Happy Valentine's Day

Brett door-bell ditched the girls on Valentine's Day with some fun treats: pink marshmallows, roasting sticks, and a Valentine card for each of them. "Katherine, Life is S'MORE fun with you, Valentine!" "Amanda, I love you S'MORE every day, Valentine!" "Ellie, sending you S'MORE kisses, Valentine!" "Wendy, hoping for S'MORE of your love, Valentine!" So that evening, after Brett took me to my current favorite restaurant for dinner (Los Hermanos. . . Hhhm Horchata!), Brett lit us a fire and toasted us marshmallows for s'mores. I'm glad that was before our heat wave! :) He also brought me a bouquet of roses and lilies. It's so great to be loved!

I didn't take a picture, but Katie and I dipped strawberries into chocolate for Brett. We even ventured to add white chocolate designs on them too. Happy Valentine's Day!

All in a day

7:30 wake up call from the 3 year old, who is a bad guy that kills monsters. Turns out that Dad is the monster, but this little "bad guy" killed him. He needed about 15 minutes to be revived.
8 am breakfast with the entire family--doesn't happen every day. Costco blueberry muffins and milk.
8:30 Katie is off to school. She even did her own hair today--comb and clip the side.
8:40 the rest of us get dressed and head to the church for some exercise. Ellie does #2 in potty! Great start to the day!
8:55 Ellie and Amanda build a fort out of chairs in the gym. I walk laps in the hall and shoot some baskets. Brett shoots baskets and jogs.
9:45 return home. Amanda and Ellie play so well together (school) while Brett and I shower for the day.
10:15 I do three sets of hair (Mine, Ellie's, Amanda's). Kiss Brett goodbye as he's off to work.
10:30 out the door--head to Macey's to pick up milk, and Amanda's un-birthday treats for her kindergarten class: Donuts with green frosting and rainbow sprinkles. They look very appetizing to the average 5 year old (and 3 year old).
10:50 run to the library to avoid paying late fines on items that are due today. Grab a couple of random movies on my way out.
11:10 home to microwave canned ravioli for lunch (the un-birthday girl's request), and berries (so we don't die from toxins in the ravioli)
11:50 kindergartener out the door with neighborhood group (she actually ate in 40 min-- record time!)
11:55 the 3 year old finishes waving goodbye to playmate (said kindergartener) and has a last potty trip before we head out the door again
12:05 I leave with Ellie to take Amanda's treats to kindergarten
12:10 when we get to kindergarten, another child is being birthday treated--miscommunication after a long weekend!
12:15 Dear kindergarten teacher switches to highlight Amanda's unbirthday. There are birthday spankings, which send her giggling, birthday song as well as unbirthday song, birthday march, birthday dance, birthday crown, birthday balloon animal (green hound dog), birthday gift and book (Turkey Trouble), and Amanda invited me to be the guest of honor to read a favorite story to the class. Amanda chose "Llama llama, mad at Mama!". She even gave a proper introduction: "Class, this is my mom. Mom, this is my class" and they all chanted "Pleased to meet you!" I love that there are still manners, somewhere! :) During all this, Ellie is vigorously exploring all the nooks and crannies associated with a kindergarten classroom. Some kids were quite distracted by Ellie.
1:00 Ellie and I leave kindergarten and let them get back to reading
1:05 Ellie can't leave the school grounds without using the playground equipment for just a little bit. I read email and news on my phone, as well as eat the food (wood chips) she's bringing me from her store and save her when she climbs too high on the bars.
1:50 I finally convince Ellie that we really need to leave and get home.
2:00 Ellie's panties are still dry! Yippee!
2:10 Ellie and I read 2 stories and I tuck her in with Penny so she can help Penny take a nap.
2:15 I call Brett to tell him that I can hardly keep my eyes open. I'll be turning off my phone and hopefully rest until the school kids arrive.
2:30 phone is off and so am I.
3:25 I wake up to the sound of lots of school kids playing their way home
3:35 my two come through the door with lots of birthday stories, and some extra donuts.
