Moore Family Memories

Candy Machines

2012-01-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

Last summer Coleman bought Cash 2 candy machines at a garage sale the week-end I graduated. (Which by the way was exactly 6 months ago today... crazy huh?) He has been pretty into learning how to use money, and filling up the candy machines.

Once when filling the machine, he took the bag of quarters and said "OOOHHHH, Money, Money, I LOVE Money!" --this struck me as funny considering that he doesn't know really anything about it... but that I always tell him I don't have enough money to buy him a toy, ha.

He is slowly working on his bank account, and was so cute the day we went to set up said account. The lady said "do you want to set up a password on this account?" -- I asked Cash "what do you want your password to be?" He said "uuhhh, ... please?" Ha. I think one of the machines will be Presley's to maintain, when she gets a bit older.

P.S. How could you say no to this amazingly cute little face?!?!

We just barely placed his second machine, but we kind of miss having it here. I am pretty sure I ate half of the hot tamales all by myself. So it's prob good on the old mid-section that it is gone. But it was fun with Koop and Liv, every time they came over they had quarters in hand to spend...

I recently told him he should save the money from the machines for a ticket to Disneyland, for himself and his baby sister. When he had enough money to buy both of them, we could go. (Right now they are running a military deal for $99 per 3 day park hopper...Military Salute)

So perhaps this year we will make it happen. If I could possibly decide to drag myself to work those few extra shifts to pay for it, that is... Or maybe we will just use our tax returns... :) and, of course, if Cash can sell some SERIOUS amounts of M&Ms and Mike and Ikes. Just Sayin'

P.S. I also need one of these for the trip:

Yes, that is a mini-van. I have completely lost my marbles, and the little bit of coolness I used to think I had. :)

Cash

2012-01-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

"Mom, do our jammies grow bigger while we grow bigger?"

"Uh, nope. We take them out and box them up when they get too small. Then buy you bigger ones."

"But why?"

"How would we make them bigger Cash?"

"We could... give them food, so they can grow..."

(This was several days ago, mind you, after he had squeezed his cute little body into a teeny Buzz Lightyear footie pajama. I think he just doesn't want to get rid of them, because they are Buzz. Don't know what I would do without these little loves in my life. Love, love, love my BABIES!)

Cash

2012-01-20T16:20:00.000-08:00

"Get back you savages!" - Megamind

"He said 'get back you sandwiches!' He called them that." - Cash

Today and pajama days

2012-01-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

Had the best (productive) day today! Bleached half of my house (second deep cleaning this week), vacuumed and mopped all my floors (also second time this week), finished my laundry, played legos with my kids, babysat an adorable set of twins, took all 4 kids to Leo's (where we had pizza, they played hard on the toys, and then we played games... :) Got a new windshield, worked on cash's letters, made dinner for my family (for the hubby when he got home from work), made rice crispy treats and my kids helped (they are learning how to cook! YAY!), and tonight I went to Zumba!

If every day were like today, as productive as today, my life would be perfect. :)

I love being a mom so much. This is what my life is supposed to be, taking care of important things for my family, while being around to hear my kids say "Mom, you're the best mom." (Cash) or "I love this mom." (Pres) My kids hug me so close, and love me no matter what. This love that they have is so pure and true. If only I could learn how to love like this again, and forget judgements and prejudices.

I am finally getting back on top of my house from school. Ridiculous I know. I graduated the end of July (6 freakin' months ago, how did that happen, already?), we went camping and to Portland, Oregon the next week/week-end. Then we came home and I slept. I slept, and held my kids, and detoxed from the stress of the last year or two. I had physical pain in my shoulders from the constant weight of stress on me. I recouped. We had many, many pajama days during my 6 weeks off. I escaped my house as much as possible. Any distraction was good, shopping, hangin' with the family, etc. Anything I could do minus working at home. (You would think with all the work I have done at school, it would be an easy transition back to normal life. But I wanted mind-numbing activities. Anything where I didn't have to think.) We went to Hawaii for a week (but we were gone for closer to 2) the end of August beginning of Sept. Believe you me, I thoroughly enjoyed this month and a half off with my beautiful children, and my husband. This was time well spent. Then I started working Sept 12th and I was putting in full-time hours training into my new job. Coleman left the 5th(ish) for his internship in Montana. That was yet another crazy couple of months. But let me also tell you, working and school are VERY different. For one thing, there is a paycheck involved which makes it very easy to continue showing up for, and the level of stress at home is minimal, not like school.

Coleman was gone, I was home. I have my 2 kids, and my job now. 3 (12 hour shifts) per week. Man, that is a lot of hours for a kid... those days are SOOOO long. Usually by my second or third on, my kids would be so starved for my attention they cry and whine and throw fits just so I will hold them, or look at them, or kiss them, or whatever. I trained at work, Coleman interned in Great Falls, and everyone was, once again, left watching my sweet babies. They are great kids, at least I think so... but this was not that easy. (Not that hard, I learned from school, but also not that easy.) Coleman would often come home on the week-ends, which made this bearable, but it is hard to be apart. Just not the way my life is supposed to be.

November rolled around, and Coleman kicked it up a notch, and spent extra hours, and finally finished his internship a few days before Thanksgiving. I have never been so happy to see another human, than when he came home :).

Thaksgiving we spent at Grandma GG's with Rob, Leesa and Eric, and Dad and Kristine. It was nice to have everyone together, although that is only half the fam. We learned a physiology lesson that day, when after dinner, the kids stuck little Presley in one of Grandma's beautiful pink chairs and spun her super fast... To everyone's dismay and humor, she totally blew chunks. :) It was only on her clothes though, So we just pulled her sweater off, and she was fine.

I was "done" training on November 18th, but still pulled full time hours through the bulk of the end of the year. That is, in fact, the busy season for Post Partum, partly because we recover post-op GYN surgeries as well, and everyone is trying to get in while their deductible is paid... Not to mention that it was Christmas time, so we were crazy busy getting gifts together... we finally bagged it and did gift cards for most of the family this year. :) It was good to even get a tree up this year. Seriously it was beautiful, but it was all that we got out for Christmas. Lucky for me, I still had my Christmas icicle lights from last year on the house, and the colored lights on the tree outside... So the house looked more festive than it should have.

Christmas was amazing. My kids are SO fun! They loved Santa, they loved spending so much time with family. They basically loved everything about the holidays. (Even now my kids keep saying "Mom, It's Christmas! Let's go see what Santa brought!" -- "Sorry, but today isn't Christmas...Santa doesn't come today" which they are usually joking, but when they are not is usually returned with shining eyes, and a big bottom lip.) About 10 days before Christmas I started getting on top of my house more and more... I cannot stomach the thought of spending Christmas morning in a house that is anything less than immaculate. :) So I got a lot done.

For the last month it has been - day off - (1 step forward), - work a day - (2 steps back). So finally I came home last week to boxes in the living room of tree decorations, a naked tree, a million dishes/toys/pieces of garbage/etc. EVERYWHERE. I nearly had a meltdown. My poor kids, who are happy in spite of the mess, saw their mom at my worst. I totally freaked out. (I realize when I take things out on others, or I am judgemental or critical, I have come to find that is usually because of my OWN insecurities. It is my own weakness that brings out the worst in me, and causes me to point the finger of blame at those I love most. This is what I am working on right now.) The next morning, I did something about it... and for the last few days (since I haven't worked for 4 now) I have been able to get on top of a lot of it... my bedroom still needs work/new carpet/dejunked... But we moved out a 6 foot box worth of crapola (+some) to the DI. I feel like a whole new woman now. The living room, kitchen, family room, and kids rooms are looking great! YAY! Even our basement we dejunked a lot of stuff. It feels so good to get rid of the clutter and the mess. I feel such a load off! I also realize in doing this we are teaching our kids to keep the house clean. They can help, and have chores, but just seeing the way we choose to live will hopefully help motivate them to want the same.

The gunny sack stealing kids toys is a great way to motivate them... they want to hold onto their toys, and knowing the gunny sack will take them if they are not put away helps them... poor babies... They have had many conversations about said gunny sack, that usually go something like this:

Cash - "Pres, you better pick up those legos, or the gunny sack will take them."

- "The gunny sack? Oh no, I not want him to get my toys."

- "Yes Pres, the gunny sack can come at night or in the day."

- "The gunny sack is scary."

One of these days my husband is going to come home from work, and my bedroom is going to be immaculate... and maybe the bathrooms and basement will be a new color. I just feel like my old life is coming back. Slowly, but surely. I used to be good at everything, or at least my kids, and keeping my house clean. I put off my house for so long in school, it's like i have had to retrain myself on how to even clean. Coleman used to come home from work, and the kitchen was painted, or some heavy furniture was rearranged all by myself. (Uuuhhh, did I get the right house?) He used to come home, and I would have sewed some major project all day, and have accomplished things. Lately it seems like on my days off, he comes home, and I have been laying in bed with my kids all day watching movies in my pajamas. I like both ends of the spectrum, but I am glad to be finding me again. This is me, I like to be busy, I like getting things accomplished, I love making things, painting things, and sewing things. I love working out, and getting ready early, and getting a lot of errands (that actually matter, not just time wasters) done. I love going places, and seeing things, and having new experiences. Also, I really do love my job. I think I am good at what I do, because I love it. I just have to find the right balance in my life. All things in moderation. I feel that I am my best self when I am doing these things. I feel like I am a better mom and wife, the only two things I ever (and always) want to be. I always want to be my best self... EVERY DAY can be a better day, a more accomplished day.

But an occasional pajama days is okay too!

SO.... What are you going to change today?

P.S. - funny conversation of the day:

Cash - "Mom, look at this lego guy."

- "Why, Cash? Is he attractive?"

- "No, Mom, he's not a tractor."

Christmas Eve and Christmas - 2011

2012-01-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve we spent at Sarah's, making sugar cookies for Santa. We let the kids frost them, an activity they enjoyed, but mostly they were excited to eat some.

Then we opened our Christmas pajamas -- my kids each got a book also this year. That was kind of fun.

Kooper was super sick, Gabi was super ready for bed... it was a big day.

Thankfully both kids fell asleep in the car on the way home. It was kind of nice! When we got home we made them a bed on the floor in our bedroom, that way they wouldn't wake up before us and see all that Santa brought before we did...

Christmas was on a Sunday this year. I always like that, it helps to drive home the meaning of Christmas when you get to go to church on Christmas day. It also helps that church is only 1 hour long, not 3 hours. Just sayin' :) My kids were super naughty at church, but so were Coleman and I. After waking up early to play with so many new toys, it was hard to settle down...

(Pure Joy)
My kids were spoiled rotten, between Santa and everyone else...

We woke up at our own house that morning.

Then after church we went to Coleman's parents... Where Coleman got the surprise of his life! A gun safe. He was super excited! Big HUGE smile. I will never forget it.

My kids were spoiled rotten here as well (and so were Coleman and I) -- Pres LOVED this Rapunzel wig. Grandma gave her what she has always wanted. HAIR!

These are my kids Christmas outfits... Mimi and grandma Yoda made them for my Mom's temple day on December 15th. They are absolutely adorable, and Pres got a lot of good comments at church. The dress is incredible.

Then we spent the rest of the day at Mom and Blake's! Even Mimi got to try on the Rapunzel wig... :) We cooked and had a lovely family night together... it was wonderful.

Cute mom... and Blake's sweater totally looks like a sock monkey. :)

Funny things my kids say

2012-01-13T13:07:00.001-08:00

Jan. 13, '12

"Mom, can I pick up a whole chair, now?"
"I don't know Cash, can you?"
"I just had a vitamin treat, so now I am super duper strong!"

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Jan. 7, '12
‎"Pres, do you want to go for a drive?" -dad
"no, i'n too busy. .... Is mom gonna go too?"
"yeah"
"okay, I not too busy."

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Cash and Pres - Jan 6, '12
‎"Cashie, you gonna go out and kill bad guys?" - Pres
"Yeah, I am. And you better not come with me, or they might punch you."
"I not gonna go, cause they might punch me. Right in the face."

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Christmas 2011
I'm getting spoiled up!! - Cash

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Dec. 23, '11
Cash - "hey Presley, lets race cars, and if I win you have to piss in my cup."
Dad - "WHAT?"
Cash - "it's the piston cup, so she has to piss in my cup"

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Dec. 20, '11
‎"Christmas isn't about surprising, it's about believing." -Cash

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Dec. 16, '11
‎'Farts that make noises don't stink. But farts that don't make noise really do stink.' -Cash

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Dec. 11, '11
‎"I'n Rapunzel, Cashie's Flynn Rider, Dad's Pascal, and you're mother. Mother goggle." - Presley to me

"I papercutted my thumb, and it will never heal. i want Jesus here to heal it." -Cash

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Dec. 10, '11
I want some hot chocolate, Fwench fwies, and a dwink. - Presley

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Dec. 2, '11
Coleman - "Pres, are you Rapunzel?" --- "yup!"
"are you Tiana?" --- "yup!"
"are you Belle?" --- "yup!"
"are you Ariel?" --- "no Ariel is Cash's girlfriend.

