd mix that has been with us for a little over three years. He is the world’s greatest Dog.

I’ve dedicated this post to Willie.

Our 1^st attempt with a dog didn’t go so well
The huge White German Shepherd Sailor wasn’t meant to me
It was a long Valentines Night
Because of the Bite!!!

We adopted you as a 7 month old pup.
Your coming into this world was a little rocky.
Being the only survivor of a litter of seven,
Losing your momma on day eleven.

We had to have you.
We lavished you with affection
You instantly joined our crew
we deemed you doggy perfection.

You shed way too much
and your breath really stinks
You whine all day
and you eat food left in Walker’s Tray

But despite all your flaws and annoying doggy habits
I can't help myself - I still love you, Willie
We should pet you more and show you we care
But instead we ignore you and whine about your hair

Your tail never fails to wag when you see me
The kids aren't always gentle, but you're as patient as can be
You're my home security system - your barks are my alarm
We hope the burglars don't see past the barks to your charm

I've been saying I wish to be pet-free
But I don't really mean it, not really, you see
Because I would miss you and all your doggy ways
Even though my house would stay cleaner for days

But you wouldn't be here to follow me around
And watch over us as you sleep on the ground
I'd miss your ugly face and your loyal heart
And your sad little eyes whenever we're apart

So keep on being the Willie that we love
And continue to come back to us no matter how hard we shove
Because though we don't show it as much as we should
You're part of the family, and miss you we would

WE LOVE YOU WILLIE!!!!

Here’s a little bit of History for you… FYI

The Phrase "Man's Best Friend" originated in a court of law. Back in October 28, 1869, A man's dog (named old drum), was shot to death by a neighbor. Animals had no rights back in those days, but the man wanted justice and so he hired 3 lawyers to sue the man who shot his dog. One of these lawyers, named George Graham Vest, is given credit for originally coining the phrase "Man's Best Friend" during his final summation to the jury. By the time he was finished with his speech, the jury only took 2 minutes to reach a verdict. The jury awarded the victim $5 (a very large amount of money back then). The jury also wanted the man to be sent to prison, but there were no laws governing this type of incident back then so the judge was not able to honor the jury's request for prison time.

This is a record of the final summation given by the lawyer...

(GOOD Stuff) if you are not a dog lover there is no need to continue past this point

Gentlemen of the Jury

The best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son and daughter that he had reared with loving care may become ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may become traitors to their faith. The money that a man has, he may lose. It flies away from him when he may need it most. Man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees and do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our head. The only absolutely unselfish friend a man may have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is his dog.

A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, when the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he can be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of a pauper as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert... he remains.

When riches take wings and reputations fall to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast into the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard him against danger, to fight against his enemies, and when the last scene of all comes, and death takes his master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his grave side will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws and his eyes sad, but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death.

The Ring

Just a few days before the 4th birthday, Ella was given a ring by a cute boy at her school. Apparantly he won it from a vending machine and has been saving it for Ella for a week. She was happy to show me the ring Deegan gave her and she said that it was her "marry ring" and that Deegan wants to marry her and so does every boy in her class. On top of that, they all want to kiss her on the lips. What is a girl to do? I guess when the first ring you get is in pre-school, that only raises the bar each year and who knows what her expectations will be of some poor guy she meets in college!

Texas Ties

So, if you would have told me ten years ago that in my future I would be living in Texas and that I would like it, I would have dropped dead. However I am now starting to feel like I have some Texas Ties and some Texas roots that will run deep and will run with me wherever I may go. I worked with a friend the first place we lived in Texas in the Primary of our ward. I got to know their family and really enjoyed them. When we moved to our current home, we found out that the parents of our good friends lived where we were moving to. I am now working in the Young Women with our good friends mom. I just love it! I love that no matter where you go in the our church, you meet someone from somewhere that you'd know in a previous experience. I love the smallness of the world when it comes to church service. This is something that makes me happy today!

No Proof

So, I did it, a few weekends ago I ran a 10K through the city. It was a total kick. I finished in just about 57 1/2 minutes. That is a great time for me....although I know someone who finished in 47 minutes....woah that is too fast. Anyway, they emailed me today and said they had some pictures of me running...unfortunately, they are copywrited and won't let me post them. But I thought it was worth a mention in the blog. I am kindof bummed, but oh well!

Checked Off

So, thanks to the late night updating the blog and feeling like a slacker because I didn't get anything done yesterday, today I kicked it into high gear. Cleaned all three bathrooms, floors and all. Cleaned out the girls drawers and closets and even put stuff back in the attic (which is usually a job I save for Dan). So yeah! I feel productive. I even made cookies and dinner. It helps that I have been waiting around for repairmen all day, which is probably the ONLY reason I stayed home today. But, it was worth it! I feel a lot better about the days accomplishments. If only I can do the same tomorrow.

Should's

So, today and this week has been one of those weeks filled with "shoulds." I know dinking around on the computer isn't productive (although sometimes I pay bills) but what I "should" be doing is cleaning the bathroom. Yes, the upstairs toilet has been neglected for some time. I "should" be arranging my cupboards preparing for some much needed food storage. I "should" be playing with the kids rather than pawning them off in front of the TV. I "should" make dinner, but I need to run to Wal Mart anyway...and a few nuggets won't kill them since it is located in the store. So, needless to say, I have taken a week off. Maybe next week I will get something accomplished. This week started out pretty good, on Monday I cleaned and organized three of my kitchen cupboards. I was on a roll until the boy woke up. All productivity stops when he's awake....can I blame the rest on him?