3:40 after unloading backpacks, I go through all their papers, Katie enjoys a donut, and Amanda can't wait to start her new birthday book, which she promptly sits down and devours 5 chapters (this is my girl who is so motivated by food, until there's a good book involved).
4:00 start homework--Katie does journal writing, Amanda still can't put her book down. Meanwhile, I start dinner. Browning ground beef makes me want to barf. I chop celery and onion, add rice, cream soup, milk, put it in the oven and try to not barf. . . . while still going on the homework. . . how to spell x, Amanda please save some book for tomorrow. .
4:30 dinner's in the oven--30 minutes later than I'd planned. Nausea slows me down!
4:40 Ellie's awake still has dry panties! Yippee! She helps me set the table. Katie practices piano (but mostly plays around at the piano).
4:50 Brett walks in the door expecting us to have started dinner since the girls take an hour to eat.
4:55 pull dinner out of oven but it's not done. Finish it in the microwave.
5:05 We all sit for dinner--rice stuff with chinese crunchy noodles on top. Sliced cucumbers, strawberries.
5:30 Katie and Amanda rush to clear their dishes and change into leotards. Poor Ellie is desperately trying to finish as well, afraid she'll be left behind.
5:38 Brett takes the older girls to gymnastics in Lindon. Ellie gets her own shoes and jacket on and wants to "go too!"
5:40 Ellie and I decide to take Penny for a walk. Ellie is content with this plan, but walks sooooo slow. So we meander down to the school park. The sun is almost set and we're getting cold, but Ellie doesn't seem to mind.
5:50 Ellie is back to feeding me wood chip food at her playground store. She loves to drive the bus and run up the ramp to swoosh down the tube slide and bump me (I'm sitting at the bottom trying not to freeze or fall asleep).
6:30 I convince Ellie that it is too dark and cold for us to play so we head home.
6:35 Stop at the neighbors tree swing on the way for a quick 2 minute swing.
6:42 Arrive home with numb fingers.
6:45 Ellie and I put away all the Costco stuff we brought home last night and dumped.
7:00 Ellie and I fix a loose board on her toddler bed. We're so handy! Ellie also finds a toy ice cream cone and licks away!
7:10 Ellie's panties are still dry! We change into PJ's--mostly cuz I'm ready to call it a day!
7:20 Ellie and I do puzzles in the family room. Ellie can spell her name (verbally) but still has trouble identifying the letters in the puzzle.
7:40 Brett, Katie, and Amanda return home and the chaos begins. Ellie and I clean up puzzles while big sisters get ready for bed. I help Ellie and Amanda brush teeth. Where's Katie? Dawdling in her room. . . . .
8:00 Scriptures in the family room. Amanda loves to read (2 Ne 18) and really reads the scriptures so well--even though it's Isaiah.
8:15 prayers around the table.
8:20 Kisses for girls. Last call for chapstick, lotion, etc.
8:25 Brett tucks in the older two girls while I read a story to Ellie and tuck her in with Penny and Bolt. I love when I tell her "I love you Ellie" and she says back "I love you too Momma".  :) She'll often also repeat my "sleep well" or "see you in the morning". So sweet!
8:30 The house is quiet except for the lullaby music. I remind Brett it's garbage night. We both gather garbages and try to unbury all the papers (between school and mail, we probably kill a small forest each day!)
9:00 Garbage is out and I crash on the couch. I should go to bed but I'll wake up too early if I go now. I make a few phone calls for my calling (comp service-meals for families with new babies).
9:15 Brett and I start "Field of Dreams" saying we're going to stop it in an hour (since we don't have TV) but of course, the movie's too good so we just keep going.
10:40 stayed up too late, now I feel queasy going to bed!
10:55 Brett's reading me a Bruce R. McKonkie quote while I try to ignore him and wish the light was off.
11:15 pm I'm pretty sure I'm asleep.
3:00 am wake up in a cold sweat with another intense pregnancy dream. Toss and turn
4:00 am finally get up, use the bathroom, plug in my cell phone, wish I were sleeping
4:30 am back to bed
6 ish fall back asleep
7:05 am wake up call from the 3 year old. Rise and shine! I have to go to work today. Ugh.