‎"I found chocolate! Daisy you can't have any because then you will eat a seizure and it will hurt your brain and stuff." - Cash to the dog

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Nov. 16, '11
mom when i grow up make me a kid, okay? because i like being a kid. - Cash

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Nov. 14, '11
‎"Mom, if you get naked by yourself, and you're not in the tub, then that's against the law." - Cash

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Nov. 4, '11
very upset for an hour... "Finn Lyder cut off Punzel's hair! Dad...why Finn Lyder cut off Punzel's hair?!?" - Presley

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Oct. 29, '11
‎"Where's your head" -- "here" -- "where's your bellybutton?" -- "here" -- "Where's your boobies?" -- -- -- "uh, I didn't have any boobies." - Convo between myself and Presley

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Oct. 21, '11
‎"I want to watch the people of walmart again, it is so funny!" - Cash

2011-11-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrate:
-10-different "careers" :)
-9-semesters of college (x2)-(I like to refer to this as 9 circles of hell)
-8-Different cars we've owned
-7-YEARS OF MARRIAGE! (and many July birthdays :) Cash's is 7/7/7)
-6-Adorable neices and nephews. (3 of each)
-5-Golden Rings (promise, 2 wedding, titanium, & the Joseph Smith)
-4-Years of parenthood
-3-Different Houses -- and amazing vacations :)
-2-AMAZING & Beautiful Babies... and (in April) two degrees!
-1-WOnDeRFuL Family that I love so much (especially you Coleman)
.......And a Partridge in a Pear Tree!

Halloween

2011-11-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

We made a quick road trip down to Utah to go to the Dinosaur park on the 21st. We met Dad and Kennedy there. They had a ton of lights, and some trick or treat booths. It was a good time, the kids thoroughly enjoyed it. Kennedy was Darth Vader, Cash a dog, and Pres a unicorn. :) We went out to Sizzler afterword, and I got some weird looks... with my bright red lipstick, and long fake eyelashes! I wore a black sweater and a cute witches hat. It was a fun night! :)

Making goo at on eof the booths. They thought this was pretty cool :)

Where's Darth? :)

On the 29th we went to boo at the zoo! This is always an exciting event, seeing animals and trick-or-treating. My kids love this stuff! Sarah and Kris went, and so did Mom and Blake.

My kids were an army man, and Belle from Beauty and the Beast.

Olivia was so sick, she rode in the stroller, because she didn't feel like doing anything else, poor girl. Gab was so cute and fun to snuggle. Sure love spending time with all these kids.

Love koops face!

Bowling at one of the various games they had set up... Cash pretty much through the ball way past the crates both times. I laughed, but he got treats anyway...

It's tough being Daddy's Princess...

She wouldn't wear her crown... so I did for a while. Love this girl. She loved wearing her costumes! She likes being a princess. I love her cuteness :)

On the actual night of Halloween we went to the trunk or treat with Sarah's ward, then we went to eat at Out of Bounds Sports Grill, which is at the golf course in Rigby... pretty dang good, I must say... :)

Hawaii! - Part 1 :)

2011-10-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

We went to Hawaii the last week in August... It was way too short! We spent 7 days on Oahu, and flew home at 1030 at night the last night. It was to congratulate your's truly on graduating from Nursing school!! It was beautiful and fantastic! :) I think even Coleman liked it, and he's not always one that wants to travel... "Money is better spent on a gun." Direct quote. :)

Day 1:

Long airplane ride... well 1.5 hours to Phoenix Arizona, then 6 over to Honolulu...

When we flew in, it was about 5:30 pm Hawaii time, we stayed in Kailua, so we went pretty much straight there, but we did stop at the Pali lookout on the way, because it's incredible! :) Super windy, and cloudy, but still beautiful! This pic SUPER doesn't do it justice... You can see a massive spread of a good portion of the island, and the ocean, and it smells FANTASTIC! Love it here...

We checked into our place, then went and got some food...

(Milk is a little pricy... :)

It was dark by then so we went to bed (it's a 4 hour difference, so we were flippin tired by then, it was after 1 AM our time)

Day 2: We got up and did EVERYTHING this day... :) We started out at Hanauma Bay, snorkeling...

Our wicked cool jeep! :) Poor thing was rained in a couple times... but no big deal! It's a rental, right?

We drove a lot this day.... we were seeing the sights... Sowelooped around some of that south end of the island, then we went up the eastcoast,

until we ended up in Kaneohe Bay... we ended up on the wrong highway, and back into Honolulu before we knew it... Where we ran into this little ditty:

While back on this side of the island... we went to Punchbowl and drove Tantalus:

Punchbowl:

Then we went to Dole Pineapple plantation:

Then drove the North Shore, stopping to snorkel a bit... :

We passed through Laie on our way back to Kailua... This is where the temple is... Beautiful area! Last time we stayed in Laie for a couple nights... It is beautiful

To be continued... man i remember now why i never blog... it takes FOREVER! :)

Hawaii - Part 2

2011-10-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Sunday morning (August 28th, 2011)

Highway 3 Driving to Pearl Harbor

Battleship Missouri to the left, Arizona memorial on the right

Part of the gunner that is still left

USS Arizona Memorial

Museum of the attack on Pearl Harbor

On the USS Bowfin, it's a submarine that is no longer used, a floating museum in Pearl Harbor. :) It was pretty cool, crazy to think people lived in those conditions for long periods of time...

Steering the sub

sleeping conditions

Toilet on the right, shower on the left

More beds for sleeping, amongst the missles-- wouldn't be the most comforting place to sleep.

The bridge to Ford Island on the right

Arizona memorial in the background

Birds of Paradise - crazy awesome flower :)

One of the 4 anchors of the U.S.S Arizona...

Cruising to Waikiki Beach

Duke's Waikiki - Fantastic restaurant, mostly because of the location... we were right on the beach, and we could see Diamond Head. The food was good. $15 each for an all you can eat buffet. (we missed the breakfast one, so we ate lunch...)

The birds got a little meal as well...

Waikiki Beach, and Diamond Head

Duke Festival was going on while we were there, they were playing surfboard polo. Kind of cool to watch

Waikiki beach from the other side

Duke statue

Poser

Iolani Palace, can you see me in this picture? :) The only palace on US soil, used to be inhabited by royalty of the hawaiian islands...

Da Kine - AKA Dog the bounty hunter

We walked Waikiki beach at sunset... something I have wanted to do with Coleman since the last time I went to Hawaii (and I called him at least 1-2 times per day...) That was in November-December of 2003.

Diamond Head

Coleman dug a hole -- not sure why.

Sunset! amazing!

My sexy hubby!

Feel like a little pie?

How about the whole bakery? $20 later we walked out, and ate to our little hearts content...

MONDAY morning!:

Kailua beach early AM... sunrise... We ate a bunch of our delectables from Lilha Bakery this morning... Delish!

Does my neck look abnormally long in this picture? :)

To the west, beautiful colors in the sky... couldn't capture the absolute beauty that morning.

Hale'iwa Joe's - Kind of expensive for what it is...

But Hale'iwa is an awesome little surfer town on the north shore.

The yummy sno cones, also in Hale'iwa!

Snorkeling at Shark's Cove... Don't worry, it's just a clever name :) -- It was beautiful and clear. There were lots of open coves, and a million fish that would just swim around you...

Here's a cove of fishies...

Fishy eggs :)

those rocks hurt like a son-of-a-gun... They seriously poked almost all the way through my shoe... They are SO sharp!

The last photo our camera took... We ran to Sam's the next morning to buy a new waterproof one, as we were going to the PCC the next day :)

Ted's bakery! Chocolate haupia pie! (Haupia is a coconut...) This pie is fantastic, and famous

Drinking straight from the coconut-- Coleman didn't really like it :)

China man's hat

This night we went back to Kailua (where we stayed), and ate at Pepper's place in Kailua. Yummy :)

Hawaii - Part 3

2011-10-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY! Morning sunrise from Kailua beach, again. We went snorkeling for turtles, but it was a little too rough and the visibility was crappy. So we didn't stay for long... we went back and got ready, ran to Sam's to buy a new camera, since ours crapped out the night before, and then we drove to Laie, and saw Laie point. Another place with an incredible view. Then spent the rest of the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center:

Laie Point

Pristine clear blue water... just gorgeous!

The PCC!

Making fire with sticks. In Samoa

Samoa

The Canoe Parade - the people on them dance and sing according to their native islands traditions.

Us in Tahiti!

Sweet tats! These came from the islands of Tonga. :)

LUAU! LOVE these drinks... they are by far my favorite.

Ha! Breath of Life show, at the PCC

WEDNESDAY! We slept in this morning... we were SO tired! It's been a long trip -- started really missing my kiddos. I was looking forward to going home to see them:

Swap meets

Poky banana... love it :) Delish!

Hiking in, i wish these pictures could do it justice...

Jungle

one of two creeks you cross

Hiking in, a long way up, then a long way down! (took about 45 minutes each way) but beautiful! Jungle-y and well worth it :)

Maunawili Falls!

Swimming in a waterfall!

Little fishies sucking on our toes :)

Upper falls

My war wound from cliff jumping at the falls... i kind of slipped down some of the rock... freakin hurt!

Good thing my dad sent us with some Athletic tape, made it bearable for the last day, and several days after we went home.

Beautiful hike! loved it...

Dinner at Violet's Bar and Grill - Japanese food... :)

Pu'u Ualaka'a State Park - beautiful view

THURSDAY Morning

Beautiful sunrise

Marina 4 -- Beautiful! This is one of my favorite pictures I took on this trip

The boat trip, this was a highlight of the trip

Jumping off the boat

Coleman

Dolphins - We freakin swam with real dolphins! This was pretty incredible... :)

Baby dolphins

reef fishies

Turtles!

Fish feeding -- extra $5 :)

The Black Pearl - here for the opening of Aulani, the new Disney Resort in Ko'Olina

Featured on Man VS. Food - Authentic hawaiian food, super yummy!

The ribs are hanging behind us

McD's Haupia pies... we ate a few of these... daily :)

Thursday night at 10:30 we left Oahu. We had a fantastic time! Brought home our leis from the PCC, Cash and Pres thought they were cool, but not as cool as I think they are :) LOVE this place. Can't wait to go back and take the kiddos... they will love it, hopefully as much as I do

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

2011-10-04T13:38:00.001-07:00

We went to Jackson a few week-ends ago to celebrate Mom and Blake's Birthdays at Bar J Wranglers. It was great! Coleman wasn't able to go until later (he met us at Bar J), so I am pretty sure we looked like polygamists walking around all day... Sarah, and Kris and their 3 kids, and me and my 2. Good times... :)

Working

2011-10-04T13:28:00.001-07:00

I started my job... it has been really good! They are starting me in Post-partum (to train there) then moving me into nursery to train, then working me into NICU and L&D. It's kind of hard, but I am seeing myself getting better at it, and I have only worked 5 shifts on the floor. I am happy there, and feel like I am making a difference. I also got my first paycheck on Friday... THAT was nice :) -- I have been doing this for 2 years for free, so it's kind of weird to see it begin to pay-off...

I am feeling sad about leaving my kids. 3 days a week is too much... So I am looking forward to being trained so that I can cut back my hours, and be home with them as much as possible. Being PRN (as needed) I will have a lot of control over my schedule. I mostly just want Coleman to get a great job so that I can cut back on my hours as well.

Overall I am really happy!! :) I feel like things are falling into place. I keep saying "too much is going right, something is bound to go wrong..." So I guess we'll see

Timing

2011-08-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

I cannot explain exactly how timing has played such an incredible role in my life lately. I started school 2 years ago in September, and I was taking 2 night classes that took me away from my sweet babies, I was in on-line classes, and so I was able to be home a lot. Cash was 2, and Presley was 2 months. I realized how much they needed me, and I realized how important my time was with them, especially with Presley being a newborn. I remember praying and literally asking to get this process over with quickly, because I really just wanted to be a mom, and I didn't want to have 5-10 years between babies, but I wanted to have some security, and a back-up plan. I was happy going to school, it felt so good to learn again, and it was difficult but in a good way. My second semester I was taking an early morning chemistry class with Coleman, so we would drive to Rigby, drop the kids with Sarah at like 0715, and be up to class before 0745. That was a crazy semester... I wa taking 17 credits, (4 of Anat and Phys II, and 4 of Chemistry) got kind of rough. I almost dropped Chemistry 10 times... but I stuck with it, and when I picked up my acceptance letter to the Nursing program I needed that class as a pre-requisite. They wouldn't have let me have that spot without that credit. AMAZING that I stayed in, and that I pulled the necessary B.

I got right into the nursing program which was a sign from above that I was doing the right thing, with the right timing. I remembered that prayer and knew that I was being watched over. I got through school on motivation that I would be a labor and delivery nurse, It's pretty much what I wanted from the beginning. (having worked for Dr. Leavitt.. Loved him, loved that job, it was that job that made me KNOW I wanted to be a nurse, even though I knew since I was in High School...) When we did our women's and children's rotations (3rd semester of the program) we spent a day in NICU, which I loved, and I knew that was something I could do as well. I kept being told throughout school "You'll need at least 2 years of experience in Med/surg, or something else, before they would ever consider you in L&D." So I just planned on getting any job to eventually get hired where I really wanted to work. I thought "Oh the experience will be good for me... blah blah blah."