I have goals of organizing all the kids closets and drawers. I have goals of putting the grown out of/into clothes into the attic and taking the rest to the goodwill. I have goals of cleaning out Dan's closet while he's away. He is getting TOO skinny and NONE of his clothes fit. It really isn't fair. I am hoping now that I have pointed out all my goals maybe one by one I can knock them off the list. I would love to do laundry, but the dryer vent has been disconnected while they are fixing a leaking roof. Lucky for us, the builder is paying for and fixing it entirely. So, no laundry today. Oh well, it looks like it will be a busy Saturday.

Maybe next week they won't all be "shoulds" but will be competed tasks.

Ahoy Maytee

So, Dan and I were invited to a murder mystery dinner and the theme was a pirate night. We had a great time. We were each assigned characters. I was a sea maiden and Dan was the inn keeper who was hosting the pirate jig where the murder took place. It was fun. We had to dress the part and act it. Dan was much better at acting the part than I was....as any of you who have played Cranium with him know. So, here is a picture of the evening. It was a total kick. Thanks to our good friends for including us in the fun! Another Big thanks to Al for providing my costume. If you can't tell from the pictures....we took chicken legs as our entree of choice.

Oh, and by the way...I didn't buy the pictures. I threw away the proofs before I knew what I was doing! Bummer, huh? Maybe next time, as I am sure there will be a next time!

Why?

So, I have one question...WHY? Why is it that after I did Ella's hair so nicely before her pictures (two braids on top of her haid tied with big pink bows) that she feels the need to put a BIG BLUE CLIP right in the front and ruins the picture for me? (She must have had the clip stashed away and pulled it out after I dropped her off) Why does this bug me so? Why don't I just buy the pictures anyway to prove what a stinker she was? Why do I think that someday this is just going to make me laugh and not make me angry? Why didn't her teacher take the clip out of her hair...never mind I know this answer....Ella freaked out, I am sure. So, do I buy them or not? Other than the blue clip they are super cute. The blue clip just bugs me.

I have a feeling I am going to be asking this question many more times in this child's lifetime.

10K

So I gave it a shot and tried to run 6.4 miles the other night to see if it was at all possible for me to run in a 10K race that is coming up this Saturday. I grabbed a friend, who is a seasoned runner, and made her go with me. WE DID IT! We ran around the lake two times...which is exactly 6.4 miles or a 10K. WOO HOO! I had never run more than 4 miles straight. It was a kick and we did in a decent amount of time too...

On the down side...when I got home, Tarin had a fever of 102 and Ella came home from a friends house sick....So, needless to say, it was a sad homecoming. Hopefully they are all feeling better by tomorrow so we can show our faces at church. Now I am just hoping Walker doesn't catch it. Seriously, have we been sick all year or WHAT? It is getting a little old. Maybe I should home school and never let the kids leave the house and then all the wicked germs will STAY AWAY!!!

That's that!

Enlighten me, if you will

Last Saturday we spent the day with some new friends and their kids. The adults went to dinner and the kids stayed and played at our house with a sitter. We had a great time getting to know some new people in our neighborhood and ward. That night when we were saying family prayer, Dan thanked Heavenly Father for our new friends and the opportunity we had to get to know them better that day. As soon as the "Amen" was said. Tarin looked at us and said...I didn't get to know Brooke today....(this is where the explaination comes in) "I already know Brooke, off the hook."

Does anyone have any insight what it might mean to know someone "off the hook"?

Simple Requests

So, Ella's birthday is coming up and, I don't know about the rest of you, but it seems the buildup for birthdays around this house is almost more exciting than the actual birthday. The same day we were at Target and lost Tarin, Ella announced to me that her simple request for her birthday present would be a diamond necklace. She has since reminded me that this is the only thing she wants for her birthday about four times. So, if any of you grandparents out there read this....send money now, because this girl has the same caviar dreams her dad does. I don't know if we can afford to have two of them in the same family.

Lost Child

So...I go in spurts. I have like six different things to post...but I think I will spread them out to keep myself updated. So, on Friday, for the first time in my life...but probably not the last, I lost a kid in the store. Our cousin is visiting from OR and needed the experience of going to SuperTarget....apparantly she is Target deprived and only has little ones. So we went to get a few grocerys. Dan was with us..so the ratio was three adults four kids. Ella needed to go potty or "tee tee" as she now refers to it, so she and I left the rest of them in the shoes. After about five or ten minutes I meet back up with Dan who quickly asks me where Tarin is, and of course I don't know, then we find Jenna and still no sign of Tarin. We divided and looked for her, and of course, she wasn't where we last saw her.

It was what seemed like FOREVER and I turned a corner and saw her walking down the aisle with one of the Target employees. Thankfully, if I had to lose a kid, Tarin was responsible and old enough to know to get some help. She found the nearest Target worker and told them she was lost. Apparantly the Target employee had paged a Ms. Dillon because Tarin was so scared she "couldn't talk loud enough to say it right." So, it turned into nothing more than a really great learning experience for both mom and dad and Tarin. I feel blessed that it was such a non event, but still very scary. I felt TERRIBLE! I know there is nothing scarier than feeling like you lost your mom and dad and Tarin's face said it all. I don't ever want that experience again.

Scary stuff to learn for both of us.