Mother's Day 2013

Mother's Day this year came with a little road trip. We visited 2 great grandma's and 2 grandma's. Great Grandma Hadley had a newborn calf and we also got to feed her chickens. We hated being so brief, but it was fun to see everyone and tell them of our love!

 

 

  

 Love you Grandma Greer!

 

 

 

 Grandma Nichols had a fiesta for 5 de Mayo.

 We love Grandma Great!

Amanda practicing mothering.

9 Years!

What a great ride it's been! We've had some unexpected turns, but I'm so grateful to have Brett by my side for each and every adventure. I love you, dear! And here's to document the brief beard too. :)

Lucky Sevens!

I'm not usually a fan of odd numbers (I know it's weird) but this time, I'll make an exception. I just celebrated seven years of marriage! Here's my top seven reasons why I love Brett so much! (and it was really hard to keep it to JUST seven!)

7-He's fun to watch get into his skinny jeans!
6-He takes me to the temple every month--even if it's on the last day!
5-He makes a yummy dinner on the grill almost weekly (tonight he grilled Manti turkey and pineapple)
4-Almost every treat he has, he shares half with me.
3-He's not afraid of poopy diapers (or panties), or bathing girls, or sharing a bathroom with four girls. . . .yet!
2-He lets me warm my cold feet up on him.
1-He makes me laugh even when I don't want to.

We had a great anniversary day, and the best of the anniversary date is still to come! Despite his personal preference, he's taking me to see Les Miserables musical later this month. He's so sweet!
On May 6 we went to Trafalga to ride the go carts.
Katie and Mandy stayed with Grandma N while Ellie, Brett and I went to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving point. After having such a cold, rainy spring, it was hot and sunny! But the tulips, gardens, and walk was beautiful. We spent lots of time picking out our favorite tulips that we'll eventually plant at home :)We took Ellie to Emmett and Ethel's for lunch and a mini Sundae. We then headed to BYU for standby tickets to see the Carl Bloch exhibit at the MOA. We were led to believe we may not get in at all, and if so, we'd wait in line forever. Turns out, we waited about five minutes before being admitted! I'll take it.By this point, Ellie had only had cat naps through the day and was at her limit. We got Pier 49 pizza for dinner and went home to watch Morning Glory (from the Library) while Ellie napped. We all felt much better! :)The next morning, Ellie went to a friend's house, and Brett and I did sealings in the Provo Temple. We only did two couples, but it was enough to bring back sweet memories. I loved kneeling across the alter from Brett again!On the Sunday before our anniversary, he got up during testimony meeting and went against his norm: he bore testimony and included personal stories too! He talked about the important covenant of marriage and that he is grateful to be sealed to me and looks forward to spending eternity with me. I wish I could remember it word for word, but I was blushing and distracted by my children who decided to get rowdy when Dad left the bench. Anyway, it was heartwarming and reassuring to me that he does love me!Brett, I love you so! We've done some growing, which hasn't always been a painless process, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat! Happy Anniversary!
(PS We got ourselves his and hers Red Sox DVD's-2004 season and 2007 season!!)