I was no longer hire-able at EIRMC because of a silly little job I had there (for 6 months) 6 YEARS ago. They don't ever let go, I guess. (even though since then I have been told several times by HR, keep checking back, you'll be rehire-able maybe in another year...etc.) So, I had a job interview scheduled with the manager on 3rd floor in July, but got a phone call and was told I would not be able to have the interview because I was blacklisted as "abandonment." (during my previous employment, I had 3 days left in my 2 weeks notice, when HR told me that because of a write-up in my file I would not be employable by EIRMC again as I was leaving while in probationary status.) So, no prospects there meant I was hunting again. Which was fine. Anyone who has worked there knows how difficult they can be.

So on our way to go camping a couple weeks ago I stopped at Portneuf to talk to their Nurse recruiters, because I wanted a job. :) They'd had a job posted in Labor and Delivery for 2 months, so I thought.... what the heck, right? Well the nursing recruiter talked to me, and was very nice. (some other places tend to look down their nose at you, as a new grad, and they didn't. They treated me like I was actually capable of doing this job... WHAT?!) she told me which jobs were available, and which I could probably get as a new grad. I went back to the car and said to Coleman... "hey, should I go talk to the Director of L&D?" and he of course is very encouraging "what do you have to lose?" So I did it. I walked into her office, and professed my love for nursing at her feet ;) I told her I was capable and compitent, and most of all I WANTED it. I had some related experience having worked with Dr. Leavitt. She said "well, I am to the point now that I need to start hiring nurses, and I am not getting any with experience." YES for ME!! I think she liked me. She took me down to meet the L&D nurse manager... so we chatted for a while, and they asked me a lot of questions, what did you like about your L&D rotations in school? How did you do there? Would you want to start in women's services? etc... YES YES YES! I loved my clinicals, etc... So after AN HOUR! I left and went back to my car, in complete shock, and told Coleman (and maybe everyone I know) all about it!

That was July 27th, and so with each day passing I have completely convinced myself that I didn't get the job... but surprise they called me yesterday and OFFERED IT TO ME! I am starting in my dream field! SERIOUSLY! I cannot believe it. I am so happy and excited, and I am looking forward to beginning this new adventure in my life. I am not exactly sure what to do with myself ;) Everything really does happen for a reason, and we are tried and tested. My patience has been tested a lot, but i try to keep myself grounded in the fact that we still have a God, and he is still watching out for us. I need this experience NOW while I don't have another newborn... I need this for my future, and then I can cut back my hours and be a mom again, but right now this is what makes sense. I am so happy.

P.S. they called me 2 minutes after I got back in the car from taking the board exam! CRAZY!

Portland

2011-08-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

We went on a road trip to Portland, Coleman was going to take the fire test there, so we made a quick family vaca out of the deal... We spent the week before the trip camping with my whole family in Hagerman Idaho. Which was fun, but I do not know if i have a single picture of the camp-out... will have to get some from Sarah... like always...

That Saturday after the campout we drove all the way to Portland, and pretty much straight to the hotel. We went swimming that night, and spent the next few days researching cool things to do...

There were SO many bridges.. it was awesome. Good thing for a GPS, or we would have been severely lost a LOT of the time.

Portland, Oregon. It really is beautiful there.

This was Sunday July 31, we went to the Portland Zoo...

It was so lush and green, and beautiful. I enjoyed it so much. The smell was fantastic... I always wish there was a way to share smells... :) Certain smells at least.

The pathway twisted back and forth down the mountain, with different areas of animals to see... this waterfall went down several of them, so we could see it here, and then again later when the path twisted around. It was really quite beautiful, and the zoo is highly recommended if you are ever in the area...

Pola

r bear swimming... kind of hard to see :)

Black bears... they kept wrestling around, it was interesting to watch them play. So cute!

This was an area just outside the petting zoo. And the following pictures are from the petting zoo:

"I want to ride in the boat!" - Cash

There was a dinosaur section of the zoo that we didn't visit, much to Cash's dismay. It was fine though, because we have a season pass to the dinosaur park in Ogden... plus momma wasn't about to shell out another $20 just to walk the dino path. Lame. Just sayin'

Giraffe, and my baby girl on her daddy's shoulders

We spent the rest of the day at the Saturday Market, and downtown Portland.

Pres liked the fountain, (and I could eat this face!) Cash fell/got pushed down and cried and cried. So we didn't stay here for too long. We did find a frozen chocolate covered banana right then, and quickly bought a second it was so good...

This was in the area where they do the "Saturday Market" lots of cool little booths and stuff under a bridge in downtown Portland. SO many weirdos, and "free spirits" yet so many interesting things to see and do. It was a great way to experience Portland with the short amount of time we had...

Waiting for "The Max"-- the train that goes around the city. The kids LOVED riding it, I felt like I was going to get mugged... I am sure at night it is much scarier, but during the day it was okay. Other families around helped as well.

On Monday Coleman went to take his test, so we dropped him off and went to the Children's Museum.

Cash found this:

and was done looking around. He LOVES train tables so much. After I weasled him away from here, we found some super cool stuff like:

a humongous light-bright, and the tree trunk thing Cash is walking into was dark on the inside, and there was a flashlight you could use to "draw" on the walls. They really liked this area, a lot. (P.S. there was a place to paint your face, so that is why they have stuff on their faces...)

I was kind of surprised by how into the babies they both were, but especially Cash. He wanted to make sure they were all dressed, and were resting soundly in there beds.

The really liked the gator... they throughly brushed his teeth, then their own. Perfect.

I felt like such a weird-o, because EVERY other mom I saw was at least 40, and only had 1 kid. I was so different having 2 kids, and being so young. They kept looking at me so weird... If only they knew were I come from :)

This room was AWESOME! the kids LOVED digging in the rubber mulch. (Yes that is what it is) and they had a weight scale, trucks, shovels, etc. that added so much to the experience. This was by far one of their favorite places to spend some time.

The fake Grocery store:

eewwww Pres, put down the fake food. Who knows how many other kids have done this very thing....

Every kids museum has one, I think, and every kid LOVES to pretend to be a clerk. Cash and Pres took turns with checking out, and putting the food away.

Cash loved to make us sandwiches in the deli section. He was cute, and got right into his role.

The water area is where we spent the most time in the whole place.

This water table thing is SO cool:

You could move the yellow and blue rectangular things to make the water flow where and how you wanted it to. It is moving in the direction of Pres to Cash. Then they had rubber duckies and various toys you could float down the table... this was very fun for the kids.

Smocks to keep their cloths dry. Ha. They were wet when we put them on :)

The duckies could float from pool to pool, and you could shut the gates between pools, and help build up the water, etc.

There was a house you could help construct:

You could help to plumb it with pipes, you could "sheetrock" etc. The kids liked this a lot as well. I LOVED these flowers, and want to do this somewhere in my own house! I think this is too cute! You could "pick" them, then put them back. They also had a flower window box with holes drilled into it for flowers to be "planted"...

Here you could rock climb... sort of... :)

This is the pet hospital, which cash really liked. I think he would love to be a vet someday :)

This night we ate a restaurant called "Toro Bravo" it was pretty good, a little overrated, and overpriced. But the food was different, and good. I liked it.

Not sure if this pic was right before or right after Presley totally ate it off the chair, and SCREAMED and SCREAMED! Everyone in this (not very family friendly) establishment looked at me like they were completely put out. This was another one of the many reason I decided we probably shouldn't live in Portland, I like kids, especially my own. I like places that are welcoming to children, and Portland really is not. At least not like whereI am from.

We also stopped at a weird little doughnuts shop downtown, We kept seeing these pink boxes everywhere... :

Breakfast on our last day there :)

It is so fun to go places... there is nothing I like more than a good road trip. :) Maybe next year we will make it to Disneyland for the kiddos!

GRADUATION!

2011-07-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

We started this day with Coleman's pinning ceremony on Friday the 21st of July.

Idaho Falls Fire Department Pipes and Drums. They are awesome.

The class!

Looking out for his baby sister. He always does that :)

That night was my pinning ceremony... then the next night was my graduation.
(Stolen from Sarah...)
The top pictures are my traditional nurses pinning ceremony. They stopped doing it after my class. I was really glad to be able to do it, it's kind of special :) -- the rest are from my actual graduation (oddly enough I didn't just wear a square hat for fun...)

This day could not come soon enough. Holy cow, what a crazy, rediculous, exciting, stressful, journey it was to get here. Seriously spent so much time crying a couple days before pinning seremony,(which was the night before Graduation.) They were tears of joy, and of letting go, destressing, etc. Because I am done... because Coleman is done. Well mostly. Because it has to get easier from here. I feel so stressed out still, it's like they are going to send me a letter that says I don't meet the qualifications to graduate, or something bad. It's like until I get that paper in the mail I will not be sure it is actually going to happen...

Especially when the last few weeks have been like this:

(Saturday the 9th... trying to study)

Saturday the 23rd, the first day of the rest of my life, we did this:

and it was wonderful! Sure love doing this much more than I like school... haha.

Cash and his momma!

2011-07-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

"Mom, did you paint this room?" (referring to Presley's room, that was his room once as well...)

"Yes I did, and I was huge huge pregnant with you when I did!"

"Why Mom? .... maybe someone could make me tiny and you could put me in your mouth, and don't chew me, but swallow me and I will be in your tummy and a tiny baby again!"

"You think so?"

"Yeah mom, and then you could paint this room again. Mom, how did I get out of there?"

Dad and Cash

2011-07-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

"Dad you better slow down, or the speed lemon is going to catch up! And you will go to jail"

"I won't go to jail."

"Yes sir dad, it's against the law, and the speed lemon will get you"

"Yes it is against the law but you don't go to jail, you get a speeding ticket."

"Why don't you go to jail?"

"Because it's not bad enough to go to jail."

"....is it good enough?"

hotdog roast

2011-07-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Totally stole these from Sarah... but I was there, so doesn't that give me rights to them?

We had fun going up to Kelley's canyon, and starting a fire for a hot dog roast. We also had smore's, and quickly my kids fell in love. :) I think Cash liked the challenge of getting a marshmallow right close to the , letting it actually start on fire. He is such a silly little boy.

Aunt Penny was here, with Aubrey, Amber, Jarom and Johnny. They came to work on their rental house here in Idaho Falls, so it was especially fun to have them here!

TO my gorgeous 2 year old girl

2011-07-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Presley, I cannot believe you are two! The last 2 years have gone by so dang quick, it is just craziness! ;)

You are beautiful! We have watched you change from a sweet little innocent, pink, bald baby, to a sweet and sassy spirited (and bald) little girl. You look so much like your mama, it is weird... I look at you sometimes and I see pictures of myself as a small child. You talk very well for your age, and everywhere we go people comment on that. Also they tell me how gorgeous your skin is, so dark, and tans so beautifully (I think you got that from me! :) All night last night I was telling you "tomorrow is your birhday!" and you kept saying "I blow da candles?!" You are really cute. The way your cute little smile curls up, I really could just eat you up!

You have been calling your swimsuit a "swim soup" all summer, which has made us laugh. You just figured out how to actually say the word this last week. You love going to Gigi's house, although while there you frequently scream at uncle Rob. I think you prefer Gigi to me in a lot of ways, even after I get there you go give her loves, and ask her for treats, like ice cream.

You tell Daisy (our doggie) to "shut up, Daisy, shut up!" and if she doesn't you will tattle "Mom, daisy barkin'!" -- You also tattle on Cash "Mom, Cash sceam!" Or "Mom, Cash hit" -- the funny part is, you say it after YOU hit cash, or YOU screamed!

We sure do love you, and are so proud to have you as our little baby girl. Thank you Presley for just being you!

Love Mommy

Turning 26 tomorrow

2011-07-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

26 seems so weird. When i got accepted into the nursing program, I remember thinking that when I accomplished my goal of becoming a nurse I would have just turned 26. 26. I feel a little behind, it seems a lot of 26 year olds went to college and graduated years ago. Yet, I am only 26, and I still have a lot to look forward to.

The day my mom turned 26, her divorce from my dad was finalized, and it was her first day in college. (i guess I am not really behind :) She had 2 little girls, My big sister and me, and we were both July babies (just like my 2 kids). We were 7 and 5. I cannot imagine doing it alone. Thankfully we weren't totally alone, we had a lot of people, one of them being Patty, one of my mom's really good friends who would babysit us all the time. She was awesome! I would walk to her house after Kindergarten, I remember on the first day I had to walk to her house not remembering where to go. Her house was like 4 blocks away from the school, in a straight line. My mom showed me a few times exactly how to get there. My teacher kept asking me "Is someone coming to get you?" and finally I was like "I remember where to go!" Surprise, I got myself there just fine. Patti's house was full of exciting things like playing "War" in her basement. We would set up 2 bases on either side of the long living room, and throw toys at each other. The game was more fun when we decided to throw out all of the hard plastic toys! ;) We would ride a mattress down the stairs... laugh and laugh, pull it back up and go again. We had a lot of family home evenings with her family, and spent a lot of time with them. She had a backyard with a playhouse and a swingset. We spent many days out there, one I will never forget because Patti's oldest Trevor and I (who were great friends) were out there, and he was pulling the legs off of grasshoppers. Nasty! There are things about these days I miss. The simplicity of childhood, even in a life where things weren't always simple.

Another thing we had was a Dad that paid his child support. That was enough money to pay for our apartment, and utilities. We relied on food stamps, and the "Extra" money my mom got from her grant money for school went to buying clothes (often at the DI) and a few treats. Like going out to eat at Del Sol, a little Mexican Restaurant in Logan. We always loved the start of a semester because we weren't broke as a joke. ;) We frequently ate little caesar's pizza, with which my Mom began her true addiction to Diet Coke! I remember our little apartment getting flooded somehow... I don't remember exactly how (it seems like the water heater leaked or something), but I do remember my mom going to pick out the new carpet (the landlord let her decide what to get) and she picked pink. We had the cutest girl apartment, EVER! She decorated out of Garage Sales and DI stuff. We had everything we needed. She even put wall paper in our bedroom that was pink and blue hearts, with a border. We even had her at home frequently, which was why she wanted to go to school. To live poor so that she could be home with us as much as possible. She graduated when I was 11, (in 1996) with a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Physiology. I remember feeling so proud of her. So excited for her achievement. We moved to Rigby when I was stating 9th grade (July of 1999) She went back to school to be a nurse when I was in High School, and graduated in 2002 when I was a junior. That was nice. It seemed like for the first time we actually had some extra money! I was also very proud of her for this accomplishment. I really wish I could work with her now, so she could help me learn how to really be a nurse in the real world. No more of this school "theory" crap! ;)

Also on the subject of 26, I believe my dad was 26 (or almost) when he went back to school. We were all slow learners, I guess. Especially considering my entire life my parents hounded me about going to school, and professing of it's importance. Surprise! I still had to learn on my own why, and when, and how much I wanted it. I always knew I wanted to be a nurse, It was just a matter of DOING it. For some reason it seemed unattainable for a lot of years. It seemed like something I would do "someday" ... "when my kids grow up"... etc. I am glad I am finishing now though, while my kids are still little. I know that they will be proud of me, just like I was of my mom. I also know they will be happy to have me home more frequently, but that I will be able to work for more than minimum wage. I know that if anything happened in my life, I have a back-up plan, and a way to help support my kids. Also nurses hours are pretty good, even full-time you are home more than away. (working 3 12's I mean)

It is weird to turn 26. Weird because I feel I have so much tied to it. Grateful for my husband, and not to be doing it alone like my mom. I am feeling happy about where my life is headed right now. Just ready to see everything start falling into place. :)

Cash's Birthday! (Cash and PJs party)

2011-07-07T22:03:00.000-07:00

My big boy turned 4 today... he woke up and first thing he said was "MOM! IT's MY BIRTHDAY!!!" I went over and hugged him, and said, "Cash, four years ago today I went to the hospital, and you were born, and I just loved to hold you and kiss you, and you were so cute! You were such a good baby!" he said "Oh mom, I love you!" so I said "I love you so much, too... happy birthday Cash!" -- "Oh, happy birthday mom!... Happy birthday Cash?" I laughed. He is 4 and so smart, and sweet. Love him. He wanted to get a jamba today, so of course I said yes, it being yes day and all! We walked in, and he said to the girl at the counter "today's my birthday." she said "It is? how old are you" he told her 4. She called his name when the jambas were ready, and the group of them sang him happy birthday. It was pretty cute.

The kids ran 50 errands with me this morning, we got the cake, picked up the balloons and drove To Rigby... we had some salads, pulled pork sandwiches, and a darling pirate cake that was semi falling apart... I will post pics when I get them from my amazing Sister, the photographer. ;)

Camera phone pic, but he parked his new razor scooter Grandpa Dinsdale got for him outside the bathroom! He is so cute, and Koops is helping him out!

One other funny thing Cash said the other day was to Coleman's grandma... he said "Great Grandma, I am going to have a birthday party on July seven, and yoooouu're invited! It's going to be a pirate party, you can come be an old lady pirate at my birthday!"

We had the party at the Riot Zone in Rigby, the Go-karts and stuff were a hit! Cash rode the go-karts at least 25 times. no lie. Along with doing everything else he could do. He definitely got his money's worth out of that $18 wristband! And, SO many people showed up, I was super excited! It was a nice night off from school... tomorrow back to reality. But... Thanks so much to everyone who came and supported my little babies... you are all the reason they are going to grow up and become wonderful adults some day!

I will get a better non-blurry picture on here soon... ;)

P.S. I can't tell you how many times I thought (over the last year) that I wished it was Cash and Presley's birthdays becuase that would mean I was almost done with this program... and guess what, HERE WE ARE! about 6 months ago I had to settle myself, and had a reminder to enjoy every second with them cause I can't go back... So I have. That's probably part of the reason I haven't been blogging. Just something else to distract me from my time with them. They are the greatest kids! :)

A few summer pics

2011-07-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

The bikini, this girl is so sassy, and so much fun! Love her so much

We have done this almost every day since it has gotten warm... They love the sprinkler

This was at the Manti pageant, we went there this year (June 25th) and had a great time!

The fam photo

"cheese!" Love the way she says this... anytime a camera is out she says it... so cute

Sweet girl, this was from springtime when it was still so flippin cold!

So glad for the warm weather!
Happy 4th of July everyone!

College - memories for me, and whomever else ;)

2011-07-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post. For a while now! I have so many things running through my head, I have had so many emotions...thoughts, memories

I had 2 semesters at BYU-I before I was accepted into the nursing program. It was the end of the second that I picked up my letter, and nearly FREAKED right there on the stairs of the Clark building. In fact, all day I had been saying "they called me in the nursing department, gotta go pick up my denial letter, haha..." What i didn't know is that they mail those out. When you have to come in... that's a good sign. It was my first application, no one ever gets in on there first application... do they? I only applied so thenext time they would know i was serious about it. :) I could not believe it. I walked into the basement of the Clark building:

grabbed the fat envelope from the guy at the desk, and thought "this is a lot of papers for a denial letter." I mean what could they possibly say in10 pages? No, you suck, you're the worst candidate, ever, get a life... etc. I was halfway up the first flight of stairs when i had to peel it open, my eyes scanned the page until i read the word "accepted" WHAT? ME!?!?! So I had to read and re-read it a few times, then I ran the flight and a half up around the corner and out the door to find my Coleman in the car. (we were on our way to Anat and Phys, we took it together, and boy was that a long 4 hours of class to sit through... I was WAY too excited to sit still) I wanted to scream! I mouthed "I GOT IN!" In the biggest silent scream ever! He looked at me, perplexed, and was like "what?!?!" He couldn't believe it. I ran and hopped in the car, and he tore the letter open to read it too... "Maybe it's for an alternate, like if someone decides they don't want their spot?" "Maybe it's a joke?" "Maybe it's" ...blah blah blah, on and on we hypothesized about how this could not possibly be mine, and how they had accidentally accepted me! haha. Funny now, There have been so many days I wish they would have denied me. So many dreadful, hard, long days, away from my kids, the only thing in this world that keeps me sane. So many tearful days that I sometimes felt that I wish I would have never accepted!

I then proceeded to call my Sister, she was SO excited, and couldn't believe it... I remember her saying "geez, you're just making this look like a walk in the park!" haha.. then I remembered I had to get a B in Chemistry, so I cried. haha. I had a B- at the time, by about 1%. I studied SO hard for the next test, and Coleman helped me by taking the kids more, and I got 100%! That is the only test (that mattered) that i have ever gotten 100 on, and It was awesome.

The next semester, which was the firstin the program, I look at as "easy." It really was fairly simple, a lot of information was repeat of CNA coursework, and the material that was new was not difficult for me. I remember feeling like, this program was going so well for me... blah! Coleman was still working on generals, and was home with the kids almost all the time. It felt so stressful at the time, trying to get together all the assessments, and skills we were learning, but it was not too bad. I even made time to go jogging and lost ten pounds!

Mercedes learning how to do IM injections on me. This was a great time! First semester is when we learned all of these skills. Everything except for IVs, those we learned the very first of 2nd semester. Or if you are like me you have already done a few at the Dr's office.

Learning how to do subdermal injections on pigs feet.

Me and the class in the lab... these pics are from the school website, we spent a lot of time in the lab 1st semester, and spent at least a few days in the lab every semester:

My second semester in the program was Coleman's first in the paramedic program. This semester was when i saw some major changes in my self from CNA to Nurse. It was hard. It was good, and I learned a lot, but it was difficult. I was so pushed to my limits with my maximum capacity, how much could I handle?? SO many days I found myself crying this semester, so many times I found myself on my knees pleading for a way to figure out everything I needed. I was SO struggling with school, I was getting burned out. I just ate all the time. Coleman was gone CONSTANTLY, I was sleeping at babysitters all the time (Thank you to Sarah, who watched my kids WAY TOO many times... I couldn't have survived without her, on so many levels)It was like.. come home on the week-ends,pack a bag for Sunday night, go sleep somewhere, (it was easier than dragging my kids out of bed at 6:00AM to get them to a sitter, at least this way they would sleep.) I remember when this semester was ending it was December, and I knew I had 3 weeks off... but just being sad the entire break that my days off were going so quickly. The hope after this semester was great though, I knew I would love3rd semester (it's OB and PEDS) but I also knew I was halfway done with the program, which was probably the thing that saved me. From this point on I was counting down, not up. I had gained 20 pounds during this semester, I ate my worries :)

2nd semester, we did our OR clinicals.

Last semester (3rd in the program) was awesome, stressful and hard days, and long days too, but I loved it. I was still packing bags, and sleeping everywhere, and never feeling really settled. I also began working out in January again, which is what kept my mind sane. I knew a lot in our OB class from working for Dr. Leavitt's office, that experience made it easier. Actually throughout the program I watched myself remember things that he taught me, that helped me in every class I took. I was so grateful for him and for his knowledge, and for teaching me so much. OB was awesome, I was able to spend a couple days in Labor and Delivery, which was my ultimate career goal from beginning this process. I also spent a day in the NICU, and realized that is something I really enjoy and would absolutely LOVE to do. I was not accepted for a preceptorship for L&D, which I really wanted, and in retrospect, it's okay. I enjoyed the clinical experiences I had, and honestly wouldn't change it. I lost about 10 pounds total this semester, but it was a good start. :) Exercise really has been a big survival key for me. I didn't realize second semester how necessary it was, instead I would eat... lesson learned, the hard way I guess.

This was during the 3rd semester of the program. We went on a trip to Utah for school where we had to recruiters trying to convince us to come to their hospitals and work, even though few or none of them had any jobs to offer us! : )

My dad took my kids for the weekend, and we got to hang out with them nightly, which was nice. This tool they use for orthopedic surgeries (knees, etc.) I saw them use it in the OR, and it is kind of gross.

This semester (my fourth, and final) in the program has been really hard, but really good too. It has been really difficult to stay motivated, and I don't pull the grade I once did, but It is all good. I still get the same degree as everyone else, even the smart ones! I have found exercise to be my saving grace, and I have lost a total of 21 pounds.We booked a trip to Hawaii for August, as a happy graduation to me present. Life is still crazy and hectic, but for 3 more weeks I think I can survive it. That's what this whole process has felt like. Surviving. Coleman had to leave for 2 weeks for the National Guard, and those were REALLY long weeks. I literally packed our bags every night, we would sleep somewhere, then after school we would head to the next sitters house to sleep.

This semester I spent half of my clinicals in the OR. It was actually eye opening, and a really great experience. I learned that if I was to work in the OR, I would want to be the surgeon! or the First Assistant. Get scrubbed-in on the action... circulating is really relatively boring. ; ) At least when you are not the one doing any charting or anything... they kind of worked around me, as if i wasn't there.

My grandma totally has saved my bacon babysitting my kids this semester too. I am not sure what I would do without her, and I am so grateful for the experiences I have had in getting to know her. I love that she is in her 70s and she gets down on the floor to p lay with my kids. She still has a ton of the toys we played with as kids (that were her children's toys) and my kids love them. They ask me regularly to go to G.G,'s house. (great grandma = G.G.) They take them on the four-wheelers, the have trikes outside (one of which is 50 years old, I think) and they just enjoy being with them. They even like uncle Rob,which is an added benefit. I wish I could explain how much I feel for this woman, and put into words how grateful I am for her. She is amazing, a definite super woman.

Coleman's Mom has also been such a huge help, and always ready to take them every Thursday (my clinical day) the last 2 semesters, for 12 freakin hours! Coleman was frequently there by 2 or 3, but I didn't get done until 6, and sometimes they were there that long. I don't know how we would have done it without so many people that love them, and were willing to care for them so much.

The stress of being wife, mom, and student has been sometimes unbearable. I wish I could explain it in words, and only those who are close to me know how bad some days really have been, and how long, and how painful. They have experienced them with me, and especially my kids. I feel like the last 2 years has gone by so unbelievably fast, it is crazy. I did pretty good staying balanced, and spending special time with my kids a lot. This last 2 semesters I have let my house go to complete pot though. I just keep remembering "it will be there when I get done." And I will... August will be my month of house readiness! Some days I have felt so neglectful, and I will always regret that. I have the most amazing children in the world. Obviously resilient, as they enjoy going to everyone's houses all the time. I don't know what I would have done If my kids weren't the type to wave and blow me kisses when i left. They are amazing, an I wish I could express to them in words how thankful I am for their willingness to let me finish this, and cut into there time. I realized not that long ago that they were giving up there time with me so I could do this. They did it. They gave it. They are amazing little people, and their hugs and kisses can change my entire day.