Opening Day

Dating has been different with three kids vs one or two kids (and I don't just mean more expensive for babysitters). Ellie has come with us on all our dates since her birth except one, and to the temple. I don't mind. She's so easy compared to taking three kids anywhere! Brett planned an AWESOME date for April Fool's Day: Opening Day for the Boston Red Sox! We used to be able to watch them at home, but no longer. So, now we choose a special game now and then and go to Iggy's Sports Grill to watch. We got a late start (as usual) and as we packed up to leave, Brett told me that the game was canceled due to rain. NO WAY!! After all the work to get a babysitter, get all dressed up, get the baby fed and ready, now we can't even watch the game! Argh. I was preparing myself to have a date night to Cafe Rio and Walmart (lame date, I know). Brett let it marinate for a few minutes at home and a few blocks in the car, then reached over and pinched my knee (which I hate) and said, with his mischievous grin, "Happy April Fool's!" What? It didn't even sink in (well, the weather has been crazy enough that opening day could get rained out. . . ) Then I got it! That's was pretty low, but pretty good. I haven't seen the Red Sox play for a few months. Don't take away my hopes!Anyway, the three of us sat at Iggy's for a few hours, enjoying some good food and hanging out, reconnecting with the Red Sox. It was awesome. I've missed baseball! I was getting excited to start going to some Orem Owlz games (we have passes) but then found out they don't even start until late June. Argh! I was surprised that there were so many people at the restaurant for an early afternoon on a Friday. Iggy's was a bit busy so the waitress didn't come by too often, and Ellie was even really easy. She was easily entertained, super cute, and then slept for half of it. Nice!

The Red Sox lost to the Texas Rangers 9-5. Sad start, but it is baseball, and Texas almost won the world series last year. Anything can happen, and we love them anyway. So, thanks Brett, that was a rockin' date, and Happy April Fool's Day!

Third of a Century

I've been thinking this month of another individual and what He accomplished in His third of a century on this earth. I haven't done anything near as impactful, but I wanted to somehow quantify. What have I done with my third of a century?

• got baptized
• earned a Young Woman Recognition Award
• graduated from Seminary
• graduated from Institute
• graduated from High School
• graduated from College
• worked as a nurse in pediatrics, postpartum, recovery room, surgical center, community clinic, emergent care clinic
  
• worked as a telemarketer, florist, pizza maker, phone operator
• made tons of friends
  
• went on a cruise
• went on mission
• received my endowment in the Ogden temple
  
• sealed in the Salt Lake temple
• returned to the temple often
  
• helped create three daughters
• bought two houses
• sold one house
• bought four cars
• sold three cars
• learned Spanish
• learned toddlerese
• returned to Ecuador
• survived business school (ie single motherhood)
• (one month shy of) survived law school (ie poverty, single motherhood, pseudo-widowhood, unemployment)
• traveled a little around the country
• shared my testimony a few times
• created a few things of beauty
• practiced being a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife, a mother
• lost some sleep
• shed some tears
• laughed a lot
• loved a lot
• missed some people
  

I still have so much to do. It may not be as significant a list as someone whose life ended during this year, but it's my list nonetheless. I still have a lot to do! But I feel so blessed for all that I've done and enjoyed and experienced. My Father in Heaven has shown me great love and honor by giving me the life I have. With this perspective, I hope to make the next part of my life significant in His service.

Trafalga

We're getting the most out of our Seven Peaks season passes, now that it's become the "Pass of All Passes". We get to go to Trafalga (mini amusement park) with unlimited use. It's a work in progress as they fix/add rides. We went in mid-March and were disappointed that there weren't many little kid rides going. Last fall, the girls loved the little airplanes and the carousel. We rode the go-carts (two riders so Katie rode with me, Mandy rode with Grandma Nichols, and Brett got roadblocked by the women drivers!), played indoor mini-golf, black light style. Pretty fun for free and the girls love it! (Girls entertained=mommy happy!) This time, the new addition was a huge rock climbing wall. Katie begged to go on it, until after harnessing all up, she got 6 feet up and chickened out! Brett made it about 20 before he lost interest.







After playing at Trafalga, I got taken to "B-Donald's" (Mandy's title for McDonald's). Brett and Grandma Nichols had been plotting, but Trafalga doesn't allow for outside food. We had birthday cake, balloons, and a mini party! So fun!