I am stronger. I feel like I can handle so much more now. I feel powerful in a way. I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life, and I really have goals, and aspirations. I can't wait to be with my kids more, and it will happen before we know it! YAY! And to think in this time they have managed to grow so big, Cash will be four on Thursday and Presley will be 2 on the 12th. I am glad to have done this while they were little, it's only going to get harder, right? I don't know how many times I have said that phrase. : ) But I always knew I wanted to be a nurse, since the 10th grade. Just took me a while to get around to it.

In 3 weeks I will graduate, and then I will be home much more, studying for the NCLEX board examination... but home none-the less. Also, i am thankful for on-line courses, they are another reason I have been able to do this, to be home with my kids much more. What an amazing experience. I have been tested, run through the gauntlet, fallen down, and gotten back up. I am so glad this program is winding down, and my kids need their momma more. I can't wait to be with them all the time again, and that will come soon. Thank you so much to everyone for your support, babysitting, even sometimes just kind words were enough to help me hang on for one more minute. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I hope to be able to look back on it with fond memories.

My class of nursing students:

Good luck in the future to all of you! This picture will be on the wall in the Clark forever. Actually I have heard that the program will be changing buildings, but I am sure the photos will still reside on the wall wherever they move to!

But this one suits us so much better, since we became known as a class of goof-offs:

P.S. I got my acceptance letter for the Bachelor's program, and for a minute I considered tearing it up and pretending that it never came. : )

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

My feeble attempt at photoshop... Someday i will spend the time and learn this, because I really enjoy it...

Cash is a ghost, and Pres is of course a fairy! She was THRILLED about having her picture taken. That's what we get for having no nap! ha

good ol' Tautphus Park zoo

2010-09-12T09:59:00.000-07:00

Ashes, Ashes

2010-09-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

This is what we hear from Pres all day long!

Lately:

2010-09-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

SO to start with... This picture is of Cash after he beautified himself with my makeup. He hangs with me too much! :) Needs a little more man time with dad i guess.

My new couches! Actually i bought them from someone, so i didn't pay full price, but we got the couch, loveseat, Chair and a half (it is humongous) the coffe table, and 2 end-tables. We are super pumped! :) We had to drive down to Draper UT (with food poisoning mind you) to get them, and the funny thing was I had looked at them in the store like 5-6 months ago. They were just kind of expensive... so we thought we would wait and see what we found. It was just lucky. thank you KSL :) Lyndsi and Dad and Coleman and I and the kids went to Chuck E. Cheese on the way home too. That was fun. (Sept. 1)

We went to Yellowstone with Grandma and Grandpa Dinsdale. It was fun to take Cash and Pres. She actually just slept through a lot of it, and i didn't have my real camera... so these were from my phone. There was a point where Cash was holding hands with Gigi, and Great Grandpa, just walking with them. It made me happy that he has gotten to know them, and enjoys to be with them. He loves his family! We went on Sept 2nd.

Cash wanted this "computer" he kept calling it from Target. Well every time we went there if i couldn't find him he was always playing with this toy. So Coleman told him to start doing some chores to earn some money, and he could come buy it. (it's $60, $20 for each extra game, $10 for the house charger and $10 for the car charger) anyway... so he saved his money, and we got to buy it! he was super cute about it. He bought it on Sept 6th.

Cash's first day of school. As you can see there was no fighting him to go, he was just pumped to be there. I had to wake him up to get there on time, and after I told him we were taking him to school he said "Are you going to leave me there this time?" after i said yes he said "Then I need my backpack." He was so excited! He ran right in, and I took him down to hang up his bag. I did okay, but it kind of makes me sad to think about now! He is so grown up!

This is his first school project:

His shirt looked just as colorful. I love this boy. He is sure handsome

I haven't said much about Pres... she is WALKING! all over... she is super excited to be up and mobile. She is just becoming a beautiful girl.... turning into such a kid. She is starting to repeat everything you say. She is such a sweet girl, and truly happy. Her daddy has sure been enjoying rocking her to sleep every night lately. He is such a good dad to my sweet kiddos. Just loves to hold them and love them.

School is back in for Coleman and I too. I have been kind of stressed about it, now that I am realizing how much i am NOT going to see Coleman. He has been working quite a few shifts at 3B (the juvy jail) and he was hired by Rexburg fire department for an internship during the paramedic program. So every 6th day he will spend 24 hours at the station. He is SO busy with school, so much more busy at the school than I am. But as long as everything goes to plan we will both graduate in July, Coleman with his Bachelor's in Emergency Service Administration, and me with my Associate's in nursing. Just stressed about how to get there, and what to do with my kids in the meantime. I sure miss them while I am at school, and this semester is going to take it's toll on me, and them. I just need to get through this, and my life will be so much better when all is said and done. :)

This made me laugh

2010-08-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

Someone posted the first sign on their business door... and a customer posted the second... ha!

A whole lotta summer! picture overload

2010-08-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Already August 11th!

Holy crap, where has this summer gone?

We have had a crazy, busy, wonderful summer! Coleman's family had a reunion at Bear Lake this year... The kids were fun, and Cash apparently got annoyed with someone, so this is what we found:

He said "he was bugging me." So he mooned him? :)

Driggs Parade - Saturday August 7th

We went to the annual family drill weekend thingie.. we went camping up by palisades, and on Saturday the city of Driggs asked for a color guard at the parade. Coleman went up to do it, and I came to watch. It ended up that they had 1 person too many, so Coleman ended up driving the guard fire truck, and we got to ride with him! The kids just sat and waved out the window the whole time! They were so funny...

Her little teethums... She has 5, the other is just to the (her) right of her incisors...

The truck in all her glory! She is quite large, it's hard to tell how big by this pic though

Granite Family Reunion, August 2010

I didn't take nearly enough photos at this reunion... but here are a few of what I have:

Catching critters in Granite creek

She REALLY wanted to get in... so she did! :)

The beauty of being a boy while camping...

Cash rode the river with the big guys! My fam usually runs the Snake (Hoback) and Cash got to ride down to the cable, before the real big stuff, Kahuna, Lunch counter... etc. The big guys, and Koop rode the whole thing! I was very impressed! Cash liked it after it was over, but was a little stressed with the cold water splashing on him..

My kids stayed back with aunt cheryl and sarah while Coleman and i ran the river. If i look deathly afraid.... I really wasn't... but man that wave is huge from that angle!

Coleman took this little beaut

Idaho Falls Airshow - Blue Angels

We went to this a few week-ends ago. Coleman had to work there (for guard, showing the army fire truck, seen in the parade post) I am glad we went, it was fun to see, but my kids were ready to go by the end. Neat nonetheless.

Face paint! Pres had a flower, and Cash a snake. So tough!

Spray Park

We went to the spray park in Rexburg the end of June. I thought for sure the kids would LOVE it... I was wrong. Cash was afraid of the slide, so I sent him down with pres... haha... they were in it for quite a while(stuck?) Coleman got soaked trying to get them out, haha.... then they just played around the perimeter... and finally after a while they would go near only the small stuff, but no where near the big play area again! They are traumatized for life, I think...

Random:

Our summer has been a vast array of sunscreen, sandcastles, water playing, shorts, family reunions, eating out, Bear Lake, hot sun, BIRTHDAYS, Idaho breezes, bike rides, blue skies, swimsuits, ant-farming, camp-outs, thankful for A/C, BBQs, jogging, beautiful days, bug spray, Rigby Lake, cool nights, swim diapers, spray parking, worm-finding good old-fashioned fun! With a little study time tucked in here or there...

We hope it never ends!

2010-07-13T22:53:00.000-07:00

Met Glenn back over the fourth. He was in Driggs... forgot to post these... He was amazing, as always! Love him! and the fireworks were excellent too! :)

Presley's 1!!

2010-07-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

To my gorgeous baby girl!

Happy birthday my sweet little sister! What a fun year we have had getting to know you. I have learned a lot from you, about myself... Like how you are possibly the sweetest, most easy going carefree child I have ever had the pleasure of being around! How do you do this? I am trying to figure it out, and so badly would like to emulate you! If I catch your eye, you send cheesy grins my way, fleeting little moments that I will hold onto for the rest of my life. You are beginning to find your personality, and I love to see your spice for life!

You sure do love your big brother... even though he picks on you once in a while. But don't worry, when you scream that high-pitched shrill scream when he takes away a toy, it is often followed by his returning the toy to you. He loves you so much. When you wake up in the morning, he gets down in your face and says "hey pres! Good Morning Pres! Hey presey, did you wake up? huh? did you wake up?" and he is so happy to play with you.

You're are beginning to talk a lot, you say dada, mama, ca (for cash), hi, uh-oh, what'sat?, DAY-hmmm (for daisy, the dog) you say AHhey (for Ashley) etc. You wave when we say hi and bye, and it is about the sweetest thing! You shake your head 'no' at me too, and it makes me laugh! You have not been very scared of strangers, but you always like to look for me; Once in a while you seem nervous, but you genuinely seem to love people. Oh and how they love you! The last couple weeks alone I have had at least 10 people comment on how pretty you are, and tan. And you are!

You have been different than Cash in so many ways. I love every second I spend with the two of you, and when I am not, I can't wait until the next moment I can sit and snuggle and kiss you. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for you, and I love you more than anything! Thanks for being such a sweet, amazing little girl! Thanks for helping me realize the things that really are important to me in my life. Thanks for all the joy, and the great times! You're growing up so big sugar bug, and I can't wait to see every minute of it!

I could just eat you up!

Mommy

Some New Pictures Post...

2010-05-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

We have been taking baths!

We have been going on some serious biking ventures! and a few super jogs...

Playing at the park while i study... and play a little too :)

The zoo!

We met some super cute baby goats

Who knew that $1 kite would create so much joy...

My kids are growing like weeds! Presley still has no teeth, but is so joyous! Cash is amazingly fast at keeping my house a disaster! I've lost 10 pounds since the semester started.... & I am hanging on in this nursing program by the skin of my fingers... Loving my crazy busy life!

Neglect

2010-04-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

Oh how i have neglected everything! I just try to not let the neglected be my kids, and my homework. :)

I lost my camera... last time i had it was when we pierced Presley's ears on Dec 30th (and how cute her earrings are!)... and i have not seen it since. Of course i had not taken my Christmas pictures off of it yet... so i am ready to throw up about losing all of those. We had some good ones... i still hope and pray that it surfaces, but we did buy a new camera finally like 2 weeks ago.. so i will have to get some updated pics of my kids on here. They are getting so BIG!

Pres is growing up so much... she is rolling over everywhere, gets up on her hands and knees, and pushes up to sitting. She is SO CLOSE to crawling, she will be within a week or so, i bet. (I have been saying this for a week or so, i bet!) she is a sweet tempered little girl, so happy, and BIG smiles all the time. She says mama, (mostly when she is upset, she whines it at me) she says dada, and she waves and says "buh, buh, buh" She waves to say hello too. and she will clap when you say "YAY!" She is just gorgeous...

My Cashie is getting SO big! He is suddenly growing out of all of his clothes... AGAIN! he will be three soon, and is so smart.... but seems to be trying my patience more and more. what do ya do with that? He is so busy, and it is amazing how much he can get into in a short period of time. But oh how much i love him... When he sees me upset, he will come over and hug me and say "it's okay mom, Cashie's here..." I couldn't go through life without this boy. :)

We had finals last week, and school went well. I ended out with a 3.58, and i am happy with that. It was a HECK of a semester.... The end got crazy... i picked up a letter for the NURSING department in March, and found out i was ACCEPTED!!!

So... i had to pull my B- in Chemistry back up to a B i order to be able to stay in the program... I had 2 tests left in that class.. and I got 100% on the second to last one! It was a big deal, considering my average to that point was a 78. I was able to pull the B... so i am starting the program on MONDAY!!! SO Scary. I spent the end of last semester so stressed about chemistry that i couldn't even enjoy the idea of being in the program. And now that i am in... i am ready to throw-up and drop out! I am scared... and I already miss my kids.

Check-List

2009-12-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

Finals... DONE! I have survived an entire Semester! wahoo! (yes for me this is an accomplishment! :) and i actually did good too... I think i have 3 A's, and not sure about the fourth class... but B+ or A- probably)

Christmas Shopping... DONE! Yay! now i can just enjoy this next week, and hopefully all of our gifts that i ordered arrive on time...

Potty training... or should i say potty trained! DONE! haha... This is the best present that boy could give me this year! He worked on it for a while... until he knew what to do, but just wouldn't commit. It's apparently really inconvenient while playing to stop to go potty. When i started getting frusterated, i just put him back in diapers... for 2 months. Less frustration for me, so at least i knew what to expect. Kooper came over 2 weeks ago and Cash saw him tell me he had to go, and then he went potty like a big boy, and that was it! Thanks Koop! He's had a couple accidents. but he ususally runs up to me screaming "HELP! HELP ME! I gotta go potty, mama!" He waits until the bitter end. He's such a great kid...

We kind of kicked the sippy cup too... We forgot it when we went to UT for Thanksgiving... and he drank out of big boy cups for a few days... and then when we got home i noticed how much more hungry he has been. So he has been actually eating now. So we haven't gone back to the sippy.... done and gone!

Presley is eating solids, and loving it! She ate them first on thanksgiving... and has been loving to try new things. She tasted sprite for the first time the other day... haha! poor baby... but i love the sour look on her face, when she tries something new!

UP NEXT:

Christmas! I am so excited this year... Cashie is starting to get it. Santa Claus, Presents, the whole bit. Everytime we get a box in the mail he says "Ooohh Presents!" And when he sees lights he says "ya see that christmas?" he also says this anytime we see trees/decor/santa while out shopping

I have lost 5-6 pounds since i started exercising, but the holidays have thrown a wrench into my whole plan. It is so hard to make the time... but come new years i will be better.. hopefully..

That's it for us! :)

Sweet Laughter

2009-11-25T16:16:00.000-08:00

How I love to hear my babies laugh! Sweet Presley has just started...

Funny how obnoxious you have to be to get them to laugh.

Cash can count to ten!

2009-11-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

So... I have no idea what this squirrel is doing on my roof, but it climbs this tree in front of my window a hundred times a day... I'm sure he's made a nest, and that frightens me!

Cash has been counting to ten for about a month! Smart boy!

And the days keep rolling by....

2009-11-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

To start off with thanks Ang for the virtual kick in the pants! I genuinely do not want to ignore my blog anymore... along with everything else I am no longer ignoring... such as:

College-- some of you know i have FINALLY gone back to school... crazy how long it took! Six years goes quickly! I started this semester, i am taking 12 credits, 2 night classes, and 2 on-line classes... It has gone well so far, I would like to do the nursing program... but we will see...

Exercising--Although appeased since Coleman and I got gym memberships... and I am trying to make a habit out of going... It is coming back quickly thanks to last summer... but I have baby-weight left, and I need to stop eating EVERYTHING I come into contact with...

House--Just kidding, i would rather ignore this than my children! and my life is feeling pretty full right now! :) It does stay pretty clean, but everything has grown legs in the last year, since Cash started walking. Soon it will be times 2!!

What we've been doing lately:

Cash crazy LoVeS bubble baths! Holy crap! I can't keep clothing on him, and he frequently gets in the tub twice a day! Goofball! But at least he is clean...

He's not as satisfied anymore though, unless "sister in the tub!" He loves Presley, is getting better with sharing me, but does like to cuddle for at least 20-30 minutes in the morning before Presley gets up. He is excited to show her things (toys, cell phones... pictures, pretty much everything) he calls her pwes, sister, and Pwesey... He gives her lots of kisses and loves! Oh how I love this boy! He is definitely 2, with all the attitude and everything else... (when she is upset he will say "sister, seriously! seriously sister!" like be quiet! she can be asleep and he will get after her... crazy child...)

Cash and I have a power struggle... regularly about everything... when to eat breakfast, what to have... when he wants to watch t.v.... when to take a nap... who should close his bedroom door when he is napping..."I do it by self!" Such an attitude! He has preferences to all things, and is not afraid to tell it how it is!

She regularly gets lost under the bubbles, poor girl...

HALLOWEEN!!

We hit the boo at the zoo this year...the night before Halloween. Cash enjoyed the trick or treating... he relaized not too far into it that when he said "trick-or-treat" they give him a treat... then he would say "no...i want THAT one" so they would give him another one... he is too smart... nothing like getting treats for being cute! He was a dinosaur... VERY excited about the costume... He's a pretty funny boy! He wore it almost the whole week of halloween, and called it "Costune, Costune... no I want Costune!"

Then on halloween day we went with Sarah to her wards trunk-or-treat... it was fun, kooper was of course bumblebee. That boy and his transformer obsession! I love him! Livi was a cute little witch, and she apparently didn't make it into these pictures... but she was super cute! And Pres was a hawaiian girl... I don't have a picture of her either, Sarah does... Iwill have to get it.

Mom and her beau Blake

My SO happy sweey girl! She is getting SO pretty!! Everyday I just want to stare at her! She rolled over the first time (from front to back) at 2.5 months, on September 27th... I was like "holy crap! she just rolled over!" and Coleman said "it was just a coincidence", to which I replied "Yeah, it always is the first time!" So a bit later I put her back on her tummy, and she did it AGAIN! She is getting better at it, and at holding her head clear up offthe floor. She has been rolling from back to front too this week! They get big WAY too fast!

thiswas fun... thanks for crayola washable! he told me the picture was a snake!

And to those who made it this far.... my darling hubby... we celebrated our 5th anniversary last week... Holy hannah! And doesn'the just look so cute and studious in those glasses?!?

Ptosis [toh-sis]

2009-09-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

My little Presley has a condition, drooping of the upper eyelid, called Ptosis. It's her Right eye. You may have noticed it in previous pictures of her. We took her down to a Pediatric Opthalmalogist this morning, and he said that she has Moderate ptosis, and wants to see her back in 8 weeks. The problem is that over time that lid can cause her other eye to compensate for it, and she could lose vision in her ptosis eye. And the weight of the lid on her eye all the time could change the shape of her eye (causing an astigmatism) so she would need glasses, or worse. He said with where she is right now, her eyes look good, and she can see, but he wants me to put an eye patch on her for a half an hour every other day, to help that eye continue to develop...

At least they make cute ones right? Gotta love the pink camo! : )

He also said at some point she will probably need surgery to shorten the muscle a bit in that eye so that she will be able to open it all the way... He made it sound like it was when [she needs surgery], not if. He will send us to SLC to do it, because they "do a great job, and they do so many more of them, it just makes more sense to refer the 3 i would do a year"

It's okay Presley, I think you are so gorgeous! Eyepatch and all!

Family Photos... 9/9/9...Love 'em

2009-09-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

http://sarahlanaephotography.blogspot.com/

Presley's Blessing

2009-09-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

Sweet Little Pres was blessed on Sunday! Coleman did an Amazing job, and i am so grateful for him! It was long, and so neat! Thank you for being prepared to bless our babies! I love you!

....4 Generations....

My Aunt Cathy gave Presley the dress, and it is GORGEOUS! Long Ivory Silk. I love it! Cathy bought my blessing dress too when I was a baby.

Dad, Kristine and Spicy Kennedy! I love that girl!

Which of these is better?!?!

Hopefully someone got a better picture of us....

Ammon Day at McCowin park!

2009-08-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

Cashie Loves his daddy!!

He said the other day "I want be a firefighter!" He's been hangin w/his daddy too much!

And then my sweet Pres! She was good... as always...

What a big day!

2 week-ends ago

2009-08-31T16:16:00.001-07:00

We went to Lagoon Last Friday (8/21) Cash did great! we stayed out WAY too late... but he was being so good! He loved it! Presley did great! She slept quite a bit... she's a good girl!

Presley's super cute swimsuit... we went to Sam's that morning and bought clearance swimsuits...since we were going to the waterpark... It has disney princesses on it! LOVE it!

Noah took cash on a lot of the rides! Thanks Noah dude!

Then saturday we went to:

Which is FANTASTIC, by the way!

But before that we went to:

He screamed "GIRAFFE!" when we came around by the giraffes... he LOVES giraffes! especially the "giraffe store" (or toys R us...he frequently asks to go there!) he really liked the elephants too... I think because they are so huge in real-life... and he's not seen many of them...

We had a super good weekend!!

Freedom of speech, poeple! It's his opinion! and he's RIGHT!

2009-08-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.defendglenn.com/

And for a laugh....

2009-08-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

Presley does indeed weigh a ton more now... she was 9lbs14.5 oz this morning! Chunky girl! that's almost 3 pounds in a month!

Cash couldn't figure out what happened to his sucker...

2009-08-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

He just kept yelling "Orange! Orange!"... and he still had the stick in his mouth!

How did this happen??? i don't know ..... he had an itchy eyebrow!?!

1 Month Old Tomorrow!

2009-08-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

How fast time goes by! But my little girl is a whole month old tomorrow! She had one appointment on 7/22 (ten days old)and she weighed 8lbs1oz! Aen't they supposed to lose weight?!?!? and she had another appt with the Dr. on Fri 7/31, and at that time weighed 8lbs4oz, was 20" long, and her head measured 14.25"...

But I am pretty sure she weighs a ton more now... she is bulking right up! double chin, and little rolls on her thighs and middle!... Sweet little thing! I am just as crazy abouther as i am about my cashie!

Cash is getting so fun! He is hilarious! Everyday he will say things that make us laugh so much... The other day he said "Hey Dada... try some of this milk, Dad" and he is always telling us to try things... cause we always tell him that! He'll say to me "want more, RIGHT NOW!" He usually follows that up with "sorry"... I luagh about it later.... when he is being taken to Time-out, he says "sorry, sorry, sorry" over and over! We are mean parents! He always wants to hold Presley, and says "hi! Hi sister!" googoo baby talks to her, like all the adults do! I LOVE this! but if i am feeding/holding her for too long, he will say "all done sister, mom"... when asked how old he is, he always says 3, i don't know why... he is starting to figure out when someone asks his name he'll say "Cashie" for a while there he was saying "Presley" ( he says her name so dang cute! ) but he will tell you her name too if you ask...

He is crazy obsessed with Chocolate Milk... and he has been drinking cows milk again without a problem...so far! this makes me super happy!!

A Day hasn't gone by the last few weeks that we haven't watched "train show" or "Poor Espess" Also known as The Polar Express... he always says "I believe!"... That and E.T.!! We could watch either one or both 18 times a day and he would be pumped! he walks around sticking out his finger saying "OUCH" like E.T.!

He's been potty training! What a joy this is! haha! But, since this baby came i remember what diapers are supposed to be like... and am very grateful for his ambition! And through all the accidents... and the laundry... we are making progress! He loves wearing underwear... And he'll say to me "I DID IT!" and then as we walk to the toilet he screams "Show me! Show me!" because that's what i have said to him! he picked out mickey mouse undies and Cars undies, and i picked out the boxer briefs! He runs around most of the time in just underwear at home...

It has been an interesting few weeks, not bad adjusting to 2kids... I expected worse, but i babysit a lot and so that has definitley helped...

Presley Jane

2009-07-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

My Sister is getting so GOOD! She took these pictures of my sweet baby Girl and I am so ELATED! I seriously almost cried! YAY!!!

Go to her blog:

http://sarahlanaephotography.blogspot.com/

You can e-mail her to set up pictures too! She is awesome!

Presley Jane

2009-07-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

My little girl! your due date was tomorrow, and i am so glad to have you here instead of in my belly!! You sure love to be talked to and cuddled and kissed! You never cry... Only if you are hungry and even then it isn't much more than a wimper! You love your big brother... AND he loves you! He talks to you, and you really try to focus in and look at him... He says "hi sister!" over and over and tells you you're beautiful! He is always asking to hold you!
I love how huge this binkie is in your mouth! It dwarfs your head! This was yesterday, and the first time you have really taken the binkie... you don't really like it that much!

You have so many cute clothes! Thanks to everyone's generosity and your mom's knack for shopping! :) haha... (Those were the good old days since Daddy got laid off, and we're poor college kids now!)

I can't believe your brother used to be as small as you! He is a good boy! And has decided this week that he likes to use the potty... SO maybe we will have only one in diapers! We'll see!

You love to be outside! You try to see everything that is around you... Someday it will be easier to see it all!

I am so thankful for you! The minute we knew you were coming to us, I thanked Heavenly Father, and haven't stopped thanking him since! Oh how much I love my two kids!!

Love Mommy

Haha!

2009-07-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

I have no words....

SO much lately...

2009-07-17T23:23:00.001-07:00

So much has been happening lately!!

Cash got so sick... so we ended up taking him to the ER a couple weeks ago with a fever of 103... poor kid...

We had a great 4th of July... Cashie loved the fireworks! It was pretty cute! He calls them

"firecrackers" and always says "can you hear it?"

Then he TURNED 2 and had a birthday party on Tuesday the 7th... i didn't take a single picture...I will post some when i get the pics from Sarah... she is Awesome! and my personal photographer lately!

Then i turned 24 on the 10th... It was a lovely day at the spa thanks to Coleman and his mom... i got a massage, pedicure and facial! it was fabulous! And then i went into false labor... and went to the hospital for the second time that week...

Then on Sunday my water broke! WE HAD OUR BABY! 2 and a half weeks early! YAY! And we made yet another trip to the hospital! You can read about it on our pregnancy blog...

Then... i left the hospital Wednesday... and an hour and a half later we went to Cash's Dr because he fell on a piece of machinery at an auction (actually some white trash guy ran into him and didn't even stop)... and he had to get stitches in his eyebrow... it's just paybacks for the 87 times coleman and i made our parents take us for stitches....

Then Presley had her first appointment today... and cash has a follow up on monday for the sitches... So many doctors lately! it's rediculous!

Presley has been a great baby though! So Perfect and so beautiful! I feel Awesome! I am recovering way quicker from her than i did with cash, and i think part of it is because i exercised more before i got pregnant with her... maybe? but it's nice to see the scale going down! Soon i hope to say bye bye to the rest of the 50 pounds! but she was so worth it!

2009-07-01T16:52:00.001-07:00

I updated my pregnancy blog with pictures of the crib set my grandma and i made!

click the belly pic on the right....

So i did it...

2009-06-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

2009-06-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY worked on the crib set for this baby! haha...i started it 3 months ago, and finally my grandma took over the project and i helped her do it! We worked on it all day Monday and Tuesday... we will finish it in the next couple days, and i will post pictures...

Coleman got home on saturday, it's been nice to have him back... I just have a really long honey-do list for him now! But... since he's not working much... hopefully we can get it all done.

Just waiting for baby! 5 more weeks! yay!

2009-06-09T14:02:00.000-07:00

We went and fed the ducks today... Cash and a little boy I babysit. Cash actually just ate the bread. He wasn't sharing!

Coleman is in Seattle (area) for his 2 week Annual Training for the National Guard. He will come home with a couple new certifications, so that's good. He left Saturday, and won't be home until the 21st. I am getting so used to him being here 24/7 that being gone this long seems weird! It's a weird thing too... i like having him home, especially since he was gone all last summer... we're making up for lost time... but it is hard. I feel like i am constantly tripping over him, and his junk! I miss him already, so it'll be nice when he comes home.

Not much going on... ;)

2009-06-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

We sold the Ranger! YAY! i think i am the only one in my house who isn't sad about it... haha! No, Coleman took it like a man... and Cash doesn't really get it i am sure... or his world would crumble! Ever since we bought it he would stand at the garage door "ride! ride! ride!" and drive me CRAZY! Whenever the ranger was outside he would run and climb on it... and seriously sit on it for an hour strait! just hoping for a pity ride...

The boys took it for a final ride and out she went... We got it for a great deal, so we were able to make some money off of it... I'm sure that softens the blow for Coleman...I know it does for me!

Cashie had a Dr. appointment the other day and he cried when they gave him shots, but the pain was quickly forgotten...as he was super pumped about that band-aid! He has a band-aid obsession. His doctor almost everytime we've seen him has said "Wow, he is a good talker for his age." He referred him to Salt Lake to see an allergist... and we couldn't get in until September! Hopefully we can get some answers about his rashiness, and milk allergy stuff. According to the blood draws he had done last year everything was normal. He didn't even show that he was allergic to milk... so his Doctor wants skin testing done down there... maybe they can give him a proper diagnosis, and new treatment... who knows!?!?

Cash is beginning to put together sentences now... he'll say "i want cheese" or "i no want cheese" it makes me laugh... And he is becoming a liar... he occasionally will tell the truth but for the most part he just lies to me. haha! (mostly about wether he is poppy or not) He says excuse me when he burps and farts, but not until he has a good laugh first! He does say "sorry" whenever he runs into something/someone, or when he does something wrong, and it is so CUTE! We went to Downata last weekend and i took no pictures... so i stole these from my Sister's blog... she was so kind to let us sleep in her camper... She took pity on my huge pregnant rolly-polly body, and didn't make me sleep in a tent! They put us on the sweet blow up mattress! It was fantastic! (Thanks Sarah!) We went with my Dad/Kristine, Sarah/Kris, my little sister kennedy... and Kooper and Livi! It was really fun!

Here's Coleman... doing what he does best! Dutch oven! We only cheated on the potatoes... the Ribs, Wings, and Peach cobbler were all done with charcoal! it all tasted great by the way...but the potatoes were only okay...and...Yes that is my belly poking out around cash... I am getting huge!

What we've been doing lately...

2009-05-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Obviously not blogging! We moved cash downstairs to his "big boy bed" and he hasn't figured out (yet) that he can get out of it at night after he goes to bed. He loves getting up in the morning and coming to find us. actually I love this too. We moved his clothes downstairs, and i still need to paint and stuff... hopefully we will be able to do that soon. when we do i will post pictures... we are moving the baby into the nursery too... which is fun to get all of her stuff out and together... my house constantly feels like a disgusting dirty mess... so Major spring cleaning too... or nesting? probably both...

We bought a zoo pass this year, which cash has really liked. It's nice to get outside, since the weather has been better.

We've been playing at the park too... it's nice to have fun stuff to do with cash...

and cash met a worm the other day... he was funny with it... didn't really want to touch it.. He thought it was "funny!" ... i have a little video i will try to post later. Blogger isn't uploading it.

Not too much going on... as usual... just lots of projects underway at once!

Fire department test

2009-04-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

So.... Coleman passed the test this year! YAY! this is the 3rd year he has tested and he worked so hard to get it too... I am so proud of him! He tied with 7 people for 23rd! haha! (they take the top 30 testers to move through the process) out of the 89 guys that tested this year...They did the physical test the next morning (last friday) and it is pass/fail, then they do an oral interview with people from the community, and that brought his score up a couple points, putting him as number 18 on the list, of 28. (so 2 people failed the physical) So... hopefully a lot of guys retire this year! haha! that'll be the only way he will probably get an interview... unless they hate everyone ranked 1-17... which i'm sure they won't! I think he has a fairly impressive resume though, lots of certifications, and some experience, that would hopefully carry him a long way...

Anyway, life is a little crazy right now.. trying to figure out how we are going to make everything work. Still just getting ready for the baby. I am making her crib set, just started really working on it today... i've had most of the stuff for it for a while now. We need to sell a TON of stuff... make room for cashie to go downstairs and baby to move in finally... i just have tons of stuff in bags still! so much stuff to do! good thing i have 3 months left! I need it!

not much else going on... days are just rollin by! And very grateful for the nice weather we have been having... pray it stays!

2009-04-14T09:17:00.001-07:00

So.... we found out last week that Coleman is going to be getting laid off from his job. The county is doing budget cuts, and he's one of the most recently hired few that will be getting cut. It's really weird but i haven't been afraid at all. I know everything is going to be okay. Okay, the unkown makes me kind of scared, but I just feel like we are being lead to something else... For once we have money in the bank, so it really is the best time for something like this to happen... :) He has a lot of options too, with the military, or maybe wildland fire this summer... which i am not thrilled about, considering we are supposed to have a baby this year... But we'll do what we gotta do! He is also considering private contracting in Iraq, as a fire fighter. they pay REALLY well... but he would have to go to Iraq! he would live on base though, and it's mostly just busy work, with an occasional fire. He takes the test for the IF fire department this Thursday... so pray for him! we are going to need it! :)

I don't know... just have a lot on my mind... with the baby and the insurance... that part really sucks. We were being so reponsible! or so i thought.

Jack's Mannequin, AND Thriving Ivory

2009-04-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

I was very lucky to be invited to this Concert last night by my amazing friend Amanda... I owe you at least 2! ;) not just one! This is thriving ivory's Video for "Angel's on the Moon"... and i have a mini crush on the lead singer now! he is AMAZING! haha!

Jack's Mannequin was really cool... the lead singer rocks out with a baby grand! I think that is too cool. makes me wish i knew how to play the piano... I was very entertained, and at one point thought i was going into labor! but i am good now! haha!

The first band that played was Low versus Diamond... and they were pretty good.

They rent-a-cop security running the thing were nervous everyone was going to start moshing, or storm the stage or something! haha... so they wouldn't let anyone stand up til half way through each bands set....The little boy (okay so he was probably like 17) that i sat next to had tourette's i'm pretty sure... because... the lead singer (of any of the three bands that played) would ask a question... and he would scream out a long answer--- like the following: "How are you guys doing tonight?" --- "It would be better if they would let us stand up!" Randomly my little neighbor would yell things like "OH i LOVE YOU!!!" and..."YOU'RE SUCH A ROCKSTAR" i jsut kept laughing at him! i couldn't help it! I guess I am not the only one with a mini-crush! haha!

"Let's Go! Let's Go!"

2009-04-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

Cashie was saying today in the car... he was hilarious! I especially loved how he was gripping the handle.... And was NOT about to get in his car seat.

Food storage!

2009-04-01T14:45:00.001-07:00

Anyone doing food storage, Smith's is doing there case lot sale, AND i went to Albertson's today and they had Post Cereal (Honey bunches of Oats, Raisin Bran...etc.) for 67 cents a box (when you buy them in 5s.)

Just a little dealie for everyone

Oh the Ranger

2009-03-30T14:30:00.001-07:00

Not tons going on here... Coleman did buy this little ditty last week though! It's a Polaris Ranger. It was a Repo... We got a pretty good deal on it... and originally intended on at least listing it on KSL and craigslist and stuff... just to make a bit of money... But we kind of like it! so we'll probably just keep it... Coleman already promised to donate his plasma to make the payment, and insurance! HA! we'll see how long this lasts!

anyway, it's fun to ride around in... we have been looking for an INCREDIBLE deal on a trailer so we can tow it up to the hills, and not get arrested driving it around our neighborhood! let's just say i am not super keen on the idea of dropping another $1000+ on a trailer! (especially considering then we want a backseat, to make it a 6 seater,(cha ching) and a plow(cha ching, cha ching)...and...the list goes on!) They are supposed to be made street legal at some point... at least Bonneveille county is trying to make it that way... Then you'll see us cruising 17th in it... but until then up to the hills we go!

We are trying to get our basement really organized... getting food storage going... and getting Cashie's room worked on this week... my dad is bringing his "new" KSL bed down this weekend... so i would like to at least get everything moved out of there... YAY for confrence week-end! I don't know why they frown upon you wearing pajama's to church... pretty sure lots more people would show up! And i got called to be in the Nursery. Haha! Cash LOVES going now! poor little mama's boy!

I am making Cash's new bed a quilt this week... a denim jeans quilt. Hopefully it turns out okay... it's a little scary right now, but i am just experimenting! :) I am also trying to decide how to do the babies bed set... i think i am going to make it myself! SCARY! but i have some amazing seamstresses in my family, so they can fix it when i screw it up!

I feel busy but i never have anything to blog about, crazy!

First haircut

2009-03-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Before:

I know... i know... he should have had this months ago... but i liked his little duckling hair! it's gone now! he looks bald/blonde as ever now! :)

After:

Say CHEESE!!

2009-03-13T11:54:00.001-07:00

Eating cheese seems like such a simple thing for most kids... butfor a kid with a milk allergy... it has been a big week! Cashie is eating cheese with no nasty side effects! well, he does get a bit rashy from it, but not as bad as it was, AND he's not getting the runs!!! and while we are on the subject, you've not smelled a dirty diaper until you've smelled his after milk!! NASTY!

California!

2009-03-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

We spent last week in Cali, and had a great time! We spent 3 days at Disneyland/California Adventure, 1 day at SeaWorld, and one day at San Clemente Pier/La Jolla Beach (San Diego) where we saw the seals... We went with my Dad, and Kristine, and my little 4 year old sister Kennedy... and my big sis Sarah, Kris, and Koop and Livi!

It was so nice to get away, and i miss the sun already! I did bring home a nice farmer tan though, so that's good! haha! : )

Kennedy

2009-02-28T08:25:00.000-08:00

My little sister is so funny!! she turned 4 in December, and i just laugh at her all the time!

We were in Utah 2 weeks ago, and i asked what she though our new baby was going to be, "a girl like you or a boy like Cash" and she goes "it's a girl." she was SURE.

So when i called to tell them it was in fact a girl, i got to talk to her, and said "kennedy! you were right! the baby in my tummy is a girl!" and she goes "i know, ash!" she's a smarty pants! i have talked to her on the phone twice since then and each time she asks me "is the girl baby out yet?" "ummm...no... she won't be out for a really long time... but as soon as she is i will call you" and she's all "well, i am going to Disneyland,"(next week mind you)" so don't call me when i am there" "ok kennedy!"

It'll be a while, but if it isn't yesterday, today or tomorrow, i don't know that a 4 year old can comprehend!

Must see commercial! Love this!

2009-02-27T21:52:00.000-08:00

hot dog in my pocket

2009-02-26T20:57:00.000-08:00

I just found the hot dog in my pocket! Why was there a hot dog in my pocket you may be asking yourself.... well....

Cash and I went to Sam's Club tonight for a few items... and it being dinner time, i felt the need to splurge on a pair of hot-dogs... well... cash was less than interested... he would rather dance on the table or be held (he says "hold ya! hold ya!")

So i finally load up the remaining hot dog, and we leave the store... and as soon as start outside he decides he wants it,and keeps screaming for it, and trying to unwrap it. I get him in his chair and he ate most of it on the way to target... as soon as we got into target (where there are no garbages handy mind you) he decides he doesn't want the last of his hotdog...and i being the good samaritan that i am stuck that sucker in my pocket!!! (that was a couple hours ago!) just put on my jammies, and the hot dog flopped right out of jeans pocket! gross! the bizarre things i do for my child!

Oh, and thank you Coleman for cleaning the garage!!! i am currently parked in it... for the first time all winter! how rediculous! : )

Haircut

2009-02-23T19:39:00.000-08:00

I got 7 inches cut off my hair. I've been debating doing it for a long time and i actually kind of wanted to take off more than that.... i am kind of a chicken. i have had long hair for so long, i don't know what to do without it. But i am satisfied for now!

We have been sick at our house. well cash and i have been. well... mostly me. cash hasa runny nose, but what else is new?!?! I think i have had the same cold for 3 weeks now! i finally talked to my Dr. and he called in some antibiotics for me. It would be one thing if i had an intact immune system... but it's running low profile right now. I have no voice anymore either. The things you take for granted until they're gone!

not too much else going on... just need to get better before we go to Disneyland next week!! YAY!

BIG News!!!

2009-02-19T17:29:00.000-08:00

Check our pregnancy blog!

http://ashleys2ndpregnancy.blogspot.com/

Have fun! :)

Baby tag!

2009-02-16T08:39:00.000-08:00

1.Where were you when you first found out that you were pregnant? At work... i worked for my OB/GYN

2.Who was with you? All my co-workers

3.How did you find out that you were pregnant? took a pee-test, then made one of the girls draw my blood to check that, when it was positive.

4.What was your first reaction to finding out you were pregnant? I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off... I couldn't stay still... it was a really not busy day at work so they let me leave a while early for lunch

5.Who was the first person you told? After all the girls at work, Coleman

6.Did you plan to get pregnant? Yes, but shocking how quick it all happened.

7.Did you tell everyone else right away? yes... we can't keep secrets that good very well!

8.Was everybody happy for you? Yes, which i was so grateful for after everything that coleman and i had been through.

9.Did you go out and celebrate? not that i really remember...

10.Did you want to find out the sex? i don't know how anyone could wait! just getting to 18 weeks to find out is a long flipping time!

12.Did anyone throw you a baby shower? I had 2, one that my mom and sister threw just after the baby was born, and the other my step-mom threw in Utah.

13.Did you get any outfits at the baby shower that you just knew that you wouldn't put on your baby? Not at the showers, but i did re-gift/return a couple things. what can i say? some stuff just wasn't workin for me!

14.How much weight did you gain? 37 pounds. i was a tanker

15.Did you lose all of the weight that you gained? Yeah, and then some... but it's coming back with a vengeance this time!

16.Did you get any stretch marks? a TON. on my thighs, on my stomach... they don't even bother me anymore though

17.What did you crave the most? I always LOVE pickles, i wanted those, frozen burritos with salsa, and oranges.

18.Did you crave anything crazy? i did love mustard on EVERYTHING

19.Who or what got on your nerves? everyone got on my nerves, i am a crazy pregnant person...

20.Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? nope, everything went super smooth

21.Where and when did you go into labor? I was induced at EIRMC, with pit, then they broke my water.

22.Did your water break? they broke it... and i didn't like it!

23.Who drove you to the hospital? Coleman

24.Who was in the room when you gave birth? Dr. Leavitt, my nurse, Coleman (gowned up and helped Dr. L deliver cash), and my mom held my hand.

25.Did you go early or late? i was 10 days early

26.How long were in labor for? i went in at 7, they didn't actually start the pit until after 8, and Cash was born at 2:21

27.Did you have any drugs for the pain? Epidural... but it wore off by the time i actually delivered. I could feel everything... i had 2 very small tears, and i could feel the Doc stitch me up.

28.Did you go natural or have a C-section? I went Natural. Everything went pretty easy, and smooth. i can't complain.

29.What was your first reaction after giving birth? I was a little shaky and cold, but i was SO excited tosee the baby. i willnever forget the look on Coleman's face when we saw Cashy.

30.How big was the baby? 7pounds 8ounces, and 20.5 inches long

31.Did your husband cry? he definitley teared up a bit. He was so excited to see Cash

32.What did you name the baby? Cassius Coleman

33.Does his name have any significant meaning? We watched a show on Cassius Clay when we were very first married, and decided that we liked the name Cash, and Coleman is his daddy.

34.Did you have any visitors? Yes.... a TON! it was great to see everyone.

35.Did the baby have any complications? I didn't get to hold him very long right after he was born, he wasn't crying much (like he should be) so they took him over and started working on him. he was good to go though after 5 minutes.

36.How old is your baby today? 19 1/2 months

37.When is the next one coming? July.... 2 weeks after Cash turns 2.

38.If you could, would you do it all over again? I guess that's a yes! i am actually pretty excited. i really enjoyed my pregnancy, and delivery was incredible. I loved it!

I tag whoever wants to do this!

Ear Candling

2009-01-31T12:10:00.000-08:00

Has anyone else ever done this? ....i tried it...

You lay down and put the "candle" in your ear,and light it on fire... it's about 8 inches long when you start, and takes 10-15 minutes to burn, but it is supposed to create a negative pressure, and remove ear wax, and whatever else (soap, dead skin...) that is in there...

I think it worked. It's kind of a taboo thing, i looked it up on-line, and not many people had anything good to say about it... but i like it...

This is gross, but what came out of my ears:

the q-tip is to show how much came out. the darker stuff is wax, and the white stuff soap and dead skin? I was skeptical, so i thought i would put the picture of wax and stuff... anyway, just thought this was kind of weird.

Body Parts

2009-01-29T20:19:00.000-08:00

Cash Loves his Bellybut!

we took this video a few days ago, and since then he has learned his hair, and fingers! YAY! smart baby!

West Yellowstone Last Weekend...

2009-01-21T07:59:00.000-08:00

We had a good time, lounging around! I still can't find my camera, so no pics, but i do have a funny story...

My little sister is 4, and we were getting ready to go swimming, and she said, "my dad doesn't wear a shirt in the pool."
I said "oh, really?"
"Yeah, he just lets his BOOBS hang out!"

And i have been laughing about it ever since. She is such a spicy little thing! : )

2009-01-19T19:13:00.001-08:00

Hey, anyone looking for a double stroller? go here to WIN one!

http://inevergrewup.net/giveaway-25-bumbleride-indie-stroller/

It looks awesome! Check it out!!

Mad at my blog!

2009-01-13T14:56:00.000-08:00

Half of you can see my blog normally (the way my computer shows it) and the other half... well, you have to scroll down a half a mile before it shows my new posts... and because of this i have been avoiding posting. Call me hormonal! But, it is really annoying to me! what the fetch can i do about it? i changed my HTML back... blah blah blah... anyway, if anyone has any tips...

I haven't been up to much. I can't find my camera to put pics of christmas on here. whatever, it was fun! We stayed at Sarah's, and the kids had a ball! Cash got a radio flyer trike, that he is absolutely in love with. It's pretty cute! We got to spend a lot of time with family, as a lot of them were here. I missed everyone that wasn't though!

I have been cooking a lot lately. I don't know what's come over me. I am getting to the end of the first trimester, and nesting? i guess? I just feel like having food on the table, and left-overs in the fridge! i love leftovers! Weird, huh? I caught an episode of Rachael Ray last week and now I am addicted to her website... I am always on there looking for new stuff... or just really good stuff. She is amazing!

Cash is making the transition to nursery pretty well, he is pretty good about going and playing with the kids now, so that has been good. Plus it motivates me to get to church! Coleman works 3 sundays a month (every other at his job, and 1 national guard week-end) Poor guy. or poor us! we miss him a lot every sunday. At least i do, when i have cash screaming and throwing mini tantrums.... then after every prayer he yells "AMEN! AMEN!!..... AMEN!" and if that's not enough it's followed by "LIGHT! LIGHT!" and then we have to point out all 78 lights in our church! it is interesting to wrestle him by myself. Challenging... but i love him anyway!

We went to boise last week-end, Coleman is taking a bunch of fire department tests, (Pocatello, Boise, and Thursday is Meridian/Nampa) not that i am dying to move, but we would for a job. Idaho Falls test is in April, that would be ideal! If he could work for poky, and we could stay here, that would be good too! He loves firefighting, and has done a lot to get a job... now he just has to pass the stink civil service test... Pray for him! :)

Oh and Cash and i have mini conversations now! WEIRD!! he whines, i ask "what?" and he will usually say "snack" or "eat" "milk" or "bum" (when he's poopy.... doesn't this mean i can start potty training him!?!? if he recognizes there is a porblem...) So then i usually say "What do you say?" and he says "PLEEEEAAASE!!!" just like every little kid! So cute. He is getting so big now. For a little guy. He's a good boy!

I will try and fix my blog.... but it's hard to fix when it shows up normal on my computer. ?!? I don't know. Have fun!!

Kooper video...

2008-12-22T15:33:00.000-08:00

i took this a couple weeks ago and forgot to put it on here... it was just on my phone.. so if you can barely see it sorry... but i laughed for a good 5 minutes

And, I also updated my pregnancy blog!

Gingerbread - JHOTNEY MAKHEE!!

2008-12-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

Adorable Kooper... he came over the other day when i made this Lightning McQueen Gingerbread creation. Kooper has been a long time fan of the Piston Cup Race Car! :)

Sarah gave it to us for Christmas! Kooper wanted to eat it. I told him he could after christmas! so we ate some of the extra candy... and an hour and a half later i found kooper, he had dragged a stool over to the counter, and Jhotney Makhee (as he so excitedly calls him) is now missing half his mouth and has a huge gouge taken out of his frosting hood. I was glad i had already taken pictures!

It's okay though, because i love kooper way more than i loved Jhotney Makhee.

Everytime Cash sees it he says "Cars!" in fact he is standing here as i post this repeating "cars, cars, cars..." over and over. He's a goof ball!

Ben Stein - got this in an e-mail - MUST READ

2008-12-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year.

It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.

I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too... But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... Terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why theyDon't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on Your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they Will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... No one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards,

Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

Uncle Colem's Birthday! (as kooper would say!)

2008-12-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to post this all flipping week... but you know how life is!! (his birthday was Saturday, 11/29...and he worked hard all day! poor guy!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLEMAN!!!
WE LOVE YOU!

And we love $26 ColdStone Cakes!!!

And we love you when you are a nerd wearing a mullet hat!

And we always love cash, no matter what! You're the cutest!

And we even love you when you are pulling a popeye-like silly face!

Thanks for all the laughs! Love you!

Uh-oh! Big news....

2008-11-27T20:30:00.000-08:00

http://ashleys2ndpregnancy.blogspot.com/

Doctor Visits...

2008-11-21T23:38:00.000-08:00

Oh how i hate them. Today my poor child had to get shots. He was already upset when the doctor came in (does he SERIOUSLY remember last time he got shots?!?!?) It was like 5 months ago! No way!

anyway, so the doctor kind of upset him just by being there... and i had a ton of questions about all of the milk allergy stuff... so he decided we should draw his blood to run an allergy panel... even though he and every other doctor says that they're kind of pointless at this age... who knows. i am kind of curious though, if he is allergic to anything else... so they will tell me percentage-wise how allergic he is to specific allergens... Interesting...

anyway, so we go to the lab, and the girl sticks him... and blows his vein (one girl had to hold his arm still, while i was holding him on my lap, and the other lady stuck him...) she sticks his other arm and blows that vein also... With not enough blood to run the tests (and no more veins to poke...) she decides to get a needle for a heel-stick, and poked his toe and milked that sucker for everything it was worth. She got what she hoped would be enough, and put the 5th band-aid of the day on him. Then she dropped the bottle, and blood splattered all over me (and her)... but the bottle hadn't broken (THANK EVERYTHING HOLY! i was not about to let her stick his other flipping toe!!) one of the tubes she had used to get the blood out of his toe still had some blood in it, so my new(-ish) white shirt has blood spots on it now. she told me to put hydrogen peroxide on them to get them out.... so we will see i guess.

He screamed the ENTIRE TIME. It was a rough morning :) But he has been such a good boy all day since! I am glad Coleman got to come too, to see how rough it is! It's so sad. i hate watching them hurt my little guy! :)

Strange too, He is starting to transition to one nap a day now too. Which is weird. Kind of nice in some ways. I LOVE Nap-time! so i can nap too! yay!

Moore Family Memories

Candy Machines

Cash

Cash

Today and pajama days

Christmas Eve and Christmas - 2011

Funny things my kids say

Halloween

Hawaii! - Part 1 :)

Hawaii - Part 2

Hawaii - Part 3

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Working

Timing

Portland

GRADUATION!

Cash and his momma!

Dad and Cash

hotdog roast

TO my gorgeous 2 year old girl

Turning 26 tomorrow

Cash's Birthday! (Cash and PJs party)

A few summer pics

College - memories for me, and whomever else ;)

Happy Halloween!

good ol' Tautphus Park zoo

Ashes, Ashes

Lately:

This made me laugh

A whole lotta summer! *picture overload*

We hope it never ends!

Presley's 1!!

Some New Pictures Post...

Neglect

Check-List

Sweet Laughter

Cash can count to ten!

And the days keep rolling by....

Ptosis [toh-sis]

Family Photos... 9/9/9...Love 'em

Presley's Blessing

Ammon Day at McCowin park!

2 week-ends ago

Freedom of speech, poeple! It's his opinion! and he's RIGHT!

Cash couldn't figure out what happened to his sucker...

1 Month Old Tomorrow!

Presley Jane

Presley Jane

Haha!

SO much lately...

So i did it...

What we've been doing lately...

Fire department test

Jack's Mannequin, AND Thriving Ivory

"Let's Go! Let's Go!"

Food storage!

Oh the Ranger

First haircut

Say CHEESE!!

California!

Kennedy

Must see commercial! Love this!

hot dog in my pocket

Haircut

BIG News!!!

Baby tag!

Ear Candling

Body Parts

West Yellowstone Last Weekend...

Mad at my blog!

Kooper video...

Gingerbread - JHOTNEY MAKHEE!!

Ben Stein - got this in an e-mail - MUST READ

Uncle Colem's Birthday! (as kooper would say!)

Uh-oh! Big news....

Doctor Visits...

A whole lotta summer! picture overload